Freemasonry and the Latter Day Saint movement

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The relationship between Freemasonry and the Latter-day Saint movement began early in the history of Mormonism. Joseph Smith, Jr. and several of the church founders were Freemasons, and were founding members of a lodge in Nauvoo, Illinois in March 1842.[1] There are some similarities between Mormon temple worship and symbolism and the stories and symbols of Freemasonry.[2] In modern times, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) holds no position for or against the compatibility of Masonry with LDS Church doctrine.[citation needed]

Contents

[edit] Historical Connections

While a number of early church members, such as Heber C. Kimball and Joseph Smith, Sr, were Masons prior to becoming Mormons, the Latter-Day Saint movement had no formal relationship with Freemasonry.

In the early 1840s a Masonic Lodge was formed by LDS Church members who were Freemasons. Joseph Smith, Jr. and his brother Hyrum became members of the newly formed Nauvoo lodge. It appears that John C. Bennett had a particularly strong influence in the spread of Freemasonry. LDS historian Reed Durham writes:

"By 1840, John Cook Bennett, a former active leader in Masonry had arrived in Commerce and rapidly exerted his persuasive leadership in all facets of the Church, including Mormon Masonry. ... Joseph and Sidney [Rigdon] were inducted into formal Masonry ... on the same day..." being made "Masons on Sight" by the Illinois Grandmaster.("Is There No Help for the Widow's Son?" by Dr. Reed C. Durham, Jr., as printed in "Joseph Smith and Masonry: No Help for the Widow's Son", Martin Pub. Co., Nauvoo, Ill., 1980, p. 17.) (This freed Joseph from having to complete the ritual and memorization necessary to work one's way through the first three degress.) Making one "A Mason on Sight" is generally reserved as an honor and is a rarity in occurrence.

In 1842 Smith became a Master Mason, as indicated by in the History of The Church (LDS):

Tuesday, [March] 15. — I officiated as grand chaplain at the installation of the Nauvoo Lodge of Free Masons, at the Grove near the Temple. Grand Master Jonas, of Columbus, being present, a large number of people assembled on the occasion. The day was exceedingly fine; all things were done in order, and universal satisfaction was manifested. In the evening I received the first degree in Freemasonry in the Nauvoo Lodge, assembled in my general business office. (History of the Church, by Joseph Smith, Deseret Book, 1978, Vol.4, Ch.32, p.550-1)

Joseph Smith was raised to the third degree of master mason "on sight" by Grand Master Jonas of the Grand Lodge of Ilinois. This was fully within Jonas' right of office, but was a fairly rare proceedure.[3]


Wednesday, March 16. — I was with the Masonic Lodge and rose to the sublime degree. (History of the Church, Vol.4, Ch.32, p.552)

In The Mormon Church and Freemasonry (2001), Terry Chateau writes:

[The Joseph Smith family] was a Masonic family which lived by and practiced the estimable and admirable tenets of Freemasonry. The father, Joseph Smith, Sr., was a documented member in upstate New York. He was raised to the degree of Master Mason on May 7, 1818 in Ontario Lodge No. 23 of Canandaigua, New York. An older son, Hyrum Smith, was a member of Mount Moriah Lodge No. 112, Palmyra New York.

It should be noted that Hyrum Smith was not only Joseph's older brother, but succeeded their father as Patriarch to the Church and Oliver Cowdery as assistant president of the Church (they were the only two men who held this office) and was always closely relied on by Joseph Smith.

On May 4, 1842, just a couple of months after his initiation to Freemasonry, Smith instructed other Mormon leaders "in the principles of and order of the Priesthood, attending to washings, anointings, endowments, and the communication of keys pertaining to the Aaronic Priesthood, and so onto to the highest order of the Melchizedek Priesthood...." (History of the Church, vol. 5, pg. 1, May 4, 1842).

[edit] Similarities

Although Mormon temple worship does share more than coincidental common symbols, signs, vocabulary and clothing with Freemasonry, it is not necessarily the case that these shared symbols represent similar ideas or are interchangeable with each other. Thus, aspects of the ritual can be considered distinct from the temple endowment. One issue is that Masonry once claimed ancient origins, and Mormons proclaim the temple ordinances to be from God and at least in theory they to some extent represent a return of early Christian ceremonies.[4]

When Smith was in the Carthage Jail in 1844, after he fired his last round in a small pepper-box pistol (which had been given to him that morning by Cyrus Wheelock), he held up his arms and may have been giving the Masonic call of distress, hoping Masons in the contingent would honor this call and not fire on him. Unfortunately he was only able to utter the first four words before he was felled by a bullet. It is recorded that he ran towards the open window with both hands above his head, palms forward, and proclaimed, "Oh Lord my God."[5] Most people saw this as only a plea to God for aid, although others suspect otherwise. [6] - This phrase, "Oh, Lord, my God, is there no help for the widow's son?" is the sign/token of a Master Mason in distress, a Mason in is bound by honor to come to another's aid if uttered if there is a greater chance of saving the life of the seeker than on losing his own..[7]

[edit] Differences

There are numerous physical differences between the Masonic temple practices and those of the LDS Church. Unlike Freemasonry, ordinances such as baptism for the dead and eternal marriage are unique to LDS temple worship. Obligations in Masonic ritual are made, as a whole, between men. Covenants in the LDS endowment are made to God. The endowment is a creation play occuring in the Garden of Eden and after the expulsion. The Masonic drama is set in and around the Temple of King Solomon.

The symbolic significance of traditional Masonic rituals are not characteristic of LDS Church ceremonies, in which Christian symbolism is central to worship. The Salt Lake Temple has some architectural aspects that are common with Freemasonry, but also common to American culture, such as the Eye of Providence. In addition, much of the symbolism has nothing to do with Freemasonry at all, such as the presence of the Big Dipper, or the statue of the Angel Moroni.

The goals of Masonry and Mormon rites are not the same. Masonry is not regarded as a religion and does not teach a doctrine of salvation; though it is by other religious groups such as the Catholic Church. The temple endowment, on the other hand, teaches of man's relationship to God in LDS Church belief, and Latter-day Saints consider it to be essential for exaltation in the world to come.[8]

[edit] Modern Official LDS Church policy

From 1925 to 1984 the Masonic Fraternity in Utah prohibited Latter-day Saints from joining, but Freemasons opened membership to Mormons worldwide. In 1984 the Grand Lodge of Utah officially dropped its anti-Mormon position and allowed LDS church members to join. Today there is no formal obstacle preventing Mormons from becoming Freemasons.

The presidency of the LDS Church has not made an official statement as to whether or not Freemasonry is compatible with Mormonism. However Don LeFevre, a past spokesman for the church has said the church "...strongly advises its members not to affiliate with organizations that are secret, oath-bound, or would cause them to lose interest in church activities."[9] There are a number of LDS Masons in Utah who serve in various leadership positions, including the 2008 Grand Master of Masons of Utah,[10] without comment by Church leaders.

[edit] Recent explorations of the issue

Greg Kearney, an endowed Mormon who is also a Freemason, gave a presentation of the issue of Mormonism and Freemasonry at a conference of the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Freemasonry in Nauvoo
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ Greg Kearney. "The Message and the Messenger: Latter-day Saints and Freemasonry"
  4. ^ High Nibley in Mormonism and Early Christianity explores some ideas along these lines, but never really addresses the issues of the symbols. Hugh W. Pinnock has also stated the Early Christians probably set up their own temple, which may well have involved temple ordinances similar to later ones done by Latter-day Saints, thus in the Latter-day Saint worldview masons having similar actions is not surprising
  5. ^ Times and Seasons, vol. 5 no. 13 [July 15, 1844], p. 585
  6. ^ "Is There No Help For The Widow's Son?" by Reed C. Durham
  7. ^ Freemasonry Exposed, p. 76
  8. ^ How does one explain similarities between Masonic and temple ritual?
  9. ^ Salt Lake Tribune Section D1, Monday Feb. 17, 1992
  10. ^ Freemasons of Utah » 2008 Grand Lodge Committees

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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