Was Joseph Smith a Mason? And if so,
what connection does it have to temple worship practice by members of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
Well, there could be some confusion between the similarities with and
the differences between Masonic ritual and
the way Latter-day Saints worship in the temple of the Lord.
Let’s explain the term “Mason,” “or Masonry,” refers to Freemasonry,
a worldwide network of fraternal organizations dating back hundreds of
years that promotes morality and service to others.
And yes, Joseph Smith, the founder of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was a Freemason.
Joseph Smith’s brother Hyrum was also a Mason and a member of
a lodge in Palmyra, New York. And their father, Joseph Smith Sr.,
was also known to be a Master Mason and Canandaigua, New York,
as early as 1818. While prophet and President of the Church, Joseph joined
the Masonic Lodge in Nauvoo, Illinois, on March 15, 1842,
rising to the level of Master Mason,
just a day later, under the recognized authority of the Grand Master of Illinois.
Masonry wasn’t new to the thousands of Latter-day saint converts already living
in and around Nauvoo at the time.
Although new to the faith, some members of the Church,
even those within the ranks of church leadership, were already masons.
Eventually, over 1,500 members of the Church were listed
as FreeMasons in Nauvoo alone,
more than in all the rest of Illinois. In towns across early America,
many elected officials were Masons.
President George Washington,
Benjamin Franklin, and many signers of
the Declaration of Independence were also masons.
In the years prior to becoming a Mason,
Joseph Smith had received instruction from God, revelations, about eternal
promises which God desired to make with Church members.
These promises are often called covenants.
Some of these covenants, along with instruction about the purpose of life,
are presented to members of the Church in a ceremony called
the endowment, held in holy temples.
So does the temple endowment ceremony borrow from Masonic ritual?
At the time, Latter-day Saints in Nauvoo
who experienced both Masonic rites and the temple endowment
did notice some common characteristics between the two ceremonies,
specifically the common methods of presentation and clothing of
the participants. They acknowledge parallels between Masonry and
the temple ceremony, as given to Joseph. Based on their experience with both,
they concluded the temple ceremony was of divine origin and consider that
the ideas within the culture that surrounded Joseph Smith frequently
contributed to the process by which he obtained revelations from God regarding
the temple endowment as well as other subjects.
Not surprising, since God uses many means to inspire his prophets
and help them receive revelation.
The temple ceremony was not an imitation or copy of Masonry.
It was revelation from God.
Yes, the presentation methods may have parallels to Masonic ritual,
but the content of the instruction,
the covenants and truths introduced by Joseph Smith as part of
the endowment, were revealed to him prior to his encounter with Masonry.
So what are some key differences between Masonic rituals and
the temple endowment ceremony practiced by Latter-day Saints?
Masonic rituals, based on legend, promotes self-improvement, brotherhood,
charity, and fidelity to truth for
the purpose of making better men who in turn make a better society.
In the endowment ceremony,
one of many important ceremonies held in sacred temples,
men and women promised God to obey His laws for
the purpose of gaining exaltation,
eternal life with God through Jesus Christ and His atonement.
And this temple ceremony draws upon the revelations from God for its content.
Though elements of the instructional methods and
the clothing worn by participants in each ceremony share some characteristics,
the purposes and origins stand distinct from one another.
So is it OK for Latter-day Saints to be Masons today? The policy is simple.
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not prohibited
from becoming Masons, nor are masons prohibited from becoming members of
the Church. Latter-day Saints believe that good can be found in many places.
God loves all His children and wants them to learn of Him and return to Him. Through
the endowment ceremony in his temples.
God reveals profound truths about His plan for the happiness of His children.
Joseph Smith and FreeMasonry
now, you know.