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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]
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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.
Problems arose concerning the special dispensation granted to the Nauvoo Lodge, brought by Bodley Lodge No. 1, and on August 11, 1842 the special dispensation was suspended by the Grand Master until the annual Communication of the Illinois Grand Lodge[4] "During the short period covering its activities, this Lodge initiated 286 candidates and raised almost as many. John C. Bennett reports an instance in which sixty-three persons were elected on a single ballot."[5] This suspension was later lifted and the Mormon Lodges resumed work although several irregularities in their practice were noted. The irregularities centered on mass balloting (voting on more than one candidate at a time) and not requiring proficiency in each degree before proceeding to the next degree (in many cases, initiates were being passed to the Fellowcraft degree and raised to the Master Mason degree within two days of being initiated as an Entered Apprentice).[6] In 1844, the Mormon Lodges were ordered to cease work by the Grand Lodge although they ignored the order and continued to function as clandestine lodges until Smith's death.
Similarities in Symbology and Ritual
Mormon temple worship shares more than coincidental common symbols, signs, vocabulary and clothing with Freemasonry.[7] The interpretation of these often differs between the religion and the fraternity.
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."[8] Most people saw this as only a plea to God for aid, although others suspect otherwise. [9] - 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 is bound by honor to come to the utterer's aid if there is a greater chance of saving the life of the seeker than on losing his own.[10]
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."[11] There are a number of LDS Masons in Utah who serve in various leadership positions, including Grand Officers and present and past Worshipful Masters in several lodges.
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.[12]
Notes
- ^ Freemasonry in Nauvoo
- ^ [1]
- ^ Greg Kearney. "The Message and the Messenger: Latter-day Saints and Freemasonry"
- ^ S.H. Goodwin, 1920, Mormonism and Masonry: Origins, Connections and Coincidences Between Mason and Mormon Temple/Templar Rituals, available online
- ^ S.H. Goodwin, 1920, Mormonism and Masonry: Origins, Connections and Coincidences Between Mason and Mormon Temple/Templar Rituals, available online
- ^ S.H. Goodwin, 1920, Mormonism and Masonry: Origins, Connections and Coincidences Between Mason and Mormon Temple/Templar Rituals, available online
- ^ S.H. Goodwin, 1920, Mormonism and Masonry: Origins, Connections and Coincidences Between Mason and Mormon Temple/Templar Rituals, available online, pp. 54-59
- ^ Times and Seasons, vol. 5 no. 13 [July 15, 1844], p. 585
- ^ "Is There No Help For The Widow's Son?" by Reed C. Durham
- ^ Freemasonry Exposed, p. 76
- ^ Salt Lake Tribune Section D1, Monday Feb. 17, 1992
- ^ http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2005_Latter-day_Saints_and_Freemasonry.html
References
- Joseph Smith's Quorum of the Anointed; edited by Devery S. Anderson and Gary James Bergera; Signature Books: Salt Lake City; 2005; ISBN 1-56085-186-4
- Chateau, Terry. The Mormon Church and Freemasonry. 2001, California Freemason On-Line. Available: [2].
- Homer, Michael W. (1992), "Masonry and Mormonism in Utah, 1847–1984", Journal of Mormon History 18 (2): 57–96, http://content.lib.utah.edu/u?/jmh,16644.
- Morgan, William (1827), Illustrations of Masonry by One of the Fraternity Who has devoted Thirty Years to the Subject: "God said, Let there be Light, and there was light", Batavia, N.Y.: David C. Miller, http://utlm.org/onlinebooks/captmorgansfreemasonrycontents.htm.
- The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship by David John Buerger; Signature Books: Salt Lake City; 2002; ISBN 1-56085-176-7
- Wife of Two Martyrs: Lucinda Pendleton (Morgan Harris Smith) In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith by Todd Compton; Signature Books: Salt Lake City; 1997; ISBN 1-56085-085-X
External links
- Mormonism and Freemasonry by Nicholas S. Literski
- The Masonic Moroni: Exploring the Historical Relationship Between Early Mormonism & Freemasonry.
- Anthony W. Ivins, The Relationship of "Mormonism" and Freemasonry (Salt Lake City, UT, Deseret News Press, 1934). online version
- No Help for the widow's son A look at parallels between Mormonism, the Book of Mormon and Masonry. Also contains a legend that has striking parallels to early Mormon history and the Laban account in the Book of Mormon.
- Essay discussing possible Masonic influences on Mormonism titled, "Captain Morgan and the Masonic Influence in Mormonism"
- Apologetic discussion of Mormonism and freemasonry
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