Historical Precedents of the Endowment Part 2: Freemasonry

Why members of the Church don't need to be ashamed of the Masonic connections

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you have probably heard that there are similarities between Freemasonry and the Endowment. The purpose of this article is to describe those similarities at a high-level, to explain the historical connection between the Church and Freemasonry, and to give a rationale as to why the similarities would exist. Don't worry, all that is sacred to the Church and Freemasonry will be respected. As a member of the Church and a Freemason, I have the highest regard for both organizations.

I always smile when I think about my first encounter with Freemasonry. I was 19 years old, serving a mission in Indiana. As I was walking to an appointment, I noticed a building with the Masonic insignia (a square and compass overlaid with the letter G in the middle). I was intrigued by this logo and asked my missionary companion what it meant. He responded, “That’s the Freemasons. They practice secret rituals where they ride on a goat. That’s what the G stands for.” I was actually naive enough to believe this explanation!

Later on in my mission, I ended up living in an apartment across the street from a Masonic temple. It was no longer being used for Masonic purposes because it had been sold and converted into a history museum. I use to visit that museum weekly in order to do volunteer work for the curator. Some antique Masonic regalia was on display there, and I was intrigued by the intricately embroidered aprons. They seemed so solemn and mystical. I never figured out how the goat factored in....

If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you have probably heard that our temple ordinances are similar to traditions within Freemasonry. There are several possible reactions to these similarities. Some avoid the issue because it makes them uncomfortable. Others deny any connection and attribute the similarities to coincidence. There are also those who rationalize the connection by believing that the temple rituals are arbitrary, and only the covenants matter. 

I would like to suggest a different approach to the LDS-Freemason connection: instead of avoiding, denying, or rationalizing the Masonic origin of the Endowment, I believe we should embrace it. Why? Because Freemasonry is a legitimate source for a sacred ritual. It is an honorable institution that has been “making good men better” for 300 years or more, and its traditions are ancient and deeply spiritual. In this article, you will learn about the origin of Freemasonry, its connection to the Church, and my own experiences as both a Freemason and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Similarities between Masonry and the Endowment

First I ought to give you some idea of the similarity between Masonic rituals are to the Endowment. The following is a list of some common elements between the two traditions:

• Ceremonial clothing, including aprons
• “Keywords, signs, and tokens” [1]
• Covenants/obligations made at an altar 
• Scripted series of questions and answers 
• Similar wording, including shared phrases 

Note that the list above is not exhaustive. There are many similarities that I am not going to address based on respect for both traditions. Given all these similarities, what distinguishes the two rituals from each other? There are two major differences: narrative and purpose. The story lines accompanying each ritual are distinctive, and the rituals serve different functions. The purpose of the Endowment is salvation for oneself and one’s ancestors. The purpose of Masonic rituals is brotherhood and self-improvement.

Another aspect of Freemasonry that appears to set it apart from the Endowment is its system of degrees. The Endowment is one complete experience, but Masonry has levels of initiation that progress one after the other. In Masonry, a candidate begins by receiving his first degree, then  after he meets certain requirements, he progress to his second degree, and so on. Early Freemasons developed a countless number of degrees, but only four are regarded as ancient. [2]

Upon further analysis, the Masonic system of progressive degrees isn’t that different from the Endowment. Pay close attention the next time you are in an Endowment session, and you will see that it is divided into four parts. Each of these four segments follow the same cycle: a covenant is made, and truths are imparted. The Endowment’s narrative implies the passage of time and tests of faithfulness between each segment. Because of this segmented structure, the Endowment resembles four Masonic degrees compressed into one event.

Where did Freemasonry come from?

The origin of Freemasonry is a mystery. Little is known about the organization before the formation of the first grand lodge in London in the year 1717. (A lodge is a group of Masons that meet together, like a ward. A grand lodge presides over a group of lodges, like a stake.) The two most prevalent origin theories for Freemasonry are 1) that it developed from trade guilds of stone masons, and 2) that it is the remnant of the Knights Templar, a medieval chivalric order. Although I find these theories fascinating, I am not going to discuss them here. For the purposes of this paper, the important question is not how the organization started, but where the rituals came from. As for the origin of the rituals, there can be little doubt that they were influenced by the Greco-Roman Mysteries. The two traditions are too similar to be attributed to coincidence. (See Part 1 for information on the Greco-Roman Mysteries and their similarity to the Endowment.)

Could Masonic traditions really have been adapted from Greco-Roman rituals? Actually, it’s not that improbable. Although the Mystery Schools were secret, they were spread throughout the whole Roman Empire. This is particularly true of the Mithraic Mysteries, which bear the closest resemblance to Freemasonry. In fact, temples of the Mithraic Mysteries are scattered throughout Britain, the birth place of Freemasonry.

There is another theory for the origin of Masonic rituals that I ought to briefly address. This theory assumes that Freemasonry is descended from the Knights Templar. The Templars had their first headquarters on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (the place where Solomon’s temple once stood). According to this theory, these knights found a written record of Hebrew rites buried in the Temple Mount. I will admit that this is an exiting idea, but there are some problematic elements. The first difficulty is that a connection between the Knights Templar and Freemasonry is purely speculative. The second problem is how the Templars would have been able to read an ancient Hebrew record. However, I will admit that I want this theory to be true!

The meeting of the Church and Masonry

The story of the Church’s involvement with Freemasonry takes place in Nauvoo, Illinois. Before the Saints settled Nauvoo, certain temple ordinances, such as washings and anointings, had already been practiced in the Kirtland Temple. What we now refer to as the Endowment, however, had not yet been introduced. As the LDS community of Nauvoo became established, some members of the Church petitioned the Grand Lodge of Illinois for permission to organize a Masonic lodge. In December of 1841, the Grand Lodge gave a dispensation (a formal document of permission) allowing the organization of the first Masonic Lodge in Nauvoo. [3] Joseph Smith joined this lodge in March of 1842, and Freemasonry caught on like wildfire throughout the community. Before long, the Latter-day Saint Freemasons in Illinois outnumbered Freemasons of other faiths. 

The beginning of the Endowment

On May 4, 1842, Joseph Smith revealed the Endowment for the first time by administering the ritual to nine of his trusted associates. [4] It is interesting to note that these nine men were all Master Masons. This arrangement may have been an attempt to follow Masonic protocol; certain Masonic bodies are required to have nine Master Masons present in order to operate. Clearly, all of these men would have realized the similarity between the Endowment and Freemasonry. According to some of these men, Joseph Smith explained that Freemasonry was the remnant of an ancient priesthood that had become degenerated. [5] Although this may seem like a criticism of Freemasonry, Joseph probably didn’t mean it as such. He continued to participate in Freemasonry and to support others in doing so after the Endowment was revealed.

Embracing all truth

Whatever the origin of Freemasonry, it is understandable that Joseph Smith incorporated some of its traditions into the Church. He recognized that there was truth in Freemasonry, and he saw the Church as a melting pot for all true principles. In fact, Joseph said that the Church’s ability to embrace all truth was one of its distinguishing characteristics. As he put it, “The first and fundamental principle of our holy religion is, that we believe that we have a right to embrace all, and every item of truth, without limitation or without being circumscribed or prohibited by the creeds or superstitious notions of men....” [6]

Was it plagiarism for the Church to adopt Masonic rituals?

To some, the idea of re-appropriating rituals from one organization to another may seem unethical; however, throughout the history of Freemasonry, it has been common for organizations to adopt elements of its rituals. Because Freemasonry was the first fraternity in history, almost all fraternal orders have modeled themes after it to some degree. Examples of this include The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, The Knights of Columbus, and the Order of the Arrow (a group within The Boy Scouts of America). Freemasons don’t consider these organizations to be unauthorized copies of their own organization. The reason for this is that these societies have distinctive elements in their rituals and don’t claim to be Masonic. The same principle applies to LDS temple ceremonies.

Tension between the Church and the Grand Lodge of Illinois

Not long after opening, the Nauvoo Masonic lodges began to have their authorization to operate either suspended or revoked by the Grand Lodge of Illinois. This was due to alleged irregularities in how the lodges were being run, including balloting on multiple applicants at the same time and passing applicants through the degrees in groups instead of individually. It is uncertain if these irregularities were actually practiced by the Nauvoo loges, but the rapid growth of Freemasonry among the Saints suggests some unconventional practices. On the other hand, it is possible that the Grand Lodge of Illinois attempted to shut down the Nauvoo lodges in order to avoid having an overwhelming majority of Church members within the Fraternity. [7] Even after loosing their authorization, the LDS lodges continued to operate, further escalating the tensions. The continued operation of the Nauvoo lodges can be viewed in two ways depending on which side one takes: it can be regarded as a flagrant act of defiance against authority, or it can be seen as the last recourse for a people who were being treated unjustly. Like many of the conflicts in history, it is impossible to determine which side was in the wrong. It is likely that there was fault on both sides. The Masonic conflict was really a microcosm of the larger religious and political conflict that led to the expulsion of the Saints from Illinois.

Was the Church anti-Masonic after the martyrdom?

I have come across some histories that claim that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints became anti-Masonic after Joseph Smith’s murder. For example, the book Born in Blood by John J. Robinson claims that Brigham Young blamed Joseph’s death on the Freemasons and forbid affiliation with them. Robinson does not cite a source, and I have not been able to corroborate his claim. In fact, I have not been able to find any anti-Masonic statements from Church leaders past or present. Furthermore, Young seems to have considered himself a Freemason after the Nauvoo period; there are photographs of Brigham Young taken in Utah that reveal a Masonic pin on his shirt. [8]

Freemasonry in Utah

After settling in Utah, members of the Church made at least two attempts to open a Masonic Lodge. They petitioned the United Grand Loge of England and the Grand Lodge of Mexico to request authorization, but they never heard back from the former and were denied by the latter. [8] When the Grand Lodge of Utah was established in 1874, they banned members of the Church  from affiliating with Utah lodges. This ban remained in force until 1984. Outside of Utah, however, Latter-day Saints were allowed to participate in Freemasonry. It is likely that the Grand Lodge of Utah’s ban on LDS participation was a reflection of religious tension in Utah, and not a reflection of a universal divide between members of the Church and Masons. When the Grand Lodge of Utah lifted the ban in 1984, it was due to pressure from Grand Lodges in surrounding states. [9]

Walking by faith

In the end, we are required to live by faith regarding the Endowment and its origin. History won’t give a definitive answer, but God can reveal the truth of this ordinance to us through the Spirit. I have felt that Spirit many times in the temple, and that is reason enough for me to believe that Joseph Smith was inspired. In addition, I have had spiritual experiences with Freemasonry that have convinced me that it’s rituals are ancient and sacred. When I was preparing for my first degree, my biggest question was if I would feel something similar to what I felt in the temple. To my surprise, I did have a similar experience. It’s hard to compare the two, but I can say that, in addition to having similar content, they are also similar in spirit. At the end of my degree, I was given a charge, which began as follows: “My Brother, having passed through the ceremonies of your initiation, allow me to congratulate you on your admission into our ancient and honorable fraternity. Ancient as having existed from time immemorial…” The last phrase hit me hard; I knew that these traditions had “existed from time immemorial.” I can’t trace the rituals back in an unbroken chain to Adam, but the Spirit has told me that they are ancient, and that is enough. The rites have certainly taken on different forms over time, but the essentials have remained intact.

I hope that nothing I have said will give offense to my readers; my only goal has been to facilitate mutual understanding between two honorable organizations. Besides having similar rituals, there is more that the Church and Masonry have in common. Both are outside the mainstream and are commonly maligned and misrepresented. Many of the same publishers who produce anti-Mormon tracts also produce anti-Masonic ones. To put it simply, the Church and the Freemasons are in the same boat. It would make sense for us to put aside past wrongs and support each other. The Church, after all, owes a great debt to Freemasonry for its contribution to our traditions and culture.

References:

1. Taken from a quote by Brigham Young: “Let me give you a definition in brief. Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell” (Discourses of Brigham Young, comp. John A. Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1941, p. 416).
2. In 1813, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) declared that there were three ancient degrees of Freemasonry: Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason, including the Holy Royal Arch. This statement is ambiguous because it states that there are four ancient degrees but lists four. The UGLE was considering the Holy Royal Arch to be an extension of the Master Mason degree, but in practice, it is presented separately. So, depending on your point of view, there are either three or four “ancient” degrees.
3. Homer, Michael W. “‘Similarity of Priesthood in Masonry’: The Relationship Between Freemasonry and Mormonism”. Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Volume 27 No. 3, Dialogue Foundation, Farmington, UT, 1994, page 28.
4. Homer, page 34
5. Homer, page 68
6. Letter from Joseph Smith to Isaac Galland, Mar. 22, 1839, Liberty Jail, Liberty, Missouri, published in Times and Seasons, Feb. 1840, pp. 53–54; spelling and grammar modernized.
7. Homer, page 31
8. https://www.fairmormon.org/answers/Mormonism_and_Freemasonry/Brigham_Young%27s_involvement
9. Wikipedia contributors. "Mormonism and Freemasonry." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 10 Nov. 2018. Web. 19 Nov. 2018.