Does freemasonry have roots in Satanism?


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I won't be specific for obvious board reasons, but the LDS temple have some form of freemasonry in it's ordinances, but I always heard that Freemasonry had it's roots in Satanism, so how is this not more troubling to people? My brother, who I've always looked up to in the church, gets uncomfortable during the endowment session because of the Masonry aspects and clothing. I was shocked when I found out he'd only been to the temple once in the past 4 years because he always gives the most inspired Christlike priesthood blessings. I admit, I have some problems with the Masonry in the endowment because I know some Masons and it always made me somewhat worried in the back of my mind. I still go to the temple often though because I know I'm doing important work for those that have passed on. It's just the ceremony can be a little uncomfortable.

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Ask yourself, which came first, the truths of God, or the imitations of Satan?  (In other words, who's copying whom?)

NOTE: I have no idea about freemasonry and Satanism - never heard that link before - but I think the answer to that is irrelevant to the more important question above.

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Well Joseph Smith became a Mason before he introduced the temple endowment. That's something that I knew came first and the endowment pre 1990 change used to have more Masonry aspects and used to be longer so I also have to ask why such a sacred ordinance keeps changing over the decades. 

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My father was a Freemason before joining the Church, and continued to be a Freemason after. He ended up separating from the Freemason's for personal reasons. Truth is obtained from multiple places. As to why the Lord instructed Joseph Smith as he did, we know not, and the knowledge is of little importance to my exaltation. This would be the first time I have ever heard someone liken Freemasonry to Satanism. I, personally, do not have any common ground with feeling uncomfortable pertaining to the endowment.

In hopes to clarify what @zil was trying to get across is that God's truth existed long before Freemason's ever existed. There are groups of masons that specify there organization has existed since King Solomon, and if so, they could have easily passed down from generation to generation these truths. There are other groups that specify there is no evidence to the Freemasons existing before, if I remember correctly, the 1600s. Joseph Smith becoming a mason before introducing the temple endowment doesn't negate God is the author of all truth. There are truths I love from a Hindu named Krishnamurti. His book "To be Human" is a wonderful read (accepting the notion that he and I don't agree on all points, but some of his points were spot on and ones I continue to share). I didn't think of certain aspects the way I do now until I read his book. Should I reject truth because it came from a Hindu? No, God is the author of all truth. If Joseph Smith was revealed truth through Freemasons and God wanted us to know these truths, then so be it. We move forward.

The ordinance of the temple has not changed. We still receive our endowment. We still receive what is necessary for this saving ordinance. Change does not equate with lack of sacredness. It would be similar thought pattern to assume that because Jesus said in the Book of Mormon, "Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen", and we say now, "Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen", has somehow reduced the sacredness of this ordinance. It hasn't. The ordinances purpose and sacredness remains in tact. 

Edited by Anddenex
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I heard that Freemasonry actually has its roots from what went on in the Temple of Solomon.  So, freemasonry is imitating Mormonism and not vice versa.  If Freemasonry does have its roots in the Temple of Solomon, one would expect to see similarities.

As far as freemasonry having sinister roots?  Sounds like something you would hear from the fringe Right.  I have heard some of these guys attribute similar sinister roots to Harry Potter, blues music, and belief that dinosaurs existed, so take that for what you will...  

Given the number of American leaders, Church leaders, and friends of mine who are part of freemasonry, I seriously doubt there is anything sinister about Freemasonry, though no one ever invited me into one of the lodges, so I don't actually know firsthand what goes on.  

Edited by DoctorLemon
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Guest MormonGator
5 hours ago, DoctorLemon said:

As far as freemasonry having sinister roots?  Sounds like something you would hear from the fringe Right.  I have heard some of these guys attribute similar sinister roots to Harry Potter, blues music, and belief that dinosaurs existed, so take that for what you will...  

 

Amen. Well said @DoctorLemon

My FIL is a Freemason and all it is is bunch of old man who do charity work. The conspiracy theories are utter garbage. 

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Another thought: it seems to me that the only person who benefits from this line of logic:

  1. Freemasons pre-dated Mormons
  2. Joseph Smith was familiar / part of Masonry
  3. The Mormon temple endowment seems to be copying certain rituals of Masonry
  4. Masonry is related to Satanism
  5. I, a Mormon, am now uncomfortable with the endowment and therefore don't go and do proxy work

...is Satan, who will mix truth and lies, including the truth of his own evilness, to deceive the righteous.  IMO, the one who benefits is most likely the source.  Therefore, reject the source, do proxy endowments with joy and peace, be blessed, and bless others.

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9 hours ago, Zarahemla said:

Well Joseph Smith became a Mason before he introduced the temple endowment. That's something that I knew came first and the endowment pre 1990 change used to have more Masonry aspects and used to be longer so I also have to ask why such a sacred ordinance keeps changing over the decades. 

Fun things to consider, that are in the public record, researched and talked about by LDS students and scholars:

Quote

Ancient Catholic Rites and architecture

  • Rituals of washing and anointing (with oil applied to specific body parts in a specific order with blessings being
    spoken)

  • After the washing and anointing, the Christian would receive a new white garment.

  • The giving of new names to those entering monasteries

  • The ancient practice of keeping men and women separate in the church, just as they were kept separate in the temple at Jerusalem

  • The use of a veil or covering for women's heads

  • The atrium of the church as a symbol of paradise or the garden of Eden  

  • Ritual clothing and related symbolism

  • Altars and veils in church buildings

  • The use of the All-seeing Eye as a symbol in Renaissance and Baroque churches

  • The raising of the hands of the priest done anciently

  • The hand symbol of a hollowed palm in the left hand when approaching the altar (see Cyril of
    Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 23:21-22)

  • The prayer offered for the church and the world by the priest which was repeated by the congregation,
    praying for names of people written on folded parchments (diptychs), especially for those who were ill or
    needed special consideration

  • The ritual embrace and "kiss of peace" to welcome the initiate into the community

  • Ritual knocking (three times) with a hammer on the portal of a door, currently acted out in the ritual of the
    Porta Santa at St. Peter in Rome, representing entry

"The Catholic Liturgy and the Mormon Temple" by Marcus von Wellnitz in BYU Studies , Vol. 21, No. 1, Winter 1981

 

Joseph was introduced to Masonry in 1842.  Here's a list of things that happened before 1842:

1835 - Book of Abraham
- Key-words of the priesthood
- The phrase “only to be had in the temple of God”

1837 - Ceremonial washing and Annointing with oil were practiced at Kirtland temple – 5 years before Joseph Smith was introduced to masonry.

Jan 19, 1841 - revelation on temple ordinances, now identified as Doctrine and Covenants 124
- Anointings (39)
- The keys of the holy priesthood (34, 95, 97)  (Orson Pratt provided a footnoting system for the Doctrine and Covenants that was included with the book up through 1918. In the footnotes of D/C 124 he indicated that “keys” referred to in verses 95 and 97 were “the order of God for receiving revelations” and “the order, ordained of God”  
- Memorials of Levitical sacrifices (39)
- Solemn assemblies (39)
- Oracles, conversations, statutes, and judgments (39)
- Ordinances that have been kept hidden (40-41)
- The fullness of the priesthood (28)

9 March 1841 – Joseph tells the Nauvoo Lyceum that the “great God has a name by which he will be called which is Ahman, also in asking have reference to person like Adam, for God made Adam just in His own image. Now this is a key for you to know how to ask and obtain.”

May 5 1841 – Visit with William Appleby – While discussing facsimile 2, Joseph explained to Appleby that part of the
drawing was related to “the Lord revealing the grand key words of the holy priesthood, to Adam in the garden of Eden, as also Seth, Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham, and to all whom the priesthood was revealed” (William I. Appleby journal,
5 May 1841, ms 1401 1, LDS church archives)

 

Yeah, no. There are obvious similarities between various aspects of freemasonry, and various aspects of temple worship.  And yet, folks are often surprised to learn how many of the obvious similarities showed up before Joseph ever got involved with freemasonry.

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1 hour ago, MormonGator said:

Amen. Well said @DoctorLemon

My FIL is a Freemason and all it is is bunch of old man who do charity work. The conspiracy theories are utter garbage. 

Yep.  My (nonmormon, nonreligious) dad was a mason, and had a masonic funeral. It was an interesting thing. The whole organization sort of struck me as a greying men's social club with shrinking membership.  Trying to find a way to hold on to relevance in a world where more have desk jobs and less have a trade.

Edited by NeuroTypical
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1 hour ago, zil said:

 

...is Satan, who will mix truth and lies, including the truth of his own evilness, to deceive the righteous.  IMO, the one who benefits is most likely the source.  Therefore, reject the source, do proxy endowments with joy and peace, be blessed, and bless others.

A little off the actual discussion as I know nothing about the endowment but Ive been struggling about going to the temple to do baptisms as I have to go with a bunch of people younger then me who I've never met and I was getting very stressed about it all.. then I thought were are all these feelings coming from? I think Satan definitely has ways of stopping us seeing the bigger picture,  especially when it comes to temple work.

Edited by An Investigator
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Guest MormonGator
3 hours ago, NeuroTypical said:

Yep.  My (nonmormon, nonreligious) dad was a mason, and had a masonic funeral. It was an interesting thing. The whole organization sort of struck me as a greying men's social club with shrinking membership.  Trying to find a way to hold on to relevance in a world where more have desk jobs and less have a trade.

Absolutely true. I find it silly that the Catholic church in particular and many other Churches have this deep vendetta against a bunch of sweet old men who do tremendous good in the world. The help these guys give to children is huge.  

Edited by MormonGator
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Guest MormonGator
2 hours ago, An Investigator said:

A little off the actual discussion as I know nothing about the endowment but Ive been struggling about going to the temple to do baptisms as I have to go with a bunch of people younger then me who I've never met and I was getting very stressed about it all.. then I thought were are all these feelings coming from? I think Satan definitely has ways of stopping us seeing the bigger picture,  especially when it comes to temple work.

I'm praying for you my friend. Stay strong. 

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14 hours ago, Zarahemla said:

Well Joseph Smith became a Mason before he introduced the temple endowment. That's something that I knew came first and the endowment pre 1990 change used to have more Masonry aspects and used to be longer so I also have to ask why such a sacred ordinance keeps changing over the decades. 

We lazily speak of the endowment as "an" ordinance.  But it is actually a series of ordinances, presented in conjunction with instruction which is indeed subject to change.  One wouldn't say that having only one sacrament meeting talk instead of two or three constitutes a "change" to the ordinance of the sacrament; and similarly, changes to the presentation of the endowment do not necessarily constitute changes to the ordinances of the endowment.  To the degree that actual ordinances have changed from their 1842 incarnations (I.e. washings and anointing) - I think that on reflection the reasons for such changes generally become fairly clear and justifiable. 

Edited by Just_A_Guy
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Of course it has a different meaning, Zarahemla.  

Here's a bunch of links to non-LDS, non-Satan-related instances of inverted pentagrams.  Everything from Christian churches, to Synagogues, to the Medal of Honor, to the Boy Scouts, to the US Navy and the Grammy awards.

http://en.fairmormon.org/Mormonism_and_temples/Inverted_Stars_on_LDS_Temples

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16 hours ago, Zarahemla said:

the LDS temple have some form of freemasonry in it's ordinances

This is not true. Freemasonry is a completely separate thing from LDS temple ordinances. There is no "form" of one in the other. There may be some common forms, but that is an entirely different thing.

16 hours ago, Zarahemla said:

I always heard that Freemasonry had it's roots in Satanism, so how is this not more troubling to people?

Because it's false. I know little of Freemasonry, but what little I know tells me they're a social and service organization, not that different from the Elks Club. They have nothing to do with "Satanism". They are a sort of "secret" society, in the sense that they have "private knowledge" they don't share openly with others. Some people insist that any such "secret" society must be evil. That's where the supposed Satanism tie comes from.

16 hours ago, Zarahemla said:

My brother, who I've always looked up to in the church, gets uncomfortable during the endowment session because of the Masonry aspects and clothing.

That really is not much different from saying that I get uncomfortable with the endowment because they speak in English, which is the exact same language used in Satanic goat-sacrificing ceremonies somewhere. Commonality in some forms, tokens, or representations does not imply a common origin, only a common source for those figurative ideas.

16 hours ago, Zarahemla said:

I have some problems with the Masonry in the endowment because I know some Masons and it always made me somewhat worried in the back of my mind.

For what it's worth, I urge you to put such worries out of your mind. Walk them under your feet. If you don't understand why there are commonalities, then simply quit worrying about it. Answers sufficient for you will come when needed.

16 hours ago, Zarahemla said:

That's something that I knew came first and the endowment pre 1990 change used to have more Masonry aspects and used to be longer so I also have to ask why such a sacred ordinance keeps changing over the decades.

As someone who received his endowment well before 1990, I assure you that the overall endowment is substantially identical, and that in specific no important covenants or blessing pronouncements were changed. I confess I have missed some of the parts that were taken out, but 26 years later I can see that the things that were removed were largely misunderstood by the Church population, perhaps including by myself. When symbols start being taken in a completely different context from the intended, it's time to modify the symbols so people can still understand what is being presented.

7 hours ago, NeuroTypical said:

Yep.  My (nonmormon, nonreligious) dad was a mason, and had a masonic funeral. It was an interesting thing. The whole organization sort of struck me as a greying men's social club with shrinking membership.  Trying to find a way to hold on to relevance in a world where more have desk jobs and less have a trade.

From what little I know about Freemasonry, it sounds like an organization I would love to be a part of if only I had a great deal more disposable time than I do now.

7 hours ago, An Investigator said:

A little off the actual discussion as I know nothing about the endowment but Ive been struggling about going to the temple to do baptisms as I have to go with a bunch of people younger then me who I've never met and I was getting very stressed about it all.. then I thought were are all these feelings coming from? I think Satan definitely has ways of stopping us seeing the bigger picture,  especially when it comes to temple work.

Good for you. As for the age thing, I don't remember ever doing baptisms for the dead in my youth. We lived in eastern Washington state and were part of the Alberta, Canada temple district. I remember having a couple of temple trips when I was old enough to go, but each time I had other commitments that prevented me from going. I was not a proxy for baptisms for the dead until I was a middle-aged man.

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@Zarahemla

See a previous post on the topic:

I'm familiar with both the LDS Temple ceremonies and the Masonic Temple rites.  They're about as similar as two plays are.  They have an introduction of characters, they have stage direction, they have spoken words, a plot, a protagonist, an antagonist, a conflict, a journey, a climax, a denouemont, and a finale.  But if you're going to consider this to mean that the two ceremonies are the same, you might as well say that I, Robot and Transformers were the same movie.  No, I, Robot was a reasonably good movie.  Transformers really should have been a direct-to-bargain-bin-video.  But, but, but... they're both sci-fi movies with lots of noise and explosions.  You've really got to get out more.

If you think about a handshake, consider how similar any handshake is to another.  You have all sorts of handshakes both innocent and sinister.  But you could easily say they're all similar because they involve hands, fingers, thumbs, some sort of interlocking, etc.  Well, duh-uh.  How much can you really do with a handshake to make it truly original?  Any handshake is going to look like another.

Consider robes.  How much can you really do with robes?  Between the two ceremonies, they're about as different as they could be and still call them both robes.  I could go on.  But it simply isn't correct to say either had roots in the other.

Some Masonic Temples (and by extension all Masons to some degree) subscribe to an urban legend that the Masonic rituals came from Solomon's temple.  Many Masons believe it, just as many Mormons believe incorrect doctrines of our own faith.  But the true history is that the origins came from both Catholic liturgy and the trades (specifically masonry). Yes, actual stone masons had handshakes that you were privileged to know once you met a certain level of proficiency.  Papers were not passed around among many who couldn't read or write.  They had handshakes.  When you moved to another city, you met with the guild and gave the handshake to the master mason of the city to let him know how proficient you were.

The two ceremonies might have some similarities to the casual observer.  But if you're clearly familiar with both, there is a world of difference between the two ceremonies.

Edited by Guest
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18 hours ago, Zarahemla said:

but I always heard that Freemasonry had it's roots in Satanism.

Well, a lot is said about Masonry that is just as much a product of the imagination as saying Mormons have horns.  I know of no Satanic connection to Masonry.

One common thing that people say is that Masons are all either Deists or Atheists.  Deism might be accepted, but is often not accepted.  Such individuals are usually blackballed.  Atheism is specifically eschewed.  The one religious requirement of Masons is that they must believe in some form of a Supreme Being.

In Utah, many Masonic Lodges had an unwritten rule (a long time ago) that they would blackball any Mormons because of the perceived connection to temple ceremonies.  But outside Utah, this simply wasn't the case.  No one made the connection.  Many Masons outside of Utah were Mormons as well.  But no one has ever resigned from the Church because of any perceived similarities between the ceremonies.  That's because once you put the mistique aside, they really are quite different.

Today, Masons in Utah will allow Mormons into their membership.

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2 hours ago, zil said:

Only the ones born in the covenant.  Converts' kids get them, but not the converts themselves.  (Just clarifying in case someone was confused.) <_<

Phew.. thanks for clarifying,  I was worried that my horns hadn't grown yet.   Can anyone tell me approx size? I'm knitting a hat for a friend. 

Edited by An Investigator
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2 hours ago, zil said:

Only the ones born in the covenant.  Converts' kids get them, but not the converts themselves.  (Just clarifying in case someone was confused.) <_<

Oh "kids".  I get it.:rolleyes:

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21 hours ago, Zarahemla said:

I always heard that Freemasonry had it's roots in Satanism, so how is this not more troubling to people?

From what I know, the Masons is basically a service organisation, something like Rotary or the Lions Club (do you have the Lions in the US?). I believe that one of their main activities is doing project that are good and that benefit the community. If that is the case, then Mormon 7:17 makes it highly unlikely that they are in any way satanic.

(Book of Mormon | Moroni 7:17)
7 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.
 

This idea is reinforced by Mosiah 2:17  which makes it clear that when we are serving our fellow men, as I believe the Masons do through their community service, then we are also serving God. Serving God is not something that Satan would ever be involved in in any way.. 

(Book of Mormon | Mosiah 2:17)
17  And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
 

In light of of these two scriptures, I think its quite plain that Satan is unlikely to have or to have had, any connection with Freemasonry and I don't believe any additional supporting evidence is required, 

 

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