Is there any truth to Mormons and Freemasonry having common roots?

Question

This sounds strange to me. Anybody have any ideas on this?

I guess "common roots" was the wrong term, but you guys knew what i meant! Thanks.

Saraiah: Since you are LDS, I'll ask you. Is plural marriage an extremist doctrine now? I mean, i see some TV reports about it and it seems like all LDS don't embrace this now?

Answer 1

Yes, there is. Joseph Smith (Mormonism's first "prophet") was a Freemason prior to starting his new religion. He was booted out of the Masons when they learned that he used their secret symbols on his special underwear.

Many of the "tokens" or special, secret handshakes also come from Freemasonry, instigated by Smith.

Answer 2

While Freemasonry is not a religion it is a system of morality.

To that end, there are common roots in every organization throughough history that is morality based...you'll be hard pressed to find a moral social structure where things like murder and theft are permissable.

Smith, the first prophet of LDS was a "freemason" so its no surprise there might be additional similarities, people do what they know...

This fact takes nothing away from the LDS religion or the Freemason fraternity.

++++++++++++

Had to add this response to Koshka 1995 because the information in that response is about as incorrect as can be...

* Scottish Rite is an appendant body of Freemasonry, it is not a part of Freemasonry and not "higher" than Freemasonry (refernce to 33rd degree vs 3rd degree master mason)
* there is no hidden truth about freemasonry that is taught only to those of the 33rd degree, the 33rd degree is an honorary title
* Pike was Soverign of the souther jurisdiction of the scottish rite only, that was the extent of his influence, he did not speak for freemasonry in the south, nor for the scottish rite beyond the southern jurisdiction
* Pike was not a co-founder of the KKK and was not a member of the KKK
* Lucifer being tied to Satan is a very recent connection... the term lucifer is latin and means bringer of light and in ancient times (and today) referred to the planet Venus which is in the morning sky and precedes the sun hence "bringer of light"...this is picked up in literature and should be read that "the bringer of light is god" and no monotheist should have a problem with that... it has no bearing or relation to satan
* there is no such title as 'supreme luciferian pontiff'...
* freemasonry is not a religion

Answer 3

That's not starnge at all, it's very true. Freemasonry is a very old order, which is religious in it's use of symbols, rituals, and beliefs. Joseph Smith incorporated (word for word) the rituals of freemasonry into the LDS temple rituals during the time he established the LDS church. There are a number of documentaries out about the "secret" rituals of freemasons, check google video as a potential source.

Answer 4

Yes, apparently quite a bit of Masonic Ritual and the way the temple is set up was "borrowed" by the Mormons.

No, they don't have common roots though and as far as I know both Mormons and Catholics are discouraged, by their churches, from becoming Masons.

Answer 5

Well, I am a Mormon and I can tell you what I believe...
I believe the religion we practice, all of it, even the temple rituals, have been around since Adam and Eve were first taught those sacred ordinances after they were cast out of the Garden.
Every religion has symbolism and I believe that stems from the very first religion, which was of course taught by the Lord himself so it was correct. Over time, things were changed, things were left out or added according to man's way of interpretation. That is why there was a need for the restoration. So it makes perfect sense to me that some things we do in the temple are similar to things other people - such as freemasons - do in their rituals. There are things that pertain to other religions as well...and why shouldn't there be - they all stemmed from one, so of course there will be similarities. Like we take the sacrament at church, people take or do communion at other churches...
Of course many will say Joseph "stole" these rituals from masons...and people of course are entitled to believe what they want. I know that the ordinances we perform in the temple are sacred and truly of God, not copied from someone else or from some other religion. There are eternal truths taught in the temples as there were in temples in the days of old.

Answer 6

Not common roots, but the Mormon religion did take from the symbolism of Freemasonry, as well as some of their rituals and transformed them into a more religious ritual (where as Freemasonry rituals aren't religious in that sense)

Answer 7

General Albert Pike [1809~1891] 33rd degree, Sovereign Grand Master of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Free Masonry, Co-Founder of the Ku Klux Klan and Supreme Luciferian Pontiff. 'Morals and Dogma' (Book: 1871)

General Albert Pike"The Masonic Religion should be, by all of us initiates of the high degrees, maintained in the purity of the Luciferian doctrine." (Albert Pike went on to proclaim), ... "Yes Lucifer is God ..."

Isaiah 29:15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Mormons/thesaltlaketemple_p156.jpg
Above: The Mormon entrance to the Salt Lake City, Utah, Temple (notice the all-seeing eye). Mormon founder, Joseph Smith, was a 33rd degree Freemason. See, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism_and_Freemasonry

Answer 8

Nope. No common roots here. Here is a link to a page that explains the issue from a Masonic point of view. http://www.masonicinfo.com/mormons.htm

Most people make a connection because Joseph Smith and his brother were free masons. Big deal. I've looked at the descriptions of masonic rites, and there are very few similarities to the endowment. People are making a big deal out of coincidental connections.

Answer 9

Nope, not common roots. However, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young (and other early church leaders) were prominent Free Masons, so the adoption of some symbology to teach church principles would not be all that shocking. If people think it is, they should look into the origins of much of Christianity's symbology... :-)

EDIT: Saraiah, I'm LDS too. Joseph and Brigham WERE free masons. It's not a secret and it's not a bad thing. The Free Masons are still around and they do alot of good service. As far as their symbols being co-opted, I don't know and frankly it isn't that important, as symbols aren't as important as what significance is attached to them.

Answer 10

Hi. I'm Sariah. i happen to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A.K.A a mormon. therefore, i know more about this topic then does who have heard it from bashing preachers or some stupid channel who heard a guy say a rumor who heard this rumor from another person. obviously, i'm saying, listen to someone of the faith over someone who doesn't know anything about it.

anyway, Joseph Smith was not a mason. he might have been a descendent of one, i don't know. but he actually was raised in a protestent christian family. He then saw God and Jesus when he went to pray to know which church was the true church. Through God's instructions, he set up the church. We are christians, and for anybody to say we are freemasons or whatever that is, then they would have to that other christian or those who believe in God are free masons as well... i suggest you look in your phonebook and call the church to send missionaries over so they can give you a better answer and explain it better...or you can go on to the church website. www.lds.org and look around.