The Mormon Temple Ceremony and FreeMasonry
Freemasonry’s Ancient Origins
The idea that masonic ritual originated in the 15th or 17th centuries is an ignorant one. Although it might be said that the modern freemasonry organization, as it is presently constituted, is a modern invention– much of the symbolism, ritual and tradition come from far older traditions. Many aspects can be definitively traced back through medieval orders like the Knights Templar to Roman Mithraism and then back to Persian/Armenian religious ritual and Egyptian mystical religious traditions.
If you haven’t looked into the early Roman Mithraic cults of Europe, you need to read the Wikipedia article now. After that, take a look at this article on the Mithras Liturgy. (Which you can read a second or third century version of here). Also take a look at the Greek Magical Papyri. As well as the texts at the end of this article which include the texts of several temple rites dating back to Egyptian times.
Masonic books like “Morals and Dogma” detail the Scottish rite’s masonic interpretation of human development and evolution of the Jewish and Christian religions. The allegory of the killing of Hyrum Abiff, illustrates the manner in which the wise religious builder is all too often murdered by the ignorant religious builders and sycophants.
Freemasonry claims to be derived from ancient rites and teachings of very early origin (Egyptian, Phoenician and early Jewish sources). Evidence of the Egyptian and Jewish roots can be read in The Sons of Fire scroll in The Kolbrin from ~700-1200 BC, which is an Egpto-Jewish temple ritual used by the ‘Sons of Light’ cult in iron age (druid) Britain. see also Morals and Dogma by Robert Pike for some of Freemasonry’s claims.
More ‘evidence’ of the ancient nature of religious temple rites in connecting mortals with the righteous OR wicked spirits of the dead (depending on one’s aims) can be found in the ‘Historical Rites and Ceremonies Section’ of Oahspe at this link.
Understanding the Mormon Endowments Masonic Roots
If you take the time to read the references given below it quickly become clear that the LDS endowment ritual is likely NOT the same rituals used by many ancient near-eastern or even Jewish cultures. But the concepts it teaches are, along with the basic format of religious initiation. Oahspe makes it clear that most major religions on earth that are bound to heavenly groups contain some type of ritualistic initiation rite.
Reference Material
-Read the actual freemasonry rituals upon which it is loosely based. DUNCAN’S RITUAL AND MONITOR OF FREEMASONRY. Found at SacredTexts.com This will help you get a feel for which parts are Josephs and which parts are exactly copied from freemasonry.
– Read a great background of freemasonry’s purposes and history from Egypt to Israel. The Hidden Life in Freemasonry by C. W. Leadbeater This should help you see how the freemasonry rituals relate to both ancient Israel and Egypt. It will hopefully also give you some knowledge of religious mysticism which is essential to see through the symbolism.
-Read about the mystic religious rituals and ceremonies from many past cultures and dispensations (both good and evil). Historical Rites and Ceremonies Section of Oahspe. This should make it clear that sacred mystic rituals change with each culture. And that there are many evil organizations who highjack the ceremonies of the good and use them to form organizations whose aim is to murder, steal and attain highly selfish goals. The LDS endowment differs from the ancient Israel one, which differs from the Egyptian one, which differed from the Jaredite (algonquin) and other ancient American cultures. This account also helps to show the relation between heaven and earth and the principle which the gods, angels and men involved are trying to teach.
Read Morals and Dogma by Robert Pike. Especially the sections Knight of the East and West and Knight of Rose Croix, and the Knight of the Sun or Prince Adept
The Law of One is also helpful. also http://gnosis.org/jskabb3.htm
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Outline of Points to Discuss?
-Prophets and global religions are often determined by a process of natural selection. Prophets and dispensational-heads create religions according to what they deem best for teaching the people given their cultural circumstances and biases.
-Short overview of advent of masonry at the same time as the Bavarian “illuminati”, how it ties to mysticism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Weishaupt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati
-See all the ancient temple rituals in Oahspe and note the similar themes and purposes.
http://oahspestandardedition.com/OSE_35L.html
-Perhaps an article could be put together which specifically pulls out the similar LDS & Masonic parts of the ceremony as disclosed in “DUNCAN’S RITUAL AND MONITOR OF FREEMASONRY”.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/mas/dun/dun02.htm#fn_0
-As an example: 1) all handshakes are identical. 2) all signs and tokens are identical.
-read about “who is Hiram Abiff?” see http://www.sacred-texts.com/mas/dun/dun04.htm Go through the references to Hirum Abiff in Josephus, and tie it to Ecclesiastes and myth of kind david creating masonry.
-might be quite helpful to go through The Hidden Life in Freemasonry by C. W. Leadbeater
http://www.anandgholap.net/Hidden_Life_In_Freemasonry-CWL.htm
-show the somewhat disturbing images of presidents using the signs?
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Modern LDS Connections to Existing Secret Societies
I’m not going to apply meaning to the following information. And note, I’m an active traditional LDS member and think its likely Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism intended to adapt freemasonry into Mormonism to good purposes and to openly connect ALL worthy members to the Spirits of the Righteous. However, I suspect some leaders of Mormonism through the years have become entangled in wicket secret groups with opposite aims. I’d like to believe that Modern Mormon leaders are doing their best to be a force for good in society.
But I do want to lay the following out for everyone to see, to let everyone form their own conclusions concerning the secret societies which exist among the powerful of our society.
The Skull & Bones was a secret society not unlike freemasonry. Except that it more closely appears to be modeled after the Mithraic cults which Took over Rome. If you’ve never read about these you can read about them in these articles.
Roman Mithraism secret societies (highly associated with the military): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism
How Roman Mithraism is related to Judaism & Christianity: https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Society-Moses-Bloodline-Conspiracy/dp/1594772738
A synopsis of that Book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism
The Skull & Bones & Owl & Key secret societies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull_and_Bones
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owl_and_Key
If you want to know how influential these secret societies are/were… Skim through this list of members. Note the number of presidents and judges. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Skull_and_Bones_members
Now note that these societies were also at the University of Utah:
https://utahcommhistory.com/2018/12/18/skull-and-bones-history-at-the-university-of-utah/
Note that Russell M. Nelson admits in his autobiography that he was also a member of both these secret societies: https://archive.org/details/from-heart-to-heart-an-autobiography-russell-m.-nelson/page/n31/mode/2up?q=%22skull+and+bones%22
Pictures of masonic Handshakes between LDS Leaders and US presidents & other global dignitaries: https://holyromanempirerules.blogspot.com/2009/11/mason-handshake-president-george-w-bush.html?zx=60be82ebf0676ee9
Note that Joseph Smith’s Book of Mormon teaches strongly against ‘secret combinations’ and prophesies that they would exist among our latter-day society. It does not teach against, and in fact says little about religious temple rites. It does teach that a temple like the Jewish temple of Solomon was built among the ancient inhabitants of America, and we can assume that Jewish style temple rites existed in that temple. It does not suggest that there should not be an initiate process to allow only the righteous to access sacred temple rites. However it DOES teach against rites which are secret and accessible only to the rich or a small selected group of secret elect.
“18 And it came to pass that they formed a , even as they of old; which combination is most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God;
19 For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither doth he will that man should shed blood, but in all things hath forbidden it, from the beginning of man.
20 And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had all people, and they are had among the Lamanites.
21 And they have caused the of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.22 And whatsoever shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for upon them and yet he avenge them not.
23 Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.
24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.25 For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath the hearts of men that they have the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.
26 Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all and be saved. (Book of Mormon, Ether 8:18–26)