Mormons, Masons and myths

Some Latter-day Saints accept that Freemasonry descends from the builders of King Solomon's Temple, but that's just a myth, says LDS author Matthew B. Brown. The evidence actually points to early Christianity.

Some critics claim that Joseph Smith concocted the Mormon temple ceremonies after becoming a Freemason, but that's also a myth, Brown says. The history and richness of LDS temple ordinances cannot be explained away by comparisons to Freemasonry.

"Exploring the Connection Between Mormons and Masons" (Covenant Communications, 2009) takes on such myths that keep "critic, bystander and Saints alike" from seeing the bigger picture. The book and companion DVD documentary appeal to history to demonstrate how Masonry can't account for LDS temple ordinances.

"We can see better parallels in the ancient world in many ways than we see in Masonry," LDS scholar Daniel Peterson says on the documentary. "Masonry does not account for all the parallels to the ancient world. … Does it have something to do with the temple? I think undeniably so. Does it account for it? Absolutely not."

Brown's book details how modern Masonic scholars say the fraternal order did not descend from the builders of King Solomon's Temple, as once stated in Masonic constitutions. They say the claim is "romantic and wholly fictitious."

Brown quotes one scholar, Dr. Andrew Prescott, as saying that legends about "ancient charters" were used by 15th century stonemasons "to protect (them) from the effects of recent labor legislation."

"That's the mythology that you have to get past in order to understand the bigger picture here," Brown says. " … It was done just for the purpose of getting a prestigious pedigree. And so you have to start sorting things out from that point."

While there is "no solid consensus on where the Masonic organization and its rituals came from," orthodox Christianity is "the place to start looking," Brown writes. He quotes several sources that link Freemasonry with the early Christian church.

One source, Robert Cooper of the Grand Lodge of Scotland Museum and Library, said, "Freemasonry adopted much Christian symbolism and iconography. … Freemasonry doubtless used other sources and invented some, but the majority were adopted from Christianity."

Another, John Hamill of the United Grand Lodge of England, said, "None of the symbolism employed in Freemasonry is peculiar to Freemasonry. It has all been borrowed."