~~  Rare Books on Masonry and the Masonic Lodge  ~~

It is well known that Joseph Smith became a freemason, but many people are unaware of the deep relationship between his masonry and the origins of the LDS Church. Joseph Smith incorporated Masonic rites, rituals, oaths, and symbols into Mormonism, and elements of Masonic rituals can still be found in many of the temple practices of the LDS Church.

In order to make certain that the teaching in a Masonic book is authoritative, and to maintain credibility,
it is imperative that every item used from Masonic books be traced back to a Grand Lodge.

* All Books Listed Above are in PDF format.

"There is absolutely no question in my mind that the Mormon ceremony which came to be known as the Endowment, introduced by Joseph Smith to Mormon Masons, had an immediate inspiration from Masonry."
Dr. Reed Durham, LDS Historian

The Masonic Roots Of Joseph Smith And Mormonism

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. " Galatians 1:8

Joseph Smith was a Freemason

Some Mormons do not realize that their temple Endowment ceremony was copied directly from occultic rites in Masonry. The Mormon temple ceremony has no connection whatsoever with Christianity. On March 15, 1842, Joe Smith became an Entered Apprentice Mason, and the next day he became a Master Mason. The usual thirty-day wait between degrees was waived by Abraham Jonas, Grandmaster of the Illinois Lodge. Joe Smith admitted to being a Mason in his History of the Church (vol. 4, p. 551)

The all-seeing eye of Freemasonry is a prominent feature on the Salt Lake City Temple in Utah

Under the date of March 15, 1842 his entry is, "In the evening I received the first degree in Free Masonry in the Nauvoo Lodge, assembled in my general business office" (History of the Church vol. 4, p. 551).

The very next day he noted becoming a Master Mason, "I was with the Masonic Lodge and rose to the sublime degree" (Ibid., p. 552).

Dr. Reed Durham, who was president of the Mormon History Association, noted:

"There is absolutely no question in my mind that the Mormon ceremony which came to be known as the Endowment, introduced by Joseph Smith to Mormon Masons, had an immediate inspiration from Masonry. It is also obvious that the Nauvoo Temple architecture was in part, at least, Masonically influenced. Indeed, it appears that there was an intentional attempt to utilize Masonic symbols and motifs. . . ." (Mormon Miscellaneous, pub. David C. Martin, October, 1975, pp. 11-16). Here is the remainder of Dr. Reed Durham's address.

Less than two months after becoming a Master Mason, Joe Smith introduced the Endowment ceremony. For the Endowment ceremony, Joe Smith copied Masonic rites from a book called Freemasonry Exposed (1827) by William Morgan. When one compares the Nauvoo ceremony with the Masonic rite in Morgan's book, one easily sees the Masonic influence on the Mormon rite. The two rites resemble each other to the point of being identical at places. Morgan's account was an expose of his local York Rite's "Craft" degrees.

One can easily see the similarities between Masonic and Mormon rites. The penalty for revealing the First Token of the Aaronic Priesthood, Smith copied from the penalty of disclosing the first degree (Entered Apprentice) of Freemasonry. Ashamed and embarrassed about Smith's copying Masonic rites for the Endowment ceremony, Mormon officials expunged the Five Points of Fellowship and the Penalties from the Endowment in 1990.

Moroni is a demon and not an angel

The Masonic influence is throughout Mormon temple architecture. At the Salt Lake City Temple, over a window of the east central tower, is the All-seeing-Eye. The All-seeing-Eye is taken from the left eye, the "moon" or "sound" eye of Horus. Horus is a detestable pagan god, the son of Osiris and Isis. There is much pagan Egyptian mythology in the roots of Masonry and Mormonism.

Besides the All-seeing-eye, the Salt Lake City temple also has as a part of its architecture Ursa Major, cloudstones, starstones, sunstones, moonstones, earthstones, Saturnstones and the demon Moroni. The clasped hands on the Salt Lake City temple were also derived from Masonic symbolism. The Mormon beehive is a Masonic emblem of industry and virtue. The 1854 architect's drawing of the south elevation has Saturnstones over each sunstone on the main buttresses of the central body of the temple. In 1870, Brigham Young moved the Saturnstones to a more obscure pattern atop five of the six spires of the temple. The sixth and highest topped is with the demon Moroni.

Next to Moroni, the Saturnstones have the loftiest place on the building. The pagan Roman god Saturn is the source of the Saturnstone. In Mormon symbolism, Moroni, the blood spurting ghost of a Spaniard who was murdered as an enchantment to guard treasure, occupies the loftiest position on the temple. The next highest position is occupied by a symbol for the pagan god Saturn.

At the seventh degree in Masonry, the "Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch," the initiate learns "God's" secret name: Jahbulon. The name Jahbulon is a composite name from Jah-Bul-On. It joins Jehovah (Jah) with two pagan gods, the pagan Canaanite deity Baal (Bul) and the Egyptian god Osiris (On). According to Masonic authorities Henry Wilson Coil and Malcom C. Duncan, "Jah" refers to Jehovah. "Bul" refers to the Assyrian or Canaanite deity Baal, and "On" refers to the Egyptian deity Osiris (Henry Wilson Coil, Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, New York, Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply, 1961, pp. 516-517; Malcom C. Duncan,Masonic Ritual and Monitor, New York, David Mckay Co., nd., p. 226; Dr. Ron Carlson, Fast Facts on False Teachings, Eugene, Oregon, Harvest House, 1994, p. 86).

This is strong evidence that Joe Smith's LDS "church" is satanic at its roots. In the Bible, God does not allow His name to be mixed with pagan gods. Baal and Egyptian gods are all completely detestable in God's eyes. God is a very jealous God, and He has severe consequences for those who worship another. Much of the Bible is about the hammer coming down hard on Hebrews who fooled with Baal or other pagan gods.

Joseph Smith died giving the Masonic Signal of Distress

In his book exposing Freemasonry, William Morgan revealed how Masons signal for the aid of fellow Masons "in case of distress": "The sign is given by raising both hands and arms to the elbows, perpendicularly, one on each side of the head, the elbows forming a square. The words accompanying this sign, in case of distress, are, 'O Lord, my God! is there no help for the widow's son?'" (Morgan, p. 76).

Mormon bishop John D. Lee, who was executed for his part in the Mountain Meadows Massacre, wrote about Smith's giving the Masonic distress sign before dying, "Joseph left the door, sprang through the window, and cried out, 'Oh Lord, my God, is there no help for the widow's son!'" (Confessions of John D. Lee, reprint of 1880 ed., p. 153)

Less than one month after Joe Smith's death, the Mormon periodicalTimes and Seasons referred to Smith's giving, as his last words, the Masonic distress sign, " . . . with uplifted hands they gave such signs of distress as would have commanded the interposition and benevolence of Savages or Pagans. They were both Masons in good standing. . . . Joseph's last exclamation was 'O Lord my God!' " (Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, p. 585).

LDS "apostle" Heber C. Kimball also admitted that Joe Smith gave the Masonic distress sign just before dying, "Joseph, leaping the fatal window, gave the Masonic Signal of Distress." (Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball an Apostle, the Father and Founder of the British Mission, Salt Lake City: The Kimball Family, 1888, p. 26).

Joe Smith had placed his hopes of Salvation in a false hope, in that which cannot save. Those who follow Smith's religion likewise will share Smith's fate in hell.

Brigham Young, 2nd President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
with a Masonic Square-and-Compasses stickpin in the middle of his shirt.

After arriving to the Great Basin, some Latter-day Saints who were Masons sent requests for dispensations to other Grand Lodge jurisdictions in the hopes of being able to meet regularly as a Lodge. Such requests were sent to the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) and to one of the Grand Lodges in Mexico; the UGLE never received the letter, and the Grand Lodge in Mexico denied the request.

Lodges were later established in the Utah Territory by Masons who were not adherents of the LDS Church. Four such Lodges were formed: Rocky Mountain Lodge No. 205 (formed by dispensation by the Grand Lodge of Missouri),[19] Mount Moriah Lodge No. 62 (formed by dispensation by the Grand Lodge of Kansas), Wasatch Lodge, U.D. (formed by dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Montana Territory, now the Grand Lodge of Montana), and Argenta Lodge, U.D. (formed by dispensation by the Grand Lodge of Colorado). Rocky Mountain Lodge was a military Lodge made up of US Army soldiers who had come out to what is now Utah because of Buchanan's Blunder; the Lodge eventually came to an end because of the Civil War, which required that these troops withdraw out of the area; in January 1872, the other three of these Lodges went on to establish the Grand Lodge AF&AM of Utah.

In 1925, the Grand Lodge of Utah adopted a formal ban against members of the LDS Church (including church members who had already become Freemasons under other recognized grand lodge jurisdictions)—no reason was given except that the church was not compatible with polygamy; this ban was lifted in 1984.[23] In 2008, a Latter-day Saint served as the Grand Lodge's first LDS Grand Master; it was estimated that he was the first Latter-day Saint to serve as Grand Master of any jurisdiction in approximately 100 years.

Wilford Woodruff, fourth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; former member of Nauvoo Lodge, U. D.

After the Saints' failed attempts to obtain charters from England and Mexico, Brigham Young decided not to pursue the goal any further.

Eventually, trade unions that were ritualistic and oath-bound started to come into the Utah Territory that were perceived by the leadership of the Church to be destabilizing the territorial economy. We see an example of this in a letter written by President Wilford Woodruff and his two Counselors, George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith concerning whether members of the Ancient Order of United Workmen could hold temple recommends in the Church:

"You Ask the question, Are members of the A. O. U. W., who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints entitled to recommends to the Temples for marriages and Temple work?" In reply, we would say that we are not in favor of our Brethren joining organizations of any kind outside of our Church. But we are more especially impressed with the wrongfulness of their joining organizations which interfere with the rights of their fellow citizens in regard to labor. To illustrate: We think it is wrong, contrary to our religion, and contrary to good citizenship, for men to combine together in any organization to prevent their fellow men from working because they do not join them or work for such an amount as they think workmen ought to have. This, we think, states our position clearly in regard to those organizations. But this A. O. U. W., as we understand, is not in the strictest sense an organization of that kind. Still we think it would be better for our brethren not to join it. It would not do, however, to refuse a young man who wanted to be married in the Temple a recommend because of his being a member of the Church and from its ordinances. At the same time we would not like this to be a precedent and for others to say, "Well, the Church has no objection to our belonging to the A. O. U. W., because So and So has received a recommend and he is a member of that Order." From this we think you will understand our position. If a man desires a recommend, and this is the only objection, we think you should grant it to him, at the same time giving him these views."

— Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon, Joseph F. Smith, First Presidency, Messages of the First Presidency, Vol. III, 1896—October 2— Original circular, Church Historian's Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lorenzo Snow, fifth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; last known President to have been a member of Nauvoo Lodge, U. D.

In 1901, the following circular letter from President Lorenzo Snow and his First Counselor Joseph F. Smith to all Stake Presidencies concerning Church members' desires to join "secret orders":

DEAR BRETHREN:

The following question has recently been asked us by one of our Stake Presidencies:

How strict shall we be with young men who wish to go to the temple who have united themselves with secret orders?

That our views might be known and acted upon by Presidents of Stakes generally, we send you herewith a copy of the same, as follows:

"The counsel of the First Presidency in all such cases has been against our brethren joining secret organizations, and where any of them have already done so their counsel to them is to withdraw themselves from such organizations as soon as circumstances permit and wisdom dictate.

"It is true that many of our people have been led to join some of these societies on the ground that their aims and objects are purely charitable and social in their character, and besides, inducements are held out of procuring life insurance at greatly reduced rates. But however worthy their aims and objects may be, this fact remains: They are outside the pale of the church and kingdom of God, and brethren in allying themselves with them divide their allegiance with organizations that are man-made, and which have not been devised of the Lord for the building up of Zion; and in doing this they render themselves liable to have their feelings alienated, in whole or in part, from the church which requires their all. We may say on this point, that it is the testimony of brethren who have joined organizations of this character and severed their connections with them, that their tendency is to draw away from the church; and it may be said and expected, without question, if the lines were sharply drawn between Mormon and non-Mormon, that all such organizations would be found in e ranks of our enemies, on the principle set forth in the saying of our Savior, "Those who are not for us are against us."

We understand that plausible excuses are given for joining these organization [sic] which amount to certain financial advantages which it is expected our brethren will obtain either for themselves during their lifetime or for their families, at their death. Like excuses might reasonably be given by brethren who have run after the things of the world in the hope of accumulating wealth and who, by doing so, have as a general thing made shipwreck of their faith. While we cannot consent to aught calculated to bring division and consequent weakness to the church, at the same time with have no desire whatever to deal harshly with brethren who have been led to become members of lodges or secret societies; but to all such who have faith enough to withdraw from them, and never be found again associating yourselves with any organization which has not been instituted of the Lord for the building up of His Zion in the earth, and to all brethren who manifest a desire to receive this advice we would give temple recommends, also permit them to join in prayer circles if found otherwise worthy.

In addition to the above we feel to direct your attention to the importance of the young men under your jurisdiction receiving proper instruction on this subject before they join secret societies; and we would suggest, instead of making this a subject for public discourse, that it be talked of at priesthood and quorum meetings.

— Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. Smith, Messages of the First Presidency, Vol. III, 1901—September 13—Circular letter, Church Historian's Library, Salt Lake City

Snow's outlook on secret societies in general may have been formed from:

• the tense relationships between Nauvoo Lodge, U. D. (in which he was initiated after the Lodge had been suspended) and the Grand Lodge of Illinois.

• the tense relationships between the members of the Church in Utah and the Grand Lodge of Utah.

• the Rock Springs massacre (which had happened only about 15 years prior, in which members of a secret society called the Knights of Labor had killed scores of Chinese immigrants and drove the rest out of Wyoming).

• the 1896 circular from the First Presidency concerning the A. O. U. W. quoted above.

Later policies in the Church against joining secret societies in general had been formed more due to such trade unions and organizations as noted above; however, when the Grand Lodge of Utah lifted its formal ban against members of the Church, the Church removed mention of secret societies from its policies. Since this time, the LDS Church's First Presidency has not made an official statement as to whether Freemasonry in particular is compatible with its membership. Don LeFevre, a past church spokesman said that the LDS Church and in outdated reference to such policies, "strongly advises its members not to affiliate with organizations that are secret, oath-bound, or would cause them to lose interest in church activities."[29] A more tolerant statement is found in the book Encyclopedia of Mormonism, written by church members, stating, "The philosophy and major tenets of Freemasonry are not fundamentally incompatible with the teaching, theology, and doctrines of the Latter-day Saints. Both emphasize morality, sacrifice, consecration, and service, and both condemn selfishness, sin, and greed. Furthermore, the aim of Masonic ritual is to instruct—to make truth available so that man can follow it."

Today there is no formal obstacle in the Grand Lodge of Utah or in any other grand lodge preventing Latter-day Saints from becoming Freemasons. Exceptions have historically been those grand lodges that employ the Swedish Rite system, which requires a Christian Trinitarian belief of its members; these are located in the Nordic/Scandinavian countries. However, the Danish Order of Freemasons (whose Lodges use the Swedish Rite) is affiliated with two Grand Lodges that do not require its members to subscribe to Christian Trinitarian beliefs: The Ancient Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of Denmark and the Saint John's Lodge Association. In Sweden and Finland, one can choose between joining the Swedish Order of Freemasons (which uses the Swedish Rite) or the Grand Lodge of Finland (which does not use the Swedish Rite and which does not have the requirement of Christian Trinitarian belief to join). So, even in some of the countries where the Swedish Rite is employed, there still exist alternate options for Latter-day Saints to become Masons.

In 2019, the LDS Church produced a YouTube video in its Now You Know series entitled "Joseph Smith and Masonry." The video states that "the policy [of whether it is acceptable for members of the Church to become Freemasons] is simple: members of the Church […] are not prohibited from becoming Freemasons. Nor are Masons prohibited from becoming members of the Church. Latter-day Saints believe that good can be found in many places."

Since 1984, there have been many Masons in Utah who are Latter-day Saints and who serve and/or have served in various leadership positions, including Grand Masters, other Grand Officers, and Worshipful Masters. Outside of Utah, there have been many members of the LDS Church who have been Masons continuously since its early days.

MORMONISM AND THE MASONIC CONNECTION

The evidence of Joseph Smith’s close connection to occultism and Freemasonry, and how this influenced the origin and development of the LDS Church, is not well known outside of scholarly circles.

Masonry’s influence on Joseph Smith, early Mormonism and Mormon temple architecture has been noted by a number of LDS historians. Some of the areas impacted by Masonic lore and ritual include the Book of Mormon, Joseph’s personal life, and the LDS temple ceremony.

John L. Brooke in his book, The Refiner’s Fire: Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844, noted the following in reference to the story of discovery of the gold plates and the narrative structure of the Book of Mormon:
Freemasonry provides a point of entry into this very complex story. As it had been in Vermont, Masonic Fraternity was a dominant feature of the cultural landscape in Joseph Smith’s  Ontario County…The dense network of lodges and chapters helps explain the Masonic symbolism that runs through the story of the discovery of the Golden Plates. Most obviously, the story of their discovery on a hilltop echoed the Enoch myth of Royal Arch Freemasonry, in which the prophet Enoch, instructed by a vision, preserved the Masonic mysteries by carving them on a golden plate that he placed in an arched stone vault marked with pillars, to be rediscovered by Solomon. In the years to come the prophet Enoch would play a central role in Smith’s emerging cosmology. Smith’s stories of his discoveries got more elaborate with time, and in June 1829 he promised Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris that they would see not only the plates but other marvelous artifacts: the Urim and Thummim attached to a priestly breastplate, the ‘sword of Laban’ and ‘miraculous directors’. Oliver Cowdery and Lucy Mack Smith later described three or four small pillars holing up the plates. All of these artifacts had Masonic analogues.
…Smith’s sources for these Masonic symbols were close at hand. Most obviously, Oliver Cowdery would have been a source, given that his father and brother were Royal Arch initiates; one Palmyra’s resident remembered Oliver Cowdery as ‘no church member and a Mason’…A comment by Lucy Mack Smith in her manuscript written in the 1840’s, protesting that the family did not abandon all household labor to try ‘to win the faculty of Abrac, drawing magic circles, or sooth-saying’, suggests a familiarity with Masonic manuals: the ‘faculty of Abrac’ was among supposed Masonic mysteries. (Refiner’s Fire,Cambridge University Press, 1994, pp. 157-158) (Quoted from www.irr.org website)

However, it wasn’t until later in life that Joseph’s involvement in Masonry became more personal.

The following is a ‘short list of early Mormon leaders that were Masons along with being Mormons:
Joseph Smith Sr., father of Joseph Smith Jr.
Hyrum Smith, brother of Joseph Smith Jr.
Samuel Smith, brother of Joseph Smith Jr.
William Smith, brother of Joseph Smith Jr.
Brigham Young, second president of the Mormon Church
John Taylor, third president of the Mormon Church
Wilford Woodruff, fourth president of the Mormon Church
Lorenzo Snow, the fifth president of the Mormon Church
Sidney Rigdon, first counselor to Joseph Smith
William Law, second counselor to Joseph Smith
John C. Bennett, assistant to the First Presidency
Heber C. Kimball, first counselor to Brigham Young
Willard Richards, second counselor to Brigham Young
Newell K. Whitney, Presiding Bishop
Orson Pratt, Mormon apostle
Parley P. Pratt, Mormon apostle
Orson Hyde, Mormon apostle
Orrin Porter Rockwell, Joseph Smith’s bodyguard
Lyman Johnson, Mormon apostle
Erastus Snow, Mormon apostle
William Marks, Nauvoo Stake President
William Clayton, Joseph Smith’s secretary/scribe
Plus about 1,300 other Mormon men
(List from www.mrm.org website)

At the end of 1841, a large group of LDS Masons in Nauvoo organized what would become the first four Masonic Lodges in Mormon communities. Joseph Smith applied for admission as soon as the first lodge was formed and was raised to the degree of Master Mason in March 1842.
Less than two months later Joseph administered the endowment for the first time in the upper room of his red brick store, in the same room where he had been initiated into Masonry.
[During the period that Mormons were building the Nauvoo Temple, they also built a Masonic temple, and over 1300 Latter-day Saints became Master Masons before leaving Nauvoo.]

The growth of the Mormons’ lodges was irregularly rapid: by way of comparison consider that in 1840, there were only about two thousand Masons in the entire United States. Concerns about such irregularities led Masonic authorities to renounce ties with the Mormons’ lodges in 1844-1845. Bad feelings between Mormons and Masons lingered for over a century.
A Masonic lodge, that was later founded in Utah, refused to admit Latter-day Saints until 1984.
To comply with this, the LDS Church had counseled its members against belonging to ‘secret societies’ since the beginning of the 20th century. (www.irr.org website)
Another reason Mason lodges refused Mormons to their membership was that Joseph Smith has “stolen” their ceremonies and introduced LDS endowment ceremonies as his “revelation from God”.
Masonry appealed to Joseph Smith for several reasons.

Joseph may have seen political and commercial advantages in belonging to a Masonic network. Millions of 19th century Americans joined various fraternal organizations for those very reasons. They joined the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Knights of Labor and the Knights of Columbus, etc.

Furthermore, Joseph saw Masonic rituals and blood-oaths of secrecy useful for committing his followers into loyalty to him  and keeping the secrets of Mormonism –  especially in the light of polygamy that was an illegal practice , and needed to be kept secret.
He may have also hoped that Masonry would offer protection to him, for because of polygamy and other rejected practices, he feared for his life. His last words at Carthage Jail were “Oh Lord my God…” intending to continue “is there no help for the poor widows son?” which is the Masonic distress call, for Masons have sworn an oath to protect and defend their fellow Mason, “whether right or wrong”.

Masonry also offered Joseph a whole new world of esoteric teachings supposedly connected to biblical figures as well as to Greek and Egyptian mysteries that he was so interested in. Also the Masonic idea of advancing in degrees agreed with Joseph’s ideas of progressing to godhood and learning of mysteries, “knowledge upon knowledge”. (D&C 42:61).

Joseph Smith shifted from his earlier anti-Masonic feelings, when he had denounced all “secret combinations’ (as in the Book of Mormon), but now when he needed secrecy, especially to hide his doctrine of plurality of wives, he found Masonry and its oaths of secrecy as a way to have what he wanted and thus include ideas as already mentioned the plurality of wives, illegal as it was, and uncreated intelligences,men becoming Gods and later that God was an exalted man, once a mortal man, just like he (Joseph) was.
Rites of Masonry were restricted to men only, even though there were auxiliary orders for Masons’ wives and daughters.

By contrast the LDS endowment was administered almost from the beginning also to women. The main reason more than likely was so that they can swear both men and women to secrecy concerning plural marriage that was Joseph’s new doctrine of celestial marriage – and a requirement to attain the highest degree of exaltation.

At the time of Joseph’s and Hyrum’s death, the Times and Seasons, an LDS publication, reported: “…these two innocent men were confined in jail for a supposed crime, deprived from any weapon to defend themselves; had the pledged faith of the State of Illinois by Gov. Ford for their protection, and were then shot to death, while, with uplifted hands they gave such signs of distress as would have commanded the interposition and benevolence of Savages or Pagans. They (Joseph and Hyrum) were both Masons in good standing. Ye brethern of ‘mystic tie’ what think ye! Where is our good Master Joseph and Hyrum?…”(Times and Seasons, Vol. V July 15, 1844.)

The pervasive influence of Freemasonry in Mormon Temples is expressed well by LDS historian Dr. Reed Durham. Dr. Durham, who has served as president of the Mormon History Association, provides a number of interesting parallels between the two. He gives these as evidence for Masonry’s clear influence on Mormonism.

I am convinced that in the study of Masonry lies a pivotal key to further understanding Joseph Smith and the Church…Masonry in the Church had its origin prior to the time Joseph Smith became a Mason…. It commenced in Joseph’s home when his older brother became a Mason. Hyrum received the first three degrees of Masonry in Mount Moriah Lodge No. 112 of Palmyra, New York (1826) about the same time that Joseph was being initiated into the presence of God… Many parallels found between early Mormonism and Masonry of that day are substantial…

I have attempted thus far to demonstrate that Masonic influences upon Joseph in the early Church history, preceding his formal membership in Masonry, were significant. However, these same Masonic influences exerted a more dominant character as reflected in the further expansion of the Church subsequent to the Prophet’s Masonic membership. In fact, I believe there are few significant developments in the Church that occurred after March 15 1842 (date when Joseph became a Master Mason), which did not have some Masonic interdependence… There is absolutely no question in my mind that the Mormon ceremony which came to be known as the Endowment, introduced by Joseph Smith to Mormon Masons, had an immediate inspiration from Masonry…similarities between the two ceremonies are so apparent and overwhelming that some dependent relationship cannot be denied. They are so similar, in fact, that one writer was led to refer to the Endowment as Celestial Masonry.

On June 24th 1843 the cornerstone for a Masonic temple in Nauvoo was laid by Hyrum Smith, who was the Worshipful Master of the lodge of ancient York Masons. Many Mormons joined the Masonic lodge, and King Follett, who gave his name to Joseph Smith’s famous discourse on plurality of gods, was buried with Masonic honors, not long after the Masonic temple was dedicated… Joseph incorporated Masonry…because he wanted and needed loyalty and support of the worldwide fraternity of Masons.
It is also obvious that the Nauvoo Temple architecture was in part, at least, Masonically influenced. Indeed, it appears that there was an intentional attempt to utilize Masonic symbols and motifs.

Another development in the Nauvoo Church, which has not been so obviously considered as Masonically inspired, was the establishment of the Female Relief Society. This organization was the Prophet’s intentional attempt to expand Masonry to include the women of the Church. That the Relief Society was organized in the Masonic Lodge room, and only one day after Masonry was given to the men, was not happenstance… included in the actual vocabulary of Joseph Smith’s counsel and instructions to the sisters were such words as: ancient orders, examinations, degrees, candidates, secrets, lodges, rules, signs, tokens, order of the priesthood, and keys; all indicating  that the Society’s orientations possessed Masonic overtones.

(Dr. Durham continues): I suggest that enough evidence presently exists to declare that the entire institution of the political kingdom of God, including the Council of Fifty, the living constitution, the proposedflag of the kingdom, and anointing and coronation of the king, had its genesis in connection with Masonic thoughts and ceremonies… it appears that the Prophet first embraced Masonry, and then in the process, he modified, expanded, or glorified it…The Prophet believed that his mission was to restore all truth and then to unify and weld it all together into one. This truth was referred to as ‘the Mysteries’ and these Mysteries were inseparably connected with the Priesthood…Can anyone deny that there was a Masonic influence on Joseph Smith and the Church, either before or after his personal Masonic membership? Evidence demands comments…If we, as Mormon historians, respond to these questions and myriads like them relative to Masonry in an ostrich-like fashion, with our
 heads buried in the traditional sand, then I submit: there never will be ‘any help for the widow’s son’. (Taken from Changing World of Mormonism, Jerald and Sandra Tanner, 1981, pp. 546-547.)
The temple endowment contains elements that are undeniably derived from Masonic ritual, including tokens, names, signs, grips and penalties for revealing the secret rites.

As already mentioned, Joseph Smith was accepted into the Nauvoo Lodge of Freemasons on 15th of March, 1842. A short time later he called seven of his leading men together and instructed them ‘in the principles and order of the Priesthood, attending to washings, anointing, endowments and communication of keys’ which Joseph said instituted the ancient order of things for the first time in these last days. Soon afterwards, Masonic rituals began to appear as part of Mormon Temple ceremonies.
The men were striped naked, washed, anointed, and then as in the Masonic ceremony, dressed in a special ‘garment’.

The …Masonic square and compass were cut into the garment on the breast and a slash was made across the knee…deep enough to penetrate the flesh.
There was also a slash in the garments across the abdomen, symbolic of disemboweling that would be the fate of anyone who revealed the sacred secrets.

After swearing to an oath of secrecy the initiate was dressed in white robes and permitted to witness a long allegorical drama depicting the creation of the earth and the fall of Adam…

Joseph Smith designed temple garments which were to be worn under regular clothing, and Mormons continue to believe that the garments have the power to guard the wearer from bodily harm.
The Nauvoo style garment, worn by both sexes (c 1842-1975) was a long-john type underwear, made of one piece. The garment was to reach to the ankles and sleeves to the wrists.

( Fundamentalist Mormons, FLDS, still wear this type of garment.)

On the right breast was a square, on the left a compass, in the center a small hole (the navel mark), another one on the right knee (the knee mark).

The first garments were made of  unbleached muslin and bound with turkey red thread (later changed to white thread) and without collars that were later added.
The fact that garments have been abbreviated is very interesting, for the early Mormon leaders taught that they could not ever be changed! President Joseph F. Smith declared:

The Lord has given unto us garments of the holy priesthood, and you know what that means. And yet there are those of us who mutilate them, in order that we may follow foolish, vain and (permit me to say) indecent practices of the world. In order that such people may imitate the fashions, they will not hesitate to mutilate what which should be held by them the most sacred of all things in the world, next to their own virtue, next to their own purity of life. They should hold these things that God has given unto them sacred, unchanged, unaltered from the very pattern in which God gave them. Let us have the moral courage to stand against the opinions of fashion, and especially where fashion compels us to break a covenant and so commit a grievous sin.(The Improvement Era, vol. 9:813, as quoted in Temples of the Most High, p. 276.)

In 1918 The First Presidency of the Church sent a message to the bishops saying:

FIRST: The garments worn by those who receive endowments must be white, and of approved pattern; they must not be altered or mutilated, and are to be worn as intended, down to the wrist and ankles, and around the neck. Please inform all to whom you issue recommends that these requirements are imperative… The Saints should know that the pattern of endowment garments was revealed from heaven, and that the blessings promised in connection with wearing them will not be realized if any unauthorized change is made in their form, or in manner of wearing them. (Messages of the First Presidency, by J.R. Clark, 1971, vol. 5, p. 110.)

Although the Mormon leaders vigorously maintained that the ‘garments’ must be ‘worn as intended, down to wrists and ankles, and around the neck’ and that they could not be altered from ‘the very pattern in which God gave them’, women’s fashions caused the arms and legs to be shortened and the neck line to be lowered. Until 1975, however, the Mormon leaders still required that members of the Church wear the ‘old style’ garments when they were taking part in the temple ritual. After the temple ceremony was over, members of the Church would replace these garments, which came down to the wrists and ankles, with the abbreviated type. The hand shakes, called tokens in the LDS Temple are the same as those of Freemasonry.