Re: The Church and Freemasonry
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2022 3:39 pm
This thread has really progressed since I was last on it. I've got a lot of reading to do! (But I enjoy reading, so it works out well for me)
Internet Mormons, Chapel Mormons, Critics, Apologists, and Never-Mo's all welcome!
https://discussmormonism.com/
In addition to the literature recommended by George MillerPM, I would also recommend the resources had in the online library of the Grand Lodge A. F. & A. M of British Columbia and Yukon:George MillerPM wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 4:19 pmEquality- Thanks for pointing out the discrepancy in the response above. The likely murder of William Morgan due to Morgan's plans to expose the Royal Arch rituals was extremely disturbing to both non-Masons and most Masons in New York and beyond. While there are still large questions as to the identify of the corpse found, the disappearance of William Morgan was shocking and the talk of the town for years.
It is, of course, in the aftermath of the Morgan Affair and the environment of the Masonic and Anti-Masonic response to the atrocity in which Joseph Smith wrote scripture. As you will see in later posts on the use of Antiquities of Freemasonry in the revision of the Adam narrative in Joseph Smith's revision of Genesis 4, the aftermath of Morgan Affair is the backdrop which connects Joseph's revision to couple of events in the life of Joseph Smith.
Of course the disappearance of William Morgan would have struck the Smith family especially hard. After all, Joseph Smith Sr. was initiated, passed, and raised to the degree of Master Mason in Ontario Lodge #23 located in Canandaigua, NY where Morgan was arrested on trumped up charges and then subsequently kidnapped. Joseph Smith Sr. would have known personally the Royal Arch Masons in Canandaigua, NY who orchestrated the kidnapping of William Morgan as they held many of the leadership positions in his own mother lodge.
When accusations that the actions of his own Masonic brothers had precipitated the accused murder of another Masonic brother, how would Joseph Smith Sr. have reacted? How would the members of the Smith family have mentally and emotionally handled accusations that the symbolic Masonic penalties had likely been made literal by their Masonic brethren?
If you are interesting in further reading on this the Morgan Affair and its effects on Freemasonry then I can highly recommend the following books.
(1) The Bright Mason: An American Mystery by Robert Berry.
(2) Morgan: The Scandal That Shook Freemasonry by Stephen Dafoe.
(3) Revolutionary Brotherhood by Steven C. Bullock
Moses 5:10 records how, after the appearance of the angel, that he “began to prophecy concerning all the families of the earth”. Adam making such a prophecy “concerning all the families of the earth” is not mentioned in the Old Testament. However, a revelation to Joseph Smith published in the Doctrine and Covenants provides further potential information. This revelation recorded that “in the days of Adam'' that there was an “order of priesthood” which was to be “handed down from father to son” which was given by Adam to set apart Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah as high priests. (D&C 107:40-52) The revelation also records that, three years prior to his death, Adam convened a special assembly of these high priests at Adam-ondi-Ahman.”Moses 5:10-12” wrote:[MOS 5:10 And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to PROPHESY CONCERNING ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.
MOS 5:11 And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.
MOS 5:12 And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they MADE ALL THINGS KNOWN UNTO THEIR SONS AND THEIR DAUGHTERS.
This revelation in D&C 107 is similar to the narrative recorded in Moses 5:10 as it records a prophecy which “predicted whatsoever should befall [Adam’s] posterity unto the last generation”. This of course would have included the soon to come destruction of all created things by water during Noah’s flood till the destruction of the world by fire in the last days.”D&C 107” wrote:[b[D&C 107:53[/b] Three years previous to the death of Adam, he called Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah, who were all high priests, with the residue of his posterity who were righteous, into the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and there bestowed upon them his last blessing.
D&C 107:54 And the Lord administered comfort unto Adam, and said unto him: I have set thee to be at the head; a multitude of nations shall come of thee, and thou art a prince over them forever.
D&C 107:55 And Adam stood up in the midst of the congregation; and, notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, being full of the Holy Ghost, PREDICTED WHATSOEVER SHOULD BEFALL HIS POSTERITY UNTO THE LATEST GENERATION.
D&C 107:56 These things were all written in the BOOK OF ENOCH, and are to be testified of in due time.
In a similar manner, Antiquities of Freemasonry also suggests that Adam prophesied concerning all the families of the earth. Speaking of antediluvian Masonry it records, “The great and prominent truth to be illustrated in these views of antient Masonry, is, the religion or the genuine worship of God, was the chief object of Masonic practice in primitive ages of the world.” It continues by explaining that one of Adam’s chief pupils was Enoch. “Enoch prosecuted his scientific researches with indefatigable industry, and communicated his discoveries to his brethren”. Thus through Masonic instruction all of Adam and Eve’s progeny would have been instructed in all things. Thus the line of Seth “practiced very successfully the speculative science which form a constituted part of Masonry.” George Oliver proposed that the “celestial bodies were objects of their constant investigation” and the in “the science of astronomy Enoch made many improvements”. Not only astronomy, but “[o]ther sciences were invented and perfected by Enoch, which tend to illustrate God’s attributes and perfection”. So great was Enoch’s study of the attributes of God and the universe that Antiquities of Freemasonry notes that, “Enoch practiced Masonry, of which he was now installed Grand Master, with such effect, that God vouchsafed by immediate revelation, to communicate to him some peculiar mysteries, in token of approbation.” The most valuable of these, according to old traditions, was "that SACRED NAME OR WORD, which demands uttermost veneration”. In stating this, George Oliver was elaborating on Masonic rituals to make the claim that the early patriarchs, including Enoch, obtained the sacred name of God.”Antiquities of Freemasonry” wrote:IN EVERY SOCIETY, HOWEVER CONSTITUTED, SOME FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS NECESSARY to preserve a spirit of subordination amongst its members; and prevent it from degenerating into contempt or oblivion. IN THIS RESPECT ALSO MASONRY SUPPORTS ITS CLAIM TO RESPECT AND VENERATION. An argument favourable to its beneficial tendency may be deduced from the EXCELLENCE OF ITS GOVERNMENT; which is FOUNDED UPON A PATTERN MOST PURE AND PERFECT; THE GOVERNMENT OF THE JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN CHURCHES.
IN THE EARLY AGES OF THE WORLD, EVERY HEAD OF A FAMILY UNITED IN HIS OWN PERSON THE THREEFOLD OFFICE PRIEST, PROPHET, AND KING; and it was not until the MOSAIC DISPENSATION WAS REVEALED THAT THE CONCERNS OF RELIGION WERE CONDUCTED BY THREE DISTINCT ORDERS OF MEN. MASONRY, IN LIKE MANNER, WAS TRANSMITTED, DURING THE ANTEDILUVIAN AGES, without the regular government which afterwards distinguished it.
At the Flood there is an appearance of something like a regular government, consisting of three distinct officers, who unitedly formed the head of the establishment, when organized in DUE FORM. BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE ERECTION OF THE TABERNACLE THAT OUR CRAFT WAS REDUCED TO THE PERFECT FORM WHICH HAS EVER SINCE RETAINED. MOSES, WHEN, BY THE REVELATION OF GOD, HE WAS DIVIDING THE PRIESTHOOD INTO THREE DISTINCT HEADS, MODELLED MASONRY AFTER THE SAME FASHION; himself being grand master, and Bezaleel and Aholiab grand wardens. ...
AFTER PROPHECY HAD CEASED THE TEACHERS OF ISRAEL CONTINUED TO BE DISTINGUISHED UNDER THREE SEVERAL APPELLATIONS, each possessing distinct attributes; viz wisemen, SCRIBES, and disputers. These were comprized by St. Paul in a single verse, when writing to the Corinthians: “Where is the wise? WHERE IS THE SCRIBE? Where is the disputer?”
THIS NUMBER, IT SHOULD SEEM, CONSTITUTES PERFECTION; for THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, OF WHICH ALL OTHER DISPENSATIONS WERE ONLY TYPES AND SHADOWS, HAS BEEN PLACED UNDER THE SAME SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT. JESUS CHRIST UNITED THE THREEFOLD OFFICE OF THE ANCIENT PATRIARCHS IN HIS OWN PERSON, FOR HE WAS A PRIEST FOR EVER, AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEC; who was no other, according to the best authorities, than the PATRIARCH SHEM, the son of Noah, who was KING, PRIEST, AND PROPHET of his family; and that capacity blessed Abraham, who was his child in the ninth generation. These offices, however, were distributed by our Savior; who divided the priestly dignity amongst three distinct orders of men, in imitation of the temporary dispensation of Moses.
Hence if the government of the Jewish church, established under the immediate superintendence of God, or if the Christian church, modelled by Jesus Christ, be considered a specimen of perfection, the same must be admitted of Free-Masonry; as ONE ITS ORDERS, CONFESSEDLY NOT CHRISTIAN, IS GOVERNED BY A KING, A PRIEST, AND A PROPHET, invested with an equal dignity; and the rest of Masonry, which inculcates the only true religion, is directed by a mode of government equally perfect, and equally unobjectionable.
(AoF 274-277)
Before Enoch assumed the superintendence of our Order, there appears to have been some intermixture of the two lines of Seth and Cain, for the world does not exhibit so bright an aspect as during the last period. ADAM, HOWEVER, WAS YET LIVING, AND HIS AUTHORITY WAS SUFFICIENT TO RESTRAIN THE RACE OVER WHICH HE POSSESSED THE SUPREME GOVERNMENT, AS KING, PRIEST, AND PROPHET, from those rash and violent deeds, which, after his death, deformed the face of nature. (AoF, 86)
Moses 5:10-12 echoes Antiquities of Freemasonry in this passage in three aspects. First, both sources relate that Adam prophesied concerning all of the families of the earth which would have included foretellings of the soon to occur flood of water from which only Noah would have survived till the end of the world in fire. Second, both texts suggest that Adam, who “blessed the name of God” and his progeny such as Enoch to whom Adam and Eve made “made all things known” knew the sacred name of God. Third, both sources claim the extensive teaching of Adam’s progeny “all things” which in Antiquities of Freemasonry is explained to include the arts and sciences.”Antiquities of Freemasonry” wrote:THE GREAT AND PROMINENT TRUTH ILLUSTRATED IN THESE VIEWS OF ANTIENT MASONRY, IS, THAT RELIGION OR THE GENUINE WORSHIP OF GOD, WAS THE CHIEF OBJECT OF MASONIC PRACTICE IN THE PRIMITIVE AGES OF THE WORLD. And this may be deduced from the existence of pure Masonry at the present day; for had it been erected on any other foundation but the glory of God; had it been instituted solely to exalt human wisdom, or to promote greatness; it would have been but a flitting sunbeam, which passeth away and leaves no trace behind.
Religion was the only foundation on which our order could be securely placed; for no institution can be firm or permanent, which is not supported by the favour and protection of the Deity. Every thing merely human must inevitably decay and crumble to ruins before the all-devouring hand of time. ...
But the word of God, and every thing founded on the basis, shall never pass away. Even “the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up;” (2 PET 3:10) but Masonry, pure and uncontaminated with earthly abominations, shall triumph over the general and universal dissolution, and shall cement the Host of Heaven in a holy union and communion to all eternity.
Before Enoch assumed the superintendence of our Order, there appears to have been some intermixture of the two lines of Seth and Cain, for the world does not exhibit so bright an aspect as during the last period. Adam, however, was yet living, and his authority was sufficient to restrain the race over which he possessed the supreme government, as king, priest, and prophet, from those rash and violent deeds, which after his death, deformed the face of nature.
ENOCH PROSECUTED HIS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHES WITH INDEFATIGABLE INDUSTRY, AND COMMUNICATED HIS DISCOVERIES TO HIS BRETHREN. The LINE OF SETH were indeed less eminent than the Cainites for mechanical arts, because their attention had been devoted to more sublime pursuits. THEY PRACTICED VERY SUCCESSFULLY THE SPECULATIVE SCIENCES WHICH FORM A CONSTITUENT PART OF MASONRY. THE CELESTIAL BODIES WERE OBJECTS OF THEIR CONSTANT INVESTIGATION. IN THE SCIENCE OF ASTRONOMY ENOCH MADE MANY IMPROVEMENTS; and it is thought that he was acquainted with the grand period of six hundred years, at the expiration of which, the sun and moon return to the precise situation which they occupied at the beginning of it. OTHER SCIENCE WERE INVENTED AND PERFECTED BY ENOCH, WHICH TEND TO ILLUSTRATE GOD’S ATTRIBUTES AND PERFECTIONS; and hence this extraordinary Patriarch earned a distinguished reputation, which endure, both amongst Masons and Christians, until the frame of this world shall be shook in pieces by the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God.
But the study of human science was not the sole intention of God in the creation of man. He formed him for a noblet purpose; and these studies were but secondary considerations, springin as natural effects from natural causes. Of this truth we have had abundant proofs, in the view we have already taken of the origin of the sciences. For it appears that the idolatrous nations were not deficient in scientific knowledge, though they had renounced their allegiance to the true God.
ENOCH PRACTICED MASONRY, OF WHICH HE WAS NOW INSTALLED GRAND MASTER, WITH SUCH EFFECT, THE GOD VOUCHSAFED BY IMMEDIATE REVELATION, TO COMMUNICATE TO HIM SOME PECULIAR MYSTERIES, IN TOKEN OF HIS APPROBATION. THE MOST VALUABLE OF THESE, ACCORDING TO OLD TRADITIONS, WAS THAT SACRED NAME OR WORD, WHICH DEMANDS OUR UTTERMOST VENERATION; and enables man to reflect on the goodness of his Maker, with renewed sentiments or reverence and devotion.
The degeneracy of mankind increasing, Enoch exhorted them to turn from the unrighteous ways, and imitate the purity of their forefathers. He pressed upon them the nature of their obligations; he reiterated their duty to God and man; but the fascinations of pleasure had so intoxicated their senses, that the sober admonitions of reason and duty were little regarded. HE THEREFORE CALLED A SPECIAL ASSEMBLY OF MASONS IN WHICH HE COULD CONFIDE; AND IN THE PRESENCE OF ADAM, SETH, JARED HIS FATHER AND METHUSELAH HIS SON, HE ENUMERATED THE ACCUMULATING WICKEDNESS OF MAN, AND THE ENORMOUS EVILS WHICH WERE DESOLATING THE EARTH; AND IMPLORED THEIR ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE IN STEMMING THE TORRENT OF IMPIETY WHICH THREATENED AN UNIVERSAL CORRUPTION. IT WAS HERE ADAM COMMUNICATED THAT TERRIBLE PROPHECY, THAT ALL MANKIND, EXCEPT A FEW JUST PERSONS, SHOULD SO FAR SWERVE FROM THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO GOD, AS TO CAUSE THE DESTRUCTION OF ALL CREATED THINGS BY WATER AND FIRE.
(AoF 85-89)
Outstanding! Thank you so much for sharing these links.latterdaytemplar wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 3:47 pmIn addition to the literature recommended by George MillerPM, I would also recommend the resources had in the online library of the Grand Lodge A. F. & A. M of British Columbia and Yukon:George MillerPM wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 4:19 pm
If you are interesting in further reading on this the Morgan Affair and its effects on Freemasonry then I can highly recommend the following books.
(1) The Bright Mason: An American Mystery by Robert Berry.
(2) Morgan: The Scandal That Shook Freemasonry by Stephen Dafoe.
(3) Revolutionary Brotherhood by Steven C. Bullock
William Morgan Notes
The Morgan Affair
The Morgan Affair: What Happened to Morgan
The Confessions
I'm just noticing that your link for Antiquities is the same as your link for History, both leading to the 1823 version of Antiquities. I tried to do a search in Google Books of History, but I am having difficulty finding it. Do you mind providing a link to it here?George MillerPM wrote: ↑Wed Jun 08, 2022 3:50 pmDear Brother- Your analogy to George Oliver being the Arturo de Hoyos of the early 1800s in a very astute comparison. He was consider the preeminent scholar on Freemasonry in his day; although he is virtually unknown today amongst Masonic scholars. Reading his works gives a good outlook on the views of Freemasonry in the early 19th century. I have included some links to his works below of the volumes published during Joseph Smith's lifetime.
GEORGE OLIVER'S PUBLICATIONS
1823 The Antiquities of Freemasonry
1825 The Star in the East
1826 Signs and Symbols
1829 History of Initiation
1840 The Theocratic Philosophy of Freemasonry
1841 The History of Freemasonry
The links above and in the original post should now be fixed. I hope that helps.latterdaytemplar wrote: ↑Tue Jun 28, 2022 2:57 pmI'm currently awaiting Method Infinite (once they start to ship that one out), Antiquities, and Star in the East to arrive in the mail.
I'm just noticing that your link for Antiquities is the same as your link for History, both leading to the 1823 version of Antiquities. I tried to do a search in Google Books of History, but I am having difficulty finding it. Do you mind providing a link to it here?George MillerPM wrote: ↑Wed Jun 08, 2022 3:50 pmDear Brother- Your analogy to George Oliver being the Arturo de Hoyos of the early 1800s in a very astute comparison. He was consider the preeminent scholar on Freemasonry in his day; although he is virtually unknown today amongst Masonic scholars. Reading his works gives a good outlook on the views of Freemasonry in the early 19th century. I have included some links to his works below of the volumes published during Joseph Smith's lifetime.
GEORGE OLIVER'S PUBLICATIONS
1823 The Antiquities of Freemasonry
1825 The Star in the East
1826 Signs and Symbols
1829 History of Initiation
1840 The Theocratic Philosophy of Freemasonry
1841 The History of Freemasonry