Not according to the Mormon church.
An interesting article out this morning in the Mormon Times on the myths surrounding the founding of the Mormon church and its ties tot he ancient and honorable fraternity of Freemasonry.
The piece is in reference to a new book by LDS author Matthew B. Brown titled Exploring the Connection Between Mormons and Masons
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His argument for the two NOT being intrinsically connected (despite many similarities between them) is that the rituals of the fraternity emulate earlier Christian rituals of monarchy and church which was picked up on by Joseph Smith in his early writings.
Not being a Mormon, its a challenge to see or dismiss the parallels, but from past passing conversations, the parallels between the two were striking.
Brown says in the article:
By examining history, “it becomes obvious that the Nauvoo-era temple ordinances and doctrines did not suspiciously materialize after Joseph Smith became a Freemason,”.
Before joining the fraternity, Joseph Smith had associates who were Freemasons, including brother Hyrum Smith and apostle Heber C. Kimball. Brown, however, says there is no evidence suggesting the Prophet knew about Masonic secrets before becoming a Freemason himself. In fact, revealing such secrets would be grounds for punishment, and “there is no evidence of any such action being taken against a Mormon Mason for making improper disclosures to Joseph Smith.”
You can read the whole article Mormons, Masons and myths at the Mormon Times or, pick up the book Exploring the Connection Between Mormons and Masons
“Brown, however, says there is no evidence suggesting the Prophet knew about Masonic secrets before becoming a Freemason himself. In fact, revealing such secrets would be grounds for punishment, and “there is no evidence of any such action being taken against a Mormon Mason for making improper disclosures to Joseph Smith.”
I find this curious considering masonic exposes (the earliest known published of the 3 degrees in 1730: Masonry Dissected (by S. Pritchard), was published 75 years before Joseph Smith’s birth, December 23, 1805. He could have easily read one of the 26 others published within that 75 years, thereby getting his ideas and why the rituals are so ‘strikingly’ similar.
So to suggest that the only way one could have possibly learned about Masonic ritual was to become a Mason smacks of poor research.
Not being a Mormon there is there no way to ‘find out’ the rituals of the Mormon Church as easily as it is to head to my local library and pick up a copy of one of the many exposes of Masonry’s rituals?
Being a convert to the Mormon church about 35 years ago I have a very deep conviction that the church is true. I have come to realize that this conviction comes mostly from spiritual evidence verses physical evidence. Spiritual evidence tends to be much more real to a person receiving it. Since physical evidence comes from mans research, and some times with impure intentions, it is always suspect and often changes with new evidence. It is not a sure foundation. Spiritual evidence brings with it a surity that is difficult to deny. When a person knows something to be true, it is difficult to talk him out of it, even if he cannot prove it.
There are obvious outward similarities between Masonry and the temple endowment. However, the application and meaning of the endowment is totaly different. As I have studied to understand what the Masonic symbols teach, it has give me a deeper appreciation and understanding of the depth of the endowment. To me, Masonry must have originated from an ancient Christian foundation.
This leads me to believe that something so blatantly coincidental as this and other things must have been inspired by God. The functioning of the church was organized a little at a time as Joseph Smith received revelations and was tutored over time. Masonry may have been what Joseph Smith needed in order to understand how to apply the endowment.
So are the similarities a result of a con man or is it a miracle that extends back through the ages? Those who have eyes to see can see.
1. The caption is misleading: The issue is similarities in the LDS Temple endowment and US Masonic ceremony, not the origination of the LDS Church. The LDS Temple worship is only a portion of the LDS belief and practice; an important part to be sure, but only part of it. LDS Temples aren’t even open on Sundays when three hours of worship occurs in the local chapel.
2. The subcaption is also misleading: The LDS Church voiced no opinion, it was a single author (though I quite imagine the LDS Church would agree with the conclusion if not the analysis).
3. The DVD makes quite clear that Joseph did use some outward ritual of the Masonic fraternity. However, the two ceremonies have completely different constructs: Solomon v. Creation; obligations to G-d v. obligations to man; a path of salvation v. temporal behaviour; vicarious baptism for the dead v. no such activity in blue lodge degrees; female participation in LDS endowment v. female exclusion in regular Freemasonry.
4. Certainly the author does point out that the LDS Temple activities began before Joseph started his Masonic activity and he argues that Masonic ritual has distinct characteristics found in medieval Roman Catholic ritual. At least in looking at the DVD I don’t find that he denies the cross over into some LDS ritual as well (though similarities are far less with published changes to the LDS endowment).
As someone who was raised Mormon, is LDS on both sides of his family going back to Nauvoo and before, is a 4th generation BYU graduate (but is NOT an returned missionary [full disclosure, here]), went through the LDS temple before the 1989 ritual changes, AND is a past master of a Masonic Lodge in Virginia, I can tell you that there are too many similarities between the LDS temple ceremony and Freemasonry to ignore. I will also say that the two ceremonies have many elements that are different and that they go off into two different directions, but let’s not kid ourselves here, Joseph Smith blatantly ripped off Freemasonry.
Feel free to check out http://www.masonicmoroni.com and see just what early church members (and Freemasons) had to say about the similarity. This is not my website, though I do have a sometime email chat relationship with the owner.