Latter-day Templar

LDS Discussions Blog wrote a response  to the Church's video on Joseph Smith and Freemasonry, which may be viewed here . In my opinion, the video itself was accurate and very well done, if not a bit watered-down (which can be expected, given that the target audience likely will not know much about either the Church or Freemasonry and given that it is a brief video). There are a few claims that LDS Discussions has made in this response that do not sit right with me, so I thought that I'd respond to them here. (Please keep in mind that quotes from LDS Discussions are indented once, while transcribed quotes from the Church's video are indented twice). Video "Was Joseph Smith a Mason? And if so, what connection does it have to temple worship practiced by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Well, there could be some confusion between the similarities with and the differences between Masonic ritual and the way Latter day Saints worship in the temple o...

For those of you who have never heard of grand lodge communications, here is a brief summary of what they are and what they entail. A grand lodge communication is a meeting for all Freemasons within a grand lodge's jurisdiction. Depending on the jurisdiction, it can be divided into multiple consecutive days; in Utah, for example, it typically is held over the course of a Friday and Saturday towards the beginning of the year. During this meeting, the following can be expected: Introductions of grand lodge officers from other jurisdictions. New or modified legislation to be voted upon. Examples include: Changes in ritual. Recognition or suspension of recognition of another grand lodge. Changes in grand lodge by-laws, rules, and regulations. Changes in the by-laws, rules, and regulations for local lodges as required by the grand lodge. Educational lectures and presentations. Elections of grand lodge officers for the ensuing year. Grand Master Deputy Grand Master Gr...

The last time that I attended a stated business meeting at my lodge, I believe, was the first Wednesday evening of February 2020. Since then, all Masonic buildings in Utah have been ordered closed by the Grand Master of Utah. As I recall, it has been tentatively  planned that lodges will open back up in September 2020. I commend the Grand Master in his efforts and desires to keep us, our loved ones, and our communities safe; he made a very difficult decision at the beginning of his year in the office of Grand Master and it has been quite a sacrifice for all of us (especially including him) to have much of our Masonic activity suspended. That's not to say that we are just taking the year off, however; we are all just doing what we can however we safely can. We have also been informed that those who do attend lodge once it reopens will be required to wear masks and gloves. Social distancing during the meeting will still occur, and it will be recommended for a long time that our elder...

This is a response to the YouTube video  LDS SECRETS: Freemasonry, the Occult and Satanist Symbols  by user It’s Me Jessie . I'll just dive right in. Jessie states that the ceremonies found in Freemasonry could not have come from Solomon’s time. I personally agree with this statement, as Freemasonry only traces back to 1598 Edinburgh, Scotland (although it is hypothesized that it is at least a few centuries older due to the Regius Poem in the Haliwell Manuscript). However, it should be noted that there is no primary source indicating when the very first Masonic meeting was held; however unlikely it is that Freemasonry does trace back to Solomon’s time, it is still a remote possibility. Jessie also states that, by extension, there is no connection between the Church’s temple ceremonies and the temple ceremonies performed in King Solomon’s Temple. I am willing to agree concerning the endowment ceremony, given that the Lord Jesus Christ indicated to Joseph Smith that t...

In Freemasonry, there are differing opinions on the efficacy of mass degree conferrals, which may occur in larger events (such as festivals) where Masons from multiple jurisdictions get together to confer the degrees of Masonry due to there not being enough cast members to perform the ceremony in each local jurisdiction. This may occur in Craft Masonry with a Grand Master's class (provided that the candidate has already been initiated an Entered Apprentice and only with cast members belonging to that grand lodge's jurisdiction) or in appendant/concordant bodies (i.e. the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, etc.; may include cast members from multiple grand jurisdictions). In Craft Masonry, I received each degree with at last 1 month in between each as indicated in my list of the degrees/orders I've received . However, as indicated in the same list, I also received all* York Rite degrees/orders within the space of two days. I have therefore had the pleasure of experiencing degre...

I was recently provided with a link to a page by Cutting Edge Ministries; that page is a compendium of arguments against Freemasonry. For now, I will respond to  Freemasonry -- Two Organizations, One Visible, the Other Invisible  and save the rest for another time. In this article, Cutting Edge Ministries Director David Bay claims that within Freemasonry is a hidden, Satanic entity that strives to produce the anti-Christ. His claim depends largely on various secondary and tertiary opinion-pieces (many out-of-context). The first work cited is Lectures on Ancient Philosophy: An Introduction to the Study and Application of Rational Procedure  by Manly P Hall, which was first published in 1929 . However, Manly P Hall did not become a Freemason until 1954. That makes this work not only just an opinion-piece on Freemasonry, but rather nothing more than gossip/rumor since he did not have any firsthand experience in the Fraternity. That renders this work entirely irrelevant c...

I decided that my first project should be a response to the article Masonic Symbols and the LDS Temple by Sandra Tanner over at Utah Lighthouse Ministry, as she has made incorrect claims and has taken some things out-of-context. I'll get right to it. Sandra begins the article by referring to the symbolism found on the Nauvoo Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She states that, to understand these symbols, one must understand Joseph Smith's involvement with Freemasonry; she then makes the irrelevant mention of the fact that his brother Hyrum had been a Freemason since the 1820s. She then incorrectly claims that Brigham Young had been a Mason prior to joining the Church. The facts are as follows: Brigham Young was baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 15 April, 1832 . Almost a decade later, he was initiated an Entered Apprentice on 7 April, 1842 ; passed to the degree of Fellowcraft on 8 April, 1842 ; and raised to the sublime ...