Is There No Help For The Widow's Son?
By Dr. Reed C. Durham, Jr. Someone has said that a historical convention like this - all of these papers that we have heard - are like a pair of steer horns, with a point here and a point there and a lot of bull in between; and in my case, a lot of "Bull Durham." One thing we won't have to put up with though is the wind blowing - just hot air. And I know the disadvantage that we are placed in, with the dimness of the room, the delightful meal that we have partaken of, and all the applause that we have had all night long - the papers, the busy day - but I hope you will bear with me and we will see what happens. One historian, who has spent at least 25 years exploring the topic of Mormonism and Masonry, finally concluded that any person who ventured into this area of study was something of a "foolhardy nitwit." So mote it be! Still, I am convinced that in the study of Masonry lies a pivotal key to future understanding Joseph Smith and the Church. Therefore, regardless of the possible incriminations and stigma that might ensue, I should like, in this paper, to interpose some unorthodox findings and fancies upon the more traditional and canonical propaganda of the faith. In the subject of Mormonism and Masonry, there is still much that is "new under the sun." To begin with, Masonry in the Church had its origin prior to the time Joseph Smith became a Mason. Nauvoo was not its genesis. It commenced in Joseph's home when his older brother became a mason. Hyrum received the first degrees of Masonry in Mount Moriah Lodge No. 112 of Palmyra, New York, at about the same time that Joseph was being initiated into the presence of God and angels and was being entrusted with the sacred gold plates. Masonic influence on Joseph was further highlighted when the heated anti-Masonic crusades flared up in western New York. His milieu was ripe with things Masonic. Pro-Mason and anti-Mason, the influence was unavoidable from both sources. Capt. William Morgan was so contemporary with Joseph Smith, both as to time and geography, that it would be difficult to deny the probability of their acquaintance. In fact, Dr. Rob Morris, an American Masonic biographer of William Morgan, wrote that Morgan "had been a half way convert of Joe Smith, the Mormon, and had learned from him to see visions and dreams." Whether or not it was true that Joseph Smith personally knew Morgan during his lifetime, everyone in that area, including Joseph, had heard about Morgan's disappearance and supposed martyrdom, causing most people to take sides on the Masonic issue. Joseph was no exception. He was one of the committee of 10 men who signed their signatures to an impassioned plea which was printed in the rabidly anti-Masonic newspaper, the Seneca Farmer and Waterloo Advertiser. The committee begged anyone with an ounce of Christian humanitarian concern to come forward and offer assistance to Morgan's unfortunate wife. The many parallels found between early Mormonism and the Masonry of that day are substantial: conferences, councils, priesthood, temples, anointing with oil, the issuance of licenses, certificates for identifying legitimate fellow workers, elders, high priests, and even the Book of the Law. By the end of 1832, Joseph Smith had welcomed new brethren, along with their influences, into the Church. Men such as W. W. Phelps, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Newel K. Whitney, each of whom had been deeply involved in Masonry, from one side or the other, before their entrance into the Church. In a sermon the Prophet delivered in 1835, unmistakable Masonic vocabulary was used, and I quote from the Prophet: "I exposed their abominations in the language of the Scriptures and I pray God that it may be like a nail in a sure place, driven by the Master of Assemblies." In that same year and in subsequent years, the Prophet was involved in things Egyptian, the new revelations of suns and moons, governing planets and fixed stars, and, though unique at that time to Mormonism, was commonplace in Masonry. The Kirtland Temple also reflected an influence of Masonry. Though not exactly like the Masonic pattern of laying and dedicating cornerstones of their temples, the Order of the Holy Priesthood employed by the Prophet in laying the cornerstones of the Kirtland Temple, and about which he explained in greater detail in Nauvoo, with a set ceremony at each corner, with pomp and procession, including definite rank of authority, was significantly similar. That the inner courts of the temple were fashioned in such a way that officers could preside on platforms at either end, east or west, was also similar to Masonic Lodges and Temples. But, more importantly, professional architects have only recently called attention to the classical and Gothic elements combined in the architecture of the Kirtland Temple as containing direct and unmistakable Masonic influence. In 1838, the Avard extension of Joseph Smith's Danitism in Missouri brought this disconsolation upon the Prophet: the use of secret penal oaths, accompanied with signs, hand clasps, and tokens involved therein, also reflected Masonic life practices. Before being imprisoned in Missouri, Joseph and his family lived in the Harris home at Far West. A Masonic aura certainly abided there. The woman of the house was Lucinda Pendleton (Morgan) Harris, who was at that time the wife of George Washington Harris, one of the leading elders of the Church. He had been a practicing Mason in Batavia, New York, as well as a Worshipful Master Mason in Virginia. In addition to this, Harris was also personally acquainted with William Morgan; the Morgans having lived in an apartment above his (Harris') silversmith shop in Canandaigua (should be Batavia. M. B. H.), New York. Lucinda Harris was formerly the wife and later the widow of William Morgan. It seems highly significant to note that this same women, whom Joseph (Smith) had befriended years before, became a plural wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith. After escaping from Liberty jail, the Prophet was reunited with his family at Quincy, Illinois. Emma and the children had been living in the home of Judge John Cleveland, another Mason (I believe this is an error. There is no documentation of such membership in Nauvoo nor Quincy. He also never converted to Mormonism. M. B. H.), who with his wife, Sarah M.(arietta) Pinsey Cleveland, allowed the Smiths to live with them until they left for Commerce (Nauvoo). What later motivated Joseph and Emma to write the Cleveland's, inviting them to build their home in Commerce in close proximity to the Smith home, across the street and next door to George Washington and Lucinda Morgan Harris? The question becomes pertinent upon supplying the additional facts that Harris later became an active leading charter member Mason in the Church, while Sarah M. Cleveland became another of Joseph's plural wives. By 1840, John Cook Bennett, a former active leader in Masonry (in Ohio, where he was expelled. M. B. H.), had arrived in Commerce and rapidly exerted his persuasive leadership in all facets of the Church, including Mormon Masonry. I do not believe he was its sole instigator, nor do I believe him guilty of all which the Mormon print then, or now have accused him. However, at the instigation of John C. Bennett, George W. Harris, John Parker, Lucius Scovil, as well as other Mormon Masons residing at Nauvoo, and certainly with the approval of the hierarchy of the Church, the institution of Masonry commenced. Joseph and Sidney (Rigdon) were inducted into formal Masonry at Sight, on the same day upon which the Illinois Grand Master Mason - and politically ambitious - Abraham Jonas officially installed the Nauvoo Lodge. It was on March 15, 1842. On the next day, both Sidney and Joseph advanced to the Master Mason Degree. In only a few years, five Mormon Lodges were established, several others in planning, a Masonic Temple constructed, and the total membership of Mormon fraternal brethren was over 1, 366. 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 that there are few significant developments in the Church, that occurred after March 15, 1842, which did not have some Masonic interdependence. Let me comment on a few of these developments. 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 initially, just a little over one month after he became a Mason, had an immediate inspiration from Masonry. This is not to suggest that no other source of inspiration could have been involved, but the 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. 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. The sun stones, and the moon and star stones, were examples. An additional example was the angel used on the weather vane on the top of the Temple. I would like to just show a slide or two here, if that could be turned on. William Weeks (made a Mason in Nauvoo Lodge. M. R. H.), the architect of the Nauvoo Temple, has many drawings in the Historians Office ~f the Church. This is one of the preliminary drawings - first drawings - first draft drawings of the Nauvoo Temple. You will notice that it has the beautiful picture in the whole front of the Temple of the All-Seeing Eye, and he was going to have a beautiful angel stand on the top of the Temple. Later, another design by William Weeks again: - modified the All-Seeing Eye, trimmed down the angel on the top of the Temple, and then again, in another plan, he has the small angel on the top - not a huge lady as was before - and this one comes pretty close to the way the Nauvoo Temple looked like. Now, in the Visitors' Center at the Nauvoo Restoration, you see a mock-up of the Temple and on the very top there is, on the weather vane, this little angel. Well, that little angel was photographed in the next picture. There is the angel: the beautiful horn, the Book of Mormon in the other hand. And, then, if you will notice, what looks as if there are crosses on the staff or the spear which is the weather vane. Do you see those crosses there? We blew that up - it is not a very clear picture - to let you know that it is a beautiful compass and square, in the typical Masonic fashion. Now, I wondered where in the world did they get, on the mock-up of the Temple in the Visitors' Center, the compass and square - the Masonic symbols; in fact, the most probably universal Masonic symbols that are known in Masonry. Where did they get that? Until, in the Historian's Office in Salt Lake City, we found the drawing of William Weeks, who very clearly employed the Masonic symbols on that angel. (I have been informed that the particular illustration referred to, in the Visitors' Center, had been removed when the Center opened the next morning. M. B. H.) In the journals of Thomas Bullock, Mosiah Hancock, and in many of the portraits that were painted of the Temple, this angel does exist, with a beautiful description of the angel -even to the Book, the horn, the temple clothes and robes that it is clothed with. And, there is no question that it was intentionally to be a Masonic symbol on the top of the Nauvoo Temple. (That can be turned off now.) 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. As evidence of this claim, Brother Oliver Olney (not known to be a Mason - an apostate Mormon. M. B. H.), wrote in a doggerel verse style in 1842, that Joseph Smith, and I quote, "said there were certain degrees of the fair sex of the land. They soon met in union, a lodge to form, but changed the name they might be distinguished from the lodge of the men." He later described the sisters' Masonic auxiliary and the degrees in their liturgy. John C. Bennett substantiated the same, as likewise did Ebenezer Robinson, and evidence from a different bias came from Sister Eliza R. Snow, present at the organization as its first secretary, who strongly emphasized that the Society was Priesthood. Another charter member, Sister Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner, added that the Relief Society was an order of the Priesthood. And, finally, included in the actuary 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 organization possessed Masonic overtones. It was true that in orthodox Masonry, such as that practiced in Illinois, the inclusion of women was definitely prohibited and certainly unheard of. The Joseph Smith Masonry was daily becoming less orthodox and tended to follow more in the direction of some unorthodox Masonry which had been imported to America from France. In this type of Masonry, two different women's groups operated. The first women's group was known as the Female Lodges of the Illuminees. They were subdivided into two classes, each forming a separate society and having different ceremonies. The first was composed of virtuous women; the second of the wild, the giddy, and the voluptuous. in both cases the purpose of their existence was to serve the men who were their counterparts - the virtuous women for the virtuous men, and so forth. This type of female Masonry had no relationship to the Mormon female Masonry, unless, of course, one believed John C. Bennett's diatribe relative to the three degrees of womankind in Masonry, in Mormonism. The second type of unorthodox female masonry was known as "Adoptive" Masonry. In this order the highest woman was called the "Elect Lady;" a striking parallel to Emma Smith's title in the Mormon highest order for women. The ceremonies for women in this order were quite similar to those later found within the endowment ceremony of the Mormons. I was going to read the ceremony, but I thought I'd better not. Continuing with my facts and fancies - that most of the things which were developed in the Church at Nauvoo were inextricably interwoven with Masonry - in addition to the endowment, the temple, and the Relief Society, I have already mentioned, I suspect also that the development of prayer circles and even polygamy are no exceptions. but more importantly, 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 proposed flag of the kingdom, and the anointing and coronation of the king, had its genesis in connection with Masonic thought and ceremonies. It could not be coincidence that all of these concepts had their counterparts within Masonry in the day of the Prophet Joseph Smith. There was an Elect Council, an Elu, and a Council of Fifty; a Supreme Council, and a Grand Council. The crown was a common Masonic symbol, as well as a portion of the regalia actually worn by officers who represented the king in the higher degrees. Anointing was commonly performed and any practicing Mason would have been familiar with the word "constitutions." As to the flag, although every symbol on it has not yet been identified, the majority of them can be shown to be Masonic symbols. In fact, it seems surprising, in light of these known existing parallels, that most historical treatments on any aspect of the Political Kingdom of God had rarely, if ever, mentioned any relationship with Masonry. Perhaps the single most definite evidence that Masonry directly affected the thought of Joseph Smith, and that the Kingdom of God doctrine was Masonically inspired, can be seen in the recently brought to light holograph letter of Joseph Smith to Mr. John Hull of Lempster, New Hampshire (See Appendix A; added by me. M. B. H.) Mr. Hull was a distant cousin of the Prophet's and was a Congregational minister. He was deeply involved in the development of the town government of Lempster, New Hampshire, and more pertinent, he was a practicing Mason for over 40 years in Mount Vernon Lodge No. 15 (then at Washington; now at Newport. M. B. H.), in New Hampshire. During that time, he held every office in Masonry up to and including the Worshipful Master of the Lodge. If the letter proves not to have actually been written by Joseph Smith, then his amanuensis wrote the letter and signed Joseph's signature in such a way as to make it appear as authentically like Joseph Smith's own handwriting as possible. I personally discount any fraudulent intent because of the reliable historicity relating to Joseph Hull, and also because the content of the letter fits with the known ideology of the Restoration Movement and, further, the ideas expressed were completely consistent with the Kingdom of God development at this time. The little note at the commencement of the letter indicates somewhat the depth of ideas presented therein: "pleas not let any See my letters who you think Cannot Digest the ideas for it would do them an injury." The entire two-page letter clearly demonstrates that Mormonism and Masonry were related and that Joseph used Masonry and apparently had no qualms in doing so. It is also clear in the letter that the Kingdom of God was thought to be the true Masonry which, when ultimately established with a king and a president, would abolish all earthly confusion and evil and usher in the Millenium. The whole earth was compared symbolically to a Grand Masonic Lodge, the counterpart of which was the Grand Lodge in the eternal regions of Glory; an idea quite legitimate in Masonic thought. The letter will not be completely clear unless one knows that a typical Masonic Lodge is most often a rectangularly shaped room with the altar in the center. At the front, generally at the east end of the room, is the platform upon which the Worshipful Master sits and presides. At the west end the Senior Warden is positioned, and on the south side is located the Junior Warden. As excerpts of Joseph Smith's letter are read, please observe how the Prophet superimposed American Zionism upon his new brand of perfect, world-wide Masonry, and I quote: "The time has been when the WM (the Worshipful Master) was in Asia, at the east; the SW (Senior Warden) in Europe, at the west; and the JW (Junior Warden) in Africa, at the south. Well, now, how will it be after the new arrangements? I must still look to Asia to find the W. M. Well, what next? Why, there is a spot in North America exactly due west from where King Solomon's Temple stood." Just a point here; if we were to draw a line exactly west from Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem, and go due west to Nauvoo, Illinois, we would only be 10 longitudinal degrees off. So the Prophet writes, "Exactly due west from where King Solomon's Temple stood, there is a spot in North America. It will be the choice of our SW, but he alone can't govern the Lodge amidst all this bustle. Well, how shall we get out of this scrape? Why, we must wait with patience until South America has made the choice of the JW. (that would be at the south, the Junior Warden.) When the above described lodge is duly formed and begins to work, we may expect to have peace on earth and good will to men and, no doubt, 'the lion will lie down with the lamb and the suckling child will play with the asp and will not be stung!" And the postscript at the bottom of the letter, "This is my present survey of Masonry in this world." There are two concepts I need at this point to reiterate. Firstly, I said that Joseph Smith had no qualms about using Masonry. This letter, I think, is evidence of that. One historian has described this use of Masonry as the "grabbing on" principle employed by Joseph Smith. This was explained to me that whatever was in his surroundings, being preached, professed, or practiced, he sometimes borrowed it and incorporated it into his ideological theology and system. The second concept I wish to reiterate is that the Masonry as practiced in the Church under the Prophet's direction was daily becoming increasingly unorthodox as contrasted with Illinois traditional Masonry. Therefore, it appears that the Prophet first embraced Masonry and, then in the process, he modified, expanded, amplified, or glorified it. His alterations being done by the authority of constant revelation received by him, or by sheer whims and the intelligence of an egocentric genius, or at the insistence of strong personalities who surrounded him, giving advice and counsel; depending on how one views Joseph Smith. APPENDIX A The Joseph Smith Masonic Letter to Joseph Hull (spelling as in original) (page of notes - part of the letter) Crotched, ho-we-he 1-we 2 eyes all part for we See but in part with our two that our eyes Sprang from his 1 that our 2 Spirits Did the Same Light Darkness which is Commonly called God & Saton I pronounced eye one only Please not let any See my letters who you think Cannot Digest the ideas for it would do them an injury (page 1 of letter, with unknown number of lines missing from the top) at the same time making the new choice, while doing this their has a great number of roughings have appeared over poured the Tyle broken into the Lodge and made all this Confusion amongst the Nations of the Earth. the time has been when the WM was in Asia SW in Europe & the JW in Africa, & no Doute the tyters Sword was kept in Some part of India or Chinen. wet, how now will it be. After the new Arangements. why as I See with my intellectual eyes I must Still look to Asia to find the WM, that part of the Globe being the first inhabited. (Continued in Part two) |