The connections between Mormonism and Freemasonry are about as subtle as a neon sign in a pitch-black desert. Some people act like it’s some deep, conspiratorial discovery that Joseph Smith, the so-called “prophet,” borrowed heavily from the secret handshakes and goofy rituals of the Masonic lodge. To be clear, the term “borrowed” is just a polite way of saying plagiarized. Mormonism certainly didn’t just spring from a burning bush of divine revelation—it crawled out of the smoky backrooms of Freemason halls, clutching their symbols, their theatrics, and their obsession with secrecy like a child caught red-handed in the candy jar....