Mormonism and Masonry [Paperback]

E. Cecil McGavin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2004

1947. From the Introduction: This is not an expose of Masonry or Mormonism. The author is not a Mason, but has made a careful study of the subject, having read more than one hundred books written by orthodox and reputable historians of the Masonic fraternity, with the desire of knowing the points of similarity that may exist in the two rituals and then seeking an explanation of that coincidence. Not a paragraph in this volume is taken from anti-Masonic writers, only the reputable historians of the order being consulted. The purpose of this work is to call attention to the complaints and charges made about the Mormon Temple ceremony by the Masons and others, and give the Mormon answer to these unkind and erroneous assertions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing, LLC (September 20, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1417968206
• ISBN-13: 978-1417968206
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,684,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on Mormon side of Masonry, November 4, 2006

By 

Alan - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mormonism and Masonry (Paperback)

Excellent book, giving the ungarnished facts of what really happened to Joseph
Smith regarding the Masons in early LDS Church history.

When Joseph was raised to the sublime degree, and when he actually had the
LDS Endowment Ceremony. The information in this book gives the reader an actual
time line of when each of those happened, so to let the reader make their own
mind up as to if Joseph actually adapted the 3 basic degrees of Freemasonry
to make an LDS Endowment ceremony.

This book makes one think about, just what Mormonism is in relationship to
Freemasonry. And just what really is the origin of both.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, eazy read, February 8, 2007

By 

David S. Horlacher (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mormonism and Masonry (Paperback)

I enjoyed reading McGavin's book. I did like most of it. Being both LDS and a new Mason I thought it had a bit of a LDS edge on the subject. I did not agree with all of his argument but was apprecitvie of the way in which he presented the material. I do recommend it.

2.0 out of 5 stars Unfortunately biased on doctrine, however, informative on historical record, August 31, 2006

By 

Matthew Bryde (Australia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mormonism and Masonry (Paperback)

This book has definite positives and negatives. Firstly the negatives:

The author has a definite agenda and uses whatever selective sources he can to back his beliefs up. He uses emotional and subjective adjectives to introduce the quoted sources selected (from the many which would also include counter claims) e.g. "one fearless historian informs us..." and "Another misinformed writer expresses himself thus..." and "We accept without reservation the following from the pen of Mackay...".

The origin of Freemasonary is one of the most speculatated topics in print and no source can authoritatively state otherwise. As Anthony W. Ivans states in "Relationship of Mormonism and Freemasonry": "...the origin of Freemasonry is shrouded in mystery, that the origin of the craft is based largely upon legends which are not authenticated by reliable evidence. If true, they take us back to the idolatrous worship and pagan practices of Egypt, Greece and other semi-heathan nations on antiquity". Whereas this books pounds the point home that the origins of Freemasonry are with Solomon's Temple and were instituted through Godly means back then and hence explain the similarities with the Temple ceremonies now.

Now for the positive: Reading past the first few chapters, whose point seems to be Joseph couldn't possibly have been influenced by his knowledge of Freemasonry, and anything that seems to be sourced from Freemasonry is really sourced from earlier roots (King Solomon) and is therefore ok, we get into a chapter called "Masonic Activity in Nauvoo". At this point the author gets down off his soap box and delves into the historical records of the times in Illinois. This is by far the most valuable and unbiased chapter in the book, as it deals soley with secular events that both "sides" would agree on. It addressed my own questions as to why the early Mormons joined the fraternity and why the surrounding Masonic lodges despised and mistreated them so.

The book then continues with Temple activity in the Book of Mormon, accounts of American Indian encounters involving Freemasonry and the ban of Mormon Freemasonry membership in the state of Utah when the first lodge was established in 1866.

If you are LDS with questions like my own, this book is overall a good read. If non-LDS, skip past the first few chapters and learn why in hindsight, joining the fraternity was a huge mistake for the early church.

One last comment: The author continually presses the point that Joseph Smith knew hardly anything about Freemasonry as he only got the first three degrees and didn't attend much. There are no higher degrees than the first three, the others are just "extra" if you like. So the parts supposedly "borrowed" would have been known to Joseph. Also the fact is, he was surrounded by Freemasons both within the Church, within his family and within the community - as pointed out by this same author!