Mormonism and Freemasonry
by Terry Chateau
Grand Lodge of British Colombia and Yukon
The Joseph Smith family was known and acknowledged to have been a close-knit one, where strong individual affection and loyalty existed between each of the members. It was a masonic family which lived by and practiced the estimable and admirable tenets of Freemasonry.
The father, Joseph Smith Sr. was a documented member of the craft in upstate New York. He was raised to the degree of Master Mason May 7, 1818 in Ontario Lodge No. 23 of Canandaigua, New York.
An older son, Hyrum Smith was a member of Mount Moriah Lodge No. 112 at Palmyra, New York. Numerous attempts have been made to prove that Joseph Smith and his family were depraved, degenerate, and disreputable persons. These documented facts, namely, the masonic membership of Joseph Smith Sr. in the Lodge in Canandaigua, and Hyrum’s membership in Palmyra’s lodge, are of the most significant importance. Being the elite institution it was recognized by the public to be at that time, and their active membership in two of the masonic lodges of the area is convincing evidence of the stature and high esteem the members of the family enjoyed in the eyes and opinions of those who knew them best.
No comments:
Post a Comment