Without Disclosing My True Identity
significant developments in the Church, that occurred after March 15, 1842, which did not have some
Masonic interdependence.’ (Joseph Smith and Masonry: No Help for the Widow’s Son, p.17)”
(^3) See William G. Sibley, The Story of Freemasonry (Gallipolis: The Lion’s Paw Club, 1913 ed.) 62, 87.
(^4) SNS, Preface, XVII.
(^5) The tradition continues through the present time. Both George H. W. Bush and his son,
George W. Bush used the same Masonic bible that George Washington used in their respective
inaugurations. (“Bibles and Scripture Passages Used by Presidents in Taking the Oath of Office.”
The Library of Congress American Memory. 2009. Library of Congress. 10 Apr. 2011
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pibible.html.
(^6) For further study on the LDS/Mormon concept, see “Blood Atonement,” Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia, 30 Jun. 2011, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 5 Aug. 2011
<en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_atonement>. See also ch. 30, n. 34.
(^7) Brigham Young was a Mason before he became a Mormon. In several photos, he is shown
wearing the Masonic square and compass pin on his shirt. See David John Buerger, The Mysteries of
Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (Signature Books, 2002) 131(c).
(^8) See Andrew M. Allison, W. Cleon Skousen, and M. Richard Maxfield; The Real Benjamin
Franklin (1982, Washington, D.C.: National Center for Constitutional Studies, 1987) 64: “While Franklin
may not have been an ardent churchgoer, he was certainly active in many other organizations. In June
1734 he was appointed grand master of the earliest known Masonic lodge in America.”
(^9 666) America, 25–6.
(^10) See Allison, 62: “The Presbyterian minister in Philadelphia occasionally visited Franklin
and admonished him to attend Sunday worship services, ‘and I was now and then prevailed on to do
so, once for five Sundays successively.’ But he found the minister’s sermons ‘very dry, uninteresting,
and unedifying, since not a single moral principle was inculcated or enforced, their aim seeming to be
rather to make us Presbyterians than good citizens....I...was disgusted, and attended his preaching
no more....and went no more to public assemblies.’”
(^11) See Allison, 65, “He [Benjamin Franklin] contributed annually to help support the
Presbyterian minister, however, and he often helped provide funds for the erection of new church
buildings in the area, ‘whatever might be the sect.’ On one occasion, he even served as a lottery
manager to raise money for a steeple and bells to adorn the Episcopal church his wife attended.”
(^12) Books attempting to explain the influence of freemasonry on the development of the
Mormon religion include: E. Cecil McGavin, Mormonism and Masonry (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft,
1949); Anthony W. Ivins, Relationship of Mormonism and Freemasonry, (Salt Lake City: Anthony W.
Ivins, 1934); Mervin B. Hogan, Joseph Smith’s Embracement of Freemasonry (M. B. Hogan, 1988); and
Matthew B. Brown, Exploring the Connection Between Mormons and Masons (American Fork: Covenant
Communications, 2009).
(^13) D&C, 121:35–9;
(^14) “Masonic Dictionary | Warden.” MasonicDictionary.com. 2007. Stephen A. Dafoe. 10 Apr.
2011 http://masonicdictionary.com/warden.html.
(^15) “Lodge Officer Duties.” Masonic Lodge of Education. 2011. Masonic Lodge of Education. 10
Apr. 2011 http://www.masonic-lodge-of-education.com/lodge-officer-duties.html.
(^16) See Carrie A. Moore, “A Mormon Mason: New grand master is the first in a century who is
LDS,” Deseret News, 29 Mar. 2008: E01.
(^17) “Oh, how foolish is the pride and vain imagination of the male ego!” (SNS, 131.)
(^18) “I then looked to the Lord and begged and pled that he would spare my life that I might
bring up my children and comfort the heart of my husband. Thus I lay all night, sometimes gazing
gradually away to heaven, and then reverting back again to my babies and my companion at my side,
and I covenanted with God that if he would let me live, I would endeavor to get that religion that
would enable me to serve him right, whether it was in the Bible or wherever it might be found, even if it
was to be obtained from heaven by prayer and faith. At last a voice spoke to me and said, ‘Seek, and ye