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This work was originally published in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Vol. 27, No. 3, Fall 1994, pp. 117-194. The paper received considerable notice, and in 1995 the Mormon History Association recognized Joseph Smith and Kabbalah: The Occult Connection with its annual award for the best article in Mormon studies. [snip] The one thing about which we might all agree concerning Joseph Smith is that he was not the usual sort of person. He did not approach life itself--or his religious commitment--in a usual way. Yet the character of our historical investigation of Joseph Smith and his times has...

 Freemasonsby Sebastian R. FamaThe Catholic Church and Freemasonry have been at odds for centuries. Eight popes have condemned it, as well as have the majority of Christian denominations. Christianity and Freemasonry hold contrary beliefs. Catholics are forbidden to join the Lodge in the strongest of terms. The Church's position is expressed in its "Declaration on Masonic Associations." It states in part: "Therefore the Church's negative judgment in regard to Masonic associations remains unchanged, since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church, and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful who enroll in Masonic...

Few Mormons realize that the LDS temple ceremony is not of ancient origin, nor of modern revelation. Instead, the ceremony originated around 1790 when the Masons first conceived it for use in their secret society. Until 1990 the Mormon Temple Ceremony closely resembled the Masonic Initiators Ceremony, signs, tokens and penalties included. I never made the connection between Masonry and Mormonism until I began a serious study of the Mormon temple ceremony. In 1827 Capt. W. M. Morgan, a disillusioned Mason, published a book entitled Freemasonry Exposed, which reveals a detailed description of their ceremonies in word and illustration. Because...

Catholicism vs. Freemasonry - Irreconcilable Forever Rev. Robert I. Bradley, S.J. What is the truth regarding the present official attitude of the Catholic Church toward Freemasonry? To begin this inquiry into that which is now in effect, we should go back to what was stated in the Church's canon law before there was any doubt about where the Church stood on Masonry. The former code of Canon Law contained a canon, which definitely capped all the previous papal condemnations of it. Canon 2335 reads as follows: “Persons joining associations of the Masonic sect or any others of the same kind...

As finals are quickly approaching, students sometimes joke about living in the library. But when author Matthew Brown says he lives in the library, he’s not joking around. Brown, who recently released the book “Exploring the Connection between Mormons and Masons,” does most of the research for his books in the BYU library. “I live here in the BYU library and I’m not kidding,” Brown said. “I have done research at other universities around the country but for the most part, when it comes to LDS subjects, this is my primary research library.” “Mormons and Masons” is Brown’s 10th book,...

A few years ago I was told that at the ceremony of induction of the vicar of one of the local Anglican churches, the Bible which was handed to him had embossed on its front cover the emblem of the Freemasons, the square and compasses. It subsequently came to light that nearly all the male members of his Parochial Church Council were "on the square", and his predecessor as vicar had been a Mason as well. This is not a "low", or Evangelical, church, but very firmly in the Anglo Catholic tradition, where a number of clergy and lay people...

Is There No Help For The Widow's Son? By Dr. Reed C. Durham, Jr.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...

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...

I have become very curious about the Freemasons and freemasonry in general. How does it "fit in" with the group of Christian religions...how about islam? What are the views and opinions of those at this site?

January 21, 2009 I am sure you have heard rumors about Galveston, here are the facts. Please read this carefully, each of us must be concerned about our Endowment Fund and our ability to serve Children for many years to come. Therefore, the Joint Boards found it necessary to do the following. Ralph W. Semb, President and Chief Executive Officer, Shriners Hospitals for Children SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN GALVESTON HOSPITAL UPDATE Shriners Hospitals for Children (SHC) is facing the most tumultuous and trying economic environment in the history of the organization. Leadership is focused on what is best for the...

The Great Orient of France and Zapatero by Cesar Vidal. November 19th, 2008 Last Friday, I read an editorial in La Linterna [the Lantern] that brought about an extraordinary commotion up to the point of which it has been a true multitude the one that has requested this text. I reproduce it next. It was the year 1801, when in the French port of Brest the first Masonic lodge participated by Spaniards was constituted. Its name was La Reunión Española, and we know that it had 26 members, among them some priests. The goal of the lodge was obvious. Napoleon...

Shriners Hospitals for Children, an organization where the practice of medicine has long been unfazed by finances, is struggling with a money crunch and may close some of its hospitals. Rising health care costs and an endowment that has lost $2 billion -- a quarter of its value -- in three years may give Shriners no other choice but to shrink the 22-hospital system to save it. At the group's annual meeting on Monday in Minneapolis, 1,400 Shrine representatives are scheduled to vote on closing the hospital there. Officials at the Shriners International headquarters in Tampa said the Minneapolis hospital...

    Send Masonic E-Card ISLAM AND FREEMASONRY by W.Bro. Shaikh Hatim Fidahussein Nakhoda PM Research Lodge St. Michael No. 2933, SingaporeDistrict Grand Lodge of the Eastern Archipelego, UGLE. Presented in The Lodge St. Michael No. 2933 on 29th July, 2006. W. Bro. Shaikh Hatim Nakhoda is a Past Master of Lodge St. Michael No. 2933 and a Past District Senior Grand Warden of the District Grand Lodge of the Eastern Archipelago. He is also a Past Master of Lodge Singapore No 7178. In addition, he holds the rank of Past Asst. Grand Director of Ceremony in the Grand Lodge...

Lesson 34: The First Commandment "Come let us praise the Lord with joy:  let us joyfully sing to God our savior.  Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; and make a joyful noise to Him with psalms.  For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.  For in His hand are all the ends of the earth:  and the heights of the mountains are His.  For the sea is His, and He made it:  and His hands formed the dry land.  Come let us adore and fall down:  and weep before the Lord that...

After decades of indirectly criticizing the Catholic Church through friendly media outlets, the powerful Mexican Masonry has now directly gone after Catholic bishops, accusing them of pretending to “control” Mexican politics by demanding the right to education and information. The previous Mexican Constitution, because of Masonic influence, stripped the Church of the right to own schools and communications media. Recently, the Mexican bishops announced they would begin a campaign to regain these rights. The Grand Lodge of the Valley of Mexico, which brings together 12,000 Masons, reacted to the proposal by calling a press conference in which Great Teacher Pedro...

A hot and fetid June night on the small Mediterranean island of Malta, and a Christian sentry patrolling at the foot of a fort on the Grand Harbour had spotted something drifting in the water. The alarm was raised. More of these strange objects drifted into view, and men waded into the shallows to drag them to the shore. What they found horrified even these battle-weary veterans: wooden crosses pushed out by the enemy to float in the harbour, and crucified on each was the headless body of a Christian knight. This was psychological warfare at its most brutal, a...

What's true and what's not about the Masons is the topic of a recent book by an expert in the history of religions. Father Manuel Guerra Gómez, who is an author of 25 books on sects and other topics, recently released "La trama masónica" (The Masonic Plot), published in Spanish by Styria. Father Guerra is a diocesan priest of Burgos, and a retired professor of the Burgos headquarters of the Faculty of Theology of Northern Spain. In this interview with ZENIT he says that "the Masonic method, atheistic in nature, reflects historical relativism and leads to the socio-cultural relativism that...

Says Its Philosophies Are Incompatible With Church ROME, MARCH 2, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Church has not changed its ruling on Catholic membership in the Masons, said the regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary. Bishop Gianfranco Girotti made this statement Thursday at a conference on the topic of Freemasonry held at the St. Bonaventure Pontifical Theological Faculty. The bishop presided over the congress held in cooperation with the Socio-Religious Research and Information Group of Italy. Officials of Masonic associations and grand masters also took part in the meeting. Bishop Girotti reminded his listeners that the Church has always criticized the concepts and...

We have to issue an occult watch -- perhaps "warning" is more like it -- for a new self-help trend that apparently is sweeping or beginning to sweep segments of America.   The "method" is now on DVD as a movie called The Secret, and has been featured, among other places, on Oprah and Larry King Live.   We are reluctant to readily dismiss innovative spiritual means, and always urge openness in the supernatural realm, which is so often beyond human reckoning.   But in the case of The Secret, a warning is especially needed because its claims and temptations are especially potent:...

Q: A member of the RCIA program was told by another member of the parish that if they were going to become Catholic they needed to terminate their involvement with the Masonic lodge before they could join. Is this still the case in the United States? -- T.N., Howard City, Michigan A: This question is more canonical than liturgical. The Church's position with respect to membership of Masonic lodges, even though canon law no longer explicitly mentions the Masons, has not substantially changed. The new code states in Canon 1374: "A person who joins an association which plots against the...

The era of the free-masons. Between 1937 and 1958, an amazing succession of publicly Masonic Supreme Court justices were appointed to the Supreme Court. Collectively, they radicalized American politics. Since their ascension, it can truly be said that every major socio-political change in America has been brought about by judicial, rather than legislative, means. They utterly dominated the Supreme Court during the Warren, Stone, and Vinson courts (1941-1969.) At times, as many as eight of the nine justice were Masonic. The following is a listing of Masonic US Supreme Court justices appointed in the last 70 years. This is no...

Is the Devil in the Details of D.C. Streets?Laris Karklis -- The Washington Post

COMMENT: New-Church Catholics who have fully embraced the ecumenical, Romasonic Catholic creed will be shocked to learn that the "naturalism" or "universalism" preached by Masonry was condemned for centuries by the real Roman Catholic Church. Since the Grand Lodge started claiming Popes as enrolled members, the condemnations have all but ceased. For Freepers wondering what the big deal is about Fez bedecked men driving in go-carts, you're driving in the wrong direction... ### FORWARD TO THINGS CATHOLICS ARE ASKED ABOUT, by MARTIN J. SCOTT : Outside the Catholic Church there is at present very great interest in things Catholic. Sincere...

The Man Who Stepped Out of LineIn this post-feminist age where men are still learning remedial masculinity, we have a model of manhood lived heroically which we would do well to emulate. In the early twentieth century Poland gave us that manly priest, John Paul II, but also his hero, Maximilian Kolbe, priest, missionary, spiritual father and martyr of brotherly love. St. Maximilian’s feast day is August 14th, the vigil of his beloved Virgin Mary’s Assumption and the day which commemorates the conquest of virile love over the totalitarian creeds of his generation. As men, we could all learn a...

Dan Brown clearly enjoys playing with legends, history, symbols and secrets. And readers' minds. In his best-selling novel, The Da Vinci Code, Brown wove all these - real and imagined - into a breathless mystery about Christianity, Mary Magdalene and the Divine Feminine that has spawned an industry of de-coders eager to separate fact from fiction.     Now that he has turned his attention to the mysteries of Freemasonry, the centuries-old fraternal order, the new book also might deal with Mormonism.    But rather than announce the Da Vinci sequel in a news release, Brown embedded tantalizing clues to its subject...

Open Letter to Catholic Family News on Sedevacantism by Joseph C. Maurer August 30, 2005 OPPOSITION TO THE ANTI-SEDEVACANTISTS As a long time subscriber to Catholic Family News (CFN) I was both shocked and puzzled by the lengthy article by Christopher Ferrara in the August ’05 issue attacking sedevacantists—or, the “Enterprise”, as he calls them collectively. It is understandable that there might be differences of opinion and spirited debate on the subject of sedevacantism but I never imagined I would see an article in CFN that exhibited such a steady stream of personal disparagement, insult and mean-spirited hectoring. What ever...

Seattle Catholic(www.seattlecatholic.com / seattlecatholic@hotmail.com) June 14, 2004 Ideas Have Consequences by Thomas A. Droleskey Although it has become au courant to minimize the influence of Freemasonry in American politics and culture, the evidence for the overwhelming influence of the ethos of Freemasonry in this country is massive. The essence of Freemasonry is as follows: that it is necessary to convince men of "good will" that denominational religion in general-and Catholicism in particular-is divisive. Men must see each other as brothers, working by means of natural virtue to pursue the common good without doing or saying things that might divide a...

Twenty-two years after the body of God's Banker, Roberto Calvi, was found hanged under London's Blackfriars Bridge, his death remains a compelling mystery. But with four people facing a murder trial in Italy, his son is hoping for an answer at last. The death of your father is always going to be traumatic. But for Carlo Calvi the tragedy has been made worse by political intrigue, shady business practices and tales of mafia connections. An original inquest into the death of Roberto Calvi, who was found on the morning of 18 June 1982, returned a verdict of suicide. But his...

An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood by Neal Gabler (Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, 1988) The majority of the eastern European Jews who found success in business at the turn-of-the century United States, did so in the garment industry. However, a handful of those immigrant entrepreneurs enhanced the fabric of life by weaving into the American universe a world of fantasy and illusion. They would later be known as the Hollywood Moguls. The most notable amongst those Hollywood Jews are Carl Laemmle who founded Universal Studios, Adolph Zukor, the creator of Paramount Pictures, William Fox, the...

A 2,300-mile trip on an airplane is a one-day foray, in a car it's a long trip that will take a few days, but on horseback, it is an epic journey that can last months. It is with the locomotive means of the epic journeyer that Bob Gacke of Port La Vaca, Texas, has chosen to undertake a 2,300-mile odyssey across the American interior to bring attention to, and raise money for, Shriner Hospitals. "I've been a Shriner for 25 years and I just have a real passion for the care of these kids in these hospitals," Gacke said Tuesday...

FEARING he would commit "a grave sin" in the eyes of the Catholic Church, Gov. Pataki has canceled his plan to join the Masons, The Post has learned. Pataki's induction into Freemasonry - the world's oldest and largest secret society, with members like George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt and Gerald Ford - had been trumpeted as "historic" and was expected to occur at a formal and secret June ceremony at the historic Grand Lodge in Manhattan.

thr 064 UK-Freemasons /WRD/ Masons threaten legal action to keep anonymity London, June 11, IRNA - Freemasons in Britain are threatening legal action to prevent the government from forcing its members in the police and other parts of the country's criminal justice system from identifying themselves. The United Grand Lodge, the London headquarters of the secret brotherhood, has taken legal advice that any plans to make disclosure compulsory would be discriminatory under Britain's recent Human Rights Act, the Financial Times reported Tuesday. "We believe we are being singled out in a way that implies there is something wrong in being...