Although most twenty-first century Mormons would quickly shy away from acknowledging any similarities between Masonry and their sacred doctrines/temple ordinances, nineteenth century Latter-day Saints had no difficulty with the concept. LDS official Heber C. Kimball, for instance, remarked in 1858 that Mormons actually practiced “true Masonry.” Kimball, along with other Mormon leaders, believed that Masonry contained a considerable number of divinely established rites and rituals, but had lost some of the truths associated with them. Joseph supposedly recognized the verities and inserted them, along with other facets of Masonry, into Mormonism. As Kimball plainly started regarding the relationship between Freemasonry and Mormonism: “[W]e have the real things.”

Ironically, the Book of Mormon actually denounces Freemasonry via numerous statements against “secret combinations,” “secret signs,” and “secret oaths” (Alma 37:30; Helaman 3:23; Ether 9:6; Helaman 6:22, 26). These condemnations, although inconsistent with later Mormonism, reflected the anti-Masonic excitement that permeated the culture in which Joseph lived. Smith’s insertion of anti-Masonic sentiments into his Book of Mormon is only one of many examples of how Joseph’s own life contributed to the text that now serves as holy writ for millions of Mormons worldwide (see Chapter Four).