There is perhaps no topic in LDS Church circles that is as misunderstood as the similarities between the ceremonies of Freemasonry and those performed as part of the Latter-day Saint temple endowment. Both involve rituals, but the purposes of the rituals distinguish them from each other. The Latter-day Saint endowment prepares women and men to return to the presence of God. Masonry encourages men to be circumspect and to build relationships with fellow Masons. In the past, one approach taken by many Latter-day Saints has been to account for the clear similarities between the rituals as coming from the same source in antiquity. The facts, however, are more complex, as is often the case. There seems to be a clear chronological tie between Joseph Smith’s introduction to Masonry and the revelation of the temple endowment. Determining the relevance of that correlation remains elusive.

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Similarities in the Two Ceremonies

Modern-day observers may wonder what accounts for the similarities if the temple is part of a restoration of divine ordinances. The question can be perplexing to those who begin with an unfounded assumption. It goes something like this: If Joseph Smith restored truth from God, he did it without reference to anything in his environment. But what if that if is wrong? What if the divine restoration was not wholly new but like the restoration of an old house, where the restorer keeps all that’s useful and charming and replaces or refurbishes all that’s broken, weak, or no longer useful? In that case there are more possible explanations for the similarities.

It is often assumed that Masonry caused or led directly to the priesthood endowment. Proving that assumption would require evidence that the timing of the Prophet’s exposure to Freemasonry corresponded to his presentation of the endowment, that the similarities in the ceremonies correlate beyond coincidence, and that there is clear evidence of cause and effect.

A Temporal Connection

There is strong evidence of correlation between the timing of Joseph’s exposure to Freemasonry and his revelation of the endowment. . . . In these ways, correlation between Masonry and Mormonism was obvious to those, like Newel Whitney and Heber Kimball, who knew both. But the question remains whether the similarities suggest more than chronological correlation. Are they accounted for by cause and effect? If so, did primitive temple rituals later to be restored by Joseph Smith get incorporated into Freemasonry? Or did Joseph Smith incorporate elements of Freemasonry into the ordinances he offered? Or, rejecting a possible false dilemma, is the answer some of each? There is no way to know for sure, though some have assumed that they knew.

Proving a Causal Relationship

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It is possible to discern differences in the functions (however similar in form) of Masonic and LDS temple ordinances. Masonic rituals use aprons, door-knockings, and unusual handshakes to foster brotherhood. Bonds are made between men, not between people and God. LDS temple ordinances endow believers with power to regain the presence of God as they make and keep covenants with him. The ritual is not the endowment of power itself. It may be that some ritual forms were adapted from Masonic traditions, but the endowment teaches a divine plan of creation, Fall, and redemption through Christ—promising those who covenant to keep God’s laws that they will gain power over the effects of the Fall. As Heber Kimball was perfectly positioned to know, the endowment did not simply mimic Masonry.