Tässä artikkelissa lainataan sekä mormonien endowmenttiseremoniaa että vapaamuurarien initiaatiorituaalia.

Jälkimmäinen samoin kuin kuvitus on peräisin paljastustensa johdosta murhatun kapteeni William Morganin teoksesta Illustrations of Masonry by One of the Fraternity, Batavia, New York, 1827. Kirjaa voi tilata osoitteesta Utah Lighthouse Ministry muutaman dollarin hintaan.

Sivulla on myös otteita Jabez Richardsonin teoksesta The Monitor of Free-Masonry, Chicago (ei päiv), joka valaisee joitakin korkeamman asteen riittejä, joita Morganin kirjassa ei kuvailla. Nämä kohdat on lainattu suoraan Sandra ja Jerald Tannerin kirjasta The Evolution of the Mormon Temple Ceremony: 1842-1990 ja merkitty asteriskilla.

Korkeamman asteen riitit ja Morganin kuvailema rituaali ovat siis kahdesta eri vapaamuurariseremoniasta. Tämä lista ei välttämättä ole tyhjentävä, ja on huomattava, että v. 1990 muutosten jälkeen jotkut yhtymäkohdat hävisivät.

Yhtymäkohtia

Masonic Entered Apprentice Vs. First Token of the Aaronic Priesthood

MASONIC PENALTY SIGN "Made from the due-guard by dropping the left hand carelessly; at the same time raise the right arm and draw the hand, still open, across the throat, thumb next [to] the throat, and drop the hand perpendicular by the side."			MORMON PENALTY SIGN "In executing the sign of the penalty, the right hand, palm downward, is drawn sharply across the throat, then dropped from the square to the side"
MASONIC GRIP "The right hands are joined together as in shaking hands and each sticks his thumb nail into the third joint or upper end of the fore finger."			MORMON GRIP "The Grip -- Hands clasped, pressing the knuckle of the index finger with the thumb"
MASONIC WORDING CONCERNING THE GRIP "The Master and candidate holding each other by the grip, as before described, the Master says. 'What is this?' "Ans. 'A grip.' "A grip of what?' "Ans. 'The grip of an Entered Apprentice Mason.' "'Has it a name?' "Ans. 'It has.' "Will you give it to me?' "Ans. 'I did not so receive it, neither can I so impart it.'		MORMON WORDING CONCERNING THE GRIP "Peter -- 'What is that?' "Adam -- 'The first token of the Aaronic Priesthood.' "Peter -- 'Has it a name?' "Adam -- 'It has.' "Peter -- 'Will you give it to me?' "Adam -- 'I can not, for it is connected with my new name, but this is the sign.'
MASONIC OATH "... binding myself under no less penalty than to have my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by the roots ..."		MORMON OATH "We and each of us, covenant and promise that we will not reveal any secrets of this... Should we do so, we agree that our throats be cut from ear to ear and our tongues torn out by their roots."

Masonic Fellow Craft Vs. Second Token of the Aaronic Priesthood

MASONIC OATH "...binding myself under no less penalty than to have my left breast torn open and my heart and vitals taken from thence and thrown over my left shoulder."		MORMON OATH "We and each of us do covenant and promise that we will not reveal the secrets of this ... Should we do so, we agree to have our breasts cut open and our hearts and vitals torn from our bodies "
MASONIC PENALTY SIGN "The sign is given by drawing your right hand flat, with the palm of it next to your breast from the left to the right side with some quickness, and dropping it down by your side"			MORMON PENALTY SIGN "The Sign is made by placing the left arm on the square at the level of the shoulder, placing the right hand across the chest with the thumb extended and the drawing it rapidly from the left to right and dropping it"
MASONIC GRIP "Take each other's hands as in ordinary hand-shaking and press the top of your thumb hard against the space between the first and second knuckles of the right hand."			MORMON GRIP "The Grip is given by clasping the hand and pressing the thumb in the hollow between the first and second knuckle of the hand."
MASONIC NAME GIVEN "Brother, I now present you with my right hand, in token of brotherly love and confidence, and with it the pass-grip and word of a Fellow Craft Mason .... the name of it is Shibboleth."		MORMON NAME GIVEN "The Name is the given name of the candidate."

Masonic Master Mason Vs. First And Second Tokens of the Melchizedech Priesthood

MASONIC SIGN "The sign is given by raising both hands and arms to the elbows, perpendicular, one each side of the head, the elbows forming a square."			MORMON SIGN "The sign is made by bringing both hands to the square, palms to the front
MASONIC PENALTY SIGN "The Penal Sign is given by putting the right hand to the left side of the bowels, the hand open, with the thumb next to the belly, and letting it fall; this is done tolerably quick."			MORMON PENALTY SIGN "As the last words are spoken the hands are dropped till the thumbs are in the center of the stomach and drawn swiftly across the stomach to the hips, and then dropped to the sides."
MASONIC OATH "binding myself under no less penalty than to have my body severed in two in the midst..."		MORMON OATH "We and each one of us do covenant and promise that we will not reveal any of the secrets of this... Should we do so, we agree that our bodies be cut asunder in the midst and all our bowels gush out."
MASONIC GRIP "Grasp each other's right hands very firmly, the spaces between the thumb and first finger being in interlocked and the tops of the fingers being pressed hard against each other's wrist where it joins the hand, the fingers of each being somewhat spread."			MORMON GRIP (Slightly Different Method of Grip) "The Grip is made by grasping the hand, the forefinger on center of the wrist and little fingers locked"
MASONIC GRAND HAILING SIGN AND DUE GUARD "The sign is given by raising both hands and arms to the elbows, perpendicularly, one on each side of the head, the elbows forming a square." "The due guard is made by holding both hands in front, palms down..."				MORMON PAY, LAY, ALE "The sign is made by elevating both the arms above the head ... the arms dropped to the square,... and then to the sides."
MASONIC APRON "While the Wardens are examining the candidate, the Master returns to the east and gets an apron, and as he returns to the candidate... The Master then says to the candidate, "Brother, I now have the honor to present you with a lamb-skin or white apron..."			MORMON APRON "Adam-- (Turning to the audience)-- 'In your bundles brethren and sisters, you will each find an apron, you will now put it on."

Masonic Raising of Hiram Abiff Vs. Mormon Veil

MASONIC FIVE-POINTS OF FELLOWSHIP AS HIRAM ABIFF's DEAD BODY IS RAISED "He (the candidate) is raised on what is called the five points of fellowship, which are foot to foot, knee to knee, breast to breast, hand to back and mouth to ear."			MORMON FIVE-POINTS OF FELLOWSHIP AT THE VEIL "The five points of fellowship are given by putting the inside of the right foot to the inside of the Lord's, the inside of your knee to his, laying your breast close to his, your left hands on each other's backs, and each one putting his mouth to the other's ear...."
MASTER MASON RAISING CANDIDATE "The Master, in raising him, is assisted by some of the brethren, who take hold of the candidate by the arms and shoulders; as soon as he is raised to his feet, they step back, and the Master whispers the word ###### in his ear, and causes the candidate to repeat it, telling him that he must never give it in any manner other than that in which he receives it. He is told that ###### signifies marrow in the bone. They then separate ..."		MORMON PASSING THROUGH THE VEIL At the five points of fellowship "... one putting his mouth to the other's ear, in which position the Lord whispers: Lord--'This is the sign of the token: 'Health to the navel, marrow in the bones, strength in the loins and sinews, and power in the priesthood be upon me and my posterity through all generations of time and throughout all eternity."

Milloin Joseph Smith pääsi omakohtaisesti osalliseksi vapaamuurarien rituaaleihin?

Joseph Smithistä tuli vapaamuurari 15.3.1842 toimistossaan. History of the Church, osa 4, s. 551

Milloin Joseph Smith opasti muita mormonikirkon johtajia endowmentissa ja avainten saamisessa?

Joseph Smith neuvoi 4.5.1842 muita mormonikirkon johtajia Pappeuden periaatteissa ja järjestyksessä, pesujen ja voitelujen sekä endowmentin ja avainten saamisen toimittamisessa. History of the Church, osa 5, s. 2

Tämä ohjaus tapahtui vain muutamaa viikkoa sen jälkeen, kun Joseph Smithistä oli tehty vapaamuurari, ja ohjaus tapahtui samassa paikassakin — Smithin omassa toimistossa. Lisäksi Smithin toimistoa käytettiin vapaamuurarien looshitiloina. Temppelikirja osoittaa Joseph Smithin saaneen oman endowmenttinsa 4.5.1842 Family Group Sheet-Father Temple Index Bureau

Minusta samankaltaisuudet mormoniendowmentin ja vapaamuurarien initiaatioriitin kanssa eivät voi olla sattuman tulosta. Yhdenmukaisuuksia on ehdottomasti enemmän kuin vain himpun verran. Ovatko yhdenmukaisuudet merkittäviä? Minusta ovat. Päätä kuitenkin itse omalta osaltasi, mitä uskot.