Page-2 Brigham's Gift

SECRET OATHS AND COVENANTS...

In 1845, shortly after the martyrdom. Apostle William Smith, (brother of the Prophet Joseph Smith and one
of the original members of the quorum ot the twelve in this dispensation) and several of his followers made a
very revealing accusation against Brigham Young and the other members of the quorum of the twelve
apostles:
".. .we do most solemnly protest against the doctrine of secret oaths and covenants- and we also view
this as among the principal causes that have overthrown our brethren..."*
From this statement, it is apparent that William Smith did not believe the secret oaths and covenants that
Brigham Young integrated into the L.D.S. temple endowment were previously used, taught or endorsed by
his brother, the Prophet Joseph Smith.
It is a well documented fact that many elements of the Brigham Young/L.D.S. endowment are identical or
very similar to those found in the Masonic Temple ritual which Brigham Young had been participating in
before he became the President of the Church.
THE DARK PRA CT1CE OF SWEARING B Y YOUR HEAD.,.
Although Joseph Smith did have involvement in Masonry and was in the process of using it as a vehicle to
establish a political kingdom, there is no evidence to show that he participated in any secret oaths associated
with the dark practice of swearing by his neck. Just the opposite is the case. The following statements from
Heber C. Kimball and Jesse C. Little indicate that Joseph Smith had declared the Masonry of his day to be a
corrupted version of the original. The Masonry being practiced at that time had been passed down from the
apostasy that took place at the time of Solomon and David. Joseph Smidi was in the process of restoring it to
its pure and unadulterated form:
"The Angel of the Lord brought to Mr. Joseph Smith the lost key words of several degrees, which
caused him when he appeared among the brotherhood of Illinois, to work right ahead of the highest
and to show them their ignorance of the greatest truth and benefits of masonry, "*
"We have the true masonry, the Masonry of the day is received from the apostasy which took place
in the days of Solomon and David. They have now and then a thing that is correct, but we have the
real thing. "•'
Benjamin F. Johnson, a very close friend of Joseph Smith's said:
"Joseph told me that Freemasonry was the apostate endowment, as sectarian religion was the apostate
religion. "4
From these and other statements from associates of the Prophet, it is apparent that Joseph Smith viewed the
Masonry of his day as a corruption. The Prophet Joseph Smith had declared Masonry, as it was being
practiced in the 184Q's, to be the apostate endowment of" the apostate religion. Notice the similarity between
Joseph Smith's assessment of Masonry and a quote taken from the book, "Capt. WM. Morgan's Exposition
of Freemasonry, published in 1827":
" Masonry is to the modern world what the whore of Babylon was to the ancient; and is the beast with
seven horns, ready to tear out our bowels, and scatter them to the four winds of heaven. Masonry
gives rogues and evil-minded characters an opportunity of visiting upon their devoted victim, all the
ills attending combined power [secret combinations), when exerted to accomplish destruction. It

1
!
HOB Start Irt it, Ml 'I ma frei lie Mi faiflj"
tairy of Jesst C. tittle
^ Ouott fra tor C. Mitil Pg 63 Apostasy aad fiedaptioo of Latter-day Israel