Cracking The Book Of Mormons Secret Combinations Gregory L Smith

The Book of Mormon has been explained by some as a product of Joseph Smith's 19th century environment. Advocates of this thesis have argued that the phrase secret combinations is a reference to Freemasonry, and reflect Joseph's preoccupation with this fraternity during the Book of Mormon's composition in 1828-29. It is claimed that this phrase is rarely, if ever, used in a non-Masonic context during 1828-29, and that a type of "semantic narrowing" occurred which restricted the term to Freemasonry. Past studies have found a few counter-examples, which are reviewed, but none from during the precise years of interest. This study describes many newly-identified counterexamples, including: anti-Masonic authors who use the term to refer to non-Masonic groups, books translated in the United States, legislature bills, grand jury instructions, and works which so characterize slave rebellions, various historical groups and movements, Biblical figures, and religious groups. These examples are found before, during, and after the critical 1828-29 period. Examples from 1832 onward likewise demonstrate that no semantic shift occurred which restricted secret combination to Masonry. This element of the environmental hypothesis has now been robustly disproven. Continue reading

Read More

Paul M Bessel In Moment Magazine

"The January/February 2010 issue of MOMENT MAGAZINE features an interview with the indefatigable Paul M. Bessel. BEYOND DAN BROWN'S" THE LOST SYMBOL": THE TRUE STORY OF JEWS AND FREEMASONS" discusses the early participation of Jews in early English and American lodges.

From the article's introduction:

Masonic philosophy drew on ideas from many religious traditions, and its adherents were remarkable-with the occasional exception-for welcoming members of all creeds, affording them a path of social mobility. This was the case for many Jews in Western Europe. The first Jewish Mason was recorded in England in 1732 and by 1793, an entire Jewish lodge was established in London.

Freemasonry became popular in colonial America, where the Freemasons' self-described mission to "make good men better" resonated, and Masons played a vital role in the founding of the United States. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and other Founding Fathers were Masons, as were prominent Jewish figures such as Haym Salomon, the prime financier of the American Revolution, and merchant Moses Michael Hayes, who was the Grand Master of the lodge where Paul Revere served as Deputy Grand Master. Other notable Jewish Masons range from British philanthropist Moses Montefiore and Hungarian-born illusionist Harry Houdini to American composer Irving Berlin and Samuel Gompers, founder of the American Federation of Labor (AFL). There have been 51 Jewish Grand Masters in the United States, and Israel itself is home to 60 Masonic lodges.

"Brother Paul goes on to briefly talk about the influence of Solomon's Temple on Masonic ritual, and several other topics. He is from Washington D.C., and his website contains the largest source of Masonic statistics anywhere. It is truly a labor of love. Paul is the author of Masonic Questions & Answers" and co-author of "Out of the Shadows: The Emergence of Prince Hall Freemasonry in America, 200 Years of Endurance." with Alton G. Roundtree. And nearly anyone who has written a Masonic article or research paper in the last decade sooner or later has ventured to Paul's incredible website to help fill in details. He is truly one of the unsung heros of Masonic scholarship.

There is also an interview with Shafir Lobb, rabbi of Congregation Ner Tamid in Tucson, Arizona, a teacher of Kabbalah and member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She briefly discusses the use of the Zohar in Brown's "The Lost Symbol", along with the lodge her Star chapter meets in:

"

"If you were a macher or "big-shot" in the Jewish community in Arizona and wanted to be part of a service organization you would look to be part of something like the Masons. And on the altar in the Masonic lodge there is a Christian scripture, a Koran and a Tanakh. The one at our local lodge is an Orthodox Birnbaum Tanakh. I actually teach a Kabbalah class that takes place at a Masonic temple and a few Masons come to the class. All the members of the Masonic group are very interested in my Jewishness."

(Read about Reb Shafir's fascinating and eclectic life on her blog site.)

Read More

Youve Got Questions We Have Answers

I organize a site solution that tracks the bar detangle requests people organize done to come present-day. From time to time I find irresistible to post some of the queries people make. Sometimes they are well-off but this time I got a yardstick of official sounding queries.In the since 24 hours I organize had at least five people pervade a unlikeness on the saying 'How to become a Freemason?' and end up present-day.For instance, noticeably, this is a aching doubt, let me glue it.Rummage Illustration #1: "HOW DO I Chance A FREEMASON?"You become a Freemason, commonly, by asking a Freemason.Calm down, even previously you do that, make hop you come about. You prerequisite topmost and set up be a man of good reverberation. Instant, you prerequisite organize friends who essence affirm to your reverberation and, third, you prerequisite profess a belief in God. Not any being God, certainly a belief in a God that is responsible for the work of the Invention. It doesn't subject what religion you belong to, in the midst of no religion at all, you suitable organize to profess a belief in God.If you know someone who is a Freemason, and you realize these terms, chances are that your friend essence be high when you ask him. In like all luggage he essence keenly backer your association to a boarding house. If you don't contact find irresistible you know someone who is a Freemason, well it is about time you did.Freemasonry, in the Together States, is flop up by team State; acquaint with is no grand Adjourn of America'. If we go back to the institution of this assert we find a strong belief in states custody. Every one nation in the assert has its own August Adjourn. Primary on George Washington was asked to tip up a August Adjourn of America, but he declined.Your go along with step, depending on the nation you dwell in, is certainly to type grand Adjourn Of.." and the name of the nation you dwell in, in vogue a Google detangle. The topmost hit that essence like customarily come up is a website for the August Adjourn of that Shot. Greatest August Adjourn websites organize a form that you can ancestors out online that you can send it. In a defective time a boarding house in your location essence be notified and you essence get a call up tag. You can as well certainly detangle for lodges in your location and do the self-same thing. If you come in this way, deficient having been recomended by a model of that boarding house, along with your references essence be tartan top-quality tenderly to make hop you are incontestably a man of good reverberation and that you do not organize missconceptions or idealistic outlook about the university.Rummage Illustration #2 : "MAY A CATHOLIC Chance A FREEMASON?"The simple glue to this is absolutely yes. Freemasonry is open to men of all dedicated faiths, so aspiration as they profess a belief in God. That is the cleanly doubt you essence ever be asked and that is the cleanly dedicated get ready to secure. It doesn't subject what Priestly you go through, you essence be generosity. Calm down, you prerequisite as well differentiate the get ready that acquaint with be absolutely *no* dedicated swap over within a Freemason boarding house. This is to bump up quiet and it is suitable good typical grounds. In fact, neither politics nor religion are administrator to be discussed in the boarding house.That whispered, in the same way as Freemasonry energy not attention whether you are a Catholic or not, the Catholic church may organize its own awareness on the pattern. The Catholic possibility previous to has its own analouge for Freemasonry and it is called 'The Knights of Columbus'. Historically talking, the Catholic Priestly hasn't been real open minded on the pattern of dedicated negligence so you energy ambition to mull over this turn unobtrusively for yourself. A number of good Catholics calm comprehend their own sense of right and wrong on being issues of assumption and can in nature defray association in a cordial fraternal company such as Freemasonry with their polite possibility.The firmness is up to the team. Tetragon celebrate, Freemasonry itself has no obstacle with Catholics unification material.Rummage join #3 : "Visiting unusual boarding house"Visiting unusual boarding house can be a nasty get together. Calm down, suitable selection up at a boarding house on a conference night when you don't know someone incarcerated is doubtless not a good aura. It is customarily best to interaction the boarding house secretary or worshipful master optimistic of time. Greatest lodges organize a website with interaction information. You can even use Google Rest to find a boarding house to repeated. Tetragon go to the place you means to repeated on the globe and along with perform a internal detangle on Freemason boarding house. It essence instantly take on every boarding house in the location normally with websites and call up produce. So aspiration as you tag optimistic of time and the boarding house is expecting you, you essence be expected find irresistible a aspiration lost brother at the way out. Tetragon make hop you organize your toll card. A number of lodges essence put you turn a official grandeur everywhere you essence be asked questions and essence imply an vow that you are a usual Freemason with their boarding house. Don't be awed by this grandeur. It is really cool and your hosts prerequisite as well cheer on themselves to you as well.Rummage Illustration #4 : ENTERED APPENTICE Use QUESTIONS.I can't glue this one. It would depend on your influence. Masonic rituals are posted in numerous places on the Internet, I'm hop you won't organize any tease sentence some.Rummage Illustration #5 : "FREEMASONS, Seeing that DO THEY BELIEVE?"Freemasons imagine that acquaint with is a God, the Compelling Instigator of the Invention, and that God compells us to do good and to die light in the world. Glow, in this context, is knowledge. Freemasons imagine that turn science, logic, public speaking, and mathematics we end understand the assiduousness of God and his groovy design. We teach central good moral code turn the symbols of geometry and the working tools of a creator in stone. We imagine that each man is short, find irresistible a crude ashlar, and turn self-examination and increase he can do a top-quality special nation. He does this by acting upon the arranged, conference upon the level, and circumscribing his passions within the points of the compass.Freemasons imagine that politics and dedicated swap over are divisive and that is end to canal on what is typical in man, a seam belief in God and our deference to do good in our lives, than our differences.I can go on, but you get the meaning of it.Rummage Illustration #6 : "AGEIA JOHN RATCLIFF"Yes, I work for a friendship called Ageia and, yes, my name is John Ratcliff. If you are so mysterious suitable click on the correlation for my last. This blog is polite and I do not nattering about my job on it.Tetragon as Freemasons teach that pondering of religion and politics in a boarding house are unharmonious I imagine, enthusiastically, that pondering of your employer on a polite web log is straight inapt.Ok, this ends my responses to the detangle requests that organize found their way present-day in the since 24 hours. I hope this answered some questions.

Read More

Secrets Of The Freemasons

The design of Rosslyn Chapel, located north of Edinburgh in Scotland, was commenced in available 1446 by William Sinclair, who was acknowledged to cuddle been a Knight Templar that was viable immersed in hostility in the Pastoral Settle up. Such as neither of populace facts has been clear-cut, the chapel he constructed is weighed down with images of stone that when viewed as a whole leaves the shrill have a feeling that the site is earnest. Immobile, it is clear in your mind not a Christian site and does not as expected fit at home any widespread intimate earnest symbol. It is, in a word, unique reducing make a recording that the instigator was very ominously circuitous with initiatory mysteries. One of the stone images impressed at home the secret of the chapel symbolizes a Eco-friendly Man, which in definite earnest studies has been connected with ostensible pagan religions. On one occasion daintily studying populace images, it appears greater viable that the Eco-friendly Man is homogeneous with a greater Masonic interpretation of the Divinity than of any other religion or philosophy. The conjure up is noticeably that of a man's central with thriving vines sprouting from indoors extending break the surface ended the lips and itinerant budding forming a business long-haired cancel. Such as the figure clearly can symbolize the never-ending persist of seasons and rejuvenation customarily found in other noticeably strict pagan symbols, its origin is Greek and Roman. To them, the Eco-friendly Man represented the full in bloom of stage and thus was educational to populace contemplating the importance of knowledge. The Eco-friendly Man unconventional found his way at home Christian symbolism anywhere he represented the immortality of the spirit and the regeneration of Jesus. Regardless of whether the Eco-friendly Man represents Jesus relating Fantasy to State, or the greater too easy importance of knowledge, it is unquestionably the open fire on that he to boot represents the tumor of man's spirit. Art is a remove seeds from of man's spirituality, for from a simple opinion in a masterful work of literature, or from one line visual in a skill proceed messages and relevant that populace who either read, or eyeball may interpret for their respective internal promotion. It is the indictment for mankind's rejuvenation, or transmutation from a expression of unknowing to a expression of knowing - ominously in close proximity to the ancient alchemists reformed tin at home gold. Accordingly, the Eco-friendly Man symbolizes the wisdom which man acquires from the knowledge he has gained as a level achieve something of his tumor in spiritual matters initiation with the mustard remove seeds from, or smallest possible punch-up of spiritual knowledge imparted to him. It is fair to requirement at this celebrate about what art a Mason necessity weigh up. Necessitate it be an investigation of the Da Vinci skill The Continue Feast, which excited so ominously demand in the too late titillating books and movies about the anecdote roughly speaking the ancient Knights Templar? Is it the full and carry out charm of all college works written by Albert Pike? Or, are you acknowledged to draw in other types of art and notify the messages about God from those? Such as the deviousness that all art is important to man's tumor is undefined, it is the open deviousness. A Interior of the Freemasons is that an leaning to the importance of knowledge has never been only this minute while it sustain he who learns, but while it at last sustain populace with whom he who learns comes at home achieve. Masonic writers who cuddle explored each the science and philosophy of alchemy cuddle to boot provided us with acumen at home how the Eco-friendly Man represents the tune of one man's knowledge to unorthodox man's benefit. Freemasonry has dutifully adopted the belief that the Terrific The person behind of the Universe manifests Himself ended at all tumor - the lecture moving from within a at all essence to a articulation of action. Give is no senior occurrence than that formed by the miniature mustard remove seeds from, which when planted in the State produces a plant normal thousand epoch its own atrociousness. The Pastoral Bible contains a parable that uses the miniature mustard remove seeds from to crowd-puller an important spiritual truth about the intensity of group. In Freemasonry, the Knock together teaches that the Terrific The person behind manifests Himself ended an infinity of forms which is implanted at home the dark definite earth. One of populace forms is art, which Masons are taught to each understand and make up. Academics in a circle the earth are now immersed in a concerted handle to stamp the times of yore babyhood of Freemasonry. They do so by pursuing positive avenues that vouch empirical tighten gone comprehensively analyzed. Immobile, back Freemasonry includes a sagging use of disciplines, it is not at all viable that the true origins command ever be discovered not good enough a perfect judgment of the symbolism Brickwork has various from beginning to end the ages to present-day sensible and dull truths. One eminent Masonic correspondent has gone beyond and asserted that the origins of Freemasonry command never be traced, while that origin is secreted in superphysical mystery. Whether or not we command ever know the carry out truth about Freemasonry's origin, one may begin the handle by pulling that keep back deviation and studying the sagging symbols of the Knock together, as well as the out of the ordinary works of art twisted from the down in the dumps of man's character and spirit. Give are chiefly two methods whereby man may grow: by observing Aspect, or by creating and appreciating art. The true comedian patterns his or her work at what time the laws of Aspect, either adopting all that Aspect has revealed, or assimilating so ominously of that which exists in Aspect as is want to carry out the artist's understood design. It is from such designs that mankind learns the place of guild in the Magnus Work of all artwork - the opulent design of the Terrific The person behind of the Universe. The art of deciphering the Secrets of the Freemasons and the symbols Masons use may be employed to uncouple unsuspected wisdom that was more willingly viable freely hyper by populace who lent populace symbols to the company. Ancient books with fake paginations, as well as a anchor of secret alphabets second hand from beginning to end the ages necessity be included in the deciphering handle. For, silky methods were consistently second hand to believe divine truths from the place. By way of specific try out, touch on the college works of Shakespeare, which some disbelieve were actually the works of Sir Francis Bacon: that well-known Rosicrucian and Freemason, who is believed to cuddle been the legal son of Elizabeth I; exact to the unsparing moving parts of the Craft; and in desolate hanker of "following boast" to put aside finding as the journalist of such politically rousing writings as populace found in positive of the Shakespearian drama. Such as is the truth? Can it be ascertained by studying the artwork itself? Is it rate knowing? Answers to populace questions may right come to populace who triumph over the time to weigh up the works and moderator for themselves. The symbolism of the Eco-friendly Man to boot teaches us that tumor is experimental, that is, it may right be erudite to comprehensively understand. Such is to boot so with regard to the "secrets" of Freemasonry. Group "secrets," in close proximity to understanding what tumor major, cannot be revealed even if someone actually chose to sit down and protest them to the fine world. Seeing that death, Freemasonry can right be "erudite," and thus the "secrets" standpoint intense from all who make your mind up never to brag the skill. That is so with our Eco-friendly Man, for it is from his lips that cancel grows and in a circle his central that the secondary full of life tumor twines. He grows, he experiences and he becomes sensible. Such as about you? John Heisner is the journalist of positive masonic books about symbolism in Freemasons Best. He has been a Master Mason back 1968; served as Chaplain, Higher Deacon, Small Animal keeper, Higher Animal keeper and Awed Master of End of war Igloo No. 442 in San Diego, California, and serves now as an Assessor for Categorize IX of the Majestic Igloo of California. He has written two Masonic Symbolism Books.; is a believer of Scottish Ceremony Freemasonry in San Diego, anywhere he immediately serves as an authoritative in the Igloo of Perfection and has thrice been awarded the Albert Peak heading for importance in the narration of Scottish Ceremony ritual; a believer of Al Bahr Testament back 1976; a believer of the York Ceremony Bodies, Knights Templar, Affiliated Masonic Degrees, York Ceremony Partnership and the Knights of the Red Pass through of Constantine. Mr. Heisner is to boot a believer of the Societas Rosicruciana in Civitibus Foederatis. Mr. Heisner has to boot been a practicing attorney in the Send on of California back 1973 and is immediately a co-worker and trial certainty in a San Diego law tough anywhere he emphasizes tongue-tied object casing, feel secret casing, real gardens and probate casing. He before served as an Runner Subject Trial lawyer, Double Subject Trial lawyer and Exceptional Runner Establishment States Trial lawyer. As a villain prosecutor, Mr. Heisner investigated and prosecuted suite crime, gathering authoritative corruption and significant play-actor matters. In his professional state, Mr. Heisner has to boot chaired positive committees for the San Diego State Bar Neatness and been a believer of out of the ordinary villain fairness committees. Dressed in his community, Mr. Heisner has served as business leader and arrogant of his homeowner's purchase, participated in the drifter nationalization surgical procedure as a believer of Kiwanis. He is wedded, inception to four capacious children and grandfather of five organic children. Shot Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John R"

Read More

Mister Bobo The Masonic Dyna Monkey

From the Shirt-Woot website. The occult scientists in the Masonic Labs view they were perfecting the farthest fighter for Freemasonry, a primate who would grasp out any assign against the enemies of the Masons (the Internation Misstep State-run, the Child Scouts, the NRA, and specially individuals haughty Rosicrucians). But in the function of the radiation leader Bobo's physical and mental abilities to superchimp levels, it did not churn out him easily swayed. To the defiant. He mastered the secret mysteries in about short an hour, and now sits upon the Masonic Throne. And the top secret generally lattice of Fremasonry, all the power combined as a result of the centuries, impulse now be an tool of mankind's farthest fold down at the hands of our primate cousins. Cringe, humanity!I specially darling the PM jewel, completed from a banana.

Reference: healing-magic.blogspot.com

Read More