Theos-Talk Archives (March 2002 Message tt00039)

Hi Brigitte,

I checked out those sites you posted. There is some interesting material
there.

Brigitte: Masonic connections and Smith have been well established but
what do 
> 
> you think about the rumours about a Memphis-Misraim or "Cagliostro"
> type Masonic influence ? 

Joseph Smith's theology/cosmology went through three distinct stages

1- BOOK OF MORMON stage. In 1820 14 yr old Smith calimed to have heavenly
messages. In 1823 he began having regular visits from the Angel Moroni
(sort of his Master) which led to his claim to finding gold plate from
which the BofM was translated and published in 1830.

2-BOOK OF MOSES stage. In the early 1830's, Smith began what he called an
"inspired revision" of the Bible. He altered many verses and added many
other, all from what he claimed was divine inspiration. Most of this was
never completed, but the early part of Genesis was fairly "revised" and
was published as the BOOK OF MOSES.

3-BOOK OF ABRAHAM stage. From 1835 to his death in 1844, Smith was most
involved with manuscripts he discovered among some Egyptian mummies he
had purchased. These turn out to be a "BOOK OF BREATHINGS" from which
Smith wrote the BOOK OF ABRAHAM and also most of the temple ritual. Smith
was a masom, but not very high up in that order, while his brother Hyrum
and Brigham Young were. It is believed that Joseph worked out the basic
endowment formula and doctrine but that Brigham fleshed out the ritual,
using the basic masonic formula with which he was familiar. An
interesting Mormon apology is Hugh Nibley's THE MESSAGE OF THE PAPYRI:
THE EGYPTIAN ENDOWMENT, in which he translates the BOOK OF BREATHINGS and
shows how it relates to a progressional ritual which any Mormon in the
know will recognize as very similar to the temple endowment ritual. This
is the Masonic/Egyptian connection as I know it.

BTY, both the BOOK OF MOSES and the BOOK OF ABRAHAM are contained in the
Mormon PEARL OF GREAT PRICE, which is on line

Larry
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