Equal Rites

by Clyde R. Forsberg Jr.

Both the Prophet Joseph Smith and his Book of Mormon have been characterized as ardently, indeed evangelically, anti-Masonic. Yet in this sweeping social, cultural, and religious history of nineteenth-century Mormonism and its milieu, Clyde Forsberg argues that masonry, like evangelical Christianity, was an essential component of Smith's vision. Smith's ability to imaginatively conjoin the two into a powerful and evocative defense of Christian, or Primitive, Freemasonry was, Forsberg shows, more than anything else responsible for the meteoric rise of Mormonism in the nineteenth century.

This was to have significant repercussions for the development of Mormonism, particularly in the articulation of specifically Mormon gender roles. Mormonism's unique contribution to the Masonic tradition was its inclusion of women as active and equal participants in Masonic rituals. Early Mormon dreams of empire in the Book of Mormon were motivated by a strong desire to end social and racial discord, lest the country fall into the grips of civil war. Forsberg demonstrates that by seeking to bring women into previously male-exclusive ceremonies, Mormonism offered an alternative to the male-dominated sphere of the Master Mason. By taking a median and mediating position between Masonry and Evangelicism, Mormonism positioned itself as a religion of the people, going on to become a world religion.

But the original intent of the Book of Mormon gave way as Mormonism moved west, and the temple and polygamy (indeed, the quest for empire) became more prevalent. The murder of Smith by Masonic vigilantes and the move to Utah coincided with a new imperialism―and a new polygamy. Forsberg argues that Masonic artifacts from Smith's life reveal important clues to the precise nature of his early Masonic thought that include no less than a vision of redemption and racial concord.

Genres: Religion

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 2003

Reviews

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Word of caution, this is a scholarly text to be sure and thus can be quite tedious to get through. I probably would give it a 3.5/5 stars, but mainly because I thoroughly enjoy the topic in discussion; if you have little, or only a passive interest in Mormon history or Masonry than better to steer clear.

The main argument revolves around refuting the claim that Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of the Mormon Church, was only influenced by Masonry after his initiation into a Lodge in Nauvoo, Illinois during the early 1840s. Using the Book of Mormon as its primary source for evidence, Forsberg argues that the Mormon movement was a Masonic movement from its inception onward often equating the words Mormon and Mason. Although by no means wholly conclusive, his argument is well built and thoroughly discussed in light of many cultural struggles between the Masonry influences of America's Founding Fathers and the Evangelical anti-masonry movement that took place during the Jacksonian Era and into the antebellum period. Forsberg's knowledge of the Book of Mormon is quite impressive and his comparisons with American and Masonic cultural tendencies are quite interesting.

One of his chief sub-theses includes the note that including women in the Mormon Temple Ceremony as equals represented a progressive step in gender equality in America during the 19th century. Furthermore, he notes how European immigrants were well-received into the Church, whereas typical immigrants to America of this time period were often persecuted by rank-and-file American communities. Forsberg states in his concluding thoughts: "Mormonism took a bold step of presuming to offer men and women of lesser birth the same sense of self-importance and moral worth" (244). His arguments are neither wholly anti-Mormon nor sympathetic to Mormonism; Forsberg does an adequate job of maintaining academic partiality and introducing an interesting thesis on Religion and American cultures.