A couple of days ago we looked at the symbol of palm leaves the LDS Church has placed on the doors of its temple in Salt Lake. Today we’re taking a look at their Masonic handshake symbol to determine if it’s biblically sound.
As I mentioned the other day I came across a website with info about symbols on LDS temple doors and realized I missed a few of them in our original article so we’re taking a look at what they are and adding them to our site. Our response to what the Church says about their temple is in red font and you can find our original article on other symbols found on the Salt Lake temple here.
While we’ve highlighted this demonic symbol in the original article I believe it’s important to show how they’re interpretation of truth is far different from what God has revealed to us. In addition to that, the Church’s website didn’t contain the info I found on Moroni10 website, thus our attention to it here.
I want to reemphasize our purpose in this ministry and publishing this info.
We’re not here to bash, humiliate, nor shame the Mormon people. Everyone I have volunteering for me at this ministry is either an ex-Mormon, is related to, or good friends with a Mormon so we have no desire to take part in such behavior. Our hearts hurt for the Mormon people so we provide info on Mormonism and pray daily they come to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus. With that being said, let’s begin!
“The next symbol is the handclasp within a circle. The circle is a symbol for eternity and the handclasp is a symbol for a covenant. Combined, the symbol teaches that the covenants made with God inside the temple are eternal.”
We want to look at two things here; the Bible and a concordance. Let’s see what they say about covenant.
Genesis 17:7; “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.”
The Lord is pretty clear in His plan of how He would interact with people and how long it would last. Now let’s find out what the word covenant means. The transliteration for the word covenant is berît. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance it means;
‘in the sense of cutting [like <H1254> (bara’)]); a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh) :- confederacy, [con-]feder[-ate], covenant, league.’
I highly suggest everyone takes time to learn more about this! It’s imperative to understand God’s requirement for a relationship, and how we’re redeemed. It doesn’t happen without blood.
Shaking hands isn’t sufficient and having circles around a handshake is meaningless. Today the believer is in covenant with God by accepting His Son as the only redemptive power available for salvation.
Participating in bloodless ceremonies inside of a temple not built after the biblical blueprint God gave is a waste of time. Take note of their silence on the blood of Christ as they’ve made their gospel all about them.
Here’s the info we’ve provided on our site about this purely Masonic gesture –
“Handclasp. Each of the center towers features a pair of clasped right hands identified as the “right hands of fellowship” cited in Galatians 2:9. In Jeremiah 31:32, the Lord uses the handclasp to denote covenant making—an act at the very heart of temple worship.”
“…a pair of clasped hands, which represent the hand of fellowship and the unity of the Saints. But the clasped hands seem to have additional meanings, for surrounding the hands is an oval with rays emanating outward. The usual meaning of an aureole of light is divine sanctification or divine presence.” BYU Studies, p 48
““I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Immediately beneath this inscription in the lower window arch of the centre tower appears in relief the emblem of the clasped hands, betokening the bond of brotherhood and the free offering of the right hand of fellowship.” – House of the Lord, James Talmage, pg. 148-151
Truth:
The secret handshakes in the Mormon Church are nothing more than their own rendition of the Masonic handshakes. They are exactly the same and performed in a ceremonial ritual in the endowment ceremony that makes the adherent believe they can’t be saved without knowing the secret. It’s ungodly behavior.
When using the Bible as your defense you need to use it in context. According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, fellowship means “the bond of common purpose and devotion that binds Christians together and to Christ”. The Mormons and Masons alike can’t possibly claim the Apostle Paul was referring to secret handshakes in the reference above.
The Jesus of the Bible is not the Jesus of Mormonism and the god of Masonry is Jahbulon, not Jesus. The people (Masons) taking the oath with that handshake aren’t necessarily even claiming to be Christians so why are they using the Bible and this terminology?
Again, the Mormons are trying to build an entire theological precept upon one verse from the Bible and in so doing have proven themselves to be false teachers.
You can find the transcript of the Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony here. The following definition for secret handshakes comes from the Masonic Lodge –
“The Grip of the Entered Apprentice is made by pressing the thumb against the top of the first knuckle-joint of the fellow Mason, the fellow Mason also presses his thumb against the first Mason’s knuckle. The name of this grip is “Boaz”. When a candidate is imparted with this grip and its usage it is done in this manner.” First the Worshipful Master says to the candidate: “I now present my right hand in token of friendship and brotherly love, and will invest you with the grip and word. As you are instructed, he who has hitherto answered for you, will do so at this time.””
Here’s what God’s word says about this type of activity –
Jeremiah 1:16; “And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.”
Jeremiah 31:32; “Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD.”
Galatians 2:9; “And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.”
The next item on Moroni10 website mentioned the olive branches on the LDS temple doors and we’ll be taking a look at those next time. For now please don’t forget to pray and look for ways you can share this info with your Mormon friends and loved ones!
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