Life After Ministry

Symbols of the Occult on the Mormon Temple and Their Meanings

“We are not entirely sure of the meaning of all of the symbolic stones and their placement. Neither Joseph Smith nor Brigham Young said too much about these. Brigham Young said, “Figures (symbols) are reduced to reality, and realities are exhibited by figures, and those who have the Spirit and understand, derive great comfort and consolation from that source.” – Loren C. Dunn, Saturday, February 13, 1993, Church News

It’s interesting how they perpetuate the lie without knowing what it means, and it doesn’t bother them.  It’s not the fact that sin exists in this world that shocks me.  It’s how blatantly, in your face, the Mormon Church flaunts their demonic behavior while trying to call it something else, and not knowing what, or whom, they worship.  It reminds me of the Wicked Witch of the West on the Wizard of Oz bent over, and calling out with her cackling voice, “I’ll get you my pretty…”  It’s just downright icky.

Truth is not relative.

When you ask a Mormon what they think of the demonic symbols on the outside of their temples you won’t hear truth, but a canned response of how the symbols correlate with the shifting shadows of the sun throughout the day, or how other symbols mark the revelation of what Joseph Smith had in mind back in Nauvoo, Illinois.

What’s sad about this is how the Mormon people have bought into the lies they’ve been fed by the leaders and don’t question anything at all.  They are much too trusting on these things.  The leadership of the Church, then and now, is the one responsible for these lies.

When you present a Mormon with the truth, they will tell you that symbols mean different things to different people.  That in essence, is what a Mormon woman e-mailed to me when the Nauvoo Temple was being built back in 2002.  In an article I wrote for Saints Alive years ago, I commented the inverted pentagrams were demonic.  The woman told me that it’s all in the eye of the beholder.  Really?  How is evil good?

Another example is when you Bing or Google the phrase “inverted pentagram”, and getting a plethora of opinions.  Some people say the inverted pentagram became a sign for evil when a Frenchman introduced the evil meaning for it in the mid nineteenth century.  Others will tell you it has always been evil, while still others say the pentagram (not inverted) was a sign of the five points of pain of Christ.

Whatever it was in the past is not what it is today.  The inverted pentagram of today is a universal sign of evil, not so for the Mormon.  The majority, if not all, of the markings on these temples either come from mythology, the Masonic Lodge and/or witchcraft.  The pentagram and numerous other symbols are what we’re investigating here today.

We’re providing references of what the LDS Church says the symbols mean, and comparing those with truth.

While looking at these things, we also need to keep Joseph Smith’s background in mind.  He was a Mason, had participated in ceremonial witchcraft by praying in a circle, he went to groves of trees to pray, he used divining rods and stones from which he looked to for inspiration in translating the Book of Mormon.  And if that wasn’t enough, Smith also dabbled (pun intended) in every man made religion imaginable.

As a result of his religious experiences, Mormonism is a mix of just about everything.  In Mormon teachings you’ll find Islam, Masonry, Catholicism, witchcraft, American Folk religion, the occult (the 3 degrees in heaven and marriage in heaven taught in Swedenborgianism), Necromancy, Astrology and Shamanism. All of these are depicted in the symbols on the temples.  Oh, and did I mention a new twist on the Christian vocabulary?

It’s easy to see why Smith proclaimed the Bible is wrong.  (8^th Article of Faith)

Many ex-Mormons have some type of connection with family members who are still involved in the Church, so it’s not like we can bring this subject up over dinner one night when the relations are strained to capacity as it is.  Whenever I think about the full implications of what this church has done, and tries to hide, I am reminded of what the apostle Peter wrote about in his first epistle 1:11-12.

I’m saddened whenever I look at a Mormon temple, and can’t help but think of my parents.   I pray that someday, somehow my mother would ask me what the symbols mean so I can tell her the truth without getting into another argument.  Regardless of what some of our readers have to say, the reason we post these truths on this site is not to inflame, but to educate, but mainly to glorify our God, Christ Jesus.

If you’re a member of the LDS Church, we implore you to be objective and patient enough to entertain the idea of truth.  Check our information with other credible sites, and schools, or books.  Typically, a reputable dictionary and encyclopedia will do as well.

For further study on these symbols and their meanings, I encourage you to also visit the websites of Ed Decker, Jim Spencer, Bill McKeever, Eric Barger, etc.

Mormon temples are riddled with occult architecture, both inside and out.  The spooky looks of these symbols should be enough to keep people away, but unfortunately, they don’t.

On the flip side of this, we’ve found that only 25-30% of Mormons are temple worthy and those that do attend temple typically don’t return for more than one visit.  True salvation for the Mormon doesn’t happen unless you achieve godhood status, and that can’t be attained unless you’ve been married in the temple.  After that perfunctory service, it’s also expected for the adherent to return to participate in other endowment ceremonies like baptism for the dead, sealings to family members both dead and alive, as well as proxy marriages for those who are deceased.

In other words, the temple is necessary if you want salvation, but it’s painfully obvious most members of the LDS Church won’t achieve this status.  Like I’ve always said; guilt and shame are never the same…

While doing research for this project I found the following statement made on the website of Myth Encyclopedia.  When compared to the statements of the Church, it’s hard to ignore the similarities.

“Most Egyptian religious cults centered on a temple and the daily rituals performed there. Each temple contained images of the cult’s god, generally kept in the innermost part of the building. Daily ceremonies involved clothing, feeding, and praising the god’s image. The pharaoh had overall responsibility for all cults, but the temple priests supervised the daily rituals. Although temple rituals affected the welfare of all the people, common Egyptians rarely took part in them. They attended only special festivals, which often included processions of the god’s images and reenactments of popular myths.”

Journal of Discourses 8:203; “We have often told you that we want to build a Temple, but not for convening promiscuous congregations. I inform you, long before you see the walls reared and the building completed, that it will be for the purposes of the Priesthood, and not for meetings of the people…” – Brigham Young

Also see Liahona, October 2010, pg. 28-35, Boyd K. Packer, “The Holy Temple”.

Let’s begin, shall we?

Figure 1  – Close up of stained glass inverted pentagram on Nauvoo temple.

Figure 2  – “Star windows accent temple’s upper floor” – “Yearning is fulfilled: Temple is back”, Church News, John L. Hart, May 4, 2002

Mormon Church:

 “Jesus Christ is called the “bright and morning star” (Rev 22:16). The starstones on the Nauvoo Temple, some with their unique lengthened ray, are a fitting symbol of Jesus Christ as the morning star. Additionally, the circle is a symbol of eternity and it is wholly fitting that the symbol of Jesus Christ in the circular windows (five-pointed stars) was framed by a circle.” – Lisle Brown 

Truth:

The inverted pentagram is a sign of evil.  One point down, two points up is a sign calling to evoke all evil earthly powers to come forth.  It is a representation of the great Goat of the witch’s Sabbath.  What concerns us here is what other organizations think of the pentagram and the association the Church has with those groups.

From an excerpt in “The Secret Teachings of All Ages” this is what Masonic author Manly Hall had to say about the pentagram;

“In symbolism, an inverted figure always signifies a perverted power…The star with two points upward is also called the “Goat of Mendes,” because the inverted star is the same shape as a goat’s head. When the upright star turns and the upper point falls to the bottom, it signifies the fall of the Morning Star.” – Manly Hall

A circle around a pentagram indicates their power is enhanced.  Witches use upright pentagrams while Satanists use the inverted pentagram.

For the sake of argument, let’s say the inverted pentagram wasn’t bad when the Nauvoo Temple was originally built.

Why did they rebuild the temple in Nauvoo with the inverted pentagram when it was clearly a sign of evil in the twenty-first century?

And let’s say God wanted His people to start building temples again because the veil that was rent in two in the Jewish temple was all for naught.

 What about the personified moonstones?

What about the personified sunstones?

What about the Masonic square and compass used over the angel Moroni weather-vane?

Why were the stone engravings, beehive, all-seeing eye and hand clasps placed on the Salt Lake Temple when God is very clear in the Bible about not participating in these things?

There are a lot of “ifs” in this line of thinking.  A lot of truths would have to be changed if the LDS Temples are truly from God.

Acts 7:37-43 clearly points out that God does not dwell in temples made by unclean hands and reminded them that because of Israel’s sin He indeed carried them out when they bowed to worship stars.

 Moon stones

 Figures 3 & 4 – Personified moonstones on outside of Nauvoo Temple

Figure 5 – Moonstones on outside of Salt Lake Temple

Mormon Church:   

“Located directly above the earthstones, the moon is depicted in its various phases around the temple. The changing moon can represent the stages of human progression from birth to resurrection or represent the patron’s journey from darkness to light.”

“One of the most prominent features of the pilasters were the base-stones. The base-stones included a deeply carved relief crescent moon facing downward. Although William W. Phelps stated that the moonstones were “new moons” (Lundwall, Temples of the Most High, p. 47), they were clearly crescent moons. Each moon also had a carved face in profile. The personification of the moonstones was perhaps meant to also represent those who dwell in the Terrestrial Kingdom, because the moon represents the glory of that kingdom on the Vision (D&C 76:71, 78).” – Lisle Brown

“A symbol can function in one set of relationships and mean one thing.  In another set of relationships, it can have another meaning.  For example, the symbol of the moon, which repeatedly appears on the temple, was usually associated during Renaissance and Counterreformation Catholicism with the Virgin Mary.”  BYU Studies, p 8

Truth:   

Why does the temple have anything on it that is associated with any other church or movement?  Why would they want something on their temple that was also on churches in the “Counterreformation Catholicism”?

The LDS Church has emphatically stressed all churches but their own are the whores of Babylon and yes, that includes the Protestants. 1 Nephi 14:10, Mormon Doctrine, pg. 609, Journal of Discourses 6:167, History of the Church 5:387.

The Wiccans idolize the moon and see it as a pagan goddess.

For the Muslim, the symbol of their god is the moon called Allah.

 For the pagan in ancient and modern times, Diana is the goddess of “light” and “fertility”, represented in the moon and worshipped in groves of trees. Hmmm…groves of trees, sex, temples, and false gods – it all sounds so familiar…

The phrase used by the LDS Church in the first description above should be an eye-opener for the Mormon people.  Why are these occult symbols a representation of the Mormon’s life and  where is the cross????

 John 3:19-20; “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

Holiness to the Lord Inscriptions

Figure 6:  Nauvoo Temple, engraving of “Holiness to the Lord”

Figure 7 :  Masonic Holiness Symbol

Mormon Church:   

“The first phrase, “Holiness to the Lord,” is also a millennial declaration about building a Zion to which the Lord can return at his second coming…”  BYU Studies, p 52

 “Inscriptions — Just above the windows on the eastern center tower is the inscription “Holiness to the Lord” (Exodus 28:36). This is inscribed somewhere on all temples.”

““The House of the Lord” identifies the Temple as “bethel,” or the Lord’s House – the place upon the earth, which is especially built and dedicated to him, where me may now come and “lay his head” (Matt 8:20).” – NAUVOO TEMPLE EXTERIOR SYMBOLISM, By Lisle Brown

 Truth:

 How can you honestly believe the Lord will return to that one specific place at His return?  What about Jerusalem?  The true Zion is in Jerusalem, not Utah, not Nauvoo, and certainly not Independence, Missouri.  America has nothing to do with Zion.  Contrary to Joseph Smith’s teachings, Christianity is not an American made institution.  See Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 188.

 Let’s take things in context and look at the passage in Matthew mentioned above.

 Matthew 8:18-22; “Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.  19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.  20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.  21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.  22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.”

 It’s commendable when we take a verse and apply it to our lives – but not always.  Two of my favorite verses are Jude 1:24-25.  I’m not however, applying those verses to justify doing something that doesn’t line up with the rest of what God’s word says.  The passage in Matthew is referring to a couple of disciples who were eager to bid the Lord’s direction, but one of them had a misplaced zeal.

 Does the Lord have a place to rest His head in your life?  The Bible tells us that He resides not in buildings of stone made of hands; instead He resides inside your heart.  John 14:17, 23.  Can He come to tarry there with you or are you busily going about with what you’ve been told by others to do?

 The irony of using this passage shouldn’t be overlooked.  Jesus told us to let the dead bury the dead!  Why has the Church built a temple to talk to the dead?  Wouldn’t that mean they’re spiritually dead?

And what about the inscription “Holiness to the Lord” on the temples?

Are the workers inside the Mormon temple wearing the proper clothing that God instructed the priests to wear?  God instructed a small gold plate with this inscription to be affixed on the forehead of Aaron.

Are the Mormon temple workers affixing this to their foreheads?

 Exodus 28:36; “And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.”

 Sun stones

 Figures 8, 9, and 10:  Close up of sunstone on Nauvoo Temple, sunstones with inverted stained glass pentagrams on Nauvoo temple – 3rd picture is a closer look of sunstone near top of Nauvoo Temple.

Figure 11:  Sunstone on Salt Lake Temple

Mormon Church:

Nauvoo Temple, pg. 87; “At the base of each pilaster was a crescent moon carved in a giant stone, while fifty feet above it a stone of equal size crowned the pilaster. This was the sun stone, with its human face carved in the large stone, with rays of light extending from the full face to the edge of the stone. This was surmounted by two hands holding two trumpets. These sun and moon stones were typical of the different degrees of glory that await the human family after the resurrection.” – E. Cecil McGavin

“Sunstones.  Located directly about the moonstones, the sunstones depict the sun—a symbol of the glory of the celestial kingdom.”

 Church News, “Original sunstones part of America’s religious history”, May 4, 2002, “President Gordon B. Hinckley, then a counselor in the First Presidency…said they “were undoubtedly inspired by Paul’s writing in 1 Corinthians 15:40-42 “which compared the glory of the heavenly kingdoms to that of the sun, the moon and the stars.” – Greg Hill

 Truth:

Just looking at the face of this sunstone character is bothersome.  Solar deities can be found in many cultures throughout history and can be male or female.  In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo was a god of light and sun.  Ra of Heliopolis (Horus or Anu-Re to the Egyptians) is another example and considered to be the creator of everything.  These symbols are nothing more than a form of Ba’al worship.

 Ba’al worship is the adoration or worship of things in nature created by God.  The worshipping of creation typically revolved around the cycle of crops or raising livestock or it could include the worship of water.  It also included the worshipping of stars, the moon, planets and sun.  The Israelites are thought to have adopted Ba’al worship through the Canaanites.

 Neo-paganism (modern form of witchcraft) is replete with the use of sun and/or moon gods with faces.  It has so infiltrated our society and culture today that we can see these sun faces everywhere in home and yard décor.  Many people are oblivious to the spiritual implications of having these idols in their homes.

 I keep saying one of the best bible studies that opened my eyes to the historical aspects of the Old Testament was the book of Jeremiah (See Jer. 42:15-16).  It also cleared the fog of confusion for me that I kept having with the Book of Mormon.  Just about everything God commanded the Israelites not to do is found as righteous behavior in the Book of Mormon.  LDS temples aren’t coy about whom the attendees are worshipping.  God destroyed most of the Israelites for worshipping the same things depicted on these temples.

 In addition to all that, there is the sun god Re whom the Egyptians worship.  The Egyptians believed Re, also known as Horus-Re, died and was resurrected or reborn each and every day.  Egyptians personified this sun god through drawings of him sitting on a boat sailing through the sky.

 In the 1913 publication of Spalding’s booklet, “Joseph Smith, Jr., as a Translator”, we find Egyptologist Dr. Samuel Mercer’s findings.  According to Dr. Mercer along with ten other Egyptologists, the drawing in Facsimile 2, Figure 3 in the Book of Abraham is the Egyptian sun god Horus.

 Yet, Joseph Smith was adamant this pictorial is “God sitting upon his throne”.  We can only be left to conclude the god of Mormonism is Horus, not the God of the Bible.

Above drawing is from the Book of Abraham Facsimile 2, Figure 3

 2 Kings 17:16; “And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.”

 Beehive

 Figures 12 & 13 –

Top Row: Notice beehive in center of Salt Lake Temple door handle.

Second Row:  Beehive House in Salt Lake City, also known as home of Brigham Young  

 Figure 14 & 15 –

Top Row: doors to Salt Lake Temple.

Second Row: Close up of beehive in center of doors to Salt Lake Temple

Mormon Church:

 Utah’s nickname is the Beehive State and their flag proudly bears the symbol of the beehive as well.  It’s difficult to determine where the state ends and religion begins, while another example of this can be found in the state motto which is “Industry”.

50 States Nickname 

50 States Flag

State Symbols

 The LDS Young Woman’s group (12-13 y/o) is named the “Beehives”, so this theme permeates everything around the Mormon people.

“A number of leaders compared the honey bee with Church workers. In October 1898 general conference, President Joseph F. Smith said, “This country, in the beginning, was called Deseret — the honey bee — signifying industry; Utah, in the early days, was likened to the hive of bees… Everyone should be increasing, improving, and advancing in some way, and accomplishing something for his or her good and for the good of the whole.”

Mormon author E. Cecil McGavin writes; “Masons who visit the Temple Block in Salt Lake City are impressed by what they call the Masonic emblems displayed on the outside of the Mormon Temple. “Yes, the ‘Masonic emblems’ are displayed on the walls of the Temple—the sun, moon and stars, ‘Holiness to the Lord,’ the two right hands clasped in fellowship, the All-seeing eye, Alpha and Omega, and the beehive. Masonic writers tell us that the Mormon Temple ritual and their own are slightly similar in some respects.”

Let’s be honest, they’re more than slightly similar…the sad thing is that the Church refuses to apologize…

“Without any apologies we frankly admit that there may be some truth in these statements.”  (Mormonism and Masonry, Introduction, by E. Cecil McGavin, Bookcraft, 1956)

He further went on to say

 “…the lessons Masons should draw from the beehive is that the grand arch of the heavens, reaching from horizon (the form of which resembles the old fashioned straw hive) has a spiritual queen, the spirit of the universe; and that periodically a new principle is born as the beehive ripens and brings to maturity a new queen bee with her retinue of attendants.” Shields Research, p 62 

 Truth:

 The last example above sounds a lot like the teaching of eternal progression.  New lessons from their god are occasionally introduced as man progresses along in life.  This concept allows the Mormon god to change church doctrines with whatever is politically correct in society at the time, i.e. the race issue, polygamy, temple ordinances, et al.

 I’d love to take a survey to find out how many members of the Church know the spiritual significance of the symbols plastered on their temples.  Experience has taught me very few of them do.  I can assure you my mother knows nothing of the queen bee on the temple being a symbol for the spirit of the universe.

 According to the book “The Craft and its Symbols” by Allen E. Roberts, the beehive is a Masonic emblem of Industry with generative powers.

For the Egyptians, bees were the tears of the sun god Ra.  Honey was a symbol of resurrection and protection against evil spirits.

 In Greek mythology the sun god Apollo reigned alongside his priestess wife Pythia who was called the Delphic Bee.

Greece also believed the bee was a priestly creature.  The names of Eleusis and Ephesus were called Melissae or “bees” which is a reference to the virginity of worker bees.  These served at the Greek festivals in honor of Demeter, the Queen Bee.  It’s also considered a symbol of the soul which is influenced by the sun and immortality.

The truth is that the bee and beehive has been a symbol of idol worship and sex in many cultures throughout history.  We’ve only listed a few examples, but you can find it’s prevalent within the Hindu, African and Mediterranean cultures as well.  The idolization of this symbol is full of sexual overtones.

The Lord has been very explicit about His dislike for worshipping creatures and calling them God.  The beehive in the center of the door handle on the Salt Lake Temple is another example of how Mormonism has deep ties in Masonry.

The irony couldn’t be richer with this one.  The Book of Mormon tells its readers not to participate with anything that has secret combinations, yet their temples have been built with the imagery of Masonic symbols.  The very first thing you must touch on the temple is a Masonic symbol that literally opens the door to the occult.

 Psalm 19:9-10; “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”

 1 Corinthians 10:20-21; “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.  21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.”

 Horus, the All-Seeing Eye

 Figure 16 – Horus – The All Seeing Eye on Salt Lake Temple

Mormon Church:   

“Apparently the Nauvoo Temple was to include the depiction of the all-seeing eye in the center of the top portion of the large rounded windows. Whether this was done or not cannot be determined from photographic evidence.  Brigham Young called this symbol “the all-searching eye of the Great Jehovah” (J.D. 2:32).”

“Located atop each of the center towers of the temple is the all-seeing eye of God, which represents God’s ability to see all things.”

Exterior Symbolism of the Salt Lake Temple:  Reflecting the Faith that Called the Place into Being

BYU Studies, Richard G. Oman, Art and Architecture, Temple, Journal 36:4;

“Spiritual Bearings.  The temple is the “meeting point of the three cosmic regions”: heaven, earth, and the abode of the dead.”  Page 27

Pg. 48-50 “This symbol reminded the Saints that the eye of the Lord was upon them and that all that they did should be in accordance with the will of the Lord.  John Taylor noted it “penetrates and enabled to weigh the actions and motives of the children of men.”

Mr. Oman goes on to say;

Page 51 – “…the all-seeing eyes on the temple differ from all the rest…those on the Salt Lake Temple are depicted looking out from beneath a pleated veil.  Veils are used to separate the sacred from the profane, the spiritual from the carnal, truth from confusion, the Lord from mankind.  The veil separating man and the Lord is removed only on rare occasions of great faith and obedience…” [emphasis mine]

Truth:

The LDS Church’s obsession with Egyptian gods is obvious to all by now.  The All Seeing Eye is from the false god Horus.  It is supposedly the left eye of the “moon” or “sound eye” of Horus, who is the son of Isis (mother goddess of nature and magic) and Osiris (god of the underworld).  The full story of how their son Horus came into being is too sexually graphic for this website, but you can find the info anywhere on the net.  The point to this entry should be obvious.

 Why does the Mormon temple have this symbol on their “sacred” place of worship?

 The Mormons aren’t the only ones that utilize the All-Seeing Eye of Horus on their temples.  The Masonic Lodge believes it is the watchful providence of God.  As you can see from the example below, they’re no closer to the truth than the Mormons are.  The best place to get references and information on the Masonic Lodge is from Ed Decker at Saints Alive.

 The Encyclopedia of Freemasonry says this about the All-Seeing Eye; “…the Egyptians represented Osiris, their chief deity, by the symbol of an open aye, and placed this hieroglyphic of him in all their Temples…The All-Seeing Eye may then be considered as a symbol of God manifested in his omnipresence—…”The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding (or, as in the Revised Version, keeping watch upon) the evil and the good.” It is a symbol of the Omnipresent Deity.”

 Here is what the One True God of the Bible has to say about these false gods –

 Psalm 135:15-18; “The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.  16 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; 17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.  18 They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.”

 Masonic Handclasp

Figure 17 – Hand Clasp on Salt Lake Temple

Mormon Church:

 “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, Exterior Symbolism of the Salt Lake Temple, p 45

 ““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 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.”” 

 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.”

 Earth stones

Figure 18 – Earth Stone on Salt Lake Temple

Mormon Church:

 “Earthstones.  The earthstones, located at the base of each buttress, represent the earth—the “footstool of God.” Although the earth is currently a telestial kingdom, it will transition to a terrestrial kingdom at the coming of the Millennium; and at the end of one thousand years, it is destined to become a celestial kingdom.”

“Earth stones — These are found just above the basement of the temple and at the floor of each buttress. The 36 stones are believed to symbolize the spreading of the gospel throughout the world, because they represent different portions of the globe. They also represent the telestial kingdom, the lowest of the three degrees of heavenly glory in LDS beliefs.” –  Lynn Arave, November 27, 2008

Truth:

Where do I begin…sigh…since when does something used by witches symbolize the spreading of the gospel?

Using the cross as a symbol of Christianity wasn’t pulled out of some obscure verse that goes unread by most.  Jesus dying on a cross was foretold in Deuteronomy and everyone knows of it.  If you’re a Christian wouldn’t you use the cross as a symbol of your faith instead of something from the occult?

Wiccans use nature and manmade things from the earth as symbols of reverence and worship for their gods.  Cycles of the earth, seasons, moons, stars, planets and the sun are all part of deities they believe hold power and mysticism.  Gods (sun and wildlife) and goddesses (earth and the moon) make up the pantheon of deities witches might worship.

The placement of the witch’s tools in ceremonial worship is important in order to draw and utilize their magic.  Numbers, proper timing and placement of the elements they use are all essential in the witch’s rituals.  A temple for a witch could be in a room, building, a grove of trees, etc.

The pattern of where the stones were placed on the temple is no different than what witches do when making their own temples.

For example, the Salt Lake Temple has 50 moonstones.  They patterned the number of stones and stars upon the lunar cycle in the year they built the temple – 1878.

From the bottom up, the earth stones were placed first, then the moon stones, sun stones, cloud stones, star stones, Big Dipper, Handclasp, All-Seeing Eye, and then Moroni.  Each has been placed in a certain position for a particular reason with meticulous detail.

The point to all this?  The only time anything is referenced to an “earth stone” or “moon stone” is in neo-pagan religions such as Wicca.  Never, ever will you see any type of thing like this in the Bible.

Between my husband, me and our kids, we’ve traveled and lived just about everywhere in the world, and everywhere we’ve been the cross is the only symbol used in true Christianity.  The symbols used on the temple speak volumes about the god you worship and your integrity.

Why does the Church continue to lie to people?  Yes, it’s personal for me; my entire family in Utah is being led down a road that doesn’t lead to Jesus.  It’s shocking to say the least of it.  My kids have lived without the benefit of having grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins to love on them and share their lives.  And it’s all because of what’s represented on the exterior walls of a building in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.

The scriptures below are just a few of the things God tells us what we should and shouldn’t be doing.  It’s amazing how the Mormon teachings are the exact opposite of what God says.

Isaiah 66:1; “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?”

Remember in the NT Jesus and the apostles Paul and Peter told us that His Holy Spirit would reside inside of us and believers are the temple of God.  John 14:16-18, 23; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19.

Matthew 5:34-35; “But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.”

1 Peter 2:5; “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

Hebrews 10:8-12; “Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;  9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.  10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”

Jeremiah 8:2; “And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.”

Saturn stones

 

Figure 19 – Saturn Stones on Salt Lake Temple

Mormon Church:

“FYI: For Your Info”, New Era, April 1993, pgs. 34-37; “Saturn Stones are located directly below the parapet on each side of the six towers. They represent Kolob, the dwelling place of God.”

Ensign, January 1978, pg. 80; “Overwhelmed by the building itself, people may not realize how extensive the ornamentation is, each of which, commented President George A. Smith, “conveys a moral lesson, and all point to the celestial world…There are fifty Earth Stones weighing 3 1/2 tons apiece, fifty moon stones, several Saturns, numerous sunstones, sixty-eight star stones… Brother Nibley continues, “The temple itself is a reminder that none can receive the highest blessings without entering its portals. … Here all time and space come together; the barriers vanish between this world and the next; between past, present, and future. What is bound here is bound beyond, and only here can the gates be opened to release the dead who are awaiting the saving ordinances.”” – The Salt Lake Temple

 Truth:

It’s been said that Saturn is the darkest symbol to use in all of the mystic religions.  Just when you thought it couldn’t get any darker spiritually speaking, you find out you’re wrong.

For the Romans, he was known as the god of agriculture, time, and celebration. He was so important in Roman mythology that both a day (Saturday) and a planet were named in his honor.  In English his name means serious and gloomy.

In Greek mythology Saturn is known as “Father Time” or Cronus, thus our English term chronology.  Cronus was depicted with a sickle which he used to castrate his father Uranus.  From Hesiod’s Theogony, Cronus supposedly ate his children when they were born to prevent them from taking power from him someday.

The symbol of Saturn even shows up in the 19^th degree of Scottish Rite of Freemasonry where oaths are taken to the god of Masonry as they take upon themselves the “priesthood” of the Masonic Lodge.  While going through this particular ritual, a robe is worn with a crimson sash across the breast representing the twelve stars of the Zodiac and the twelve tribes amongst other symbolic gestures.  (Question of Freemasonry, pg. 17, Ed Decker)

In the Question of Freemasonry, Ed went on to further point out how the rituals of the Lodge portraying the Zodiac as holding the priesthood is a pathetic attempt to strip the only person who holds the priesthood of His powers – and yes, this would mean Jesus Christ!

Question:  why is the Mormon Church participating in anything that has to do with the Zodiac (Saturn stones) and also portraying signs of Masonic influence on their temples if the Masons believe this stuff?

While there is no reference to the Egyptians using astrology until the middle or late period of classical history, it has been shown by Egyptologist Richard Parker that Saturn was also known as Heru, bull of the sky. (Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago).

Saturn and Ba’al worship at Carthage – “Classical sources relate how the Carthaginians burned their children as offerings to Ba’al Hammon. See Moloch for a discussion of these traditions and conflicting thoughts on the matter. From the attributes of his Roman form, African Saturn, it is possible to conclude that Hammon was a fertility god.”

At times Saturn was known as the god of death and represented in the sun at its lowest part of the winter solstice.

Saturn, Seb, Cronos (Kronus), Repa, Remphan, Sakkuth, Kaiwan, Kiyyun, and Chiun are just different names from different cultures for the same false god.  (See Holman Bible Dictionary under Chiun)  God told the Israelites to stop worshipping this false god in Amos 5:26.

He was also represented by many different forms which include an “Oriental talisman”, the sun and a solar disk, and also a man with a head of a hawk, beetle or ram.  He’s additionally been depicted as a phoenix, a heron, a serpent, a bull, cat, lion…

Another question for the Mormons:

Why do you have a baptismal font for dead works and why is the baptismal font sitting atop twelve bulls?  If Saturn is known as Heru, bull of the sky, why is such a thing in your temples today along with the Saturn stones?

According to LDS doctrine the carved bulls represent the twelve tribes of Israel and the baptismal font is patterned after the molten sea in the original temples.  The baptismal font looks like a solar disk!

The truth is that the molten sea in the Old Testament era temple was actually filled with water as a place for the priests to wash blood off themselves after sacrificing animals to God.  And Solomon made the bulls to show the Israelites their only use was as a post instead of worship as they’d done under Aaron’s direction.  See my article on temple furniture.

Now if you’re not engaged in animal sacrifices and God already told us not to have anything to do with the dead, why would you want to participate in this type of thing?

Regardless of what the Church says, God does not reside on Kolob which is a make believe word from the mind of Joseph Smith.  And why would you use Saturn as a symbol of God’s residence when it’s been used all throughout the history of man to denote a false god?

The Holman Bible Dictionary says the following about heaven; “As God’s dwelling place, heaven is not a divine haven where God can isolate Himself from earth. It is the divine workplace, where He sends blessings to His people (Deut. 26:15; Isa. 63:15) and punishment on His enemies (Ps. 2:4; 11:4-7). Heaven is a channel of communication between God and humans (Gen. 28:12; 2 Sam. 22:10; Neh. 9:13; Ps. 144:5).”

Isaiah 1:13-14; “Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.”

2 Kings 17:16-18; “And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.  17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.  18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.”

Cloud stones

Figure 20 – Cloud stones on Salt Lake Temple

Mormon Church:

 “Cloudstones.  High above the sunstones on the east center tower are two clouds with descending rays of light (originally planned to be one white and one black with descending trumpets.) The parallel of this symbolism is found in the Old Testament. Once temples were dedicated in ancient Israel, they were filled with the “cloud of the Lord.” At Mount Sinai, the children of Israel saw this cloud as both dark and bright accompanied by the blasting of a trumpet.”

“Cloud stones — There are only two cloud stones on the temple. They are located on the east center tower and represent the gospel piercing through superstition and the error of the world.” –Symbolism can be seen in architecture of S.L. Temple, Lynn Arave, 27 November 2008 

 Truth: 

The residence of God is no longer in the cloud on Mt. Sinai and the cloud is no longer in the temple in Jerusalem.   The desire to portray the two different colors black/white is suspicious as well given the other carvings on the temple.  Typically, having these color variations with the meaning of dark and bright/light together denotes yin yang.

The Holman Bible Dictionary also says this about the presence of God;

“New Testament Usage The primary New Testament manifestation of the presence of God is in Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matt. 1:23; John 1:14; Heb. 1:1-3). This presence did not end with the death of Christ. The risen Christ appeared to the disciples (John 21:1-14) and to Paul. Through the apostles, Paul and the disciples, Christ’s work continued (Acts 1:8; 26:12-18). The Holy Spirit is an important manifestation of the presence of God and continues the redemptive work of God. The return of Christ will bring permanence to the presence of God with His people.”

2 Corinthians 6:16-17; “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”

Star stones

Figure 21 – pictured top row: Inverted Pentagram on Salt Lake Temple

Figure 22 – pictured middle row: Upright pentagram on Salt Lake Temple

Figure 23 – bottom row: Eagle Gate with inverted pentagram and beehive in Salt Lake City

 

 

Mormon Church:

“Starstones.  Six-pointed stars represent the actual stars in the heaven. Upside-down five-pointed stars represent morning stars, compared to the “sons of God” in the scriptures. The large upright five-pointed stars may represent the governing power of the priesthood while the small upright five-pointed stars may represent the saving power of the priesthood for those who attach themselves to it.”

THE FIVE-POINTED STARS  “The five-pointed star is often represented as the morning star. The descending ray of the Nauvoo Temple’s inverted five-point starstones (there is only one surviving example and it is damaged) was extended downward. Such an orientation suggests the rising morning star. This “star” is not a star at all, but the planet Venus…The starstones on the Nauvoo Temple, some with their unique lengthened ray, are a fitting symbol of Jesus Christ as the morning star. ”  

THE SIX-POINTED STARS  “The six-pointed stars commonly represented the stars in the heavens, and clearly this was the intended purpose in placing them along the soffit, where only when persons looked upwards were they visible. There placement also on the balustrade, the highest point of the temple’s walls, also suggests that they represented the stars in heaven.”

THE TWELVE-POINTED STARS  “The intended use of twelve pointed-stars in the circular windows of the main body of the Temple, may suggest the priesthood, as well as the fulness of the priesthood…Those righteous leaders who hold the priesthood in its fulness are the source of power, revelation and light to the Saints,”

“Star stones — Just above the cornice of the temple are five-point star stones. The eastern towers have 40 star stones. These number 12 on the central towers. They are also found on the majority of keystones.”

Truth:

Equating Jesus to a pentagram is just about as bad as it gets.  My heart breaks for people like my mother who hasn’t a clue about the meanings of the occult markings on the temples.  The “saints” should only be looking to Jesus as their only source of power and revelation, not some twelve pointed star carved into the side of a building that hosts dead spirits.

As you’ll see below the meaning of stars always has to do with the spirit and elements of the earth – and this from the witch’s point of view!

“The Pentagram is a symbol of a star encased in a circle. Always with 5 points (one pointing upward), each has its own meaning. The upward point of the star is representative of the spirit. The other four points all represent an element; earth, air, fire, and water.  All these things contributive to life and are a part of each of us.”

Also see Wiki Occult Symbolism for further information on occult symbolism.  Six pointed stars are known by the names of “Magan star” and the “Star of Remphan”.

“Stars are a Wicca symbol because they signify the unattainable wisdom of the Creatrix, which is attainable to those who study the esoteric arts.

Stars symbolize the potential of every being to reach Divinity, with all the wisdom and magickal Power that entails.”

The Holman Bible Dictionary points out that anything carved or otherwise representing something made by God is known as idolatry.  “IDOL Physical or material image or form representing a reality or being considered divine and thus an object of worship. In the Bible various terms are used to refer to idols or idolatry: “image”, either graven (carved) or cast, “statue,” “abomination.” Both Testaments condemn idols, but with idols the Old Testament expresses more concern than the New, probably reflecting the fact that the threat of idolatry was more pronounced for the people of the Old Testament.” 

Also noteworthy is what the Masonic Dictionary has to say about the importance of stars and numerology.  The number of stars and where they’re placed on the temple is not just a coincidence.

“In Freemasonry there are many numbers of importance in a symbolic sense. Such numbers as 3, 5, 7 and 9 each have symbolic meaning to them. Some of this symbolism lies in Kabalistic notions, while others are representative of Masonic teachings.” – Source: MasonicDictionary.com

2 Peter 2:14-17; “Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet. 17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.”

  Angel Moroni

 Figure 24 –Top row: Statue of Moroni, “the angel of light”, atop the Salt Lake Temple

Figure 25 – Second row: drawing of Moroni weathervane atop Nauvoo Temple

 

Mormon Church: 

 “The Angel Moroni statue — He represents the restoration of the gospel in the latter days…Missing features — Not all the symbolism originally planned for the Salt Lake Temple became a reality, either. For example, an early sketch of the temple by Angell found hanging today in Brigham Young’s guest room at Cove Fort shows that two Angel Moroni statues, one each on the east and west ends, were initially envisioned. Only an eastern statue was ever used for reasons unclear.”

Symbolism can be seen in architecture of S.L. Temple, Lynn Arave, 27 November 2008

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 954; “From 1823 to 1829, the angel Moroni 2 appeared at least twenty times to Joseph Smith and others. Those appearances opened the way for the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon and laid the foundation of many of the Church’s most characteristic teachings. As a resurrected messenger of God, Moroni told Joseph Smith about the Nephite record on gold plates and taught him concerning the gathering of Israel, the forthcoming visit of Elijah, the imminence of the second coming of Jesus Christ, and the judgments to be poured out on the world prior to that event.”

 Truth: 

 Below is a list of several descriptions of the angel Moroni that sits atop the Salt Lake and Nauvoo temples.  Up until 1979 the introductory page of Doctrine and Covenants said;

 “This took place in the early spring of 1820.  In September, 1823, and at later times, Joseph Smith received visitations from Moroni, an angel of light, who revealed the resting place of the ancient record from which the Book of Mormon was afterward translated”.

 They’re obviously not trying to hide their sin.  Their description of Satan is much like it is in the Bible.  Check out what they have to say in 2 Nephi 9:9;

 “And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.”

 2 Corinthians 11:14; “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

 And to further their belief that Moroni is Satan take a look at Joseph Smith’s own testimony:

 Joseph Smith’s Testimony 1:47; “After this third visit, he again ascended into heaven as before, and I was again left to ponder on the strangeness of what I had just experienced; when almost immediately after the heavenly messenger had ascended from me for the third time, the cock crowed, and I found that day was approaching, so that our interviews must have occupied the whole of that night.”

 This should remind everyone of what took place between Jesus and Peter!  To deny Jesus the third time with a false gospel and immediately a cock crows.  I just cannot imagine the look on the Lord’s face…

 Luke 22:34, 60-62; “34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.  60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.”

 Why would you want Satan to be the spokesman of your church?  I don’t know of any Christian who would want such a thing.  We have to wonder what type of gospel they’re trying to deliver to the saints.

 In other testimonies by Smith friends and family members, we find that Moroni was originally morphed from a toad in a box into a Spaniard ghost with his throat cut from ear to ear and had blood dripping down the front of him.  This is the same angel, claims Smith, who appeared before him to deliver the plates which contained the gospel.  Seriously, this is what Smith had told others about an angel from heaven visiting him.

 My heart is so, so sad…

 I highly recommend purchasing the book written by H. Michael Marquardt and Wesley P. Walters called “Inventing Mormonism”.  The information about a toad morphing itself into a Spanish ghost can be found in their eye opening investigation of Joseph Smith and his money digging schemes. I can’t say enough about their investigative work – you’ll be sure to learn a lot from their tireless effort.

We could list other examples of how evil this angel of light Moroni is, but at the end of the day what matters are the words of the apostle Paul in Galatians 1:6-9;

 “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

 Temple Towers

 Figure 26 – The Towers

Mormon Church:

 “The six towers, the higher ones on the east representing the Melchizedek Priesthood and the lower ones on the west the Aaronic Priesthood, were a departure from the single-towered Kirtland and Nauvoo Temples.” – BYU Studies, p 15

 “On the two west corner towers, and on the west end, a few feet below the top of battlements, may be seen in bold or alto relievo, the great dipper, or Ursa Major, with the pointers ranging nearly towards the North Star. (Moral, the lost may find themselves by the Priesthood.)” – James Talmage, House of the Lord, pg. 121

 “Prominent on the Salt Lake Temple are its towers. Three eastern towers, rising six feet higher than the corresponding towers on the west, represent the three presiding high priests of the Church who constitute the First Presidency. The three western towers represent the Presiding Bishopric of the Church, whose duty it is to supervise temporal interests.” – New Era, June 1978, pg. 33, Dean R. Zimmerman

 Truth:

 The High Priest is represented in the person of Jesus Christ, not some granite towers or men who’ve attached the title to their own names.  The book of Hebrews tells us Jesus is high priest of the temple God created, that being mankind and not a temple built with human hands.

 Hebrews 8:1-2; “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”

 The true believers “find themselves” through the identification of Jesus, not men here on earth.  Man’s heart is deceitful (Jer. 17:9) as are the symbols on the temple – they’re even using symbols that tell you they are used for deception!  Why would you want to follow a sinful person here on earth?

 With all the towers representing different priesthood powers, the bishopric, first presidency and high priests, one has to wonder where the Lord fits into all this.

 Where is a sign of the cross that Jesus humbly walked to and allowed Himself to be sacrificed upon for your sins?

 1 Corinthians 1:18; “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

Figure 27 – Square and Compass

Mormon Church:

“There exists no account for reason of the placement of the square and compass on the weather vane. One scholar has suggested that, since the compass, which is used to draw circles, points towards the bowl of the sky, and that the square, which is used to draw squares, points towards the earth, that the combination of the two symbols respresent [sic] the powers of God in creating the bowl of the starry heavens and the four corners of the earth (Brown and Smith, Symbols in Stone, p. 105).” – NAUVOO TEMPLE EXTERIOR SYMBOLISM, By Lisle Brown

 Truth:

 The square and compass that once sat atop the angel Moroni weathervane on the Nauvoo temple served only one purpose.  It was a proclamation that Mormons were indeed aligning themselves with the oaths and precepts of the Masonic Lodge.  It is nothing more than a symbol of the pride they hold in their hearts for the lies they tell.

 As you can see in the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, use of the symbol of the square and compass is to promote deception.

 Encyclopedia of Freemasonry; “Square and Compasses…It will be universally understood, or misunderstood, as having a Masonic significance; and, therefore, as a trade-mark, must constantly work deception. Nothing could be more mischievous than to create as a monopoly, and uphold by the poser of lacy anything so calculated as applied to purposes of trade. To be misinterpreted, to mislead all classes, and to constantly foster suggestions of mystery in affairs of business…”

 3 John 1:7-8; “Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.  8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.”

 Big Dipper

 Figure 28 – Salt Lake Temple – Notice the Saturn stones above the Big Dipper and the sun stone beneath.

Mormon Church:

 “Big Dipper.  High on the west center tower is a depiction of the Big Dipper, a constellation used by travelers for thousands of years to find the North Star. It is an appropriate symbol for the temple where patrons come to get their bearings on the journey home.”

 “Constellations — Above the windows on the west central tower are representations of Ursa Major and the Big Dipper. Angell once wrote that Ursa Major and its pointer toward the North Star symbolize that the lost may find themselves by the priesthood.”

 “On the west central tower, above the windows, can be found Ursa Major, the Big Dipper, intended to remind those in doubt concerning the true way, that they should follow the path indicated by the priesthood. Angell recorded that Ursa Major means that the lost may find themselves by the priesthood.” – New Era, June 1978, pg. 33, Dean R. Zimmerman

 Truth:

 I was reminded of the greatness of God in the book Crazy Love, Pastor Frances Chan when he said; “Jesus Servant, Not Beggar.  In Malachi 1:11 God says, “From the rising of the sun even to its setting My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure: for My name will be great among the nations”. 

God tells the priests that if they don’t’ want to give him excellence, others will.  God says His name will be great among the nations.  Right now a hundred million angels are praising God’s name; He certainly doesn’t need to beg or plead with us.  We should be the ones begging to worship in His presence.”

 My prayer is that my people, the Mormons, will be there worshipping in that throng of people and angels someday.  What a glorious time we will have!  Raising God to His rightful place in our hearts is a sure cure against the heretical belief of becoming gods ourselves someday.

 I’ve not found a scripture yet that refers to Jesus as Ursa Major or that we should “find ourselves by the priesthood”.  The Scottish missionary Amy Carmichael once said; “If I covet anything but the dust at the foot of the cross I know nothing of Calvary Love”.  It is apparent the Mormon Church hasn’t a clue about Calvary Love.

 Why would you refer to the Creator of all things to one of the things He created?

Ursa Major has been known throughout history in many cultures as a bear.  In Greek mythology Zeus’ wife turned Callisto (originally a nymph) into a bear because of jealousy.  In India each of the stars in the Big Dipper represents a beloved sage while in Theosophy it’s believed the energy of Ursa Major goes from each of the stars on down to the human race.

 Regardless of what the different cultures have said down through history, one thing has always stood firm and true; God’s word.  The Lord has consistently warned His people to stay away from worshipping, believing in or paying homage to things He has created.  Our total adoration and desire for guidance must and should always go to Him who gave His only Son.

 Exodus 20:4; “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”

 May the good Lord bless those who have taken their time to read and ponder through this study.  If you’re a member of the LDS Church know that we pray for you each and every day.  We hope you will come to know the Jesus of the Bible, just as we have done.

 With Love in Christ; Michelle Grim

 Jude 1:24-25; “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,  25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

 Ed Decker

 Jim Spencer

 H. Michael Marquardt

 Bill McKeever

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