Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011 Volume 10 Number 1 Article 5 1998 Of Your Own Selves Shall Men Arise Matthew B. Brown Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/msr BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Brown, Matthew B. (1998) "Of Your Own Selves Shall Men Arise," Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011: Vol. 10 : No. 1 , Article 5. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/msr/vol10/iss1/5 This Temples is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011 by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Title Of Your Own Selves Shall Men Arise Author(s) Matthew B. Brown Reference FARMS Review of Books 10/1 (1998): 97–131. ISSN 1099-9450 (print), 2168-3123 (online) Abstract Review of The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (1994), by David John Buerger. David John Buerger. The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship. San Francisco: Smith Research Associates, 1994. ix + 234 pp., with appendixes and subject index. $24.95. Reviewed by Matthew B. Brown Of Your Own Selves Shall Men Arise On 20 April 1974 members of the Mormon History Associa­ tion gathered in Nauvoo. Illinois. to hear Reed C. Durham Jr. deliver a paper entitled "Is There No Help for the Widow's Son1" In this lecture Dr. Durham. the association's president at the time, agreed with the anti-Mormon allegation that Joseph Smith plagiarized ritual elements from Freemasonry I and used them to create the endowment ceremony for the Nauvoo Temple. The anti-Mormon community was overjoyed at this presentation, while Dr. Durham's LDS colleagues were stunned and called his faith and good sense into question. Dr. Durham felt that perhaps his lecture had been misunderstood. so he sent a candid letter to each of the meeting's participants attempting to clarify his posi­ tion on this issue. His memorandum is insightful because it out­ lines how an otherwise careful scholar carne to accept a very problematic point of view. From his letter we learn that (I) Dr. Durham had spent only a few months in researching his subject. (2) he was "not skillful" in handling his material, and (3) he was not sufficiently "erudite" in the matter.2 Freemasonry is a fratemal organization that conveys its ideas through [he use of drama. allegory. and symbolism. A general overview of the Masonic institution can be found in Mircea Eliade, ed., The Encyclopedia of Religion (New York : Macmillan, 1987), 5:416-18; a more historical treatment is pro­ vided in John Hamill, The Craft: A HislOry of English Freemasonry (Welling­ borough, England: Crucible, 1986). 2 ''To Whom It May Concern," signed by Reed C. Durham Jr., no date, one page. copy in reviewer's possession. Erudilion is defined as "knowledge acquired by study or research," in Random House Websfu 's Dicfionary, 1996 ed. , 221. 98 FARMS REVIEW OF BOOKS 1011 (1998) For a long time it seemed that the Reed Durham incidenl was just a singu lar aberration by a sincere researcher who was trying to understand one of the puzzles of the past. Bul in recent years a number of publications have sprung up on the fringes of Mor­ monism that champion the very same anti-Mormon theory aban­ doned by Dr. Durham.3 The Mysteries of Godliness. by David John Buerger, is just one of the latest attempts by the "folk of the fr inge" to discredit the message of the restoration by questioning the divine authenticity of Latter-day Saint temple rites.4 The subtitle of Buerger's book declares that it is "A History of Mormon Temple Worship," and a quick glance at the table of contents seems to justify such a claim. But one only has to read the author's preface in order to see that he has a rather large ax to gri nd. He has been offended by "enthusiastic apologists" who 3 See, for example, Allen D. Roberts. "Where Are the All-Seeing Eyes?" Suns/one (May/June 1979): 22-37; Armand L. Mauss. "Cu[ture. Charisma, and Change: ReOections on Mormon Temple Worship." Dia/ogue 2014 (1987): 77-83; Scott Abbott. review of Mormonism's Temple of Doom. by William J . Schnoebelen and James R. Spencer. Dialogue 2212 (1989): 151-53; Margaret and Paul Toscano, Strangers in Paradox: Explora/ions in Mormon Theology (Salt Lake City; Signature Books. 1990).279,287; Keith E, Norman. "A Kinder. Gentler Mormonism: Moving Beyond the Violence of Our Past." Suns lone (August [990): 10--14; George D. Smith Jr.. review of Evolution of Ihe Mormon Temple Ceremony: /920-1990. by Jerald and Sandra Tanner. Suns/one (J une 1991): 56; George D. Smith lr.. cd .. An Intimale Chronicle: The Journals of William Clayton (Salt Lake City: Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates. 1991). xxxvii-xxxviii; Robert N. Hullinger, Joseph Smith's Response to Skepticism (Salt Lake Cit y: Signature Books. 1992), 99- 120: Sterling M. McMurrin. review of Encyclopedia of Mormonism, cd . Daniel H. Ludlow, Dialogue 2612 (1993): 210; Michael W. Homer, "'Similarity of Priesthood in Masonry' : The Relationship between Freemasonry and Mor­ monism," Dialogue 27/3 (1994): 1-113; Lance S. Owens, "Joseph Smith and Kabbalah: The Occult Connection," Dialogue 27/3 (1994): 166-73; Michael T. Griffith. A Ready Reply: Answering Challenging Queslions about Ihe Gospel (Bountiful. Utah: Horizon, 1994), 13-2 [; Edward H. Ashment. "The illS Temple Ceremony: HiSlorical Origins and Religious Value," Dialogue 27/3 (1994): 289-98; Gregory A. Prince, Power from on High: The Developmem of Mormon Priesthood (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1995). 146-48. 4 As a prelude to The Mysleries of Godliness, David Bucrger presented a paper entitled '"'The Evolution of the Mormon Endowment Ceremony" at the Salt Lake City SunstOne Symposium in August 1986. An expanded version of this talk was subsequently published as David 1. Buerger, '1lle Development of the Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony," Dialogue 2014 (1987): 33-76. BUERGER, MYSTERIES OF GODUN£SS (BROWN) 99 have, in his opinion, made "exaggerated claims about the temple and its origins" (p. viii). He has therefore taken it upon himself to correct these unnamed enthusiasts by "providing a history of the endowment, its origins and development" (p. ix). It is not until chapter 3, however, that Buerger reveals that his position on temple "origins" is the same as that long held by anti-Mormons. Buerger seems to realize that he is going to have a difficult time converting the LDS populace to this particular point of view. In an attempt to make his argument sound more credible, he reassures readers that his book will employ a "balance of scholarly objectivity, reverence for the sacred, regard for the sen­ sibilities of others, and adequate documentation" (p. viii).5 This review will compare these promises with the actual content of the book. Regard for the Sensibilities of Others Buerger correctly notes in his preface that "some readers may feel that any discussion of [temple] ceremonies is inappropriate given their sacred nature [and also because] certain aspects of the ritual are guarded by vows of secrecy" (p. viii). Even though he acknowledges that "those who enter the temple agree to treat the ceremony with respect" (p. vii) and claims that he does not want to "offend readers," he has nevertheless decided that his own per­ sonal "understanding about what is appropriate" will simply override these barriers (p. viii). He also believes that in order to successfully convert others to his point of view he must engage in the "unavoidable" task of discussing the temple ordinances in specific detail (p. viii). I will venture to say that most Latter-day Saints will be greatly offended by The Mysteries of Godliness, and they will feel that the author has little or no regard for their sensi­ bilities. My personal feeling was that David Buerger was openly 5 Other reviewers of Buerger's book have noted that even though it con- tains valuable primary source material, it falls far short of its proclaimed inten­ tions. They also warn that "those who desire to understand the spiritual aspects of temple worship and the impact of temple ceremonies on individual Latter-day Saints" will find this book disappoinling. Danel W. Bachman and Kenneth W. Godfrey, review of Th~ My$t~rie$ of Godline$$, by Buerger, BYU Studies 3612 (1996--97): 249. 100 FARMS REVIEW OF BQOKS 1011 (1998) challenging and degrading the most sacred part of my religion. Other people with whom J have spoken about this book have ex­ pressed similar feelings. I wondered why Buerger would profess a desire to be nonoffensive to hi s audience and then produce a text that was certain to do just (he opposite. I decided to learn more about the author and his book in a search for understanding. Buerger became disaffected from the LDS Church many years ago and subsequently sold his personal library to a Salt Lake City bookstore. Buerger also donated a large collection of research materials to the Special Collections library at the University of Utah in 1983. 1986, and 1990. A register was produced for the collection that includes a biography of Buerger and a brief chro­ nology of his life up through 1992. The following information is digested from those sources so that readers of this review will be better able to understand the man and the message behind The Mysteries of Godliness.6 David John Buerger became involved in southern California's counterculture and antiestablishment movements as a teenager.