REVIEW - Method Infinite: Freemasonry and the Mormon Restoration

Method Infinite: Freemasonry and the Mormon Restoration

Cheryl L. Bruno, Joe Steve Swick III, Nicholas S. Literski

Greg Kofford Books, 2022

Amazon.com purchase link

There's a lot of books and articles that have attempted to make parallels with Mormonism and Masonry. This is the only one I've found that combines a deep and nuanced knowledge of the best current Mormon History/Mormon Studies Scholarship (including using the most recent Joseph Smith Papers documents), experience as a practicing Mason, deep understanding of relevant 19th Century historical/religious developments, and especially how specific aspects of 19th Century Masonry (practice, language, and perspective) was developing and interacting with multiple aspects of society.

This is an exploration of how deeply 19th Century Masonic ideas were interwoven and influential from the very beginning of Joseph Smith's life, and how they interacted, informed, and challenged his developing Church, Scripture, and world of religious ideas.

This isn't a book of surface Parallels, or a Latter-day Saint Temple exposé, or for that manner, a Masonic exposé. In fact, I was surprised at how well the book navigated respectfully (and usefully!) the exploration of key material considered sensitive from both Masonic and Latter-day Saint ritual.

I consider myself significantly well-read when it comes to scholarship and primary sources relating to Latter-day Saint/Mormon history. This book re-framed many of the events and episodes, statements and practices from history that I knew DID happen, and presented for the first time, a consistent and thorough explanation of WHY they happened the way they did. It really did feel like some missing puzzle pieces came into view that had been hiding in plain sight.

I don't see how any serious scholar working on the early development of Latter-day Saint writings, teachings, beliefs and practices can go forward without taking this book's arguments and evidence into consideration. The descriptor 'Game Changer' is often thrown around, but this one legitimately earns it.