Question for men: Anyone joined the masons?

[Meilingkie]

Hello all

The title says it all.
Have found many men who have become disaffected in Holland have found the masons.
It's fulfilling their need and desire for brotherhood and a safe-space.
Personally I know of 5 others in Holland who have done this the last year.
Statistically significant I would say.
And yes, I have applied as well.

The other Church is nice, but leaves me wanting. There is little discourse/talking.
Singing and a sermon, that's it. Stimulating but not challenging.

[2bizE]

I have thought about it. Back in the Nauvoo era and early salt lake era, almost all lds men were masons. That has faded for some reason. I think I would enjoy the camaraderie, but I'm so busy i think it would be another place to suck up my time. Many in Utah view the masons as anti Mormon church, it really isn', but that in itself is a good reason to join.

[wtfluff]

Hey, let's not be sexist here...

Have any women joined The Order of the Eastern Star?


And no, I haven't joined the Masons. No time, no money, no desire...

[Jeffret]

There was a very knowledgeable Mason on the old board -- George Miller, I think. I remember someone else talking about joining Masonry, also.

But, I've heard of very, very few ex-Mormons that have joined the Masons. Or anyone else, really. Membership numbers for the Masons are in serious decline. And the members they do have are heavily dominated by older generations.

This Mason looks at the issue of declining membership: Adapt or Die: On the Decline of Membership in the Masonic Fraternity. As he notes, the issue is more general,

However, this problem is not unique masonry. All membership based organizations, from churches, sports leagues, scouting, professional associations, labor unions, chambers of commerce and other civic groups are all experiencing accelerating membership declines with numbers of new members not keeping pace with aging memberships and a general lack of relevancy in todays ever increasing time starved lifestyles.

But, there are certainly aspects of Masonry that make it even harder to attract and retain members than some of these organizations.

My observation is that many ex-Mormons fall into the category of not wanting to join another organization. They're not looking for another organization to replace what they've left but they've soured on all demanding organizations. Many ex-Mormons leave organized religion altogether, not moving to a different one.

Mormons already have a hard time finding the meaningful connection between their busy, modern lives and the Masonic-inspired Temple ceremonies. If that were not the case, the Church wouldn't have to press and coerce members so hard to attend. Members would purposefully make time to attend of their own interest rather than having to be pressured into it via ward temple nights. Hinckley's building boom made it much easier for members to attend the temple, but it did nothing to make it more relevant. After initial bumps after the excitement of a new building, temple attendance has continued its decline. Most ex-Mormons are looking to not have to attend the temple anymore. They're not looking for a replacement for the temple experience.

All that being said, Meilingkie, if you find Masonry appealing, by all means pursue it. If you find that your life is missing that sort of brotherhood and ritual, then Masonry might be just what you need. I have read some recent reports of men (not necessarily Mormon-connected) joining the Masons and finding a fulfilling experience they were looking for.

[Meilingkie]

That's the funny thing.

At least in Holland, masonry is rather different than in most other countries.
It's open to all (there are women-lodges as well), but few people apply.
They have a weekly evening where a member gives a lecture of sorts about a subject.
Then people can methodically give their thoughts and compare opinions.
Seems this is unique about the Dutch way of Masonry.
The rituals are very much in the background and only done if a new member is initiated, which is seldom.
As such it's also not like a religion, in that it's a banned subject even.

The LDS and former-LDS masons I talked with all said:
Only now do I understand the LDS-temple, and all concur that much has been diluted and made ncomprehensible as a result.
Quite interesting to be honest.

The way people become members is also wildly different from becoming LDS.
It takes months of deliberations, talks, questions about why, how, and what piqued your desire, and a sustaining vote before you are initiated.
Nothing like the LDS-method of slam-dunking.

My best friend said:
In this organisation I find friendship, and I see what I am getting for my 500USD dues.
15 3-course dinners/year, made by a professional cook.
In the LDS-Church he said, I pay the tenfold of that, and still have to make do with potlucks made by wellwilling people in dirty kitchens...

[Jeffret]

That's the funny thing.

At least in Holland, masonry is rather different than in most other countries.

Sounds like it. I wondered about that.

I know a little bit about the Masons in the U.S. I've been in several of their buildings for other events, though none of their actual meetings. In the U.S.A., they seem quite willing to allow others to rent or use their buildings, though I haven't heard of them hosting any public meetings themselves.

I gather that Masonry in the UK is quite similar. Which shouldn't be too surprising. I'm sure it's also somewhat different. Which also shouldn't be surprising.

In the U.S.A., the fraternal organizations are pretty much all in serious decline. I'd guess most people don't know anything about them. Those that are aware of them often think of them as your grandfather's club or as a joke. The Masons, the B.P.O.E. (Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks), the Moose Lodge, the Shriners, etc.

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

Interesting fact: from 1927 to 1984, the Grand Lodge of Utah prohibited LDS members from joining.

[Just This Guy]

I have thought about it. Back in the Nauvoo era and early salt lake era, almost all lds men were masons. That has faded for some reason. I think I would enjoy the camaraderie, but I'm so busy i think it would be another place to suck up my time. Many in Utah view the masons as anti Mormon church, it really isn', but that in itself is a good reason to join.

On my mission, in one area, one member was TBM and an active mason. I talked to him quite a bit about it. In his view, the reason there are not many Mormon masons is because of the time. Fully involved masons can take as much time as being active in the LDS church. So for modern Mormons, it's a matter of logistics. Most simply don't have the time to be both active Mormon and active mason as still lead a normal life.

I have thought about looking at Masonry. I am more interested in the community side of things more than anything. But between being busy in life and being a bit nervous getting into another group like Mormonism, I just havn't perused it. I probably get as much community and social interaction with my ham radio club as I would from Masonry.

[Wonderment]

The Masons seem to have a branch of Masonry for everyone. There are the Masons, Order of Eastern Star for women, Order of DeMolay for young men, and Order of Job's Daughters for young women. My family members were in the Masons, and my sister and I were in the Order of Job's Daughters.

My sister and I left Job's Daughters at age 20, which was decades ago. But, we found it to be a valuable service organization, with an opportunity for socializing and support. It is non-denominational, but teaches lessons about general Judaic-Christian principles.

For me, at least, it is easy to see how belonging to the Masons influenced Joseph Smith in the way he organized the church.

In the past decades, the Masons ( and other service organizations) have been accused of being cabals where under-world or mystical practices are embraced. I never, never saw that during my time in Job's Daughters, nor did my adult relatives in the Masons or Eastern Star. But, those accusations have caused a big drop in membership, I think.

Masonic membership is like the church in that it can take up a large amount of one's time, depending upon how much time one wishes to donate to it.
But, unlike the church, very few members in the Masons promote the idea that the more time you give, the more the Lord will be pleased and will grant blessings, etc. ( This is just my experience and just my opinion) . -- Wndr.

[No Tof]

It sounds like there are lots of things I don't know about Masonic experience in this modern world and perhaps it has evolved from the organization that influenced the lives of JS and his family. Having said that, it is still the source for much of the BScrazy stuff in the lDS church which I and many of you have rejected on differing levels.

To answer the OP question, I have not joined the masons and after listening to several hours of podcasts, well done by George Miller who is a high level Mason as well as a nuanced but seemingly connected member of the LDS church, I cannot imagine any desire to ever be a part of this type of group. I am happy to acknowledge the need for connection with others, for various reasons, but the idea of secret handshakes, and rituals which use symbolism to convey their messages, fall into the "cultish" genre. No, nope, hell no is my answer to this type of connection.

If it works for you, then by all means, join. I'd love to hear of the value and benefits of this as opposed to joining a book club, running group, or bird watching group which offers the social aspect but no robes and ritual.