Clyde R. Forsberg, Jr., Equal Rites: The Book of Mormon, Masonry, Gender, and American Culture, New York: Columbia University Press, 2004, hardbound, 326 pages, 50 illustrations. ISBN 0-0231-12640-9, cover price $35.00, available for less on the Internet.

Every now and then you hear about a book you just have to read. My traditional Latter-day Saint upbringing fostered an abiding interest in Mormon history. Thus, I gratefully accepted an offer to review a prepublication copy.

My excitement turned to disappointment. Dr. Forsberg's confused views of Mormonism (founded 1830) and Freemasonry do disservice to both. For example, he asserted that the Scottish Rite's philosophy was "the inspiration for the Book of Mormon and the rationale of the Mormon faith." He supported this view by referencing Morals and Dogma (which actually expresses the post-1857 philosophical meanderings of Albert Pike).

Dr. Forsberg's errors were rampant. He claimed that Mormon founder Joseph Smith Jr. was a 33° Mason (he was not), that there is no reference to Hiram Abif in the Hebrew Bible (there is, in 2 Chronicles 4:16, see right), that there were three Degrees in Masonry in 1717 (there were two), that the Chevalier Ramsey invented a system which included the Royal Arch Degree and a "fanciful tale of Enoch's Golden plates." All this is wrong.

He also claims Benjamin Franklin abandoned Freemasonry and its "macabre business of secret suicide pacts" (he didn't, and there are none), he calls the Scottish Rite "a decidedly Christian application" (it isn't), and asserts there are "religious tests" in Freemasonry, which include a belief in the "resurrection...of Hiram Abiff" (both are untrue). In a prepublication conversation, Dr. Forsberg admitted to me that he didn't have any authentic pre-1830 Scottish Rite documents or rituals to support his opinions.

After receiving a copy of the published book, I was disappointed to discover that he simply revised the book point-by-point to omit the errors I observed. This was inadequate and the book remains fundamentally flawed; it cannot be fixed with a masking-tape approach. Save your money.

Arturo de Hoyos, 33°
Grand Archivist and Grand Historian
The Supreme Council, 33°, S. J.