This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

I read The Tribune article "Public tour set to demystify Salt Lake City's Masonic Temple" (May 5). I have personally been inside the downtown Salt Lake City Masonic temple several times, and I have also been inside the Masonic Hall/Cultural Hall at Nauvoo, Ill., on two occasions.

For total disclosure, I am a fourth-generation member of the Masons. I can tell everyone there is absolutely nothing to "demystify." I was always impressed that Joseph Smith Sr., Joseph Smith Jr., Brigham Young and several of the early day presidents and prophets of the LDS Church were members of various Masonic lodges. Quite simply, Masonry is a friendship society, not a secret society as many people mistakenly believe. I have sat in lodge meetings with men of diverse religious faiths. Although perhaps 95 percent hail from varying Christian denominations, I have sat alongside members who were Jewish and other religions.

Belief in almighty God is mandatory for every Freemason, plus the wish to elevate his own character via the lessons learned, literally by "degrees" in the fraternity. While called "degrees," there is technically no higher degree than the third degree of a basic Masonic Lodge. An honorable fraternity, based on Solomon's Temple.

James A. Marples

Provo