Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 12 minutes ago
Sometimes, we leave the camera rolling and ask one more question after an episode is done. This is the result of one of those times.
When Don Bradley left the Church and became an atheist, he was convinced Joseph Smith copied the temple endowment from Freemasonry. But when he actually dug into the timeline, things didn’t add up.
What he discovered about the parallels between masonry and the temple is one of the things that started pulling him back toward faith.
In this clip, we talk about:
- Parallels vs. borrowing
- Freemasonry’s biblical roots
- Temple patterns in the Book of Mormon and First Vision
- Why the 1820s timeline creates a real problem for the “Joseph copied Masonry” claim
If you'd like to support our content, consider making a donation. scripturecentral.org/donate
References:
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Freemasonry and the Origins of Latter-day Saint Temple Ordinances
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/interpreter/vol15/iss1/15/
Sometimes, we leave the camera rolling and ask one more question after an episode is done. This is the result of one of those times.
When Don Bradley left the Church and became an atheist, he was convinced Joseph Smith copied the temple endowment from Freemasonry. But when he actually dug into the timeline, things didn’t add up.
What he discovered about the parallels between masonry and the temple is one of the things that started pulling him back toward faith.
In this clip, we talk about:
- Parallels vs. borrowing
- Freemasonry’s biblical roots
- Temple patterns in the Book of Mormon and First Vision
- Why the 1820s timeline creates a real problem for the “Joseph copied Masonry” claim
If you'd like to support our content, consider making a donation. scripturecentral.org/donate
References:
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Freemasonry and the Origins of Latter-day Saint Temple Ordinances
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/interpreter/vol15/iss1/15/










