France: Kolob Order blends Mormonism and Freemasonry
Richard Cimino
5 Feb 2009
Holding its rituals and gatherings in a Parisian restaurant, the Kolob Order may well be the first effort to bridge the differences between freemasonry and Mormonism.
The order is the brainchild of a Frenchman who goes by the pseudonym Adama. He is both a Freemason and a Mormon convert and Sunday school teacher. In the independent Mormon magazine Sunstone, it is reported that the founder converted to Mormonism in 2005 and a year later started the Kolob Order after studying the Book of Abraham, an early Mormon scripture.
Scholars maintain that Freemasonry had a role in the early beginnings of Mormonism, especially since some of its new leaders and adherents were also Masons. But the paths between the two movements have rarely crossed since then. However, both Mormonism and some orders of Freemasonry give their members secret names– the reason for the pseudonym of Adama (as well as a way of avoiding publicity for the order).
In France there are only 35,000 Mormons, while the membership of Masonic groups is significantly larger. There are two main divisions of Freemasons in France: “liberal” Masonic orders which do not require members to believe in God; and spiritualist, symbolist orders which do require this belief.
Adama joined the liberal Grand Orient of France lodge when he was 21, but after studying esotericism he gravitated to the spiritualist Grande Lodge of France. It was while meditating on a hill in the Vexin region north of Paris that he felt inspired to write down his idea for the Kolob Order. Writer Chrystal Vanel notes that Adama’s mystical experience was similar to Quaker founder George Fox’s vision of souls coming to Christ on England’s Pendle Hill.
The Kolob Order calls itself a symbolist and ritualist association with Mormon and Masonic inspirations. The members are a mix of Mormons and Freemasons as well as those interested in such occult movements as Rosicrucianism, Martinism and even UFOs. There are no official connections with either the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) or any Masonic order.
The order presents lectures and maintains an Internet presence (with a blog), covering such topics as the pyramids in Egypt as well as the symbolism of the Book of Abraham. The order has compared the pentacle found on the Mormon Nauvoo Temple in the US to the stars found on 18th century Masonic aprons.
At its informal meetings at a restaurant in Paris, the order conducts an opening ritual that includes opening the Book of Abraham in silence to the third chapter and then lighting a candle to symbolize light and knowledge. Next to the Book of Abraham is a brick on which is carved “Nauvoo,” the Illinois city that stands both for Mormonism and Freemasonry. Members of the order dress in suits, white shirts and ties and long green Masonic collars. Vanel reports that Adama is planning more elaborate rituals for future formal meetings.
Tags: Mormonism
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February 6th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Well, then this Adama fellow is not much of a Mormon and will ultimatlely be excommunicated since one of the adherents to be temple-worthy is to refrain from participating in groups like the Masons, KKK, etc. Adama is evil if he dabbles in such occult groups.
February 7th, 2009 at 12:59 am
Have you read the The Refiner’s Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844?
Historian John L. Brooke leaves no doubt that Mormonism IS the occult - specifically a product of the alchemical-Rosicrucian-Hermetic-Masonic milieu of Smith et al, in and around the old Burnt Out District.
February 7th, 2009 at 2:24 am
David - Your comment that temple-worthy Mormons are to “refrain from participating in groups like the Masons” is simply not true. Mormons are NOT discouraged from becoming members of Freemasonry. I am an active Mormon (with a Temple Recommend), who teaches Gospel Doctrine Class as well as Stake Institute class; AND I’m also a 32nd degree Mason. No problem.
One of my Bishops was also a Freemason.
Of course, groups such as the KKK WOULD be forbidden, I’m sure; but to class Masonry with the Klan is not only insulting to Masons everywhere, it demonstrates a complete ignorance of Masonry.
February 7th, 2009 at 2:44 am
‘Historian’ John L. Brooke is wrong and is misinformed. I take exception at my faith labeled “occult” like and being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I don’t think Mormon bashing is helping further the cause of exposing Luciferian Demagogy and the NWO … People that misrepresent and misinform about the Mormon church have 99% of the time even studied the Book of Mormon or other related church literature.They get their knowledge from Mormon haters that publish biased and closed minded books or pamphlets instead of seeking an understanding for themselves, whether to believe the Book of Mormon or not minus the bias of the Mormon hater at that moment.. . They are fear mongers because of the Temple and what they think must be going on in those buildings.. and they are ignorant of and misinterpret our worship practices that we hold as sacred.
Instead of Mormon bashing and practicing religious intolerance, why not send the energy instead to enlighten their own flock or feed their poor and homeless…? This guy in France is probably already ex communicated and not a member of the L.D.S church if not already he will be…
February 7th, 2009 at 3:04 am
Professor Brooke is thorough, multi-disciplinary, meticulous, erudite in the extreme, fair, and more well-read than 99.9% of the educated public. Spend some time in his citations. For every end-noted statement, he backs it up with reams of books and scholarly articles (all, in turn, experts in their own fields). A typical endnote from Brooke has 10-15 sources. I’ve read many a scholarly book in my time, but it is exceptional to find such a methodology.
I’ve also read some of the critics of his work, but they haven’t swayed me, and they are nowhere near the caliber of Brooke. In my opinion, his research is unassailable. His book is a momentous achievement.
I may have used an ad-hominem by saying Mormonism is the occult, but the proof is there to back it up - a thousand times over.
No apologies.
February 8th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
If Mormonism is classed as occult, then so must be the religions of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph (in Egypt), Moses and Aaron, David, Solomon, Isaiah, and Jesus (who by the way, was accused of using magic learned in Egypt by the rabbi’s).
February 8th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Jupiter amulets is occultism; divination is occultism; conjuring is occultism; hermeticism, alchemy and seer-stones is occultism; Freemasonry is a repository and a vehicle for western occultism; divinization (exaltation to godhood; apotheosis) is occultism and heresy in the extreme.
Mormonism is oc-cultism masquerading as revealed religion.
Jesus accused of magic by the Rabbis? Well, you know what Jesus said about those rabbis: I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan - Revelation 2:9. Those same rabbis would later write, that “Jesus [was] punished in Hell for eternity by being made to sit in a cauldron of boiling excrement.” Clean and wholesome fellows, aren’t they? Yes, please take the hypocritical word of those degenerate vipers.
April 19th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Funny but True:
Seriously according to LDS:
Planet/star Kolob is where there is a “real” mormon throne and god in space, (not just some pretend Vulcan dude you see on Star Trek.)
April 28th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Joe Smith joined the Masons and right after that, all of the mormon rituals magically appear. All copied from the Masonic rituals. The mormons are as phony as a sixteen dollar bill.
April 30th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
I’ve spent a good bit of time researching an debating Mormonism. One way to cut to the chase and show it’s basically just a pagan religion is Joseph Smith’s famous “King Follet” sermon where (amongst a host of weird heresies) he advocates polytheism and a ridicluous apotheosis, where YHWH is said to be an exalted human being:
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=1a79945bd384b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1
April 30th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Thanks for the link. Never heard of that sermon before.