Myths, Zion, Mecca, and Magic

The Mysterious Masonic Talisman

"We can trace the steps downward as young Joseph became first a "Prophet" and then a "magician" with a Luciferic commitment for which he received in exchange the power over other people that he prized so highly. We have already seen in part that a Luciferian legacy forms the foundation of the Mormon Priesthoods. The secret ceremonies in the Temples, which we will reveal further in a later chapter, are related to ritual magic. In his presidential address before the Mormon History Association on April 20, 1974, Dr. Reed Durham (at that time director of the LDS Institute of Religion at the University of Utah) disclosed some startling information about Joseph Smith that confirms our appraisal and almost cost Dr. Durham his membership in the Church:

...I should like to initiate all of you into what is perhaps the strangest, the most mysterious, occult-like esoteric, and yet Masonically oriented practice ever adopted by Joseph Smith...

All available evidence suggests that Joseph Smith the Prophet possessed a magical Masonic medallion, or talisman, which he worked during his lifetime and which was evidently on his person when he was martyred...

...Purchased from the Emma Smith Bidamon family, fully notarized by that family to be authentic and to have belonged to Joseph Smith, [it] was the appropriate talisman for Joseph Smith to possess.

I wasn't able to find what this was...[until] finally in a magic book printed in England in 1801...how thrilled I was when I saw in his list of magic seals the very talisman which Joseph Smith had in his possession at the time of his martyrdom....

In astrology, Jupiter is always associated with high positions, getting one's own way....So closely is magic bound up with the stars and astrology that the term astrologer and magician were in ancient times almost synonymous.

The purpose of the Table of Jupiter in talismanic magic was to be able to call upon the celestial intelligences, assigned to the particular talisman, to assist one in all endeavors. The names of the deities which...could be invoked...were always written on the talisman....Three such names were written on Joseph Smith's talisman....

When properly invoked, with Jupiter being very powerful and ruling in the heavens, these intelligences-by the power of ancient magic-guaranteed to the possessor of this talisman the gain of riches and favor and power and love and peace...and anyone who worked skillfully with this Jupiter Table would obtain the power of stimulating anyone to offer his love to the possessor of the talisman, whether from a friend, brother, relative, or even any female.

Considering the power he obtained, his control over so many other people, and the dozens of wives he acquired in his short life, Joseph Smith probably had a lot of faith in that talisman. If Joseph Smith had sincerely desired to "restore" true Christianity, he would have followed the Bible. Instead of that, however, he sought to revive under Christian terminology something that he must have known had nothing whatever to do with Christianity, but was in fact its pagan rival. There is ample evidence that Joseph Smith knew exactly what he was doing. From early childhood he and his family had been dabbling in divination, necromancy, and various forms of ritual magic. Smith believed in and practiced occultism until his death. This is the secret foundation of the Mormon Church he established." (The God Makers, Ed Decker & Dave Hunt, Harvest House Publishers, 1984, 1997, pgs 108-110)

Please click on the title above and go to Ed's web site. You'll be glad you did!

And a special thank you to the person who gave me this book.