A thread on another site spurred some old memories. Much is made of the Masonic influence in the Endowment. Yes, Freemasonry is old, although its pedigree is somewhat exaggerated my Mormons. But there is another very ancient parallel to the endowment, and that is the old Greek mysteries. I have two questions. (1) to what extent is Mormonism a mystery religion? and (2) can the endowment be salvaged by publicizing the parallels with, say, Eleusis? Anybody?

One major difference is that the Greeks knew all along that the events depicted in the mysteries never actually happened, while Mormons are pretty much required to believe that the endowment is essentially a history lesson.

Christianity was one of the "mystery religions."

I don't agree with you that the Greeks knew their faiths were metaphorical. First of all, the mystery cults spread far beyond Greece; they covered the Middle East, much of Rome, parts of northern Africa, parts of Mediterranean Europe. They were demotic movements, in part rebellions against the cynical intellectual traditions of the Greco-Roman elite who were indeed agnostics or atheists. That's one of the reasons the Romans did not like those unruly faiths: they were both popular and a potential source of instability.

The core of the mystery cults was reincarnation or rebirth. They taught believers doctrines, often in subterranean or other naturally unusual places, that promised to bring a return to life. Christianity fit that pattern nicely. Jesus died and was reborn, and Christians could do the same. At first the doctrines were secret as well, for the religion was illegal and underground--and there were in fact dozens of different Christianities, each with its own set of doctrines.

I don't think Joseph Smith relied on the Greco-Roman antecedents, at least not directly. There is an appetite in people for mysticism, secret doctrines, and the promise of rebirth. Those ideas pop up naturally from time to time. Mystical Buddhism and Sufism, for instance, owed little to the Roman empire although some of their ideas and practices were similar.

Also, the appetite ensured that a lot of the mystery ideas remained current in Europe over the millennia. Heterodox Christianity and the Kaballah retained elements of the mystery religions through the enlightenment; you could see them in the Teutonic and other nightly orders, some of the monastic orders, and popular movements such as the Anabaptists and the Munster Rebellion; and yes, they did inspire some elements of Masonry when that emerged. Michael Quinn wrote a book on the family traditions of Joseph Smith and his friends. What he demonstrated was that these people were deeply involved in "fringe" Christianity," with its magical, occult, and mystical beliefs.

So there was no need for Smith to study, or learn about, the Greco-Roman mystery cults. He grew up surrounded by elements shared by those religions, which may be one reason why he had such an affinity for Masonry when he encountered it. The pieces fit together. The Smiths, Cowderys, Whitmers, and Youngs were saturated with the ideas of mystical Christianity, and those were based in traditions that reached back to early Christianity, fringe Judaism, and yes, the mystery cults.

LD$ inc reverted to saying "figurative and symbolic" as the primary description of their temple endowment, to the extent that no literal meaning could be derived from it. That is a de facto admission that it is GARBAGE !!!

The Eleusinian mysteries were originally and persistently based on a psychedelic drug experience. During the ceremony, participants drank a brew known as "kykeon" which transported them to the realm of ideal being. Spiritual death and rebirth were practiced, as symbolized by the iconography and narrative of Demeter and Dionysus.

The kykeon was brewed from ergot-infected grain, yeast, wine and mint. This brew generated a novel psychedelic very much like LSD.

I can't imagine how anyone could get LDS temple ceremonies out of the Eleusinian, or the similar Egyptian, mysteries. Not even the Masons.

BTW, saw a vid on utube of a grand Masonic convocation in a humongous building in GB somewhere, so grand it makes the tabernacle and the new conference center look like public buildings.

A huge oval like the TAB, but with at least 4 levels of seating if not more. Super high ceiling, huge stage, grand pipe organ in the style of MoTab, orchestra and chorus. All the top dignitaries of Masonry were there in there finery. Women seemed to be present but vastly outnumbered by male attendees. Lots of money there!!!

Medals, epaulets, thoracics, some tiaras no doubt, aprons on abundant display. And surprisingly to me, they appeared to be very Christian! Opening prayer just like LDS, opening hymn "Guide us o thou great Jehovah", in fact in original lyrics, not the LDS version, but still with plenty of acknowledgment of God Almighty. Closing hymn as well. The whole scene just seemed so like LDS but on steroids, with even more money.

Interesting theatrics, masking who knows what behind the curtain...

That is right about the Eleusinian Cult.

There were a lot of other mystery cults, though, including some that originated in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Asia Minor. The Romans also considered Christianity a mystery religion. I am pretty sure that a number of these did not use drugs.

It's important to recall that group psychology can induce some very intense emotional and even sensory experiences. You can see that in totalitarian movements as well as religions.

o absolutely, no doubt, there were sects w/o psychoactive sacraments, and there were many others that had psychoactive sacraments. Long before Christianity appeared, Egypt had their mysteries and their ergot/grain ferments, and their acacia/peganum combos. Indus valley had their Soma, and Iran had their haoma. Hebrews had their psychoactive holy anointing oil, etc. Secret cults of the psychoactive mushrooms also prospered in priestcrafts and small cults. These mushroom cults were widespread in India, SE Asia, and Central America, 2000-4000 and more years ago. Prior to the ascent of the Eleusinian mysteries (500-200BC), the Mikonos (Mycenaean) empire of southern Greece was established in a widespread mushroom and fertility cult. But they had little to do with Roman Christianity.