If temple worship shares similarities with Freemasonry, why assume copying when symbolic ritual is a way God has taught throughout history?
Same Actions, Different Meanings
The assumption of the CES letter is that if two things look similar, one must have been copied from the other.
In the case of Mason rituals compared with Temple worship it quietly skips over several important factors.
It ignores context.
It ignores meaning.
It ignores purpose.
Two actions can look identical on the surface while representing entirely different ideas.
This is not a religious concept. It is a basic feature of human communication.
Similarity in form does not determine origin or meaning.
So before concluding that one practice must come from another, it is worth asking:
Is appearance enough to establish connection?
Symbolic Meaning of Raising a Hand
Consider something as ordinary as raising a hand.
In a courtroom, raising a hand is part of taking an oath.
In a church setting, raising a hand can mean sustaining a leader.
In a classroom, it signals a desire to speak.
In sports, it can indicate a play or call attention.
When used among two people it means hello, I see you.
The outward action is identical.
But no one assumes these environments copied each other.
Why?
Because the meaning comes from the setting, not the motion.
The same principle applies to religious practices.
Immersion Under Water
Even within Christianity, this pattern is easy to see with Baptism.
Latter-day Saint baptism is understood as a required ordinance, performed by proper authority, tied to covenant and salvation.
Many Protestant traditions practice baptism as a symbolic expression of faith rather than a required ordinance tied to priesthood authority.
When two teenagers are playing in a swimming pool and one dunks the other underwater, the meaning is completely different.
The action looks the same. Immersion in water.
But the meaning, purpose, and theological weight are not the same.
No one argues that one must have copied the other simply because the outward form matches.
Similarity does not equal shared doctrine.
Broader Religious Parallels
Expanding beyond Christianity, the pattern becomes even more visible.
Ancient Judaism included ritual immersion in a mikvah for purification. This predates Christianity and served a different covenantal and cultural role.
Eastern Orthodox Christianity includes sacred clothing, structured liturgy, symbolic gestures, and clearly defined sacred spaces.
Across traditions, you find repeated use of:
Ritual movement
Symbolic clothing
Designated sacred spaces
Structured progression
These elements appear again and again, across cultures and centuries.
But they are not identical in meaning.
They are tools.
Symbolic ritual is a widespread method of religious teaching.
Why Symbolism Is Used
If similar patterns appear so often, the question becomes:
Why?
Symbolism is one of the most effective ways to teach complex ideas and impress their importance on the mind.
It allows abstract concepts to become tangible.
It reinforces memory through repeated action.
It creates structure and order.
More importantly, ritual allows participation.
It turns belief into lived experience rather than abstract instruction.
This is not accidental.
It reflects how people learn, remember, and internalize meaning. People process information in different ways. Some learn visually, some through hearing, some through doing, and others through reading.
Symbolic teaching is an intentional and effective way to reach people beyond reading or hearing alone.
Most importantly, symbolic learning opens the mind and heart to spiritual connection and personal revelation from God. As we engage with meaning in deeper ways beyond ordinary methods of learning, we become more receptive to greater understanding.
Through that process, individuals can receive insight, knowledge, and divine guidance from God.
A Scriptural Pattern of Variation
Scripture itself shows that God does not use a single fixed method when establishing covenants.
In the Old Testament, covenants involved sacrifices, altars and circumcision.
In the New Testament, covenants are associated with ordinances like baptism and the sacrament.
The outward form changes across time.
But the underlying purpose does not.
The relationship between God and His people remains the focus. He will be our God and we will be his people by keeping our covenants.
If God has used different methods in different dispensations, then variation in form should not be surprising.
God does not limit Himself to one presentation style. The meaning and connection with God is what has always been the important part.
Sacred Things Are Not Always Fully Recorded
Another layer often overlooked is how sacred practices are transmitted.
In the Bible, certain rituals were restricted to priests.
Some teachings were not fully explained in public texts.
Early Christianity followed similar patterns, where not everything was written or preserved in detail.
That creates a challenge.
When modern readers encounter something unfamiliar, the instinct is often to assume it is new.
But unfamiliarity does not equal invention.
It may reflect lost context, restricted knowledge, or incomplete records.
Lack of familiarity does not mean lack of antiquity.
Reframing the Similarities
When applied to temple worship, this changes the conversation.
Temple worship includes:
Symbolism
Structured progression
Ritual participation
These elements are not unique to one tradition.
They appear across religious history.
But the question is not whether they exist elsewhere.
The question is what they mean within the temple itself.
What covenant is being made?
What relationship is being emphasized?
What authority is being claimed?
The significance does not come from how the ritual looks.
It comes from what it represents.
The Real Question
The criticism stays focused on surface comparisons.
Why do parts of this this look similar?
Why does that resemble something else?
But appearance alone does not answer the deeper questions.
What is being taught?
What is the purpose of the symbols?
What covenant is being entered into?
Shifting the focus from appearance to meaning makes the connection between Masonic rituals and Mormon Temples entirely different.
If similar symbolic actions appear across many religious traditions with different meanings, why assume temple worship must have been copied instead of recognizing that ritual and symbolism are common ways that God teaches His people?