The Facultie of Abrac: Masonic Claims and Mormon Beginnings

by John E. Thomson

The Philalethes Society, December 1982

Reprinted from The Philalethes CD-Rom© by permission.

In the early nineteenth century, some New York Masons claimed that their craft possessed many of the more esoteric secrets of the Universe. In particular, they claimed to be able to control what James Hardie called "the facultie of Abrac." (1) William Wines Phelps wrote in 1830 that the connection between Masonry and the "facultie of Abrac" went back to the 17th century. (2) Whether or not Phelps was correct, the connection between Masonry and "the facultie of Abrac" obviously predates 1818, when Hardie published his book, for he treats the matter almost as an obvious given.

In September of 1826, William Morgan mysteriously disappeared from the steps of the Canadaigua Jail in Ontario County, New York. Because he had intended to publish the secrets of Masonry, many people assumed that the Masons had murdered him. This event proved to be the catalyst which brought together a strong Anti-Masonic political movement in Western New York. This Anti-Masonic movement (and its allies) generated a generous outpouring of newspapers, pamphlets and books in its behalf. Many of these publications discussed the inner workings of Masonry as well. It is not altogether surprising, then, that this literature occasionally discussed "the facultie of Abrac" as well.

Henry Dana Ward, a renouncing Freemason who lived in New York City, wrote in the year 1828:

This is truly Freemasonry; the art of finding new arts, and the way of winning the faculty of Abrac. (3)

In the same context, Ward spoke contemptuously of the failure of Hiram Abiff, the great model Mason from the time of Solomon, to use the "facultie of Abrac" to save his own life:

The master of "the art of wonder working" did not even draw a magic circle; the master of "the way of winning the faculty of Abrac," did not utter a syllable of magic, did not spit one mouthful of fire did not make the slightest attempt to conjure fire, did not make the slightest attempt to conjure a spirit to his rescue: but alast forgetful of all his masonic defenses he died, he basely died. (4)

Not only was the claim of a connection between Masonry and Magic known in the Western part of New York before the disappearance of Morgan, but it was circulating specifically in the very neighborhood of the Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith, both in the period he was writing the Book of Mormon and in an earlier period of time when he was known to have had magical interests. Henry Dana Ward's book, to which we have already alluded, was advertised in the Wayne Sentinel on September 4, 1829, roughly six months prior to the publication of the Book of Mormon. The Sentinel published in Palmyra, New York was only a few miles from the Smiths' farm and they subscribed to it when they could.

In nearby Canandaigua, William Wines Phelps, after renouncing the Masonic order in 1828, (5) established the Anti-Masonic Ontario Phoenix. On April 9, 1830, only three days after the founding of the fledgling Mormon Church, Phelps received a copy of the newly published Book of Mormon. (6) About a year later, he followed the Prophet West, a thorough convert. Right up to his departure, however, he was actively involved with the concerns of Anti-Masonry. On August 25, 1830, for example, he published a piece which discussed the connection between Masonry and the "facultie of Abrac" in these words:

A very Ancient Masonic Charm, or the way of winning the Faculty of Abrac, - is meant the chimerical virtues ascribed to the magical term - ABRACADABRA, written or repeated in a particular manner, and is thought to be efficacious in curing agues, and preventing FITS and other Masonic diseases. (7)

Thus, we are brought at last to Masonic claims and Mormon beginnings. We have already seen how W.W. Phelps renounced his Masonic ties in 1828 and became a Mormon in 1831. In addition, there were other prominent early Mormons who had a Masonic history as well, but who did not renounce the Craft during the Morgan panic. In 1823, the very year that the Prophet was reportedly first visited by the Angel (8), his elder brother Hyrum was initiated into Mount Moriah Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons in Palmyra, New York. (9) That same year, Heber C. Kimball, who joined the Mormon Church a decade later, was raised to the "Sublime Degree of Master Mason" in the nearby town of Victor, Ontario County. (10)

It is possible that this matter of the "facultie of Abrac" may have been a factor influencing them to join the craft. Both the Smiths and the Kimballs apparently had non-Masonic magical connections as well. Heber C. Kimball received revelations through a rod later in life. (11) The Prophet Joseph himself was active in money-digging during this very period.

In 1826, he was tried (and apparently convicted) of being a glass looker in Bainbridge, New York. (12) It is interesting in this respect that he apparently used a "seer stone" to translate the Book of Mormon as well. (13)

Lucy Mack Smith, the Prophet's mother, wrote a description of her family's active involvement in the occult during the mid-1820's. She stated:

...let not the reader suppose than...we stops our labor and went at trying to grin the faculty of Abrac, drawing magic circles, or sooth saying, to the neglect of all kinds of business. We never during our lives suffered one important interest to swallow up every other obligation. (14)

It is very clear what Lucy meant by the "faculty of Abrac." She meant precisely what both the Masonic and Anti-Masonic writers of her day meant, not merely the ability to know all that is to be known about magic, but rather the ability to use that knowledge for specific magical ends.

While it is clear that this is additional evidence that the Prophet and his family were involved in money-digging for some time prior to the publication of the Book of Mormon, it is far more important because of the way it illuminates the connection between Masonry and Mormonism. And that it does it on New York soil. It is true that the Prophet himself was inducted into Masonry many years later in Nauvoo, IIlinois. But that was only the flowering of a relationship that had its root in New York State prior to the publication of the Book of Mormon. And, it now appears, that the cement which brought some of these early Mormons into New York Masonry may have been the search to twin the faculty of Abrac."

References

1. James Hardie: The New Free-Mason's Monitor (New York: n.p., 1818), p. 203.

2. William Wines Phelps in the Ontario Phoenix (Canandaigua, New York), August 25, 1830.

3. Henry Dana Ward: Free Masonry, Its Pretensions Exposed in Faithful Extracts of its Standard Authors (New York: n.p., 1828), pp. 104-105.

4. Ward Free Masonry, p. 105.

5. Wayne Sentinel (Palmyra, New York) 5, 24 (March 7, 1828). This article states that Phelps had been a Master Mason, but having renounced the Craft, he planned to publish to the world the vows of the various Masonic degrees.

6. J. Christopher Conkling: A Joseph Smith Chronology (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1979;. p. 15.

7. Ontario Phoenix, August 25, 1830.

8. Joseph Smith - History 27-54. See also Joseph Smith, "A History, of the life of Joseph Smith Jr. an account of his marvelous experience and of all the mighty acts which he doeth in the name of Jesus Christ the son of the living God of whom he beareth record and also an account of the rise of the church of Christ in the eve of time according as the Lord brought forth and established be his hand," 1832, Church Historical Department. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, pp. 4-5.

9. Mervin B. Hogan: The Founding Minutes of Nauvoo Lodge, (Des Moines: Research Lodge No. 2, n.d.), p. 8. The Nauvoo (Ill.) Lodge records state that Hyrum Smith's membership was transferred into that Lodge from the Mount Moriah Lodge, No. 112, Palmyra, New York. See also Robert N. Hullinger. Mormon Answer to Skepticism: Why Joseph Smith Wrote the Book of Morman (St. Louis: Clayton Publishing House, 1980), p. 105.

10. Latter Day Saints' Millennial Star 26 (July 23, 1864): 471-472. Some of the records regarding Kimball's membership are still at the Lodge in Victor, New York.

11. Heber C. Kimball: 1844-1845 Journal, Church Historical Department, entries of June 6, 1844: July 5, 1844; and January 25, 1845. See also D. Michael Quinn, "Latter-day Saint Prayer Circles." Brigham Young University Studies 18, 1 (1978): 82-83.

12. Marvin S. Hill: "Joseph Smith and the 1826 Trial: New Evidence and New Difficulties." Brigham Young University Studies 13, 1 (1972): 223-233. Wesley P. Walters, "Joseph Smith's Bainbridge, N.Y. Count Trials," Westminster Theological Journal 36 (Winter 1974): 123-155. Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Joseph Smith's 1826 Trial: New Discoveries Prove Court Record Authentic (Salt Lake City: Modern Microfilm. 1971). Wesley P. Walters, "From Occult to Cult with Joseph Smith. Jr.," Journal of Pastoral Practice 1 (Summer 1977): 121-137.

13. David Whitmer: An Address to All Believers in Christ (Richmond, Mo., n.p., 1887), p. 50. Deseret Evening News (Salt Lake City), September 5, 1870. See also Dan Vogel, "Is The Book of Mormon a Translation?" Journal of Pastoral Practice 5 (1982) 75-91.

14. Lucy Mack Smith as recorded in the Coray manuscript version of her history. Church Historical Department, Salt Lake City. This section was not printed in any addition of Lucy Smith's Biographical Sketches. See also Wesley P. Walters "From Occult to Cult," p. 127.