The people will always mock at things easy to be misunderstood; it must needs have impostures. A Spirit that loves wisdom and contemplates the Truth close at hand, is forced to disguise it, to induce the multitudes to accept it…. Fictions are necessary to a people, and the Truth becomes deadly to those who are not strong enough to contemplate it in all its brilliance…. The truth must be kept secret, and the masses need a teaching proportioned to their imperfect reason.
So Masonry jealously conceals its secrets, and intentionally leads conceited interpreters astray. There is no sight under the sun more pitiful and ludicrous at once, than the spectacle of the Prestons and the Webbs.
Brother Brigham, if I were to reveal to this people what the Lord has revealed to me, there is not a man or woman that would stay with me.
What is spoken in a prayer Circle should never be Named out of the Circle not [to] a wife or any body Els [sic]. If there is any thing to be said I will say it. I Could preach all about the Endowments in Public and the world know Nothing about it. I Could preach all about Masonry & None but a mason know any thing about it. And the mane [sic] part of Masonry is to keep a secret…. Now Brother L. N. Scovill thinks so much of masonery [sic] that he might Join in with them. G. A. Smith Said He does not wish to mix hair and wool but he would like to Go to England & obtain five Charters for lodges which would give us a grand lodge which would make us independent of all other Grand lodges in the world. This is what Brother Scovill would like to do and this Could be done but I do not think he would be willing to mingle with our Enemies to the injury of this people.