How Obvious Would It Have To Be

by Bill Gardiner who once served as an LDS Bishop, Seminary and Institute Instructor

Confounding the ability of church members to honestly look at such a question is the indoctrination process that begins in early “programming.” Throughout the Mormon experience comes the indoctrination of knowing. “I know the church is true” programming and a discouragement of questioning the truth of Mormon scriptures and leaders strongly inhibits the process of an honest and ongoing search for truth. Mormons are typically unable to see this in themselves. The ability to objectively see this in their experience runs contradictory to the programming of knowing. But if we were to discuss this in the context of another religion--for example The Jehovah’s Witnesses, then Mormons can clearly see the error in someone believing they know the truth and then shutting off the process of ongoing critical examination and continued searching. Such individuals are dismissed by Mormons as being closed-minded--all the while missing that very quality in themselves.

And of course the indoctrination process is what confounds the feeling experience method of truth. If I am a Jehovah’s Witness, and have been “programmed” to revere the founder Pastor William Russell as inspirational, it is likely that I will have strong feeling experiences about him and the doctrines he introduced. I will have been taught this is the Holy Ghost telling me what is truth. I know it is true because I have had this powerful warm feeling....

Once a person has been indoctrinated they have a very effective “filter” system that works when someone tries to tell them something contrary to what they've been indoctrinated in. They do not hear what is being said to them.
he even quotes E. Fromm: “The quest for certainty blocks the search for meaning. Uncertainty is the very condition to impel man to unfold his powers.”

found that while looking at this: notes on the genetic link between Masonic and Mormon ritual.. speaking of masons, the article goes on:

There was no effort in the early history of the church to conceal any similarities between Masonic rituals and the Mormon Temple Endowment. Indeed, men like Heber C. Kimball said that: “Bro Joseph Ses Masonary was taken from preasthood but has become degen[e]rated. But menny things are perfect.”

Early explanations of the similarities between Mormon Temple rites and Masonic rituals were therefore promulgated using the common myth that Masonic rituals dated back to the time of Solomon’s Temple. This explanation doesn’t make any sense given the fact that there is a thorough description of what was actually done in the early Judaic temples, with no evidence of anything even remotely close to the Masonic rituals ever being a part of such practices. Even Brigham Young conceded that while Solomon’s Temple was constructed for the purpose of giving endowments, they were not fully restored until Joseph introduced it.