View source for Question: Why is the Masonic symbol of the "All Seeing Eye" present on the Salt Lake Temple?

{{FME-Source
|title-
|category=
}}
<onlyinclude>
==Question: Why is the Masonic symbol of the "All Seeing Eye" present on the Salt Lake Temple?==
===The All-Seeing Eye of God was not a symbol created by the Masonic fraternity and, in fact, was utilized as an emblem in Christian architecture long before Speculative Freemasonry became an organization===

The claim is sometimes made by critics that since the All-Seeing Eye of God is displayed on the exterior and interior of the Salt Lake Temple<ref>The All-Seeing Eye of God can be seen on east and west center
towers of the Salt Lake City temple and also in the interior in the Garden Room (see ''Ensign'', October 1990, 39; March 1993, 33).</ref> and the All-Seeing Eye is an emblem utilized by the Freemasons then the Mormon usage must be an indication of a connection between Mormon temples and Freemasonry. 

The All-Seeing Eye of God was not a symbol created by the Masonic fraternity and, in fact, was utilized as an emblem in Christian architecture long before Speculative Freemasonry became an organization. 

Latter-Day Saints as a group became involved in Freemasonry in early 1842 but, as noted in the timeline below, the All-Seeing Eye of God was a well-established symbol among the Mormons long before this affiliation. 

'''1828–29''' – “I pray the God of my salvation that He view me
with His all-searching eye” (2 Ne. 9:44).

'''1828–29''' – “under the glance of the piercing eye of the Almighty
God” (Jacob 2:10).

'''1828–29''' – “the glance of [God’s] all-searching eye” (Mosiah
27:31).

'''December 1830''' – “I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all
the creations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them
also” (Moses 7:36).

'''2 January 1831''' – “Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus
Christ, the Great I AM, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and
the end, the same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity,
and all the seraphic hosts of heaven, before the world was
made; The same which knoweth all things, for all things are
present before mine eyes. . . . mine eyes are upon you. I am in
your midst and ye cannot see me” (D&C 38:1–2, 7).

'''13 August 1831''' – “mine eyes are upon those who have not as
yet gone up unto the land of Zion” (D&C 62:2).

'''1 November 1831''' – “Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith
the voice of Him who dwells on high, and whose eyes are upon
all men” (D&C 1:1).

'''November 1831''' – “Behold and lo, mine eyes are upon you”
(D&C 67:2).

'''31 July 1832''' – “my heart is naked before [God’s] eyes continually.”<ref>Letter by Joseph Smith Jr. in Dean C. Jessee, ed., ''Personal Writings of Joseph Smith'', rev. ed. (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT:
Deseret Book and BYU Press, 2002), 269; hereafter cited as''PWJS''.</ref>

'''4 January 1833''' – “the eyes of my Maker are upon me.”<ref>Letter by Joseph Smith Jr. in ibid., 298.</ref>

'''May 1835''' – “the scrutinizing eye of ‘Him with whom we have
to do.’”<ref>Statement by Oliver Cowdery in ''Messenger and Advocate'', vol. 1, no. 8, May 1835, 121; hereafter cited as ''M&A''.</ref>

'''29 January 1836''' – “[the] Lord had [His] eye upon thee.” <ref>Joseph Smith Sr. statement in Dean C. Jessee, Mark Ashurst-McGee, and Richard L. Jensen, eds., ''The Joseph Smith Papers: Journals Volume 1, 1832–1839'' (Salt Lake City: The Church Historian’s Press, 2008), 176.</ref>

'''9 May 1836''' – “they stand naked and exposed to the piercing
eye of Jehovah.” <ref>Letter by Parley P. Pratt dated 9 May 1836 in ''M&A'', vol. 2, no. 8, May 1836, 318.</ref>

'''May 1836''' – “God is not mocked with impunity. His all seeing
eye beholds you at all times. . . . His all-seeing eye surveys the
whole of His vast creation.” <ref>{{nc}}</ref>

'''April 1837''' – “the scrutinizing eye of Jehovah is ever upon
them.” <ref>Statement by William Marks in ibid., vol. 3, no. 7, April 1837, 493.</ref>

'''June 1837''' – “In vain do they attempt to hide from the scrutinizing
eye of Jehovah.” <ref>Comment by William Marks in ibid., vol. 3, no. 9, June 1837, 525.</ref>

'''20 March 1839''' – “Behold, mine eye seeth and knoweth all
their works.” <ref>Letter by Joseph Smith Jr. in ''PWJS'', 435.</ref>

'''3 July 1839''' – “the God of Jacob has His eye upon you.” <ref>Epistle of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles signed by Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, John E. Page, Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, and George A. Smith in Brigham H. Roberts, ed., ''History of the Church'' (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1930), 3:394; hereafter cited as ''HC''.</ref>

'''September 1840''' – “the all-searching eye of an Omnipresent
God.” <ref>Orson Pratt, ''An Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions'' (Edinburgh: Ballantyne and Hughes, 1840), 27.</ref>

'''January1841''' – “God that sheweth mercy; having His eye at the
same time directed towards His covenant people.” <ref>Article by Brigham Young and Willard Richards in ''Millennial Star'', vol. 1, no. 9, January 1841, 223.</ref>

'''13 December 1841''' – “Let it not be supposed that the sick and
the destitute are to be denied the blessings of the Lord’s house;
God forbid; His eye is ever upon them for good.” <ref>Epistle of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles signed by Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, William Smith, Lyman Wight, Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, George A. Smith, and Willard Richards in ''Times and Seasons'', vol. 3, no. 4, 15 December 1841, 626. Notice that the all-seeing eye is being indirectly connected with the temple.</ref>

</onlyinclude>
{{endnotes sources}}
<!-- PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE -->

[[de:Frage: Warum ist das freimaurerische Symbol des allsehenden Auges am Salt Lake Tempel?]]
[[es:Pregunta: ¿Por qué está presente el símbolo masónico del "Todo Ojo que Ve" en el Templo de Salt Lake?]]
[[pt:Pergunta: Por que o símbolo maçônico do "Olho Todo Vendo" está presente no Templo de Salt Lake?]]
[[Category:Questions]]