There are a couple of things that apply here - one has been stated, "what would be the point? Is there anything that Mason's have (truth) that can't be had in the LDS church?" the other is - they are filled with rituals and ceremonies that are not at all like the temple ceremony - although there may be simularities. I know that the women's branch - the Eastern Star - has nothing at all simular or relative to what we as Temple worthy LDS members have access to or know.

These statements come from my personal expreience and from the knowledge of my parnets who were both active in the Masonic Order prior to their joining the LDS Church. My father would not speak in detail about the ceremonies in the Masonic Order - he still respected the oaths & covenants he made there, but to say that they were simular, but not the same. He also said that the Temple contains the fullness of what we should know from our Heavenly Father.

As to the Masons being just a glorified social club, I can't speak to what they are today, but back in the 50's -60's - and the group that my parents belonged to, they were not that way. They did have their social activities, Pancake Breakfasts, ect, but even those were to raise funds to donate the money to specific needs in the area. Otherwise, it was a form of worship for them and they took it extreemly seriously. Ofcourse there may have been other groups that did not take things so seriously.

Just to make all this complete, I was in the Rainbow Girls (the orginization for young women - high school age till married or adult, my brother in Demolay (the same for the teen boys - but just for the guys, my mother was an Eastern Star, and my father a Mason.

I hope this helps you some.