Masonry and A Study in Scarlet

1. Masonry, or freemasonry, is a fraternal organization. It is not a religion in itself, but contains many rituals or beliefs that correspond with those in Christianity. Freemasons are not all Christian. however, and involve people of various religions; they do not permit atheists. Because of the various religions that exist within masonry, the name "Jesus" is forbidden. Freemasons live within networks called lodges, which are organised around larger regional grand lodges. They live a lifestyle centralized around God, with strict beliefs and customs. They believe that the member who lives his entire life following Masonic teachings will be granted eternal rest in the "celestial lodge", which is similar to the Christian heaven.

2. The origin of the masons is estimated to be from the stonemasons during the middle ages, however the exact origin is uncertain. Freemasons were initially smaller groups of stonemasons, then later developed into the current system of lodges. The first Grand Lodge came from when four lodges began holding meetings to discuss masonic business in the 18th century. In America, the oldest lodges were in Pennsylvania.

3. As a fraternity, masonry is a strictly for men only. It is organized around lodges, which are organized around grand lodges, which are supervised at a regional level. Masonry is an organization and not a religion, although its customs are similar to some of those of Christianity and the lifestyle is centralized around God, or a single supreme being. It has a very strict set of beliefs that all members are expected to live under. They believe in that eternal rest in the "celestial lodge" is granted to he who faithfully follows these beliefs until death. They believe that man is imperfect rather than sinful at birth, and that in order to achieve salvation, one must do good deeds and work for his own self-improvement.

4. The fact that both Brigham Young and Drebber were Masons probably means that the two of them were part of the people who brought masonry into the Mormon community. Both of them were important people among the Mormons, and it is likely they were responsible for bringing masonry to the Mormons.

5.  There are some speculations that Sherlock was a mason. In A Study in Scarlet, there is a reference to masonry in part one, in which a Masonic ring is found on Drebber's body. In The Red-Headed League,  Sherlock is able to recognize a man as a mason but does not tell Watson how he knows. Sherlock also follows the main Masonic values; brotherly love, offering relief and pursuing truth. Sherlock cares for Watson, seeks to provide relief and satisfaction to his clients, and works to find the truth through his job as a consulting detective. Arthur Conan Doyle became a Freemason when he was 27 years old in 1887. He left in 1889, returned in 1902 and left again in 1911. [1]

Sources:
1. http://themastersmasons.homestead.com/masons.html

2. grandlodge.on.ca/home/about-freemasonry/who-are-masons.html

3. http://www.msana.com/historyfm.asp
4. http://www.gotquestions.org/free-masonry.html