Have you ever wondered why men want to be Freemasons? How do they become one and what is involved? Everyone has heard at least one thing about the Masonsgood or badbut what is the truth? Written by the wives of two well-established Freemasons, A Handbook for The Freemason's Wife aims to give a simple and straight-to-the-point guide to the basics of Freemasonry, steering the reader through initially bemusing concepts toward a clear understanding of the path of moral learning in which the men folk will be involved. It demystifies the myths and rumors, and in doing so, helps make the reader feel reassured, more knowledgeable, and respectful of a wonderful Craft. Whether you are the girlfriend, wife, partner, or close relation of a Freemason or Freemason-to-be, you will find within this light-hearted book the answer to almost every question you will initially need to know about Freemasonry.
Walter McWilliam asks his grandmother, Sarah McWilliam where she grew up. She then tells her story, from when she helped her mother, Mary Foulkes, a midwife. Through midwifery she meets her future husband, Robert McWilliam, a stonemason from Scotland. His wife, Agnes, dies after giving birth to their third child; the baby also dies a few days later. Sarah takes on the role of nanny to Robert's two children and finally marries him, giving him four more children. The family move up to Scotland, where two more children are born. Robert dies after getting into a fight defending his daughter Mary's honour, leaving a devastated Sarah in Scotland. The story ends with the parish of Robert's birth, Kirkmaiden, paying Lesmahagow to keep Sarah off the streets.
The key text of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, the belief structure laid out here intricately intertwines faith from all corners of the world as well as involving both science and faith in a bundle for adherents to carefully study and understand.
Take the mystery out of the Freemasons Fascinated by Freemasons? Freemasons For Dummies is the internationally bestselling introduction to the Masons, the oldest and largest "secret society" in the world. This balanced, eye-opening guide demystifies Freemasonry, explaining everything from its elaborate rituals and cryptic rites, to its curious symbols and their meanings. With new and improved content, including updated examples and references throughout, this new edition of Freemasons For Dummies provides the most straightforward, non-intimidating guide to the subject on the market. Updated expert coverage of the basic beliefs and philosophy behind Freemasonry Revised information on the history of the society, including updates concerning its founding, famous historical members, and pivotal events New coverage devoted to the recent influx of younger membership The latest and ongoing controversies and myths surrounding Freemasonry The role of women in a Masonic organization, including opportunities for women to participate in Freemasonry The effects cultural and political changes and worldwide events are having on the organization If you're intrigued by the mystery that surrounds the Masons, get ready to learn the facts about this ancient order in Freemasons For Dummies.
For as long as there have been Freemasons, there has been a calculated effort to disparage and their practices. In this insightful text, masons de Hoyos and Morris explore the origins of the anti-Masonic mindset and delve into the falsehoods on which critics have based these perennial sentiments. Confronting opponents one at a time, the authors methodically debunk the myths that have surrounded Freemasonry since its establishment, investigating the motives and misconceptions that derive antagonists to spread deceit about Masonic traditions.
Masonry is a beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory, illustrated by signs and symbols, and embodying ideals that transcend most human barriers. The work of masonry is based upon and filled with scripture, with beauty, and with God's love, irrespective of any one individual's relationship with God. The one requirement of a man who would like to join masonry is that he believes in God. As an evangelist, I want to hear the blessed name of Jesus on people's lips, but as a Mason, my duty is to help men make those decisions for themselves. This volume is designed to help masons and their families to seek light from scripture, whether they have a church or not, whether they are Christian or not. If I have written these scripture studies well, the readers should walk away from this book being better informed and challenged to read more and more scripture, seeking more about God within their traditions, and be more confident believers. People who are more confident in what they believe can have discussions that do not turn to bad arguments, and are not easily offended. Those who can discuss any topic can best work together and best agree. In most instances of this book, I have used the lines from ritual in full context, as too often Masons do not follow through and see where lines come from. At other times, the same Chapter of scripture might contain two or three different passages that are of special import to the Craft, thus are better served integrating them. There are many times when an entire chapter is important to read in order to get one short line that is used in a lecture or prayer or degree.Since not all masonic traditions use the same scriptures, I have endeavored to select scriptures from various masonic jurisdictions around the world, both in the "Blue Lodges" of the first three degrees and those of the Appendant Bodies. I do not identify which degree or source that each scripture reading comes from, as that is for each mason to learn if they do not immediately recognize the verses. All scripture used throughout this book is from the King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted. There are times when other translations give a better sense of the intentions of why we use the lines in Lodges. It is highly recommended that in any serious study of the Bible, several translations are used. For those interested, there are several websites of note, including BibleHub.com and BibleGateway.com. I often used these two sites to assist in my studies during the construction of this book. If you are interested in Biblical languages, I recommend using the BibleHub.com resources, clicking on Hebrew or Greek to take you to the original languages and helping you see where else each particular word is used as per Englishman's Concordance, Strong's, and several other major reference works. Where I have translated from Hebrew or Greek, it should be stated that the translations are mine, and any errors made are mine and not those of any source from which I sought assistance. I have tried to be faithful to scripture and modern English (American) language. While I had several brilliant Hebrew professors in both Seminaries I graduated from, my abilities do not show their great skill teaching, only my poor abilities learning. Several other works informed the discussions here, including The Anchor Bible Series of Commentaries, the Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament, the Story of God Bible Commentary, and many others. I have attempted to bring the benefit of scholarship without the burdens thereof so that this book might be easier to read and use.
Freemasonry in the Wild West is an accessible account of the role played by Freemasonry and its adherents during the westward expansion of the United States. Starting with the foundation of American colonization on the west coast at Astoria, Oregon, this book traces the Masons who were directly involved in developing the West.
