John Wesley

In: General|Uncategorized

12 Aug 2010

At our most recent regular meeting our Senior Warden mentioned a quote from John Wesley in explanation of what a freemason is. Here’s the quote:

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”

Let’s look at each of these lines and put it in perspective of Freemasonry.

Do all the good you can – Freemasons are under obligation to be charitable and to improve themselves and the community around them.

By all the means you can – This doesn’t necessarily mean financially.

In all the ways you can – Freemasons put in a lot of volunteer time in many organizations.

In all the places you can – Freemasons can be found helping throughout the world, from the largest cities to the deepest jungles.

At all the times you can – Freemasons put in hundreds of thousands of hours in worthy and charitable works every year.

To all the people you can – Freemasonry cares nothing for the color of a person’s skin, their belief system or the cut of their clothes.

As long as ever you can – I have known men of the fraternity to do charitable work until they could no longer get around, many well into their 80s.

Charity towards all mankind is the standard we like to uphold. This charity extends beyond financial, it encompasses all meanings of the word even to the greatest meanings, forgiveness, understanding and tolerance.

Mormons and Masons

In: General|History

13 Jul 2010

I am frequently asked about the connection between Joseph Smith and the masons. For this entry I shall rely heavily on the writings of S H Goodwin

Joseph’s brother and Father were made masons in a lodge in New York. When they settled in Illinois Several of the members of the LDS congregation sought to form a lodge in Nauvoo. The recommendation to the Grand Lodge at the time was not to accept this petition since they did not know the Masons making it, among whom were Heber C Kimball and Brigham Young. The Grand Master there at the time disregarded the recommendation and issued a dispensation for the new lodge to meet. A few months later he made an official visitation where he met and stayed with Joseph.

While there, the Grand Master installed the officers of the lodge and made Joseph and one other a mason at sight. What this means is that the Grand Master thought pretty highly of Joseph and granted him membership without having to go through the usual ceremonies. This is an extremely rare thing to do. Joseph whether through word or simply by deed, the latter of which may be the more likely, encouraged his followers to become members themselves.

The LDS people flocked to masonry and in a short time there were more LDS masons than all the others in the state combined. The Grand Master allowed for the LDS lodges to split into 4 separate lodges who, in their haste to create masons, seem to have taken shortcuts not allowed by the Grand Lodge bylaws. In the end the lodges closed and the LDS community moved to Utah.

While in Utah it does not appear that the LDS people attempted to form any lodges. The first lodge was a military lodge at Camp Floyd near present day Cedar Fort. It was in operation for a few years but was disbanded due to the outbreak of the civil war. After that time non LDS members of the community sought permission to form a lodge. They were granted a dispensation but when they sought to gain a full charter were informed that they would have to disallow “mormons” from attending.

These masons did not agree and returned their dispensation. They obtained a new one from a different state and eventually three lodges chartered from different jurisdictions came together to form the Grand Lodge of Utah in 1872. My information is a bit sketchy at this point but I know that the bylaws of the Grand Lodge contained a clause preventing members of the LDS faith from attending any Utah lodges. Many attempts were made to remove this restriction but were unsuccessful until the mid 1980s.

If you have any questions regarding this article you may contact myself or follow up by reading the works of Mr. Goodwin.

Until Later – Peace be with you.

How old is Freemasonry?

In: General|History

7 Jun 2010

 

Nobody knows the answer to that question for sure. There are many theories but little solid evidence. As I have mentioned before, the only thing we know for sure is that the first grand lodge was formed in 1717 in England. From that we can make the educated guess that Freemasonry existed in some form prior to that time since lodges in different locations came together and decided to form said Grand Lodge. 

Prior to that time we have tantalizing clues. One of those is a record held by the Grand Lodge of Scotland which consists of a record from around 1400 of an operative mason’s guild hall whose membership consisted entirely of non operative masons. Another is the Regius Manuscript. This is a poem written in about 1390 which seems to be a code of conduct presumably for masons. There is some disagreement among scholars on who this manuscripts intended audience is. Some lean toward it being instructions for someone of noble birth while others believe that it is intended for the operative mason as instruction on how to behave before ones intended employers. 

Still other possible clues are less certain such as a stone found in a chapel in Ireland on which is inscribed ” I will serve to live with love and care, upon the level and by the Square”. The second half of this phrase is very masonic in nature and the concepts are found throughout masonic ritual. The stone is dated 1517. Another stone was found in Nova Scotia engraved with the date 1606 on the top of this stone was engraved a Square and Compasses. 

I’m sure there are other clues of which i am not aware. My own opinion of the matter is that Freemasonry has existed since ancient times. It is an ever-changing fraternity and likely if those ancient Freemasons were to see us today they would not recognize the ritual we use. The basic tenets however are timeless and the friendship and camaraderie experienced by those who are members is just as much a part now as it was at its inception however far back in history it happened.

Why Join the Fraternity?

In: General

21 May 2010

Greetings,

I have been asked many times why I joined the fraternity. I had heard of the Freemasons but had never had any contact with any, so never really gave the organization any thought. Then one day I discovered that a friend was joining. As I recall at the time he said that someone in his family had been a member and he wanted to be a part of it too. As he went through the degrees and described what he was allowed to and the Salt Lake Masonic Temple building, I gained some interest. I saw the fun and excitement he had with the organization and asked for a petition which I filled out but never turned in.

Fast forward twenty or so years.

I had the opportunity to attend a non-Masonic function at the Salt Lake Masonic Temple. I recalled the descriptions of my friend and discovered it did not do the place any justice. I was awestruck by the beauty and history inside the building. As the evening went on I discovered that another friend, whom I had known almost as long as the first was also a Mason and had been for years. He took myself and several others on a tour of the building and shared with us some of what the fraternity was all about.

I chatted with him at length after the tour and basically made my decision, however I sought out the first friend and asked his advice. He said it had to be my own decision but that he still had a love for the organization even after so much time. I made contact with my local lodge and turned in a petition. My friends made sure that they were at my degrees even though they lived some distance from my lodge

Their efforts to be at my degrees were my first indication of the best kept secret of Freemasonry, Brotherhood. I discovered that I had joined an organization of friends and brothers that I did not know I had. I recently traveled to Texas for their annual meeting known in the fraternity as a Communication.  From the moment I made myself known to the staff at the Grand Lodge building in Waco I was treated as a long lost brother. I was almost overwhelmed by the warm welcome for a nobody from Utah.

There is so much more that I could share about the camaraderie and friendship I have experienced in this organization but there isn’t space. I must warn you however that there are times of boredom  too. The business meetings are dull but necessary and even sitting through the degrees over and over again can be humdrum. If, however you listen to the words spoken during degrees and the stories of the more experienced brethren after the business meetings, you too will experience what I have found.

Until later – Peace be with you.

List of Freemason Ideals (Partial)

In: General

24 Apr 2010

I was sitting in a Fellowcraft degree last night and I started to ponder a list of things we as Freemasons hold in high esteem. I’m referring specifically to ideals that are important to us. Realistically they should be important to all men, however I was compiling a list of things taken directly from our ritual. Some of the following list is mentioned specifically in our ceremonies, others are buried in the meaning and require a bit of study and reflection.

In no particular order here is a list:

  • Reverence for Deity
  • Appreciation for the Arts and Sciences
  • True Friendship
  • Honesty
  • Discipline both of mind and self
  • Service
  • Charity
  • Fidelity
  • Fraternity
  • Education
  • Reason
  • Logic
  • Morality
  • Forgiveness
  • and Excellence

This is a very short list. There is so much more that could be added to it. I have mentioned before (and will most likely again) that this fraternity is an organization which you get out of it what you put into it. As an individual goes through the degrees of masonry there is so much thrown at them so quickly in each of the ceremonies that it is impossible for an individual to glean the important bits out of it. To get those concepts out one must put in the time to read and study the ceremonies and lectures and then even more time contemplating the true meaning.

That is not to say that anything is hidden, it’s actually all there right on the surface. What I mean is that the language is not what we use today. It is more old English than modern and even when you understand the words one must contemplate what those words mean to them. It’s a lifelong study really but so worth while.

Until later – Peace be with you.

Ancient History of Freemasonry

In: History

10 Apr 2010

I have promised a history of American freemasonry but the research is taking longer than expected so I thought I’d ramble on about ancient history instead.

One of the prevalent theories about the Masonic Fraternity is that it descended from the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon more commonly known as the Knights Templar. The story is that the Templars who managed to escape the raids in 1307 hid out with the stonemason guilds and transformed them into the freemasons. Whether this is fact or fiction I leave to your own decision making process, however here are a few facts and thoughts on the matter.

The earliest guild-like organizations seem to have begun forming around 300 AD and were formed as confederations of tradesmen in a specific profession. As they developed the Catholic Church came out against them because of their ceremonies and secrecy.

Stonemasonry is one of the oldest trades and as guilds developed it made sense that they would form into these groups to protect their trade secrets. Their expertise has been used in all the monuments and wondrous structures ever built by man. Medieval times were the Hayday for the stonemason guilds. Many of the castles and cathedrals erected by them still exist.

As mentioned above the structure and ceremonies were already in place well before 1300. It is therefore unlikely that they had much influence in what the guilds did. It is perfectly logical that the escaping templars joined up with the guilds of the time however. The templars were a very industrious order with skilled artisans in virtually every trade. It is very likely that they would easily blend in with the tradesmen of the day and quickly gain acceptance from guild leaders in every trade.

The guilds had all but died out by the 1700s even though some still exist today. Those still in existence bear little resemblance to their medieval predecessors. There is some evidence that the Masonic Fraternity is tied, at least loosely, with the stonemason guilds. There is no solid evidence however that the templars had anything to do with that guild. Based on what I have read, I do not believe there is a connection. It is a wonderful story though.

Until Later

Peace be with you.

The Original Utah Damascus #10 Lodge

In: History

1 Apr 2010

Here is a picture of the original Lodge building which housed Damascus. Its in Mt. Pleasant, UT where the current lodge is in Provo, UT.Original Damascus Lodge There’s a lot of history in Freemasonry, and our lodge is no different. If you have any questions regarding this, please feel free to contact us through the site.

The Lost Symbol

In: General|Uncategorized

31 Mar 2010

The Lost Symbol.

I know many of you may have read Dan Browns latest book, The Lost Symbol. I have not and the reason is very simple. Im Cheap. I am waiting for it to come out in paperback. Certainly I could borrow it from the library or a friend. I have heard great things about it and look forward to reading it, but not yet.

I have read Mr. Brown’s other books and enjoyed them for what they are, Fiction. He is a creative Author who sprinkles just enough fact into his work to make the reader wonder if their might be truth in the tale he spins. To my mind this makes him a Master Storyteller.

I have developed a great respect for the man. Not because of his ability to spin a yarn or his prose. I have found respect for the man because he gets it. Gets what you ask? My answer is Freemasonry, he has discovered our secret.  Follow this link to see for yourself.

http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/phpnews/show_news.php?uid=149

The Masonic Fraternity provides a place where men of all creeds, races and opinions can come together in friendship as brothers laboring together for the good of their communities. Masons can travel most anywhere in the world and find family, camaraderie and an unmatched hospitality.

If you have any questions feel free to email me at secretary@utahvalleymasons.com.

Until Later – Peace be With You.

A Sort of History Lesson

In: History

23 Mar 2010

Greetings,

Today’s entry is a history lesson of sorts. I say “of sorts” because we have to start the lesson in the middle. We don’t know exactly what the beginning is since it has been lost to the Mists of Time, literally. Im speaking, of course, about the history of the Freemasons. We know that lodges were operating early in the 1700s and we know this because some of them came together to form the first Grand Lodge in 1717.

Prior to that we have only scraps of information, and those only date back to the late 1300s at the earliest. Those consist of a poem, a manuscript and a record of a guild hall of masons (those who build buildings) made up entirely of non-Masons (those who do not build buildings). Now I need to point out a slightly confusing bit of terminology here. Masons are those that construct buildings; Freemasons are the members of our fraternity. Freemasons comes from the longer term Free and Accepted Masons and where that came from I will go into later.

Now to make matters even more confusing, Freemason is generally shortened to Mason but that still doesn’t make us builders…unless you consider us builders of good character. For the purpose of this and most of my entries I will refer to the fraternity as Freemasons and builders as masons.

Now back to our history lesson of sorts. Prior to the forming of the grand lodge we know nothing for certain. There are many theories about the origins of our organization but that’s all they are: theories. The most popular of these, and perhaps most likely, is that we have our origins in the mason guilds. The Theory goes that the mason guilds required the services of non-masons on occasion and for whatever reason admitted them into their ranks designating them Accepted Masons.

Over time as the guilds lost their prominence and reason for existing the operative or working masons became fewer and the accepted or non-mason, mason took over. The Free term is tacked on designating them as Free-born or non-slave. Thus the term Free and Accepted Mason or just Freemason. On their website, The Grand Lodge of Scotland mentions having a record of a Masonic guild hall consisting entirely of Freemasons in the 1400s. This lends credence to the popular theory but still in no way provides conclusive evidence.

It has been said that if we forget our history we are doomed to repeat it, but in this one case I think it’s more important to know the specifics of where we are going rather than where we have been.

I think I have confused you enough for one day. In a later post (not necessarily the next one) we will explore the history that we do know.

Until later – Peace be with you.

Greetings!

In: General|Uncategorized

15 Feb 2010

Welcome to the Blog for Damascus #10 Free and Accepted Masons of Utah.  My name is Kevin Tucker and I currently hold the position of Secretary for our lodge. I will be trying to post something to this blog at least weekly so check back often. I intend to post messages on history as well as events in the Masonic community and especially our lodge.

For this first post I thought I would answer the most frequently asked question which we as Freemasons address. So what are Freemasons and what do they do? I realize that’s two questions rolled into one but they really go hand in hand.

Freemasonry is a global FRATERNITY composed of men seeking to better themselves and society around them. I capitalized fraternity because that’s important to understand. Many people confuse us with a religion but we are indeed A Fraternity. As a group we have a reverence for deity but the specifics of that are left to the individual. We do not care if a person is catholic or Jewish, Buddist or Muslim. So long as he believes in a supreme being he may be a member of our fraternity.

As I mentioned above we try to improve ourselves and the world around us. The ideals expressed in our ceremonies are a constant reminder to us to live a good and upright life. Charity, honesty and love for all mankind are principles held in high esteem by our organization. We have regular meetings, social  gatherings and many times these are built around a charity of some kind.

Charity is probably the largest part of what we do. Freemasons take part in raising funds for numerous charities, distributing millions of dollars each year. Each Lodge has their own pet charity, in the case of Damascus we have partnered with the Eagles and raise money for Christmas charity. We collect funds and goods throughout the year and help needy local families during the holidays.  Last year we collected approximately $16,000 which went to toys, clothes, and food for local families. A nearby girl’s home made quilts which we also gave away to each child on our list.

It would not be possible to list all of the charities that we as Masons contribute to; the list itself would literally fill a book. A few of the more notable one’s, however, deserve mentioning. ShrinerChildren’s Hospital is one and is probably the best known. One must be a Freemason to be a Shriner. The Scottish Rite Hospital and Children’s Learning Centers are another great example as is the Knights Templar Eye Foundation. Look them up online if you desire more information.

Well, that’s it for this entry. Come back for more later. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at my email address listed on the contacts page.

Until Later – Peace be with you.

About this blog

This blog is dedicated to information pertaining to the Provo, UT fraternity of Free & Accepted Masons, Damascus #10 Lodge. While it pertains specifically to our lodge, it will also be a resource for articles containing valuable information about Masonry, our history as a fraternity, our intentions, and our goals.

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