 Someone once asked me what I learned from the Degrees of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. That caused me to think of not only what I learned but also what every Mason taking the Degrees should learn. I LEARNED obedience to the laws of country, God, and nature; to be a man of honor and conscience, preferring duty above all. I LEARNED devotion to family, friends, community, and humanity; faithfulness to promises made and vows assumed; kindness and indulgence to all; and readiness with assistance by every means in my power. I LEARNED industry and honesty; to study, hear and think much, and to say little; to take no wages for work I cannot perform; to possess only what I have honestly earned, and always to be able to say no man is poorer because I am richer. I LEARNED that I should control my temper and govern my passions that I might aid in keeping peace and harmony among men, Masonry’s great purpose being the peace of society and the world. I LEARNED to inculcate justice and mercy in decisions and judgment; that a wrong done by one man to another—whether to his person, his property, his happiness, or his reputation—is an offense against justice. I LEARNED in my search after truth that happiness is not affected by riches or poverty, but is engendered by unselfish service to others. I LEARNED that Masonry champions love, charity, and tolerance while crusading against ignorance, intolerance, fanaticism, superstition, greed, and error. I LEARNED that Masonry is not a religion, but a way of life, a search for truth, a belief in immortality, and a faith in God. I LEARNED to believe in and practice precepts with a fervent zeal, to become a better man, and to impress my fellowman by my actions to live likewise that the world should be free from vice and ill-doing and, instead, devoted to universal peace and brotherly love. Reprinted from the Trowel (Sept. 1998),
Valley of Tacoma, Washington
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