Masonic Quotes

• Masonic labor is purely a labor of love. He who seeks to draw Masonic wages in gold and silver will be disappointed. The wages of a Mason are in the dealings with one another; sympathy begets sympathy, kindness begets kindness, helpfulness begets helpfulness, and these are the wages of a Mason.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Kindness, Gold, Wages

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• The secret of Masonry, like the secret of life, can be known only by those who seek it, serve it, live it. It cannot be uttered; it can only be felt and acted. It is, in fact, an open secret, and each man knows it according to his quest and capacity. Like all things worth knowing, no one can know it for another and no man can know it alone.

  William Howard Taft

  Men, Dedication, Knowing

  182 Copy quote

• The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.

  Winston Churchill

  Life, Leadership, Motivation

  174 Copy quote

• The true Mason takes full responsibility for the condition of his character and ever strives for its perfection.

  William Howard Taft

  Responsibility, Character, Perfection

  123 Copy quote

• We Masons are among the fortunate ones who are taught to meet together with others opposing convictions or competitive ideas and yet respect each other as Brothers.

  Albert Pike

  Brother, Ideas, Together

  104 Copy quote

• There are no strangers in Freemasonry, only friends you've yet to meet.

  Dave Thomas

  Stranger, Freemasonry

  147 Copy quote

• Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands. But like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny.

  Carl Schurz

  Love, Change, Sports

  Carl Schurz, Frederic Bancroft (1913). “Speeches, Correspondence and Political Papers of Carl Schurz”, Putnam Juvenile

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• Masonry was not made to divide men, but to unite them, leaving each man free to think his own thoughts and fashion his own system of ultimate truth. All its emphasis rests upon two extremely simple and profound principles, love of God and love of man.

  Joseph Fort Newton

  Fashion, Simple, Men

  Joseph Fort Newton (2013). “The Builders - A Story & Study of Masonry”, p.219, Lulu Press, Inc

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• Give the brethren a chance to do something, anything, no matter how small or unimportant. A brother convinced that he is helpful is enthusiastic.

  Theodore Roosevelt

  Brother, Giving, Matter

  80 Copy quote

• Freemasonry is founded on the immutable laws of Truth and Justice and its grand object is to promote the happiness of the human race.

  George Washington

  Race, Law, Justice

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• I violate no secret when I say that one of the greatest values in Masonry is that it affords an opportunity for men of all walks of life to meet on common ground where all men are equal and have one common interest.

  Theodore Roosevelt

  Opportunity, Men, Secret

  76 Copy quote

• Everybody really knows what to do to have his life filled with joy. What is it? Quit hating people; start loving them. Quit being mad at people; start liking them. Quit doing wrong; quit being filled with fear. Quit thinking about yourself and go out and do something for other people. Everybody knows what you have to do to be happy. But the wisdom of the test lies in the final words: "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."

  Norman Vincent Peale

  Christian, Lying, Hate

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• Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.

  Mark Twain

  Inspirational, Success, Work

  Mark Twain (2012). “Mark Twain at Your Fingertips: A Book of Quotations”, p.121, Courier Corporation

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• The true Mason always carries his working tools everywhere.

  William Howard Taft

  Tools, Masons, Carrie

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• The real secrets of Masonry are never told, not even from mouth to ear. For the real secret of Masonry is spoken to your heart and from it to the heart of your brother. Never the language made for tongue may speak it, it is uttered only in the eye in those manifestations of that love which a man has for his friend, which passeth all other loves.

  William Howard Taft

  Brother, Real, Heart

  103 Copy quote

• Freemasonry is an ancient and respectable institution, embracing individuals of every nation, of every religion, and of every condition in life. Wealth, power and talents are not necessary to the person of a Freemason. An unblemished character and a virtuous conduct are the only qualifications for admission into the Order.

  Andrew Jackson

  Character, Order, Talent

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• Freemasonry teaches not merely temperance, fortitude, prudence, justice, brotherly love, relief, and truth, but liberty, equality, and fraternity, and it denounces ignorance, superstition, bigotry, lust tyranny and despotism.

  Theodore Roosevelt

  Ignorance, Justice, Lust

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• The genius of Freemasonry is not our Masonic buildings and temples or the trappings of our organizations. It is not our great charities or community activities. It is not our beautiful rituals or their teachings! It is the 'practice of Freemasonry' by the Freemasons. Yet we cannot practice that which we do not know or understand. Thus Masonic education is the foundation for our Fraternity.
  Brother Carl H. Claudy in The Master's Book says, '.. one thing and only one thing a Masonic Lodge can give its members which they can get nowhere else in the world. That one thing is Masonry.

  Carl H. Claudy

  Beautiful, Brother, Book

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• From its origin to the present hour, in all its vicissitudes, Masonry has been the steady unwearing friend of man.

  Theodore Roosevelt

  Men, Hours, Masonry

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• Freemasonry is an institution founded on eternal reason and truth; whose deep basis is the civilization of mankind, and whose everlasting glory it is to have the immovable support of those two mighty pillars, science and morality.

  George Washington

  Civilization, Two, Support

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• The true Mason never hesitates to use the working tools to correct personal flaws.

  William Howard Taft

  Tools, Use, Flaws

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• More than an institution, more than a tradition, more than a society, Masonry is one of the forms of Divine life upon earth.

  Joseph Fort Newton

  Earth, Tradition, Divine

  Joseph Fort Newton (2013). “The Builders - A Story & Study of Masonry”, p.211, Lulu Press, Inc

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• Not all Masons are obligated on the Christian Bible. Masonry is universal and men of every creed are eligible for membership so long as they accept the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man. Therefore, the candidate should be obligated on the Book of the Sacred Law which he accepts as such since his obligation is a solemn and binding one.

  George Washington

  Christian, Book, Men

  64 Copy quote

• Freemasonry must stand upon the Rock of Truth, religion, political, social, and economic. Nothing is so worthy of its care as freedom in all its aspects. "Free" is the most vital part of Freemasonry. It means freedom of thought and expression, freedom of spiritual and religious ideals, freedom from oppression, freedom from ignorance, superstition, vice and bigotry, freedom to acquire and possess property, to go and come at pleasure, and to rise or fall according to will of ability.

  Theodore Roosevelt

  Spiritual, Religious, Fall

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• Brotherly love is not a tangible commodity. We cannot touch it or weigh it, smell it of taste it. Yet it is a reality; it can be creative, it can be fostered, it can be made a dynamic power. The Master who has it in his Lodge and his brethren will find that Lodge and brethren give it back to him. The Master too worried over the cares of his office to express friendliness need never wonder why his Lodge seems too cold to his effort.

  Carl H. Claudy

  Reality, Love Is, Smell

  30 Copy quote