Words To Ponder

by Midnight Freemason Contributor
Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR 


In addition to a lot of the research I do for the things I write, I'm also responsible for contributing to my Lodge of Research Twitter and Facebook accounts. All that has left me with a rather extensive collection of quotes, quips and words of wisdom from a variety of Freemasons. Every day I discover more amazing facts about our Craft and the Brothers who have made it what it is. The more Masonic research I do, the more I realize what a stunning and positive impact Freemasonry has had on our country and the world. With that in mind, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite quotes from our Brothers:
"I don't suppose any organization has done so much for so many with so little selfishness as the Masonic Fraternity." ~Thomas E. Dewey
"The more I come in contact with the Masonic fraternity, the more impressed I am with our great charitable work." ~Franklin Roosevelt
"A pessimist makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist makes opportunities of his difficulties." ~Harry S. Truman
"I always advise people never to give advice." ~P.G. Wodehouse
"A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education." ~Theodore Roosevelt
"My Lodge had at least 4 creeds. I was entered by a Hindu, passed by a Mohammedan and raised by an Englishman." ~Rudyard Kipling
"Don't let yesterday use up too much of today." ~Will Rogers
"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." ~George Washington
 "Let us not paralyze our capacity for good by brooding of man's capacity for evil." ~David Sarnoff
"Anti-Semitism is a noxious weed that should be cut out. It has no place in America." William Howard Taft
"Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared." ~Eddie Rickenbacker
"Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a good carpenter to build one." ~Sam Rayburn
"I'm proud to pay taxes in the United States; the only thing is, I could be just as proud for half the money." ~Arthur Godfrey
"Knowledge is ecstatic in enjoyment, perennial in frame, unlimited in space and indefinite in duration." ~DeWitt Clinton
"The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." ~Mark Twain
"If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes." ~Charles Lindbergh
"I am a Mason because care for those who cannot care for themselves." ~Danny Thomas
"We were put here for a purpose—to build not to destroy. If I can make people smile, I've served my purpose for God." ~Red Skelton
"A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle." ~Benjamin Franklin
"The liberties of none are safe unless the liberties of all are protected." ~William O. Douglas
"Our world has nuclear giants & ethical infants. We know more about war than peace, more about killing than living." ~Omar Bradley
"The measure of life is not its duration, but its donation." ~Peter Marshall
"Fear... is something you learn how to deal with and set aside. You want to be alert as you possibly can." ~Buzz Aldrin
"There's no education in the second kick of a mule." ~Fritz Hollings
"Be sincere; be brief; be seated. " ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Life is tough. It's tougher when you're stupid." ~John Wayne
Perhaps fitting for the final quote, and one of my favorites, are the last words, as reported from his wife, of the founder of the Order of DeMolay:
"It is the beginning." ~Frank S. Land
~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33° , is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is also a Fellow and Past Master of the Missouri Lodge of Research. Among his other Masonic memberships are the St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite bodies, and Moila Shrine. He is also a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasons blog as well as several other Masonic publications. Brother Steve was Editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine for a decade and is a regular contributor to the Whence Came You podcast. Born in Indiana, he has a Master's Degree from Indiana University and is retired from a 35 year career in information technology. Steve and his wife Carolyn reside in northwest Missouri. He is the author of dozens of magazine articles and three books: Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, Freemasons — Tales From the Craft and Freemasons at Oak Island.

1 comment:

  1. It's interesting that this quote appears:
    "Anti-Semitism is a noxious weed that should be cut out. It has no place in America." William Howard Taft
    Followed by this quote:
    "I'm proud to pay taxes in the United States; the only thing is, I could be just as proud for half the money." ~Arthur Godfrey
    because Arthur Godfrey, by all accounts, was rabidly anti-Semitic. It's a shame the Lodge didn't help him get past that.

    ReplyDelete

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