Historic Nauvoo

by Senior Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Gregory J. Knott

Nauvoo Illinois Temple

Fellow Midnight Freemason Darin Lahners and I were looking for a road trip after the morning session of the 180thAnnual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Illinois. We decided to head to Nauvoo, Illinois, which is located on the Mississippi River on the far western side of Illinois.

The area was settled in the in 1820’s when the first whites moved in and originally the town was known as Quashquema, named after a Native American chief. The town was later renamed Venus, then Commerce and finally in 1840 acquired the present-day name of Nauvoo.

Nauvoo is famous for being the home of Joseph Smith, who was the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as the Mormons. The Mormons were persecuted by non-Mormons and eventually decided to leave and head west to Utah. You can read more of the history of Mormonism on this PBS website https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/mormons-timeline/

Today Nauvoo is bustling small town. In 1999 plans were announced by the LDS church that they were going to rebuild the Nauvoo Temple as it had been in the 1840’s. Overlooking the Mississippi River, this magnificent structure was finished and dedicated in 2002.

The Mormons operate a recreation of historic Nauvoo down on the lower parts of town. Several buildings have been recreated as they were in the 1840’s and are staffed by Mormon missionaries and are dressed in vintage clothing of the era.

Recreated - Nauvoo Masonic Temple

Darin and I didn’t have a lot of time to visit so we went right away to the Nauvoo Masonic Lodge.Recreated as an exact replica of the original lodge building, we able to go in and visit with some very nice ladies who were extremely knowledgeable of the building’s history. The original lodge was located on the third floor of the building and we traversed up three flights of stairs to see the lodge hall. It was fun to think about what Freemasonry would have been like on the western frontier of Illinois during that time.

Our next stop was to the home and shop of Jonathan Browning. If you have ever heard of the Browning shotguns or rifles, they got their start right there in Nauvoo. A recreation of his shop contained all the working tools of his trade. Several vintage firearms are on display. Browning went west to Utah when the Mormons left Nauvoo.

I am aware of the alleged similarities between our Masonic ritual and the Mormon practices. Joseph Smith the LDS founder was a Freemason. This short video, produced by the LDS Church talks about the role of Joseph Smith and Freemasonry.

The historical connections of our fraternity to the world around us seem to be endless. I enjoy learning this history and about those who came before us.

~GJK

WB Gregory J. Knott is the Worshipful Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 in Ogden (IL) and a plural member of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 (IL), Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington, DC.

Masonic Wisdom: The Wisdom Shouts!

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

WB Luciano M. Azevedo

"There comes the wisdom, shouting out in the streets, in the public square: Hear my warnings and I will open my heart to you and make you wise!" 1st Proverb of Solomon (Verse 23)

Although King Solomon's writings have been written in Hebrew, I believe the best word to explain the invitation of wisdom is "Metanoia." This word of many vowels is a Greek word that means "Expansion of Mind" or “which goes beyond” / Noia means: mind.

The most propagating or expanding matter is light. So, the expansion of consciousness or the acceptance of the wisdom invitation is often compared by the modern philosophers of the Enlightenment as: the "Light" or the "discovery."

Leaving the darkness of ignorance from the profane world to the Light of Masonry can also be called a process of “Metanoia”

Upon being brought to Light you must have a state of mind in which you are predisposed to change your essence, consequently controlling your judgment, your anger and your desires.

Those who accept this invitation according to our Most Worshipful King Solomon and hear the warnings of the wisdom and let them sink into their hearts, become wise! They learn how to love, to forgive and to perform acts of justice. Therefore accepting this invitation means a complete transformation. A transformation of consciousness not just a change of opinion; It is a change of the way of thinking; It is not just a substitution of an information for another; is actually acquiring more and more knowledge inexhaustibly!

It is like an "insight", a change of our "inner posture", a "revelation" that changes your way of thinking completely. It is not that you change your mind, you change yourself.

This is the idea of metanoia: The Expansion of Consciousness.

Masonic wisdom says, "Come hear my voice. If you go through a “metanoia” you will be completely transformed. You will be more tolerant. Will love more. You will understand that loving your brother is not just about an obligation is pure wisdom."

Fool is the one who rejects it, and who thinks there is more pleasure on ignorance. Changing is very painful for them. They prefer to hide behind silly jokes or the tireless chase for power. They prefer the perverse desires of greed, envy and control... Simply because they are just opinions and wills of an unchanging mind, unable to accept the invitation of WISDOM, so then confined to the lesser and perverse world that has not yet Passed, and Raised through "Metanoia". Through the light that expands…

My prayer: May the Light expand our consciousness and of all regular Masons. May we all accept the “Wisdom Invitation” and therefore, and consequentially, may brotherly love prevail and every moral and social virtue cements us. Amen.

~LMA

WB Luciano M. Azevedo holds an MBA and Bachelor in Business Administration. He has published several scientific and philosophical essays and articles in the secular world. As a sommelier he wrote his own column for a major wine magazine for many years. In Freemasonry Brother “Lou”  has contributed with many articles from a philosophical  basic approach to an ethical decision-making in regards to masonic conduct.  He is the current Worshipful Master of Zurich Lodge 1089 of A.F&A.M of the State of Illinois. W. Bro Luciano is also a member or the Grand Lodge Leadership Committee of the State of Illinois, a  32 Degree active member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago and a Shrine Noble of the Medinah Shriners.