The Mysteries of Free Masonry: Containing All the Degrees of the Order Conferred in a Master's Lodge [Paperback]

William Morgan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 27, 2006

Revised and Corrected to Correspond with the Most Approved Forms and Ceremonies in the Various Lodges of Free-Masons Throughout the United States. By GEORGE R. CRAFTS,

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: BiblioBazaar (November 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426451148
• ISBN-13: 978-1426451140
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,123,381 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Anti-Masonic Book, but a Historical Artifact, January 14, 2011

By 

N. Lamb "mxpx316czhgxf" (Richmond, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Mysteries of Free Masonry Containing All the Degrees of the Order Conferred in a Master's Lodge (Kindle Edition)

This book represents a great historical artifact of the anti-masonic movement of the 19th Century. While supposed detailed descriptions of Masonic ritual abound on the internet today, at the time this tell-all book was meant to shock a nation where many influential politicians belonged to the Masonic Fraternity. William Morgan paid a high price for publishing this book after being turned away from membership in a Masonic Lodge. His infamous murder sparked not only an anti-masonic movement, but also an anti-masonic political party.

While this book claims to describe in detail the rituals and practice of Freemasonry, any true Mason will tell you that the true meaning of Masonry is not found in the ritual itself, but in its deeper meaning that one uncovers as they learn the significance of the ritual. The process of becoming a Mason is a life-long journey of learning and a desire for wisdom. Books like these often twist the meaning of ritual and misinterpret the symbol by an overly literal interpretation. The Masonic Fraternity is not a sinister pagan society, but an esoteric society based of the philosophy of symbols.

While I respect the place this book has in history, and certainly do not condone the actions of a small group of Masons in perpetuating the murder of William Morgan, I don't recommend this book for those who want to know more about Freemasonry in general. I would recommend several books, also available for free, by Albert G. Mackey, who was a Mason. As a rule, I don't rely on 'anti' books to give me an accurate picture of any religion or philosophy, whether it be anti-Catholic, anti-Muslim, or anti-Mormon.

As for the Kindle version, it is a standard free version. Obviously there are few bells and whistles, but the text is alright, not a lot of problems. You can find this all over the internet for free, but this probably works best for your Kindle. But if you do download this, do yourself a favor and download 'The Symbolism of Freemasonry' and start there instead.

3 Stars because there are better free books about Freemasonry available on Amazon.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Few surprises!, June 6, 2011

By 

TigerT (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Mysteries of Free Masonry Containing All the Degrees of the Order Conferred in a Master's Lodge (Kindle Edition)

This book is not about some secret conspiracy to run the World, as some say is the Masonic purpose.

Instead, it is a detailed description of the meeting rituals and qualifications to join and advance in the Masonic orders. What is revealed is a religious (primarily Protestant Christian) fraternity whose secretism comes from the times of the Crusades when being a Christian could be a death sentence.

As it describes verbatim detail of the rituals of each level of the Masonry, and as each level builds on previous levels, the book is very repetitive. The book is neither entertaining nor revealing of any dark purpose among the Masons.

It is a book that should satisfy those with curiosity about The Masonic orders. And it should calm the fears some have of the Masons.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Bit Dry and Slow, September 15, 2011

By 

Meredith Klein "Ms. Mer" (Omaha, NE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Mysteries of Free Masonry Containing All the Degrees of the Order Conferred in a Master's Lodge (Kindle Edition)

I have to be honest...I am a total snoop. I am curious about all things off limits to me, but the FreeMasonry was different. I got this book hoping to learn some of the history and how the Masons tied into that history. This book was much different. Very repetitive, often times tedious to get through, the book draaaagggeed on. There were aspects that were interesting and I did come away from the book knowing more about the Free Masons than I previously had. The question being then, how much of this did I really want to know? Unless you are an avid fan, I would say skip it.