The mission of Freemasonry in Utah is to teach and perpetuate a way of life that promotes brotherhood, self improvement through education, family values, moral standards, charity and community involvement.
Freemasonry is the oldest and largest fraternal organization, or Brotherhood, in the world. It describes itself as “a peculiar system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.” Its members are joined together by shared ideals, of both a moral and metaphysical nature, and, by a common belief in a Supreme Being – though not necessarily a belief in a common Supreme Being.
Freemasonry uses an initiatory system of degrees, or morality plays, to teach lessons of, and explore ethical and philosophical issues surrounding, the moral principles Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. In these degrees, the observer knows beforehand nothing of what will happen. Because of this Freemasonry is also called by some an “esoteric art”.
At its most basic level, Freemasonry can be described as an institution of free men, dedicated to teaching, supporting, and propagating the ideas of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.
A complete understanding of Freemasonry is diffcult, if not impossible to attain. It is a complex living tradition, of a non-dogmatic nature. Each Mason is likely to have a slightly different answer to the question “What is Freemasonry”. It is true that every Freemason has a similar experience of the Masonic Ritual, how each Mason uses the information is up to them.
Thus, some Masons are concerned with Charity and Philanthropy, some with Fraternity, and others with Philosophy.
The one idea that all Masons accept, is that Freemasonry itself is large enough to accomodate each kind of Mason. The diversity of Freemasonry is its strength. We are all bound together by our endeavors to polish and adorn our minds, bodies, and spirit in our pursuit for more light.