most worshipful grand lodge - Louisiana State University

8 SPECIAL COMMUNICATION OF THE GRANB LODGEThis religion of Freemasonry, sees God in everything, reads hisscripture on every page of nature's open bible, and feels the divine presencein the inspiration of the soul. It is a religion that reads thestory of the universe in the rocks of the earth and in the shiningwheels of the firmament. It is a religion which uses reason for itslamp,education for its guide, and which has humanity as its chief aim.It indulges in no spirit of bigotry. It has no rack or thumb screws. Itbinds no martyr to the stake. It ostracises no one for his opinion, andit issues no dogmas, or mind enslaving edicts.In this temple of religion, Most Worshipful Sir, the institution ofFreemasonry will carry on its noble work of benefiting mankind byteaching all the virtues, by enlarging the intellectual horizon, by inspiring.man with the great principles of fraternity and equality, accordingto capacity, and by so disciplining the mind that it may triumphover passion, abhor vice, pity the vicious, and hold charity for all mankind,with malice toward none.Through this masonic religious teaching shall come,'sooner or later,,the realization that the " world is but one republic of which each nationis a family and every individual a child." Masonry not only teaches,this, but it practices, in a measure commensurate with the opportunitiesand the frailties of mankind, all it teaches. And as a sequence to thismasonicteaching and practice, the fruits thereof have produced moregood to mankind than ever came form the songs of Homer, the philosophiesof Plato, the sword of Csesar, or the wisdom of Newton.Thus the institution of Freemasonry stands without a peer amongbenevolent and moral teaching institutions. It dispenses untold charity;it sympathizes with all in distress ; it entombs its dead and drops theevergreen upon the coffin ; it gives aid to the living, and it counselsandprotects its orphans and its widows ; the area of its usefulness extendsto every civilized land upon which the God of Day sends hisshining arrows. Republics, kingdoms and empires are blessed with itsIts golden wings of humanity and brotherly love cover its subject,whether in success or adversity, in peace or war;, and through a lovingGod, when the silver thread of life is broken, it consigns their souls tothat supreme temple, which is erected in a land thatlies beyond the stars,and in whose resplendent east they will receive the final light of Masonryfrom the Supreme Master of the universe.Most Worshipful Grand Master, I now have the honor, on hehalf ofthe Building Committee, to formally present to you, as the ofncial headof the fraternity of Freemasons of Louisiana, for your official acceptance,,the magnificent temple erected by the Grand Lodge of Louisiana, forthe service of Freemasonry.In thus transferring to you this beautiful masonic edifice, yourBuilding Committee indulge the hope that the human characters unfoldedwithin its walls may be as morally symmetrieal and possess as-