Saddleback Laguna
Masonic Lodge No. 672

What is Freemasonry? Freemasonry is a Brotherhood of Men under the Fatherhood of God with the basic purpose of making good men better and the belief in the practice of the three principal tenets of Masonry: Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, using allegories and symbols to teach these lessons. Freemasonry is a system of thought, philosophy and action that has been handed down to us from the remote past, the oldest and most venerable of all human institutions. It is also the oldest and largest fraternity with its history and tradition dating back to antiquity. Its bonds of friendship, compassion and brotherly love have survived over the most divisive political, military and religious conflicts through centuries. Freemasonry( or Masonry) is neither a forum nor a place for worship. Instead, it is a friend of all religions which are based on the belief in one God or Supreme Being. Freemasonry has for its members respectable citizens who are taught to conform to the moral laws of society and abide by the laws of the government under which they live. Freemasonry is also a fraternity of men of charity and good works who remain unchallenged as the "world's greatest philanthropy". The mission of Masonry is the building of the ideal Temple and he who is a true Mason works to the plan of that Temple. He has to build himself and thereby contribute to the building of humanity. How to live is a problem each of us must solve. The history of the Free and Accepted Masons is shrouded in mystery. Legends hold this fraternity dates back to the time of Moses and tell of his gatherings of Masons during Israel's forty years of wandering and exile in the desert. However, most disciples date the true beginning of Freemasonry with the construction of King Solomon's temple at Jerusalem. The temple's creation is the central leitmotif of all Masonic fellowships as its most important ceremony, the ritual of the Blue Lodge, is conceived around the story of its construction. The modern history of the Masons begins in the Middle Ages with the guilds of stonemasons who built Europe's great cathedrals. However, it has been observed that many Freemasons have not been stonemasons; membership has included lawyers, burghers, noblemen and even kings. From this fact, speculation has arisen alleging that the organization was a cover for the Knights Templar- or the Knights of the Temple of Solomon- a military-religious order formed during the Crusades which later was violently suppressed early in the fourteenth century. Whatever the real truth, the organization continued to thrive and, by 1717, the Mother Grand Lodge of the World was established in London. The first lodge in America was set up in 1733 quickly followed by many others, through which the Masons directly participated in the American Revolution and influenced the rise and spread of democracy.

E:Mail       23685 Birtcher Drive    Lake Forest, California  92630-1770         Phone: (949) 458-5750     Map to Lodge