Did you know that George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere were Masons? So were Goethe, Mozart, Voltaire, and Garabaldi. In fact, some of the world's most influential men have been members of this worldwide fraternal organization. Freemasonry has perplexed outsiders throughout the ages. The Order's arcane symbols and mystical doctrines have seemed impenetrable at times. In The Meaning of Masonry, W. L. Wilmshurst (1867-1939), himself a member of the Order in Britain, explains in layman's terms and without soapbox arguments - the history of Freemasonry. The book's five chapters were originally written as papers intended for the eyes of Masonic Order members only - and indication that insiders as well as outsiders have been in need of at least some clarification of the theories and practices of the organization. The author readily admits that the Masonic Order is a "semi-secret, semi-public institution." In spite of this, "its doors are open to all" - any applicant of "good character and repute." Most often, he writes, initiates entering the Order are in search of answers to the same fundamental questions posed by religion and philosophy: What am I? Who am I? Where am I going? Wilmshurst goes on to explain that the answers to the mysteries or secrets that one often hears about in connection with Masonry are not totally elusive. The Masonic Order's rituals are intended to illuminate the mystical path to spirituality - to facilitate the disclosure of these secrets to all participants as they move from one degree or stage of enlightenment to the next. The author convincingly demonstrates that Masonry awakens the participants, into a "quality of life previously unexperienced."