00:00:01 Welcome!
00:00:03 We’re so happy you can join us
00:00:05 for this month’s program.
00:00:07 I’m here with my good friend
00:00:08 and cohost, Leon Weaver.
00:00:10 There he is.
00:00:11 Leon, welcome!
00:00:13 David, I’m delighted to be here with you.
00:00:15 Now, I’d like to tell you a little something about Leon.
00:00:19 When I was invited into Bethel in 1990,
00:00:22 I was assigned to the Service Department
00:00:26 and Leon was one of the overseers.
00:00:28 Now, in the Service Department,
00:00:29 at times we had to deal with some very difficult matters
00:00:32 and sometimes you needed advice.
00:00:35 And I could always rely on Leon to help me out.
00:00:39 I’d go into his office,
00:00:41 he’d set aside whatever it was he was working on,
00:00:43 he’d listen, and then he’d give his input.
00:00:47 I really appreciated the experience I acquired in the Service Department,
00:00:51 and Leon was certainly part of it.
00:00:54 So this is one reason why I have love
00:00:58 and respect for that brother.
00:01:00 Now, Leon, what can we look forward to in this month’s program?
00:01:05 Many years ago,
00:01:06 Elizabeth gave up a prestigious career
00:01:09 to do more for Jehovah.
00:01:11 How did her decision
00:01:12 change the course of her life?
00:01:15 And we’ll debut a fascinating new series.
00:01:20 It will reveal aspects of our theocratic history
00:01:23 you may not be familiar with.
00:01:26 That sounds very interesting.
00:01:29 Don’t go away!
00:01:30 This is JW Broadcasting® for November 2021.
00:01:55 Through his prophet Isaiah,
00:01:57 Jehovah made a wonderful promise,
00:02:00 one that’s being fulfilled today.
00:02:02 We can read about it at Isaiah 60:17:
00:02:07 “Instead of the copper I will bring in gold,
00:02:11 “and instead of the iron I will bring in silver,
00:02:14 “instead of the wood, copper,
00:02:16 “and instead of the stones, iron;
00:02:19 “and I will appoint peace as your overseers
00:02:22 and righteousness as your task assigners.”
00:02:26 Well, now, this reference to “overseers”
00:02:29 and “task assigners” —that sounds like organization, doesn’t it?
00:02:33 So, what is Jehovah telling us?
00:02:36 He’s saying that we can expect
00:02:38 to see organizational arrangements getting better and better.
00:02:42 Well, if you’ve been associated with the truth for a while,
00:02:46 I’m sure you’ll agree that Isaiah’s prophecy is being fulfilled today.
00:02:51 So for this broadcast,
00:02:53 I thought we’d review some of the improvements
00:02:55 we’ve seen just since World War II.
00:02:58 That’s the period most of us are familiar with.
00:03:01 Now, some of you will be hearing about these things for the first time.
00:03:05 Others will have lived through it all,
00:03:08 and for them it’ll bring back fond memories.
00:03:11 So let’s go back. It’ll be fun!
00:03:14 I call this part “Do You Remember When . . . ?”
00:03:20 Before World War II and for a number of years after that,
00:03:24 many congregations didn’t have a Kingdom Hall of their own.
00:03:27 They were actually encouraged
00:03:30 to meet in private homes
00:03:32 or in rented facilities.
00:03:34 The thinking was that if you
00:03:36 were in a rented facility or a private home,
00:03:39 you had more flexibility.
00:03:40 You could move the meeting place
00:03:42 from one place to the other very easily.
00:03:45 But there were problems; there were drawbacks.
00:03:47 Sometimes the space
00:03:48 would be shared with other organizations.
00:03:51 So you couldn’t leave your
00:03:52 literature, magazines,
00:03:54 speaker’s stand, and maybe even a sound system
00:03:57 in the hall at the end of the meeting.
00:03:58 When the meeting was over, you’d have to pack it all up
00:04:02 and take it away.
00:04:04 But that’s not all.
00:04:07 Sometimes you had to arrive very early and clean the place up
00:04:11 after a particularly rowdy group of people had used it.
00:04:15 And if there were cigar smokers in that group, you were in trouble.
00:04:19 It was very difficult to air the place out in time for the meeting.
00:04:23 Now, remember, in those days, people could smoke in a private hall,
00:04:28 and you could smoke in an airplane —they could smoke almost anywhere.
00:04:32 So this was a real problem for us.
00:04:35 There were other problems.
00:04:37 Before we had a Kingdom Hall in my hometown,
00:04:40 the congregation met in a rented facility.
00:04:43 Now, in October, the place was decorated for Halloween,
00:04:47 and in December, there was a great big Christmas tree on the platform.
00:04:51 We couldn’t move it!
00:04:53 Now, this was in Canada,
00:04:55 and portraits of the King and Queen of England
00:04:57 as well as the British flag were permanent fixtures in the hall.
00:05:01 You couldn’t remove any of it for the meeting.
00:05:04 Yet, to their credit,
00:05:07 many interested persons attended our meetings.
00:05:09 And to them, it wasn’t the meeting place that was important;
00:05:13 it was what they were learning there that counted.
00:05:17 Speaking of our meeting places,
00:05:19 at first, congregations were on their own
00:05:21 when it came to building them.
00:05:23 Now, at times, the most a congregation
00:05:26 could afford was to purchase the land,
00:05:28 and sometimes that land would sit there
00:05:30 for years because it would
00:05:32 take years to get the money together
00:05:34 to build the hall.
00:05:36 And then once they had the money together,
00:05:39 were there enough brothers who could take
00:05:41 the lead in the construction?
00:05:43 Sometimes on a weekend, you’d see
00:05:46 just one or two brothers working away
00:05:48 at the site of the new hall.
00:05:50 You had to love them for their perseverance.
00:05:53 Nowadays,
00:05:54 our Kingdom Hall construction is supervised by the LDCs,
00:05:58 with lots of qualified volunteers,
00:06:00 and practical Kingdom Halls can be constructed in a short period of time.
00:06:05 What about the meetings?
00:06:07 For years, the Theocratic Ministry School, Service Meeting,
00:06:11 Congregation Book Study, and Watchtower Study
00:06:13 were all about an hour in length.
00:06:15 So were the public talks
00:06:17 —when we had them.
00:06:19 Now, at first, a public talk wasn’t scheduled every week.
00:06:23 There’d be a series of four or eight talks,
00:06:26 if you could schedule that many speakers.
00:06:29 And then, for a while, the congregation wouldn’t have a public talk.
00:06:33 Why was that?
00:06:35 Remember,
00:06:36 the Theocratic Ministry School
00:06:38 didn’t get under way until 1943,
00:06:40 and it took time for the brothers to develop
00:06:42 the skills to deliver an hour talk.
00:06:45 But in time, they were delivering
00:06:47 excellent public talks!
00:06:50 And do you remember
00:06:52 when we had individual handbills
00:06:54 for each public talk
00:06:55 with the name of the speaker printed on them?
00:07:00 Until 1959,
00:07:02 only brothers were enrolled in the school.
00:07:05 For some years, during the first few minutes
00:07:07 of the school there was a roll call,
00:07:10 and the names of all the brothers enrolled in the school were read out.
00:07:13 Now, when your name was read out, you were to answer, “Present.”
00:07:18 A few rebels would say, “Here.”
00:07:20 But you were supposed to say, “Present.”
00:07:22 Now, initially, according to the instructions,
00:07:25 if anyone was deliberately
00:07:27 and habitually absent over a period of time,
00:07:30 he was dropped from the school.
00:07:33 Later, that was discontinued.
00:07:36 Now, the roll-call arrangement got me into a bit of trouble.
00:07:41 You see, in our congregation when the roll was being called each week,
00:07:44 I noticed that there were a few young brothers
00:07:46 who were just a little bit older than I was who would answer, “Present.”
00:07:51 So one night after the school, I asked the school servant
00:07:54 if I could have my name read out at the next meeting.
00:07:57 He warmly commended me.
00:07:59 And sure enough, I got my name read out the following week.
00:08:03 Everyone congratulated me after the meeting.
00:08:06 I couldn’t understand why.
00:08:08 I only said, “Present.”
00:08:10 The problem was that I didn’t know that when you got your name read out,
00:08:14 you were agreeing to give a talk.
00:08:16 I thought I was just signing up to have my name read out.
00:08:20 Well, a couple of months later, on April 8, 1953,
00:08:25 I delivered my first eight-minute talk on the theme
00:08:28 “Proclaiming the World’s Doom.”
00:08:32 Now, why an eight-minute talk?
00:08:33 Well, we didn’t have Bible readings yet.
00:08:35 So when you were on the school,
00:08:37 you were giving an eight-minute talk.
00:08:40 Well, today, we make sure everyone understands what’s involved
00:08:45 in being a student in the midweek meeting.
00:08:47 In 1950,
00:08:49 we received the New World Translation
00:08:52 of the Christian Greek Scriptures in English,
00:08:54 and we were encouraged
00:08:55 to bring it to the meetings.
00:08:57 So for the Hebrew Scriptures, you would have the American Standard Version
00:09:00 or the King James Version
00:09:02 —mostly the American Standard Version
00:09:04 because it had Jehovah’s name.
00:09:06 So you’d have two Bibles to bring to the meeting.
00:09:08 There’s the one for the Hebrew Scriptures
00:09:11 and then the New World Translation for the Greek Scriptures—two Bibles.
00:09:14 It wasn’t too bad.
00:09:16 But later, the New World Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures
00:09:20 was released in installments.
00:09:22 So you’d get a volume every year or two.
00:09:25 And as we received each new volume,
00:09:27 we were encouraged to bring it to the meeting.
00:09:30 Now, in time, those volumes started to pile up
00:09:34 so that by 1960,
00:09:36 you might have volumes 1 through 5 of the Hebrew Scriptures,
00:09:40 also the Greek Scriptures, and your regular study aids!
00:09:43 And we had thick study aids in those days.
00:09:46 We had big briefcases and strong backs in those days.
00:09:50 We were really happy to get the complete New World Translation
00:09:54 in just one volume in 1961.
00:09:59 Now, let’s say a word about music.
00:10:01 That’s something that’s near and dear to my heart.
00:10:05 For many years, it was left up to the local servants
00:10:08 to decide which songs the congregation would sing at the meetings.
00:10:11 So the chairman of a particular meeting would select the songs,
00:10:15 but his choice wasn’t always final.
00:10:18 Many Kingdom Halls had a piano
00:10:20 or some other instrument
00:10:22 to accompany the singing.
00:10:23 But often the musician couldn’t play all of the songs in the book,
00:10:27 so we’d have to sing the songs he could play.
00:10:30 We got to know those few songs really well!
00:10:34 But those humble musicians did their best to accompany our singing.
00:10:39 Now, as a result of all this,
00:10:41 the words to those songs we sang nearly 70 years ago
00:10:44 still come readily to mind.
00:10:48 Do you remember the written review?
00:10:51 Maybe you don’t.
00:10:53 Congregations periodically
00:10:55 had a written review of material that had been covered
00:10:58 in the Theocratic Ministry School over the previous weeks.
00:11:00 Now, we had a half hour to answer
00:11:03 about 25 questions.
00:11:05 But then, when the half hour was up,
00:11:07 we would write our name on the paper,
00:11:10 hand it in to the school servant,
00:11:13 and he would take all the papers home to grade them.
00:11:16 Now, if there were 25 questions, you’d get 4 points apiece
00:11:20 for each correct answer—100 points total.
00:11:23 And then a week later, he’d return the papers to us at the meeting.
00:11:27 Now, in the early years of the arrangement (I remember well),
00:11:31 he’d announce the highest and lowest grade to the congregation.
00:11:36 Now, thankfully, he didn’t mention the names
00:11:38 of the one who got the highest and lowest score.
00:11:41 Well, later, that arrangement to announce
00:11:43 the highest and lowest grade was discontinued.
00:11:46 Do you remember when circuit assemblies
00:11:49 began on Friday evening
00:11:51 and continued through Sunday afternoon?
00:11:53 A full program
00:11:54 was presented Saturday afternoon and evening.
00:11:58 There was never a dull moment
00:12:00 on Saturday night.
00:12:01 There were lively demonstrations
00:12:03 that kept our interest
00:12:04 right up to the end of the program.
00:12:07 Sometimes the sets were very elaborate.
00:12:11 For example, suppose a publisher was demonstrating
00:12:14 a presentation from door to door.
00:12:16 Now, today we’d just imagine there was a door.
00:12:20 But back then at the circuit assembly,
00:12:23 there might be a frame with a painted door on the stage,
00:12:27 and maybe even a doorbell for the publisher to ring.
00:12:30 Now, if the householder was supposed to be interested,
00:12:33 you knew it because the house number was 777.
00:12:38 And if the householder was going to be opposed,
00:12:40 you knew that as well because the house number would be 666.
00:12:45 Now, on one program that I remember,
00:12:47 the publisher knocks on the door and a brother dressed as a priest answers.
00:12:52 He puts up a real argument about the Trinity.
00:12:55 Talk about visual aids
00:12:57 —but you never forgot what you saw and heard!
00:13:03 And do you remember when each congregation had a congregation servant
00:13:07 and up to seven other servants:
00:13:09 the assistant congregation servant, the Bible study servant,
00:13:13 the accounts servant, the Watchtower study servant,
00:13:16 the magazine-territory servant, the literature servant,
00:13:19 and the Theocratic Ministry School servant?
00:13:21 Now, at that time, apart from book study conductors,
00:13:24 you couldn’t have more than eight servants in the congregation.
00:13:29 So unless someone moved,
00:13:32 a young man had no chance of becoming a servant.
00:13:36 So how could a young man reach out for more responsibility?
00:13:40 And how would the prophecy recorded
00:13:43 at Micah 5:5 ever be fulfilled?
00:13:47 There Jehovah promised:
00:13:49 “We will raise up against him seven shepherds,
00:13:52 yes, eight princes of mankind.”
00:13:56 Well, seven represents completeness.
00:13:58 So eight princes—that would indicate
00:14:01 that there would be more than enough men in the congregations
00:14:04 to provide theocratic direction.
00:14:06 But how could that be when there was basically
00:14:09 a limit of eight servants per congregation?
00:14:13 The answer came in 1971.
00:14:16 We were thrilled when we understood
00:14:18 that each congregation has a body of elders,
00:14:21 and there is no set number of elders or ministerial servants.
00:14:25 As many as are qualified can be appointed.
00:14:30 Now, when I was baptized 66 years ago,
00:14:34 you didn’t have to be approved for baptism by the congregation.
00:14:38 The only questions asked of baptism candidates
00:14:42 were the two they answered at the conclusion of the baptism talk.
00:14:46 That led to a few strange situations.
00:14:49 On a few occasions
00:14:51 —much to the surprise of the servants—
00:14:53 someone would rush up
00:14:55 to the front of the hall at the end
00:14:56 of the baptism talk,
00:14:57 answer the two questions,
00:14:59 and get baptized.
00:15:02 Something more was needed
00:15:04 —assurance that the individual really knew what he was doing
00:15:08 and especially that he was living in harmony with Scriptural principles.
00:15:12 So in 1967,
00:15:15 questions were provided so that the responsible brothers
00:15:19 could be assured that each candidate was truly qualified for baptism.
00:15:24 Those questions have been refined over the years.
00:15:27 And today, we go over some 60 questions
00:15:31 with baptism candidates.
00:15:33 The copper has turned to gold.
00:15:37 Do you remember when there were
00:15:38 very few pictures in our publications?
00:15:41 And the few that we had
00:15:42 were usually in black and white
00:15:44 or only two colors.
00:15:46 Today, our spiritual food
00:15:48 is served in attractive publications
00:15:51 in full color.
00:15:54 Now, those of us who’ve served
00:15:56 in foreign-language congregations will also remember
00:15:58 when a new publication in English
00:16:00 might not be available in another language for several years.
00:16:05 Study articles trailed by several months.
00:16:09 Now, that’s before it became possible for the branches
00:16:12 to do simultaneous printing.
00:16:14 So here’s how it worked.
00:16:15 Material in English would be mailed to the branches
00:16:19 by regular mail for translation.
00:16:21 If the translators had a question about the meaning of a sentence in English,
00:16:26 they would use regular mail to send their question to headquarters.
00:16:30 In time, headquarters would answer back by regular mail.
00:16:34 This back and forth —it could take quite a while.
00:16:37 And in some countries, mail service was poor.
00:16:42 Now, today, thanks to special computer programs
00:16:45 that our brothers have developed
00:16:47 and the ability to communicate electronically
00:16:49 and some other factors, we’re able to release
00:16:52 most language editions simultaneously with the English.
00:16:56 What an improvement!
00:16:59 Now, speaking of our literature,
00:17:02 do you realize that it’s been some 31 years
00:17:06 since the decision was made that in the United States
00:17:09 we’d no longer ask for a contribution for our literature?
00:17:12 Later, the arrangement was extended worldwide.
00:17:16 That’s been a real blessing for our brothers!
00:17:20 For example,
00:17:22 when we were asking for contributions for literature,
00:17:25 some brothers in Africa and other places
00:17:28 couldn’t afford to have a Watchtower for every member of the family.
00:17:32 They were just too poor.
00:17:35 And what about bound books?
00:17:38 I’ll tell you an experience.
00:17:40 In one African country, a missionary noticed
00:17:43 that a young brother quoted a wide variety of scriptures
00:17:46 in his comments, and he got curious.
00:17:48 One day, he asked the young brother,
00:17:50 “How did you come to know so many scriptures?”
00:17:53 The brother replied: “It’s the Reasoning book.
00:17:56 I read it every chance I get.”
00:18:00 The missionary asked him, “What do you mean
00:18:02 you read it every chance you get?”
00:18:05 Well, he replied: “I don’t have a Reasoning book myself.
00:18:09 “I could never afford one.
00:18:11 “But I know a sister who has one,
00:18:13 “and she lets me borrow it from time to time.
00:18:16 I read it every chance I get.”
00:18:21 Well, you can imagine,
00:18:23 the missionary went out and bought him a Reasoning book
00:18:26 and a New World Translation for good measure.
00:18:29 It was a great investment.
00:18:32 The young brother was later called into Bethel,
00:18:34 and where do you think he was assigned?
00:18:36 To the literature department.
00:18:39 The brothers knew that he appreciated the literature so much
00:18:43 that he’d make sure the congregations had the literature they needed.
00:18:49 Well, looking back,
00:18:51 we can see that the arrangements back then served a purpose.
00:18:54 They were like fine copper.
00:18:57 We do not look down on them.
00:19:00 Rather, we take the view expressed
00:19:02 at Zechariah 4:10:
00:19:05 “Who has despised the day
00:19:08 of small beginnings?”
00:19:10 Now, as those taking the lead saw a better way of doing things,
00:19:14 they didn’t hesitate to make adjustments.
00:19:17 That’s very faith-strengthening.
00:19:19 And the best is yet to come!
00:19:24 As I mentioned in the beginning,
00:19:26 this may be the first time that some of you have heard about these things.
00:19:30 Why not ask someone who has been in the truth for many years
00:19:33 what it was like when he was new in the truth?
00:19:35 That could lead to a very stimulating discussion!
00:19:40 Thank you
00:19:42 for those historical insights, David.
00:19:45 When you think about
00:19:47 how much has changed just in our lifetimes,
00:19:51 you really see how Jehovah
00:19:53 keeps improving his organization.
00:19:57 Next, we have a great example
00:20:00 of someone who has seen all of the changes
00:20:04 we’ve talked about and more: John Mills.
00:20:09 Let’s see how he has faithfully served Jehovah
00:20:12 through multiple assignments and challenges.
00:20:20 I was raised with three sisters, and my mom was in the truth.
00:20:27 I remember sitting on the sofa
00:20:29 and just talking about spiritual things with my mom.
00:20:34 And she taught us to appreciate any assignment that we had
00:20:38 —to see it as something very special.
00:20:42 Pioneering was my life.
00:20:48 Gilead to me was a way to give to others
00:20:50 —to be very busy in service.
00:20:53 I prayed to Jehovah.
00:20:54 I said, “I really want to go to Gilead
00:20:56 but, if it’s possible, to have a wife too.”
00:21:01 And I just thought, ‘Boy, are you pushy!’
00:21:05 You know, and so—
00:21:08 But Jehovah gave me that.
00:21:10 I went to Gilead.
00:21:13 And to my amazement,
00:21:17 there was the most lovely, spiritual sister,
00:21:23 a student in the same class, Lois.
00:21:28 I met her and was able to marry her
00:21:31 one week after Gilead.
00:21:35 Arriving as a newlywed couple
00:21:37 in a missionary home with seven other people
00:21:42 was quite daunting.
00:21:44 But we didn’t let that faze us; we were on our honeymoon.
00:21:49 Colombia was a paradise spiritually.
00:21:52 We loved it so much!
00:21:54 This was the kind of life we wanted.
00:21:59 Lois was a great teacher in the ministry.
00:22:04 I always enjoyed working with her; she was actually a great support for me.
00:22:12 Obviously, Colombia had its risks.
00:22:14 I remember in the mornings, sometimes it got to the point when
00:22:18 I would look at Lois and she would look at me and we’d just say,
00:22:22 “If I don’t see you, see you in the Paradise,” you know?
00:22:28 Colombia became our home.
00:22:31 We traveled the length and breadth
00:22:33 of the country in our different assignments.
00:22:37 We had been over 20 years in Colombia when it became very evident
00:22:41 that Lois’s mom would need our care.
00:22:46 This, of course, would mean leaving our assignment.
00:22:52 It almost tore my heart apart to leave Colombia.
00:22:56 I felt I was abandoning so many privileges
00:23:01 and my treasured assignment.
00:23:06 In the U.S.A.,
00:23:08 we were working as a team,
00:23:12 and I could see Lois really organized,
00:23:16 making the best of the situation.
00:23:19 Helping her mom
00:23:21 was really the source,
00:23:24 in a way, of her deep joy.
00:23:27 Helping others was just a way of life
00:23:30 to Lois.
00:23:32 It doesn’t matter what privilege you have
00:23:36 and what responsibility;
00:23:39 true happiness
00:23:43 is always found in giving.
00:23:47 Really, Lois got very ill.
00:23:51 Lois never cried about her illness
00:23:53 or felt sorry for herself.
00:23:55 She always was focused on others
00:23:59 and would give of herself, even
00:24:03 within the pain of illness.
00:24:08 Now that Lois has passed,
00:24:11 many times I think of her example,
00:24:16 and it just motivates me to carry on.
00:24:21 Here at the Central America branch
00:24:24 I am surrounded by such a loving family.
00:24:28 I resolved when
00:24:31 I went through this situation
00:24:34 with losing my wife to find others
00:24:39 that were in similar situations
00:24:42 and maybe sit down for a coffee.
00:24:46 Just that fellow feeling
00:24:49 of just being able
00:24:51 to show interest and to encourage
00:24:54 another person is a great joy
00:24:58 that I personally find one of the most helpful things
00:25:03 to endure trials.
00:25:09 John’s life of faithful service reminds me
00:25:14 of the truth found at 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4:
00:25:19 “[Jehovah] comforts us in all our trials
00:25:24 “so that we may be able to comfort others
00:25:27 “in any sort of trial with the comfort
00:25:32 that we receive from God.”
00:25:36 Have you ever wondered
00:25:39 why we sing at our meetings?
00:25:42 or why we attend conventions, usually in the summer?
00:25:49 Many who are young in years or new in the truth
00:25:53 may not be familiar with certain aspects of our history.
00:25:57 Yet, this rich spiritual history
00:26:01 is your heritage,
00:26:03 and we want you to become acquainted with it.
00:26:07 So the Governing Body
00:26:10 has approved the development of a new series:
00:26:15 Our History in Motion.
00:26:18 Each segment will look at an aspect
00:26:22 of our worship through time,
00:26:25 similar to what David shared with us earlier.
00:26:28 The series will help us see
00:26:31 that our worship is rooted,
00:26:33 not in tradition or custom,
00:26:36 but in the truth found in God’s Word.
00:26:42 Now, for our first episode,
00:26:45 it looks at the history of singing praises to Jehovah.
00:26:54 It was made in secret,
00:26:56 hidden in the lining of a jacket,
00:27:00 and then smuggled out of the country.
00:27:03 What was it?
00:27:05 A recording of brothers and sisters in Siberia
00:27:09 singing Kingdom songs.
00:27:12 They sent it from one side of the earth to the other
00:27:15 to be played at the 1958 international convention in New York
00:27:20 for an audience of more than 250,000 people.
00:27:26 Why is singing so important to Jehovah’s Witnesses?
00:27:31 Let’s find out in this episode of Our History in Motion.
00:27:45 Jehovah’s worshippers
00:27:47 have long praised him with song.
00:27:50 But how did singing become
00:27:52 a part of our modern-day worship?
00:27:55 The story begins more than 150 years ago.
00:27:59 The year is about 1869
00:28:02 in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
00:28:06 Charles Taze Russell
00:28:08 is a young man searching for Scriptural truth.
00:28:11 One evening he’s walking along and hears something
00:28:16 —singing coming from a religious meeting being held in a basement.
00:28:20 He goes in, and what he hears sparks a fire
00:28:25 for Bible study like never before.
00:28:28 Later, Russell and his associates
00:28:31 make music’s role in pure worship clear
00:28:34 as they rediscover Bible truth.
00:28:37 Charles Taze Russell
00:28:39 may have come to appreciate
00:28:42 how the power of music can stir emotions
00:28:45 from a music business that his father owned for a period of time.
00:28:49 He believed that “the singing of the truth
00:28:53 “is a good way to get it into the heads
00:28:56 and hearts of God’s people.”
00:29:00 The first issue of Zion’s Watch Tower,
00:29:03 published in July of 1879,
00:29:06 announced a songbook
00:29:08 —the first of many to come.
00:29:11 It was called Songs of the Bride.
00:29:13 It contained 144 hymns,
00:29:17 or religious songs of praise.
00:29:20 The Bible Students sang at their meetings and assemblies.
00:29:24 What was it like to sing these songs back in the early 1900’s?
00:29:29 Imagine that you’re at one of Charles Taze Russell’s lectures.
00:29:33 As you walk in, you’re handed a small sheet of paper.
00:29:38 You look for a seat, but it’s packed.
00:29:41 As the crowd quiets down,
00:29:43 they announce that the meeting will start with a song and prayer.
00:29:48 In a church, you expect to find a hymn book in your pew,
00:29:52 but this is a rented hall.
00:29:54 Then you realize that the paper you were handed
00:29:57 has the song lyrics,
00:29:59 and it also has a place to leave your name and address
00:30:03 if you’d like a Bible study.
00:30:05 So when the audience starts to sing, you join in.
00:30:10 What did songs sound like back then?
00:30:14 Let’s listen to a song we sang for over eight decades.
00:30:19 Here’s a recording from 1916.
00:30:28 That’s a little different than how
00:30:30 our songs sound today.
00:30:32 Compare different versions of this song,
00:30:36 and you’ll notice that the lyrics
00:30:38 and theme changed over the years.
00:30:41 Here’s a version of “All Hail”
00:30:43 by the Watch Tower Male Quartet in 1935.
00:30:59 In our first songbook this song was called
00:31:02 “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,”
00:31:04 which was about, well,
00:31:06 the power of Jesus’ name
00:31:08 with zero mention of Jehovah.
00:31:11 You see, many songs prior to this
00:31:14 were adapted from existing church hymns.
00:31:17 Now here’s the same song in 1950.
00:31:21 Instead of the lyrics
00:31:23 overemphasizing Jesus’ name,
00:31:25 the lyrics refer to “making known God’s will”
00:31:29 and mention Jehovah by name.
00:31:37 Why all the changes?
00:31:40 Because our songs reflect
00:31:42 our current understanding of Scriptural truth.
00:31:46 As the light gets brighter,
00:31:48 we understand the truth more clearly,
00:31:50 so the songs change.
00:31:53 Our first songbook explained
00:31:55 explained the goal to publish
00:31:57 “songs free from objectionable theology,”
00:32:01 and it’s been the case ever since.
00:32:05 We don’t hold on to songs
00:32:07 for tradition or nostalgia.
00:32:10 We sing them because it’s the truth!
00:32:15 From the 1928 songbook onward,
00:32:18 there was a big shift.
00:32:20 Many songs were written by our brothers and sisters.
00:32:23 They put more emphasis on Jehovah’s name,
00:32:27 his attributes, and his Kingdom.
00:32:30 You can even tell by the title
00:32:32 Songs of Praise to Jehovah.
00:32:35 Some of the songs might even sound familiar,
00:32:38 like this one.
00:32:52 Are your parents in the truth?
00:32:54 your grandparents?
00:32:55 even your great-grandparents?
00:32:57 If so, they sang the same song as you
00:33:02 at their meetings and assemblies.
00:33:04 That’s a real legacy!
00:33:08 Let’s fast-forward to the 1940’s.
00:33:11 Some of our brothers were imprisoned for their faith.
00:33:14 The world was at war and needed good news.
00:33:18 So we intensified
00:33:20 our preaching and teaching work.
00:33:22 This is when the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead
00:33:24 and the Theocratic Ministry School started,
00:33:27 and it’s also when singing was reintroduced at our meetings.
00:33:33 Wait a minute!
00:33:35 Reintroduced?
00:33:37 That means we stopped singing at meetings.
00:33:41 When?
00:33:43 Find out in the next episode
00:33:45 of Our History in Motion.
00:33:57 Well, that’s a cliff-hanger!
00:34:00 Would you like to know
00:34:03 why we stopped singing for a time?
00:34:07 You’ll want to watch the second part of this video.
00:34:11 It will be posted soon on jw.org.
00:34:15 And look for future episodes
00:34:18 of Our History in Motion.
00:34:23 Many years ago,
00:34:25 Awake! magazine
00:34:27 published the story of Elizabeth Balnave.
00:34:31 Elizabeth explains
00:34:34 why she made a major career decision.
00:34:38 How did that decision affect her life?
00:34:42 Let’s find out in this episode
00:34:45 of Where Are They Now?
00:34:53 As a child, I dreamed
00:34:55 of becoming a ballerina.
00:34:58 I trained as a ballet dancer from childhood.
00:35:01 I was taught to give complete obedience to the artistic director,
00:35:05 absolute loyalty to the dance company,
00:35:09 and to put ballet before everything else in my life.
00:35:14 I finally realized there’s no way to get ahead in this world
00:35:18 without compromise.
00:35:21 It just can’t be done.
00:35:23 Such a life is empty and unsatisfying.
00:35:31 The problem is, once you get into that,
00:35:34 you get lulled in by that glamour and glitz.
00:35:38 Now, down the road when you finally see the trap
00:35:42 and what you got into, it’s very hard to get out.
00:35:45 And I always tell young people, you know,
00:35:48 that it doesn’t matter how good everything seems; it doesn’t matter how great.
00:35:52 There’s always a string attached—always.
00:35:56 And then one day, you’re going to wake up and it’s a rope.
00:35:59 And you can’t cut a rope that easily
00:36:03 —meaning you can’t get out of the situation
00:36:05 once Satan has you trapped in it.
00:36:08 And it happens without you even realizing it.
00:36:11 Ballet is discipline,
00:36:14 and I had to figure out a way
00:36:16 to take that skill
00:36:19 and transfer it into my everyday life.
00:36:21 It took some time, but I finally figured it out,
00:36:23 because it’s not a waste.
00:36:24 It’s good.
00:36:25 But what I had to learn was to get out of my comfort zone.
00:36:31 We were in Bethel until 1987.
00:36:34 Jack had a job lined up when we left Bethel, and that was good.
00:36:38 I couldn’t get a job because of my physical health issues.
00:36:43 I probably was in bed for about five months.
00:36:46 Eventually, I started feeling better,
00:36:49 and that’s when I realized how bad the medical bills were getting.
00:36:53 I just dragged myself out of bed and went and looked for a part-time job.
00:36:57 Obviously, through all of this, Jack and I just kept praying.
00:37:01 We knew Jehovah would take care of us.
00:37:02 No question about that.
00:37:04 Eventually, I did get a job at a law firm.
00:37:08 It was a good job.
00:37:09 I actually lasted there 30 years.
00:37:12 Absolutely Jehovah blessed me,
00:37:14 and I believe what he was blessing were my efforts.
00:37:17 I didn’t quit, and I refused to compromise.
00:37:22 When I started seeing that I was really learning this new skill
00:37:26 and I was getting good at it,
00:37:28 that’s when I sat down and I said: “Well, Jehovah, I have this new skill.
00:37:31 I want to be able to use it for you.”
00:37:33 One thing led to another, and I became
00:37:35 a commuter Bethelite for the Legal Department.
00:37:38 I’d say that about 11 years after I had left Bethel,
00:37:41 I was working and all of a sudden, I got sick again with the same thing
00:37:45 —complete rapid loss of weight and all the weakness came back.
00:37:49 I was eventually diagnosed as having celiac disease.
00:37:53 So once I changed my diet, I just started getting better and better.
00:37:57 I stayed with the law firm until 2014,
00:38:00 and then my husband and I retired and moved to another part of the country.
00:38:04 And now, currently, I’m a remote Bethel consultant.
00:38:09 If you slave for the world, you really are a slave.
00:38:11 If you slave for Jehovah,
00:38:13 in my opinion, you’re not slaving at all.
00:38:16 You couldn’t have a better partnership
00:38:19 than you and Jehovah, and that’s how I view it.
00:38:23 And you’re never going to experience Jehovah to the full
00:38:27 unless you put yourself out there for him to use.
00:38:30 I’ve had a wonderful life
00:38:33 of extraordinary spiritual privileges.
00:38:36 There’s no career in the world that is ever going to come close to that.
00:38:48 Wouldn’t you say that resilience
00:38:51 is one of the qualities that has helped Elizabeth?
00:38:55 What can each of us do
00:38:58 to be more resilient?
00:39:01 Notice three practical suggestions
00:39:04 in this morning worship presented by Brother Gajus Glockentin.
00:39:12 Mary kept listening to what Jesus was saying.
00:39:15 How commendable!
00:39:17 She set the right priorities
00:39:19 and is a good example for us.
00:39:22 Martha, her sister, however,
00:39:24 received loving correction from Jesus,
00:39:26 as our printed comment puts it.
00:39:29 Now let us, today, put ourselves in the shoes of Martha for a moment.
00:39:34 She showed great interest in supporting Jesus
00:39:38 by providing him a base during his ministry
00:39:42 in the difficult area of Judea.
00:39:44 Now this time,
00:39:46 Mary and Martha were probably working together
00:39:50 to prepare things for Jesus.
00:39:52 But after Jesus arrived, Mary stopped helping as our text indicates.
00:39:57 How did Martha feel about it?
00:40:00 Now she had to care for everything herself.
00:40:04 Can we imagine the tension rising
00:40:07 within Martha’s heart?
00:40:09 The stress level is increased,
00:40:12 and her dear sister sits and listens to Jesus.
00:40:18 So she asked Jesus to correct Mary,
00:40:21 to order her back to work.
00:40:24 But to her surprise, she, Martha, received counsel from Jesus.
00:40:30 How would we feel in such a situation?
00:40:32 We are doing something well-intentioned
00:40:35 and, yet, instead of commendation, we receive counsel.
00:40:39 Maybe our eyes filled with tears.
00:40:43 We feel the pain in our chest.
00:40:46 We might think we can’t breathe anymore.
00:40:49 Did Martha think for a moment, replying to Jesus, saying:
00:40:53 “This is not fair!
00:40:55 “I am doing everything to support you, and now this.
00:40:57 “You know, from now on, I am listening too,
00:41:00 and I am curious to find out who prepares the meals for you.”
00:41:07 Of course, we don’t know what Martha thought and said.
00:41:12 But what we do know, as our printed comment puts it,
00:41:16 she took to heart Jesus’ loving correction.
00:41:20 What can help us to overcome such a painful moment
00:41:24 and to progress?
00:41:26 The term often used in this connection
00:41:29 is “resilience.”
00:41:31 People who are resilient are able to recover easily and quickly
00:41:36 from unpleasant and damaging events.
00:41:39 It is like the ability of this piece of metal
00:41:43 to tolerate pressure
00:41:45 and go back to its original form.
00:41:50 Let us, therefore, look at three factors that make us resilient
00:41:54 and different from those who easily give up and surrender.
00:41:59 Now, the first factor is facing reality
00:42:04 —facing reality.
00:42:07 Let us, please, open to Proverbs chapter 28.
00:42:10 The question we are asking ourselves in a difficult moment is this:
00:42:15 ‘Do I truly understand and accept the reality of my situation?’
00:42:21 Here, at Proverbs 28:26,
00:42:24 it starts by saying:
00:42:27 “Whoever trusts in his own heart
00:42:31 is stupid.”
00:42:34 We might tend to put on emotional blinders
00:42:38 and see only what we want to see.
00:42:40 Many people slip into denial as a coping mechanism.
00:42:45 However, the Proverb continues in the second part, saying:
00:42:50 “But the one who walks in wisdom
00:42:54 will escape.”
00:42:56 This means seeing things the way they are.
00:43:01 Facing reality
00:43:04 —really facing reality is grueling work.
00:43:07 Indeed, it can be unpleasant
00:43:10 and often emotionally wrenching.
00:43:13 The apostle Peter had this experience
00:43:16 when Jesus looked at him after Peter had denied him three times.
00:43:21 Peter faced reality, went outside,
00:43:24 broke down, and wept bitterly.
00:43:27 For sure, he was not looking for any excuses.
00:43:31 This experience, as well as other situations where he received counsel,
00:43:35 helped him to make progress and to fulfill his assignments even better.
00:43:41 Now, what is the second factor?
00:43:44 We call it “meaning-making.”
00:43:48 We might know people who under pressure threw up their hands
00:43:52 and cried and said, “Why is this happening to me?”
00:43:57 Such people see themselves as victims,
00:44:00 and living through hardship does not teach them any lessons.
00:44:05 We, however, based on our Bible knowledge,
00:44:08 understand why difficulties and challenging situations
00:44:11 are sometimes unavoidable.
00:44:13 Seeing the bigger picture adds meaning.
00:44:17 This helps us, as a resilient person,
00:44:20 not only to endure an unpleasant situation or a new circumstance
00:44:24 but also to look at seeming obstacles
00:44:28 and see an opportunity in it.
00:44:32 We all know that no one is perfect.
00:44:36 Everyone fails at something sometime.
00:44:40 So our choice is the manner in which we respond.
00:44:45 We are actively trying to make the best out of it,
00:44:49 looking ahead rather than behind,
00:44:53 setting goals —maybe new goals.
00:44:56 We might remember how Brother Harold King
00:44:59 showed this resilient disposition
00:45:02 when he was in solitary confinement.
00:45:04 How did he give meaning to his difficult situation
00:45:08 by making the best out of it?
00:45:10 He said:
00:45:12 “I arranged for a program of ‘preaching’ activity.
00:45:16 “But to whom does one preach when in solitary confinement?
00:45:21 “I decided that I would build up some appropriate Bible sermons
00:45:25 “from the things I could remember
00:45:27 and then preach to imaginary characters.”
00:45:33 So in our context, we can say
00:45:35 meaning-making is like building a bridge
00:45:38 from present day hardships to a better future.
00:45:42 By means of this bridge,
00:45:44 we make a difficult situation manageable.
00:45:47 We remove the sense that the present is overwhelming.
00:45:53 Now let’s look at the third factor:
00:45:56 a balanced view of ourselves.
00:46:00 Well, we said at the beginning that we have to face reality
00:46:04 which can go along with feelings of sadness and disappointment.
00:46:07 As resilient people,
00:46:09 we don’t take a failure
00:46:11 or a challenging situation personally.
00:46:16 Let us, please, open to Romans chapter 7,
00:46:19 because we want to demonstrate this point
00:46:21 by means of the example of the apostle Paul.
00:46:25 At times, he felt discouraged over his weaknesses.
00:46:30 Here in chapter 7,
00:46:32 he describes the pain of conscience
00:46:35 that he suffered because of feeling captive to sin.
00:46:40 But then in verse 24,
00:46:43 he cries out, saying:
00:46:45 “Miserable man that I am!”
00:46:51 Evidently, though, Paul realized
00:46:55 that his imperfection did not define him.
00:46:59 Nine years later,
00:47:01 in his second letter to his friend Timothy,
00:47:04 shortly before his death,
00:47:06 he stated his personal conclusion of the matter
00:47:10 here at 2 Timothy 4:7.
00:47:14 He said:
00:47:17 “I have fought the fine fight,
00:47:21 “I have run the race to the finish,
00:47:26 I have observed the faith.”
00:47:31 Paul’s problems and inner struggle did not miraculously disappear.
00:47:36 Still, it did not prevent him
00:47:39 from accomplishing remarkable things in Jehovah’s service.
00:47:43 So, therefore, we do not berate ourselves
00:47:46 with self-defeating language,
00:47:48 such as “I’m a failure”
00:47:50 or “I’m useless.”
00:47:54 Reflecting on positive aspects of our lives
00:47:57 and reflecting on our strengths
00:47:59 helps us to maintain a balanced view of ourselves.
00:48:04 So in conclusion,
00:48:06 the experience of Martha reminded us today
00:48:10 of the importance of building
00:48:12 and maintaining resilience
00:48:15 by facing reality,
00:48:18 meaning-making,
00:48:21 and maintaining a balanced view of ourselves.
00:48:26 The Bible contains wonderful descriptions
00:48:30 of how life will be in Paradise.
00:48:34 As our new music video shows,
00:48:37 visualizing these future blessings
00:48:40 brings joy to our heart.
00:48:55 I close my eyes, and I can see A world of peace, love, and harmony.
00:49:06 Come with me, And you’ll see.
00:49:11 You will see.
00:49:18 It’s not a dream, as I’m sure you know. These things God promised so long ago
00:49:27 Are guaranteed, Sure to be.
00:49:32 You will see.
00:49:39 Look around— There’s joy and laughter in ev’ry sound.
00:49:50 Look and see— This is the way our God meant it to be.
00:50:01 Those who fell asleep along the way, They live again; we see them ev’ry day.
00:50:11 Come with me, And you’ll see.
00:50:16 You will see.
00:50:48 The pain and crying there used to be Has gone forever; now it’s history.
00:50:57 Come with me, And you’ll see.
00:51:02 You will see.
00:51:10 Look around— There’s joy and laughter in ev’ry sound.
00:51:20 Look and see— This is the way our God meant it to be.
00:51:31 Jehovah’s word is enough for me. With eyes of faith, it’s reality.
00:51:42 As we see What’s in store,
00:51:49 You can be sure Until the moon is no more,
00:51:57 When you—
00:52:00 Close your eyes and come with me To God’s world of peace and harmony.
00:52:10 Come with me, And you’ll see.
00:52:16 You will see.
00:52:27 What a beautiful song and video!
00:52:31 In our program,
00:52:33 we looked back at theocratic history,
00:52:36 not to be nostalgic, but to remind us
00:52:40 that Jehovah continually improves his organization,
00:52:45 just as he promised.
00:52:47 We debuted an exciting new series,
00:52:50 Our History in Motion,
00:52:54 and saw the essential role that singing plays in our worship.
00:52:59 We learned
00:53:00 how Jehovah blesses those
00:53:03 who serve him.
00:53:05 Elizabeth gave up
00:53:06 a glamorous career
00:53:09 but gained spiritual treasures.
00:53:11 And we saw that although John
00:53:13 has experienced many difficulties,
00:53:16 Jehovah has helped him
00:53:18 maintain his joy by helping others.
00:53:21 Before we conclude,
00:53:25 let’s enjoy our video postcard.
00:53:29 This month,
00:53:31 we visit our brothers in Ecuador.
00:53:35 As its name suggests,
00:53:37 Ecuador is situated on earth’s equator.
00:53:42 It stretches from the Galapagos Islands
00:53:45 to the Andes Mountains
00:53:47 and the Amazon River basin.
00:53:50 This is Mount Chimborazo.
00:53:54 Measured from the center of the earth,
00:53:56 it’s the highest point on our planet
00:53:58 because of the bulging of the earth at its equator.
00:54:01 This train line was carved into the Andes more than a century ago.
00:54:06 It was used by the first missionaries
00:54:09 who arrived in 1946.
00:54:12 Today, more than 100,000
00:54:16 of Jehovah’s Witnesses proclaim the good news in Ecuador.
00:54:19 Nearly 300,000 people attended the Memorial in 2020.
00:54:24 The Chontapunta Quichua Congregation
00:54:27 began as an isolated group.
00:54:30 To support themselves, our brothers raise flowers
00:54:33 and even pan for gold.
00:54:35 But their zeal is for the ministry.
00:54:39 They go to great lengths to bear thorough witness in their territory.
00:54:43 Where bridges aren’t available, they find a way.
00:54:46 They use two boats, named Enoc
00:54:49 and Enoc 2, to reach remote Quichua-speaking communities.
00:54:54 Remote communities have poor cellular service.
00:54:57 That doesn’t stop this Bible student.
00:55:00 Look what he does to get a good signal
00:55:02 so he can join meetings and have his study.
00:55:05 To reach those without cellular service,
00:55:08 the brothers use a high-frequency radio
00:55:11 to conduct return visits and Bible studies.
00:55:15 Our brothers have arranged for talks and the Memorial to be given in Waorani,
00:55:19 an indigenous language that’s not yet translated.
00:55:21 This little girl, whose family is part of the congregation,
00:55:25 shares videos with Waorani-speaking children.
00:55:28 She is four years old!
00:55:32 Our dear brothers and sisters
00:55:35 from the Chontapunta Quichua Congregation in Ecuador
00:55:38 send their love and greetings
00:55:41 to the worldwide brotherhood.
00:55:45 Leon, my friend,
00:55:47 I want to thank you so very much for helping out with this program.
00:55:50 I really appreciated the help.
00:55:53 And together, we send all of you our warm Christian love.
00:55:58 From the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses,
00:56:01 this is JW Broadcasting!
