Questions to ask your Jehovah's Witness Bible Study Conductor. Questions to ask your Jehovah's Witness Bible Study Conductor.pdf

Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, was born on Dec. 23, 1805 in Vermont, USA. In 1820 (aged 14 years) he allegedly received a vision: “...I asked the personages (demons?) who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right- and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the personage (demon?) who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight...”. Pearl of Great Price 2:18,19. He claims a second vision on Sept. 21, 1823 where “a personage (demon?) appeared at my bedside” to inform him of the location of a box containing golden plates buried at Manchester, New York. In 1827 Smith claimed to receive the golden plates upon which the Book of Mormon is alleged to have been written. He claimed to have finished translating the plates on March 26, 1830. On April 6, 1830, at Fayette, New York, the Mormon church was organised, with 6 members. They then moved to Kirtland (Cleveland), Ohio, publishing the book “Doctrines and Covenants”. Smith was imprisoned in Far West, Missouri, for fighting. After escaping, he and his people fled to Nauvoo, Illinois, where he organised a small army. When a local paper, the “Nauvoo Expositor”, published anti-Mormon material, Smith ordered the press destroyed and the paper burned. This act of destruction led to Smith’s arrest and imprisonment. He was sent to a jail in Carthage, Illinois, with his brother Hyrum. On June 27, 1844, a mob of 200 people stormed the jail, shooting and killing Joseph and Hyrum Smith. The Mormons consider him a martyr. Brigham Young then took over the leadership. He led the group westward to found Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 24, 1847, which became their headquarters. When Young died in 1877, they had 150,000 members.

JWs believe that God set up the Watchtower Society as His visible representative on earth. JWs are constantly reminded that people are utterly unable to know the true meaning of Scripture without the Society and its vast literature. JWs are expected to obey the WT as the voice of God. (Watchtower, 15 June 57, p 370). The WT says, ‘We must recognize not only Jehovah God as our Father, but his organisation as our Mother.’ (Watchtower, 1 May 57, p 274). JWs are not to think for themselves to interpret the Bible. They are to submit their minds to the Watchtower (WT). If a JW disobeys WT instructions, they assume that he is ‘apostate’, and the punishment is ‘disfellowshipping’, whereby his WT friends are forbidden to talk to him. This fear of disfellowshipping is one of the WT’s most effective means of keeping members obedient to its teachings.