As a shy 17-year-old going door to door with my newfound "friends" the JWs, I would have loved the COVID-alternative the WatchTower Society has come up with more recently - sending letters in place of personal door knocks.

I've read here of people receiving them. I just got my first one, from "volunteer Bible students". That is a term I haven't heard from present-day JWs before. Volunteers they ain't when it comes to proselytizing, which is seen as an imperative for every member. "Bible students" is what Witnesses were called back in the day with the founder and subsequent early leaders. Then they switched to being "publishers" (of the 'Good News').

It is a command from on high to be active in missionary work. Door-to-door preaching was a routine weekend activity for the faithful when I was involved. It does seem to have slowed down over the years and given way to other methods or perhaps less emphasis on regular neighbourhood canvassing as we were expected to do. I've only had one interaction with door-to-door JWs in the last decade. We've discussed here their newer method of putting up a magazine/book stand on street corners and not approaching passersby as they used to do. I found it mortifying to engage in either method, door to door or street corner, and would have been much happier with the magazine stand technique. You can just stand there and yak to your partner and not feel so exposed and vulnerable and shunned by the public. I was terribly shy and it was hard to take people's reactions at both extremes, the indifference or the hostility with which we were mostly met. Very few people ever actually said oh yes I'm interested in your message. Leaders assured us that it was important for us to be seen preaching whatever our level of success (generally low).

The letter through my mail slot was actually addressed to a former owner, from what is long ago now as there was a family here before I came and they lived here for years, so this guy must have been here ages ago. So someone is using a very old record to reach out to a man they knew at this address who may have been interested or at least not unfriendly to them. I delayed opening the thing but did so today. It is an invitation for [name of previous homeowner] to check out an online message and it says "please feel free to attend". I think it's a virtual meeting but they don't make that too clear. The message is the same - "very soon" there will be "an end to all suffering". That is the belief that snagged me as a teen at a time of mini-crisis. It sounded great to me that things would get better soon and that God's plan for eternal Paradise would get back on track. I note this letter doesn't mention Armageddon - maybe they've toned down their promise of Paradise Restored as it just isn't happening after all these years of their failed predictions and dashed expectations.

They give the JW web site which is simply jw.org. I wonder how it feels to still be awaiting something that just never arrives. The letter doesn't mention Armageddon, WatchTower Society or their own Good News Bible. It's generic iow.

One good thing I can say is that at least the JWs, the Mormons and mainstream Christian churches are following public health guidelines and not meeting in person for church services. I can't say the same for some of the fundy EV groups around and about. They are making news by insisting on holding gatherings at their meeting houses despite pandemic restrictions. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by that. But I am. You'd think it's a no-brainer that public health is an overriding concern at a time like this.

And. Computers. Virtual meetings. Home Bible study. For the duration. Sooner we quit spreading CV around sooner we get back to business as usual. But some, unfortunately, think religious beliefs override everything else. I understand that point of view, as one's faith is supposed to be paramount. It still can be if you want, but while not infringing on other people's rights either. Their right to maintain health. And life.

The letter's authors include their email address in case I want to contact them.

Uh. Been there. Done that. No thanks.

And what a relief it is.

Although I did fall in love with a JW guy at the time. I wanted to be a full time missionary (always in things 100% or 0) and he was lukewarm about it so we drifted apart. He ended up marrying my best friend, who had the same name as mine. That hurt a lot at the time. Funny to think of how different life would be if I had settled down with him and been a JW all along. I do still think of him with fondness. But the WatchTower Society? Not so much.

And yes. The Mormon Church (ha, I'm going to keep calling it that) was similar in some ways and so seemed familiar to me. But instead of warning me away, that beckoned me on, and so I joined.

And did that whole thing again. Different name. Same you know what.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2021 03:29PM by Nightingale.

I am glad that you are able to look back at it with peace if not with fondness. I am sure it still was a bit of a shock seeing mail from them. The good thing is that it didn't have your name on it!

Susan I/S Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am glad that you are able to look back at it
> with peace if not with fondness. I am sure it
> still was a bit of a shock seeing mail from them.
> The good thing is that it didn't have your name on
> it!


Exactly correct.

Definitely no fondness for the WatchTower Society. Still have close memories of those I considered to be good friends for a time. Never heard from any of them since I left. My former bf's family walked away from me when our paths crossed at the grocery store once. That's how the WTS wants it - no danger of one leaver taking others with them if there's no comparing notes. My impression has been that JWs are more controlling than LDS but that could be due to being short term with LDS and not having much in the way of behind-the-scenes knowledge such as the bishop interviews which I only know about from accounts here on RfM. Except for the time I went with my convert friend to her Court of Love, which was creepy.

There are similarities between WTS and LDS in my experience. Perhaps that's why I was lulled into getting involved when some newfound LDS friends encouraged me in. Instead of inspiring a fight/flight response in me the familiarity beckoned me on. The missionaries had not much else to do so spent a lot of time with me and the other prospective convert I became friendly with (before she got baptized and soon ended up in LDS Court, as mentioned above). It's embarrassing to think I succumbed to the subtle pressure campaign and ended up falling for essentially the very same thing all over again.

One thing I know for sure: There won't be a third time! (Yes, I can be slow to learn some concepts).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/2021 02:27PM by Nightingale.

I always enjoy reading your posts.

As a former missionary, I can easily relate to the dislike of wasting time trying to convert people to join an unhappy ward/congregation.

I must say that every missionary apartment that I visited during my mission had the JW Watch Tower publications. I think different elders were bored and probably wanted to read about other religions. My mission had very strict protocols about what was permitted and had impromptu inspections of missionary apartment/residences. In every case, the JW material was never seized and thrown away.

Thank you for your kind comment, messygoop.

Wow, I'm surprised about the WT publications in LDS missionary apts. By contrast, in my experience, the WT Society would never allow its people to read about other religions and frowned on most reading material in general. Everything non-JW was referred to as "worldly" (= evil). Once I got some distance from the JWs I realized that by restricting every activity, personal interaction and reading material, as well as strongly discouraging higher education the WTS could exert much greater control over its members and very likely prevent even greater numbers from leaving their organization.

I was fortunate not to have been born in and to have had parents who advocated for higher education and lifelong learning. My JW friends who may only have attained a Grade 12 education, while being essentially cloistered if they were born into JW families which did not mix with non-JWs outside of the necessities of school and work, and who entered adulthood and married young and quickly, generally did not have a well-rounded knowledge or experience of anything outside their religion.

In comparison, in my short and limited experience in LDS circles, even the missionaries have more freedom and independence than do JWs who follow the WatchTower Society without question. Their first and last and most important principle is obedience to the leaders. That should by now be an instant red flag but sadly, the organization still gets away with it.

I enjoyed my time with the JWs more than with the Mormons but it's all relative. It took me time to realize that one of my biggest concerns was the level of control that each group tries to exert over its people. It just felt wrong to me, coming from the outside world, but I didn't see the danger in time to avoid joining both times. However, having experienced life outside, I finally did manage to get out of each. The second time, with the Mormons, shouldn't have happened but I didn't realize right away that it was so similar to the JWs. And with certain personality traits (a bit on the submissive side, for one, and slow to recognize my own strengths), the involvement of what seemed to be friends (who weren't once I left), and my interest in religion, I succumbed both times, for a while.

I too noted that the LDS missionaries seemed bored and who could blame them? Same old, same old, unexciting, repetitive days with not much accomplished in two years of their young lives. I managed to get them to come with me to a Christian Christmas concert one year (I was amazed they got permission for that) and one of the elders started preaching the Mormon word to the audience of Christians (to the people sitting near us). I was so embarrassed, feeling it was entirely inappropriate and pushy. I hurried them out of there and never repeated the experience. I don't know what they thought of the Christmas spectacular. It's a famous celebration around here.

I think that to outsiders one of the most annoying features of a pushy proselytizing religion is their constant need to preach no matter the circumstances. I remember JW leaders telling their flock to try and preach at any event where non-JWs could be found, including funerals. Insensitive at best.

With the LDS sister missionaries once we ran across a most attractive (OK - hot) young shirtless guy out in the street washing his car. They started talking to him and we met with him a few times. He turned out to be an ex-JW. He enjoyed talking to the young female missionaries but eventually, in the face of their persistence despite his obvious reluctance, he simply said "Hey, I just want to sin for a while". I laughed. I could totally understand his mindset. Freedom is heady stuff. Fortunately for him he took a step back and chose to forge his own path.

To me, the Mormon Church seemed familiar and that, at the time, was somehow comforting rather than the siren screech it should have been. Of course the familiarity comes from the major similarities between the two groups in terms of how power is centred at the top and rigid control is exerted over the members in many of the crucial aspects of their lives as well as the all-consuming presence of the belief system itself in one's thoughts, words, actions and decisions. The JWs, in my experience, are worse in that regard as their theology includes isolation of members from non-members. That should always ring an alarm bell for prospective converts.

FWIW, I found the JW doctrine more appealing and rational than the LDS beliefs. Mormons pressure people to get baptized quickly, way before they are familiar with Mormon doctrine. JWs are the opposite in that they don't want to baptize anyone who does not know their doctrine, which is basic and uncomplicated and easy to grasp, unlike the Mormon beliefs, most of which I only learned here at RfM. That one eternal round stuff gave me the creeps, with eternal progression, spirit children, the nature and character of the Mormon god, etc. I didn't know much about JS, BY et al either. Another major similarity with JWs and Mormons is the questionable character of their founders. You'd think people would look into founders, leaders and doctrine, at least, before joining these offshoot churches but many don't. They assume it's kind of like other churches, still in the Christian realm. Too late for some they find out both organizations are much more controlling and have sketchy origins.

Those negative characteristics are not confined to the WatchTower Society and the Mormon Church, of course. It's no wonder people give up on religion, for these and many other reasons.

My biggest regret was accompanying LDS sister missionaries to try and convert a Jewish woman who was very interested in what they had told her about Mormonism. Her husband was absolutely desperate to prevent that. They took me with them because I could answer her Bible-related questions and they had a lack of in-depth knowledge of biblical scriptures and beliefs (being Mormons who only "studied" the Bible once every four years). I didn't hear whatever happened with her. I have hoped ever since that I was not instrumental in getting her to join. I don't know why she was interested - I vaguely recall she had had a tragedy in life and was searching for comfort.

It's like my fellow convert friend who had had several abortions as a young teen. The LDS missionaries assured her that she would be reunited with her "children" in heaven. I opened my mouth to query that and the ZL mishie shook his head at me. Obediently, I shut up, thinking it wasn't my place to contradict them. But it made no sense to me, even in the sphere of Mormon doctrine.

I strongly dislike the convert-at-any-cost mindset of some proselytizers and their religions.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2021 03:50PM by Nightingale.

This past week or so I've gone down the rabbit hole of ex-JW YouTube videos. Oh wow, they're MUCH worse than Mormons, MUCH more controlling. Absolutely a cult.

Time to trot out my favorite JW story: Many years ago my brother was working on his tractor and the JW's came up the ranch driveway--it was a beautiful Spring day: about 72 degrees, a light breeze, puffy clouds in the blue sky, green grass and Spring flowers in our orchard under the blossoming fruit trees. Anyway, the guy (who actually was in my class back in high school) opens up one of their tracts to an idyllic picture and says "Wouldn't you like to live in a world like this?" My brother takes a look at the picture--you know the type, a happy family in a perfect world--then simply gestures to the beautiful orchard which looks almost *exactly* like the tract; the JW had no comeback except "Well, I guess you're right."
My only JW story is me passing two Mo-mishies on their way out of the local hardware store with a big can of bug spray and I asked: "Is that for the Jehovah's Witnesses?" I think I made their day...