Basic HTML Version
my mother that 1 have just run
across among old fami ly pictures,
"it dawned on me that Christ was
coming, and
1
was so happy
1
was
just cryi ng for joy. Then suddenly
1
thought of Herbert and was rather
worried."
She knew
1
had evidenced very
little religious interest, although we
had attended a corner church two
or three times.
Then it seemed that "Ch rist
descended from among them and
stood directly in front of us. At
first
1
was a little doubtful and
afraid of how he would receive us,
because
1
remembered we had
neglected our Bible study and had
our minds too much on things apar t
from his interests. But as we went
up to him, he put his arms around
both of us, and we were so happy!
I
thought people al l over the world
had seen him come. As far as we
could see, people were just swarm–
ing into the streets at this broad
intersection. Sorne were glad and
sorne were afraid.
"Then it seemed he had changed
into an angel.
1
was terribly disap–
pointed at fi rst, unt il he told me
Christ was really coming in a very
short t ime."
At that time, we had been going
quite regularly to motion picture
theaters. S he asked the angel if this
were wrong. He replied Christ had
important work for us to do, pre–
paring for his coming-there
would be no time for "movies."
(Those were the days of the "si–
lent" pictures.) Then the angel and
the whole spectacle seemed to van–
ish , and she awakened, shaken and
wondering!
In the morning, she told me of
her dream. 1 was embarrassed . 1
didn't want to think about it, yet
1 was afraid to total ly d ismiss it. I
thought of a logical way to evade it
myself, and still solve it.
"Why don't you tell it to the
minister of the church up on the
corner," 1 suggested , "and ask
him
whether it means anything."
With that, 1 managed to put it
out of my mind.
Let me say here that in about
99,999 times out of 100,000, when
people think Goo is speaking to
them in a dream or vision in this
day and age, it is pure imagination,
or sorne form of self-hypnotism or
• September 1985
self-deception. But if this was a
vision from God, like Jonah,
1
tried
to run away. But subsequent to
this, in God's due time, God dealt
with me in no uncertain terms,
even as he had dealt with Moses,
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Andrew,
Peter and the apostle Paul.
Business Dlslntegrates
Then carne the devastating flash
depression of 1920.
It
was not long–
lived, but disastrous for the year.
My big advertising accounts were
in the farm tractor and implement
and other manufacturing fields,
rather than the metropolitan banks.
A ll my big-commission c lients,
including such cor porations as
Goodyear Tire
&
Rubber,
J . l.
Case, Moline Plow, John Deere
and Company, Emmerson-Bran–
tingham and Dalton Adding Ma–
chine, went into receivers' hands.
One nationally known corporation
president of my acquaintance com–
mitted suicide. Through no fault of
my own, my business was swept out
from under my feet by forces
beyond my control.
Out of Portland, Oregon, where
1
had moved with my family,
I
established an advertising service
for laundry owners. The laundry
industry was 11th in the country in
dollar volume of business, yet the
most backward .
I
teamed with an
efficiency expert, in my judgment
top in the nation in his field.
1
took
on only clients who allowed us to
put their businesses on a new effi–
ciency basis- both in the quaJity of
laundering service and in business
methods, which
I
supervised.
1
had
to be able to make promises in the
advertising that my clients would
fulfill.
But in 1926 a nationaJ adver–
tising agency based in the East sold
the Lau nd ry Owners' National
Association a bill of goods- to put
big-space advertising in the nation–
al women's magazines. The associa–
t ion had power to oblígate every
member to a commitment for this
magazine advertis i ng equal to
approximately 85 percent of the
justifiable advertising expenditure
each local laundry could make. 1
knew nothing of this until it was a
closed deal. 1 had been doubling
and trebling the business volume of
each of my clients. My business
was growing. Again a highly suc–
cessful business was swept out from
under my feet through causes over
which
1
had no control.
But there was a reason--God
was taking away my advertising
business.
Dlsturblng Dual Challenges
Then, in the fall of 1926, at age 34,
it seemed that the roof had caved in
and
1
was crushed!
1
was assailed by
very disturbing dual chal lenges.
My wife, after nine years of hap–
py marriage, began keeping the
seventh-day Sabbath instead of
Sunday!
1
was aghast! I was angry. Tome
that was religious fanaticism! What
would business contacts think? But
she claimed to have found this
teaching in the Bible.
All the arguments carne instant–
ly to mind. They were of no avail.
" But the Bible says,"
1
pro–
tested, "Thou shalt observe SuN–
DAY!"
"Can you show that to me in the
Bible?" she asked.
"Well, no,"
1
repJied. " I don't
know much about the Bible. My
interests and studies have been in
the area of business. But all these
churches can't be wrong-they
take their beliefs from the Bible,
and they aH observe Sunday."
" If," she smiled sincerely- but
to me exasperatingly-"you can
show me where the Bible com–
mands Sunday observance, I'll go
back to it."
There was no dodging the chal–
lenge. My marriage depended on
it!
Coincidentally, a sister-in-law,
newly married and fresh out of col–
lege, hurled at me a second humi l–
iat ing challenge.
"Herbert Armstrong," she ac–
cused contemptuously, "you are
just plain
ignorant!
Everybody who
has any education
knows
human
Jife has come by evolution."
J
was proud. 1 had not neglected
study and education. I thought 1
knew the facts about evolution, and
I didn't believe in it. But now 1 had
to admit 1 had never pursued a
thorough, in-depth research of the
particular question.
Following on the heels of my
wife's "fanaticism," this challenge
was humiliating. This doubJe jolt to
17