Basic HTML Version
by
Dibar K. Apartian
1
T
w
AS
the spring of
1955. Until that time 1
had never heard of
Herbert W. Armstrong.
Nor had I heard of Ambas–
sador College.
Jus t one day before our first
meeting, Herbert Armstrong's
son Richard David had asked
the California Teachers Associ–
ation , in Los Angeles, to look
for a French teacher for a n
eventual opening at Ambassador
College in Pasadena. The re–
quirements were rather simple:
The appl icant s hould be an ex–
perienced teacher with a Eu–
ropean background.
Mr. Armstrong received me in
his office with a friendly smile and
a warm handshake. After a brief
interview, he suddenly asked me
with a deep, powerful voice, ..Do
you know why you were born?"
No, 1 didn't. However, at that
moment, tbe purpose of life was
the last thing on my mind. 1 hadn't
come here to learn this, but to
apply for a teaching position. I
waited, hoping he would forget his
question and pursue with tbe inter–
view. lnstead, he spent more tban
an hour expounding the question!
May
1986
I
didn ' t know then Mr. Arm–
strong's great commission, nor did
1 ever dream that his question
would eventually change my life
and start a close relationship with
him that !asted until the time of his
death 30 years later.
When
I
went home that evening,
J
wondered why he had taken so
much pain to explain to me-a
st ranger- why God created man,
what was his purpose, and the ulti–
mate goal for all mankind. Despite
Mr. Armstrong's clear explana–
tions, 1 was unable to grasp much
of what he had said. Nevertheless l
was totally impressed by his con–
victions and his knowledge. He
spoke as one having authority.
A few months later,
in the fall of 1955, I
visiting him and Mrs. Loma Arm–
strong at their home, he told us:
..Tbe Bible is the inspired written
Word of God. Jesus Cbrist is the
spoken Word of God. Wby don't
people know it ? Why don't they
believe it? Well,
I
will tell you
why: Because the whole world has
been deceived by Satan!"
His statement left me all the
more perplexed. 1 had never heard
such things before. Satan deceiving
the whole world?
I
had always
laughed at the mere idea of Satan's
existence!
His elder son and I became very
good friends. In those days we
were both bachelors and Dick
would often invite me to his par-
ents' home, especially
on Saturday evenings.
was hired as the
French instructor at
Ambassador College.
The college was very
small, and al! of us–
faculty members and
students a like-had
the opportunity to
spend many hours talk–
ing with Mr. Arm–
strong.
Mr.
Armstrong
taught us to
excel
in
whatever we
did-without
the spirit of
competition.
On one occasion Mr.
Armstrong told us,
..y
ou two will someday
have to work together
to take tbe gospel to
the French-speaking
countries. The French
are also descendants of
the lsraelites. They,
too, must hear the true
gospel of Je s u s
Christ!"
One evening, as his
older son Dick- he
liked to be called that
for short-and 1 were
He encouraged
os to strive
for peñection.
The French peo–
ple-lsraelites? What
was he talking about?
7