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and, instead of obeying the obligatory leave of absence, he was
in controversy with Christ's Apostle by traumatic personal con
ferences via telephone, and written letters -- in other words,
when he knew his disfellowshipment was hanging in the balance.
Can his word be believed?
Following is a copy of his recorded speech to a large group
of brethren, May 27:
"I have to do what I have always preached to the chu�ches,
what is_a guiding light of my life, which is to say, he LChrist's
Apostle/ is my boss. He's in authority. I will do as he says.
That's-what I live with. I told a large group of ministers
during a traumatic period of 1974. I said, if I should ever
leave the Work of God, don't follow me. And I will say that
again today.
"There's only, say, two ways, or three ways, I suppose, that
I could ever be out of the Work of God. One is that my father
would simply put me out. And if he did, for whatever purposes
or reasons that he would have, I would simply, humbly and quietly
go with my famil�and reconstruct some new life and do perhaps
what I do best, radio and television broadcasting. But not on
religion.
"I would keep the Sabbath. I would faithfully tithe. I
would spend time in prayer and study. I would be loyal to God's
Church. I would never give the people of this church an alter
native of some other individual to follow. That is so deeply
ingrained into the marrow of my bones, that I could never do it.
"Now the only other way is if I die. I've always said that.
The only way I would go out of God's Work is feet pointing straight
up in the air and that's what I intend. I put my hand to the
plow. How in the world could I preach and stand in this pulpit
and tell people -- it's until death that we endure trials, it is
through the trials of our faith that we are matured and so on
and not really adhere to these principles myself? So I must do
that. I must remain true to these convictions. I intend to."
If he did not mean what he said then, can God's people
believe his statements now? Sowing the seeds of discord among
the brethren is one of the seven things God hates!