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The Plain Truth
"mag–
azine" made its humble debut at the
very bottom-the bottom, that is, of
America 's Great Depression of the
1930s. Business was at a standstill
and almost no money was in circula–
tion. This birth was so humble that
the word "magazine" must be in
quotes- it was no more tha n four
mimeographed sheets.
Looking Back to Where the
Cllmbing Began
Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong had con–
ceived the idea in Oregon of a maga–
zine to be called
The Plain Tru th–
which was intended to make the
truth plain and clear-as early as
1927, almost as soon as he bega n to
learn wha t great truths were con–
tained in the Bible. But for seven
years no way appeared to make the
idea a reality.
In 1933 there had been a
Bulletin
for the few and scattered members of
the Church of God in the Willamette
Valley of Oregon. "Now [February
1934], making it a mimeographed
'magazine'-cutting stencils on a
borrowed typewriter and gaining per–
mission of the local A. B. Dick Co.
[agent] to borrow the use of his mim–
eograph," wrote Mr. Armstrong
(The Good News,
November 6, 1978 ,
p. 16),
" 1
was able to produce the
fi rst
Plain Truth-about
350 copies
for about $5."
lt
must have been nearly Novem–
ber when a few special offerings–
which in those days often carne in
pcnnies, nickels and dimes- made it
possible to purchase a very old , used,
outdated Neostyle (the predecessor
to the mimeograph) for $1
O,
and a
$1
O
secondhand typewriter. The
Neostyle was entirely hand operated.
T he sheets of paper had to be fed into
it one ata time. But
The Plain Truth
continued.
Mr. Armstrong was the writer and
"typesetter." Mrs. Armstrong ran
the "press"-by hand-and she kept
the mailing list by pen a nd ink.
Mr. Armstrong's editorial in that
first issue stated what has been the
guiding principie of al! our publica–
tions: " In these anxious days of
stress, turmoil and strife; of revolu–
tion and economic collapse; of war
and fear of war; of confusion before a
bewildering onslaught of creeds, dog–
mas, fables and false teachings,
The
28
Plain Truth
makes its humble and
modest appearance.
"The Plain Truth
comes with a
definite mission . l t comes in a sincere
effort to he lp lead those who honestly
are hungering and thirsting after
righteousness out of tbis modern con–
fusion of tongues, and into tbe trutb
as it is in Christ Jcsus."
Emphasis on Prophecy
The Plain Truth
from the beginning
emphasized Bible prophecy. That
very first, Februa ry 1934 issue, for
example, carried as lead a rticle "Is a
World Dictator About To Appear?"
Much more is said about this aspect
of
The Plain Truth
in an accompany–
ing article in this issue. That first
number, however, also carried for
balance the doctrinal , Christian-liv–
ing a rticle "Wha t is Real Spiritual–
Mindedness?"
Such has been the thrust of the
magazine through thc years. Many
of the booklets since published by
Ambassador College and the World–
wide Church of God first appeared in
the pages of
The Plain Truth.
In the early years
The Plain Trurh
was not published monthly. The
magazine carne out irregularly, aver–
aging no more than an issue every
two months, exclusive of a complete
A HUMBLE BEGINNING-
The lirst issue
of
The Plain Truth.
dated February
1934.
was cut on stencils by an ancient vers1on
of a Smllh·Corona /ypewriter (upper righl)
and reproduced on a hand-opera-ted
Neos/y/e (upper lefl). a forerunner of the
mimeograph. The entire Work. including
publishing and mal'ling facilities. was cen–
tered unlll
1947
on the lhird !loor. center
windows. o! the IOOF building (above) in
Eugene. Oregon.
gap of somewhat more than two
years from mid-1935 through 1937.
But continue it did, and it became a
printed publication by the August-
The
PLAIN TRUTH February 1979