Brother Smith had been missing from the Kingdom Hall for weeks and we decided it would be best to pay him a visit and see if it he was okay. Ever since the death of his wife and daughter in that car accident last year, he had gone from an active Pioneer and Elder to someone we only saw from time to time. Yet three weeks was way more time then any of us had ever seen, and we were worried. Stops by his work, revealed he was missing from there as well and even his neighbors said they thought he might be out of town or just keeping to himself. Above all things, we needed to see if he was okay.
We arrived at his house on a beautiful Saturday morning, the man with me was an elder for many years and advanced in age. We knocked on the door and no one answered, we looked inside to see if there was any life or sign of recent activity, but nothing was inside. We had a key to his home, that was used for getting chairs for books studies out of his garage and we felt it would be best to go in. As we opened the door, we could tell that something was not right. The lights were still on, the ceiling fans were still spinning, all things that would have been turned off if a man was leaving for any length of time. I admit, I was worried we would find a man who committed suicide or perhaps someone who died in his sleep. The older brother with me spoke out, "Brother Smith, are you here?" No one answered though, so we began to go room by room looking for some sign of our friend. We both meet back in the living room and compared notes with our thoughts on things still on and no sign of Brother Smith.
I decided it would be best to check in the garage and see if his car was still here, as I opened the door, I could tell it was right where it should be and parked in the garage with no one inside. I went back inside and found my older friend looking through some papers and looking puzzled, "What have you got there?" The papers were next to Brother Smiths computer and there seemed to be a large pile of them to look at. The older man shock his head, looking puzzled, "I don't know, it seems like he was researching something, but it seems like some sort of fiction or something." I grabbed the papers, "What do you mean, fiction." As I looked at the papers it was all sorts of print-outs on time travel and how to get the mind to accept that time was moving forwards and allowing ourselves to see things in the future. I thought, "This seems odd. Why so much on this subject, did he honestly believe such nonsense." As I looked through the large amount of print-outs, I found hand written charts and comments added in Brother Smiths handwriting. Time was passing quickly, and the older elder with me decided to leave and get home to his family. I decided to stay and look more in to what was found in these papers.
As I set there, I decided to fire up Brother Smiths computer and see if could find more information and grew more and more concerned as to his state of mind in this time we had not seen him. As I examined his computer, I found he kept a daily journal of his life since his families death, something we had suggested to him to get his feelings on paper and allow him to cope with the loss. As I looked at the journals, I found many of them began to go from titles of "I can not handle the guilt" and "Why did Jehovah allow this." Too thoughts that seemed to indicate a plan was being formed. Titles of, "I found a possibility" and "There is a way to speed this up." I came to the final entry, that was dated three weeks ago, that read "Tonight is the night." As I opened it, a loud high pitched noise began to be heard. So loud I could had to cover my ears, the ground shock and the room began to seem out of focus and blurred. I felt ill to my stomach and then it suddenly stopped.
I shock my head for a moment and wondered what that was all about, when a hand was laid on my shoulder and a man spoke, "Find anything interesting?" I turned to the voice I knew well, and saw an older man I did not expect. He looked at me for a second through those aged eyes, and began to speak, "It's me, I know I look older then you expect, but it is me." I was in shock for a moment, and then spoke out, "How can that be you Brother Smith, you look like a man in your 70's and your only 36 years old." He laughed for a moment, and pulled me to the couch to sit down. "Let me explain, and it will all make sense." He then went to his kitchen to get something to drink, and I heard him making comments like, "where did I used to store that?" and "Oh, that is right, it was right here."
He came back in to the room with some water and set in the chair across from me. I could not stop staring. He smiled, and started to speak, "What I am about to tell you is going to seem unreal to you, and may be something you can not accept. It is however, completely true and something I want you to listen too and tell others ...
About five months ago I came across a very old book that was written by a man who claimed he could travel through time. People thought he was nuts, and yet in the 1800's he told people about major wars and even large acts of terrorism in New York City. He even mentioned that one day we would have a time in which mankind would see weather conditions that seemed out of control, and perhaps even caused by man themselves. Most people thought of this man as a joke, or better yet, in league with other psychics who guessed so many things that they were bound to get something right. I wanted to know more though, and I read his book from cover to cover. His method was odd, it involved drinking a mix of chemicals and placing ourselves in a position that was in line with constellations in space and calming our breathing until we controlled all aspects of thought. Then with a deep thought and strong mental belief we could leap across time to new times. However he mentioned we could only go forward and then back to where we began, and never return to a time that existed before our exit. I thought, why not, lets try it and spent hours and days researching the proper date that would work for the constellations. Spent months training my mind to be focused and clear and about three weeks ago from todays date, I tried it and I knew exactly where I wanted to aim for ...
I interrupted my friend, "Where was that?" he continued to tell his story ...
I wanted to aim about one hundred years in to the future. I figured then, the new system would be and my wife and daughter would be resurrected and alive. It was one of the most exciting thoughts I have ever held on too. A driving force that obviously lead to my success in this, when so many others have failed. So I laid in the backyard, positioned just right and thinking right in line with the instructions, and suddenly I felt like I was jerked as hard as possible from one side of the yard to the other. I felt dizzy and unable to breath for a few seconds, and I thought I might have had a bad reaction the the chemicals I drank. I cleared my eyes and as I opened them, I realized that in that instance I went from the night time to the afternoon. I was standing in what looked like my yard. Only the house was burned down and abandoned and my grass was at least two feet tall and turned to all weeds. The air smelt terrible, like someone had been burning plastic.
I walked to the street and could see no signs of life. Many of the houses on my street were gone, and most looked like they had been that way for many years. I thought this seemed odd, why had the new system not arrived, did I not go far enough forward. I decided to find my way to the Kingdom Hall, with a hope that I could find some answers there. As I walked along, I realized I was being watched, but from what direction I could not tell. I hurried along further, hoping to find someone I could speak too. As I got to the location of the Kingdom Hall, it was surprising to see that it too was partially burned and left abandoned. I went inside, in to the remains and it was full of webs and what looked like the skeletons of people who had died here many years ago and were left unburied to roat in the ruins of this once proud place. I worked my way back to the book room, and look down to see what looked like rotten books that yellowed over the years of sitting here being left to the exposed element.
A familiar face, a Truth book, and a My book of Bible Stories could be seen in the piles. I picked them up and felt a warmth with seeing something I knew, and connected me to some hope. As I did, I noticed another book. It was not one I remembered. I picked it up and blew the dust off the cover, the title caught me off guard, "THE GREAT TRIBULATION HAS ARRIVED, BEHOLD JEHOVAH'S DAY IS COMING NEXT." It dawn on me, perhaps this is the Great Tribulation, and I was just arriving right in the middle of it. The thought scared me, and I wanted to head home. I then looked at the books publishing date, and nearly dropped to my knees as I saw 2035. I went one hundred years forward though, how long ago did the Witnesses think this had happened? Then I felt it again, someone was near by watching me, and this time I heard something.
I lowered myself behind the counter, and heard voices coming into the remains of the Kingdom Hall. "I know he went in here, I saw him, look around he might be hiding." I set there hoping they would not find me, scared to death and tucked the book into my clothing. I waiting for a long time, and then peaked up, and there standing in front of me was a man in uniform looking right at me. "Under title 1001.1 of the United World Republic I am placing you under arrest for seeking out a forbidden location and publication." I started to speak and then felt a jolt in my side and was out cold.
I woke up some time later in a room that was all white, with only a bright light above me. A voice began to speak, "What is your name?" I asked them a question back, "Where am I?" They did not respond, only kept asking me questions. I soon found it was best to just answer. I then was told I was sentenced to life in a camp for my desire to seek out illegal organizations and religious documentation. I tried to ask questions, but nothing was listen too. I finally just set there, tired and confused and trying to think of how I could get out of this place. Two officers came in to the room and escorted me out to a van. As I set there riding to a destination I was uncertain of, I looked over and saw a date on one of the side panels that read, "Manufactured in 2110" and realized my fears were right, many years had passed since the Witnesses said the great Tribulation had happened and no new system. My faith in all that I had ever hopped for, deteriated with what seemed like endless miles to my final destination.
As we arrived, the vans doors opened and I was thrown to the ground. The two officers then drove off and left me in what looked like the middle of the woods to die. I stood up and realized that the woods were before me, but behind me was a great wall that seemed to go in both directions endlessly. I then heard a voice, "Are you a brother?" I looked over and saw a man standing there, he asked me the question again. I explained I was a Witness and he smiles, "Come with me brother." I followed and we ended up at a camp of several people gathered together in this wall. I finally got people to listen to me, and answers my questions at this point. It seemed that in the time I was gone, the world had another major world war. Only this one was not fought between nations. It was fought between religions, all religions, and it lasted from 2033-2053 with huge amounts of bloodshed and violence. Over 3 Billion people where killed and some areas of the earth were so destroyed that no one could ever live there again. I seems the governments finally came together under on global government and outlawed all religions, and gathered up those who would not submit to the new laws and placed them in these walled communities to be separate from the civilized world outside. No chance of parole and all people found looking for religion, or at anything religious, was immediately sent away. I set there in amazement. How did this happen? How did religion, even the Witnesses lead to so much hate and bloodshed and why did the end not come?
The next morning, after feeling comfortable that I was a least among modern Witnesses, I was awoken by the men and told a battle was coming. I asked, "how is there a battle among us brothers?" They shock their heads, "You know what battle we speak of, it is the great war of the tribulation." I was puzzled, and the men began to laugh, "You act as if you do not know of the war between us, the Organized Witnesses of Jehovah and the Northern Alliance of Jehovah's Witnesses." I set there stunned, even after all this time, this destruction among religions. We get locked away and still use religion to fight some more. The men all grabbed what looked like weapons and headed off in to the woods to fight. That night, the man who originally met me in this place was carried in to camp died and buried in a place that looked like many more had been, who fought this war. I wanted so much to go home, but realized without getting back to my house, this would never happen. I set there and cried.
Brother Smith then set there with his face in his hands, sobbing for what seemed like several minutes. I then felt I needed to ask some questions, "How did you get back here though, and how come your so much older?" He set up, smiled, and continued his story ...
Soon I realized I was not getting out any time soon. In order to be part of the tribe of Organized Witnesses of Jehovah, I had to do my part. I farmed, I fought wars, and in time I even had a family again, who were later killed in a raid by the Northern Alliance of Jehovah's Witnesses. One day, the gates to our little wildlife preserve opened and we were told the governments of the world no longer saw us as a threat, and allowed us to rejoin their ranks. As we walked out, I looked at our wall from the outside and saw it was labeled, "The remains of the Watchtower religion." As I worked my way back to town, a much older man now, I walked past walls that read, "The remains of the Catholics", "The remains of the LDS religion," So on and so forth. It took nearly a month for my old body to make it back to my house. It looked worse then the last time I saw it, but there in the back was the equipment I needed. So that night, in what seems like only moments ago for me now. I did what I needed too, and when I awoke and came back in to my house. There you were, and now here we are.
I looked at him in amazement, at the story I heard. I felt I needed to tell this to the elders, and explain what had happened. I excused myself and explained I would be back later to check on him. He waved me away, and said not to worry about him, he was home now. I then met with the elder body that night and they said not to speak to Brother Smith anymore, they would take care of him now and to leave it in their hands. They also mentioned, it would be best to not share any of the thoughts I heard with anyone. I did what I was told, and soon it was the next Tuesday's meeting. I set there, wondering when Brother Smith would arrive and how people would react to him. One of the elders got up on stage to make an announcement and I hoped for more information on Brother Smith. They spoke, "This is to announce to the congregation, that Brother Smith has been disfellowshipped." I nearly fell out of my chair.
A couple days went by, and despite the fact that I was told not too. I went to Brother Smiths house to check on him and talk more. As I came up to the door, I could see him sitting in his chair, sleeping. I knocked on the door, and he did not move, I knocked louder. I saw the door was unlocked and opened it. I went up to the older man, who should have only been 36 and shock him. He was cold to the touch, and I could tell he was no longer with us. I was sad, how much of this man will never be known. How much his message could have stopped what sounded like a terrible future. I set there as the coroner took him away and as they did, a book dropped from his hands, the coroner picked it up, and asked me if I wanted it, as it looked old. I reached out to grab it, and to my surprise I saw the title, "THE GREAT TRIBULATION HAS ARRIVED, BEHOLD JEHOVAH'S DAY IS COMING NEXT." I smiled for a moment, and took the book home with me.
As I threw away my entire library of Witness publications, and wrote my letter of disassociation that evening. I looked at my book shelf, and the lone book by the Watchtower Society that I kept, and smiled, "Finally, a publication that really tells you what the future will hold" and my life went on without religion, thanks to the amazing journey of Brother Smith.