The Watchtower Society and John and Morton Edgar - A2Z.org

THEREnll* - --- -, I ,. _ .._--.-A= ..*I.--Russell traveled tocities both large andsmall to tell the truthabout hellIJEHOVAH'S WITNESSES-PROCLAIMERS OF GODS KINGDOMis just, that he is wise, that he is loving, that he ispowerful. All Christian people will acknowledgethese attributes of the divine character. If this isso, can we find any sense of the word in which wecould conceive of God as just and yet punishing acreature of His own hand to all eternity, no rnatterwhat the sin was? I am not an apologist forsin; I do not live in sin myself, and I neverI1preach sin. ... But I tell you that all these peoplearound here that our brother pDr. Eaton] saysare making the air blue with their blasphemiesof God and the holy name of Jesus Christ areall people who have been taught this doctrineof eternal torment. And all the murderers,thieves and evil doers in the penitentiaries,were all taught this doctrine. ... These areIbad doctrines; they have been injuring theworld this long time; they are not a partof the Lord's teaching at all, and our dearbrother has not gotten the smoke of thedark ages rubbed out of his eyes yet."It is reported that after the debate a dergymanwho was in attendance approachedRussell and said: Y am glad to see you turn thehose on hell and put out the fire."To give even more widespread publicity to the truth about the conditionof the dead, Brother Russell served an extensive series of one-day conventions,from 1905 through 1907, at which he featured the public discourseTo Hel and Back! Who Are There? Hope for Return of Many."The title was intriguhg, and it attracted much attintion. Audiences packedout assembly halls in cities both large and small in the United States andCanada to hear the talk.Among those who were deeply moved by what the Bible says aboutthe condition of the dead was a university student in Cincinnati, Ohio,who was preparing to become a Presbyterian minister. In 1913 he receivedfrom his fleshly brother the booklet W3ere Are the Dead?, written by JohnEdgar, a Bible Student who was also a medical doctor in Scotland. The studentwho received that booklet was Frederick Franz. After readmg it care-fully, he M y declared: "This is the truth." Without hesitation, hechanged his goals in life and got into the full-time ministry as a colporteurevangelizer. In 1920 he became a member of the Watch Tower Society'sheadquarters staff. Many years later he became a member of the Governing