An African Chooses One Wife

OFTEN it is said by missionaries of Catholic and Protestant religions that you cannot get the African people to live according to the true Christian standards. Their custom of having more than one wife or just living in common-law marriage cannot be overcome. They say that a great deal will be accomplished if they can just give the Africans better health standards and get them to know about Jesus. This attitude is undoubtedly a result of their failure to apply full Scriptural principles, even in their so-called civilized congregations of Christendom.

Though this may be true with the religions of compromising Christendom, it is not true with Jehovah’s witnesses, who always apply the full Bible rules, even in Africa. The following is but one example of the thousands upon thousands who have willingly cleansed themselves for living with the New World society. It is told by an African special pioneer minister of Jehovah’s witnesses in Southern Rhodesia.

“November 11, 1956, was a beautiful and pleasant day for me. In the early morning, after reading the daily scripture text and asking Jehovah’s blessing on my work, I set off to begin my preaching. Little did I know that this first home, that of the headman of the kraal, Moses, would be my only call for over four hours. I witnessed to him, giving my three to eight-minute sermon and then presenting four booklets.

“He took them readily, and while I was talking to him further a man came breathlessly rushing in and asked, ‘Will you please show me the kraal of Moses?’ Moses replied, ‘Is something wrong?’ The answer was ‘No.’ ‘Well, I am Moses. Do you want me?’ ‘Yes,’ said the man, ‘I heard that there is a minister from the Watch Tower in your kraal and I came to see him.’ Moses retorted, ‘What for? Are you from the police and you want to arrest him?’ ‘No,’ was the reply, ‘I came here to be one of Jehovah’s witnesses if it is possible. I have been a member of the Salvation Army for many years but I have found that there is no truth in that religion; therefore I came here to be one of Jehovah’s witnesses.’

“I witnessed to him and then showed him some of the Society’s publications, in which he was very much interested. I spent four hours talking to the two men about the Kingdom, after which I asked the man if he would like me to come to his home. At this he quickly replied in the affirmative. He took three booklets and two copies of Nharireyomurindi (The Watchtower in Cishona), and later in the day he attended the Watchtower study.

“On the next Saturday I went to his home along with my wife, and on his greeting us I was surprised to see that the man had two wives. I spent the whole day with him, showing him all the requirements of the New World society. Then he said to me: ‘There is one thing you haven’t told me yet.’ I looked at him questioningly. ‘What can I do with my two wives?’ I told him he must choose for himself what he would do. ‘I know that you Jehovah’s witnesses won’t have anyone in your organization who has two wives.’ I assured him that was true. ‘Well, don’t be afraid,’ he said, ‘I have already examined myself and I see that I can straighten out my affairs properly. I shall live with the one and put away the other.’ Not being fully sure what he meant I explained that if he did take the one for his wife he would have to provide for the other materially but not live with her as her husband. ‘I will do that,’ he assured me.

“A couple of days later, upon hearing what had happened to him, one of the Salvation Army members came to him and tried to frighten him, saying that if he became one of Jehovah’s witnesses he would be thrown out of the native reserve, where his home is, so he should become united again with his first church. ‘Sorry, my dear fellow,’ was the reply, ‘I have no time to go back to your church. I had been in your church for a long time with my two wives, but you accepted me as a member of your church, which is unscriptural, but Jehovah’s witnesses would not accept me unless I was married just to one wife; that is the only way one can serve God with cleanness. So go on your way, my friend, for you now know that I am one of Jehovah’s witnesses.’”

Yes, Christian principles are the same earth-wide and all who wish to live in the new world must live according to the proper standards now. Jehovah’s witnesses happily welcome such sincere ones as “brothers.”