The current Executive Trustee’s “present view” of the dates for the existence of the Youthful Worthies is what caused the split in America. This was first expressed in print with his modification of the first paragraph of Bro. Jolly’s 1978 PT Quasi-Elect article in his 2004 version (both shown above).
Two years later, on p.18 of PT. 2006, he attempts to take the attention off of himself and place it on a Pilgrim and an Auxiliary Pilgrim in the US.
The Auxiliary Pilgrim seeded questions at a convention to create the controversy knowing the Pilgrim would defend the Truth. The Pilgrim, who did defend the Truth date as always known (1881) was later dismissed. "We have been going through a short period where some brothers at various conventions, in discourses, or while leading question meetings, have expressed the answer to these questions differently; one brother has said 1878 while another 1881..."
The "short period" was from June 2004-2006. Up to 2004, this thought of 1878 as the beginning of the Youthful Worthies was never taught from the platform or by the Spirit Begotten leaders. Epiphany Bible Students in America began to ask questions at conventions about the changes in the 2004 version of Bro. Jolly's 1978 PT Quasi-Elect article. The changes may have been introduced in order to pave the way for the "present view" error brought out in 2006. During this time many Pilgrims, Evangelists and local classes were suspended, ignored, or set aside.
Comparing the 1978 article to the 2004 article.
In the first sentence, he replaces “additional light” with “considerable light” and thereby loses the meaning of adding to or building upon existing truth. This subtle alteration of meaning is confirmed with the replacement of “with a number of important additions” to “with few changes to reflect our present view” at the end of the sentence. In the 1978 article, the rest of the first paragraph is a single sentence listing a sequence of events (A, B, C). The 2004 article keeps items A and B, but completely replaces Bro. Jolly’s item C with something new.
- 1978—“(c) the last two classes of the elect—the Great Company (Rev. 7: 14) and the Youthful Worthies, who constitute the antitypical Court of the Epiphany Tabernacle or Temple in the finished picture—have as classes been in the process of development (see E 4, The Epiphany's Elect; PT No. 519).”
- 2004—“(c) the antitypical Court of the Epiphany Tabernacle and Temple has been occupied by the Great Company and Youthful Worthies while in the flesh and is now inhabited solely by the Youthful Worthies.”
The 1978 version shows BOTH the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies developing AS CLASSES (not individuals) in the Epiphany. The 2004 version loses this parallel meaning completely. Even if one of the two classes is no longer in the flesh today, the 1978 item C is still grammatically accurate. Why the change? Notice how the development of the Youthful Worthies has been disassociated with the Great Company in item C and given its own focus in the second sentence. The parallel has been removed, the E 4 reference modified, and a date not previously used is brought into play. The 2004 version does, in fact, change the truth instead of adding to it.
True information about the split not given to brethren in foreign countries!
Brethren in foreign countries have been mislead especially by a certain Auxiliary Pilgrim Brother from New Jersey as to what really caused the split in America. Perhaps the Executive Trustee doesn't want the foreign brethren to know that his error and attitude, along with clerical acts by some of his relatives and partisan supporters in local classes, have split the movement down the middle and includes brethren from classes in California, the Midwest, Canada, and Northeastern and Southeastern states.
Part two to appear on Sunday. See also Changes vs. Additions to Truth posted on 11/29/08
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