Volume II

1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1987

Herbert W. Armstrong 1892-1986

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 75 ..... September 28, 1970 -- April 12, 1971
CHAPTER 76 ..... May 2, 1971 -- July 1971
CHAPTER 77 ..... March 26, 1972 -- June 1973
CHAPTER 78 ..... September 24, 1973 -- December 1973
CHAPTER 79 ..... March 28, 1974 -- May 21, 1974
CHAPTER 80 ..... June 18, 1975 -- December 24, 1976
CHAPTER 81 ..... February 25, 1977 -- June 22, 1978
CHAPTER 82 ..... July 25, 1978 -- December 18, 1979
CHAPTER 83 ..... November 26, 1970 -- July 24, 1983
CHAPTER 84 ..... January 11, 1984 -- January 10, 1986
CHAPTER 85 ..... January 16, 1986 -- May 1986
CHAPTER 86 ..... One Year Later

Chapter 75

September 28, 1970 -- April 12, 1971 September 28, 1970

Dear Fellow Co-Workers:

I'm writing you from 38,000 feet, over a desolate portion of Australia, en route from Sydney to Singapore. With two other officials in this great Work, we are on a very important round-the-world trip.

I have said for some time that the big world news from now on will be centered on and around Jerusalem. We haven't been getting full details of the present Middle East crisis in Australia. And because I'm so far away it is necessary to write this letter about a week before you will receive it ....

Events of the last few days could be leading into a chain reaction of events that would threaten immediate world war. Such a war could -- except for supernatural intervention by the unseen Hand from someplace probably would -- blast all human life off the earth ...

A day or two ago, the United States fleet in the Mediterranean moved quickly to the eastern Mediterranean, ready to fly large numbers of Marines, probably parachute troops, into Jordan. The guerillas threaten to kill all Americans, and destroy all American property in Jordan if the U.S. intervenes. Of course the principal reason the U.S. forces have moved up close to Jordan is to block the U.S.S.R. from moving in, as well as to be poised for any emergency. Meanwhile the Israeli forces are on instant alert as of September 23.

This is a serious world crisis. It could explode into a world war at any moment.

Meanwhile, we must put on the pressure, and speed up the great Work the living God is doing through us, for it is yet far from finished. Since we cannot know how much time we have left, we are laying long-range plans for ten years ahead -- in case we may be allowed that much time -- but also we are planning to speed up the Work as fast as funds allow, in case we may have no more than fifteen months or so remaining.

Now about the present trip .... From England we flew on to New Delhi, capital of India. A conference had been arranged with the Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi (daughter of former Prime Minister Nehru). However, she was at the time in Nairobi, in Africa, attending the Congress of Unattached Nations. So Dr. Singh, secretary to the President of India, V.V. Giri, arranged for me to visit the President. Even he was away at the time, in Bangalore, in the far south of India. We were entertained at a luncheon at Dr. Singh's official residence. Arrangements were made for us to fly to Bangalore, en route to Singapore. The President's personal car, with the presidential flag flying at mast in front, met us at the Bangalore airport .... There we had a nice visit with President Giri. I presented him with a small gift, and a copy of the college students' yearbook, The Envoy. He, in turn, presented me with a large photograph of himself, in a handsome silver frame with his special presidential monogram at the top. President Giri promised to come to Pasadena to speak before an assembly of our students. I have devoted my next Personal page in The Plain Truth to our visit in India. You may read the rest of it there.

Mrs. Gandhi had expected to see us, and I was told that if we could remain or return on the 18th, we could have a meeting with her. However my own commitments did not allow, and so we were invited to return in December.

At Singapore, we visited a number of top officials. The Prime Minister was in Europe, but while he was away the second in command was the Minister of Education. He already had a copy of our booklet This Is Ambassador College, and I presented him with a copy of The Envoy ....

At Singapore I was invited to be the speaker at a Rotary Club luncheon. I was followed by a very brief speech by a prominent local member, head of one of the colleges. I was surprised to hear him say he was a subscriber to The Plain Truth, praising it highly, telling the local Rotarians they should all become subscribers. I am also writing an article for The Plain Truth about Singapore.

We have just visited our offices in Sydney and our printing plant there, and we also flew over to New Zealand to see our office, and staff, there ....

While in Sydney ... we were able to host a reception in a private room in our hotel last evening. Present were about thirty executives of radio and TV stations, newspapers and magazines. One local newspaper had given us a rather bad image in Australia, and at this reception I was able to speak to all these executives for about twenty-five minutes, completely correcting all the misconceptions that had been given out by an uninformed hostile newspaper. Handling things in this manner is very vital to this great worldwide Work. Last evening's reception was of untold value of the Work.

Just now we are flying back to Singapore. I was to have had a conference with the President of Indonesia, but he was in Europe when we were in Singapore. So arrangements were made to see him tomorrow, at Djakarta, the capital of Indonesia. We preferred to go back to the same hotel in Singapore where we were a week ago, and just hop on over to Djakarta and back tomorrow -- it's a short distance by our jet aircraft from Singapore.

Today is Wednesday. Friday I have a conference set up with the President of the Philippines, at Manila. Then Saturday night we plan to fly across to Hong Kong, where a meeting is arranged with the Governor General. From there on to Tokyo. I have been informed that at Tokyo Prince Makasa, brother of Emperor Hirohito, has invited ... me, with his wife and my daughter who are with us, to be dinner guests of the Prince and the Princess, his wife. I am to address a group of some 300 college and university professors, which the Prince is arranging, while in Tokyo. Plans are now developing for the opening of our Work to reach the Japanese people ....

I am especially grateful that we have been provided with our own jet aircraft, for I could not make these important commitments otherwise. I have before my seat on the plane a built-in bookcase with an electric typewriter that lets down. I can write as we fly. It is my office in the skies. I arrive fresh and alert, but on smoke-laden commercial planes I have always been very fatigued at destination after long flights ....

It is certainly providential that I have been invited to meet so many world leaders, and heads of state in so many nations that are of prime importance right now, with world conditions moving as they are. I have sought none of these meetings, yet the invitations come. They are aware that through our media of The Plain Truth, our broadcasts, telecasts, etc., we reach and influence into the hundred millions of people worldwide, and it is significant that I have been given favor in their sight. Naturally they want to favorably impress me, for they know I am going to write about our meetings.

Co-Workers, I think this gives you an idea of the tremendous progress of the Work. As world conditions worsen rapidly, heading on into the grand smash climax that will end this age and this society, this Work is speeding up, as never before, to get the job done, before it is too late ....

We cannot know, now, just how much more time we have. But this we do know -- we must get back of this great Work to our utmost, as never before! Our great reward is not far ahead, now. And in the meantime getting the job done is all that matters!

Thank you for your prayers -- fervent, earnest prayers -- and your interest and sacrifice.

October 28, 1970

Dear Fellow Co-Workers: returning from Sydney, Australia to Djakarta for my conference with President Suharto, of Indonesia. An appointment had been set, but he was unable to see me until the following day. On that following day I had an appointment with President Marcos of the Philippines at his palace in Manila. I felt it incumbent on me to keep that appointment, and so was unable to wait over in Djakarta.

I had an important meeting with President Marcos. And while in Manila, President Suharto tried personally to reach me by telephone to arrange a meeting the next day. Prior commitments did not allow time to fly back down to Djakarta. Result, I am now scheduled to meet General Suharto the middle of December.

In Tokyo we met Dr. Binyamin Mazar, Director of our big archaeological exploration in Jerusalem, and also Professor Werblowsky, of Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who is professor of Comparative Religions. They were invited with us to the dinner hosted by Prince Mikasa (brother of Emperor Hirohito), and his wife and daughter. Next day, at 2 p.m., we met the Prince at the palace grounds. He took us first to the palace office building, where a number of candid camera shots were taken. Then to the beautiful new palace, completed since I was there two years ago.

Then at 4 p.m. I addressed a group of the very top professors of several Japanese universities, arranged by Prince Mikasa. The professors invited were those whose principal area of interest is the Middle East. All were greatly interested in archaeology. After I spoke, Dr. Mazar showed them many slides of our archaeological project.

In my talk before them ... I mentioned the following: About 150 years ago, leaders of science decided the human mind was so near perfect that society could safely discard its swaddling clothes, throw away the crutch of religion, and reliance on God. Science had come to the place it could deliver the world from all evils. Given sufficient knowledge, science could solve all problems, they believed. So gradually moral and spiritual values were dropped. Colleges and universities began putting emphasis solely on the intellect, and instruction in the professions, technologies, and sciences. World Wars I and II shot moral and spiritual values to the cesspool.

As scientists and educators added to the world's fund of knowledge, the world's troubles and evils increased. During the past ten years knowledge doubled -- and likewise, troubles and evils have doubled in the same decade! Today world-famous scientists are frankly frightened. It is now possible to erase all human life from this planet. Human survival is the number one world problem. Scientists and heads of state say publicly the only hope is a super world government, and at the same time admit its utter impossibility ....

I told them how, if we are to place credence in the Hebrew Bible, the entire fault in the production of knowledge took place in the Garden of Eden, in the account of the forbidden fruit, or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Creator had set in motion an invisible but inexorable law to cause every good result. That invisible spiritual law is the cause of all good. Its transgression is the cause of all evils. When Adam took of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he took to himself the divine God prerogative of producing the knowledge of what is good and what is evil. Rejecting the revealed knowledge of God, and disobeying that Law revealed by God, man became an adversary of God, and always has tried to decide for himself what is right and what is wrong. All his knowledge production has been of the way of life that transgresses that cause of all good. Consequently his knowledge production has brought only evils. As knowledge increases, so do the problems and evils.

I told those scholarly professors that they are betting their very lives on the existence of the Creator God, and His soon supernatural intervention in world affairs, to save humanity alive. No one sneered or jeered. Those high-ranking professors were sobered. They know world conditions. They knew what I said made sense -- it was the truth.

Afterward, Prince Mikasa talked to them for some fifteen or twenty minutes, saying some very nice things about my address.

Co-Workers, this new turn of events throwing me personally into direct contact with heads of state of many great nations is highly significant. It is a door through which God is, I feel, using me to get His warning message to the leaders of nations. It is an additional signal of the fast-approaching end, and the soon coming of the living Christ as King of kings, setting up the government of God to rule all nations.

World conditions are worsening as never before. You know that! This great Work of God must now leap forward as never before! ...

Tokyo, Japan February 27, 1971

Dear Co-Worker with Christ:

I have just returned to my hotel from a forty-five-minute audience with His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of Japan. Last Tuesday and Wednesday I was in Okinawa. I had gone there at the suggestion of Prime Minister Sato of Japan. It may well be called one of the trouble spots of the world.

When I was here in December an anti-United States riot occurred there on the day of my arrival. Okinawa is the principal U.S. military base between the U.S. and the Vietnam war. Entire island is under U.S. military government. Some 800,000 Okinawan citizens are Japanese people. The whole government is scheduled to revert back to Japan next year.

I interviewed the Japanese Chief Executive there, Lt. General Lampert, who is High Commissioner and President of the University. I also spoke at a banquet there to some thirty-five leading citizens and their wives. I will say to you what I said to them:

I am now completing my third round-the-world trip in six months. Everywhere I find troubles, high tensions, frightening evils, problems that governments cannot solve!

In Jerusalem I had a long talk with Mrs. Golda Meir, the Prime Minister. She explained the high tensions between Israel and the Arab nations -- they are merely in an armistice. Actually the '67 war has not yet been settled. Jerusalem, as I have told you before, will become the number one news issue in the world.

At New Delhi last December, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister, explained to me in a half-hour interview the overwhelming problems of starvation and death, poverty, illiteracy, filth and squalor. And besides, thousands of refugees were pouring daily into India from both East and West Pakistan -- poverty stricken and needing to be taken care of. It is a pitiful and hopeless situation.

In Nepal I had interviews with both the King and the Crown Prince. They told me of their insolvable problems of getting education and other help to the isolated mountain people.

At Bangkok I had a fantastic audience with the King of Thailand -- formerly Siam -- in which for an hour and a half he poured out his heart to me of the problems in his country. It was a heartrending, emotional experience, difficult to keep the tears back. He said nobody could help him with these overwhelming problems and burdens unless I, perhaps, personally could. He said, with some emotion, he would welcome any ideas, suggestions, or help I might be able to give and asked me to come again.

At Manila, in September, President Ferdinand Marcos told me of the serious problems they have in the Philippines and what he is doing to help. But, of course, it is only a start. Everywhere I find on personal contacts with heads of nations, the world's troubles, problems and evils are completely beyond the human ability of kings, presidents, prime ministers or their governments to solve ....

You and I are shouldered with that gigantic commission to prepare the way for the intervention of that strong hand that will usher in at last the happy, joyous and peaceful World Tomorrow. You and I are having a part in changing the world and in saving the whole world before all human life is blasted from this earth!

Isn't that honor and responsibility worth sacrificing for? Nothing else is important anymore.

I am doing my utmost to carry out my part. Giant doors are being opened before me and I am walking through them. But I can only do my part as you make sacrifice and generously do your part. It is urgently needed in the most important work on earth!

I Visit the War Zone Saigon, South Vietnam: March 16, 1971

At the suggestion of Ambassador to South Vietnam Ellsworth Bunker, I decided to visit Saigon, war capital of South Vietnam. You will ask the same question I first asked him: Is it safe to fly into Saigon?

You are more safe than you would be on the streets of Washington, D.C., responded the Ambassador. Actually, many government officials in Washington, and many senators and congressmen, have visited Saigon.

This is Tuesday afternoon, March 16. We flew over here from Manila this morning, arriving shortly before noon. En route from the airport to our hotel, I was surprised to see so little evidence of the war. I was mostly impressed by the congested traffic. Automobile congestion was heavy. But for every car there were two to four Hondas -- Japan-made motor bikes.

Before the war, everybody rode bicycles, said an American now resident in Saigon, who met us at the airport. Now everybody rides motor-bikes and automobiles. They have to pay cash for them, too. No time payments.

They must be sold at a low price, I suggested. No, they cost about three times as much as they would in the U.S., due to the heavy tax.

Since the partitioning of North and South Vietnam, the same thing has happened here that happened in East and West Berlin, East and West Germany, North and South Korea. Noncommunist South Vietnam has prospered economically -- Communist North Vietnam has not.

How much of this new South Vietnam prosperity has come from United States dollars? I asked.

About 99.98 percent, grinned my Saigon friend. It has come from American aid, and from G.I. spending. Traffic moves slowly, through mid-day, and almost not at all during morning and evening rush hours. Saigon is a city listed in our aircraft atlas as having about 1,750,000 population. But locally they claim four million now. But the unbelievable thousands of motorbikes and automobiles are a spectacle to behold.

At 2:15 this afternoon we left, in company of our two American local-resident friends, for an interview with the Minister of Social Welfare in the Government of the Republic of Vietnam, Dr. Tran Nguon Phieu.

I asked Dr. Phieu -- he's a medical doctor -- what was the main social welfare problem in Vietnam, and what effect the war was having on it.

Refugees, he responded quickly. More than a million have been rendered homeless by the war. And then, orphans -- that is, fatherless children, whose fathers have been killed in the war. They still have mothers, but most mothers, who formerly remained at home, are now forced to work, while the men fight -- or, widows whose husbands have been killed. And this is destroying the Vietnamese family structure.

And, I added, when a nation's family structure breaks down, that is the beginning of the destruction of the nation. The doctor nodded assent.

Refugees -- women leaving the home and working -- family life breaking down -- juvenile delinquency! I have found this, it seems, EVERYWHERE in the world recently ....

The drug problem is acute here in Vietnam, too. But although it is illegal to sell marijuana (or hashish) here, the bigger problem in Vietnam is opium. This is spreading among our American G.I.s even more than among South Vietnamese soldiers. There is a serious problem of education here, too.

There has not been, up to now, a system of compulsory education in the elementary grades, but compulsory education will soon begin. As it has been, many children will run away from home to avoid school. Then it becomes a problem after two or three drop-out years. They cannot start in again with others their own age. And often it is impossible for them to go back and start over.

Why is it? The most wonderful thing we can know in the material creation is the human mind. Why are so many mentally lazy? Why do so many resist educating their minds? Why do so many blow their minds with dope or drugs -- ruining their minds beyond reclaim? Why?

Here, as elsewhere, there is a tragic shortage of teachers ....

And now I have to come back to my interview right here in Saigon with Dr. Tran Nguon Phieu, Minister of Social Welfare of the Republic of Vietnam.

If the war should be over -- or, looking toward mid-year 1972, when President Nixon says the American troops will be pulled out of here -- what do you envision as the social welfare problems then? I asked.

They will worsen, was his grave answer ... Jerusalem, Israel April 12, 1971

Dear Co-Worker in the Greatest Mission on Earth:

Once again, I am in this remarkable new country, Israel. From now on, Jerusalem will be the pivotal center of world news. While here, I want to bring you up-to-date on the almost unbelievable, exciting, and momentous things now happening in this great Work.

Giant doors have been opening before me, one after another, with invitations for personal conferences with heads of state -- presidents, kings, prime ministers -- and many others in high offices of power, in many countries around the world. The remarkable thing is that I did not seek or initiate these meetings -- not once! I was invited.

Do you realize how impossible it is for anyone, except those in official capacity, to initiate and obtain a personal private conference with a chief of state? These people occupy offices of great power in the world. They are all surrounded by the most effective and well-organized security systems. No one except their own closest secretaries or ministers is ever allowed to contact them direct, either in person or by telephone. Nobody, except those in official office with official business, ever gets to see them, unless personally invited by the head of state, or unless most carefully screened, checked on, approved by secretaries, and then, finally, approved by the chief of state. If I, by my own initiative, had tried to arrange all these many personal meetings and conferences, it would have been utterly impossible! ...

Even though the time has come, in this great Commission, when it is necessary for me to have these personal meetings, there is absolutely no way I could have taken it into my own hands and accomplished it. It had to come like a continuous chain of miraculous occurrences. And it is having tremendous significance to the finishing of the most important Commission on earth in 1,900 years!

Of course you've been reading, in The Plain Truth, of some of these meetings with the world's rulers. And many more such articles and reports are coming in future issues. Then later, I will take you into my confidence and give you the exciting facts of the incredible circumstances, and the surprising providential manner in which these giant doors have opened before me, one after the other in time order.

These very important meetings have suddenly catapulted the entire Work up onto a new and higher plateau! The Work has moved suddenly into a totally new phase! These providential new developments signal the warning to you and to me that we do not have much time left to get done the most important job on earth in 1,900 years! We have now been moved into the last and final phase of the Work for this age!

Before I tell you more of that, however, I want to inform you of the tremendously important happenings to the Work right here in Israel.

I am here this time to make final arrangements for the arrival in June of seventy-five of our Ambassador College students. They are coming to work for the summer on our huge archaeological project in Jerusalem. As you know, we are in joint participation with Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Israel Archaeological Society in the largest, most important such project of our time -- probably of all time.

We are not only uncovering 3,000 years of buried history. We are clearing off the accumulated rubble, decay and debris -- some fifty to sixty feet high -- over the very throne of David -- in the original Jerusalem of 3,000 years ago, also known, then, as the City of David. The biblical prophecies of Isaiah 9:7-8, of Luke 1:30-33, and of Amos 9:11, say that the Messiah -- the returning Christ in supreme and total supernatural power and glory -- is soon, now, to rule the entire earth -- all nations -- from that very spot! What a providential thing it is, that we are clearing it off -- preparing the way for His coming, in this, as well as in other ways!

And here's another exciting and important development: I am here also to confer with officials of the Hebrew University Institute of Urban and Regional Studies. Ambassador College now is in a joint-participation with this institute in a city-planning project, designing and planning the Jerusalem of the future! The probability is that for the remainder of this age, the government will adopt the planning we recommend.

Still another very important development here: I am here also to consult further with Mayor Kollek of Jerusalem. He was our guest at Ambassador College in Pasadena only eleven days ago ....

It's hard to realize how this Work -- in which you and I are privileged to be Co-Workers -- has grown to such worldwide power and scope! It is exerting tremendous impact on more than 150 million people around the world. That is about every twentieth person on earth! ...

Until recently we had reached, in this Great Commission, primarily the grass roots -- the masses of the common people -- the ruled. But in this greatest mission in 1,900 years, it now has become necessary that we get directly to those in top positions of power -- at the top -- the rulers! The Work had, of necessity, to begin where it did. The time now has come when those who wield the power must also be reached! Of myself -- or with the human ability of our entire organization -- it would, indeed have been impossible! ...

In the June number of The Plain Truth -- and I hope we'll be able to print and send out such a vast number of copies -- I'll give you my report on my conference with Mrs. Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel, and also of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India. I will give you my own close-up personal portrait evaluation of those two outstanding women -- sitting in seats of tremendous power in a very sick, war-inflamed world! ...

Chapter 76

May 28, 1971 -- July 1971 May 28, 1971

Dear Inner Family of Co-Workers:

I am able, now, to disclose to you privately and confidentially the almost unbelievable manner in which giant doors have been opening before me. As you know, one after another, the doors have opened for personal meetings with presidents, kings, prime ministers -- and many other high government officials, in many countries around the world.

As I wrote you a month ago, all of a sudden this great Work has been catapulted onto a new and high plateau! It has been moved into a totally new phase.

So many high-level personal conferences could not have opened to one in private life, in so short a time, by mere happenstance. I could not have planned them and brought them about if I had tried! As I now disclose these astonishing circumstances, I think you will see the providential guiding Hand maneuvering them!

As I mentioned in my previous letter a month ago, the Work of necessity had to begin by reaching the grassroots -- the masses of the common people -- the ruled. We now are reaching more than 150 million of them. Think of it! -- that is one in every twenty-three of all the people on earth, or one in every sixteen persons above age fourteen.

But we have reached the point where it has now become necessary that we reach also the rulers -- those in the very top echelons of power in the world. Because, whether we have realized it or not, this Work is the greatest, most effective activity on earth for world peace!

Actually this new phase in the Work began about three years ago.

Here is Coincidence #1: The wife of our office manager at Bonn, West Germany, happened to show a copy of the 1966 Ambassador College year book -- The Envoy -- to an industrialist friend in Brussels. He was much impressed by the book, and the high character of Ambassador students, reflected in their photographs and action shots. This industrialist happened to be a personal friend of King Leopold of Belgium. He asked if he might show The Envoy to the King. The King was quite impressed, and said he would like to meet the founder and Chancellor of this unique high-character educational institution.

His request was passed on to me through the manager of our Duesseldorf office. That was the first I knew of this. Through the Brussels industrialist a meeting was arranged.

That is how the first such meeting came about. On my first visit, the King asked me to come again. During the past three years a cordial and warm affection has developed. And also a fifty-fifty collaboration in scientific expeditions between King Leopold's Belgian Foundation and Ambassador College.

Now, Coincidence #2: In September, 1968, our Dean of Faculties wanted Ambassador College to conduct an archaeological project at a location in Israel. I was personally not interested in such a project. But I consented to visiting Jerusalem to see whether permission could be granted from the government authorities.

He found Dr. Mazar at the time in charge of the most important dig so far undertaken, starting from the south wall of the Temple Mount. Three major United States universities had sought participation in this outstanding project. All had been rejected. But Professor Mazar offered a fifty-fifty joint participation to Ambassador College! ... About mid-October (1968) I did fly to Jerusalem to look over this project. The dig had been begun a few months before. I met Professor Mazar and inspected the project.

It was much more impressive than I had expected. I began to realize the scientific and educational value to Ambassador College. A luncheon was held in a private dining room in the Knesset -- the government's capitol building. Present at the luncheon were five high-ranking officials of both the university and the government.

It was a most memorable luncheon. The favor we were given in their eyes -- the warmth of their attitude toward us -- was inspiring, astonishing, and most unusual. The Israeli Minister of Tourism and Development, Mr. Moshe Kol, proposed that we build an iron bridge that could never be broken between Ambassador College and Hebrew University. After two and a half years that iron bridge has been greatly strengthened.

I did not make final decision, however, at that time. We agreed to meet again in Jerusalem on December 1, for final decision. Meanwhile, Dr. Mazar, with Dr. Aviram, Dean of the College of Humanities at the university, came to Pasadena, and visited also the Texas campus, to look us over. They liked what they saw. And on December 1, at the official residence of Israel's President, Zalman Shazar, we made the joint participation official.

I did not learn until later that we were actually clearing away the decay, rubble and debris -- some fifty to sixty feet high -- over the very spot where prophecy says the returning Messiah -- Jesus Christ -- is to rule the whole world. Tremendous things have happened in this relationship since.

So that is the manner in which this vitally important leap forward in the Work was started. We have been given very great favor in the eyes of both government and university chiefs in Jerusalem!

Now, Coincidence #3: After our midOctober meeting in Jerusalem in 1968, ... I caught a Pan Am round-the-world plane for Hong Kong and Tokyo, for conferences with advertising officials of Reader's Digest. We had begun purchasing double-page advertising space in many editions of their magazine around the world. Arriving Tokyo airport, we were met by our ... Chairman of the Department of Asian studies at Ambassador ....He was acquainted with Prince Mikasa, brother of Emperor Hirohito. Unknown to me he had shown the 1966 Envoy to the Prince, and the Prince had expressed a desire to meet me ....The Prince had asked me to be his guest at luncheon the following day ....We also were introduced at that time by the Prince to his very charming and lovely wife.

This first meeting with Prince Mikasa has led to other important meetings. I did not visit Tokyo again until last September. But when Prince Mikasa learned I was coming, he, his wife and daughter planned a dinner in my honor. Also he arranged for a meeting with some sixty leading professors from various Japanese universities, which he invited me to address.

The meeting with Prince Mikasa has led to a number of things vitally important to the Work. It is paving the way for opening the Work in Japan on a big scale. And unlike all other nations so far, we are starting in Japan from the top down -- and reaching the 100 million Japanese people as a whole will come later, hopefully by midyear.

It led to further contacts with the most important educators in Japanese universities. Perhaps the highest ranking educator in Japan is Dr. Nobumoto Ohama, former president of Useda University. His reputation is worldwide in educational circles. He is to speak at Ambassador College in Pasadena this coming September.

Incidentally, these meetings are beginning to result in bringing many world leaders to Ambassador College to speak before our students.

Also my acquaintance with Prince Mikasa led to my forty-five-minute private conference with Prime Minister Sato in December. Privately and confidentially, Mr. Sato requested me to go to Okinawa in February (the tension was too hot to go on the December trip). And I did go. This has already been reported in The Plain Truth.

I think it pertinent to say to you, here, that private meetings with heads of state on this high level are something vastly different than a handshake with a crowd of tourists -- or, for that matter, even magazine or newspaper correspondents. A magazine correspondent or editor may, on occasion, have a private conference with a head of state. But he does not meet the ruling official on an equal level.

An interesting example of this, was an incident that occurred during a reception at the residence of the United States Ambassador of Nepal this past February ....I had just returned from a visit with King Mahendra at the palace. We were hosting a dinner for important local men and their wives at the hotel that evening, but stopped off at the reception to which we had been invited.

The Ambassador in Kathmandu happens to be a lady, and her husband is Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker at Saigon -- U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam. He and his four or five chief assistants were in Kathmandu for the weekend.

On learning that we had just come from meetings with the King, and with the Crown Prince the evening before -- following meetings with President Giri of India, and Prime Minister Golda Meir of Israel -- and on the previous trip with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India -- at which time King Leopold was traveling with us -- and that two days later we were to have a private meeting with the King of Thailand (Siam) -- this government official looked puzzled, and asked, Well how in the world do you do it? We've been trying for six months to arrange meetings with some of these people, and yet we haven't been able. And they had the power and prestige of the U.S. government!

I couldn't tell him how I arranged these meetings -- because I didn't! Could you believe a Higher Power than the United States government opened these doors?

I had been invited to visit Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, and visit King Mahendra, because my good friend Dr. Singh, official Secretary to President Giri of India, had wanted me to do so, and unrequested by me, had arranged it.

And that was Coincidence #4. And at that chance meeting with Ambassador Bunker he urged me to see him at his embassy in Saigon. And that was Coincidence #5. That has been reported in the May Plain Truth ....

And when you realize the doors have opened before me for eight such meetings in six months, you can believe it has been a series of providential or miraculous circumstances!

Coincidence #6: I will take space to tell you of just one more. On our December trip, King Leopold accompanied us from Brussels to Athens, New Delhi, India, Singapore, and Djakarta. At Djakarta, my planned visit with President Suharto had to be postponed because the King of Thailand (Siam) was there on an official state visit. This required President Suharto's entire time. He had scheduled a meeting with King Leopold (who was on a private, nonstate visit, with us), for the following Monday, and wanted to see me then. But I had meetings scheduled in Manila and Tokyo, and was unable to remain over that long.

But a special dinner was held on Tuesday night in Djakarta, attended by six or eight of the chief officials under President Suharto, and their wives. That night I was simply too exhausted to attend -- the only such appointment on any of these trips I was unable to attend. My elder daughter has been accompanying me, since there have been many such occasions, and she takes her mother's place as my hostess.

At this banquet, my daughter became acquainted with Mrs. Sunirat Telan of Bangkok, who had accompanied the King of Thailand on his state visit. Mrs. Telan owns the Rama Hotel in Bangkok, besides at least two more skyscraper hotels, and some large Thai industries. When she learned from my daughter that we had never visited Bangkok, she insisted that we simply must see Bangkok on our next tour, in February. She wanted to host a dinner in my honor, and wanted me to meet the King.

And that chance meeting with my daughter is the manner in which the one and a half-hour visit with the King of Thailand, this past February, came about. I did not seek it -- I was invited! ...

One thing more I will tell you, then I must not make this letter longer.

Last November King Leopold, his wife, Princess Liliane and daughters -- the Princesses Daphne and Esmeralda -- visited us in California. They were dinner guests in my home. After dinner that evening the King and Princess Liliane asked for a private talk. We excused ourselves from the other guests and retired to a private room.

Then in subdued, solemn and hushed tone they told me that, after World War I had ended, the King's father, King Albert, had visited one of the battlefields. He was appalled, and emotionally sick at heart at the realization of the human slaughter that had occurred there. It moved him deeply. He had one of the iron cannonballs remaining on the field melted and cast into four watch cases -- pocket watch size -- to encase four fine watches. It was his intention to present these to the four men whom he felt had made the most significant contribution toward world peace.

World War I was the war supposed to make the world safe for democracy -- the war to end all wars! King Albert therefore felt the chief generals and French Premier contributed most, and gave one watch to Field Marshal Foch, Supreme Commander in Chief over all allied armies. The second watch was given to General Pershing, Commander in Chief of all United States forces. The third went to Georges Clemenceau, Premier of France during World War I. King Albert apparently found no one he felt qualified for the fourth watch. It was passed on to his son, King Leopold to give.

In solemn and subdued voice the King said he felt the fourth watch, in a red leather case now showing age, should go to me. Both the leather case and the watch are embellished with a gold design with a royal crown in the center.

I feel it was the very highest honor the King could have paid anyone. Whatever contribution to world peace I may have made you have shared with me, and it has not been through war, but through education, teaching millions worldwide the way to peace! And I believe King Leopold feels, and that he saw here, that we have set an example by the real peace that we do have on our three campuses! He has visited both the Pasadena and English campuses.

Co-Workers, something very great is being accomplished through this great Work, in which you and I are both privileged to be Co-Workers. It is a greater power working through us that is producing peace, and happiness, and abundant well-being in ever-increasing thousands all over the earth! And truly, this Work is leading the way into world peace!

This greater power is opening more and more important doors for finishing the Work for this age. I am walking through them in faith and confidence. My life is dedicated to this Work, and doing my part diligently. But it takes your part, too -- and the whole Work can go only as far and as fast as you do yours.

The financial condition, the past year, has been very serious. I feel we are slowly on the upswing once again. We have weathered a very serious financial storm -- our rate of gain the past two years has been slowed -- but the Work has survived, even grown slowly, and now it needs seriously the biggest push we can give it. Let's make every sacrifice to give it the big push! God bless you for your part -- I am very grateful -- and I must remind you the need is now very great.

Visit with Prime Minister Golda Meir June 1971

Is it significant of this time, that growing girls and young women are reflecting increasing qualities of leadership, while young men are evidencing less and less?

Every college president, I am sure, has become painfully aware of this modern trend. The young people born since World War II are, indeed, a new breed.

Today three nations, one of them modern Judah, are ruled by woman Prime Ministers. They are Mrs. Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel; Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India -- second largest population in the world -- and Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Ceylon.

In the past few months I have had personal meetings with two of these ruling women -- Mrs. Meir and Mrs. Gandhi. Each told me of the overwhelming problems that beset her. It seemed to me that these problems are too stupendous to have to come crashing down on the shoulders of a woman.

Never before has the whole world been embroiled in such weighty, apparently unsolvable problems. It is indeed a frightening world in which we live today. The fact that these are women of exceptional abilities does not lessen the burden.

I have said before, and I say again, Jerusalem is destined to be the focal point -- the nerve center -- of world news from here on out. And on the human level, the destiny of the Israeli people is presently in the hands of a woman.

What are the crushing problems that confront her? What kind of woman is Mrs. Meir? I am able to answer both questions much more intelligently since spending forty-five minutes with the Prime Minister in her executive office last February 7. She told me her problems, and how she views them. And after this personal contact, seeing and hearing her at close range, I understand much better than before what kind of woman she is.

Of course I was previously aware generally of Israel's problems. But I had not previously seen them through her eyes, as she views them. Also I had observed Mrs. Meir in extended television interviews, as have millions of others. But seeing her in person, chatting with her, listening to her in real life, gave me a much clearer perception of her as she really is.

In one sense Mrs. Meir is most certainly no ordinary woman. Yet, paradoxically, that is because she is, after all, such an ordinary woman. She is small of physical stature. From having seen her many times on television, I had expected to see a taller woman. But in character and ability she is of unusually great stature.

Without apology to anyone, I have to attribute to this so common, yet so uncommon a woman, humanly, the quality of greatness, such as is possessed by so very few -- if any -- men in public life today.

Emphatically, that is not flattery. I never flatter. Why do I attribute the almost non-existent quality of greatness to Mrs. Meir!

Because she is humble. Because she is just an ordinary, plain, down-to-earth, unpretentious homespun woman and mother. She puts on no airs. She makes no effort to impress anyone. No pretenses. But to lead His people Judah, the Eternal God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has bestowed on this daughter and mother in Israel an exceptionally intelligent, capable, balanced and understanding mind.

She has that rare quality of seeing things precisely as they are. Her vision is in sharp focus. Her mind pierces through the extraneous and confusing details to the central important point. She remains unconfused by the labyrinth of branches and twigs, and has the trunk of the tree in clear view.

One man, well experienced in worldwide political affairs, said the subject of world peace is a very complicated one. I was very happy to observe, in our conversation, that it is not at all a complicated subject to Mrs. Meir. To her, peace is a very simple matter -- if leaders and their peoples were willing to have it. For forty years I have been presenting the subject to the world as a very simple one. There is a cause for every effect. The way of life that will cause peace is what I term very simply as the give way; and the world insists on living the get way.

I was quite impressed by the fact that when speaking of soldiers risking their lives for her country, this woman sees them through a mother's eyes. Yes, Mrs. Meir is common clay -- a mother, a former Milwaukee, U.S.A. school teacher who loved and taught children. Yet at the same time she is a capable executive of firm purpose and uncompromising, unbending will against what she sees is wrong. For with all her common, down-to-earth qualities is joined the quality of firmness and determination ...

But now, what did she say? What happened in our meeting? It has been custom for thousands of years to present a gift when visiting a king or ruler. I presented Mrs. Meir with an original crystal sculpture, made exclusively for her by Steuben. She seemed very pleased with it, commenting that she did not deserve something so beautiful. She had received other pieces of Steuben -- one from Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York ....

Mrs. Meir was already well informed about Ambassador College, and our joint participation in the great archeological project, and also in Mr. Kol's international youth movement.

I asked Mrs. Meir what Ambassador College could do to promote peace and understanding in the Middle East.

The Prime Minister then spoke at some length in answer to my question.

What Israel wants, she said, is really quite simple. It's as simple as two plus two equals four. Yet other nations and other peoples seem to be able to understand Einstein's theory of relativity more easily. What Israel wants is peace, and this seems to others to be so very complicated.

Mrs. Meir said that Israel must remain free and independent within secure borders in order to continue to provide a haven for all Jewish people.

We must be free, she continued, to provide a place for people who have been persecuted throughout the world for so many centuries. Only Israel has been willing to receive with open arms so many people from so many places. In the last fifteen years Israel has received more than 800,000 people from the poorest areas of Africa and Asia. They were people who were ill-fed, ill-clothed, illiterate, in poor health. Some actually came from dwelling in caves in Libya.

And yet, she explained, with such human material, Israel has been able to create useful citizens. They have now learned a new language. They have learned to live in a modern society. They are now well fed, reasonably well clothed, gaining education. Their children will be even better educated, more useful to themselves and their new homeland country, and will live fruitful and fulfilled lives.

When these people -- destitute refugees -- arrive in Israel, they are immediately housed and cared for. I learned a good deal about this program on my second visit to this remarkable new country in 1966. These poverty-stricken newcomers are given jobs. Often they have to live in tents at first. But they are paid, and given instruction on saving a portion of their wages. In a reasonably short time they are able to move into a house or flat. As I now remember it, they can buy their own flat on the installment plan, and it is to a considerable extent subsidized by the government. Some are taken into a kibbutz.

Mrs. Meir made a special point of another astonishing achievement.

An extraordinarily high infant mortality rate plagued these immigrants before their arrival in Israel. There was a correspondingly high death rate of mothers in childbirth. But now one may contrast those figures with what is one of the lowest infant mortality rates and mother childbirth death rates in the world.

Then she told us of the Israelis' ability and willingness to help their Arab neighbors. This small but remarkable nation now sends its experts and its technology throughout the deepest parts of Africa and to even more remote places in the world to help under-developed nations.

How easy it would be, she said earnestly, to send the same teams across the border into Jordan, or across the canal into Egypt, and how much prosperity and happiness would be brought to this entire area of the world by peace ...

We don't want to have to go on winning more and more victories, she added. We only want peace ....

I would like to mention, at this point, that I feel King Hussein would gladly welcome such peace, cooperation and help in improving his people. Three times I have had appointments set up for a personal meeting with King Hussein. Each time a war incident prevented. Once he had unexpectedly been called away from Amman in an emergency. Another time, war conditions made it unsafe for me to go there.

I have read King Hussein's autobiography. He was educated in England, and also in Cairo, as well as in Jordan. There is much to admire in him. He yearns to help upgrade his people and improve their status in life. Above all things, he is an Arab at heart, and that is the principal reason he went along with President Nasser in fighting against Israel. I personally feel Hussein would have been glad to make peace with his Israeli neighbors, and have entered a cooperative arrangement for the benefit of his people. But his dedication as an Arab, and the political pressures from Cairo and other Arab capitals, prevented. Hussein also is under constant pressure from within his own country ....

What a deplorable tragedy that the whole world cannot now have the kind of peace, with prosperity and happiness that Prime Minister Golda Meir expressed a desire for -- each nation cooperating with its neighbor.

But the reason is summed up in the biblical statement: The way of peace they know not. There has, of necessity, to be a cause for every effect. There will have to be a cause to produce peace. That cause is a way of life.

It is the way Mrs. Meir said she would like to see in practice with Israel's neighbor, Jordan -- the way of cooperation! It is the way of outgoing concern for neighbor equal to self-concern.

For the past forty years I have taught that way. Thous ands of lives have turned to it -- been changed -- and now set the living example of peace!

Today in this great Work of which you and I are a part, we proclaim that way to 150 million people -- one in every twenty-three people on earth. Today on three college campuses we practice that way, and we are setting the living example of peace -- three campuses where there is radiating happiness, beauty, harmony, and no protest, riots or violence.

Many are beginning to recognize that this is the most effective contribution toward world peace in active operation on earth today.

Mrs. Gandhi Tells Me of Her Frightening Responsibilities July 1971

One of the most horrifying calamities ever to visit masses of humans -- as one of numerous problems to solve -- has just fallen on the shoulders of a woman.

The whole world was shocked as news headlines told of the mounting mass deaths caused by the cholera epidemic hitting victims from East Pakistan fleeing into India.

Last December in my personal meeting with the Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi told me of the crushing burden of the problems that are her responsibility. One of her most serious problems was that of the Pakistan refugees, then at the rate of about 1,500 per day, streaming across the border into India -- destitute, helpless, for her overburdened government to feed, clothe and house.

Then, since my visit with her, the Pakistani problem erupted as if all hell had broken loose. East Pakistan exploded into civil war. The refugee problem was increased to an overwhelming extent. Then, late May, the cholera epidemic started, spreading to a gigantic calamity in early June. On top of this, the monsoon rains broke over eastern India June 5. By that time Indian estimates were that the spread of cholera had already killed 5,000 refugees in India who had fled from East Pakistan.

Mrs. Gandhi had flown promptly to Calcutta to obtain first-hand information on the raging epidemic. She had appealed to other nations for help. Medical aid was being air-lifted to Calcutta and Eastern India from Britain, the United States and other countries. On June 5th three Indian States, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Assam, sealed their borders against further refugees. Inside East Pakistan, with no medical aid, conditions were reported worse. Huge refugee camps were quickly organized to prevent spreading the cholera epidemic into Calcutta and other cities and towns.

I happen to be writing this month's personal in Israel, where seventy-eight Ambassador College students have just arrived to spend the summer working on our huge archaeological project west and south of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. And this is as far east as I will go at this time. I have no desire to investigate personally the cholera area. Last night the International Cultural Center for Youth staged a special program to welcome the Ambassador students. Ambassador is a joint participant in this cultural center for youth as well as in the archaeological project. The center was founded by Minister of Tourism Moshe Kol and Eleanor Roosevelt. Tomorrow night is a special dinner in my honor being given at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem ....

Last December, when I had the meeting with Mrs. Gandhi, rumors were rife about Mrs. Gandhi's supposed turn toward the left, and her supposed autocratic tendencies. I had been told I would find her cold, haughty and overbearing. The prediction was made of an impending clash between her and leaders of the conservative opposition.

Quite the contrary .... We found Mrs. Gandhi very warm and cordial, with a charming personality and welcoming smile.

And within a very few days after our visit she, in fact, dissolved parliament and announced that elections would be held forthwith. When we were passing through New Delhi again in February, she was away from the capital, campaigning shortly prior to the election, which she won with a landslide victory. Her power has been consolidated to a degree totally unexpected from her opposition.

When she received us in her office at the Parliament in New Delhi, I presented her with a piece of Steuben crystal. Before I could open the distinctive Steuben red leather gift box, her face lit up with a happy smile, and she exclaimed: Ah, a piece of beautiful Steuben. She said she had always admired Steuben crystal. Her father, the late Prime Minister Nehru, had received several gifts of this type of art. It is often given to heads of state ....

I then explained to the Prime Minister of the second most populous nation on earth that Ambassador College would like to send its television crew to do a television documentary on India. Mrs. Gandhi responded that she would welcome an Ambassador College television production on India. I had promised her that it would present India's problems fairly and honestly and in an educational manner.

Mrs. Gandhi then expressed great interest in the Ambassador College agricultural research program at our Texas and English campuses. In answer to questions I explained at some length these activities and the gratifying results being achieved.

I then asked the Prime Minister to tell us about India's problems and also her problems as Chief of State -- and of progress being made. She then spoke, uninterrupted (except by notes being handed to her by a secretary of the arrival of cabinet members for appointments with her). But she rejected interruption and spoke for the next twenty minutes in answer to my question.

She explained first that India does have immense problems of every description. There are no problems confronting mankind that cannot be readily found without effort in India. But she was deeply concerned that journalists, television producers and commentators, and other writers and observers, fail to note carefully the way India is attempting to cope with, and improve, each of the problems. Also, they too often fail to report the progress that India has made during her brief history as an independent nation since 1947.

Mrs. Gandhi explained that most of India's problems stem from immense population, its enormous birthrate and its agricultural resources -- or its lack of the same. For the sake of comparison, she noted India gives birth each year to a population equal to the entire population of Australia. India is making every effort to lower the birthrate, but education and time will be needed.

There have been agricultural reforms. Much progress in agricultural production has taken place but there have been significant setbacks because of the natural elements. As irrigation becomes more widespread, many of the agricultural needs will be alleviated. In the meantime, India is grateful for the aid received from the U.S. and elsewhere.

The Prime Minister was very much interested in Ambassador College's worldwide educational extension program, and she noted that the educational needs of India should be significantly helped by such a program. But that, again, much time would be needed to correct India's educational system. Efforts had been made to make education compulsory, but the means of enforcing the compulsory education were not readily at hand ....

I mentioned, or possibly she noted independently, our association with Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and a brief discussion ensued about the kibbutz system. She seemed to suggest some interest in the adaptability of such cooperative efforts in India.

Mrs. Gandhi said that India has been confronted with an ever-increasing problem of refugees from East Pakistan. These refugees were then coming into India at the rate of some 1,500 persons per day. Most of them find their way to Calcutta and make conditions there, already bad, increasingly worse. She called our attention to the increasing political and civil strife in East Pakistan and also Calcutta as a result of this refugee problem.

Democracy, Mrs. Gandhi insisted, will prevail in India despite the rumors to the contrary. She said that she believed very strongly in democratic institutions herself and was confident that they had been successfully adopted by her people.

I then alluded to the Palestinian refugee problem in the Middle East. I advised Mrs. Gandhi of Ambassador College's efforts to promote world peace and understanding everywhere and explained how Ambassador College had given assistance to the Jordanian Government refugee problem through the purchase of radio time. Also I advised the Prime Minister of our support of the International Cultural Center for Youth in Jerusalem where young Arabs and young Israelis are brought together and taught to respect the customs and traditions and individual differences of the other.

I then explained that I had recently visited with Deputy Prime Minister Allon in Israel and that Mr. Allon had sent his very warmest regards to Mrs. Gandhi and expressed great admiration for her and her father, Mr. Nehru. Deputy Prime Minister Allon had asked me to convey to the Indian Prime Minister that he was deeply concerned that India did not have diplomatic relations with Israel and was, therefore, unable to learn firsthand about Middle East problems as viewed from Israel's vantage point. Mrs. Gandhi shrugged and explained why the government of India was unable to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. She expressed admiration for Israel as well as sympathy for Israel's difficulties, but she said her problems were very much complicated in relation to Israel because of Pakistan, which is a Muslim state.

Mrs. Gandhi said that she had heard very nice things about Ambassador College and myself from President Giri and from her minister of information. She said that she would look forward with great interest to our articles about India, and to a World Tomorrow television production dealing with India's problems today. She then extended a warm invitation for us to return.

Click on the images for a larger clearer view

Linked by satellite and microwave network to dozens of halls and auditoriums worldwide. Mr. Armstrong addresses more than 100,000 during annual Church conclave

Senior students in conversation with the Chancellor

A lighter moment in conversation with Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak

President of Israel Yitzbak Navon receives a personal protocol gift from Mr. Armstrong

HWA with children in Liberty Bell Park, Jerusalem

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit receive HWA in 1984. Mr. Armstrong became acquainted in 1971 with the many agricultural engineering and culteral projects of Their Majesties on behalf of the Hilltribes and rural and needy Thais. As a result of the royal projects, opium growing has been reduced 95 percent.

Madal bestowed on HWA by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit on occasion of the royal visit

Enjoying a light moment, Prince Mikasa of Japan and official of the Mideast Culteral Center in Tokyo examine artifacts the Ambassador Foundation helped the center to acquire

In the office of Prime Minister Nakasone of Japan

Children in Summer Education Program in Australia

At the typewriter on the Grumman Gulfstream III working on Mystery of the Ages, the last book written bt Herbert W. Armstrong

The Plain truth appears in Norwegian, Spanish, Dutch, French. German, Italian. All seven languages are printed compatible each issue-a quantitative challenge no other magazine has undertaken to date.

Holding up the 5oth anniversary issue of The Plain Truth at the R.R. Donnelley and Sons Printers in Kentucky

Mr. Armstrong did World Tomorrow television programs into the beginning of his ninety-fourth year.

Teleprompters were long in use when Mr. Armstrong's eyesight failed. Here are first pages of scripts written by his hand in his ninetieth to ninety-third year.

The Honorable Deng Xiaoping leader of China and Honorary Chairman of the Soong Ching-ling Memorial Foundation, greets Mr. Armstrong as Chaiman of AICF

King Birendra of Nepal received Mr. Armstrong in November 1984

In conversation with President Jayewardence of Sri Lanka

Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand explains to Mr. armstrong and staff the goals of the royal cultural projects among the Hilltribes in Northern Thailand

Her Majesty Queen Sirikit toured the United States in March 1985. The Queen visited ambassador College in Pasadena March 19 to 26 and honored Mr. Armstrong with a most special royal gift.

The ambassador International Cultural Foundation sponsored a tour of the United States for China's Little Ambassadors of Shanghai. A visit with Grandpa Armstrong on the Pasadena Campus of Ambassador College.

A highlight of the tour at the White House with First Lady Nancy Reagan

The formal presentation of The Mystery Of The Ages to students at Pasadena.

Cutting the ribbon, on the walkway by the library

Enjoying Piano playing in his home

Though most of his writings were in the form of advertisements, magazine articles, booklets, and broadcast scripts, Mr. Armstrong summarized his literary work in these five volumes-and, of course, the autobiography

In the last summer of his life HWA traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, his hometown.

Joseph W. Tkach, Mr. Armstrong's designated successor, visits with him at airport.

The official portrait of Joseph W. Tkach

Chapter 77

March 26, 1972 -- June 1973 March 26, 1972

Dear Inner Family of Co-Workers:

I am writing while our plane is being refueled at Teheran, Iran (which is Persia). We are en route from Colombo, Ceylon, to Israel. Now our engines are starting up. I will have to fold my typewriter back up into its place until we are airborne.

In Ceylon I had a ... meeting with the Prime Minister, in the living room of her official residence, Friday afternoon. Last night (Saturday night) my daughter and I ... were guests at dinner at Queen's House, residence of the Governor General. It is really a palace -- quite huge for a private residence. It was built over 400 years ago by the Dutch, when they were in control of Ceylon, before it came into British hands. Ceylon is now independent, but a member of the British Commonwealth. The Governor General is appointed by Queen Elizabeth of England.

We had been invited to Ceylon by the Prime Minister, Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, through the Ceylon High Commissioner (same level as Ambassador) to India, at New Delhi. The High Commissioner accompanied us on our plane to Colombo. I will give you a report of the meeting with the Prime Minister in the Personal article in the May Plain Truth. I just thought in this more personal and confidential letter to our inner family of Co-Workers you might enjoy some of the more personal highlights.

At the dinner at Queen's House last night besides our party, were the Governor General and his wife, his Chief Aide and wife, and the High Commissioner of Ceylon from New Delhi.

This morning, we brought the High Commissioner with us as far as Bombay, where he caught a commercial flight back to New Delhi. We have had to make the one fuel stop between Bombay and Israel, at Teheran. While we were on the ground at Bombay, one of our Indian Co-Workers who is a mechanic with Indian Airlines, recognized our plane, and came aboard for a few minutes' visit. I have met him two or three times before. His daughter graduated from Ambassador College, English campus, and until her marriage was also a faculty member.

Earlier, at New Delhi, I had another visit with President V.V. Giri, and also a meeting with our U.S. Ambassador Keating. He is the former Senator from New York. I am sorry that there have recently been more or less strained relations between the Governments of India and the United States. For that reason protocol made it inadvis able for me to see Mrs. Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, when I had had a talk with our American Ambassador on the same visit.

However, at New Delhi we were entertained twice at the home of the Executive Secretary to the President, Dr. Singh -- and there we met two or three maharajahs, and the Ambassadors from Chile, Argentina, and Sudan, and we received invitations to visit their countries in South America and Africa ....

On this present trip, we left Pasadena Monday, March 6, flew out to Honolulu, stopped overnight, then Tuesday morning flew (one stop for fuel at Wake Island) to Tokyo. We did not disembark, but Dr. and Mrs. Ohama came aboard our aircraft and flew with us to Seoul, Korea. Dr. Ohama is the leading educator of Japan, and perhaps the leading nonofficial adviser to the Government. He has visited both our Pasadena and Texas campuses, and addressed the student bodies.

I had never been to Korea before. Dr. Ohama and I had expected to have a meeting with the President of Korea, but, as frequently happens with heads of state, emergency matters came up that prevented. However, I did have a very fine meeting with the Minister of Education and his two chief aides ....

We flew back to Tokyo on Friday. Had dinner Saturday night with the new Ambassador, from Israel, and his wife. Had tea with them at their Embassy Sunday afternoon. Had tea with the Emperor's brother, Prince Mikasa, on Monday afternoon at his palace. On Monday night we were guests of two of the most influential Members of the Diet (the Japanese governing body -- Congress-Parliament), both of whom had accompanied Prime Minister Sato on his trip to San Clemente (the Western White House in California) for the meeting with President Nixon ....

The big day was Wednesday. About eleven in the morning, we were driven to the House of Representatives office building, where Mr. Bunsei Sato (no relation to the Prime Minister, but a leader in the Diet), together with Mr. Keiwas Okuda, the other Diet Member who had visited our Texas campus, joined us and took us to the Japanese national capitol building.

There, Minister of Commerce and Industry Tanaka, considered to be the probable next Prime Minister, excused himself for about fifteen minutes from a very important conference, to meet me. He invited me to have a longer meeting with him on my next visit to Tokyo. I also met the Minister of Pollution (the official title uses a different word), the Secretary of the leading political party, and another top ranking Diet Member -- a Mr. Ishii, a graduate of Stanford University, besides one or two other Diet Members. We had lunch in the Diet building restaurant.

Then, a fourth Diet Member, Mr. Shionoya, whose son is in his second year at Ambassador College, Pasadena, joined us. And these four leading men of the Japanese Government accompanied us to the Prime Minister's official residence for my meeting with him.

Prime Minister Sato reminded me at the outset, that this was a very historic occasion. When I first had a meeting with him, in December, 1970, the newspaper headlines were blaring forth the news of the great riot against American forces on Okinawa. The Prime Minister had asked me to visit Okinawa, on my February, 1971, trip -- which I did, and wrote an article on my survey there in The Plain Truth. The Prime Minister thanked me for the help I had given, and reminded me that immediately following our meeting, which was in his private office, he was to step into an adjoining conference room where the U.S. Ambassador and staff were to exchange the ratification instruments with the Japanese Foreign Minister and staff, legally affirming the reversion of Okinawa back to Japan. This was the big moment in Prime Minister Sato's administration. We visited with him for some forty minutes, leaving at ten minutes to 3. As we left, the United States delegation were driving up. Their meeting was scheduled for three o'clock. It was the big news on front pages next morning ....

Meeting with President Suharto of Indonesia November 1972

At last, the long-awaited, twice-postponed meeting with President Suharto took place, yesterday morning, in Djakarta.

We flew on here today, en route to Jerusalem, where eighty of our Ambassador College students have been working this summer on the giant archaeological project adjoining the Temple Mount. Then a stopover at our campus in England, a luncheon visit with King Leopold, and then back to Pasadena.

At this point we are approximately halfway around the world on the present trip. We really had a most interesting and profitable meeting with General Suharto ....I wanted to know what President Suharto's plans were for keeping the Communist forces out of Indonesia. Any Communist takeover there would imperil the entire free world. That is a major reason why President Suharto is of vital concern to the United States, Canada, Britain and Western Europe.

The first time I had a meeting set up with the General he had been called to Europe. The second time a meeting was planned, the King of Thailand was in Djakarta on a state visit, and of course that required the full time of the President. He had been desirous of seeing me all along, and this was made doubly evident by the warmth of the reception at this meeting yesterday morning.

If you could be with me in meetings with heads of governments in different parts of the world, you would have an altogether new concept of the insurmountable problems facing this whole, very sick world today. These heads of governments tell me of problems beyond their human power to solve ...

Before I tell you of the things President Suharto and I discussed, I think you might be interested in a brief description of our arrival at the Presidential office building in Djakarta.

Yesterday morning, at 8:45, we arrived at the Presidential office building in Djakarta. Immediately it was evident that the President was expecting us. At the entrance of the building we walked into a battery of official and press photographers, and a number of Presidential staff members. The Chief of Protocol stepped forward to greet us. The signing of the official guest book was carefully documented by a staccato of flashbulbs.

First we walked into a reception room and talked briefly with the Chief of Protocol and the Presidential interpreter, while awaiting General Suharto's arrival.

Remember that President Suharto is the leader of the fifth largest nation in population [1972 figure] -- with a population in Indonesia of approximately 125 million. Indonesia is one of the richest countries in the world in natural resources, but, as yet, one of the least developed. Incidentally, you might understand better where and what Indonesia is when I tell you we used to call it the East Indies. It composes many islands, the largest of which are Java, Borneo, Sumatra, and the western part of New Guinea. If you have an atlas, I suggest you look at the maps to locate this important nation of Indonesia. Djakarta is a short distance south of the equator, and not too far northwest of Australia. It is in the far Southeast Asian district, south of Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. I know how most people are unfamiliar with geography and the location of continents and nations on this earth on which we live.

Shortly, we were ushered into the President's rather large and well-appointed office. The smiling President met us at the doorway with a very warm greeting.

I thanked him for giving official approval for our forthcoming scientific expedition into the Irian, that is, the western portion of New Guinea, and for the cooperation given by the Indonesian government to King Leopold of Belgium, when he was there planning the expedition. I've mentioned previously the joint participation of Ambassador College with the Belgian Foundation, headed by King Leopold, for the exploration of land inhabited by Aboriginal peoples, the study of these peoples, and other activities in the field of anthropology.

We then moved over to a seating area, where I was seated next to the President. I then presented him, as is customary in visiting a head of state, with a small gift -- a fine piece of American Steuben crystal. This presentation brought on a flurry of activity by the official photographers -- as there had been when I first shook hands with the President ....

President Suharto explained his country's policy of National Resilience. This is a program of united mobilized people's efforts to improve the country's economic, social and military position, in order to withstand successfully the continuous effort by subversive forces, supported, if not directed, in large part from outside the country.

Indonesia is largely one of the undeveloped and very poor countries. Mr. Suharto emphasized the efforts being made to relieve the conditions of poverty and misery and discontent -- and the continuing effort by the government to show the people the proof -- the evidence -- of the benefits of the national policies. He urged that other nations in Southeast Asia adopt the same policy of National Resilience to insure their social, economic and military growth in the face of subversive elements, and to improve the standard of living of their peoples, and promote peace everywhere.

As this man, responsible for the welfare and the future of some 125 million people, continued to tell me his problems, and his efforts for peace and for the betterment of the vast number of his people, I had to think, in my own mind, of the magnitude of these problems -- and the complexity of the thousands of factors with which he is trying to cope.

General Suharto is having to work to try to improve, or change, the conditions of poverty, illiteracy, and misery of the vast majority of 125 million people within the framework of this world's pattern and ways of society -- its ways, traditions and customs of living -- the ways and traditional methods of dealing with other nations ....

President Suharto faces the evils of poverty, illiteracy, degeneracy of mind and body, people living, or rather eking out an existence, in misery and the lowest of living standards. President Suharto didn't cause these evils. They were there before he was born. He inherited them. So he set in order this policy of National Resilience in an effort to improve the country's economic, social and military position ....

June 1973

On this present trip around the world, now almost ended, I have been discussing important domestic and world problems once again with a number of heads of state. But just what is the connection between the conditions and problems of the governments around the world and the gospel of Jesus Christ?

The connection is very vital! If people knew just what the gospel of Jesus Christ is, they would understand that very important and urgent connection ....

It has to do with the evils confronting the world's peoples, which the governments in the world have tried to cope with, but have been unable. It has to do with the way people live -- with the cause of all the world's evils -- and it has to do with the solution that will be made -- and the government that will bring peace and universal, right education and prosperity and abundant, joyful well-being to the peoples of the world! It has to do with the problems faced by heads of state today and how those problems are going to be solved!

Therefore, as the minister of the living Christ, and of his gospel, it is very much a vital part of my commission to discuss these very problems and conditions with those closest to them, the heads of governments. My commission is not a local one, but a worldwide ministry.

This present trip, almost ended, has been of very special significance and concern in this regard. Also, it has sparkled with interest! There were some personal and human-interest incidents as well as the more serious and vital.

First, we stopped off in New York to break the time-lag of eight hours between California and England. I took a short flight to Washington, D.C., where I spoke to a combined Worldwide Church of God assembly of between 2,000 and 3,000 people. Then I went on to the campus of our Ambassador College in England on March 4. March 5 and 6 I was busy writing and doing a Sunday radio broadcast in our recording studio on campus. Tuesday night, March 6, I attended our college's annual spring concert at the Watford Town Hall. These concerts are given annually by our college, as a contribution to community cultural interest. This year, the concert was provided by the London Symphony Orchestra, with guest conductor Van Remortel and the world-renowned Huddersfield Choral Society, combining with our own Ambassador Chorale.

We left Luton Airport (where we garage our plane when in England) early Wednesday morning March 7. We flew all the way to New Delhi, India that day.

For more than three years we had been planning a series of scientific expeditions, a joint participation between Ambassador College and the King Leopold III Foundation in Belgium. This morning, at last, was the kickoff of the expedition. It was to be made in the wilds of New Guinea. We first landed at Brussel's airport where King Leopold and Monsieur André Capart, Director of the Royal Museum of Natural Science in Brussels, also a member of the foundation, boarded our plane. Mr. Capart is one of five scientists participating in this present expedition. The others were to meet them in New Guinea, traveling by commercial airlines.

At New Delhi airport that night, we were met at the plane by the Chief of Protocol of India and the Belgian Ambassador and members of his staff. Because of King Leopold's presence, we were put through immigration and customs with diplomatic speed, and cars were waiting to whisk us to our hotel.

One of the most helpful people in our worldwide work has been Dr. Negendra Singh of New Delhi. He is a recent appointee as judge of the World Court at The Hague -- a position of great worldwide power and importance, due to the fact that the nations have feared to defy a decision made by this World Court. The court's sole power is its moral power -- but that has proved very great. Prior to his high appointment, Dr. Singh was Executive Secretary to President V.V. Giri of India. He has been a guest speaker before Ambassador College students and faculty at all three campuses.

On Thursday night, March 8, Dr. and Mrs. Singh were our dinner guests at our hotel. On Friday, March 9, was a luncheon in my honor at Dr. Singh's residence. Two distinguished guests present were His Excellency Abdul Hakim Tabibi, the Ambassador from Afghanistan, and the Ambassador from Ethiopia, Getachew Mekasha. Mr. Tabibi was educated in the United States at Georgetown University and George Washington University, and was formerly Ambassador to the United Nations. He invited us to visit his country and his king, Muhammed Zahir Shah, who has ruled forty years. At his invitation, a meeting with the king of Afghanistan was set for a later date.

The Ethiopian Ambassador extended an invitation from Emperor Haile Selassie, one of the best-known rulers in the world, for a personal meeting in Addis Ababa in the near future. Emperor Haile Selassie, known as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, has been regarded as a descendant of King Solomon of Judah, through the Queen of Sheba.

He was crowned the 225th ruler in 1930. It was in 1935 that Mussolini's Italian forces overran Ethiopia, in fulfillment of the prophecy in the latter part of Daniel 11:40. The Italians ruled Ethiopia until 1941. Emperor Haile Selassie's appeals to the League of Nations made world news. They were often cited as the warnings unheeded that led to World War II. Ethiopia is rich in biblical history, and I am looking forward with great interest to this meeting with Emperor Haile Selassie.

Also present at this luncheon were several other distinguished guests, including V.B. Giri, eldest son of President V.V. Giri, whom I had met previously.

I have had a personal meeting with President Giri each time I have visited India, once at the governor's mansion in Bangalore, once at the governor's mansion in Madras and all other times at his palace in New Delhi. This visit was no exception .... I, with Dr. Singh, paid another visit to the President at the impressive palace. The President's face lit up, and he stretched forth his hand in a very warm greeting. I had not presented a gift since our first meeting, some two and a half years ago (it is not custom on subsequent visits), but this time I presented him with a beautiful, sparkling piece of Steuben crystal for his desk. We posed together for official photographs. Then we discussed the cooler relations between the United States and Indian governments and his official state visit to Malaysia. In fact, he had just returned the night before and had made special arrangements for our visit without prior notification.

When I visit President Giri, he talks about the serious and tragic need for one hundred fifty million jobs -- and of the poverty and other serious problems in the second most populous nation in the world. All nations have problems and troubles. India is no exception. Millions walk around aimlessly, with nothing to do -- no jobs. Such problems weigh heavily on officials at the head of national governments.

I am learning more and more about these problems and man's efforts to solve them, in such meetings. And, I am having an opportunity to get more and more of this good news over to those struggling with this present world's problems, through its governments.

I have, in my lifetime, met hundreds of the great and the near great -- multimillionaire heads of great industrial corporations, heads of great educational institutions, heads of great banks and governments, and no matter how lofty the position or status, if one is allowed to look deeply into their personal lives, he discovers that they have their personal troubles, dis appointments, unhappiness -- because they don't know the way! Christ's gospel reveals the WAY -- both for the individual and for the nation. But the gospel has not been gotten across to the comprehension of the world! ...

But my commission is merely to proclaim or teach it -- not to force any to accept it. God's own Kingdom and solution to world problems and individual, personal problems is going to come, on schedule -- and your believing it or not believing it will neither prevent it nor hasten it ....

But back to the trip .... At Dr. Singh's residence I met the younger son of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This young man was trained as an engineer in India and trained on the job in the Rolls-Royce factory in England. He is presently embarking on a private enterprise to produce an all-India automobile of the Volkswagen type. His name is Sanjay Gandhi. He extended an invitation to our party to dine at the Prime Minister's home on our trip in May.

Dr. Singh also invited us to visit the World Court at The Hague on our May trip.

At 10 a.m. March 11, we were again airborne for Jakarta, on the island of Java, in Indonesia. It was a six-hour forty-minute flight nonstop -- lasting virtually all day.

That morning I had come down with the flu and a severe head cold. It was the start of a three-day fast for me. On the plane, I occasionally sipped lemon juice and honey -- but took no food. The next day at Jakarta, I ran a temperature of over 102. At Jakarta I remained confined to my room. Jakarta is just south of the equator, and it's steamy hot there. The air-conditioning in my room at the hotel was one of these window contraptions, and it was almost a choice of sweltering or being in an ice-cold draft.

At the Jakarta airport, we were met at our plane by the official Indonesian protocol people, the Belgian ambassador Mr. Georges Elliott, the Belgian economic advisor, and Dr. Sarwono, head of the Indonesian Educational and Scientific Institute, which had helped make many of the arrangements for King Leopold's expedition in New Guinea.

March 12: Due to my flu attack, several appointments were canceled for me. But my assistant Mr. Stanley Rader called upon our friend Mr. Adam Malik, the Indonesian Foreign Minister -- second man in the government, next to President Suharto, and until this year, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations at New York. President Suharto was addressing and being re-elected by the National Assembly that day. But he sent greetings and his personal best wishes for the success of the expedition and an invitation to visit him on our next return to Indonesia.

That evening, a banquet was held for King Leopold .... March 13: We flew to Biak, in West Irian (New Guinea). It was a five-hour flight, at nearly 600 miles per hour. We must have flown over hundreds of islands, all part of Indonesia, many of the islands as yet uncharted.

At Biak, we were met by a contingent of military personnel, including the general who is administrator for the area. Some of the other military officers had been detailed there to escort and protect King Leopold and the scientists on the expedition. They were going into some of the wildest jungle on earth, among totally uncivilized natives -- perhaps headhunters -- who may not have seen civilized people before.

We spent about an hour at Biak, had photographs taken and bid good-bye to the King. [The king's party was] to spend the night there, then rendezvous the following day at a place called Djajapura (formerly Hollandia) with the other scientists who had flown there by commercial airlines. From there, the expedition was to get under way.

We again boarded our plane for an approximately five-hour flight to Hong Kong. I was still running a fever, and it had been a rather trying day for me. It seemed very nice to be in a properly air-conditioned hotel room with an even temperature and no drafts. I said that I was going to remain right there until I recovered from the flu.

March 14 and 15: Resting and recuperating in Hong Kong. March 16: We boarded our plane at 8 a.m., arriving in Bangkok, Thailand (formerly Siam) about 9:30. We were met at the airport by Madam Sunirat Telan, owner of hotels and other enterprises, and also a close friend of the King and Queen and Princess Dusdi Sukhuma. These two ladies have accompanied us in all visits with King Bhumibol Adulyadej. On this morning, we had a meeting with the King at 11 a.m. We were driven to the palace. Having some extra time, we were driven around the city so that we arrived at the palace just before 11.

We were greeted by the admiral who is the King's number one aide. We were first escorted, as usual, into a reception room. Then shortly after, we were shown into the room where the King was waiting for us.

On entering, we were met, as usual, by a barrage of brilliant lights, TV cameras and still photographers. The King greeted us warmly. He expressed great appreciation for our interest and cooperation in the education of the hill-tribe people. He was most happy to report that very pleasing results are being achieved in the area of Ambassador College's participation in the King's program (as part of the Ambassador College Extension Program of Education for all peoples at all levels, getting the missing dimension in education to people worldwide). Not only are the people being taught the true values and purpose of life, but they are also being shown how to do new things with their hands.

They are now replacing the former poppy crops (for making opium) with vegetables, now being canned for the market in newly established canneries. And the people are much happier and better off economically. The Ambassador College motto is Recapture True Values, and some of these mountain tribes are beginning to do just that.

After the meeting with the King, we were driven directly to the personal residence of Prime Minister Kittikachorn for my second meeting with him within six weeks. He arrived ten minutes late, apologizing unnecessarily, but greeting us warmly and enthusiastically.

He had been detained in an important meeting with his highest officials, dealing on that day with a Communist intrusion at the northeastern border of Thailand (North Vietnam is only a short distance from that point). The Prime Minister was still dressed in his military uniform. On our previous meeting with him, he was dressed in civilian clothes. The Prime Minister's son-in-law, whom we met on the previous visit, was there, talking with us until Mr. Kittikachorn's arrival .... The Prime Minister's son-in-law has a Ph.D. in Education and was trained at Boston University in the United States.

Again the Prime Minister and I discussed the Vietnam cease-fire situation and the future prospects of the new bastion in Thailand against the communist threat in Southeast Asia. Once again he stressed the threat of communism and said he fully expects increased communist efforts against Thailand when the cease-fire becomes more effective in Laos and Vietnam. But he said his people are prepared and vigilant, as well as experienced in dealing with the communist menace.

Prime Minister Kittikachorn then presented me with two beautiful full-color portraits, one of himself alone and the other of himself and his wife. They had just celebrated their forty-second wedding anniversary. I congratulated him, mentioning that my wife had died just 3½ months before our fiftieth or golden anniversary. I had presented him with a beautiful piece of Steuben crystal, which he seemed to like very much.

We returned to the airport, taking with us as guest, as previously planned, Princess Sukhuma, who accompanied us to Pasadena. We returned that same afternoon to Hong Kong. My temperature was gone and the flu had nearly dis appeared, but we remained in Hong Kong for the weekend, because our next scheduled meeting was for Monday night in Tokyo.

Monday, March 19: We flew into Tokyo to attend a banquet with Prince Mikasa, brother of Emperor Hirohito, Ambassador Ron of Israel, Dr. Ohata, archaeologist from the university, and six other young Japanese archaeologists and Middle East scholars. They are to participate in the archaeological project at Tel Zeror -- an ancient biblical site between the modern cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa. The project is cosponsored by the Japanese government and Ambassador College. Perhaps some of our Ambassador students may be working on this project this summer, as well as on the large archaeological project at the base of the Temple Mount, digging down to the palace, location of the throne of David, in the ancient city of David. This project is sponsored jointly by Hebrew University, the Israel Archaeological Society and Ambassador College.

Tuesday, March 20: We had dinner with the Ambassador from Thailand and his wife, invited by Princess Sukhuma, who was accompanying us, and, of course, who had attended the banquet with us on Monday night. The Thai Ambassador had formerly been stationed at the United Nations in New York and also had been stationed in Bonn, West Germany. One of the children of the Ambassador and his wife had been born in the United States and was educated in a girls' school in Virginia.

March 21: At the suggestion of former Prime Minister Eis aku Sato, we had been invited to make a second visit to Okinawa, where I was guest of honor at a small and intimate banquet sponsored by the governor of Okinawa and the President of the university there.

We were met at the airport by Mr. Matsumura, Director of General Affairs of the University of the Ryukyus, and Mr. Ichimura, President of the university's alumni association and Rector of the university's law institute ....

At five that evening, I was visited in my hotel suite by the parents of a girl student at our Pasadena campus, a transfer from the university at Okinawa, on our new exchange program with that university, and also by the father and one of the brothers of a young male student at Pasadena, also a transfer from the Okinawan university.

At six, President Takara of the university came to my suite for an informal chat and renewal of acquaintance prior to the banquet.

At 6:30 p.m., we entered the private banquet room in our hotel, the newly opened Okinawa Hilton. Present were Governor and Mrs. Yara, university President Takara and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Matsumura, Mr. and Mrs. Ichimura, a Mr. Sho, grandson of the last king of the Ryukyus, now a businessman and member of the Board of Trustees of the university. These Japanese women appeared in their bright and beautiful Japanese kimonos ....

Both the university president and the governor spoke at some length .... The governor's speech, especially, was full of feeling, sincerity and emotion. He wanted me to convey to former Prime Minister Sato his deep appreciation for his tireless efforts in bringing about the reversion of Okinawa (from the United States) to Japan.

A portion of his deeply felt speech was this: Please convey to Prime Minister Sato that nothing is lost in Okinawa. We have many problems facing us. But we hope to create a new Okinawa. Please convey this additional message: We believe and desire, because of the friendship of America and mainland Japan, for a better Okinawa -- a better tomorrow. The new Okinawa is like a woman expecting a child -- it will be painful, but a priceless and precious new life will be born. It will take a long period of patience to create this new Okinawa. The reversion is precious -- not because of yesterday -- not because of today, but because of tomorrow!

The Governor said he was expressing his personal opinions and feelings. He had wanted, originally, to be a teacher, so at this important meeting, he was speaking as an educator among educators. He also said that before the reversion, the big goal was to achieve the reversion.

But now that that was accomplished, he had discovered his problems were far greater than they were before. He was then chief executive of the Japanese people under American government and authority. Now that he is Governor, and in authority, he finds that the problems confronting him and his administration are greater than when under the authority of the United States. Problems previously submerged now confront him.

The university President expressed his appreciation over the exchange program of the university with Ambassador College.

I spoke on the problems confronting both Japan and the United States, and the causes of the trade and monetary imbalance, asking for understanding and patience, and asking them to look forward to the world of peace we are proclaiming worldwide. But this was neither the time nor place for a sermon on how that happy result actually will be brought about in the world tomorrow.

However, such meetings and conferences as I have had on this most recent round-the-world trip definitely are paving the way for getting that happy and wonderful good news in great power before the peoples and nations of this unpeaceful and unhappy world today.

Chapter 78

September 24, 1973 -- December 1973 September 24, 1973

Dear Co-Workers in Giving God's Last Message to a Dying World:

I am writing from Tokyo where I look forward on the night of day after tomorrow, to a very great opportunity. It may be the first time in all history such a thing has happened. I am invited by Prince Mikasa, brother of the Emperor, to explain the Bible -- proclaim Christ's gospel of the Kingdom of God -- to a most impressive audience. It is the most impressive audience before which I have ever been given opportunity to give Christ's message.

I am informed that what I originally thought was to be a private Bible study with the Prince alone, will now include some fifty or more of the very top people of this nation -- members of the government, scholars and heads of universities, and their wives.

I want you to realize how very important this is to the Work of the living God. The Work is moving forward at greatly accelerated pace now, taking on an entirely new dimension in giving God's last message to a dying world in these last days! ...

In the Bible, a king, or chief of government, often represents and stands for the nation. In one sense when Christ's message is delivered to the heads of government, it has been delivered to the nation.

Jeremiah was sent to kings. Daniel was sent to kings. God called the apostle Paul to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel (Acts 9:15).

And now, kings, presidents, prime ministers and leaders of many nations are inviting me.

Last Wednesday night, in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, I was given just such an opportunity. I did not know of it in advance. But a banquet was held in a special banquet room of my hotel in my honor. Present were Ambassadors representing the governments of Japan, Korea, Cambodia, Ethiopia and Israel, the President of the University, and Her Royal Highness the wife of the recent Prince Regent of Thailand, and other important guests.

I was given a very warm -- even emotional -- introduction, and asked to speak. I had no idea how long I was expected to speak, so I confined it to exactly 12 minutes. But I spoke earnestly and God gave me power.

I will give you a quick summary of what I said: One who travels over the world, as I have, is forced to see the pitiful condition in which a majority of all people on earth live -- in utter ignorance, deep poverty, semi or total starvation, wracked with disease, living in filth and squalor. I have to ask, why? You people should be concerned about it! We have mind power to fly to the moon and back -- yet we find the majority living in such conditions -- we can't solve our own problems here on earth -- we don't know how to have peace! Why? Even where people are educated and prosperous, they are not happy! Why?

For every effect, I said, there had to be a cause. Years ago, I made surveys. I learned people are not happy. Why? I finally found the answer -- in the Bible! It's a book people have refused to understand -- which people have interpreted all out of natural and intended meaning -- but taken for what it plainly says I found it makes sense -- and answers the big questions! It contains the missing dimension in knowledge. The world doesn't know: What we are -- why we are -- the purpose for which humanity was put on earth -- how to fulfill that purpose. What are the true values in life? What is the way to peace, universal abundance and happiness? Those are the basic things we need to know! Those are the necessary things to know which man, science, technology cannot discover! Those are the things the Bible reveals.

Then I covered the incident of the forbidden fruit -- how our first parents rejected God's revealed knowledge, which He had started teaching them -- how mankind cut himself off from his maker, and has turned to imaginary and false gods, how man ever since has tried to reason out what is good and what is evil -- what to do and how to do it -- and has brought on humanity this colossal tragic mountain of human woes and anguish! Then I explained God's way of life -- the way of give -- of love which is outgoing concern for the good of others -- of cooperation, instead of competition, strife and violence -- because mankind has cut itself off from God.

As Adam and Eve disbelieved God, rebelled, and disobeyed His inexorable spiritual law -- sinned -- so now man, by repentance of that disobedience, and faith which is to believe God and His Word, can be reconciled to God and receive eternal life. Then I explained how Christ is coming again as the divine Messiah in super-natural power to rule all nations, and lead nations in God's way, which will bring world peace, abundance, happiness, and eternal life as God's gift.

Twelve minutes is not very long, but they did get the message! And there was a very enthusiastic response! It did make important people think -- and want to know more!

On this present trip, I spent one week in Lebanon. I had important personal meetings with President Franjieh (several hours with lunch), the Prime Minister (we talked for an hour and ten minutes), the Foreign Minister, and the Minister of Education ....

We were welcomed at Beirut airport in VIP manner. Our meeting with the President and First Lady was on Friday at the summer presidential palace, high in the mountains, and a two-hour automobile drive from Beirut. Our entire party was invited.

No other visitors were there. The President had reserved this entire day for our visit. We spent about an hour, before luncheon, in explaining about our Work, the truth we teach, and going through an Ambassador College annual publication, The Envoy, which the President carefully went through page by page ....

The Prime Minister had to be seen on Saturday morning. He had just returned the night before from the Conference of Nonaligned Nations at Algiers. But, my visit with him was really to go into phases of the gospel, and for an hour and ten minutes, we were remarkably in accord in regard to principles and philosophies. He, too, surprised us with a remark, Your appearance and physical presence denote your character and the nature of your activities. Great men accomplishing important things bear their age well.

On our last Saturday night a special reception and dinner was held in my honor at a very large building on the outskirts of Beirut, facing the sea. Among other things, it contains a large casino ....

The reception and dinner was held on a very spacious veranda on the second story, overlooking the sea and the lights of the city. It was a warm evening, and delightful in the open air. Many important people were present, to whom I was introduced. At dinner, I sat with a Dr. and Mrs. Charles Malik. Dr. Malik is a former President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, New York, and today he is a member of the cabinet and legislative body. He asked many questions about Ambassador College and our worldwide Work, and seemed pleased.

As a coincidence, I also know Mr. Adam Malik, also a former President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, and Foreign Minister of Indonesia. He is President Suharto's right hand man, and second in authority in the government of Indonesia. I have visited him in his home in Djakarta. Also, I happen to know another very important Mr. Malik, of New Delhi, a good friend of King Leopold ....

Hong Kong November 26, 1973

Dear Co-Workers in Giving God's Last Message to a Dying World:

President V.V. Giri. On last Friday I flew to Dacca, capital of the new country Bangladesh (formerly called East Pakistan). I wish I had time and space to tell you the tragic, almost unbelievable story of that country and its recent war. It must be told. I will write an article on it for The Plain Truth, which you may read later.

Bangladesh is the eighth largest nation on earth, in population -- with seventy-five million people. It appeared, from what little I saw of it, to be the most impoverished country I have seen.

In early 1971, when I was visiting New Delhi, India, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi took some twenty minutes of our meeting to tell me of the many thousands of East Pakistanis daily fleeing as refugees across the border into India -- no earthly possessions except what they carried on their backs -- no food, no money, no employment. India, already impoverished with millions of poor -- needing to provide an additional hundred and fifty million jobs -- had no way to take care of these refugees. Many were half-starved and starving, many diseased, their clothes in tatters.

After the war, freed from the yoke of a government that was machine-gunning people by thousands because of political differences, the refugees have been returning. The number of refugees fleeing into India had reached nearly ten million!

The present Prime Minister, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, had been a political prisoner, jailed in West Pakistan. In January, 1972 (last year), he was released in London and immediately returned to his people in the new Bangladesh.

Thirty minutes after my plane landed at Bangladesh airport, I was ushered into his temporary office in a frame house that had been a private residence. At a glance it was apparent he was a leader of his people. He is big, strong, alert, active, aggressive, emotionally and compassionately aware of the dire needs of his people. His conviction and sincerity impressed me.

He told me how his country had suffered -- three million were killed -- six million homes were destroyed -- more than one and a half million farm families were left without tools or animals to work their farms. The transportation and communication systems were totally destroyed. Roads badly damaged, bridges knocked out, inland waterways blocked. He described the basic need of food -- education -- every basic need. The educated had been systemically killed by thousands. Now education is a dire need. He lamented the fact that the major nations are spending so much of their resources for military purposes of killing, and giving only lip service to the improvement of the lives of the overwhelming majority of all mankind.

We discussed the possibility of possible cooperation in some way with Ambassador College.

After lunch ... I had a private meeting with the Head-of-State, President Aby Sabeed Choudhury. He is a former Justice of the Supreme Court.

The President asked me frankly for my apprais al of what I had seen of his country. When I hesitated, he smiled, and said he wanted my frank and honest apprais al. I told him that it appeared to me to be the most impoverished country I had seen. I added that I had involuntarily uttered the prayer, on seeing it, Thy Kingdom come -- as the real answer to the plight of the country. He said he knew quite a little of Ambassador College, of our worldwide Work, and of me personally, and then:

Mr. Armstrong, I want to appeal to you for your candid counsel and advice. I know of your contacts with so many leaders of government and their problems, your wide experience, your age and wisdom. You can see the colossal problems we have here, struggling with the reconstruction of this nation of seventy-five million impoverished people.

This was not the first time a head of a government over many millions of people has asked me for counsel and advice in trying to solve their virtually unsolvable problems. And I think our Great God will show me a way to help -- at least to uplift the morale, the spirits and the hope of those millions of poor, downtrodden people. In spite of their tragic recent war, their spirits right now seem good -- they, with India's help, won the war, and their freedom from a most cruel rule. A very large portion of their people understand English. If the President, the Prime Minister, and present government will allow, I think it might help the spirits and morale of the people greatly if I took to the air over their government radio, admonishing them, as in James 5:1-11. The great hope of all the world, now, is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, to bring the world not only peace, but universal prosperity. Perhaps this President may see that the gospel will give his people more hope and encouragement than anything ....

I Visit Emperor Haile Selassie December, 1973

What if the League of Nations had heeded Haile Selassie's plea and warning in 1935? Might it not have prevented World War II? And would that not have changed the whole course of world history? ...

Think how that might have changed the whole course of your life!

The Fascist Mussolini invaded Ethiopia in 1935. He was saying, The time has come to make the Fascist voice heard! ...

Emperor Haile Selassie went before the League of Nations in Geneva in person. He pleaded with them to stop this fast-mounting Fascist threat to world peace at Ethiopia, before it invaded France and Britain, and started the greatest conflagration of world war in history.

Did not this man, who claims to be a direct descendant of the ancient King Solomon of Judah and the Queen of Sheba, prophesy that if they did not stop the Fascist armies before they invaded Ethiopia, that all Western Europe would be invaded? -- that the British Empire would cease to be an Empire -- that nothing but trouble would come upon the democracies of Western Europe and the United States? -- war troubles, economic troubles -- political troubles?

But the League of Nations had no power! And the democracies didn't think any such big war would come. So they left helpless Ethiopia to her fate. And Mussolini took Ethiopia. He added it to Libya and Italian Somaliland and Eritrea. After having previously made a concordat with the Vatican he now proclaimed another resurrection of the Fascist Roman Empire! ...

The Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie was forced into exile. He went to England, and did not return to his capital, Addis Ababa, until May 5, 1941, at the head of his resistance forces, and with British troops. They had fought their way into Ethiopia from Sudan.

From the time of his personal appearance before the League of Nations, in 1935, Emperor Haile Selassie became one of the best-known heads of state in the world. He ascended his throne in 1930, and has had the longest reign, or tenure in office as head of state or head of government, of any man in the world.

Of all the heads of nations or of great corporations, I think none could have triggered greater anticipation prior to meeting than this longest-ruling of all rulers.

All my life, from age nineteen, I have had more or less close contact with many of the great and the near-great of the world-heads of large corporations, presidents and chairmen of major banks, publishers, educators -- and in these recent years government heads and world leaders. But none had seemed a more outstanding personality than Emperor Haile Selassie.

So when, last March, the invitation came unexpectedly to visit him, it was an intriguing anticipation.

It was in New Delhi, capital of India. Once again I was luncheon guest at the residence of Dr. Nagendra Singh, one of the world's leading exponents for world peace through international law. He had been Executive Secretary to the President of India, V.V. Giri, and recently appointed judge on the World Court at The Hague.

Among other guests was his Excellency Ato Getachew Mekasha, the Ambassador from Ethiopia, and wife. Also the Ambassador from Afghanistan and wife, and the elder son of President Giri ....

During the course of the luncheon both Ambassadors extended invitations to visit their respective countries and their kings. Tentative arrangements were made for the Ethiopian visit in May. I was unable to meet that schedule, but did manage to make it in June ....

Meanwhile a second invitation had come by telex to visit the Emperor in Addis Ababa.

At a luncheon in Jerusalem, attended by several high-ranking university and government officials, it was mentioned that Emperor Selassie had spent over two years in Palestine during his exile, and our Israeli friends at the luncheon knew him well.

It so happened that in our archaeological project, a very ancient seal, used by kings of Judah more than 2,500 years ago, had been discovered. A lion was engraved on the seal, representing The Lion of the Tribe of Judah. This title is applied to Christ in the Bible, but Emperor Selassie claims to be the direct descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, and is often called The Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

Our Israeli friends thought it would be nice to make a blown-up photograph of the seal, frame it, and let me present it to the Emperor, which was done. Also our friends at the luncheon told me that the Emperor understands and speaks English very well, although as all heads of state do, he would speak through an interpreter at our meeting.

While in Jerusalem I was received for a personal visit by Israel's new President Katzir.

We had a really spectacular flight from Tel Aviv directly to Addis Ababa (capital city of Ethiopia), over the straits of Tiran, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Red Sea, with Saudi Arabia on our left, and Egypt on our right.

Ethiopia is a mountainous country, in east-central Africa, south of Egypt, and north of Kenya. It covers an area about the size of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico combined. Much of its area is a high central plateau, ranging from 6,000 to 9,000 feet elevation. Addis Ababa is over 8,000 feet, and I did have some little difficulty breathing, especially early mornings, because of the thin air at that altitude.

We arrived Sunday, June 17, about 1:30 p.m. at Addis Ababa airport. Our party was met at our plane by the Ambassador to India and his wife, who had flown from New Delhi to welcome us, as well as the President of the Haile Selassie University, and others.

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor had sent to the airport one of his Mercedes limousines and driver, which was put at my personal service for the duration of our stay. Other cars were waiting for the others of our party ....

The capital city of Addis Ababa was an eye-opener for me. In the main it is a very modern city -- a generous sprinkling of new, modern high-rise buildings, and a goodly number of imposing and impressive public buildings. These included the headquarters building of the Organization for African Unity (OAU). This is an organization of African nations, brought about primarily through the initiative and leadership of Emperor Haile Selassie.

Other impressive buildings were government buildings, hotels, the university, hospitals. Addis Ababa is a city of over 800,000 population, approaching a million.

We were driven to the comparatively new Addis Ababa Hilton Hotel, one of the better Hiltons, and I was given the Presidential suite.

That evening our party was hosted at an informal dinner by His Excellency the Ambassador to India, and the Minister of Information, at the home of the latter.

On Monday morning, due to shortness of breath I remained in the hotel ....

Monday evening the Minister of Education and Chairman of the University Board of Governors, His Excellency Ato Seifu Mahteme Selassie, hosted a reception for us. Of course the President of the University was there, as well as most Vice Presidents.

But now came the highlight -- the meeting with the Emperor. Our entire party had been invited to come along with me ....

The meeting had been set for 4:30 Tuesday afternoon. At that time we arrived at the Jubilee Palace of the Emperor. There were, of course, at the gates, and at the entrance of the palace, the usual battery of armed and colorfully uniformed guards. We were met at the entrance by aides in military attire, with the President of the University and the Minister of Education.

We were escorted up a long grand stairway with heavy red carpet. One of the aides, taking my arm, cautioned me to take it easy, because of the high altitude and length of the stairs.

Arriving on the upper level, we turned into an ornate and very long room. There was a wide strip of red carpet down the center, the length of the room, and at the far end, seated behind a table with flowers, was the lone figure of His Imperial Majesty, the world-famous Emperor Haile Selassie. I led the way down the length of the room, and was warmly greeted, as was the entire party on being introduced one at a time.

I then presented the Emperor with a gift of Steuben crystal, and also with the framed picture of the 2500-year-old seal, with the engraving of the lion, The Lion of the Tribe of Judah. This seemed to please him very much, as I explained about our archaeological project, and our mutual Israeli friends.

The university President acted as interpreter. I then began to mention some of the things the Emperor and I have in common. We are virtually the same age -- he is just eight days older than I. But I mentioned that his hearing seemed better than mine. We both enjoyed long marriages, and both are now widowers. The Empress died in 1962, my wife in 1967, after almost fifty years of marriage.

Then I mentioned that I have the genealogy of my ancestry, and that I too, [on one side of the family] am a direct descendant of King Solomon of ancient Israel.

Well why not? blurted out the Emperor spontaneously, without waiting for the interpreter to tell him what I had said.

At that responsive quip we all burst out in laughter. From that point the interpreter had very little to do.

Early in our talk, His Majesty mentioned that he was well aware, as were the others in the Ethiopian government, that I was the spiritual leader of a large worldwide following. During the first fifteen or twenty minutes of our meeting, he tended to answer whatever I said with a philosophical observation, apparently inspired by Solomon's Proverbs, which I rather deduced he has studied continuously and religiously.

The general sum and substance of our conversation revolved around the basic fundamental principles of world conditions, evils and problems, and how in our work we are putting solutions and true values to actual practice, setting a living example of the way to peace and happiness, both in our college campuses, and in the Church throughout the world. He took keen interest in my explanation of the two divergent philosophies or ways-of-life. which I call the way of get practiced in this world, and the way of give which leads to peace, happiness and success.

Philosophy, and moral philosophy, he commented, is commendable, but it is far more commendable to put into actual practice the principles upon which the philosophy is based. He said he recognized fully our achievements of both our institutions putting into practice the way that we preach worldwide ....

The Emperor gave no indication or move toward terminating our visit, but after some forty-five minutes, I felt it proper to do so, and rose to my feet, expressing what an honor and delight the meeting had been. Then Haile Selassie presented me with an already autographed full color photograph of himself, with a sterling silver frame, bearing his Imperial insignia centered over the top of the frame. Also, he gave me another duplicate photograph (not autographed) for publication.

Then I received a real surprise. Out of a beautiful leather case, handed him by an aide, the Emperor took an extremely beautiful gold bracelet which he presented to me as his personal gift to my daughter, whom he had expected to be with me. In the center of the bracelet was a solid gold coin (twenty-four karat), made forty-three years ago in celebration of his coronation. The coin had the Emperor's face engraved on it. The rest of the bracelet, except for the clasp at the underside, was twenty-two karat gold, with beautiful garlands engraved with exquisite craftsmanship. Jewelers have since evaluated it as the finest gold bracelet they had ever seen.

Naturally, I thanked His Majesty very sincerely, and on returning to the hotel, I rushed immediately to my suite and put in a telephone call to my daughter in California. On describing it to her, she said she would send His Majesty a telegram of thanks immediately. It is naturally quite a conversation piece, and so far as value is concerned, priceless. The very exquisite work was all done in Ethiopia, where they mine gold in limited quantities, and produce some of the world's finest jewelry.

That evening, I hosted a reception and dinner in a private room off the lobby of our hotel in honor of the Minister of Education, the President of the University, the Dean of Faculties, the Head of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice President for Planning, and other distinguished guests, and their wives.

On Wednesday, June 20, I paid a morning visit for two or three hours to the University. There my host and guide was the President of the University. We also paid a most interesting visit to the embryonic Museum of Natural Science. Later this proved to be of special significance at a subsequent meeting with Prince Bernhardt of The Netherlands, husband of the Queen. He has a very active interest in the conservation and preservation of wild life throughout the world.

That same day, June 20, I was guest of honor at a very important luncheon hosted by His Excellency the Ambassador to India. He had invited other Ambassadors. In attendance were the Ambassadors from 19 different nations, and their wives. Included, and seated on my left, was the very impressive-appearing Ambassador from the People's Republic of China, who, during the luncheon, extended an invitation ... to visit China ....Also present were the Chargé d'Affaires and acting Ambassador from West Germany, and the Ambassadors from Argentina, Ghana, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain, Thailand, Colombia, Tanzania, and the Chargé d'Affaires from the United Kingdom and from Yugoslavia. The Ambassador from China, His Excellency Yu Pei-wen, has held some very important posts for his government, including that of Chief of Protocol in Peking ....

I was called upon to make a brief address before this distinguished gathering. The entire room was buzzing with laughter and conversation -- all in an exceedingly happy mood. After making a toast to His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Ethiopia, I stated that we were gathered in a World Peace-Conference, proving that so many people from so many nations could gather together in jolly and happy friendship. I spoke briefly, some seven or eight minutes, on the way to world peace -- the way of God's law, briefly proclaiming the coming world of peace -- the World Tomorrow -- the Kingdom of God.

The following day, Thursday, was the day of our departure, and we were planning to be at the airport in the early afternoon. But that morning we were the very special guests of His Imperial Majesty at the graduation ceremonies of the University, held in the Grand Palace (not the Palace which is the Emperor's residence and from which he rules the government). We were seated on the large front platform, immediately to the left of the dais on which was the ornate gold throne where the Emperor was to sit, personally handing the diplomas to each graduate.

A large band was playing at the rear. Finally the graduates marched in, completely filling the large auditorium. There were close to 3,000 graduates.

It was a very colorful ceremony. But, with so many graduates, the Emperor handing each individually his diploma, it was a very long ceremony. On the front platform, but to our left and farther from the throne, was the entire Board of Regents, and on the other side Faculty and other dignitaries. Members of the royal family were seated immediately in front of us. As the spectacular ceremony dragged on, an official whispered to us that it would be quite all right if we wished to leave, as the ceremony would carry on for more than another hour.

We were driven directly from the palace to the airport, where our crew had our plane ready for boarding. And there, to personally bid us good-bye were the Ambassador to India and his wife.

It was, we felt, a most profitable, as well as enjoyable, four days.

Chapter 79

March 28, 1974 -- May 21, 1974 March 28, 1974

Dear Inner Family of Co-Workers with Christ:

When I surrendered completely to the Living Jesus Christ, giving my life literally to Him to use as He might see fit, I counted the cost! It meant giving up my business, and career in the business world. I was well aware that Jesus had said to His disciples -- and this included all who would follow Him fully -- If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. I had to be willing to accept that.

When God inducted me into His ministry more than forty years later I knew what He had commissioned me to do, to go into all the world and preach the gospel -- go ye therefore, and teach all nations.

Teach what? Christ's gospel, which is the good news of the Kingdom of God.

And for our time, now, Christ said, This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end [of this present world] come.

Not to proselyte -- not aggressively to seek Church members -- but to announce the good news of the soon-coming Kingdom of God -- which will bring us world peace, universal happiness and prosperity, and eternal salvation. To prepare the way for the coming of Christ again to earth in all the divine splendor, power and glory of the Eternal God, as the King of kings and Lord of lords to rule, and to save the world.

This is not the time when God is trying to save the world, spiritually. We are preparing the way for the time when He will do that. If God had been trying to get the world spiritually saved, He would have saved it! Nevertheless, though we have made no direct active effort to make converts -- and absolutely none to compete or take members from churches, there have been thousands of conversions of those who heard the proclamation of Christ's gospel.

And, of course, since God did add to His flock, it became our responsibility to feed the flock. For this an educated ministry was provided through Ambassador College. There are, at the present time, some 600 ordained ministers, worldwide, in the Worldwide Church of God. The number one purpose and function of these hundreds of ministers and churches is their part in helping us in getting the great commission accomplished! And that job has been getting done -- in a very powerful manner!

But in regard to Christ's Church, even in the first century, there were false brethren and even false ministers. The Apostle Paul had called to him at Miletus the elders (ministers, pastors) of the church at Ephesus, where there was a good-sized church.

Paul said to them: And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more, ... take heed therefore, ... for I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn one night and day with tears (Acts 20:25-31).

There are many more New Testament statements of ministers turning false, and leaving God's Church, trying to draw away members after them, and trying to destroy the Work of God. We would not be doing the true Work of the Living God if the same things did not oppose us today -- persecution, false accusations! ...

Yes, there was a conspiracy. But the back of that conspiracy has been broken by our God! On what do we rely in such an emergency? We rely on the throne of grace in heaven! We go to our knees before the living Christ! He heads this great Work. He guides it, blesses it, produces abundant fruits for His Kingdom through it. And we leave the dealing with adversaries in His hands, only praying for them, that God will cause them to see the serious error of what they have yielded themselves to do and restore them to Him and His Work.

This angry attack has, of course, given us a temporary setback. Undoubtedly it will hurt the income for God's great Work. But it has at the same time actually strengthened us -- for it has welded the great loyal majority closer together than ever before.

It came at the very time when I had just arrived in Manila, the Philippines, for the very first public Personal Appearance Campaign ....

Now I cannot go back to Manila and pick up where I had to leave off to rush back to Pasadena headquarters.

What a tragic shame! But we shall immediately carry right on with these campaigns! The next one is scheduled for Ethiopia in May. Many others will follow.

I wrote you previously, I think, about the eight high-ranking Japanese Diet Members (Japan's Congress or Parliament) who traveled two weeks with me into the Arab oil-producing countries. As we said goodbye at the end of the trip, they called themselves my eight Japanese sons. The following telegram from them, when they heard of this attack causing me to fly immediately back to Pasadena, brought tears to my eyes when I read it. They are loyal! Here is what they telegraphed:

Dear Mr. Herbert Armstrong. Our sincere prayer for you that you may have precious direction and protection upon your present task which we learned that you had to go back to the States. May the Almighty give you wise wisdoms, peaceful mind and splendid health so you'll be able to carry through your mission.

Yours respectfully, Your eight Japanese sons Bunsei Sato and other Members of Japanese Diet I also received telegrams of assurance of loyalty from important officials in other world capitals, and from a judge of the World Court at The Hague, Holland.

Dear Co-Worker in the most important Work on earth, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you beyond words to express for your loyalty, your confidence, and for standing behind me, when such crises threaten! We have had to weather many storms, but God has always been with us, as we are with Him, and Jesus Christ has never left us nor forsaken us, and He never will!

Thank you for your prayers for me .... I pray for you, and am very grateful for your prayers!

May 21, 1974

Dear Inner Family of Co-Workers with Christ:

the living God, and seeks by every subtile deception and maneuver to destroy this Work! He did it in the first century. He tried it now. But God is more powerful than Satan. And this is the activity of God. And Christ has promised He will never leave nor forsake His Church nor His Work. The living Christ broke the back of that conspiracy! The handful of dissident and disloyal ministers took a certain number of deceived brethren with them. But already, I am informed, more than that number of new brethren have been baptized, replacing those who went with the self-seeking disloyal ministers. They were deceived. They may not have realized Satan was using them. I pray their eyes may yet be opened -- that they will be brought to a real repentance and will return to God's Work.

Yes, Satan did strike a blow at this new dimension in God's Work. Satan did not want the very first of the public campaigns to succeed, getting Christ's gospel message into the nations where it had never gone before. He did prevent the originally scheduled date for the Manila campaign. For awhile we wondered if the campaign could ever be picked up again, once it had to be called off. But remember this is the Work of the living Christ! And it finally was carried on much bigger than planned the first time!

But now, more than two months later, all three nights' meetings were held in the Coliseum! All things do work for good, to those who love and obey God!

So let me tell you about the past eventful week. On arrival at the airport I was met by Dr. Angeles, the Executive Vice President of Angeles University, and other important people, as well as the press -- newspaper, radio, television. A government Highway Patrol car, with flashing red light and siren, escorted us to our hotel. This same patrol car, with siren going full blast, escorted me everywhere I went for the nine days we were there. It plowed our way through snarled traffic. and saved much time.

On the first Saturday I spoke to some six hundred people. On Sunday, for a noon luncheon, I was guest speaker before a group of more than two hundred -- a combined luncheon of the Knights of Columbus and Daughters of Isabella, where for some twenty-five minutes I opened the gospel of the Kingdom of God to them ....

Monday, at 10 a.m., a visit with the Mayor, and a ceremony in which the Mayor presented me with the Key to the City -- a very ornate work of art, by the way. At 12 noon, a luncheon press conference, in a private room at the Manila Hilton Hotel. We received a most favorable press, by the way -- more often on the front page of newspapers -- every day we were there. Also on television and radio. One evening Channel 2 put on a twenty-minute documentary supplied by our own television people .... The Channel 2 crew came to my hotel room for a ten-minute televised interview which -- following the twenty-minute documentary -- filled the entire thirty minutes. I later heard from many people who had seen it. This was put on as a public service, without cost to us ....

Continuing, on Monday evening our dinner guest, in a small private dining room in the Hyatt Regency Hotel, was the mother of the President, Mrs. Josefa E. Marcos. She is a delightful person to know, virtually my age ....

Tuesday was another busy, event-packed day. Our four-car caravan (including the pilot siren car), left our hotel Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m., for Angeles City, a two-hour drive. We passed through three or four other towns on the way. It was almost 10:30 a.m. when we arrived at the Angeles University, a school younger than Ambassador College, yet a full university with some 5,000 students. I was hurried into a changing room where my coat was removed, and the commencement ceremony robes -- bright and colorful -- put on. At Ambassador College we never use such robes, nor the four-square cap and gown. But so far as I know all other colleges and universities do.

Anyway, once I was robed, as well as many faculty members, we started on a procession, led by the band, to the gymnasium, which already was filled with faculty and students. There, in dignified ceremony, the university conferred on me the honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities. After the ceremony, back in my own clothes, in another auditorium, there was an entertainment program by students, and then a luncheon, hosted by university officials. Then, the long ride back to Manila.

That evening, Tuesday, another private-room dinner with Mrs. Oliveras, President and General Manager of the Times Journal, which has a circulation of 30,000 copies daily. Her newspaper carried many stories about us and the coming campaign.

Wednesday, I was guest of honor at the Kiwanis Club luncheon, at which I spoke some twenty minutes. At 5 p.m. we arrived at the University of the East, largest in the Philippines, with 68,000 students. The President of the University, Dr. S.F. de la Cruz, had just returned about three weeks before from visiting the Ambassador College campus in Pasadena, with Mrs. de la Cruz. Dr. de la Cruz was one of the three university presidents from this part of the world who attended the grand opening concert at the new Ambassador Auditorium. At the U. of E. I met the Chairman of the Board and Founder of the University again (I had met him on a previous trip), and several administration officials and faculty heads. We soon went to their auditorium, where students gave an entertainment program, which was followed with speeches introducing me, and I addressed the filled auditorium of students and faculty.

From the university we were driven to the studios of Channel 13, where I was interviewed ... in a half-hour telecast.

Thursday, there were more press interviews, and a dinner with officials of the Greater Manila Junior Chamber of Commerce ....

But now we had come to the big event! Friday night was the first night of the Manila campaign -- there were to be three meetings in all (lectures they were called in the newspapers). They were for Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday night -- the meetings started each night at 7 o'clock.

We should have arrived very late, had it not been for the police siren pilot car, for traffic was extremely heavy. We were a little tense on arriving, wondering whether there would be a big crowd.

What if only two or three thous and come? I wondered. They would look like a tiny handful of people in that huge 24,000-seat Coliseum. They would look as if they were lost! We entered at the rear, behind the stage ....The Coliseum seemed well filled -- a few scattered empty seats here and there -- what a relief to see such a great crowd present! ...

A most complimentary short speech by the Vice President of Angeles University was followed by a very vigorous speech by Dr. de la Cruz, mentioning enthusiastically his visit to the Ambassador College campus. It was 7:30 p.m. when I stepped up to the podium. I spoke one hour. Following is a brief summary of my first sermon of the campaign:

First, I asked the audience how much they knew about the conditions in the world they live in. Then I outlined the evil conditions I see in all parts of the world, asking why such evils exist in a world where men have learned how to fly to the moon and back, but not how to solve their own problems on earth. This world, I said, is headed toward the supreme crisis at the end of this age -- this present evil world. Human survival is now our number one problem. For thousands of years, heads of governments have striven for world peace -- but, no peace! There will have to be a cause to bring about world peace. I mentioned my early surveys, learning of this world's unhappy conditions. Finally, beginning 1926, I received the shock of my life, discovering the true answers in the Bible -- answers never revealed by science, nor taught by religion or education. Then I went into some detail in the incident of the forbidden fruit in the second and third chapters of Genesis. I explained God's way of life revealed to but rejected in that incident by Adam and Eve -- and how humanity has rejected or overlooked the revealed knowledge of God's way of life (based on the Ten Commandments) ever since. Of course the third chapter of Genesis introduced Satan the Devil, symbolized by the serpent. After thoroughly explaining God's way of life, I asked the questions, Where did this Satan come from? What is human nature? What is the difference between human mind and animal brain? Why was humanity put here on earth -- what is the real purpose in our being here? How is God's purpose being worked out? -- and saying that on Saturday night I would answer those questions, and explain how and when world peace is coming, in a message of hope and assurance.

These questions are something most of the audience had never heard answered before!

These questions were gone into on Saturday night -- explaining the gospel message, which God sent to mankind by Jesus Christ -- and how that gospel -- that vital message from God to humanity, has not been proclaimed to this world for eighteen and a half centuries. I reminded the audience that most of them were now hearing that gospel message for the first time! ... I read from Malachi's prophecy about the coming of Christ (Mal. 3:1), and of the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Mark 1:1, and verses 14-15.

But to understand that gospel, it was necessary to go all the way back into prehistory. I then explained the presence of pre-Adamic angels on earth, ruled by the government of God. And as long as that government of God ruled the earth, there was peace, happiness, joy! It might have been millions of years. Then, Lucifer and his angels rebelled (did precisely what some ministers were recently doing) and became the devil and his demons. That involved many Scriptures which I read from the Bible. Then the renewing of the face of the earth (Ps. 104:30) described in the first chapter of Genesis. Then I went into an explanation of the human mind compared to animal brain, reading the Scriptures about it; how God put what He wanted into the mind of King Cyrus of Persia (Ezra 1:1); and how Satan has swayed all humanity, injecting what we call human nature -- vanity, lust and greed, envy, jealousy, competition, antagonism, rebellion and violence -- and how man, swayed by this spirit contrary to the government of God, has caused all the problems and evils that have plagued suffering mankind.

I ended Saturday night with Acts 3:19-21, showing how Jesus Christ is now in heaven until the time when the government of God shall be restored on earth, and once again bring peace to this earth.

On Sunday night, the Coliseum appeared to be packed. It is a huge auditorium, with many tiers or balconies -- like a vast bowl with a roof over it ....

Again the President's mother came -- all three nights. There were more preliminary ceremonies, with Mrs. Marcos presenting certain honors to me on the platform, and enthusiastic speeches from others, before the sermon. I spoke exactly one hour Friday night, 70 minutes Saturday night, and an hour and 15 minutes Sunday night. Not a soul was seen leaving until the end.

The final Sunday night I quickly reviewed the state of the world, and the number one problem, survival of humanity on earth. Never before was it possible to erase all human life from the earth fifty times over! One H-bomb could destroy all of Manila (four million people). Again, there had to be a cause for this alarming condition -- and if we are to have peace, something must cause it. I explained in retrospect how Friday night I showed how the first humans, Adam and Eve, had rejected knowledge revealed from God, and turned to the way that has caused all the world's evils. I explained the two ways of life -- God's way of love -- the giving, sharing way of outgoing concern, and the getting way of self-centeredness, and rejection of God and His way. Then a quick summary of how God's government, based on His spiritual law of love had once caused happiness on earth, and the rebellion that turned the archangel Lucifer into Satan, and his angels into demons. Then the creation of man, and his rejection of knowledge of God, and rebellion against God's way. And how the all-important dimension in knowledge has been missing since. Then, the fact man is created of matter, dust of the ground, but God is composed of Spirit. God's purpose for man, shown in Genesis 1 -- the reproduction of Himself. This was startling new knowledge to nearly all there. His purpose also, through man, to restore the government of God to earth, bringing world peace. The seven days of Genesis 1 and 2, a type of God's plan for working out His purpose. Adam rejected God's way. Then how the second Adam, Jesus Christ, qualified to restore the government of God (the Kingdom of God) to this earth. I read the Old Testament prophecies of Christ coming to rule, setting up the Kingdom of God on earth, then in Luke 1:30-33, how Christ was born to rule as King. Then the beginning of Christ's gospel (Mark 1:1, 14-15), and teaching we may be born of God (John 3:1-8 which I read and explained). This was new to nearly all. How we may be converted, receiving the impregnation of God-life (eternal life) by the Holy Spirit from the very person of God. I read Romans 8:9, 11, 14, 16. I explained how we may receive the Holy Spirit, being begotten as a son of God (Acts 2:1-4, 37-38 which I read). I explained how God created all things by and through Christ (John 1:1-5, Eph. 3:9) -- He is our Maker -- therefore when He gave His life on the cross, by His shed blood He paid the death penalty for all humanity -- for His life was greater than all He created! Christ rose from the dead, making eternal life possible for us. Christ ascended to the Father's throne in heaven. I went through the parable of the pounds, Luke 19:11-20,24, showing we who grow in grace and knowledge in the Christian life will rule in God's Kingdom. Then I quoted Christ's promise, that we shall reign over the nations with Him, (Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21), and we shall reign with Him on the earth (Rev. 5:10). I read of the Second Coming of Christ to rule all nations, restoring peace -- Revelation 19:6, 11-16. Then I read of putting Satan away for a thous and years, and the Kingdom of God ruling a thous and years, Revelation 20:1-6, and how converted Christians, then resurrected and changed to spirit composition, will reign with Him.

I explained how that will complete the 7,000 years. But, then what? What is our ultimate destiny? I read of man's ultimate transcendent glory, once real God-like character is developed in him in this life. I had explained how God is a family, into which we may be born, and now in Hebrews 1-2, how Christ is now very God, sustaining the whole universe (explaining that all things means the entire universe) with His power. Then, in Hebrews 2, beginning with verse 6, how God has put the entire universe under man -- but (verse 8) we see not yet the whole universe under man, but we do see Jesus, having gone on before as our Leader -- the firstborn of many brethren (Rom. 8:29). I ended by stating how much more wonderful is the knowledge God reveals in the Bible than that taught by science, religion or education! They had heard the good news (gospel) of the Kingdom of God! The people were astonished, as in Jesus' day (Matt. 7:28).

After this last sermon, we were dinner guests at the lovely home of Minister (Mrs.) Lim.

I have taken the time and space to give you a full synopsis of all three sermons before those many thousands in the first of these new public appearance campaigns in the world capitals around the world. For I want you to see and realize that Christ's great commission is being effectively fulfilled -- that what He has commissioned you and me to do is getting done -- and done effectively -- for the first time in 1,850 years and more! I want the living Christ to be able to say to you and me, Well done, good and faithful servants.

I wanted you to realize it fully, because this is the most important of the things God's tithes which you send in are going for! God has opened the doors. God has been in it -- it has gone out in His power! ...

It is now full steam ahead! A glorious new start, on a new plane! We are moving on in rejuvenated power!

Thank you, dear Brethren and Co-Workers, for your loyalty, for standing by us faithfully. We forge ahead unitedly, now, as never before. God's blessing will continue to be with you, and His Work!

Chapter 80

18, 1975 -- December 24, 1976 June 18, 1975

Dear Co-Worker with Christ:

Suppose God had called you, yourself, individually, to start His Work for this time -- to think out the plans and ways to go about it, to preach and publish Christ's gospel message for the soon-coming Kingdom of God in all the world for a witness to all nations! Would you be overwhelmed? Would you know how to go about it? Ever think about that?

Forty-two years ago God laid that awesome responsibility upon me. I had no money then -- not even a car. I had to hitchhike to preach in a country schoolhouse. There was only a very small handful of brethren to help me ....

Gradually others began joining and standing behind me as Co-Workers with Christ in His Work. The Work grew slowly but steadily. In three of four years we were reaching the Pacific Northwest. In due time I was reaching the entire United States and Canada, coast to coast ....

It took us forty years to get Christ's message with fairly good coverage over the United States and Canada, and to a far lesser extent, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Britain, and the countries of western Europe -- the nations descended from the so-called lost sheep of the House of Israel. Meanwhile, of course, more and more Co-Workers got back of this most important operation on earth ....

Since 1968 God began opening doors through seemingly unusual circumstances for personal meetings with kings, presidents, and leaders in education, commerce, and industry. It was absolutely providential. Many came to have a warm, and even affectionate feeling toward me.

At first I didn't understand why this was happening. But I did know it was God's doing. For doors were opening miraculously and the warmth of their feeling toward me was far beyond normal. In most cases I soon became acquainted with high-ranking officials under these heads of state -- such as members of the cabinet, members of their law-making bodies (Diet, Parliament, etc.). Dinners were hosted in my honor. Opportunity began opening for testimonial dinners where one or more high officials acted as host, sent out invitations to the most influential leaders, and I could have thirty-five to forty-five minutes to present a message of the soon coming Kingdom of God.

About two years ago, God began showing us how to develop these open doors into large-scale Public Appearance Campaigns, reaching hundreds and thousands of leading people in these countries.

I have come to see that the commission to take the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all the world for a witness to all nations could only be accomplished through the very heads of government!

I have explained this time and time again in letters, editorials, and articles. I am now actively holding campaigns in world capitals, speaking before professional groups, even with heads of state worldwide! I am explaining why there is no peace -- what is the way to peace -- why humanity cannot solve its problems -- why Christ's coming world government is the world's only hope! -- and what is our very purpose for being! And I am being given grace and favor in their eyes!

These are miraculous events -- God's doing! But we all share a human responsibility. I appreciate, more than words can express, your faithful support -- your financial contributions, your encouragement and prayers. I think you appreciate my efforts as well ....

Some weeks ago I authorized the formation of a new foundation -- the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation (AICF). It is nonprofit, dedicated to serving humanity worldwide. It has become a necessary adjunct to this new world-wide dimension of getting Christ's true gospel to the nations through heads of government.

Within the scope of AICF, we are participating in humanitarian projects in several areas of the world. Some of the more publicized activities you are undoubtedly already familiar with -- the archaeological excavations at Jerusalem, the International Cultural Center for Youth, explorations with King Leopold III of Belgium, etc. All provide important opportunities for demonstrating our concern for all nations. And the Foundation -- with its message of universal understanding and hope -- is receiving greater prestige and favor than we had hoped. It is truly becoming a wonderful tool for getting the Work done ....

August 21, 1975

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

It keeps on happening -- at accelerating pace! Another head of state -- President Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh -- whom I have recently visited, was slain last Friday morning at predawn, in a military coup.

Bangladesh is, politically, a new country. It emerged from the very recent Pakistani war as probably the most poverty stricken and illiterate nation on earth. I learned while there that during the last three or four days of the war, the enemy sought out all the leaders and people of education they could corral together, and executed them before firing squads -- so as to leave the country almost destitute of educated people for leadership.

President Rahman had been confined in the enemy jail as a political prisoner. On release, he was acclaimed as a great hero, and took over the lead of the nation. He was a rough-and-ready type of man, yet I was much impressed with his abilities, and told him so.

Governments are being overthrown at the rate of one a month around the world now. In many cases these overthrows have involved either men I knew, or circumstances in which I had some indirect contact. When men I have known personally, like this, are being mowed down in government violence, it strikes home. It makes me realize the times we are living in -- how close we are now, to the end of this world (or age).

Such government overthrows have prevented my planned campaigns in South Vietnam, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Chile. I have said before, we must move from now on as swiftly as possible, for nations are being continually overthrown where we have made progress in planning campaigns.

The world picture right now is in a sort of paradox. On the one hand, conditions of violence are worse than ever. But on the other, the general economic worldwide recession seems to have turned the corner. Economic conditions in the United States are looking up for a gradual upswing, which I hope and pray will help you Co-Workers.

In this Work of the living God, the new Foundation (the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation -- AICF) is making a sensational start. Several prominent Members of the Japanese Diet (their Congress) are coming to Pasadena for an important meeting here next Wednesday night. I shall be leaving the next morning for Tokyo, for a meeting there, to be followed by meetings in Bangkok and Munich, West Germany.

Wednesday, August 27, 1975: Morning news on radio and television -- too late for morning papers -- Haile Selassie of Ethiopia is dead. Nothing more than that announced so far. No one knows where he has been held, except a few top officials of the new military government which overthrew his government about a year ago, taking the Emperor captive. He was just eight days older than I. One of his last acts before being taken captive was to send me a telegram of congratulation on my 83rd birthday.

Tonight is a big night here on campus. There will be a concert in the new Ambassador Auditorium, and dinner welcoming the Honorable Bunsei Sato and the Honorable Toshio Yamaguchi of Japan, (two of my Japanese sons), Members of the Japanese Diet, and the Honorable Keiichi Tachibana, Consul General of Japan (Los Angeles).

Then, early tomorrow I leave for Tokyo .... Johannesburg

May 28, 1976

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:

I have just come from a press conference attended by reporters who are representatives of all newspapers, television and radio stations. After the main conference, which lasted over two hours, I did a television interview and then, by tape, a radio interview. This is Friday, and we hope we catch all Sunday papers. The television interview was also taped and will be on the one and only television station here in this city of one and one-half million people at 8 o'clock tonight.

This is my first visit to South Africa .... We made stops at Oman and Kuwait, two of the oil-rich Arab countries of the Middle East. Conferences were set up at Oman for a stopover on our return from South Africa. At Kuwait I had a very fine meeting with the Head of State, Sheikh Saba Al Salem Al-Sabah. He is an absolute ruler, since the form of government is an absolute monarchy. Kuwait City has grown to be a city of about a half million people and, since the virtual destruction of Beirut by civil war, Kuwait is probably due now to be the financial capital of the entire Arab Middle East. Our conference there was very successful and will bear much fruit ....

This is the time when we must all put our shoulders to the wheel -- make any and every financial sacrifice possible to move ahead with ever-increasing momentum.

Here in South Africa I have a very heavy schedule. I will be speaking constantly before such business men's groups as Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions? etc. -- before our local churches and with public campaigns in Capetown, Durban and here in Johannesburg.

Hopefully we shall now be going back into Reader's Digest with double-page ads in the South African edition ....

June 28, 1976

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

I have just returned from one of the most -- possibly the most -- successful trips ever in God's Work.

First I flew to two Arab oil states -- Oman, and Kuwait. I met important leaders at Oman, but Sultan Qaboos bin Said was out of the country, so I plan to return. At Kuwait I had a very fine meeting with Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, who is both Chief of State and executive leader in an absolute monarchy.

Since Beirut -- capital of Lebanon -- has been almost destroyed by civil war, it probably will no longer be the financial capital of the Arab world, and Kuwait may now assume that position. It is a very new and modern city, exceedingly oil-rich ....

We went directly from the Sheikh's palace to the airport and flew on to Johannesburg, South Africa, arriving after dark ....

Mr. Robert Fahey, our Regional Director for South Africa, and one or two of his assistants, met us at the airport.

This was my first visit to South Africa. I was several years overdue there. We had many students from South Africa all through the years of Ambassador College at Bricket Wood, England. It was a joy to renew aquaintances with some of them; now married couples with children.

had to appear at planned meetings virtually morning, noon and night. I must have spoken before some twenty-nine or thirty groups -- from a few small groups of thirty to fifty up to public meetings of Plain Truth subscribers of over 1,000. I spoke before the Rotary Clubs of Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town; Lions Clubs; Zionist groups in two cities; at press conferences in all three major cities, and was interviewed on radio and television. I had a half-hour meeting with Mr. John Vorster -- the Prime Minister -- and more than an hour with the former President of South Africa, Mr. J.J. Fouche ....

There was a special noon-day meeting of community leaders in the neighboring town of Edenvale, where I was personally invited by the mayor, an avid Plain Truth reader. There was another luncheon in the very elaborate office in Cape Town of the Chairman of the South Africa Foundation. He also is the Chairman or President of the largest bank in the country. He, too, is an enthusiastic reader of The Plain Truth.

I was actually astonished when nearly every official, or person of importance (including the President), mentioned being a Plain Truth reader, most of them for years. The Plain Truth circulation in South Africa is currently 100,000.

We received a special telephone invitation from a former mayor and civic leader at Port Elizabeth, fourth largest city (250,000), to speak and be his guest at dinner that evening. Present at the meeting he had arranged were the mayor, sitting next to me at the speaker's table, and the head of just about every phase of government, university, what-have-you -- all leading citizens and wives -- 660 altogether.

We also took the time to fly to the capital city of South-West Africa, Windhoek, where the South Africa Foundation had arranged a noon luncheon with the nine leaders of that state -- including two blacks and two Colored ....

The semipublic personal appearances came last. I say semi-public because there had been virtually no effort to get the general public out to these larger-scale meetings -- little or no advertising -- just invitations sent to Plain Truth subscribers. The first was at Durban, on our second visit there. They had engaged a hotel ballroom seating 800. About 950 came. People were standing all along the side walls and back wall, and even an overflow in an adjoining room.

At Cape Town the same thing happened. More than a thous and came -- with standing room only.

The final two nights were for the Johannesburg meetings. But the riots had started two nights before. And a sudden cold snap with winds (it was winter in the southern hemisphere) caused perhaps more than half those who planned to come to stay home. We had perhaps about 800 the first night and 750 the second. But they were very attentive and interested audiences. A local motion picture theatre manager said his attendances had been cut to one-fourth those evenings.

Those audiences heard the true gospel of the Kingdom of God which the world has not heard for 1,900 years ....

July 20, 1976

Dear Co-Workers with Christ:

This morning at 5.12 a.m. (Pacific daylight time), I sat in our Ambassador Auditorium here in Pasadena, looking in on Mission Control headquarters, located only walking distance away, as scientists manipulated at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) the safe landing of Viking I on Mars.

The JPL scientists had cooperated with Ambassador College so that everything at Mission Control -- as the scientists maneuvered the Mars landing -- was shown on a large screen in our auditorium. We had opened the auditorium to the public. A thous and or more were there.

I had risen at 3.30 a.m. Many had been watching in the auditorium from 11 p.m. last night. I arrived in the auditorium just before 5 a.m.

The Viking I spacecraft is a marvel of mechanical precision. It landed safely right on schedule at 5:12 a.m. (It actually landed at 4:53 a.m. Pacific daylight time, but due to the vast distance, the signal did not reach Mission Control at Pasadena until 5:12 a.m.).

Enthusiastic applause -- filling the auditorium -- greeted the landing.

Very soon, just before 6 a.m., the first strip of two spectacular pictures arrived. We at the Ambassador Auditorium were looking in, just as if we were in Mission Control ourselves. Dr. Thomas Munch, geology professor and leader of the team of scientists in the Mission Control room, gave a cry of delight as the first strip of the first picture came through. As strip after strip of the pictures came through, he was unable to conceal his excitement. As the strips were pieced together, the scientists were absolutely amazed at the quality and clarity of the pictures of the Mars surface -- pictures taken perhaps only four or five feet above the surface. It was just as if a man were standing there, pointing his camera straight down, taking close-up pictures of the Mars surface.

Later, the second picture looked out over the landscape to the horizon. The pictures showed a Martian surface as a sandy desert littered with rocks -- from very minute size up to perhaps a foot or more in diameter.

But I had to think -- it showed precisely what I had expected from what is revealed from the God of Creation in the Bible. It was a dry, barren surface of decay and futility -- total unproductiveness.

So you can realize the thrill I experienced, seeing in our own House of God Auditorium, the first real close-up photographs from the very surface of Mars, confirming the state the Bible reveals such planets are in today ....

August 19, 1976

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ,

I have just spent another four days and five nights in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem! -- the city God chose over all places on earth. The city from which for a span of time God has hidden His face (Jer. 33:5) -- yet the city God shall yet choose as His city (Zech. 1:17). The city soon to become the capital of the whole world -- when, finally, we shall have world peace!

Jerusalem is a city important to God -- it ought to be important to us! So I want to tell you about my most recent visit there. It is a city I have visited many, many times.

My first visit to Jerusalem was a mere short stop at Jerusalem airport (not now in regular use) in 1956 -- twenty years ago -- en route from Cairo to Baghdad. Just setting foot on the ground of its airport for the first time was a thrill. It gave me sort of a sense of awe. With my wife and elder son, Dick, we stopped again at Jerusalem on the return -- first visiting the old city then in Arab hands -- then walking, luggage in hand, through the Mandelbaum Gate (no man's land) into the newer Israeli Jerusalem.

Back in 1969 and 1970, when our joint participation with the Hebrew University in the huge archaeological excavation at the east wall of the Temple Mount was getting well under way, General Yigal Yadin, organizer of the Israeli army and Chief of Staff from 1948, referred to my arrivals there as monthly visits. In many ways I have had a deep personal interest in Jerusalem since December 1, 1968. On that date, in a formal ceremony at the palace of the late President Shazar, Ambassador College entered into this joint participation formally with Hebrew University and the Israel Archaeological Society.

Do you want a formal, legal contract? I was asked. My word is good, I replied. And I believe yours is, too, without any legal entanglements. That was good enough for them, and our friendship and mutual participation has grown ever since.

Our very important friends in Israel -- from the President and Prime Minister of the country on down in the government -- and from President Harmon and Vice President on down in the University, have been not only most friendly and cordial, but more -- affectionate! And so I thought that in this letter, you might like to hear a report on this latest Jerusalem visit.

We arrived Thursday -- late afternoon. Friday morning, Mayor Teddy Kollek met us at the Jerusalem Hilton Hotel at ten. He took us on a two and a half hour tour of portions of the old city where the Mayor has been supervising rejuvenation and rebuilding. After all the years of being trodden down by the Gentiles the old walled city has become dirty, decayed -- anything but beautiful. But Mayor Kollek is restoring much of its original beauty.

Israel is a very poor country -- economically. The government does not have billions upon billions of dollars for such purposes. Much of this restoration is being done by volunteer labor. It made me think of the early days in building Ambassador College.

In those days, as we purchased gradually more and more property, we used old, dilapidated frame houses for many purposes -- we used volunteer student labor -- we improvised as was necessary to keep building and growing. That is the way the Israelis are doing in building up their country.

First the Mayor took us through the citadel -- or the Tower of David. This is an agglomeration of old buildings, inside the northwest corner of the walled city. Some of these old brick and stone buildings date back to the second century B.C. The northern tower of the citadel has been known as the Tower of David since Byzantine times -- but neither the citadel nor Tower of David have any connection with the ancient King David.

There are many walls and many rooms, and it is being restored into beautiful and modern condition.

From the citadel we were taken over to the old Jewish quarter of the old walled city. Here are a cluster of low, domed houses. Very old. Very unimpressive from the outside. But entering, we were struck by the beauty, the majesty of the rooms -- the high ceilings which had looked like very low buildings from the dingy old outside. But Mayor Kollek had done a remarkable job of restoring this area. There were about four synagogues -- each in a different room in the same building -- now very modern, very bright and beautiful on the interiors.

I was really impressed with all the plans Mayor Kollek told us he has in mind for renewing and re-beautifying the city of Jerusalem.

I could especially appreciate it, personally, since I have -- the past thirty years -- gone through the job of building Ambassador College in Pasadena (not to speak of similar jobs at the other two campuses). It was built out of what -- at the lower down-hill level -- had been the nearest thing to a slum section Pasadena had. We were then buying up the property -- a forty-foot lot at a time -- usually with two old shacks -- one behind the other -- on each narrow forty-foot lot. With the fine help I have had, we have built this area of Pasadena into a campus that twice in the past two years has won the national award of being the most beautiful, the best landscaped and best maintained campus in the United States! ...

Mayor Kollek then took the group of us to a special restaurant for lunch. There, several other friends joined us. After that, we drove to the site of the new Liberty Bell Park.

I was scheduled to be there on July 2 for the official ground-breaking ceremony for building the new park in the heart of the new city. I had undertaken to build the children's playground area of the new city park. The last day of June, I had boarded the G-II jet aircraft, bound for Jerusalem. We were forced down at Bangor, Maine after crossing the United States from southwest to northeast, as I think I wrote you before. We had a cracked window in the cockpit. We were forced to return to Pasadena -- flying at low altitude. So the Mayor conducted that ceremony alone.

When we reached the park area, I saw a large sign posted, in both Hebrew and English, saying:

Under Construction Here: A Children's Playground A Gift Of The Ambassador International Cultural Foundation H.W. Armstrong, President Sabbath afternoon we had a Bible study in my hotel suite at the Jerusalem Hilton. About thirty came ....

December 24, 1976

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ,

Very few men in this world know personally as many heads of governments as I. Yet I am absolutely amazed at how short a period of time most of them last. Many have a tenure in office -- if they stay healthy -- of only four to six years. Many die in office. Some are assassinated -- others shot down in a military coup or violent overthrow of government. Some are forced to resign.

I think over, in my mind, about many I have known, some closely and intimately -- now gone! One was Prime Minister Eis aku Sato of Japan ....Before he died last year, he received the Nobel Peace Prize.

There was Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, taken prisoner in a military coup which overthrew his long-established government. He died in military custody.

There was President Allende of Chile, machine-gunned in the very room where I had the private conference.

There was President Rahman of Bangladesh, assassinated in an overthrow of his poverty-stricken, illiteracy-cursed country.

There was the king of Afghanistan, whom I was invited to visit, but who was overthrown and driven to European exile before my visit could be arranged.

There have been others, affectionate friends of mine, whose terms of office have expired, such as V.V. Giri, ex-President of India.

Prime Minister Thanin Kraivichien of Thailand has been driven from office in a military coup, again overthrowing the Thai government. He is being held in protective custody. Three weeks before this military coup, I had a private meeting with him in his office in Bangkok, and that night he sat next to me at a banquet.

I see these heads of state personally. I see them in trouble. And, very often I soon get news that they are dead! Men I know! Men with whom I have had private talks!

Perhaps it is not quite as real to you. You have not known those men in a close, personal way, as I have. It has struck close to me! Yet I try to share my experiences with all of you to help you also feel the reality of what is going on.

For what it portends as absolutely certain soon to strike is going to affect you, personally, just as much as me -- and perhaps a lot more terrifyingly unless you are as ready as I.

It means the end of this world, as currently organized, is upon us!

God Almighty sent Jonah to warn the Gentile city Nineveh! They heeded his warning. And the destruction did not come, because God saw their deep repentance -- their turning from their evil ways -- He heard their desperate prayers asking for mercy!

But God said that if He sends a prophet to modern Israel as He now uses us to warn the people of America, Canada, Britain, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, they by nature will not heed! So, if they don't, then I tell you what is certain to happen.

Let me give you a picture of it from God's own Word, as God Himself had it pictured!

Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint and every man's heart shall melt: and they shall be afraid: pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; ... Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it (Isa. 13:6-9).

These world happenings now are not just routine world news! They signal the great world crisis that will usher in the government of God to finally and effectively bring peace at last. They are God's loving warning to us, of the fast-coming supreme crisis at the end of this world's society, civilization, governments -- man's whole evil system.

Then, afterward, shall come the happy, peaceful World Tomorrow, ruled by the government of the living God!

Dear Co-Workers, I hope you realize ours is not an easy job. The living Christ has called us to labor together to warn this world. In Jesus Christ is the only hope and safety! Some are going to heed our message and receive God's protection through the tribulation (Luke 21:36).

Together we have been given the job to prepare the way for Christ's return (Matt. 24:14). It is a privilege and responsibility no other generation has shared. It will also mean a better reward! God rewards us individually according to our works -- our zeal and wholeheartedness in supporting and carrying out the greatest task in this world.

Chapter 81

February 25, 1977 -- June 22, 1978 February 25, 1977

Dear Co-Workers With Christ:

I am writing from Bucharest, Romania. I am spending two or three weeks at the Otopeni Clinic, famous over all of Europe, recharging tired batteries.

I have kidded about being thirty-seven going on thirty-six. It is acknowledged by all, so far as I know, that I appear to be at least some twenty years younger than I actually am ....

But there may have been a slight misunderstanding in some of this, and I wish to be utterly frank, and not to pretend. It is true, the dynamic power, energy and drive has been there. It is true that probably not one in a hundred half my age could do the work that I have been doing.

But what I feel most of you have not realized is that much if not most of all that energy, vitality, drive and power has come from two sources -- God, of course (Isa. 40:29-31), and sheer determination and self-drive, even when I did not feel up to it.

But it's like one lady wrote to me years ago: You may stand in that pulpit and preach with the energy and power of a forty year old, but you must remember you are standing on eighty-year-old legs.

Under the strenuous travel, with the continuous speeches before Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, Kiwanis, Knights of Columbus, etc., etc., besides numerous other meetings with leaders around the world, I have had to keep up constant writing, besides the oversight of the entire vast worldwide Work ....

I feel that God will continue renewing my youth and physical vigor and mental powers as long as necessary to get His job done. I have had to come to realize that this excessively arduous job of this new dimension, getting into nations where doors were closed to the gospel before, traveling the whole wide earth -- is one few could endure. While I was driving myself on, even in fatigue, my physical body was taking a beating.

There was a time when Jesus needed to take off a little time and go aside to a quiet place and get some rest. So I have decided I must also.

I am not here because of faith in man's modern methods, but by faith in Christ, for all healing is in Christ -- and being here in a position of enforced rest from strenuous routine and travel keeps me in regular hours of health-meals -- and I cannot have this opportunity to recoup vitality while still traveling and constantly speaking ....In a couple of weeks I'll be back on the job as vigorously as ever.

My left ankle received a serious sprain three months ago, after speaking to a packed auditorium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. A sprain, as I have learned, is worse than a break. It seems to me mostly healed by now but is still far from being back to normal. I have had to learn to walk all over again, and still am a bit unsteady. But God is with me, and I need your prayers!

I have at least ten more years of vigorous active work needed to finish the Work that God has committed to me -- or less, if God cuts time shorter.

Meanwhile, news from Pasadena is that all is well. Our Great God is on His throne!

In Flight, Republic of Transkei to Cape Town, South Africa

March 22, 1977

Dear Co-Workers with Christ:

An hour ago I had just ended an address before the ministers of the world's newest government, the entire legislative assembly and others of the general public ....

It was a rare once-in-several-lifetimes experience. Because a week ago across Africa on the west coast I addressed the eighty or eighty-five delegates who were drafting a new constitution for another soon-to-be new nation, Southwest Africa. I addressed them in their famous Turnhalle in Windhoek, their capital city. They held this special session for the sole purpose of hearing my address. Everyone I talked to in Cape Town, it seemed, was simply amazed that such a special session had been called to hear an address from one of another country.

So far this has been one of the busiest, most productive trips of my life. Mr. Robert Fahey, Manager of our South African office in Johannesburg, surely takes me seriously when I give my age as thirty-seven going on thirty-six. Not many of that age could keep up the pace he has set for me -- and he does the planning for my South African trips before I come. There have been meetings, addresses, speeches, interviews, luncheons, dinners planned for morning, noon, afternoon and night nearly every day ....

However, my badly sprained ankle (it happened last November 11 just after I finished a campaign speech before hundreds in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on my last trip down here before this one) has improved.

I will try to fill you in on what's happened so far on this trip.

I had been in Bucharest, Romania, expecting to stay two more days, when I was suddenly called to London by telephone. This got me out of there just barely the day before that devastating earthquake (7.2 on the Richter scale). In London on Thursday night I had dinner with all the ministers stationed in England we could get together. On that Sabbath I preached once again at Bricket Wood. By telephone they managed to reach about all from the London church and also several from churches to the north in England, so the gymnasium was well filled.

After another day or two in London and stopover in Rome, we left Rome Wednesday, arriving Johannesburg at 1 a.m. Thursday morning. It was 3:30 a.m. by the time I had gotten from the airport into the city, my luggage brought to the room, and I had turned out the bedside light to get some sleep. I had to rise early enough to drive to Pretoria to speak at a luncheon before the Rotary Club of Pretoria. At 2:45 of the same afternoon we met with the new Mayor of Pretoria in his very elegant office at City Hall. We found him to be an ardent reader of The Plain Truth. He asked me to autograph two different issues for him and another piece of white paper for his son. Dinner that evening in Johannesburg with Mr. Fahey and his chief assistants.

Friday, March 11: Luncheon engagement with Mr. and Mrs. Owen Williams at Ellis Park (he is the leading tennis promoter in South Africa), together with Arthur Ashe (he is President of the Black Tennis Foundation). A connection is being considered with AICF to assist underprivileged and promising blacks to develop and enjoy tennis. During our talk following lunch we were able to watch Bjorn Borg (Swedish and Wimbledon champion) defeating Fred McMillan. That night we had dinner with several of our South African ministers and their wives ....

March 13: ... I had a day of rest -- but I wrote an article or two ....

Monday, March 14: In the morning flew to Windhoek, Southwest Africa (Namibia). Arrived 12:30 p.m .... At 3 p.m. met Mayor and Mrs. Yssel, Mayor of Windhoek. Mayor Yssel is a Plain Truth reader, though he holds to his own Protestant beliefs. Also present were the City Secretary and the City Engineer. The Mayor welcomed us to Windhoek and presented me with the Windhoek Yearbook. We discussed my worldwide work and portions of the book of Revelation. Our visit was forty-six minutes ....

6:30 p.m. Came the big event. Representatives of eleven population groups who were framing the constitution for the new nation ... came in special session to their grand meeting room to hear my address. They had been meeting since September, 1975, in a constitutional convention at Turnhalle to draft a constitution ....

I emphasized the difficulties they face in starting a new nation and new government in today's world with governments of nations crumbling at the rate of one a month. I then explained how this whole confused world -- chaos in government -- as well as in all society worldwide -- had started at the incident of the forbidden fruit. How angels had first inhabited the earth -- rejected God's government based on God's law of love and turned to the way of life of get instead of God's way of give or love. How Adam and Eve had disbelieved God, believed Satan's deceptive lies, took to themselves the knowledge of right and wrong, rejected the government of God and cut themselves and their posterity (all mankind) off from God.

Whereupon God adopted the hands off policy toward humanity for 6,000 years. Now man had been left to devise his own government, his own religion, educational system, commerce and industry and total society and way of living.

Today's world with its scores of varied man-made governments and all this world's evils was the result. I explained how God knew that, left to himself, man would within 6,000 years destroy himself -- and that we have reached the very last generation of this present evil world. For the first time in human history the weapons of mass destruction exist that can erase all human life from this earth -- unless Almighty God intervenes to save us from ourselves. How God reserved to Himself the right to intervene if and when necessary for His ultimate purpose -- that mankind learns that only God's way of love can bring peace and happiness.

I mentioned how God had intervened in the case of Abraham, Moses and the ancient nation Israel; Christ and the Church. How Christ's gospel was the announcement of the restoration of the government of God to bring the world peace and happiness -- but how they put Him to death and suppressed His gospel announcement of the Kingdom of God before the end of the first century. The world went on ignorant of God and His ways.

Today we approach the end of the 6,000 years and of this civilization. We have reached the last generation -- the very generation in which the nations would destroy all humanity in nuclear war -- unless God intervenes to save humanity alive. He raised me up for the purpose once again in this final generation of getting out the gospel announcement just before it happens.

Then I said: You gentlemen are faced with the solemn task of trying to hammer out another new government in the kind of world we live in today. In such a world you have to deal with other nations, and you will not be able to form a government based on God's law, for you would be a lamb among wolves. But you can try to form a government that gives equal justice, opportunity, protection and concern for the welfare of your own people in your domestic policies. And the nearer you can come to forming foreign policies and pursuing dealings with other nations as nearly like God's way as possible, the more you will be specially blessed by the God who is Creator and supreme Ruler over all. And you will live into His wonderful World Tomorrow -- when the Kingdom of God rules your people and all the world in peace and happiness and well-being and joy. It is the way -- and the only way that will lead to God and the welfare of us all.

That in essence was my message to them. God strengthened me to deliver it to them in power and with authority and I can say truthfully that they were really moved and impressed.

I give you this much detail because I wanted you Co-Workers to know just how this urgent and necessary gospel message is now reaching the heads of governments around the earth. I feel that my message this afternoon ... was even stronger, with greater power and authority, and I know it shook and moved the audience, including the lawmakers and the heads of those who execute the law in that nation.

Much more work lies ahead for me here, in South Africa the next several days. Expect to be in Durban for Passover ....

April 18, 1977

Dear Brethren of God's Church:

This is a very personal announcement. Forty-three years ago God committed to me His great commission -- to carry Christ's gospel -- the Kingdom of God -- to all the world. It is a staggering responsibility! In many ways He had prepared me for it in advance. Apart from organization, I have had to rely on God for private, personal needs as well.

Even before He thrust me into His Work, God provided the wife of my youth. He used her in bringing about my conversion, and for fifty happily married years giving me the needed closeness and warmth of companionship, love, affection and inspiration only a wife can give.

Since her death, God miraculously has opened to me doors (Rev. 3:8) to kings, emperors, presidents and prime ministers, so that Christ's message may be taken into nations whose doors were closed to this message. At this stage no one but myself can do this. And I could not endure the grueling worldwide travel had not God blessed me with youthful vigor, vitality, and energy (Isa. 40:28-31), enabling me to carry on more vigorously than one in a hundred half my calendar age. This almost constant travel (last year 300 out of 365 days) and loneliness has re-awakened me to the serious need God recognized when He said, It is not good that a man should be alone.

Directly or indirectly, you brethren are all my sons and daughters in the Lord. But I am nonetheless human. Like the Apostle Paul said, We also are men, of like nature with you. God says through James, Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves. Paul said, Am I not an apostle? ... Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife? (RSV). People do sometimes forget an apostle has personal needs.

Of course no one could take the place of my beloved wife of fifty years. But the Work of God must go on, finishing the great commission God committed to me, in this new and most important phase of the entire Work. And God now has graciously provided the wife to be constantly at my side -- a woman truly led by God's Holy Spirit. We have given the matter much time, to be sure it has grown into true love and like-minded rapport, as well as definitely sure it is God's will.

This is to announce my marriage to Ramona Martin, in an informal and simple ceremony, attended only by our respective families on Sunday, April 17.

May 16, 1977

Dear Brethren of God's Church,

This may be the most important letter I have ever written ....

I have just returned from the Big Sandy (Texas) campus graduation. I have not been able to go to Big Sandy but rarely -- I think a year ago was the last time -- and what I saw there was a real eye-opener. Attending graduation exercises were two or three bank presidents, presidents and vice presidents of other colleges in east Texas; important business men, multi-millionaire oil men, Several of these -- the most important men in east Texas -- congratulated me on the fact that Ambassador College at Big Sandy has given all of east Texas a new cultural awakening -- and made a tremendous uplift in the morale and the uplifted life of the whole area.

But it made me sick at heart -- my heart literally ached to realize that the financial situation may probably cause the closure of Ambassador College, Big Sandy. This college has earned and now has the enthusiastic goodwill and praise of the whole section -- within an area of at least a 100-mile diameter. Pray with me God will send a miracle to prevent it ....

But, as I wrote you in the letter read on April 27, God committed to me in July, 1933, Christ's great commission -- to take Christ's gospel announcement to the whole world for a witness to all nations.

God did not call me into the college business -- as a business. I must keep the priorities straight as He gives them to me, for I shall have to give account to Christ when He comes!

But by 1947 it finally became necessary to found Ambassador College. There were reasons why it had to start in Pasadena. God miraculously opened the doors to start it there, when we had no money to start it with.

I had been used to raise up the parent church at Eugene, Oregon with nineteen members in 1933. It grew. God opened radio to me January, 1934. The Plain Truth was born February 1, 1934. I held nightly evangelistic meetings in or near Eugene for some two years. We went on radio in Portland, Seattle, Spokane. I began holding meetings in Seattle and elsewhere -- where God had added members to form a small local church. But I could not preach at Eugene, Jefferson, Portland, Seattle, Creswell and other churches all at once on the same Sabbath. There was not enough of me.

Ambassador College became necessary to train ministers for new local churches beginning to rise up rapidly. The college started October 8, 1947, after I had learned what birth pangs were.

The purpose of the college was to provide personnel for the work -- and ministers to feed the flock that was growing 30 percent per year.

As I said, I have to consider the priorities. Let me give them to you. First, above priorities for the Work itself, priority number one is the necessity of a spiritual revival in the whole Church. Without that, the whole Work is skidding on the way down -- and out! It is just that serious!

I have started setting the example by five days fasting and prayer, and I am going back to it with my whole heart -- I hope for the next five days! ...

First priority in the Work is the open door program -- in which Christ is opening doors which I am personally walking through, to kings, presidents, emperors, prime ministers, their cabinet members, parliament members, and others of high position -- judges, bank presidents, university presidents, etc. Right now this is first on the priority list in God's sight, because the first thing on God's mind is restoring the government of God to this earth, and this new phase of the Work -- the open door operation worldwide is the present activity leading to it.

How significant that the very first priority -- the most important phase of the Work, is lowest on the budget-cost allocations. Of course tied with it is the AICF which has been producing sensational results.

Today, among other major priorities is The Plain Truth, especially the newsstand circulation. Along with this is the Correspondence Course ....

Another equally important part of the great commission is television and radio. This must be tremendously stepped up.

Exceedingly important to all of us, and to you brethren is our Pastoral Administration Department ....

You can't perform miracles. But God can -- has done it always before when we put our hearts fully into our beseeching Him -- and will now. I know that what you can do by sacrificing other things and sending in money is limited -- but what can be done by your urgent prayers is unlimited. We need now a miracle. We will need miracles in the future.

Please go to your knees and ask for it. Ask believingly!

July 21, 1977

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

It is Tuesday morning July 19. We are in flight in our G-II from Tokyo to Hong Kong. We have on board one of my Japanese sons -- a high Member of the Japanese Diet, with his very charming wife and two of their three sons.

Last Sabbath we had a private dinner in the private dining room connecting with the Fontainebleue Restaurant atop the Imperial Hotel with the Ambassador of Israel and his wife, with other members of the Israeli Embassy and their wives, making it a total of twelve at the dinner. There immediately followed a Sabbath afternoon service attended by some 200 Plain Truth readers.

Last night was the big night of the visit to Tokyo -- a most important banquet with about 150 in attendance, including several high in the Japanese government with thirteen ambassadors from as many countries. Most of my Japanese sons -- all Members of the Japanese Diet -- were present. I was guest of honor and main speaker. I did get over to them the good news announcement of the Kingdom of God.

I mentioned, first, that I had a very happy announcement to make. I then mentioned that some three years ago I had been guest speaker at a luncheon in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, attended by nineteen ambassadors -- official representatives of nineteen nations -- and most of their wives. Everyone was so jovial in a bedlam of laughing conversation that I then said this was evidence that all our nations could live happily at peace as we were doing. I said, last night, that tonight I will go further. I announce to you tonight, that, in our very present living generation, all nations will come to live happily and joyfully together in world peace. We will not bring this about ourselves, I said. We humans have brought only trouble, pain and suffering -- discontent, injustice, and unhappiness on ourselves!

Governments are now being overthrown at the rate of one a month. This will accelerate. For the first time in all history, since 1950, man has created the weapons of mass destruction that can erase all life from this planet Earth. We humans are going to bring conditions to the very brink of total dis aster! Our number one problem now is survival of the human race!

Many world-famous scientists say our only hope is the emergence of a one world super-government to rule all nations. One of our great weekly news magazines in the United States said in an editorial that it would seem that mankind's only hope now is the sudden intervention of an unseen strong hand from some place.

The editor meant, I said, the intervention of God, the Creator of the Japanese people and all the peoples and races of the earth.

I am here to announce to you tonight that in our present living generation humanity will bring things to the place that, unless there is that supernatural Divine intervention, no human would be left alive. But, just before that happens, God Almighty will intervene, and save humanity alive. And He will then set up over us the Kingdom of God -- the same super-government to rule all nations which scientists say is our only hope.

Mankind then will be governed by God's laws of love -- of giving -- of helping, sharing, serving. It makes no difference whether you believe that or not. It is sure! It is as certain as the rising and setting of the sun. I have announced it to you. Your ears have heard it! It's your only hope. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen! ...

In Hong Kong I will speak at a special dinner of the highest people, and hope to give them the same message.

Remember our serious needs in your heartrending prayers. I am on a very long and strenuous trip. From Hong Kong we go to New Delhi, where I am to speak to a very large audience, then on to Israel, and then to three countries on the West African coast, and then Pasadena.

P.S. From Hong Kong. This is Thursday, July 21. The dinner last night had to be canceled because of a typhoon which hit Hong Kong yesterday.

Excerpts from Address to the 1978 Ministerial Conference. March 1978

First, I want to say a few words about my illness. Last August I was scripturally dead. The doctor called it heart failure. When I first realized what had happened, that my heart and breath had both stopped, I will say here what has subsequently been told to me, because I don't remember a bit of it. But the nurse who was in charge has told me that she came in and saw that my face was ashen white, and immediately she took my pulse and there wasn't any.

So the blood was not circulating, not to show even one point on the blood-pressure instrument.

So then they started working over me, and I think Ted anointed me. My wife's sister was there. This was because my wife, who feared something like this, had kept her there, because she was experienced in first-aid and things of that kind. She and the nurse used mouth resuscitation and heart massage until they got me breathing.

The nurse's estimate from the time she had noticed this until I began taking the first breath was at least thirty seconds. She said it was a minute and a half, though, that it was touch and go, because I'd lapse back and quit breathing. And after about a minute and a half I was breathing enough on my own, and I've continued all right since, and I hope the rest of the life that God wants for me on earth.

Had not skilled nurses been present to administer instant mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and heart massage, I tell you that as far as I was personally concerned I wouldn't be here today.

Shortly after they'd told me what had happened, I felt that if my work in God's hands were finished and God didn't have any further use for me in His Work, that I would rather have remained dead. Because if they hadn't intervened I would have been buried in two or three days.

But I realize that God had shown me something by two miracles. No. 1, He restored my life when I was already past eighty-five years of age. And this was very shortly, as a matter of fact, about twenty days after my eighty-fifth birthday.

And, second, neither I nor my nurses had ever heard of anyone of like age being restored by that process after almost complete loss of mind, my brain virtually a vegetable. And I was restored with my mind just as intact as it ever was.

Back at conversion over fifty years ago, I gave my life to Jesus Christ. I had come to the place fifty years ago that I figured I was -- I called it then -- a burned-out hunk of junk that wasn't even fit to throw on the junk pile. And I said to Jesus Christ. If You can use this worthless life, I'm giving it to You, and my life is not my own from here on.

I have never claimed that I had built any part of this campus or of the Work. I take a walk every morning, as I used to before this attack, and I've been staying down at Tucson since, but I used to take a morning walk around the campus. I would always remark about the beauty and what a wonderful thing that God had given this kind of beauty, not only that I could enjoy but share it with thousands of others.

But I didn't say, Look what I have done, because I hadn't done anything. This is the Work of the living Jesus Christ, and He alone has done the Work, but He has used me as an instrument.

Now, medical opinion was that it would be many months, eight or ten, before I would be fully back in harness. It has been just barely over four months so far. I would like to remind you of that and that I know the medical authorities all say I'm making extraordinary progress. Well, I think you know why.

Now, again, this is the Work of the living God, through Christ. It is not the work of man. We must never forget this. It could be a tendency to think that this is just something that I started. No, this is what God started, and God through Christ is going to determine what happens in this Church and in this Work.

Jesus Christ heads this Work, and I work as His instrument through and for Him.

May 21, 1978

Dear Co-Workers and Brethren in Christ,

God's great Work -- to the whole world -- is, truly, going ahead now as never before, with a new start!

Soon you will hear new programs from me, on both radio and television. Just as Moses, the man of God, had not abated in his strength of mind and spirit, in leading the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage into the Promised Land, after eighty years of age, so the same God has sustained my mind, energy and power for the completion of His Work in this world.

On July 4 there will be a big 4th of July Celebration in Jerusalem, hosted jointly by the Mayor of Jerusalem, Mr. Teddy Kollek, and myself. The city of Philadelphia had an exact duplicate made of the Liberty Bell -- crack and all -- and gave it to the city of Jerusalem. In the spring of 1976 -- Passover time -- the Mayor came to me privately, and asked my help in building an important downtown park in Jerusalem, to be named the Liberty Bell Park. Through the AICF, I was able to agree to supply the children's playground area, at the very opening of the park. The park is now completed, and Mayor Kollek has asked me to be present on July 4 for the opening and dedication of the Liberty Bell Park.

July 8, I am scheduled to co-host an important premier of a charity motion picture to raise funds for the handicapped children in Britain. Queen Elizabeth II has promised to co-host this premier and banquet -- and in the event she is unable to be present, either Prince Charles (the next king) or Prince Philip will be there.

In early August, I am again to go to Japan -- and perhaps other points in the Far East. Other campaigns in world capitals are now being planned -- as before my heart failure and illness. December 1, the Israeli government is planning a celebration in my honor -- on the 10th anniversary of the beginning of our participation in the great archaeological excavation, starting southward from the Temple Mount. This date will mark the beginning of the second decade of this major project-now starting further south, in the area of the ancient City of David, to uncover 2,500 years of accumulated debris (some 50 feet high) over the ancient palace and throne of King David. The AICF is following through on this -- preparing the very site of the throne on which Christ will sit at His coming. This is just one of the ways in which we are preparing the way for His coming and establishment of the Kingdom of God, ushering in world peace ....

Pasadena June 22, 1978

Dear Co-Workers and Brethren in Christ:

I just want to have a real heart-to-heart family get-together with you.

I have said many times that, directly or indirectly, all you who have God's Holy Spirit are my children in Christ. Even those of you who have come into the Church more recently.

The aged Apostle John, writing in the 90s A.D. addressed his first letter, in the second chapter, to my little children, these things write I unto you.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for the wonderful letters and telephone calls that have been pouring in, since I have been back on the air and also in regard to the recent changes Christ, the Living Head of this Church, has been making to set His Church back on the right track.

Let me first assure you that I have not moved away from Headquarters. Jesus Christ has chosen and used only one apostle in our time. Let me say to you emphatically that the Living Christ has taken over as the head of God's Church, and established me in firm control, under Him, on the human level. I am back on the job. I am back on the air -- both on television and on radio. Every effort is being made to put the programs on more and more radio stations -- especially the major 50,000 watt stations -- and on television coast to coast. We must realize it is impossible to get back on so many hundreds of stations all at once. But, as fast as we can we are now bending every effort to increase our radio and television coverage ....

Brethren, it is wonderful and inspiring to know that you do love me so much and are praying for me. This awareness gives me the incentive and inspiration to press on until Christ's great commission is finished.

But let me tell you that I do love all you -- pray for you -- and am grateful from the bottom of my heart for your faithfulness, loyalty, and loving support in the Work.

And now, the first letters after hearing the first radio broadcast (that is, the first I personally have done in a few years) are beginning to flood in ....

Chapter 82

July 25, 1978 -- December 18, 1979 July 25, 1978

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

Now we are beginning to prepare in earnest for the greatest Feast of Tabernacles ever.

Last Friday night, in addition to the weekly Bible Study in the House of God (Ambassador Auditorium), I recorded on television an opening Festival greeting to be shown by 16mm projector on large screens in every Feast site on the opening night.

Then on the Sabbath I did a full sermon, televised, to be put on 16mm tape to be projected at all Feast sites over the earth on the first Holy Day.

Last year, I was in the early stages of recovery from the heart failure of last August. But the four or five years before that I spoke personally at every Feast site in the United States and in Penticton, B.C., Canada.

This year I decided to speak at all sites worldwide, by having it projected on motion picture screens .....

I am sure you will experience a new uplift and inspirational surge forward at this great Feast of Tabernacles!

I am now turning over to the printers what I believe to be the most important book since the very first century! The printers are setting up a speedy crash program, to give us first delivery of this book by October 1 -- in time for the Feast. Never in our time has any book or writing spoken as this new book will! Its title is 'The Incredible Human Potential'. It is the message of the entire Bible -- put together as never before -- from the prehistoric existence of only God and The Word, through the creation of angels, the creation of the endless physical universe and the creation of this earth -- on through the sinning of the angels, the renewing of the face of the earth for man -- the creation of man -- why man was put here on earth -- why God left Satan here up to now -- why the Old Testament congregation of Israel -- and why the Church and its mission -- on through the World Tomorrow for one thous and years -- and then -- the incredible potential of man throughout eternity -- over all the vast material universe.

Much of this has never before appeared in print. Much of it will be new Bible truth to you! It explains the mind of man, and the actual source of human nature.

This book -- full book length -- will be available in virtually all bookstores in the United States and the English speaking world. It will reach an entirely new audience with God's message, heretofore unreachable!

Also we are updating, and getting before the world, such books as 'The United States and Britain in Prophecy' -- back to full length! Also such booklets as 'Why Were You Born?', 'What Do you Mean -- Born Again?', 'Just What Do You Mean -- Salvation?', 'What Do You Mean, The Kingdom Of God?', and 'The Seven Laws of Success', and many of those vital booklets that built the Work!

God is rapidly increasing my personal strength, and I am now turning out more work than I have in the past twenty years!

I pray earnestly for you, and I also need your prayers! The Work is now fast picking up!

P.S. God willing I plan to speak in person at the Saint Petersburg, Florida, site the first night and Holy Day, and at the Tuscon site on the final Holy Day.

September 1978

Two of my personal acquaintances and friends, both heads-of-state, died -- one yesterday, the other this morning.

Yesterday, August 21, President Nicolaas Diederichs of South Africa died in a Cape Town hospital after a second heart attack in eight days. He was seventy-four. President Diederichs was founder of the Afrikaner nationalist movement.

ago in Cape Town. We spent some little time taking photographs and in friendly conversation.

Then this morning my good friend, Jomo Kenyatta, president of Kenya, died at the State House in Mombasa in his sleep.

I had visited with him ... at his office in the State House in Nairobi and the better part of a whole day at his residence thirty-five miles outside Nairobi. He customarily spent every night in his suburban home, driving the thirty-five miles every morning to his office in Nairobi.

We had luncheon at his home with members of his family. He conducted us on a tour through a suburban self-help hospital, which he had built. He was, as am I, a staunch believer in helping others to help themselves -- to help them get on their own feet so they can make their own way, rather than supporting others outright in pure charity while they do nothing to help themselves.

Through the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation, we had undertaken to join with President Kenyatta in founding in Kenya a self-help school to help reduce the illiteracy of the country. He was apparently just my age -- eighty-six, though he did not know his exact birth date. He was a very close friend -- like two close brothers with Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.

The emperor was just eight days older than I, and one of his lasts acts before he was taken prisoner by the military coup that overthrew his government was to send me a telegram of congratulations on my eighty-third birthday.

President Kenyatta defeated the British in the fight for Kenyan independence in 1963. He ruled one of the most stable governments in Africa. After spending several hours with him, I rated him publicly with the evaluation of greatness -- one of the few such persons I have known in a life of acquaintance with hundreds of the great and near-great.

God rates people according to how well they do according to what they have to do with. Jomo Kenyatta started out with very little -- as an African tribesman. He was a self-educated and self-made man whom I felt had reached the status, in this world, of true greatness.

January 18, 1979

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

This may be the most important letter I have ever written. The very life of God's Church and His Work hangs in the balance. This letter may have to be long. I want you to know all the facts about this master-blow of Satan to destroy the Church of God through the civil power of the State, in flagrant violation of the Constitution of the United States!

I thought on January 7, when I wrote you, that God had then given us the victory in this decisive life-and-death assault against Almighty God, Jesus Christ and God's Church. It was reported to me then that the judge in the hearing of that day had said he found no evidence of any wrongdoing. And that was true -- and no evidence of any wrongdoing or justification for this monstrous outrage against God's Work has been found against us. Nor will they find any in our records -- for few, if any, corporations have kept as accurate and clean-cut records as God's Church ....

Let me illustrate to you brethren, just how this great Work of God started. To start the Work, I needed to broadcast over radio. That required physical facilities for which I had to pay (at that time, $2.50 a week). To print and send out The Plain Truth, I had to have a typewriter, a secondhand one I bought for $10, and an old secondhand ancestor of the Mimeograph, a hand-cranked Neostyle, which I procured also for $10.

This Work always has required physical facilities to operate. Now the receiver is locking up our executive and other office facilities. This Work started with a little inside office room with no ventilation -- no outside window or door -- just a transom over the one door leading to a corridor and another transom over a covered window leading into a large room used for labor union meetings. Tobacco smoke rolled in. We could work in the office only one or two hours at a time, then had to stay out two or more hours until the air cleared -- and the office rent was $7 per month.

These physical facilities are part of the operation of a Church. God commanded His apostles to go into all the world with His gospel message. Satan suppressed that message from going to the world for 1,900 years. And now he is trying to destroy the Church of God in order to stop that message from going out to all the world ....

Brethren, anyone can sue anyone for anything at any time. That's the kind of justice system in Satan's world. This present outrageous civil action by the State of California was brought by false charges and no proof by only five or six malcontent former members. It's a tremendous travesty of justice that such a thing can be done.

The very purpose of the Church, first of all, is to stand back of and support the carrying of Christ's gospel message out to all the world as a witness to all nations. The second purpose is to prepare those God has called into His Church in holy righteous character so that they may enter -- at the time of the resurrection -- into the Kingdom of God as a king and/or priest under Christ when He comes to rule the world! But the first mentioned purpose, standing behind the proclaiming of the gospel around the world, is the means God has given us of developing all in God's Church into that holy and righteous character of God.

God's Church cannot carry out either prime purpose without facilities!

But, my dear brethren, let us stop and realize that Christ, the Head of our Church, has allowed this unprecedented monstrous attack by state government and state courts of law to come upon us. God will give us the victory in the end.

But meanwhile we as God's called and chosen people need to ask ourselves, why has God allowed it? He tells us all things work together for good to those who love and obey Him. In what way, then, has this very traumatic, monstrous injustice been allowed by our God? Not that He wanted to punish us. Not that he wanted to bring suffering upon us. But because we were drifting into a careless, lukewarm, spiritual condition! God has allowed Satan to bring this upon us. First, to wake us up spiritually and to bring us back closer to God, and second, to draw us closer together and third, to sift out from our midst some of the chaff from the wheat.

Brethren, this terrible ordeal is accomplishing those three things! It is a sifting time. Some liberals who wanted to water down God's truth are being sifted out.

It is also the time of Daniel 12:10: Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried .... It is speaking of this very time shortly before Christ's Second Coming!

God has allowed it exactly as He allowed Satan to take away everything from Job, and then afflicted Job with boils from head to foot -- Job was self-righteous ....

But just as once Job came to realize his sin of self-righteousness and repent of it, God restored to him twice as much as he had before, even so, my brethren -- my own children in the Lord -- God will restore to us and His Work double, or much more than double, once His purpose, as I stated above, has been accomplished.

My children in the Lord, we need to go to our knees! We need to fast and pray! True, I need you to stand back of me now as never before in special generous offerings to fight this monstrous miscarriage of justice -- but even more -- you need to draw closer to our wonderful and great God.

Don't ever worry about God or Christ forsaking us or His Work! He won't! We need to be concerned about whether we have begun to veer away to some extent from Him -- have we unknowingly begun partly to forsake Him? ...

I call now a special day of fasting and prayer -- not only for the Work and the Church but also for our own selves that we may be brought closer to God -- on Sabbath, January 27, worldwide! We under Christ shall prevail!

I thank you with all my heart, and I love you all as never before.

Tucson, Arizona January 28, 1979

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

Thank you! Thank you for your great response and coming to the aid of God's Work in this most monstrous and outrageous travesty of justice ever heard of by any state government! ...

We have never objected to any government authority checking our books and records. They contain proof we have done nothing of which we are falsely accused. They started rumors we had secreted away some of the books. On the contrary, we stood guard that no one could destroy or remove our records and books! ...

Now we need all the brethren to continue to rally behind Christ's Apostle until a higher court releases the Work from its virtual captivity. If arrested, our brethren would not have resisted. At all times they behaved like God's people, orderly, neat, polite. Many people outside our membership have noticed this and commented on it.

Brethren, remember what I wrote in my last letter. This is drawing all our brethren closer together than ever before -- but it must also draw us closer to God! I called a day of fasting and prayer for last Sabbath. If any did not receive that letter in time, then fast and pray on the very next Sabbath -- both that we shall all be drawn closer to God, and that God will release this grip of the State over God's Church ....

We now begin to notice a little change in attitude in the press. At first news reports were slanted, practically condemning us as guilty without evidence or proof Now they are more objective. The attorney general's office has changed its language from using the terms siphoning off, and pilfering, to possible mismanagement, at least in the last newspaper notice.

Some of our enemies have tried to construe my work of personally walking through opened doors to carry Christ's gospel message into nations around the world as mismanagement, and siphoning off money so spent for our own personal use! That is simply a lie! Before my marriage nearly two years ago now, I took my elder daughter Beverly Gott with me as hostess -- for there were many banquets, receptions, luncheons and dinners at which I was privileged to speak to people high up in various nations, and even royalty. This required additional and better clothes, and some jewelry that was not mere costume jewelry. But every such item was paid for by my own personal money on which both federal and state income tax had been paid. Later I had to purchase the same sort of things for Ramona my wife -- out of my own money -- not a cent from corporate funds or expense money. While I think this should have been a legitimate expense, I did not so construe it, and all such purchases, were paid out of my personal funds ....

They have tried to treat as extravagance such things as the purchase of Steuben crystal -- which is about the only type of art object made in this country fitting for presenting to a king, president, or prime minister. Look into your Bible, Matthew 2:11, and see that the wise men presented gifts to Christ as an infant. This was not a birthday present, for it was many days after His birth. But since long before Christ it has been custom to present a gift when visiting a king or head of government. It would indeed look strange if we did not present an acceptable gift when visiting a monarch.

There has been no mismanagement! Just the opposite! I have written you at times through the years how we have made a dollar go further than any other operation of which I know. Read Revelation 10:11. This shows that after we thought we had completed the Work, or were to complete it by January, 1972, how God says, Thou shalt prophesy [preach] again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings! Most of the doors to kings and heads of governments have opened since January, 1972.

Christ has called and chosen His Apostle for this end-time job of the Great Commission! We have been getting that job done! Often there are as many as twelve to fourteen of us travelling -- especially on such trips as when I twice took eight top-ranking Japanese Congressmen on trips to the Middle East oil countries, and to South America. On such trips I have introduced them, and arranged receptions for them, in countries where I already know the heads of government. And, in turn, they opened the door to me on an official basis in other countries where I had not been before! Often there were banquets, receptions, and such occasions, Yes, that cost some money.

But, of all the departments of God's Work, that cost the least, and was the most important!

Today, Monday, I believe this case is to go before the California Supreme Court. Then we will take it into the federal courts, and if necessary to the Supreme Court in Washington. As I wrote you before, we are making this fight not only to protect God's Church from State encroachment, but all churches and even the freedom of the press and right of free assembly ....

I thank you all for your wonderful response in sending God's tithes and your liberal freewill offerings to me, personally, here at Tucson, Arizona. A Tucson newspaper has reported that the receiver at Pasadena will try to induce the State of Arizona to shut off my personal mail. If so, we will get word to you quickly, through your local ministers, where to send it -- even if need be, to your Area Coordinator, and we will find a way to pick it up from there. I have already signed legal papers making me personally custodian for the Church's funds. Remember money sent to Pasadena will go to the receiver.

God is still on His throne, with Jesus fully alive there beside Him interceding for us! Let us realize God has allowed this to draw us closer to Him as well as each other. Keep praying -- fasting and praying. God will win!

Tokyo, Japan May 15, 1979

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ,

For some twenty months, due to total heart failure in August, 1977, I was prevented from proclaiming Christ's gospel in person in the far-flung nations around the world.

But God has been with me. There has been no diminishing of the vital faculties, especially of the mind. And while I was having, for the time, to defer the ordeal of physically demanding worldwide travel, I have been able to write almost faster than you brethren can read, and to continue full leadership of God's Work here on earth ....There must have been 250 or 300 or more at the banquet last night. It was held in a large banquet room of the Imperial Hotel. This is a large hotel with several private dining rooms. Many of the eight Congressmen who call themselves my Japanese sons were there. They are Members of the Diet -- the Japanese Congress or Parliament. The speakers' table seated at least a dozen. Some of them spoke briefly, and stood, one at a time, to be introduced. All others, including wives, were seated at many round tables -- ten or twelve seated at each table. All who spoke were saying complimentary things about me. During the evening a few other Members of the Japanese Diet said they wanted to be counted as one of my Japanese sons, all of whom are important Diet Members -- the number of my Japanese sons in the Diet is now twelve ...

I had said earlier that I was not going to plan ahead what to say, or speak from any notes. I knew the living Christ would put into my mind what I should say -- and He did!

There were at least a half dozen ambassadors representing other nations present (with their wives). So, I knew that a number of different religions was represented.

Suppose you were to be asked to stand up and speak to some 300 highly distinguished people ....You knew that Jesus Christ wanted you to proclaim to them the good news about the Kingdom of God, and you had to get this gospel message over to these important people. Just how would you go about it? If you had two or three days beforehand to think and plan what to say, what would you say?

I think all of you ought to know a little about how Jesus Christ leads His chosen Apostle to do it.

I knew the living Christ would guide me. Like you, I am only human, but I trusted the living Jesus. He did put in my mind what to say ....

I then said I had read an editorial in one of the world's leading news magazines, which said our world problems and evils are now so great it would seem that the world's only hope lies in the intervention of a great unseen hand from someplace. In this manner, I brought to the attention of these many government officials of different religions the supreme God -- and then explained that this great Unseen Hand was the unseen Creator, who made of one blood all of the nations represented in this banquet.

I did not know until I stood up before the microphone that I would say that. But you see, Jesus Christ put words in my mouth that showed them I was speaking of the Supreme Creator, regardless of their religion. Jesus gave me the words to show God's power, without offense to any because of his religious belief.

I then said that many consider me an ambassador without portfolio (that is, no official political authority), but in fact, I told them, I was an official ambassador of the Great God who created us all. I brought to them, from Him, good news -- news of the world's only hope -- that we are now in the very last days of this present man-made civilization, with more problems and evils than mankind can solve -- and that soon now -- in our generation -- God will intervene, and set up the world ruling Kingdom of God and that we shall then have world peace, happiness, joy and economic abundance for all in all nations.

I said, I don't ask you to believe what I say. We humans won't bring this about -- it will be done to us -- and in spite of us -- whether we believe it or not -- whether we want it or not. I have just announced it to you, and it definitely shall happen!

Thus, in few words, and, even waiting at every sentence for the interpreter to repeat it in the Japanese language, Jesus Christ, through me, delivered the gospel of the Kingdom to some 300 of the leaders of Japan and several other nations!

I might mention, this is what the attorney general's office in California is trying to call siphoning off millions of dollars every year for my own use. In the past two years, we have not spent one tenth of one million dollars on this important Work of carrying the gospel into nations worldwide. For the past ten years, this part of the Work has cost less than one million dollars a year -- whereas our budget calls for several million dollars per year for salaries to ministers and the staff at headquarters plus several million for radio, TV and printing.

I must break off now and hurry into a business suit -- for I to have a meeting in less that two hours with Prime Minister Ohira. I have met and visited with every Japanese Prime Minister in the past ten years -- Prime Minister Eis aku Sato, Prime Minister Tanaka, Prime Minister Miki, and now Prime Minister Ohira. I have been highly honored in Japan. There's a saying that a prophet is without honor in his own country. That's where the persecution comes from. But here, I am honored above any unofficial non-Japanese. And though the persecution comes in many forms at home, I am deeply grateful that you Brethren and Co-Workers of God's Church have deep love for me, and you have certainly proved that. I love and pray for you continually.

Later: In flight back home, April 29. I have now had private personal meetings with the last four Prime Ministers of Japan.

Perhaps the most important news that I can give you of this trip is that definite plans are now under way for me to make an official visit to China -- officially the People's Republic of China -- in company with two or three of the highest Members of the Japanese Diet. Two of the high-ranking Members of Japan's law-making Diet are definitely working on arrangements. The trip will be made in our own G-II jet, and probably in August. Private meetings are being set up with the Communist Party Chairman and Prime Minister Hua Guofeng, and the Deputy Prime Minister Ding Xiaoping.

As you know, I have been waiting a long time for the Head of our Church, Jesus Christ, to open doors -- if He wanted His Apostle to go to the leaders of China and the Soviet Union. Of course, I can't know yet what Christ may have in mind, but He is able to open doors wherever He wants me to go as His ambassador and Apostle.

Plans are now being made for a visit with the government heads and many other leaders in a country I have never yet visited -- Tunisia, on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, east of Egypt. (I already had a personal meeting with President Sadat of Egypt.)

Before leaving Japan on this present trip, I had further meetings with a few other Japanese leaders. This has certainly been a very successful trip. We are now on the descent for a refueling at Cold Bay, Alaska -- the furthermost western tip of Alaska, where the Aleutian Islands virtually join up with Alaska at its farthest western tip.

I close asking you to continue your earnest and fervent prayers for me and the Work.

Returning from China December 18, 1979

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

I am back from probably the most important and successful single trip overseas. I was honored to be ... invited as a guest speaker and for personal conferences with leaders of the Communist People's Republic of China. There I spoke with leaders who shape the minds and thinking and beliefs of one fourth of all the people on earth! ...

Government limousines drove up to our aircraft as we landed. A welcoming delegation had come to the airport, including the president and vice-president of the educational system, which includes the national library ....

We arrived on Sunday evening, December 2. On Monday evening I spoke for about a half hour at a banquet in my honor, attended by prominent members of the government and their wives. Tuesday evening I spoke again before the Diplomatic Corps, including ambassadors -- many with wives -- representing seventy-six other nations from all parts of the world, beside a number of high-ranking Chinese.

Both of these speeches were taped, and will be heard in most of the local churches of the Worldwide Church of God around the world ....

We were taken on a virtual all-day visit to the Great Wall of China -- undoubtedly one of the seven man-built wonders of the world -- on Tuesday. Wednesday was a very full day. In the morning we visited the national library, the Forbidden City -- a walled city within the city of Peking -- former palaces and buildings of the emperors. Then a noon luncheon, and at 4 p.m. the real highlight of the visit -- the private meeting at the Great Hall of the People (government headquarters) with the Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress -- one of the three top men in the government, Mr. Tan Zhen-lin ....

Wednesday evening we attended a special program sponsored by the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation at a Peking theater. The theater was crowded and there was vigorous standing applause as our party entered. It was a semiballet program and was excellent. We were guided up on the stage at the end of the show, as audience applause continued, and we shook hands with the whole cast. The AICF will endeavor to arrange for this show to be staged at the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena, and also in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco and other major cities.

Thursday noon we left for the airport. There, to see us off and bid us good-bye was a delegation, again including the president and vice-president of the government's educational system.

We were royally received and entertained by the government people. They could not have been more friendly. And we were enthusiastically invited to come again.

On Saturday night there was a banquet in Tokyo at which, among many toasts, I was privileged to speak again. Then Sunday the long trip home to Tucson, with one fuel stop at Cold Bay, Alaska.

God was with us. He gave us great favor in the eyes of our Chinese hosts.

I had been invited to visit China some five or six years ago, by the Chinese Ambassador in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At that time the government at Peking refused to admit me, saying I had written articles against communism. However, they said, they had noted that it had been many years ago, and I had not written things against communism in recent years, so they said then they might invite me later. And this they did.

It is true that I did write anticommunist articles, because they are atheist and anti-God, rather than because of their political persuasion. However, I hope I have grown in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as Peter instructs in II Peter 3:18. It has been impressed on me in more recent years what I only partly realized some thirty to fifty years ago, how, when our first parents rejected God's teaching, God's government over them, and God's salvation, that God, in driving them out of the Garden of Eden, barring entrance to the tree of life, said, in effect: You have rejected my government, my teaching, and me as Savior. Therefore, I sentence you and your children which shall populate and form the world, for 6,000 years, to being cut off from me and my Holy Spirit. Therefore, go, and create your own religions, form your own kinds of governments, devise your own knowledge and educational systems, and your own types of society. Yet I will call a very few who are predestinated to be called for use in preparing for the final Kingdom of God.

It actually was God who cut mankind off -- except for those specially called -- rather than man having turned from God (except for Adam and Eve, of course).

God simply has not called most of the millions in China and Russia and India. He will, either in the coming millennium, or in the Great White Throne Judgment, when Satan will no longer be here to deceive.

So I no longer write articles condemning Communism, or their governments. Instead I go to them with the message of hope -- the Kingdom of God, when God will open all minds, and bring them to salvation.

Jesus did not come on a soul-saving mission! The gospel is good news, which God has called me to proclaim.

On this basis, not judging or condemning them, but bringing to the leaders of the most populous nation on earth Christ's message of hope, I was enthusiastically welcomed. The most universally believed lie and false doctrine with which Satan has deceived the whole world of Christianity is that all not now saved are lost. That is not true. They are neither saved nor lost -- they are not yet judged.

Jesus said plainly, No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him (John 6:44). Unless the Father draws them, atheists and communists cannot come to Jesus. He said so in plain language! ...

We are closing a great year for God's Work in spite of the massive assault by the attorney-general's office of the State of California. We have gotten through this year without having to borrow from the bank, as in former years. Income has been up -- and it is up to you and me to keep it that way. Meanwhile God's Church has been getting back on God's track after a several-years' conspiracy to secularize and liberalize it. We are now really getting closer to Jesus Christ and God our Father through more prayer and Bible study. Keep up the good work.

Chapter 83

November 26, 1980 -- July 24, 1983 Tucson, November 26, 1980

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

I have very recently returned from another Middle East visit. It was very profitable for the Work that God is doing through us.

En route I stopped off in London, and spoke on the Sabbath, October 25, to the brethren in the London area. There were more than 1,000 present, including a number who came over from the Continent.

On Monday evening, the 27th, I addressed a large banquet in Cairo, Egypt, of people prominent in the Egyptian government and universities, and the Egyptian-American League, hosted by Dr. Mohammed Abdel Kader Hatem, chief personal adviser to President Anwar el-Sadat and former prime minister. Then on to Jerusalem.

Our brief flight to Jerusalem was a first! We were given government permission to fly direct from Cairo to Jerusalem airport. Since the hostilities between Egypt and Israel, there were no flights permitted between the nations until the Camp David peace talks, and then flights were permitted only from Cairo to the Ben-Gurion airport at Tel Aviv. But our plane was given government permission to make the first flight direct to Jerusalem airport ....

I spoke at a banquet hosted by Mayor Teddy Kollek. We attended a Sunday afternoon entertainment by the Arab section of the ICCY (International Cultural Center for Youth) in the old city Arab section of the city. It was a performance by both Arab and Israeli youth, with a very hilarious belly dance by a little nine-year-old Arab girl. This youth center is succeeding well in bringing together the youths, of both Arab and Jewish children and young people, in harmonious peace instead of hostility. We've been participating in this foundation for twelve years. A whole square in front of the main headquarters building in the newer area of Jerusalem is named The Herbert W. Armstrong Square.

Also we visited again the new downtown city park in Jerusalem, where my name is engraved in a stone marker at one of the park entrances, at the children's playground area ....

Our meeting with President Sadat in Cairo had to be postponed, because President Yitzhak Navon of Israel was in Cairo on a state visit while we were there, and we were planning a full televised private meeting with him ....

We returned Sunday, the 9th, to Cairo. On Tuesday the 11th -- the sixty-second anniversary of the end of World War I (and how well I remember the wild and jubilant reveling of that day) -- we had our televised meeting with the Egyptian president, Anwar el-Sadat.

Mr. Sadat was speaking at 11 to 12:30 that morning at a teachers' union graduation in a downtown auditorium. We were driven during that time to the auditorium building and taken to a reception room on about the 20th floor of the building. From there we could watch the ending of President Sadat's speech to the nation on television, and the graduation ceremony taking place in the auditorium on the ground floor of the building ....

At the palace, the president entered first, and we were met at the entrance portico by the first lady ... and Dr. Hatem.

Inside, awaiting a brief meeting with Mr. Sadat, was a group of U.S. congressmen. I was told that they stared in amazed dis approval, wondering, Who are those nonofficial Americans, and what are they doing here?

The President's wife accompanied us into an elegant reception room where we chatted for some fifteen or twenty minutes. She and I were photographed together.

Then, the American congressmen dismissed, the President entered. The TV lights were flashed on.

It's a coincidence that the last time I met President Sadat, in Alexandria, he also was then about to address the nation on television. It was at a university in Alexandria. At that time ... I was waiting in a reception room off the entrance lobby when the President entered. He had then come in a motorcade with streets lined with people trying to get a glimpse of their President. At that time, Mr. Sadat entered with his wife, followed by his cabinet and other top government officials. The President waited at the rear of the room, while his cabinet and officials lined up on each side facing the middle. Down the middle was a long red carpet. I walked down the red carpet to be formally introduced by Dr. Hatem to the President and the First Lady .... That had been my first meeting with President Sadat, although we were already well acquainted with his close adviser Dr. Hatem.

But in this present meeting, Mr. Sadat and I sat together in the corner of the room where seats had been arranged for telecasting. Both our own TV cameramen and the government TV cameramen were shooting us, until the meeting was under way, and then they left, and we were able to continue without the blazing TV lights ....

There are other things I wanted to say, but this letter is getting overlong, and I will reserve other things until next time or in The Plain Truth ...

Tucson, Arizona February 8, 1981

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

We are off to a running start in the new year, 1981. Never before has God given us such a leap forward at the very beginning of a new year! ...

I returned a week ago from the last important meetings in Japan and the Philippines. They were the most successful so far in all these years.

In Tokyo I spoke a vigorous message on the soon-coming Kingdom of God at a banquet of some 400 important and leading people of that energetic and upcoming nation. Then I spoke on the Sabbath afternoon to 100 Japanese subscribers to The Plain Truth, mostly college students and professors. Then again about the same number three weeks later on the return from the Philippines.

At Manila, reporters of newspapers and TV news met me at the airport and we had a press conference ....

I was guest of honor, and spoke a full message in power at a huge banquet of 750 members of the very important Philippine Constitution Association, a power in the Philippines. I was guest of honor and speaker at a luncheon of combined Rotary Clubs. I spoke to a packed auditorium a full message of the Kingdom of God at the very prestigious Adamson University ....

Then there were the two main public meetings in the city's leading auditorium, seating 4,500, on successive Saturday and Sunday nights, virtually packed houses. I believe these were possibly the most effective speeches proclaiming Christ's gospel message of my life. God was with me, and did inspire me ....

I returned home Sunday morning just as the very first of our new TV series was coming on. I was really thrilled at the way our TV staff had tailored that program, with exciting film clips illustrating my sermon all the way through. When I spoke of a meeting with Mrs. Golda Meir, the late prime minister of Israel, a picture of me talking with her was flashed on the screen. When I spoke of the oratory at the San Francisco Conference, which I attended in 1945, there appeared a film clip of President Harry Truman speaking at the conference -- and so on. The new TV series, I feel, is the most effective of all our TV programs, so far.

I plan to record two more TV programs and two radio half hours next Tuesday and the same amount on Wednesday, when the whole TV crew will be in Tucson. I plan to keep this up until we have six months or more of programs ahead on tape -- and possibly we then may start daily TV and radio broadcasting in major cities in the U.S. and Canada.

It is now Sunday as I write. Today's TV program was a half hour devoted to our China visit as guests of the People's Republic government. It showed a certain amount of several of my speeches there. What I am doing now, as televised, is, I feel, vastly improved and more effective than I was doing a year ago. I may be a year older, but I appear younger, smooth-speaking, more vigorous and effective. God is invigorating and inspiring me. I need your prayers that He will surcharge me with His Spirit and power for still greater effectiveness as we plunge on to finish His great Work before Christ's coming.

But of course His coming will be preceded by the Great Tribulation, the Day of the Lord (initiatory phase, with terrifying signs in the skies).

Just a few months ago God gave me a new idea for turning the hearts of the children to their parents and of the parents to their children -- the new magazine Youth 81. The first two issues are out, and I honestly feel it is far superior to any youths' publications ever published. When I was young there was a prominent magazine called Youth's Home Companion. But I feel that Youth 81 is far superior, and I'm sure our young people will be much profited.

Now God has given me a new idea for our youth! I have set a ceiling of a total of 500 students in Ambassador College. If we go beyond that we would be unable to maintain the high morale of God's college. That means we can accept only 150 new freshmen each year. But we have between 300 and 400 acceptable applications -- young people -- almost altogether your children -- those of our Church members -- and at present we can accept only about one in three of them.

We are besieged with letters from high school seniors asking us what can they do if we can't accept them? Can they go to some other college or junior college? Our experience is, candidly, that if they go to some other school they will be indoctrinated in the materialistic evolutionary approach to all knowledge, and in too many cases, ruined so far as God's teaching and way of life are concerned ....

God gives me this solution: For some reason God has blocked the sale of our Big Sandy campus. We still have it on our hands. So I now have in mind, as I believe God leads me, that we immediately start a junior college at Big Sandy. We would accept one-hundred new freshmen for Big Sandy for this coming fall. We would transfer seventy-five out of this year's freshman class at Pasadena, who will then be sophomores, to Big Sandy, to implant there the Ambassador character and atmosphere. That means that, in addition to the one-hundred additional new students we can accept for Big Sandy this fall, we can accept an additional seventy-five freshmen at Pasadena ....

The new junior college at Big Sandy will thereafter accept up to 150 or more per year. After two years at Big Sandy, some who qualify would transfer to Pasadena for the third and fourth years, and graduate at Pasadena.

I have to consider this budget-wise, of course. But, with tuitions helping, study of the budget situation indicates we can squeeze this new junior college in. Plans are already well under way for providing faculty.

God is blessing His Church and its Work! We are now all set to plunge forward in the Work as never before! New time availabilities are opening up on both radio and TV. God is generating in me increased power and energy, and better programs are coming ....

Pasadena January 20, 1983

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

I have to tell you now that the outlook for the United States and the entire world is bleak and foreboding indeed! Based on world news, observation and personal contacts with world leaders -- based on Bible prophecy and a long life of experience, I have to tell you now that the entire world economy is in a drastic nose dive. Civilization itself is stricken with spiritual, moral and economic sickness unto its death -- the end of this world!

But there is also good news! There is good news for the Work of God -- the best ever! And the big good news (the word gospel means good news) is the new civilization -- the World Tomorrow -- the Kingdom of God -- is soon to follow! God's Church -- the living and the dead in Christ -- will then emerge into a new world of peace, happiness, abundance, with eternal life.

Bible prophecy shows what soon shall occur -- why the world is now sick on its deathbed -- why the rising unemployment, the sick economy, the immorality, crime, violence and world evils.

I have seen much of this in ninety years of event-packed experience.

In November, 1919, I was a member of the Chicago Association of Commerce. At a regular weekly membership luncheon, the noted Boston statistician and economist, Roger Babson, was guest speaker. He astonished major bank officials and industrial leaders saying that in one year we would experience the most drastic depression our generation had known. Economic executives ridiculed. We were then in an upward trend of prosperity.

A year later Roger Babson again was our guest speaker. He said, The year has passed, and I am back and depression is here with me. There was no ridicule or laughter. Mr. Babson told us why he knew, and why business and financial executives did not.

When I want to know what the temperature in this room is going to be an hour or two from now I don't consult the thermometer on the wall. I go to the boiler room and see what is going on down there. I go to the factor that causes the future temperature. You men were looking at bank clearings, retail sales, wholesale indexes, stock car loadings and trends -- the thermometers on the wall. But Mr. Babson said he had learned that when fifty-one percent or more of the people were righteous in their dealings with another, prosperity was just ahead. But when fifty-one percent or more of the people were unrighteous in their dealings, economic depression was coming.

Was Roger Babson right? In January, 1914, I was in the editorial department of a national magazine -- the nation's largest trade journal. I was assigned to cover the story of the very beginning of the conveyer-belt assembly-line mass-production system at the Ford Motor Company plant in Detroit. Ford initiated this system of mass machine production. At that time only the U.S. provided a mass market for such mass production.

Soon other auto companies followed suit, and then virtually all American production in other lines. This swelled profits enormously for capital and management. But labor unionism immediately engaged in a crusade of strikes to raise wages. Also labor leaders adopted the false philosophy of get instead of cooperation and sharing. Labor union wars ensued, like the Herrin, Illinois, coal mine massacre, in which more than twenty were murdered and many injured. Labor turned to the attitude that the employer was the enemy -- slow down your work, give as little as you can get away with, then fight with the weapon of the strike to increase wages and lower hours of work.

Result? The quality of industrial production diminished. Meanwhile a burgeoning affluent middle class -- also motivated by the way of get -- developed in the United States. Before World War II the United States had mounted to a position of wealth and power such as no nation ever possessed.

God had blessed us with the natural resources. Selfishness and greed on the part of both management and labor temporarily increased our prosperity. But those very evils are now bringing this country down!

As late as 1969, the American wage was three times that of England and four times that of Japan.

Meanwhile, the Common Market (EEC) in Europe gave that continent a mass market for mass machine production -- at low-cost labor. Even with machine production, labor had to direct the machines and remained the largest item of cost in production. Development of modern transportation gave Japan a mass market -- in fact, a world market. Now Europe and Japan compete with mass production and low-cost labor against the U.S. with its high-cost labor. Not only that, but both in Japan and West Germany, labor is patriotic, regarding conscientious work as a duty to their country. Result, Japan and West Germany export to the U.S., underselling U.S. competition with better quality merchandise.

In 1970 Prime Minister Sato of Japan told me he foresaw and feared a real trade war with the U.S., and hoped it would not happen. It is here! Japan has figuratively bombed and almost destroyed Detroit. I am leaving Monday on a Far East trip, and expect to discuss this situation with Prime Minister Nakasone in Tokyo. He just departed from talks with President Reagan in Washington yesterday -- apparently with no good results for the U.S.

Again, was Roger Babson right? What does your Bible say? What does God say? Actually applying to our nation, God says, Deuteronomy 28:1, ... If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments ... the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth. In Deuteronomy 4:40: Thou shalt keep therefore ... his commandments ... that it may go well with thee ....

In many scriptures God tells us he prospers those whose ways please him. But our people as a nation have not obeyed God. The whole world has been founded and built on the philosophies and ways of life of Satan, not of God. This has been Satan's world -- not God's. But the Church of God is God's world in embryo -- begotten but not yet born. We are called -- drafted -- to be trained to be teachers and rulers in the world to come.

When this Work pleases Him, He prospers it. He has been getting us back on the track. We have just closed a record-breaking year.

The world has not lived God's way. Now the final result of the selfish way of living is converging on the whole world in its final climax at the end of this world.

But God is blessing His Church. We suffer because of the sins of the world among which we must live. But unemployment is not as high among our members -- God does bless the commandment keeper and tithe payer.

1982 was the most successful year by far in the history of this Work. The Plain Truth circulation took a big leap ahead -- now well over five million copies a month. There was a big increase in number of TV stations. A big increase in people asking for counsel about baptism.

Pray for continued success in the Work. Remember, whatsoever we ask, we receive from God because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. Pray for me, even as I do for you. Pray for the continued economic stability and financial needs for God's Work.

Pasadena July 24, 1983

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

A staggering turn in world events may occur suddenly at any day from now on. God has been holding back these world-shaking events. But now they may strike suddenly while the world least expects it.

The very first issue of the Plain Truth magazine appeared February, 1934 -- just fifty years ago lacking about 6 months. The article starting on the cover page warned of a coming sudden appearance of a resurrected Holy Roman Empire in Europe -- a union of ten nations in Europe under one government, with one united military force. For fifty years I have been crying out to the world the Bible prophecies of this coming United States of Europe -- a new united superpower perhaps more powerful than either the Soviet Union or the United States!

No one believed me then. But since then the European Common Market has appeared, with ten nations cooperating commercially in a tariff-free common market.

Also there have arisen in Europe two outstanding political leaders, both writing and speaking out and writing books, saying Europe must unite politically. One of those was called the Strong Man of Europe, Dr. Franz Josef Strauss. Some twelve years ago I entertained him at dinner in my home in Pasadena, and he spoke to the faculty and students of Ambassador College. I have maintained contact with him. He wrote the book The Grand Design.

The other arrived two weeks ago from Munich, West Germany, to have a meeting with me. He is Dr. Otto von Habsburg, head of the 700-year-old House of Habsburg, which ruled the Holy Roman Empire in the dynasty prior to Napoleon, and one of the most prestigious royal families in Europe. Dr. Habsburg was born the Archduke of Austria. His family was exiled during World War II, and he rejected Nazism and sided with the Allies during the war. He has since renounced his title. He very probably has a more clear grasp of international affairs than any man today. He is author of the famous book The Social Order of Tomorrow, giving a design for reunification of Europe startlingly close to the biblical description of this prophesied resurrected Europe to occur just prior to the Second Coming of Christ.

I had long wanted to meet Otto von Habsburg personally. I missed meeting him in Athens, Greece, last November, returning from my visit to our churches in South Africa and in Nairobi. However, Ellis La Ravia, vice president of the Ambassador Foundation, had arrived in Athens a couple days ahead of me from Pasadena. He attended a meeting there of the European Parliament, of which a leading member is Dr. Habsburg, who expressed regret at missing a meeting with me. He said then he would be so occupied with the then coming West German elections and sessions of the European Parliament, the very first date he could be free would be July 10 of this year. He said that on that day he would fly to Pasadena for a meeting with me. He kept his word and arrived on schedule in Pasadena two weeks ago this afternoon.

Dr. Habsburg addressed students and campus employees on Monday at 11 a.m. Mr. La Ravia and I took him on a brief visit through the Auditorium and then to luncheon in the faculty dining room. That evening he was guest at a formal dinner in my home with other Church officials and their wives. I also had a private meeting with him, as did Mr. Gene H. Hogberg, chief of our world news staff. While here he stayed in a guest apartment on campus. Tuesday night he addressed the Los Angeles World Affairs Council in Beverly Hills.

Wednesday morning he flew with me and some of our staff in our G-II jet to Washington, D.C. There he addressed the John Davis Lodge Center for International Studies at the University club.

In my private meeting with him, Dr. Habsburg expressed dis appointment that progress on the European reunification had moved so slowly. I expressed the conviction that some totally unexpected world-shocking event could occur suddenly at any time that would high pressure European nations to go together overnight, adopting the constitution already prepared by the European Parliament. This Parliament, although without substantial power, is composed of leaders who are framing the constitution in advance. He mentioned that there are madmen such as Kadafi and Khomeini who could pull off some startlingly unexpected international act that would press the panic button in Europe.

Incidentally, Drs. Habsburg and Strauss are close friends, and for some reason I do not understand -- but may be of God's designing -- both are very friendly to me and to Ambassador College.

Now let me tell you why I know God has held back end-time world events -- and why He will cause things to snap together suddenly when least expected and bring this world suddenly to its end, and the coming of Christ in supreme power and glory to rule all nations, ushering in the Kingdom of God and the World Tomorrow! ...

In Matthew 24:32-35 Jesus said that when we see world events now occurring, we are to know that this end is very near -- within this generation. Yet of the day and hour (verse 36) we cannot know. Yet when it strikes it will strike suddenly, unexpectedly, like a trap that springs shut on a hapless rat without warning. If one knew at what hour a thief would come in the night to burglarize his house, he would have watched and been ready to resist him.

We have been seeing these end-time world events coming for several years now. God has delayed -- held up world events. Yet He will suddenly cut his Work short, and end things, as unexpectedly and suddenly as when the trap springs on a rat before he can move.

When Europe suddenly unites, our work, which Christ is doing with and through us, will quickly be over, and Christ's coming very soon thereafter.

Brethren, thank you for the generous response to my last month's request for special funds for needed construction at the Orr, Minnesota, camp for the Summer Educational Program (SEP), for youths between ages twelve and eighteen. These camps are so very important. These youths will be leaders in the World Tomorrow! We must all pray all the more as we see end events coming to pass. Pray for one another. And, please, also for me. I do need your prayers. The Work needs our support.

Chapter 84

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

first visited New Zealand. There I attended the Summer Educational camp for teenagers, held on an island just offshore from Auckland. There were about 150 teen campers there besides a number of Ambassador College students serving as counselors and camp assistants, and ministers to supervise recreational activities and teach summer classes. Then I spoke on the Sabbath to 768 members at the Auckland church, and on Sunday flew to Wellington where I held a two-hour Bible study with 375 members of the Church. Also sixty bicyclists finished a cross-country cycling tour, composed of eleven college students and five college faculty members with forty-four teenagers -- YOU members.

Last night I held a one-and-a-half-hour Bible study before 1,020 Church members in Brisbane. Tomorrow I will visit the SEP camp here, where some 300 teenagers are finishing the summer camp. These summer camps are doing a magnificent job of showing teenagers a better way to have fun and study at the same time. The camps are doing much to turn the hearts of the children to the parents.

I will be preaching to brethren at Melbourne and Perth, then on to Malaysia, then a visit to Thailand, Hong Kong, Tokyo and back to Pasadena.

Again, thank you, sincerely and deeply, for your prayers and help with Christ in His work.

April 1, 1984

Dear Brethren in Christ:

This is a special personal letter to you members of God's Church, written in between monthly Co-Worker letters.

I recently visited my brother, Dwight, who composed all of the music in our Church hymnals except for three or four songs we felt worthy of being included. He has devoted the last thirty-five years of his life to composing the music of these hymns for us. For years, even before that, I had felt we needed our own hymn book, with words from the Psalms (the word psalms means songs) and other scriptures from the Bible.

I had noticed that in the hymn books sung in Protestant churches, the words are not scriptural, and sing the praises of the congregations of people instead of the praises of God.

Wherever I travel over the whole earth, visiting our churches on all continents, I find you brethren all enjoying the same hymns and the same music with great joy and gladness.

Perhaps most of you have not even realized it was my own brother, twelve years younger than I, who produced the beautiful music we have all come to love and joy in. On this recent visit to speak to the churches in the area of Vancouver, Canada, I stopped off to spend a few minutes with my brother. It was probably our last meeting together in this life.

I found him in the last stages of cancer in the bone structure, going through the marrow of the bones. He is a little discouraged, not realizing what a real success his life has been, and with the mortgage on his home still not paid off as he faces the end of this life. He is not expected to live much longer.

He has not had the opportunity to see and hear you brethren in congregations all over the world singing with such joy the music he composed for you, and I'm sure he can have no realization of how greatly he has contributed to God's Church and consequently what a successful life he has lived. He will be eighty, if he survives until September 15. He has continued up to the present to compose more and more new hymns, most of which have not been as yet published. These may come out in a new hymnal book, much enlarged over our present book ....

However, if some of you brethren do feel you would like him to know how much his beautiful music has meant to your Christian life, and would care to just write him a few words of appreciation, I know that would brighten the few remaining days he probably has in this life.

Write to his local pastor .... Dacca, Bangladesh November 18, 1984

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:

I, with the small entourage accompanying me, am now in the midst of a five-week tour in the Far East. I am writing from Dacca, capital of Bangladesh. Bangladesh borders India on three sides. It is a country about the size of Wisconsin in area, but with approximately 100 million population -- almost half of that of the United States. It is one of the poorest countries on earth. Less than 29 percent can read or write and many of this number can only barely be called literate.

You people in America, Western Europe and Australia cannot conceive of the condition in which uncounted millions of human masses live in parts of the world such as we are visiting. We came from Nepal, where I had another meeting with King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya in the palace at Kathmandu, Nepal's capital. Nepal is in the Himalaya mountains with Mt. Everest and other peaks almost the same fantastic height. There also, 80 percent of the people are totally illiterate. Most of them have no idea of sanitation. One of our pilots, in a car driven out of the city in a more rural area, saw children on the ground picking lice out of one another's hair.

You people in supposedly civilized countries have no conception of the poverty and ignorance of masses of human beings in this part of the world, or even in some areas in Africa and South America. Yet in our more advanced and supposedly civilized countries, we are plagued with crime, violence, illicit sex, drugs, excess alcohol, broken homes, and hospitals filled to over-flowing, and jails and prisons likewise. The evils are appalling in a Western world of awesome progress and advancement. We certainly should pray, as Jesus said, Thy Kingdom come. Only the coming of Christ in supreme power and authority can save humanity.

I visited this country about eleven years ago, soon after the end of the Pakistan war, when Bangladesh became a new country. I thought then that it was the most impoverished nation in the world. But great strides have been made since. This is due to two factors. The United States, Japan and other developed countries have poured many millions of dollars into this country to help get it started on development. This has resulted in many new modern buildings. The other cause we saw this afternoon. A one-hour drive to one of the villages to inspect one of the village elementary schools. I was driven in a government Mercedes, since I am here as a guest of the government. On the road to the village we had a flat tire. On the return we lost the muffler because of knotty tree roots protruding through the rough unpaved road. The schoolhouse was a dilapidated sort of shed built of old corrugated iron or tin, half rusted. One class of about sixty children were being taught in a shady spot outside this makeshift building. I visited a third grade mathematics class in a small room of thirty-five children. At least the country is beginning to teach many of the little children, although the Minister of Education told us many drop out because their parents can't see any need for education.

On this present tour we have visited Tokyo, where I met several Cabinet Members and Congressmen who call themselves my Japanese sons. One senator in the Diet flew here with us.

In China I and my entourage were guests of the government that rules over nearly one fourth of all humanity. Our visit was on national TV and on front-page newspapers with nationwide circulation of some 200 million. It was even on Hong Kong television news. I was received in both Beijing and also in Shanghai with all the honors of the head of a nation. We were housed in both major cities in government VIP guest houses. In fact, I was told I slept in the same bed in Shanghai as President Reagan.

Deng Xiaoping admitted to me that China has made some serious mistakes which he is trying to correct. It was heartening to hear so powerful a man admit mistakes and work to correct them.

More than ever before I see the need to pray earnestly, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I have been given opportunity to speak some very straight truths in China and Nepal, and I may have a similar opportunity at the banquet tomorrow night.

Brethren, this world is being destroyed for lack of knowledge of and from God, as we read in Hosea 4:6. Through my personal visits, and the Plain Truth magazine, on TV and radio and through other literature, we are proclaiming that knowledge in power and authority. Some listen. It is God's last witness against those who do not. But we must drive right on until Christ comes!

More than ever I need your earnest prayers. God's great Work needs your generous support. And you need the great matchless blessing that comes from having your part in such a wonderful Work.

We go from here to Sri Lanka, then another visit to the King and Queen of Thailand, then Tokyo once again, then home. All my love to you all.

PS: 11/19/84: Word has just come by telex and telephone of the death of my brother, Dwight Leslie Armstrong. He composed the music for all but twelve of the hymns in the hymnal used in all the local churches of the Worldwide Church of God. He died on Saturday morning, November 17, of cancer. A full account of his life and work will appear in The Worldwide News.

July 25, 1985

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:

Many things have happened since I last wrote to you a month ago. The passing time seems to speed up. These are the summer months in which we cannot afford to bask lazily in the warmth of the sun in idle leisure. Rather, more than ever, we need a sense of urgency. Events in the world are not taking a vacation, but speeding to the climax of this world and civilization as we know it.

Since my last letter I, with several members of the editorial staff and the television crew, attended the fortieth anniversary of the San Francisco Conference of 1945. Ambassadors to the U.N. from many nations were there. I was one of three or so who attended the entire Conference of forty years ago. Most are not still living. I was honored by sitting at lunches and dinners at the speakers' table, and introduced to all delegates each time.

I was glad to renew acquaintance with General Carlos Romulo of the Philippines, with whom I have maintained an acquaintance on my frequent visits to Manila. The Ambassador from the Soviet Union spoke to me twice and said I am too hard on the Soviet Union on the air, although he admitted I was not as hard on them as other TV evangelists, and invited me to visit the Soviet Union.

On June 25 I attended the twentieth anniversary of the church at my home city of Des Moines, Iowa. It was an experience to be photographed at the very spot where I was born, and to see the tremendous change that has come to the city where I grew up. The anniversary service was held in a new hotel located over the very spot where I worked for three years as editorial representative of the nation's largest trade journal -- The Merchants Trade Journal -- during the years of 1912-1915.

Since, I have visited the YOU camp sites at Orr, Minnesota, and Big Sandy, Texas, and spoken to the campers at each. All international camp directors were in session at Orr. What these camps are doing for the youths of the Church is amazing. There is no other youth program in the world that remotely equals what is being accomplished at our YOU camp ...

September 12, 1985

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

Since last December I have been working diligently on the largest and most important book of my life. In real fact I feel I myself did not write it. Rather, I believe God used me in writing it. I candidly feel it may be the most important book since the Bible.

It is named Mystery of the Ages. Actually it might be called a synopsis of the Bible in the most plain and understandable language.

But first, before I tell you more about it, let me say I am overjoyed to be able to send you one of the very first copies off the press, hardbound -- the same beautiful copy that will be sold in bookstores all over the United States -- in gratitude for your cooperation and financial support of this wonderful Work of the great God.

All baptized members will be given the book, one copy to a family, at the coming annual Feast of Tabernacles. All nonmember Co-Workers are being mailed your copies, but allow a few weeks for delivery, for this kind of mail goes much slower than this letter.

We want to reach the largest audience possible with this book. I know you will feel the same way when you read it. There is a very large audience which would never request this book if offered free -- who would never send their name and address to us -- but would gladly buy a copy in the bookstore. By putting it in the bookstores we will reach a very great audience that we can reach in no other way. We will not sell the book ourselves, but it cannot be made available to this large audience of book buyers unless the bookstores do put a price on it.

Now let me tell you something about this new book. The Holy Bible is the world's best-selling book, but not the most read, and certainly just about the least understood. Why should this be? Several reasons.

First, God did not intend it to be understood until now, in these last days before the return of Christ and the setting up of the Kingdom of God to rule all nations and usher in world peace. For example, in Daniel 12, Daniel wrote that he heard what the angel was telling him to write, but he did not understand. The angel told him to write the words anyway -- that their meaning was closed and sealed from understanding until the time of the end of this present world.

Secondly, when the first man, Adam, rejected the tree of life -- rejecting God and reliance on God, taking to himself the knowledge of good and evil, relying on himself instead of God -- God closed the tree of life until the coming of Christ, the second Adam. And even then the gifts of the Holy Spirit and eternal life were still closed to all except those whom God the Father would draw to Him through Jesus Christ (John 6:44). The natural mind of man cannot understand the Word of God except by and through the Holy Spirit dwelling within. We read in I Corinthians 2:9 that the human eye has not seen, nor the ear heard, nor has it entered into the human mind, the spiritual things of God. But, verse 10, says God does reveal those things to us through, and only through, the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. No matter how great the human mind -- no matter how many Ph.D.s or high degrees one may have after his name, he cannot understand what God has put in His Word -- the Holy Bible -- without the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes [mentally, educationally] (Matt. 11:25). No others can understand the Bible, which is the Word of God.

Thirdly, the Bible has not been written like the books written by natural-minded humans. It is a coded book, like a jigsaw puzzle divided into thousands of parts, and cannot be understood except these many different parts are properly put together. And they will fit together in only one way. They must be put together here a little, and there a little (Isa. 28:10).

I feel like shouting Glory, hallelujah and Praise God that He has revealed His Word to His one true Church through the Holy Spirit which He has given to us. Daniel 12 continues to say that in these last days the wise would understand but all others would not. The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of understanding, and a good understanding have they who do His commandments.

We of God's true Church do keep God's commandments. But the churches of this world say the commandments were done away. Therefore their eyes, even though they do not realize it, are blinded to the truth as revealed in the Bible. That is why the churches of traditional Christianity do not and cannot understand the Bible.

This new book Mystery of the Ages does put many pieces of the jigsaw puzzle properly together. Because the world has been unable to do this, the Bible and the things in the Bible have certainly been a mystery.

The Bible itself is a mystery to nearly all people. God and the nature of God -- what God is like -- God's purpose -- have been a mystery. No religion on earth has ever truly understood just who and what God really is. Many people, and even different religions, have had some vague ideas about the unseen spirit world. Yet it has been a total mystery to them.

Even the appearance of mankind on the earth and any purpose for human existence are a mystery people have never understood. Human civilization as it has developed is a mystery people simply do not understand. They cannot understand why twentieth century progress has made such phenomenal strides and yet its troubles and evils have escalated and multiplied.

Even the existence of the Church is a mystery. Why should there be such an institution as the Church? The very gospel that Jesus Christ brought from God the Father -- the good news of the coming world-ruling Kingdom of God -- has never been understood. It, too, has been cloaked in mystery.

This new book Mystery of the Ages unveils all these mysteries. It puts the many different parts of the jigsaw puzzle together. It is, in fact, a synopsis of the entire Bible. It is my prayer that you will read it along with your Bible -- that it will make your Bible come alive and understandable. And with God's Holy Spirit dwelling in you, I feel sure that it will. I am now in my 94th year and I feel that this book is the most valuable gift I could possibly give to you. This book is a partial expression of my thanks and gratitude to you for being a co-laborer with me and with Jesus Christ. With all my heart, I do appreciate and thank God for your part with me in the wonderful Work these closing days.

November 25, 1985

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

This has been the most serious year of the Work of God so far. Never before has God given us such a leap forward in television coverage and Plain Truth circulation as in these past six months.

God's time has come to speed up His Work with dynamic and tremendous power! Time for completing the great mission of God in this dying world is fast running out on us! ...

With the writing of the new book Mystery of the Ages God has helped me this year to do the best work of my ninety-three years of life! But now, for over three months, I have been suffering a serious illness that started from a flu bug in August. Since then I have been confined to my home, with a doctor, who seldom makes house calls, coming to see me every day -- sometimes twice a day. I have been unable to rid myself of a fever that has left me with low blood levels and very little strength. Even so, I am working as energetically as possible from my home ...

December 9, 1985

Dear Brethren:

At this time I feel I must make a statement regarding my own physical condition and also changes being made in the Work. I have delayed a definite statement about my health hoping that my physical condition would improve and that the statement I now make could be alleviated.

Last August 3, I left Pasadena for Orr, Minnesota, having planned to continue to the Summer Education Program camp in Scotland, then to London, and from London across the North Pole to Tokyo. A trip has been planned from Tokyo to Seoul, South Korea, to meet with the President. I was to be accompanied by the Japanese Minister of Labor, Toshio Yamaguchi. I had become ill and was forced to return to Pasadena from Orr, Minnesota, early in the morning, too ill to be fully dressed. I returned immediately to my home. I was able to make a few trips to the office until the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles in late September. I have not been outside of my home since that day. From that date, my regular physician has been making daily, and sometimes twice daily, trips to my home.

I had hoped for a turn to the better -- so that I could return for daily work in my office -- and a recovery from this illness, but unfortunately, that has not occurred. My blood level is far below normal and has left me in a very weak condition. I have not been able to dress further than bed clothes and robes since the day before the Feast of Tabernacles.

My physician says that with blood transfusions I could go to the office for three to four weeks. But then another blood transfusion would be necessary. It is my judgment that such a transfusion would be risky and of very short duration. And my physician acquiesces in this decision. Frequently I have very serious and painful angina attacks of the heart. I have been able to make certain necessary decisions in a brief telephone contact with those at the office and will continue this as and when my very limited physical strength permits.

Until the present moment I felt that God might provide a way for complete recovery, and He still may. So I have withheld this statement until now, but I feel it is better that you all know the condition. I am now in my ninety-fourth year. God may grant that I may continue in this very limited manner to direct the Work for some time, but the occasional severe heart pains that I have endured have made me feel the necessity of letting the entire membership know of the condition as it is ....

Remember, brethren, this is the Work of the living Creator God. We are now very near the end of this present age. I will continue to give my all to the Work of God up to the last breath. I hope you will all realize the seriousness of the time in which we live and that nothing is important any longer than to be close to God and assured of a place in His soon-coming Kingdom.

This world is not God's world, and of that we may all be thankful. It is now in its very last days. This illness has impressed heavily on my mind, more than ever before, the uselessness of this present evil world. Thank God we are all very near to its end. I thank you, beyond words to express, for your loving concern and for the many thousands of cards and well wishes that have been coming in from great numbers of you from all over the world.

P.S. I have had to dictate this letter due to lack of the physical strength to type it.

January 10, 1986

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers,

This is my first letter to you in 1986, and could very well be my last. Now in my ninety-fourth year I am in a very physically weakened state enduring severe pain and with virtually no strength whatsoever. I briefly described my condition in last month's Co-Worker letter to you, and now it has worsened. It may be that the Work God has given me to do is complete, but not the Work of God's Church, which will be faithfully doing God's Work till Christ, the True Head of this Church, returns.

After much counsel and prayer over the past months God has led me in announcing a decision last week to appoint Mr. Joseph W. Tkach, Director of Church Administration, to the office of Deputy Pastor General, to assist me while I am in a weakened state, and should God choose to take my life, to place himself totally in Christ's hands to lead God's Church under Christ, succeeding me as Pastor General, in the difficult times ahead. Christ will lead in the decision about which men will continue the telecast.

Remember, brethren, this is not the work of Herbert W. Armstrong, nor will it be the work of Mr. Tkach, or any man. It is the Work of the Living Creator, God. You are supporting this Work of God, and it is the Great God who will pour out His blessings on you for your generosity. Continue to sacrifice through 1986 to finish the commission God has given His Church. The greatest work lies yet ahead. Christ confirmed that in John 4:35, Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. Never before in the history of the Church has it been possible to reap so great a harvest. It has only been made possible through modern technology, beginning with the printing press, radio, television, and rapid mass transit and mass communication. I personally have seen nearly all of these technological advances in my lifetime, starting in the last century through the horse and buggy age to the current space age.

It was prophesied in Daniel 12 that in the last days knowledge would be increased. This has been fulfilled, yet with this awesome progress we are experiencing even more appalling and continuous evils, which will culminate in the Great Tribulation ahead of us now. Then, just before humanity blasts human life off this planet, God will once again send His Son Jesus Christ. This time in power and glory as King of kings and Lord of lords to rule with all the power of the Great God and usher in utopian peace, happiness and prosperity. Thank God, Satan will then be gone.

Are you ready for the return of Jesus Christ? Will you escape the Great Tribulation soon to occur? Christ said to watch and pray always, that you will be accounted worthy to escape (Luke 21:36). Now is the time of the end.

Each of you must commit yourself to support God's Work, to fast and pray. God's Work must push ahead this coming year as never before. God is opening new doors in television and in the Plain Truth distribution. Help us walk through them. Praise and thank God, and pray for His Work. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for me personally.

Chapter 85

January 16, 1986 -- May 1986 Death of Herbert W. Armstrong announced by Joseph W. Tkach January 16, 1986

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ,

I am deeply saddened to have to inform you that Herbert W. Armstrong's illness has ended in the manner least expected by all of us. Mr. Armstrong died peacefully in his sleep at 5:59 this morning while resting in the favorite chair of his late wife Mrs. Loma Armstrong.

In the next second of his consciousness he will awake in the first resurrection, completely healed, not in the corruptible body of this mortal flesh, but as an immortal spirit-composed body, in glory in God's eternal kingdom!

Through the years, we have learned that God's promises are absolutely sure -- but not always in the way we expect. Because His ways are not our ways. God says to us, 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts' (Isaiah 55:8-9).

God has promised to heal the sick, upon real repentance and faith. But God has not promised how, or when. That we must leave to Him in faith.

The Eternal God, in His infinite mercy and wisdom, faithfully answered our prayers in the way He chose, rather than the way we would have chosen. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (Psalm 116:15).

God is faithful. He is merciful, compassionate and loving. Herbert W. Armstrong is merely awaiting the day of his change, along with the other thousands and thousands of God's saints, into immortal, glorious spirit-life, born into the very Family of God at the soon coming return of Jesus Christ.

God granted Mr. Armstrong 93½ dynamic years, the last 53 of which were fully immersed in doing the work of God, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God to a world blinded by the deception of the god of this world, Satan the devil (Revelation 12:9).

Even in the last year of his life, with declining strength, he completed with God's help, his most powerful and effective book Mystery of the Ages. This after half a century of articles, letters, booklets, books, sermons and broadcasts, preaching and teaching the truth of God's Word, of His plan for mankind, of the glorious and radiant future that is the ultimate destiny of humanity.

We don't know what trials lie yet ahead of us in completing God's work of proclaiming the gospel to the world. Perhaps God saw fit, as He describes in Isaiah 57:1, to spare Mr. Armstrong, at his advanced age, from the persecutions and trials prophesied to come as we finish the work of God for this age. Indeed, as Mr. Armstrong wrote in his final letter to you, The greatest work lies yet ahead ... Never before in the history of the Church has it been possible to reap so great a harvest.

Now look at Revelation 3:10-11. Jesus tells us, Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.

Let us persevere. Let us carry on, redoubling our efforts to draw closer to God in prayer and Bible study, fasting often, and striving to overcome, as well as putting our hearts into doing the work of God! As Mr. Armstrong so often stated, When our ways please God, He will bless us.

I am reminded of Loma D. Armstrong's admonition to several Headquarters ministers at her bedside just before her death nearly 19 years ago. She said, Well, go on now, all you men, and do your work. I'll be all right.

Herbert W. Armstrong has given us the same admonition so many times. As he would say, Go! Carry on with God's work. Never slacken! Never let down!

The greatest tribute we can give Mr. Armstrong is to do the work we've been called to.

He often pointed us to his mother's favorite verse in the Bible, Psalm 133:1, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. We do need that unity now as never before.

Jesus Christ, the Head of His Church, has PROMISED us that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5)! We must make sure we do not leave or forsake Him, but remain steadfast in His calling, working together in unity and harmony, led always by His Spirit!

Pray especially fervently for God's Church at this critical time, and for one another. And please pray for me and the other men here in Pasadena. We need your prayers, and our daily prayers are with you.

Let us carry on in FAITH. There is much yet to do!

January 19, 1986

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers,

Armstrong mentioned that decisions would be made about which men would continue the World Tomorrow telecast. He had already discussed with me at length several preliminary ideas.

Mr. Armstrong knew, and we know, that no one can replace him or duplicate his unique style. But as he pointed out to me in our discussions about the telecast, the work of God's Church is not done by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God (Zechariah 4:6)! Jesus Christ will give His ministers the POWER to preach HIS TRUE GOSPEL -- the gospel of the soon-coming kingdom of God!

The message of God's Church has NEVER changed! And it never will! The World Tomorrow telecast will continue to boldly announce Christ's own gospel -- the gospel He Himself preached.

I believe God has led me in selecting, for now, three men who will begin immediately recording new programs in our own television studio here in Pasadena. All of these three men are dedicated, humble ministers of Jesus Christ, who have shown themselves to be yielded to Him as faithful servants.

I'd like to introduce them to you now, so that you can begin praying for them, asking God to empower them and lead them WITH HIS SPIRIT, and to bless these programs with abundant fruit!

First, Mr. David Hulme, a pastor rank minister, 17 years serving God's Work, and currently Director of Media Purchasing.

Next, Mr. Richard Ames, an evangelist rank minister, who has served God's Work for 23 years, and is currently Director of Admissions and a Professor of Theology at Ambassador College.

Also, Dr. David Albert, of pastor rank, serving for 26 years and now Director of Career Counseling and Professor of Psychology at Ambassador College.

I call upon each of you brethren and co-workers to join me in heartfelt prayer for these three men -- and their wives -- in their additional responsibilities now with the World Tomorrow program. And pray that God will bless His Work financially at this critical time of transition.

God will supply the POWER and grant his blessing for the EXCELLENT SUCCESS of these programs if we do our part -- on our knees in diligent prayer throughout this coming year.

I hope none of you will miss the January 26 telecast, which will be a special tribute to Mr. Armstrong, and will offer to the viewers a softbound copy of Mr. Armstrong's final and most important book, Mystery of the Ages.

Thank you for your earnest prayers for me, and for the many letters and cards of support and encouragement. I do need your prayers and I deeply appreciate them.

And finally, thanks be to the GREAT GOD, by whose Spirit His work will be done!

From The Good News May 1986

Passing the Baton

Though God has chosen to take the life of Herbert W. Armstrong, the late human leader of God's Church, both the Church and the work of God continue unabated under the leadership of Joseph W. Tkach.

Jesus said the gates of the grave would never prevail against God's Church (Matthew 16:18). The announcement of God's coming kingdom must still be made to all the world (Matthew 24:14). Disciples must still be made of all nations (Matthew 28:19).

Jesus Christ, the living Head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22-23), is at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. He continues to actively lead and govern the Church through Mr. Armstrong's designated successor, Joseph W. Tkach.

Mr. Armstrong termed his appointment of Mr. Tkach the passing of the baton. It's interesting how a baton is passed. It is not passed to end a race, but to continue a race, with a temporary readjustment as the baton is handed from one runner to the next. Once the baton is received by the next runner, there is a speeding up. That's what's going to happen in the work today! Re-adjusted, we're going to go on running, under the human leadership of Joseph W. Tkach, with the baton that was given to Mr. Armstrong before us, with the teachings God revealed through him, using what has already been accomplished, building on the foundation and continuing toward the finish line.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Mr. Tkach served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Following his military service, he studied industrial management, industrial safety and human factors in industry. In 1946, he was employed by a midwestern manufacturing corporation, where he began his management experience. Before he resigned to assume a full-time role in the ministry, Mr. Tkach was responsible for several hundred employees.

He was once fired for keeping God's Sabbath, which falls on Saturday.

I was threatened if I didn't come in on that Sabbath for a special meeting that I would be fired, Mr. Tkach recalls. Upon coming home from church services there was a telegram waiting for me stating that I was fired.

Monday morning I received a telephone call from the personnel manager saying, 'Management would like you to come in immediately, as fast as you can get here. I didn't know what to expect, says Mr. Tkach. But after arriving at the plant, out in the parking lot there were over 200 people milling around on a wildcat strike because they heard I was fired.

You see, we serve a God who fights our battles for us. My job was given back to me.

March 31, 1951, Mr. Tkach married Elaine Apostolos, a native of Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Tkach have a son and two daughters. Mr. Tkach was baptized on March 1, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois, and began to assist the ministry in the Chicago churches. He was ordained a deacon January 7, 1961, and a local elder June 3, 1963.

Mr. Tkach -- now the Pastor General -- helped establish churches in South Bend, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, Indiana; Rockford and Peoria, Illinois; Davenport, Iowa; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Cincinnati, Ohio; and St. Louis, Missouri.

In 1966 Mr. Tkach entered Ambassador College, where he attended for three years before being assigned to serve in congregations in Southern California. In 1970 he began working in Ministerial Services. In 1974 he was raised in rank to preaching elder.

Mr. Tkach was named director of Ministerial Services (now Church Administration) in July, 1979. That same year, Mr. Armstrong ordained Mr. Tkach an evangelist and named him associate pastor of the Pasadena Auditorium P.M. church, pastored by Mr. Armstrong. Mr. Tkach was also appointed by him in 1981 to the Advisory Council of Elders, an advisory body to the Pastor General.

He taught us the importance of why we were called, Mr. Tkach says, referring to Mr. Armstrong. We are here to be trained. Now is not the time to throw up our hands and to quit. Now is the time to stand up and be counted to do God's work. Remember, this is our life.

So as the chapters are increased in the living book of Acts, there should be no gaps, but merely a marker of faithfulness to help us start building where Mr. Armstrong left off. This is the legacy that has been left to us, to carry on with the work. We have an awesome responsibility.

From Good News Personal by Joseph W. Tkach, Pastor General May 1986

Our Work Is Cut Out for Us

By now you all will have heard of the death of Herbert W. Armstrong on January 16, 1986.

God's ways are higher than ours, and He sees what we are incapable of seeing. He knows our needs and He does take care of them, though not always in the way we might expect.

I learned long ago, when my own father died in the faith, that although God does give us His faithful and unbreakable promise to heal, upon repentance and faith, He reserves the decision as to how and when. If indeed God does choose to allow the faithful to die, that death is not permanent, but only a temporary state of peaceful rest from the suffering of this present evil world, awaiting the redemption of our bodies into the glorious liberty of the sons of God!

God mercifully granted us what Mr. Armstrong considered several additional years of his leadership. God used him powerfully to get the Church to a dedicated, concerted unity carrying out the purpose of our calling, the proclaiming of Christ's gospel of the soon-coming kingdom of God, and feeding the flock that is the body of Christ.

I am personally, of course, deeply sobered and humbled by the responsibilities God has placed on my shoulders as Pastor General of the Worldwide Church of God. The apostle Paul stated that he was the least of the apostles (I Corinthians 15:9). In another passage he said he was less than the least of all the saints (Ephesians 3:8). Like Paul, I am also the least of the brethren. Yet I know, as Paul did, that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). Jesus Himself set us the example. He did not speak on His own authority. He spoke the words and did the works of His Father, who dwelt in Him (John 14:10). He and His Father were ONE! They were (and are) in perfect unity. That same godly unity must be the binding of God's Church.

Our work is cut out for us. God has called us to unitedly and wholeheartedly carry on till Christ returns.

We must make overcoming the priority. The time for this world's civilization is short. But there is much yet to do. As we submit to God, carefully and diligently seeking His will in our lives, and FORSAKING THE WAYS OF THIS WORLD, God will continue to bless His work. He will lead us, direct us, guide us. But we must follow his lead together, as ONE BODY. Jesus is not fragmented and never will be.

After Jesus was crucified and buried, several of the disciples decided to go fishing -- back to their old trade. Maybe they thought the work was over. But what they didn't realize was that the greatest work was yet ahead!

Pray as never before -- for God's people, for one another, for the work, and please pray for me. My prayers are with you. I deeply appreciate and love each one of you members and co-workers. Keep reading The Good News and The Plain Truth. They will continue to be what we believe are the finest magazines on earth. And keep growing spiritually.

Will Christ find us doing His work when He returns? I intend to be. And I'm calling on all of you to stand with me in Christ's service, holding fast to the great commissions He has given us, enduring patiently and faithfully to the end.

Chapter 86

One Year Later To Mr. Joseph W. Tkach Update from Mail Processing January 9, 1987

1986 Records in Review

As 1987 begins, we thought you would like a recap of new records set during 1986. Some of the more outstanding are these: * Largest number of WATS calls received in one year-1,996,494. A record total of 1,661,226 came in response to the telecast alone.

* Highest number of calls taken by volunteers on the WATS In-Home Program in one year -- 224,896. Our record weekend was November 8-9 when in-home operators took 8,996 calls.

* Over 96 million publications were mailed in the United States.

* Highest mail income for one year.

* Largest semiannual ever sent out. Your fall letter went to 3,377,316 people on our mailing list.

* Largest direct mail offer. We offered The Plain Truth to 3.5 million people on purchased mailing lists as well as to those who had let their subscription lapse in 1985.

To Mr. Joseph W. Tkach Update from Mail Processing January 12, 1987

Half of 1986 Telecasts Surpass Previous Records

For your information, we would like to report that more than half the programs in 1986 (27 out of 52) surpassed the previous year's record of 26,020 telephone responses for one telecast

To Mr. Joseph W. Tkach Update from Mail Processing February 27, 1987

Fifty Percent of TV Responses from Subscribers

We have witnessed a marked change in the number of Plain Truth subscribers who respond to the telecast each week. We felt you would be interested in knowing that about half of our responses, including both phone calls and mail, now come from subscribers to The Plain Truth.

The new speakers, new programs and new literature offers have helped generate this increase. More than half of the 37 books, booklets and brochures we offered on the program last year had either never been offered before or were being offered for the first time in at least a year. Just two years ago, only about a third of the response to the telecast came from those on our mailing list.

To Mr. Joseph W. Tkach Update from Mail Processing March 6, 1987

Record Number of Names and Calls

Although the work has taken measures to control the expansion of the mailing list, last month a record 175,686 names, the highest number for any February in our history, were added to the Plain Truth list.

This increase is 6.5 percent higher than last year's growth for the same period, when we put 164,912 new names on file. The two primary sources for these new adds were the World Tomorrow telecast and Plain Truth blow-in cards.

Telephone call volume in the WATS area continues to grow at a record pace. By the end of March 1, we had already received more than half a million calls for 1987, which is more than we have ever received in the first two months of a year.

A breakdown of our new records follows:

                                          Percentage
Calls        Jan/Feb 1986    Jan/Feb 1987  Increase
------------ ------------    ------------ ----------
TV Calls       276,298         404,915       46.6
Total Calls    337,574         470,519       39.4

International Responses to TV/Radio Programs

The World Tomorrow telecast and radio broadcast produced excellent responses in international areas in 1986. Since Mail Processing has statistics available from our offices around the world regarding these responses, we thought a compilation would be useful.

Our international offices received 89,930 responses in 1986 as a result of the telecast and radio program. This number is 75.6 percent higher than the 51,202 responses they received in 1985.

U.S. responses for the same period were up 88.9 percent. The work of God is certainly continuing to grow!