The Watchtower published Anthony Morris III's autobiography last year ... "Remembering My First Love Has Helped Me To Endure" By Anthony Morris III.
I absolutely cannot believe how quickly he became a Jehovah's Witness. In the span of less than a year, he attended his first meeting, studied, got baptized, became a pioneer, and married a JW girl. He attended his first meeting in February 1971 and was married to a JW girl in December 1971. Wow!
I really felt like his biography needed to be rewritten for clarity and honestly. If he was completely honest, this is what his biography should have said:
I began serving in Vietnam as an operating room technician when I was 19 in 1969. I loved my job, and my goal was to become a surgeon, but as you know, I came to my senses and realized my real calling was telling people how tight their pants and underwear shouldn't be. Less than a year into my tour in Vietnam, I was injured, and returned to the United States with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from all the horrible things I saw during the war.
I was exposed to Jehovah's Witnesses when I was a kid because my mom studied with them for a short while, but she never got baptized. My stepdad recognized them as the yahoos they were and always urged me to stay away from them, but who listens to their stepdad.
But they were exactly what I was attracted to when I returned from war and suffering from a mental disorder. I attended my first meeting in February of 1971 and was attracted to them like flies to garbage ...err, I mean honey. This really old guy that claimed to be anointed and claimed that he knew Charles Taze Russell was my "spiritual dad". He put me on the fast track with a study and had me knocking on doors less than two months after I started studying. After that, I was baptized, was pioneered and landed myself a cute little JW wife ... all of this in less than 11 months!
Things were rough at first, though. Shortly after I began studying with the Witnesses, my parents kicked me out of a condo where they were letting me stay. I am sure there I was being a self-righteous jerk, but if anyone asks, it's because my stepdad hated Witnesses.
So here I am ... fresh out of Vietnam, suffering with PTSD mental issues, diving head first into my new found cult, and homeless. I lived out of my car for a while. One time, in the parking lot of the Kingdom Hall, I had a complete emotional breakdown involving flashbacks. There was crying ... lots of crying! That is when I received a revelation, of sorts, from God. I am pretty sure this is when I knew I was special! I was anointed!!! When my spiritual dad, Jim, found out I was living out of my car, he gave me the hook up with a JW to stay with. As long as I talked the talk, these people were there for me.
A zealous attitude has its rewards! And boy was I zealous! I packed the car to the brim with literature before I went on a road trip one time, and had an empty trunk two states later! I stopped everywhere! Even highway rest stops! They had these holes drilled between some of the stalls called "glory holes". With that kind of name, they were begging to have something stuffed into those holes ... like my literature!
I made sure my whole family knew they were going to die in Armageddon, too. Sure I was pushy. Sure I alienated my entire family, especially my two brothers, John and Ron, but 1975 was coming soon, and I wanted to make sure they knew they were going to be destroyed if they didn't believe I said they should believe. Yeah ... I know. The 1975 thing never happened. I apologized to my brothers, but they never came around from their evil worldly ways. The "brothers" at the Kingdom Hall told me that I just didn't know how to show any tact. My family says I was being a mentally ill, self-righteous asshole. I think we know what the truth is.
After I became a baptized JW, realized I was "special", pioneered, and became a husband in a whirlwind 10-11 months, it was full steam ahead! I pioneered, served as a circuit overseer, and after we
brainwashedbrought up our two sons in the ways of Jehovah and sent them both off to Bethel, we went to Bethel ourselves in 2002. I will never forget it! It was so exciting! I was chosen to serve in the Service Department, and my wife was placed in a privileged position that reflects the true importance that Jehovah places on women ... in the laundry department. But she was so happy and LOVED working there! Trust me! I told her so myself!By August 2005, I was in the big boys club! That's right! I got a seat on the GB! Hey John and Ron ... look at me now! Who's crazy know, huh?