*** km 5/74 p. 3 How Are You Using Your Life? ***Yes, since the summer of 1973 there have been new peaks in pioneers every month. Now there are 20,394 regular and special pioneers in the United States, an all-time peak. That is 5,190 more than there were in February 1973! A 34-percent increase! Does that not warm our hearts? Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world’s end
*** w04 7/1 pp. 26-27 A Satisfying Life Despite Heartaches ***
Marriage
to Nathan KnorrSince the 1920’s, Bethelites who desired to marry had been required to leave Bethel and serve Kingdom interests elsewhere. But in the early 1950’s, a few couples who had served at Bethel for some time were allowed to marry and stay. So when Nathan H. Knorr, who at the time was taking the lead in the worldwide Kingdom work, showed an interest in me, I thought, ‘Now, here is someone who will stay!’
Nathan had many responsibilities in caring for the oversight of the worldwide activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses. So he was very honest with me, giving me many reasons why I should think carefully before I accepted his proposal of marriage. In those days, he traveled a lot to visit branches of Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout the world and was often gone for weeks at a time. So he explained that we would be separated for long stretches of time.
As a young girl, I dreamed of being married in springtime and having a honeymoon on the Pacific islands of Hawaii. Well, we were married in winter, on January 31, 1953, and we spent our honeymoon that Saturday afternoon and Sunday in New Jersey. On Monday we resumed work. A week later, however, we did get away for a week’s honeymoon.
A
Hardworking CompanionNathan was 18 when he arrived at Bethel in 1923. He received valuable training from such old-timers as Joseph F. Rutherford, who took the lead in the work of the Witnesses, and printery manager Robert J. Martin. When Brother Martin died in September 1932, Nathan became printery manager. The following year, Brother Rutherford took Nathan with him when he visited branches of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Europe. In January 1942 when Brother Rutherford died, Nathan was given the responsibility of oversight of the worldwide work of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Nathan was very progressive, always planning ahead for future growth. Some considered this inappropriate, since the end of this system of things was considered to be very near. In fact, one who saw Nathan’s plans asked him: "What is this, Brother Knorr? Don’t you have any faith?" He replied: "Yes, I do, but if the end doesn’t come as soon as we expect, we will be ready."
