Ya, I found myself there, as well...
A question for those in the know...does the WT Society dictate outline changes in the the memorial talk from year to year?
The reason I ask is this: I went last year as well, and last year's memorial talk actually impressed the hell outta me. If the WT Society wanted to mainstream the talk and make the JW religion friendlier and less cultish to outsiders, last year's talk was a winner. It was quite simple, it focused on the main points of mankind's sin from Adam, and Christ's sacrifice for redemption.
This year, the talk was a train-wreck. The elder stumbled around the blurry concepts of 2 class Christianity and faith vs works. It was not the simple and friendly message I heard last year. It was NOT the pretty talk to give on the night that members of the general public are likely there. Perhaps the difference was due to the fact that different elders gave these two talks. If that's true, I can accept that - it just seems that there's something more to it, so I was wondering if the WT Society tells the congregations which topics to stress from year to year. Can somebody tell me?