As the 70's decade had begun some 7 months earlier, the theme of the upcoming circuit assembly -- Who Will Conquer the World in the 1970’s? -- made a prophetic worldwide devastation sound so authoritative.
The question to us sheeples left little to the imagination. It wasn't a matter of if it would happen because the utterance came from the most scholarly and reliable source we knew. This source made it easy for our imagination. They lovingly gave us a narrow window of years -- 1970 through 1979 -- in which our prayers would be answered.
The problem for the source, the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses, would be if the year 1980 rolled around and no worldwide devastation had taken place. Then, their profound question which did contain huge prophetic implications could be pounced on by their enemies.
Calling Watchtower and Jehovah's Witnesses false prophets could therefore be true.
To us faithful followers of this authoritative group of prophets we were left stunned and disappointed. What more about this worldwide conquest during the 1970's decade would be said within subsequent pages of Watchtower publications? What would this loving and scholarly and reliable governing body tell us to heal our wounds.
To those keeping count it has been more than 40 years since the 1980's began. In all those years not a smidgen of ink has darkened Watchtower pages to alibi their way out of the 1970's conquest that never happened.
Yes, their enemies would be correct in their criticism.
