Okay, listen up everybody ... I am that "Bible Student" who owned the book. In fact several years ago I posted about it and nobody even blinked an eye.
Here's the link: https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5083167954305024/truth-that-gives-you-eternal-life
I was an original member of this forum from day 1, I posted under my initials RR, but somehow that account got locked and I took a long hiatus from the forum to pursue other endeavors. (I wish I had that account back, look into it Simon)
So here's the story ... Tom and Gloria Cabeen were close friends with my ex-wife and mother-in-law in the 70s. Tom served as an elder in the French Congregation in the Newark/Elizabeth NJ area where my ex and her mother attended. They were very good friends and Tom and Gloria spent a lot of time over their home visiting and slept over.
We were married in 1990 and I already had one foot out the door because I figured it out within a few years in the 80s but stayed because my ex didn't want to cause a scene for her mother who was well respected in the French speaking district (she actually donated the land in Haiti for the Society's branch office and funded it's building).
I had heard stories about Tom from them. Later when I read In Search of Christian Freedom. It mentioned Tom, so I wrote to Ray Franz via Commentary Press and to my surprise he wrote back to me within a few days. He said he happened to be on the phone with Tom when my letter arrived and Tom told Ray to give me his address. So I wrote to Tom and later called and my wife was excited to see them, so we drove to Connecticut and spent the weekend with them.
I love books and so began looking through Tom's library and found the "Truth" book, I asked him about it and he laughed and told me the story how it was the product of Bethelites secret studies. I didn't think much of it. He said I could have it and so I took.
It sat on my shelf for 30 years. I don't know who wrote it, I know it wasn't Tom because he had already left Bethel by then to start a family.
I believe the covers were made on the Bethel presses, the pages were photocopied and bound. Someone mentioned why it wasn't 192 pages and pocket size, well let me just say it would take some big cajones to format and print this book on the Society's press without them knowing. Printing a few covers wouldn't draw attention.
As was mentioned, the book is 8.5 x 11 and has about 116 pages, with 10 chapters. Each paragraph is numbered with questions at the bottom just like a Watchtower publication.
I have tried for years to find out more about this book every time I came across it on my shelf. With the advent of the internet, I found nothing. I asked everybody, and no one could tell me anything. Remember this was some 40 years ago. Most of those involved have either left God and Truth, joined another church and moved on with their lives. Randy Watters is in poor health, Tom Cabeen just turned 70. Ray Franz is gone. most of those involved are either dead or just plain old.
I sat down recently and read it cover to cover and it wasn't my theology, not what I believe in. So I put it on eBay and sold it. Like I did with much of my 6,000 Watchtower related books.
That's the story.
RR
