Sweden

1991 Yearbook Report

FROM out of the darkness shrouding Europe during the Middle Ages burst forth the Vikings from the north. These mighty, Germanic men of Scandinavia mastered the art of naval warfare and designed great, swift galleys that enabled them to spread their power south, west, and east. Norwegian and Danish Vikings sailed to the shores of Britain, Ireland, and continental Europe, while Vikings out of Sweden nosed their prows eastward across the Baltic into rivers and lakes leading to the vast birch forests and steppes of Russia. From the end of the eighth century, and for some 250 years, Viking vessels began to rule northern waterways in quest of trade and wealth.

 At the end of the 19th century, the Swedes were on the move again to foreign shores​—this time seeking peaceful conquest. They had suffered bad harvests, unemployment, and even starvation. In search of a better life, upwards of a million Swedes left the country between 1865 and 1914. Most of them settled in North America, where they found material prosperity. Some of them, though, discovered something far more valuable​—a rich spiritual life based on a living faith—​which would soon be shared with friends and relatives left behind in Sweden. How did this spiritual treasure chest eventually reach the coast of Sweden?

“Two Hundred Swedes Have Received It”

About 1882, a Swedish lay evangelist in the United States, Charles Seagrin, read some of Charles Taze Russell’s publications, including Food for Thinking Christians. Convinced that this was the truth, he fervently preached about it to Swedish emigrants. After six months of preaching, he wrote to Brother Russell, the first president of the Watch Tower Society, saying: “During the time that I have preached this truth some two hundred Swedes have received it and are rejoicing in it and telling it to others. . . . Many of our  nation [Sweden] seem to have an ear to hear . . . If we could have Food in Swedish also it would be of great good under the Lord’s blessing.”

This letter caused Brother Russell to remind the readers of Zion’s Watch Tower magazine (June 1883) that a special “Swedish Tract Fund” had already been created for printing literature in Swedish. He reported, however, that the fund then contained only $30. Confidently, he added: “Our Master is rich​—he owns the cattle upon a thousand hills, as well as the hills themselves, and all the gold and silver are His. If he deems the work necessary he will make the necessary provision.”

And “Our Master” did! Only four months later, Zion’s Watch Tower announced: “The Swedish tract fund reached such a sum as to justify the publishing of a sample copy of the TOWER in the Swedish language, to be used as a tract, among the Swedish and Norwegian Christians, here and in Sweden.” Ten years later, the first volume of the series Millennial Dawn​—later called Studies in the Scriptures—​was published in Swedish.

The foundation was thus laid for carrying the seeds of Kingdom truth to this, the largest of the Scandinavian countries. But what about the people, their character, their customs, and their land? Would a good “harvest” be reaped there?​—Matt. 9:37, 38.

Mantled by Forests

The landscape of Sweden is a green-and-blue paradise. Yet, how can this be when the country lies along the northernmost fringe of Europe, straddling the Arctic Circle? Richly endowed with majestic mountains, fruitful plains, coniferous forests, sandy beaches, and beautiful archipelagoes, Sweden basks in the soothing winds warmed by the Gulf Stream.

 A unique tradition of “everyman’s right” entitles people to hike freely in forests and fields, pick berries and mushrooms, go swimming, or tie up a boat without having to ask for permission. As Sweden has the fourth largest area in Europe, stretching almost a thousand miles [1,600 km] from north to south and three hundred miles [500 km] from the Baltic Sea on the east to Norway and the North Sea on the west, it offers plenty of space to its almost 8.6 million inhabitants. Therefore, statistically, each person has some 13 acres [5 ha] as living space, of which almost 7.5 acres [3 ha] are woodland, trees of birch, spruce, and pine, giving each person an average of 7,500 trees to enjoy. Can you smell the bracing scent of those luxuriant green pines?

A Mixed Kingdom

One of the world’s oldest kingdoms, Sweden has long-standing democratic traditions, with a parliamentary multiparty system. Almost 95 percent of the Swedes belong to the Lutheran State Church, though only a small minority attend church regularly. During recent decades, however, hundreds of thousands of immigrants have turned Sweden into a religiously and culturally mixed society. No longer does the tall Swede, with fair or brown hair and blue eyes, solely constitute the nation’s palette.

Residents of Sweden are provided with a social welfare system stretching from the cradle to the grave. They enjoy child allowances, free education, housing allowances, sick pay, virtually free medical care, and old-age and disability pensions, among other government-backed services. Although the factories and machines of the Industrial Revolution were late in arriving, Sweden today ranks among the world’s most highly industrialized nations. And the essence of the distinctive Nordic spirit seems to abide in a quiet conviction that a thing worth doing is worth doing well. But  under such seemingly favorable living conditions, would Kingdom seed take root and grow?

First Seeds Reach Sweden

A hundred years ago, Swedish emigrants who had eagerly accepted the truth in the United States began to send literature to relatives and friends in Sweden. Some of these seeds of truth landed in a small cottage on the little island of Sturkö, off the south coast of Sweden. There they sprouted quickly in a young man’s heart.

One evening in 1898, a 25-year-old, energetic, stockily built Salvation Army captain, August Lundborg, visited Petter Larsson and his family on Sturkö. When he was left alone briefly in their cottage, his eyes fell on two books​—the first two volumes of Millennial Dawn, by C. T. Russell. As he leafed through them, he found an explanation of Christ’s ransom sacrifice that struck him with amazement and joy. He borrowed the books, devoured them, and immediately began to teach from them at his meetings.

Lundborg, a man of action, wrote a letter to Brother Russell, dated December 21, 1898: “Dear Mr. Russell: The undersigned, ex-captain of the Salvation Army, has recently, on account of the light God has sent him through your work, M. DAWN, left said organization.” After expressing appreciation for the truth he had found, Lundborg concluded: “If you so desire, I shall be very glad to go into the colporteur work here in Sweden.” Without hesitation, Brother Russell mailed 55 sets of the first three volumes of Millennial Dawn to Lundborg, urging him to send copies to his former “Army” colleagues.

How disappointed Lundborg was when the shipment arrived! There were not enough books! In a short time, he had placed all of them with his colleagues and others. Quickly he wrote Russell for more. He waited and waited.  It seemed that they would never come. Undaunted by the lack of literature, he began his colporteur activity, preaching full-time from house to house, in Stockholm in May 1899. Eagerly he obtained orders for books that he would deliver later. Thus the sowing of Kingdom seed continued.

First Congregation Takes Form

Brother Russell also sent Lundborg the address of a certain S. Winter in Denmark, who had begun to spread seeds of truth there, as well as in southernmost Sweden. Immediately Lundborg invited him to Stockholm and arranged for a Bible meeting​—the very first one in Sweden. A few interested persons squeezed tightly into the cramped kitchen of a family who had obtained some literature from Lundborg. The room was just buzzing with excitement as these spiritually hungry people devoured the words of truth.

By the end of 1899, this energetic small group began to meet regularly on Sundays. A small woodworking shop was rented on Apelbergsgatan for two kronor (33 cents) per evening. On Thursday, April 12, 1900, eight persons gathered in a rented room on Grev Magnigatan to celebrate the first Memorial in Sweden. They prayed for God’s spirit to speed up the growth.

A few months later, they rented a bigger place, an apartment at Trångsund 8. Their first “homemade” convention was held there on June 20-27, 1901. Some Bible Students from Denmark attended also. Wanting to test for interest outside Stockholm, the Swedes arranged for a meeting in the university town of Uppsala, north of Stockholm. They were overwhelmed when 150 interested ones attended.

Now the truth began to expand further. A small rented room at Kungsgatan 20 in Stockholm served as an office and  literature depot. Lundborg strenuously kept on “sowing” in all directions by foot, carriage, train, and ship. (Matt. 13:3-23) In 1902 he reported that he had worked almost all the cities and towns in central and southern Sweden.

More Seeds Sprout

As more seeds of truth reached other parts of the country, they began to germinate in the hearts of many energetic people, who quickly joined in the work. One day in 1902 in the city of Malmö, a young man by the name of P. J. Johansson was walking through a park, and he paused before a bench. He noticed a tract lying there entitled Do You Know? He read it, realized that this was the truth, and wasting no time, soon began to serve as a colporteur.

In Segmon in the western part of central Sweden lived a blacksmith, Axel Gustaf Rud. For 35 years he had been a member of the Free Church as well as a popular preacher. He got a copy of Millennial Dawn by mail from relatives in North America. They just wanted to know his opinion of it. He became so convinced that this was the truth that he declared in his chapel: “Until now I’ve been speaking lies. Now I’ll speak the truth.”

When he, and some 30 other members, left his church, a local daily newspaper reported that it regretted the loss of “such a matchless preacher.” One of his former fellow believers lamented: “What can we now believe in, as Rud has taken hell away from us?” Soon a congregation of Bible Students was formed in Grums, a nearby town.

The “Watch Tower” Early in Swedish

Pushing on with the work during 1902, Brother Lundborg pleaded with Brother Russell for a magazine to be printed in Swedish. Brother Russell answered: “I still hold to the belief that colporteuring, together with the spreading  of tracts, is far more important than the release of any magazine in any language, and I recommend you to spend your time accordingly.”

Nevertheless, strong-willed Lundborg went ahead with his plans. By the end of that year, he had printed and distributed the first issue of a monthly magazine, I Morgonväkten (In the Morning Watch). It contained excerpts from Zion’s Watch Tower, Pastor Russell’s sermons, poetry, and letters from readers. When Brother Russell visited Stockholm while touring Europe in May 1903, he decided that the magazine should be named Zion’s Watch Tower, with C. T. Russell as the editor. This was done in January 1904.

The First Real Convention

During Brother Russell’s visit to Stockholm, the first real convention was held May 3, 4, 1903. He gave several inspiring talks, which were translated by a former minister of the Swedish State Church. About 250 attended, half of whom were “outsiders,” newly interested ones.

The brothers and sisters felt very much attached to Brother Russell. Through his writings, his faith and his thoughts had become theirs, and now they were thrilled to see him and hear his message. One brother wrote: “We were surprised when seeing his stately figure and the young-looking, happy expression on his face, although the years had already strewn silver among the dark curls on his head. Kindness and love shone forth from his mild and yet serious eyes. His speech was lively and absorbing but free from all kinds of exaggeration. He won our sympathy from the very first moment.”

Delighted, Matilda Lindros, the first female colporteur in Sweden, wrote to the branch: “Those days now seem to me like a beautiful dream, but may God help me not only  to remember them but also willingly to put into practice the things learned, . . . and may the Lord help his willing and obedient servants to remain in such a position until the end!” She remained faithful, serving Jehovah right up to her death in 1945 at the age of 91.

Brother Russell later wrote, summing up his satisfaction with the tour: “I shall never forget my visit to Scandinavia, and shall ever pray and seek for the Lord’s blessing upon his work there.”

Full-Time Service​—Backbone of the Work

Brother Russell’s faith and go-ahead spirit moved some of those who first learned the truth to engage enthusiastically in the full-time preaching work. Since then, the full-time ministry has been the backbone of the Kingdom work in Sweden.

These early colporteurs began their work unhesitatingly, without any special training, often without a permanent home, with only part-time work for sustenance, and with their own feet as their only means of transportation. They realized the scope and urgency of their work, seeming to run from house to house rather than walk, quickly covering large areas. Lundborg reported to Brother Russell:

“I always try to be as practical as possible by following the same method as I see from your letter that you apply in America, that is, to visit all the houses in every place. I go from door to door, block by block (from early in the morning to late in the evening), until I am ready for the next town. But if a place is not bigger than the one that I am visiting now (Mariefred, with about 1,100 inhabitants), not many hours are needed.”

When it was too far to walk, colporteurs used other transportation, often of low price and slow. But time was  spent wisely. The same report also says: “I travel cheaply. I have a strong body that can endure being treated a little roughly now and then. Wherever possible, I travel by water, sometimes on freighters. Sometimes I buy the cheapest accommodation on a passenger steamer (where the only berth​—night and day—​is the open deck). The time spent on this I also carefully devote to talking with people and studying the Bible.”

Visits by Traveling Overseers Begin

Regular visits from traveling overseers were needed to encourage and help new congregations become better organized. Visits by mature men called pilgrim brothers were therefore arranged in 1905. Charles Edberg, who had learned the truth in the United States and arrived on a steamer in 1904, was the first pilgrim brother, and he made a tremendous contribution to organizing the early Kingdom work in the country.

It was announced in the Watch Tower that congregations should write to the Society and request visits. The congregations were to arrange for meetings to be held by the visiting brother and to house him. They were advised not to make any other special preparations for him because, as the Watch Tower put it, “he does not come to be served, but to serve.”

Each of Brother Edberg’s visits lasted at least two days. Stimulated by his talks, one listener said after a visit: “I have learned more from these talks than I have learned during the past 20 years.” Another said: “It is remarkable how much there is in the Bible that we have neither heard nor seen.” Little did Brother Edberg imagine that such visits to congregations would still be made more than 85 years later by circuit and district overseers.

 Branch Moves About

In its earliest years, the small Swedish branch office​—mainly furnished with literature cartons and Brother Lundborg’s bed—​was moved from one location in the center of Stockholm to another. In 1905 it was transferred from a cramped back room at Kungsgatan 20 to part of an apartment at Adolf Fredriks Kyrkogata 7. Three rooms were rented, one for meetings, one for the office, and one for the cartons and Lundborg’s bed. Before the year ended, however, the apartment’s owner wanted his rooms back, and the branch was moved to Rådmansgatan 39 B.

As the work expanded, especially in the two largest cities​—Stockholm on the east coast and Göteborg on the west coast—​Lundborg found it better to operate from a place halfway between them. Therefore, in 1907, the branch was moved to Örebro, some 120 miles [200 km] west of Stockholm, where it remained for almost 20 years.

Russell Interested in Sweden

Brother Russell’s many letters to Brother Lundborg reflected keen interest in the Kingdom work in Sweden. Always warm and encouraging, they contained clear and firm instructions. Once, he wrote: “Please, receive and be always assured of my love and sympathy, even when at times I see it necessary to criticize.”

In 1909, when Russell visited Sweden a second time, some 300 persons gathered at a convention in Örebro. Just two years later, he returned and spoke in Stockholm’s largest hall on the topic “The Judgment of the Great White Throne.” By then he was well-known in Sweden. The hall was filled to capacity, and some 1,500 disappointed souls could not even get in. There was excitement and talk in the whole city. When he and his party boarded the train to  Copenhagen, his notable figure fascinated the train dispatcher, who just stood there with eyes and mouth wide open and forgot to give the departure signal on time. People asked: “Who is that royal personage?”

Brother Russell’s last visit to Sweden was in 1912, as part of a round-the-world tour. His public address in Circus, Djurgården, was entitled “Beyond the Grave.” One sister remembered the public excitement over his visit to her home town, Karlstad: “The hall rented for the meeting was so packed with people that it was feared that the floor would give way.”

Brother Russell continued to show interest in Sweden by sending brothers there from the headquarters, among them J. F. Rutherford, who later became president of the Watch Tower Society. In 1913 Brother Rutherford visited 15 larger cities in Sweden and Norway during just three weeks. His energy, Bible knowledge, and dynamic talks spurred on the brothers. His public talk was “Where Are the Dead?” One brother recalled from a meeting in Göteborg: “During his presentation, Brother Rutherford said: ‘I offer 1,000 dollars to anyone in the audience who can prove that man has an immortal soul.’ Nobody took up the challenge.”

When the news of Brother Russell’s death on October 31, 1916, reached Sweden, it became evident how well-known he was. A number of daily newspapers honored him with friendly notices. Some even printed one of his sermons. No doubt, Brother Russell’s interest in Sweden was an incentive to push ahead with the Kingdom work.

World War I No Surprise

The outbreak of World War I came as no real surprise to Bible Students in Sweden. Years before, they had read in Watch Tower literature that Bible chronology pointed toward the year 1914 as the time when “worldwide anarchy”  could be expected. Anticipation was so great when 1914 began that some even started to lay up supplies of foodstuffs. So when the news of war came, they rejoiced at the nearness of their salvation.

Brother Arthur Gustavsson, 11 years old at the time, said: “I can clearly recall Sunday, August 2, 1914. My father was conducting the meeting in Göteborg when outside we heard a newsboy cry out: ‘World conflagration has begun!’ The brothers in the hall began looking at one another. Some of the things we had been proclaiming about 1914 were beginning to come true.” Brother Gustavsson later served in the full-time preaching work for 56 years and continued to preach until the end of his earthly course in 1987.

Although Sweden kept out of World War I, food and other vital supplies became scarce. Masses of workers became unruly and organized marches into the rural areas to plunder farms. However, Jehovah God kept his people in Sweden spiritually well-fed during the war years, even though communication with Brooklyn headquarters was seriously limited. The Watch Tower magazine was published without interruption. Even the seventh volume of Studies in  the Scriptures reached Sweden and was translated and printed during the war.

The Photo-Drama, Another Tool

Equipment for showing the Photo-Drama of Creation​—a slide and moving picture production with synchronized sound, lasting several hours—​also reached Sweden as World War I flared up. A Swedish-American couple, William and Bella Undén, arrived from the United States to demonstrate the use of the equipment. That the brothers showed zeal and enthusiasm for the Photo-Drama is reflected in the Swedish edition of The Watch Tower, October 15, 1914:

“We must now as quickly as possible reach all the larger cities and communities in our country, . . . as we now see the skies of wrath over our heads and mankind trembling for fear because of the storm that is already shaking the present order of things.”

The first showing was held in Örebro Theatre on September 25, 1914. The hall was filled to overflowing, and the street outside thronged with people who were not able to get in. The show continued on the following nights. The Watch Tower reports: “The influx of people increased more and more, so that each time, several uniformed police constables were fully engaged in assisting us in our efforts to keep the masses back.”

A newspaper reported from Sundsvall in 1915: “Thanks to excellent guards, no unruliness occurred, but scenes of silent desperation were always observed when the doors were relentlessly closed. The thousands who could not get in dispersed reluctantly, and the most faithful remained as long as the presentation was in progress to be at least in the vicinity of the wonder, the miracle.”

Over the next three years, the Photo-Drama was shown in hundreds of places. In 1915 alone, it was shown 1,256  times. It did a great work in acquainting people with Jehovah’s purposes and making the Bible come alive. The newspaper that was quoted above added that Russell and his fellow believers “work, as is well-known, to popularize the Holy Scriptures and, by means of explanations of various Bible texts, to provide an intelligent idea about God.”

As a young woman, Elin Andersson took part in showing the Photo-Drama. Tears come to her eyes as she recalls, at the age of 90: “I belonged to the crew of 12 brothers and sisters who traveled around the country with one set of the Drama. My job was to assign seats and attend to the audience. It was wonderful to see all those people coming and to note how impressed they were. Many came to see it over and over again, queuing up for hours to get a seat. A most memorable and happy time!”

The truth was also spread during those war years by newspapers that reprinted Brother Russell’s sermons. This began before the war and continued until 1916. In all, five different newspapers provided several columns or entire pages. Some newspapers even printed the sermons regularly in their Saturday issues. It was impressive publicity in those days before radio and television became household items.

Sisters Have a Great Share

About the time of the thrilling year 1914, several Kingdom proclaimers were incited to change their lives radically. A number of young sisters​—at a time when it was thought that young women should get married and raise children—​unhesitatingly took up full-time service and remained in it till their death. Their work has been richly blessed, as some equally zealous modern-day Witnesses in Sweden can refer to them as their spiritual mothers, grandmothers, or even great-grandmothers.​—Joel 2:28.

 A young nurse, Ebba Palm, wanted to help spiritually sick persons so much that she wore her nurse’s uniform in the preaching work. As her uniform represented a highly respected nurses’ order, the Sophia Sisters, the doors of many fashionable homes were opened to her. During her first three months as a colporteur, she placed 1,085 bound books and very many booklets.

Ebba’s older sister, Ellen, left her job as a bank clerk and began in the colporteur work. Her zeal was outstanding. After getting married, she and her husband together manned a steamboat to visit people along the fjords and inlets of the Baltic Sea.

Anna Wickbom was the daughter of a police commissioner. She had served as governess at the court of the Russian czar and later as a private teacher in the family of a count. She quit her well-paying job to become a colporteur in the territory near her home. Knowing her identity, the neighbors received her respectfully. Her good knowledge of languages opened many a door for her.

Once, she visited an imposing residence. The countess living there sent her butler to the door to intimidate Anna. “Today the countess will only converse in French,” he thundered. “That will be just perfect,” Anna retorted. When the countess heard Anna’s excellent French, she, speaking poor French, felt so embarrassed that she begged: “Swedish, please!” Needless to say, the countess was so impressed that for many years she regularly took literature when visited by the Witnesses.

Another young woman, Maja Lundquist, volunteered as a Photo-Drama attendant for three years. She enjoyed this privilege so much that it spurred her to continue zealously in the full-time ministry for 53 years, until her death. Her specialty was witnessing on foreign ships. For many years,  this cheerful and energetic little woman was frequently seen on docks and decks, telling captains and their crews about God’s Kingdom and placing huge quantities of literature in many languages. “The harbor is my best territory,” she used to say.

The stamina, faith, and perseverance of such pioneer sisters were extraordinary. The late Branch Committee coordinator, Johan H. Eneroth, once reported: “It is indeed touching to learn how weak and feeble women walk on their feet many, many miles and sometimes through roadless woods, carrying heavy bags with books, to find some isolated little village and bring the message of hope and comfort and good cheer to the people living there under very difficult conditions.”

Would the Door Close in 1918?

As 1918 began, expectations increased among the brothers. Prophecies suggested that it would mark the beginning of “the first resurrection” and the taking up of Christ’s bride class to heaven. (Rev. 20:5, 6) Would this embrace all the anointed ones, including the last ones alive on earth at that time? Would the door to “the marriage feast,” spoken of at Matthew 25:10, soon be shut? Such questions circulated among the brothers, leading to some very deep discussions. At the Memorial, March 26, that year, 1,714 partook of the emblems. Many of them thought they had celebrated this event for the last time. Why, it seemed that even the work had slowed down! A zealous pilgrim brother, Ernst Lignell, wrote the branch:

“We hope that this was the last occasion of this kind on this side and that our next celebration will be to drink the cup of rejoicing in the Kingdom. However, may the will of our Father be done in everything! If it would please him to let us stay down here in the ‘valley of the shadow of death’  a little longer, we want to yield to that decision of his. But to all appearances, time seems to be very short.”

The Bridegroom, though, had other marvelous affairs in mind for the last ones of the anointed on earth. In 1919, at the grand convention at Cedar Point, Ohio, they were reminded of their privilege as the Lord’s ambassadors to announce the incoming of God’s glorious Kingdom. When the echo from this convention reached Sweden, the brothers rejoiced and quickly adjusted to the commission. The work speeded up again.

Tons of literature were placed. The booklets Millions Now Living Will Never Die and Where Are the Dead? were eagerly accepted. At times colporteurs needed this literature so urgently that they telegraphed the branch office to send “500 Millions” or send “200 Dead”​—messages that puzzled many a telegraph operator.

Serious Tests in the 1920’s

Now, this spirited activity did not go unnoticed by the great enemy, Satan the Devil. He tried to quench the brothers’ zeal for the work by spreading thoughts of disappointment. He then tried to manipulate weaknesses in human personalities, beginning about 1920 and climaxing in 1925. August Lundborg, who had carried responsibility for the Society’s branch for some 20 years, began to lose the proper view of himself in relation to God’s organization. Ignoring the counsel and instruction from the organization, he edited The Watch Tower according to his own interpretation. The brothers became confused. The work slowed down. Much time and effort was lovingly devoted to getting the erring one to realize his wrong course and repent.

Resourcefully, God’s organization proceeded to counteract Satan’s wiles. When Brother Rutherford learned of the problems, he took immediate action by sending Brother  A. H. Macmillan to settle the case, in May 1921. But the Devil did not give up. Soon the problems reappeared, causing Brother Rutherford himself to go to Sweden in 1922. A convention was held in Örebro in hopes of encouraging the brothers.

After learning about further difficulties in the following year, Brother Rutherford sent a letter dated May 23, 1923, to all brothers, urging them to keep busy in the service: “The time has come for united action all over Sweden. I hereby exhort every one of the consecrated in Sweden to jointly and in full harmony cooperate in proclaiming the truth.”

In 1924 Brother C. A. Wise, who was the Society’s vice president then, was sent to Sweden to assist. His report made Brother Rutherford include Sweden in his trip to Europe in the spring of 1925. A convention for Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland was held in Örebro in May with about 500 persons present.

Time for a Change

Brother Rutherford then announced propitiously that a new office, the Northern European Office, similar to the Central European Office established in Switzerland a few years earlier, was to be opened in Copenhagen, Denmark. This new office would oversee the work in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland, including the then independent Baltic States​—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. It would also take over the legal editorship of The Watch Tower. The branches in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland would continue as before but under the direct supervision of the Northern European Office, with William Dey from London in charge. This announcement was enthusiastically received by the vast majority of the 500 persons assembled.

Shortly after the assembly, Brother Lundborg informed Brother Rutherford that he no longer wished to be  responsible for the branch. Brother Rutherford then wrote: “If Brother Lundborg retires, it will be according to his own choice, and in that case I ask Brother Dey to put Brother Johan Henrik Eneroth in charge of the office. You know that he was born and reared in Sweden, knows the people and conditions there, and above all is wholly devoted to the Lord.”

A New Era of Branch Management

Brother Eneroth had learned of the truth when serving as a first lieutenant in the Royal Swedish Army during World War I. While he was on duty in northern Sweden, his mother sent him Volume IV of Studies in the Scriptures, called “The Battle of Armageddon.” “That book made me realize that there was a much more important war facing mankind than the one in which the worldly nations were engaged,” he said. One day he took courage and called at  the home of some Bible Students. “Imagine the expressions on the faces of the man and his wife when they found a uniformed army officer standing at their door asking for a Bible study,” he said and added: “When their initial astonishment had settled, they welcomed me with open arms.”

Eneroth left the army and soon entered full-time service. In 1920 he was invited to work at the branch in Örebro. Later that year, he was dismissed by Lundborg and then served in Denmark until he was put in charge of the branch in Örebro in 1925. So, after a former Salvation Army captain had taken care of the branch for many years, Jehovah now let a former Royal Swedish Army lieutenant take over.

Brother Eneroth was only 32 years old when he became branch overseer in Sweden. He loyally stuck to his assignment for 50 years and finished his earthly course faithfully on February 7, 1982.

 Unifying the Brothers Again

After assuming his duties, Brother Eneroth, with the assistance of Brother Dey, began helping the brothers take up the preaching work in unity again. Together, they spent about a year visiting some 70 congregations throughout the country. Brother Eneroth translated for Brother Dey. “In many places, we had to line up the brothers literally on two sides, for and against the Society,” said Brother Eneroth.

Thus the brothers and sisters were vigorously encouraged to trust in Jehovah’s organization and push ahead with the work. Gradually, they reorganized and experienced the full blessings of Jehovah once again. The opposers made some noise for a while and tried to arrange things their way, but​—as in other similar situations—​they soon diminished and disappeared from the scene. Once more, Satan’s efforts to stop the work met with dismal failure.

Brother Dey, a typical Scot and a former inspector of taxes in London, knew how to sort things out at the Swedish office. From March 1926, the Bulletin (now named Our Kingdom Ministry), with service instructions and prepared testimonies, was sent out monthly to all publishers to help them in their work. The country was also divided into territories of more practical size. All of this stimulated the brothers to renewed efforts, and the first Yearbook, dated 1927, carried promising words in a report from Sweden:

“There is still much to be done along the line of organization, but it is a real joy to note how the friends are grasping the idea more and more, that we are now battling under the King of kings and Lord of lords. And all the faithful ones are highly appreciating THE WATCH TOWER that brings still more light, refreshment and stimulus with each coming issue. More and more classes are taking up THE  WATCH TOWER for study, and report great blessings therefrom.”

Witnessing at Funerals

Another means of witnessing became available to Jehovah’s Witnesses in Sweden from 1926 onward. A law was passed that allowed funerals to be performed without the assistance of a State Church priest. Thus, thousands of bereaved ones could be comforted by Scriptural talks. Tens of thousands of persons, who probably would not have lent an ear otherwise, have listened to testimonies at funerals.

The late Martin Wenderquist, active in the Kingdom work for 67 years, was frequently called upon to give funeral talks. He once said: “Comforting the bereaved while conducting funeral services is something I have done more than 600 times at different places in Sweden and Finland. You can hardly find a more attentive and responsive audience than at a funeral. Many Bible studies have been started afterward, guiding people into the truth.”

A Refreshing Move

A refreshing theocratic move was the transfer of the branch office back to Stockholm in September 1926. The brothers found a suitable location at Drottninggatan 83, in  the very center of the city. And how handy that the neighbor was a printing establishment called Egnellska Boktryckeriet, which, conveniently, was used to print our magazines for 28 years!

How was the office moved? Two fully loaded canal steamers moved all the branch equipment for 120 miles [200 km] from the inland city of Örebro to coastal Stockholm. The Bethel family followed on a third steamer. The trip took a day and a night.

Three years later, a four-story stone building in the city center became available at Luntmakaregatan 94. Brother Rutherford wanted the Society to buy it. And many willing  brothers lent the money to pay the mortgages on the building. Finally, after many years on the move, the branch office was located in this place, which would serve Kingdom interests for the next 25 years.

The First Car​—A Sensation

In 1927 Brother Rutherford permitted the branch to buy its first motor vehicle, a brand-new Model A Ford. It was not, however, to be used by branch personnel as a limousine on city streets. It was to be used by two pioneer brothers on almost impassable roads to faraway villages, deep in the forests in the Far North, in Lapland. From April to September 1930, they reported traveling 7,000 miles [11,000 km] and placing over 2,000 books and 4,000 booklets.

 The Ford attracted people in those isolated places, where cars were seldom seen or had never been seen at all. Many local people approached the brothers and asked for literature just to get a closer look at this mechanical wonder and sniff at the gasoline exhaust, which seemed like perfume to them. They willingly pushed when asked to help get it out of the mud or had their horses pull it out of a ditch.

One day, the two brothers offered some books to a group of road workers. Since they had no money with them, one of them said: ‘Follow this road until you find a house. That’s where we lodge. Give the books to the housekeeper and tell her to get my purse out from under my pillow and pay you.’ When the brothers got there and knocked on the door, nobody opened. The door was locked. However, after inspecting the outside of the house, they found a small window open high up on the wall, and the prophecy of Joel 2:9 came to mind, which says: “Through the windows they go in like the thief.” One of them climbed up and crawled in the window, found the purse, and took the correct amount. Then he put the purse back under the pillow, put the books on the bed, and gingerly crept out the same way as he went in. They never did find out if that road worker came into the truth. However, he did get his books!

The Bike Era

With bicycles becoming popular in the 1930’s, the hard-working colporteurs pedaled, rain or shine, along stony, muddy roads and tracks in order to reach remote farms and villages in these vast territories. Sister Rosa Gustavsson, equipped with strong faith, a good sense of humor, and a bike, tells about her colporteur work in the 1930’s with her sister-in-law, Mirjam Gustavsson:

“We moved from parish to parish, with all the baggage we could carry strapped onto our bikes​—shoes, clothes,  washcloth and toothbrush, pots and pans, and, most important, cartons of books and booklets. What a sight! It was not always easy to find lodging. Often we pleadingly prayed to Jehovah for help. I remember one day, after working in service separately all day, Mirjam and I met each other late in the evening. Together, we cycled in the rain toward a dim light we saw in the distance. It was a farmhouse. We were chilled to the bone. It had been a long, exhausting day.  Suddenly, we recognized the house. Our hearts sank into our stomachs. ‘Those people are opposed!’ we exclaimed as we looked at each other. A bit hesitant, Mirjam went timidly to the door and asked for lodging. To our surprise and great relief, the family invited us in. They led us to the best room in the house and served us a delicious meal. Full and satisfied, we left the table and were shown to a bedroom that we were to occupy. Well, we could not believe our eyes. The beds were made up with the best linen, more than we could ever afford!

“The night rolled by with pleasant dreams, and morning came all too soon. However, after breakfast was served, we obligingly offered to pay. But they refused our money. How could we show our appreciation? The book Deliverance would lovingly remind them of how we felt. So we asked, ‘May we give this to you as a token of our appreciation?’ ‘Oh, yes, we want that book!’ they quickly responded. ‘One of our acquaintances told us that you had given her one when you stayed with her, and she just loved it.’ Needless to say, this taught us a lesson. You never know what fruitage will result from a single placement of Bible literature.”

Brother Axel Richardson, short in stature but a spiritual giant, relates: “In 1936 my thin-limbed little wife, Asta, and I were assigned to serve in the vast mountainous western part of the province of Jämtland. The only earthly things we owned at that time were two bikes, a tent, a mattress case, and a suitcase. But we were absolutely determined to cover our territory, not leaving any isolated Lapp camp or mountain farm unvisited. Often we hiked in boots, our feet swollen and painful, with daily provisions and literature on our backs and in our arms, for tens of kilometers a day across the rugged and relentless mountains. Axel recalls an experience on an occasion when his wife did not go with him:  “A kind man, a stranger, gave me a lift in his motorboat across a lake. After he left me on the shore, I watched him return to the other side. I looked around. There I was all by myself with my bicycle and a heavy book bag in a totally isolated place. I felt so forlorn. There were only three homes in this entire territory. After visiting them, I was impelled to move on. But how? I had the lake on one side and the steep mountain on the other. There was no choice. With the bike on one shoulder and the book bag on the other, I began to climb the mountain. After several exhausting hours of hiking a toilsome ascent, with a sigh of relief I began the  descent on the other side. A man who lived lower down on the slope asked, ‘Where in the world did you come from?’ He stared in amazement as I pointed toward that high mountain. ‘You are the first one to come that way,’ he said, ‘and that on a bicycle!’ I felt happy to have made that effort for the sake of the good news.”

Using All Means

By the mid-1930’s about 60 pioneers, like busy bees, used all possible means of transport, including skis, snowshoes, bikes, horse and carriage, buses, trains, and boats, to spread the good news to every corner of the country.

During three months in 1935, two brothers used a motorboat to visit 284 islands along the east coast south of Stockholm and preach to the isolated inhabitants there. They reported that all together they met 1,053 persons and placed 428 books, 1,145 booklets, 68 subscriptions, and 496 copies of the Golden Age magazine. Several of those little islands had never been visited with the Kingdom message before that year.

Great ingenuity was used to spread the good news. In Hjo a small congregation of about ten publishers rented a little truck sometime in the early 1930’s and mounted a canvas hood over the bed of the truck. It was an ideal vehicle for field service. Their ingenuity paid off when sometime later the owner came into the truth. He then remodeled the truck into a minibus, which continued to be used for several years to spread the truth in 6 towns and 132 municipalities.

In 1939 two pioneers, David Börjesson and Elis Hulthén, bought a secondhand 2.5-ton truck. “Enthusiastically we remodeled it into a motor home to use in the pioneer service,” says now aged Elis. Leaning on his walking stick, he continues with a humorous twinkle in his eyes:

 “Although the walls were made of thin fiberboard, it looked like an armored car, as we painted it gray. We were four valiant, single brothers living in good fellowship in our ironclad-looking mobile home. We were delighted to use this vehicle on our assignment in central Sweden.

“The second world war was raging in Europe at that time. Naturally, some people became very suspicious when they saw the gray truck parked in their neighborhood. Some people were even afraid of it and made a detour into the woods. Opposed persons sometimes sent the police after us. One night two officers came to check up. After listening to some recorded sermons, which gave them a good witness, they left without issuing a complaint. A chief constable once  came to check how many people were in our group. ‘There must be at least ten of them in that truck,’ people had warned him. On another occasion, a farmer came half weeping and pleaded: ‘Please, boys, move that car off my property. Please, do. People have been abusive to me for having you here.’

“Those war winters were extremely cold. At night we tried to heat the truck with a kerosene heater. However, condensation ran down the inside of the berth walls and froze on the floor. One morning, David, in one of the lower beds, complained that he was ice-cold. No wonder, the drawer under his mattress had turned into a solid block of ice. We tried to comfort him by saying: ‘Frozen things never turn moldy.’ All of us became hardy, and we were never sick. This ‛armored car’ helped many rightly disposed persons find the truth.”

Expansion Prior to World War II

The period prior to the second world war saw good expansion. From 1925 to 1938, the number of Kingdom proclaimers increased from about 250 to a peak of 1,427. During those years, these zealous publishers placed approximately five million books and booklets, not to mention the thousands of subscriptions that were obtained and tens of thousands of magazines that were distributed.

These courageous publishers usually gave a thorough testimony. The number of testimonies given to the public was counted during one period in 1932: Approximately 300 publishers, taking part in the witness work each week, reported 515,119 testimonies. That corresponded to one twelfth of the Swedish population!

Efforts to Warn Hitler

After the Nazi horror period began in 1933 in Germany, reports reached Sweden that Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany  were under great pressure. The following year a thrilling event occurred when the brothers in Sweden were invited by Brooklyn headquarters to join with their brothers in Germany and in 48 other countries to express themselves in behalf of their German brothers.

After a special gathering in all congregations on Sunday, October 7, 1934, telegrams were sent to Hitler, urging: “Your ill-treatment of Jehovah’s witnesses shocks all good people of earth and dishonors God’s name. Refrain from further persecuting Jehovah’s witnesses; otherwise God will destroy you and your national party.”

A New “Class” Identified

Outstanding news came from the big convention in Washington, D.C., in 1935. Brother Rutherford had presented Scriptural evidence that the “great multitude,” or “great crowd,” of Revelation 7:9 was identical with the ‘Jonadabs,’ the sheep class of Matthew 25:31-46. (Jer. 35:18, 19) Many who had thought of themselves as a secondary spiritual class now realized that they belonged to the “other sheep,” with an earthly hope.​—John 10:16.

A telegram announcing this startling news from Washington, D.C., arrived during one of the sessions at the annual Stockholm convention. It was read to the audience, and enthusiasm ran high among the 300 delegates. An appeal was made that all in attendance should start searching for these other sheep.

The response to this appeal is reflected in the report covering the 1936 service year: “In Sweden this multitude has continued to make itself manifest . . . One hundred and fifty Jonadabs have been reported as having symbolized their consecration to do Jehovah’s will since October 1 last year [1935], and we know of several places where quite a number  are just waiting for an opportunity to do so. At each service convention several of this class come forth and start out to witness.”

“Stop Hindering Them”

At the same convention, an important matter regarding a certain group among God’s people was clarified. The children’s share in spreading the good news was discussed. Under the heading “Stop Hindering Them,” the Swedish Bulletin for August 1935 stated in summary:

“It is perfectly all right. . . . Let them begin by accompanying their parents or another grown-up publisher. . . . It will only bring a blessing if they take part in this work​—provided, of course, that it takes place because they have learned from their parents or their companions to love and honor the great God and to rejoice with his Kingdom, as far as they can comprehend.” The young ones just bubbled over with excitement at this great news and were as eager as a team of horses to get started.

Through the Tough War Years

Let us return to the backbone of the work​—pioneer service. During World War II, the pioneers continued even more zealously to spread the truth throughout the country, despite a shortage of money, food, clothing, and fuel.  Although Sweden escaped actual warfare, the governmental authorities brought about restrictions and rationing. “As a pioneer during those years, you really had to trust in Jehovah,” says Gustaf Kjellberg, who in the late 1930’s left his career as a wrestler to devote himself fully to the truth. Gustaf, who is still pioneering, recalls:

“During the summer, my fellow pioneer and I lived in a tent, but during the winter, we lodged in private homes. This was often difficult and expensive. In an effort to help, the Society sent us a description of how to build a collapsible trailer that could be pulled behind a bicycle. We immediately had one built.

“It was cold in the winter, as the trailer was made of thin fiberboard. In addition to heating it by burning sticks and pinecones in an iron stove, we wrapped ourselves up in all our clothing to keep fairly warm. One night my companion woke me up and complained that he could not raise his head. No wonder! His thick hair had frozen to the steel frame of his bed! I had to release him by melting the ice with my hands. However, during all the time we lived in that trailer, we were never sick and were able to spend long days preaching the good news. What a wonderful time!”

Ingvar Wihlborg witnessed among the Lapps and covered vast territories in the North in the late 1930’s. He reminisces: “Far north above the Arctic Circle was the sparsely populated stretch, 130 kilometers [80 miles] long, between Kiruna and the Norwegian border. To find my way, I had to walk or ski along the railroad tracks, which I did twice a year. One dark cold evening, a train suddenly came rolling up in back of me. Its powerful snowblower threw me, along with my skis and rucksack, high up into the air and down into a deep valley. Well, it took me a few seconds to get oriented. Thanks to the lights from the Abisko Tourist  Hotel, I found my way out. The hotel staff were taken aback as I strode in looking like a snowman. ‘How on earth did you get here?’ they asked. ‘By air,’ I cheerfully retorted. They were kind and treated me to hot cocoa and sandwiches.”

Despite the tough living conditions at that time in Sweden and the extraordinarily cold winters, the zealous pioneers did not slow down in their activity. Jehovah kept their hearts warm. The work steadily expanded during those years. The number of worshipers more than doubled, from 1,427 in 1938 to 2,867 in 1945, after the war.

Opposition Flares Up

Religious spokesmen of Christendom also tried to discourage God’s people. The branch reported:

“By this time there is hardly a newspaper of any sort or description in the country that has not carried one or more spiteful articles denouncing Jehovah’s witnesses as ‘fifth columnists financed by foreign capital,’ ‘an advance guard of Communism,’ ‘false prophets,’ ‘enemies of the state and society,’ etc., etc., using all the usual epithets. Needless to say, it is the clergy who are behind this, . . . and the croakings in the press culminated at the time a big church council was gathered in the capital in the middle of May.”

This flare-up of hatred started just after the Witnesses had enthusiastically distributed 300,000 copies of the booklet Fighting for Liberty on the Home Front. In a furious campaign, the clergy began to use our method, calling on people from house to house and having them read what was written against us.

Campaign Backfired

This campaign, however, resulted in Jehovah’s work receiving more publicity throughout the country than ever before. With renewed strength and courage, the Kingdom  proclaimers gladly carried on through both “bad report and good report.”​—2 Cor. 6:8; Ps. 143:10.

The pioneers were again blessed during the 1944 service year. The special pioneers had good reasons to rejoice when they were able to organize 17 new congregations. The other pioneers were also gladdened when 11 new congregations were formed as a result of their efforts. That year 144 new congregations were formed! Thus, the campaign against us backfired. The following is a typical example:

The State Church Board in a country parish decided to demand that two pioneer sisters (1) stop calling on the people with their literature, (2) believe in the Lord Jesus, and (3) take up their abode outside that parish without delay.

The landlord with whom the sisters were staying was also pressured by the local priest to evict them immediately. The letter informing the landlord about the decision made by the board to evict the sisters ended with these words: ‘With hearty greetings to you and them (the two sisters).’ The landlord and his brother, both regular churchgoers, became so disgusted with the false accusations that they stopped going to church and started to attend the studies conducted by the sisters.

Not All Priests Opposed

A pioneer sister invited a brother from a nearby congregation to give a public talk in her territory. To everyone’s surprise, the local priest came, listened attentively, and took notes. Afterward he asked many questions and admitted that the church was wrong in many of its teachings. He complained that people would not come to church even if he were to preach the truth to them.

The brother said that the priest and his colleagues ought to do as Christ and his followers did, that is, go from house  to house. The priest replied: “Yes, we ought to do that, but we are cowards and too lazy for it, and besides that we have too much to do about worldly things.” When leaving, the priest shook hands in a friendly manner and thanked the speaker for the talk.

Timidity Overcome

Swedes are by nature rather reserved, and many are not very talkative, being concerned about making blunders. Therefore, it is remarkable that so many Swedes have been able to overcome such traits and boldly go from door to door to fulfill Jesus’ command at Matthew 28:19, 20 to “go” and “make disciples of people . . . , teaching them.”

Jesus also said at Luke 18:27: “The things impossible with men are possible with God.” As Jehovah assisted Moses, when he complained about not being a fluent speaker, by giving him Aaron as a helper, so He has assisted the publishers in Sweden by providing them with different “Aarons,” or speaking instruments, through His organization, as the following examples will show:

“Aaron 1”​—The Testimony Card

One such “Aaron” was the testimony card, introduced in 1934 and used well into the 1940’s. It contained a short printed sermon and a literature offer. The Bulletin explained: “When you visit the homes, this card should be handed to the person opening the door. Let him read it. Then, hand him the brochure​—and all you need to say is that this is the brochure mentioned on the card.” How did it work in practice?

One pioneer recalls: “I did just as we were told. And it usually worked quite well. Sometimes misunderstandings occurred, though. The person simply took my card and went in and closed the door, or he thought I had a speech  impediment and compassionately took several books. Some offered me alms to be charitable. Incidents occurred that gave the householders and me many a good laugh.”

These cards were helpful not only in breaking the ice with the householders but also in covering large territories in a short time. Happily, not all Swedes are reticent. Some publishers humorously told the Society that they believed the Lord had made this arrangement to help them ‘overcome the bad habit of wasting time by talking too much.’

“Aaron 2”​—The Phonograph

Another “Aaron” was the portable phonograph, with five-minute records of Bible sermons. This new instrument was put to good use for several years.

In 1937 Brother Eneroth recorded Judge Rutherford’s phonograph lectures in Swedish. When the records became available, the publishers were enthusiastic and went into the  territories like swarms of locusts. During the first ten months, 107,077 sermons were played to 153,786 listeners. Brother Eneroth himself was one of the first to use the records. He chuckled as he recalled: “After playing one of these records for a couple in Stockholm, the woman said: ‘Your voice sounds so much like the one we heard. You must have listened to it many times.’”

At first, portable phonographs were rather big and heavy. Soon, however, a small collapsible type that could be carried in a briefcase became available. It was so cleverly constructed that the record was much bigger than the phonograph. When the publisher asked a householder if he could play a recorded Bible lecture, the householder often replied: “I have no phonograph.” Quickly, the publisher whisked out this little phonograph. Curiosity would overtake the householder, and the publisher was invited in. Some people would even ask if the phonograph was for sale. Thus many who otherwise would not have lent their ear to the testimony listened.

The phonograph often helped the brothers to feel more courageous in the service. One brother relates: “I came to a farm where a big party was going on to celebrate a child’s baptism. I asked the host if I could play a recorded Bible lecture. Since the host thought it would add some religious atmosphere to the party, especially as the priest was there, all guests were gathered. They listened attentively, including the priest, who, though, scurried off afterward, much to everyone’s surprise. I answered many questions. Several guests took literature too.”

“Aaron 3”​—The Loudspeaker Outfit

The branch set up special loudspeaker outfits by connecting a phonograph to a loudspeaker system that could be  placed on a bicycle trailer. Thus a recorded sermon could be heard throughout a large housing development. Introductory music was played to arouse initial interest and to get people to open their doors and windows and to listen. After the lecture, the brothers visited the homes, answering questions and offering literature.

One zealous brother wanted his neighbors to listen to a sermon while they were digging potatoes in a field. He placed a loudspeaker high up in a pine tree and switched on the phonograph. As the strong, articulate voice filled the air, the people stopped working and listened with mouth open and eyes gazing into the sky, thinking it was a message from heaven!

By the latter part of the 1940’s, the use of phonographs was discontinued. From 1938 to 1943, some 1,200 phonographs were in use and a million and a half people had listened to recorded sermons. During this period, the number of publishers increased from 1,427 to 2,571.

Why did the use of phonographs stop? A far more effective means of spreading the good news came to the fore​—preaching and teaching by the ministers themselves. How was this possible among reticent Swedes?

“Aaron 4”​—The Theocratic Ministry School

What became one of the foremost factors behind the advancement of the Kingdom work in Sweden? The Theocratic Ministry School through which the Witnesses received excellent training.

In 1944, a year after the school started in the United States, it was established in all congregations in Sweden. To begin with, only brothers were enrolled. One brother was appointed by the Society as instructor. The importance of  regular attendance was stressed by beginning each meeting with a roll call, which procedure was later abandoned.

The school meant hard work and much soul-searching for many students. One brother recalls: “Even before the meeting, the brothers who were scheduled to have a student talk that night were easily identified. They usually looked pale and moved around as if in a daze.” In one congregation the instructor asked the audience: “What is the first thing you do when you get a speaking assignment?” One brother answered: “I start dreading.”

A district overseer reported: “Many students practice their talks innumerable times in some secluded place at home. One brother, whose mind went blank in the middle of his talk, stopped speaking, stared at his audience for a while, and said: ‘I’m afraid this didn’t go so well.’ Gaining his composure, he exclaimed, ‘But you should have heard me in the woodshed!’”

A circuit overseer recalls: “Some brothers really had to fight hard to overcome their jitters. One brother was to give his first student talk. During the meeting, as he nervously awaited his turn, he had to go outside several times. When finally on the platform, his striking introduction was: “I have gone outside three times to throw up.”

Another brother remembers: “One of the first students in our congregation, tall and handsome, had prepared his talk so well that he knew it by heart. He was full of confidence. But when the big moment arrived, nervousness took over, and he was struck dumb. After what seemed like an eternity, he suddenly greeted the audience with a Hello! This word released his tongue. He regained the power of speech and gave an excellent student talk after all.”

 Excellent Results

The Theocratic Ministry School produced not only good public speakers but also good teachers able to speak with people on doorsteps and in homes. When sisters were invited to take part in the training, they also made great strides as Kingdom proclaimers.

Thanks to the school, the young ones in Sweden have made fine progress too. It has motivated many boys and girls to become fully active in the Kingdom work. One seven-year-old boy asked the school overseer if he could be enrolled. The overseer asked, “Why?” The youngster quickly responded, “One cannot idle one’s whole life away!”

Marching in the Streets

The Swedish brothers have eagerly served Jehovah in any way that his organization suggested. For instance, during the 1940’s and early 1950’s, when they learned that the brothers in the United States and England were using sandwich boards and placards, marching to announce the public talk at conventions, such arrangements were enthusiastically made in Sweden too.

Jack Pramberg, who served as a district overseer at that time and arranged for many such marches, recalls: “In wintertime it gets dark very early in the afternoon in the north of Sweden, so we used torches to enhance the effect of our advertising. On one of these occasions, the theme of the public talk was ‘The Only Light.’ As the torchlight procession wound through the town, there was a sudden power failure. The whole town turned pitch-black. Our torches were aflame, though, spreading light on our placards on which people could read: ‘The Only Light.’”

Sven-Eric Larsson, a traveling overseer, remembers: “Sometimes brothers carried through the streets big signs on  poles, announcing the public talk at conventions. Out of mere curiosity, in 1948, two lads attended a convention in Örebro. They had not yet decided to become Jehovah’s Witnesses. After one of the sessions, without knowing who they were, I just handed them a placard and told them where to march. Hesitantly, they took it and marched around in the town center. One of them, Lars Lindström, has been a congregation elder for many years now; and the other, Rolf Svensson, is serving as a district overseer.”

Christian Neutrality at Stake

Although Sweden has tried to maintain strict political neutrality, a strong defense with compulsory military service has been preserved. Therefore, the brothers’ integrity to their Christian neutrality has been put to the test. Before World War II, the brothers usually did substitute compulsory civil service, serving as firemen or woodsmen, digging at archaeological sites, and performing a variety of other civil services. Then, as World War II was in progress, they realized that they were actually classified as soldiers at the disposal of military authorities. Thus, they refused such service.

Repeated jail terms ensued, beginning with a one-month sentence for the first time they refused. Soon after they were released, they would again be called up for military service and be sent back to jail for another term, now for two months. Out again, they had to face this same procedure four, five, six, or more times, and each time another month was usually added to the length of the previous sentence. Over many years, hundreds of brothers were imprisoned for a total of almost a thousand years. Werner Johansson, then a pioneer, was sentenced to 12 months​—spread out over 13 years. He said:

 “Being drafted time after time and going through one court procedure after the other and wandering in and out of different prisons like that was quite trying. I had a family to care for. But the love and encouragement we received from the brothers and sisters was a wonderful help. After all, it was a thrilling time, and many opportunities opened up to give a witness to all persons involved.”

Sometimes brothers were reviled and scolded by prosecutors and judges. One pioneer, Erik V. Johansson, remembers his first court trial: “The prosecutor and the judge said that they would give me a tough time if I didn’t do my duty. I told them I was prepared to suffer like Daniel when he was thrown into a lions’ den. Then the prosecutor said: ‘It would be interesting to throw Johansson into a lions’ den and see what his faith is worth.’ The next day, when I met the judge, he grabbed me and said: ‘You are a scoundrel, you should be shot, and you probably will be too.’” Well, that has not happened yet. Brother Johansson, now over 80 years old, is still alive and thriving in full-time service.

Authorities Try Desperate Action

It became increasingly evident to the authorities that prison sentences could not break the integrity of these young men. “Judges and prosecutors have been taking part in a game in which they have felt themselves to be helpless counters,” commented a former member of the Swedish parliament regarding the treatment of the Witnesses.

Toward the end of the war, the authorities reflectively made a desperate effort to change the situation. Suddenly, they ordered a mental examination of 126 of Jehovah’s Witnesses who declined to do compulsory work. Had they been declared mentally deficient, the courts would have handled them differently. A branch report says concerning this:

 “The examinations took place in three different towns, and each of those examined was questioned by a priest and two doctors during five to six days. The brethren who were subjected to this agreed that it was a most encouraging experience, affording splendid opportunities to give a witness. The priests serving at these examinations were so confused and nervous that even the doctors were amused, and the doctors themselves admitted that Jehovah’s witnesses were, as a rule, very intelligent people of strong convictions and of a high moral standard.”

A Growing Problem

These mental examinations of the Witnesses were soon given up as futile. However, many judges, prosecutors, wardens, prison guards, and even prison chaplains became more and more perturbed. One prosecutor was quoted as saying to parliament:

“Despite being a prosecutor, I do not believe in threats of punishment in this case. . . . Do we really, in this year of 1958, have to be encumbered with such remnants of witch-trials, as these really are, involving what otherwise are blameless persons? It is frightening that they must be mixed with the criminal clientele in our prisons. I must admit that the only time I feel ashamed of my profession as a prosecutor is when I am forced to demand that such persons be punished with a prison sentence.”

The Prisoners’ Prison

As more young men embraced the truth, more were put into prison. The prisons were crowded with criminals, and prison expenditures also ran high. Since our brothers had to be squeezed in here and there to serve their prison terms, the Correctional Administration took the extraordinary step of trying to have Jehovah’s Witnesses run their own prison.

 The construction was done by all the inmates, namely Jehovah’s Witnesses. They were left alone for 12 hours a day without prison guards. An official would come from time to time with food and work supplies. Occasionally, an official would appoint two brothers as guards, thus having prisoners guard prisoners. They could hold all meetings and receive visitors all day every Sunday. Witnessing was done by letter. This “prisoners’ prison” was reported in mass media as a ludicrous experiment. The brothers ran it perfectly, however. No escapes or escape attempts occurred.

A Remedy Takes Shape

Gradually, members of parliament and other government officials saw the need for a change of policy. As officials were contacted by the brothers and other sympathetic persons asking for a remedy, attention was drawn to the situation.

One brother who did house painting for a member of the government brought the matter up to him. Later, this person had the brother help him figure out the State’s costs for keeping the Witnesses in prison. Surprised with the results, he promised to show the figures to his colleagues. Also, a tailor in Stockholm had members of parliament as clients, and he would often remind them of the situation, urging them to do something to correct the problem.

In January 1964 the minister of defense formed a committee to propose an amended law. Two representatives of the Society’s branch office were called before the committee to suggest a substitute for compulsory service. However, instead of following the suggestion to free us from any kind of service, the committee proposed the following, according to their official report: “Therefore, it is the opinion of the committee that it should be seriously considered to . . . temporarily declare Jehovah’s Witnesses as unfit, according to the same rules as are applied to certain alcoholics or asocial individuals.”

 Clergy on Our Side for a Change

Comparing us with “certain alcoholics and asocial individuals” awoke people’s indignation, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were known as decent and law-abiding citizens. Even church authorities protested. A newspaper quoted the diocese chapter of Härnösand as saying:

“Rightly, the committee regards it an unsatisfactory solution to meet [the Witnesses’] conviction with prison punishment. But because the treatment of this part of the problem ends with a recommendation to put young men who belong to Jehovah’s Witnesses in the same category as asocial persons and alcoholics, the committee is failing in the facts of the matter and in respect for human dignity.” This classification reminded us of Jesus, who was wrongly classified among similar people.​—Matt. 11:19.

The Final Decision

On May 25, 1966, parliament decided that a separate investigation should be made in every case of a conscientious objector who was a Witness. From this investigation, the government would decide not to call him up at present for military service. This victory after years of perseverance was received with great joy. The brothers could now go ahead preaching the good news uninterrupted.

A telegram was sent to the Society’s headquarters in Brooklyn, U.S.A. A Swedish couple, who were attending a large convention in Baltimore at that time, were excited to hear Brother F. W. Franz, then the vice president of the Society, read the telegram to the audience. “He commended the Swedish authorities and called Sweden a model country,” they recall.

The Swedish Model

The procedure defined by the Swedish government has been called the Swedish model by authorities in other  countries, who have used it as a reference when trying to work out similar solutions. What exactly is that procedure?

Each one called up must obtain a certificate from elders in his congregation testifying that he is baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and a regular publisher associating with the congregation. The Society’s branch office verifies that the signatures are those of the appointed elders. The draftee submits this certificate and a personally written request for exclusion from conscription to his draft board, which grants exemption from military service for the time being. A similar procedure has been used for some sisters called up for civil defense duty.

Renewed Attempts to Seek Compromise

After this decision was made by parliament, attempts have been made to have us substitute compulsory work for military service. In the early 1970’s, a governmental committee was appointed to review the handling of conscientious objectors. For the sake of uniformity, the authorities wanted Jehovah’s Witnesses to serve on terms similar to those for other religious groups and do compulsory work as a substitute.

Representatives of the branch office appeared before the committee, explaining that the Witnesses could not accept any substitute for military service whatsoever, no matter how praiseworthy the task. They showed that Jehovah’s Witnesses already do a form of social work in their house-to-house ministry, helping people clean up their lives and become decent, law-abiding citizens. Then one of the committee members came up with a most surprising idea.

He wondered if we would agree to engage in that house-to-house ministry on a full-time basis within our own congregations for a period​—corresponding to that of compulsory service—​and report this to the authorities as a  substitute. The brothers explained that our service to God can never be compulsory or a State affair. Finally, the committee suggested retaining the 1966 decision, concluding in its final report: “According to the committee’s opinion, there do not exist, at the present, other religious groups in our country that can be compared with Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

Leaving the Church by the Thousands

The Witnesses in Sweden not only have firmly safeguarded their neutrality in political affairs but also have loyally heeded the command at Revelation 18:4 to get out of Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion. In connection with this, January 1, 1952, was a memorable date. A new law governing religious freedom came into force; it granted all Swedish citizens the right to leave the State Church without having to join another religious body recognized by the government.

The procedure was simply to fill out a form or write on a sheet of paper the desire to withdraw from church membership, have someone witness your signature, and leave the document at the parish priests’ office, where the withdrawal was to be registered without objection, queries, or discussion.

Swedes in general did not take advantage of this opportunity, mostly because of indifference. Jehovah’s Witnesses, however, delivered their form to the church as soon as possible. All 5,000 Witnesses at that time withdrew as one man. Many priests were astounded and could not keep from asking questions. A few months later, the branch reported:

“Their visits to the parish priests’ offices in this matter did afford these witnesses many fine occasions to witness to the Kingdom. In several cases the priests procured literature and even attended studies as a result of these interviews in order to find out more about our beliefs. The Bible tracts which appeared in Swedish just at that time came in very handy in  this connection. One priest got so interested that the old sister, who constitutes the company [congregation] in that village, has had weekly studies with him in the book ‘Let God Be True’ ever since; and he told a visiting pioneer brother that he was glad that she is calling regularly and keeping him at it.”

Radio Not for Jehovah’s Witnesses

Radio in Sweden has been a State monopoly since broadcasting began. The monopoly means that a board, representing the State, has full control of radio (and now also TV) broadcasting. As Sweden is a democratically governed country where religious discrimination is considered illegal, we have made efforts to get broadcasting time.

In 1953 a pastor gave a 30-minute radio talk in order to “unmask” Jehovah’s Witnesses, without giving us a chance to comment. Afterward two brothers were sent to the head of the department for religious programs, a State Church priest, to ask for permission to broadcast a reply program. One of the brothers recalls:

“He bluntly told us: ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses will never be allowed to broadcast on Radio Sweden. We don’t consider you Christians.’ ‘Why not?’ we asked. ‘You don’t believe in the Trinity. That’s it! By the way, I have heard that you quote the Bible falsely in your literature.’ ‘Any example?’ we asked. ‘I have one of your books here in my bookshelf. Let me show you.’ He pulled out the English edition of ‘Make Sure of All Things’ (a book filled with Bible quotations) and a Bible in English. He began to compare them word for word, continuing for several minutes. Not finding any deviations, he rose and said: ‘Anyway, only Christians are allowed to broadcast,’ and showed us out.”

An Attempt to “Unmask” Backfired

In October 1976 a Radio Sweden official invited us to take part in a series of three programs that, he said, would inform  people about us. We accepted after being promised that we would be treated impartially. The programs were to be based on recorded parts of our meetings and on interviews.

While recording, it became obvious to the brothers that the programs were intended as an attack on the Witnesses. The interviewed brothers were showered with biting, provocative questions. However, they answered calmly and factually. The tapes were then edited by the official so the programs would give the worst possible impression.

After the broadcast, the branch office received letters and telephone calls from listeners throughout the country, remarking that they noticed the difference between the Witnesses and their attackers and that the ring of truth sounded through. Incidentally, in November 1976, the month after the broadcast, we noted a new peak of 16,693 publishers of the good news in Sweden! We realized the truth in the Scripture: “Any weapon whatever that will be formed against you will have no success.”​—Isa. 54:17.

Need for a New Branch

During the 1940’s, the number of publishers had more than doubled, from 1,726 in 1940 to 3,702 in 1949. A report in 1949 announced prospects for future increase: “From almost every company, the circuit servants are reporting that there is more interest in the field than the local publishers can take care of.”

They also needed to print the magazines themselves. By 1950 the combined circulation of the two magazines had reached 123,000 copies a month. Printing was still being done by a secular company. The branch office only had room in the cellar for a small hand-fed Diegel press and a job press for printing smaller items. So a more spacious facility was greatly needed. The search for a suitable new place began.

 Resolute Action

Lennart Thunberg, an architect, recalls: “We found some interesting places in the center of Stockholm. In addition, the community in Jakobsberg, some 20 kilometers [12 miles] northwest of the city, offered us two adjacent lots. However, we could not dream of moving outside the city after 25 years right in its center.

“We discussed the matter with Brother Knorr, the then president of the Society, during his visit to Sweden in 1951. Brother Eneroth and I recommended some places in the city center. But Brother Knorr, having other prospects in view, asked for something outside Stockholm. We mumbled about the lots in Jakobsberg. ‘Go ahead and buy them!’ he said resolutely.

“Just as the national assembly at Eriksdalshallen in Stockholm was in progress, Brother Knorr wanted to have the contract signed immediately in order to make an announcement. I rushed out to Jakobsberg and, after hours of searching,  found the owners of the two lots, had them sign the contract, rushed back to the assembly, and informed Brother Knorr, who confidently announced the project to the joyful and enthusiastic delegates.”

Soon construction work was in full swing. Brother Thunberg continues: “Brothers from all over Sweden supported us by sending sacks of potatoes, newly slaughtered calves, fruit, berries, and many other food supplies. Financially it worked out well too. The company that bought the old place paid cash. The bank that the Society had used for many years granted us credit without security because of the Society’s good reputation. Many brothers also lent the branch money and contributed generously. One sister even sold her business to contribute.”

March 31, 1954, was a historic day, as the new Bethel Home opened in Jakobsberg. The branch family moved from a cramped area of 10,000 square feet [900 sq m] to brand-new facilities covering 38,700 [3,600 sq m] square feet, with plenty of room for modern printing equipment. Starting with the issues of May 15 and July 8, 1954, they printed their own editions of the Watchtower and Awake! magazines. It turned out that this place would serve Kingdom interests in Sweden for 26 years.

A Foreign Territory Develops

After World War II, a new territory developed. Guest workers and their families from different countries, primarily from Finland and southern Europe, streamed in and settled. Thousands of refugees from all around the earth also joined Swedish society. Thus, a new foreign population of hundreds of thousands of people, speaking about a hundred languages, was ripe for receiving the good news.

To begin with, the publishers were advised to try to find out the householders’ nationality and obtain a publication in  their language to place with them. Those who showed interest would gradually be integrated into the Swedish-speaking congregations. This did not work well in practice. Since many foreigners hesitated to come to the congregations, little progress was made.

In 1970 a change was brought about. During his zone visit, Brother Milton Henschel, from Brooklyn headquarters, recommended that these foreign-language brothers be organized into groups and congregations in their own language. He said that a person will grow quicker spiritually and get a deeper understanding of the truth when studying it in the language he knows best.

Foreign-Language Congregations

In December of that same year, the first foreign-language congregation, the Göteborg Finnish Congregation, was formed. Soon, another one followed in Stockholm. A circuit overseer who assisted in organizing this congregation reported:

“The enthusiasm and joy among the Finnish brothers is running high. From all over, Finnish-speaking brothers and sisters have come forth and, almost overnight, grown into a large, lively congregation. It is as if a warm rain has fallen upon a dry field.” More Finnish-speaking congregations sprang up, until by 1990 there were 33 of them, as well as 12 groups. They were organized into three circuits, embracing over 1,700 publishers and 119 pioneers.

Work soon continued with other language groups. In 1971 a circuit overseer held a “testing-the-interest” meeting for Spanish-speaking persons in Stockholm. Fifty-six came. What has happened since then? Lars-Erik Eriksson at the branch office, who is helping out in organizing the work in the foreign territory, reports: “We now have seven Spanish-speaking  congregations plus seven groups. Besides Finnish and Spanish congregations and groups, we have one Italian, four Yugoslavian, three Greek, and three English congregations, plus several groups holding meetings in Yugoslavian, Greek, English, Arabic, and Turkish. Plans to organize a fourth English congregation, three Polish groups, and one French group are also under way. Thus, over 2,700 persons have been found in these foreign territories and brought together in 50 congregations and 28 groups.”

Hunger for the Truth

The following experiences show what a blessing this work among immigrant residents has been to many. Celo Pertot, of Italian origin, who for years has been working with foreign-language congregations, relates:

“A Swedish sister asked me to help her visit some Italian families. I hesitated because I had already been there, and they seemed not the least bit interested. I reluctantly went along. We met a woman I had not seen before. As the sister introduced us in Swedish, the lady began to close the door. Quickly I said in Italian: ‘We talk about the hope God’s Kingdom gives us.’ She began to listen. When we visited her again, she said: ‘Just before your first visit, I had planned to commit suicide. I had prayed to God: “If you exist, why have I lost faith in you, and why do I find life so meaningless?”’ Well, through a home Bible study, she found the real meaning of life. For many years now, she has served as a pioneer, zealous and full of life.”

One woman, before moving to Sweden, had studied with Jehovah’s Witnesses for a time in Chile and was told to look up the Witnesses as soon as she arrived. She tried but without success. One day she happened to leaf through a friend’s telephone notebook and found it in such a mess that she began to sort it out. And guess what she found! The name  of a woman scribbled twice on a page, followed by the notation, “estudio de la Biblia” (Bible study). “That must be a Witness,” she thought, and excitedly called the number. It was a Witness! That same evening she attended a book study group in Spanish. She is now a happy, baptized publisher.

One of the traveling overseers met a Spanish woman at a door. As he could speak Spanish, he invited her to a discourse and began witnessing to her. She became so absorbed in the conversation that she forgot the telephone, which she had left off the hook. Her husband, at the other end at his place of work, waited with growing fury. The phone was blocked, and his boss needed to use it. In desperation he went home and became doubly furious when he found out who the visitor had been. Despite this incident, his wife went to the meeting and continued to attend meetings and eventually was joined by her husband. Nine members of that family became baptized Witnesses.

Witnessing Among the Lapps

Preaching among the Lapps, some of whom still live a nomadic life with their reindeer flocks in the snowy North, is a unique experience at times. After having entered the home of a Lapp and having greeted him, do not expect to start a conversation until after a period of silence. Gradually, you may begin to talk about the weather. As you finally direct the conversation to Scriptural things, you may reach a critical boundary.

Some Lapps regard the Bible so holy that they consider most people unworthy to read it. Gustav Kemi, an elder who is a Lapp himself, relates: “When talking to Lapps, especially to older ones, you almost get the impression that they think you should not even talk about the Bible. One elderly Lapp woman said bluntly that “one ought to cry tears of blood before one is worthy enough to open the Bible.” Another  Lapp told a child who wanted to look into the Bible: ‛No, no. The Bible is too holy for children.’”

Several Lapps have, however, responded to Bible truths and have taken their stand for Jehovah, although sometimes at a snail’s pace. One Lapp obtained the book Salvation in the early 1940’s. He studied it and took it to heart but kept silent about it for some ten years. Then he visited another Lapp who was a Witness. He wondered why Jehovah’s Witnesses do not smoke or take snuff. He was satisfied with the answer; the next time he met the Witness, he happily said: “Now I have quit taking snuff. My children have hidden all my snuffboxes.” He was baptized shortly after that.

Theocratic Marriage Ceremonies, a Step Forward

Jehovah’s Witnesses have always worked at “legally establishing” the good news. (Phil. 1:7) Since marriage is a divine arrangement, Witness ministers want to conduct Christian marriage ceremonies. Prior to March 19, 1981, however, couples who were Jehovah’s Witnesses could be married only by a secular registrar. Since then, appointed congregation overseers, personally authorized by the government, may conduct marriage ceremonies in Kingdom Halls.

To be authorized, these overseers must attend a course for registrars. Guided by the world headquarters, the branch supplied this course, containing marriage code laws, the law of names, population registration regulations, the criminal code where applicable, and other related details. The overseers’ knowledge and qualifications are then tested by the president of their local district court. On his recommendation, the government makes appointments.

Many non-Witness relatives visit the Kingdom Halls to attend wedding ceremonies, and they receive a good witness as a result, even good advice on marriage duties and privileges. Some couples who got married before this arrangement  humorously say they would like to be remarried under this theocratic arrangement.

“Beautiful, joyful, and filled with humor and warmth,” a news reporter described a ceremony in a Kingdom Hall, continuing: “A theocratic marriage is neither as strictly formalistic and filled with ceremonies as in the State Church, nor as bombastic. It is intended to be a joyful event without losing its dignity.”

Sweden’s Third Branch Committee Coordinator

In 1975 Brother Eneroth, the second Branch Committee coordinator, who was then 83 years old, could look back over his 50 years of faithful service in that capacity. How the Kingdom work grew during those years​—from about 250 publishers in 1925 to 16,000 then! With a glow of joy and warm satisfaction in his heart, he realized that the time had arrived for another brother to care for the responsibility. After having assisted Brother Eneroth for years, Brother  Bengt Hanson was appointed to take care of coordinator responsibilities.

Asked to relate some of his theocratic history, Brother Hanson recalls: “At 16 years of age, I moved from my father’s farm to a nearby town, where a Bible study was started with some of my brothers and sisters and me. I began to attend meetings. I soon realized what this would mean, namely, reading aloud, leading in prayer, and giving talks before an audience. This was to become a real test for me, since I had great problems in reading aloud and performing in class at school. Love for Jehovah and a fervent desire to devote myself completely to full-time service was of great help. But, I must admit, I was deeply grieved at my handicap. I almost panicked when asked to speak extemporaneously.

“Then, I did something that would be of great importance to me in my life ahead. In despair at my handicap, I prayed to Jehovah and thanked him for opening up my heart to the truth, and I promised to devote my life to his service even, if necessary, unto death. I promised never to withdraw.

“Why did this prayer become so decisive in my life? Because, whenever I have been scared, I have always been able to refer back to it. This has helped me to stick to my duties. So, when looking back over the 40 years since I said that prayer, I must say that Jehovah has​—at times in an almost humorous way—​let me realize what it all involved.

“From then on, I was almost thrown into one assignment after another, requiring full confidence in Jehovah. At the age of 18, half a year after my baptism, I was assigned to give public talks. Within a year, I became a pioneer. Eight months later, I was called to Bethel. Then I was sent out into the circuit work, even though only 22 years old. At the age of 30, I was assigned to district work, but before I got started,  my wife, Ulla, and I were invited to attend the first ten-month course at Gilead School in Brooklyn, in 1961. We were then assigned to work at Bethel in Sweden. We are still here, happily serving Jehovah with all our strength.

“Some may wonder if I ever got rid of that original handicap. Well, I don’t want to say I have, even if I believe that I am doing better now. I feel that the Lord’s words to Paul at 2 Corinthians 12:9 also apply to me: ‘My undeserved kindness is sufficient for you; for my power is being made perfect in weakness.’”

Arboga​—The Place for a New Center

On September 8, 1978, a strong and eager brother with a chain saw cut down the first tree in a stony woodland area on the outskirts of Arboga. Why? To clear the site for a new center of Kingdom work! This marked the end of a long period of planning and negotiation and the beginning of the construction of a building complex that would become, as a newspaper reporter put it, “the most outstanding and biggest ever built by volunteer workers in this country.”

The Bethel family had already outgrown the 26-year-old branch complex in Jakobsberg some years earlier. After many and frequent prayers, as well as two years of searching for a suitable place, we decided to build in Arboga, which is strategically situated close to the busy European Highway 3 between Sweden’s two largest cities, Stockholm and Göteborg.

A Unique Building Project

During the next two and a half years, some 5,000 volunteers from Sweden and neighboring countries worked on the site free of charge for shorter or longer periods. Normally, building workers do not live in a comfortable hotel while working, but the Society had bought an old hotel  with apartments and rooms in town, which were renovated and then used as living quarters for the volunteer workers. After the project was completed, the hotel was sold.

Construction work was a joyful task. But it had some problems. “We will never forget that first winter,” Gunnar Heinstedt, one of the organizers, says, continuing: “It was considered one of the coldest winters of the century. During some periods, while we were preparing the foundations, the temperature went down to minus 30 degrees Celsius (-22° F.). The ground was as hard as flint. We had to cover large parts of the site with tarpaulins and blow hot air underneath, using oil drums as heaters. Bravely we carried on! It was one of the most joyful experiences in my 35-year career as an architect and builder.”

New Facilities Greatly Appreciated

Although December 23, 1980, was one of the darkest days of the whole year in Arboga​—the sun rose at 8:55 in the morning and set at 2:50 in the afternoon—​it was the brightest and happiest of all the days of the building period. The new branch was dedicated to Jehovah God on that day! Brother Milton Henschel of the Governing Body gave the dedication talk, encouraging the brothers to continue wholeheartedly doing the will of God while using the new building.

One member of the Bethel family said: “On the day we left the cramped branch facilities in Jakobsberg and moved over to this brand-new spacious Bethel complex, we felt like calves being let loose in the spring.” Its 215,000 square feet [20,000 sq m] of floor space and its 30 acres [12 ha] of wooded grounds and gardens gave the family a welcome feeling of openness and tranquillity. The beautiful park, recreation facility, fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and lovely flower beds created a wholesome environment for the full-time workers, spurring them on to greater activity.

 New Presses Speed Up the Work

The new factory allowed the brothers to use better and more-effective printing equipment. They switched from the old, slow presses to the M.A.N. converted rotary offset press from Brooklyn. It served for over five years but then was replaced by a four-color press in May 1989. An identical press was installed the following year. In 1990 monthly production reached almost 800,000 copies of the two magazines in Swedish and Norwegian. Inge Olofsson, factory overseer and member of the Branch Committee, says:

“Our first press, a foot-operated, hand-fed Diegel from the 1940’s, stands in a corner at the new branch like a museum piece as a reminder of the wonderful development of the work we have witnessed throughout the years. It reminds us of what Jesus said: ‘The things impossible with men are possible with God.’”​—Luke 18:27.

Fine Growth of Kingdom Interests

When one reflects on the nearly century-long Kingdom effort in Sweden, the many obstacles experienced along the way are evident, such as growing materialism, religious indifference and atheism, public opposition and ridicule, and the characteristic reserved nature of Swedes in general. Despite all such things, Jehovah’s Witnesses, because of their love for neighbor and love for God, pushed forward with the good news into every nook and cranny. Many people are still impressed by the wonderful message that the Witnesses are bringing them.

Erik Nordström, a district overseer, remembers: “My wife and I started out in the traveling service 37 years ago, and we have visited more than 300 congregations in Sweden several times over in the circuit and district work. We have traveled over 124,000 miles [200,000 km] throughout this long and narrow country. Neither the cold weather and blizzards of the North, beyond the Arctic Circle, nor the sun and heat of the South could stop us.

 “Yes, after 45 years of full-time service, we can look back on a thrilling time of spiritual progress in Sweden. Contrary to what the old world has experienced, the theocratic society has always moved forward.”

“The Kingdom interests are firmly established in every part of this country,” says Rune Grahn, overseer of the branch Service Department. He reports: “We now have 338 congregations scattered all over the country​—from the southernmost tip to far beyond the Arctic Circle into the land of the midnight sun. We have 15 Swedish circuits and 8 in foreign languages, assembling regularly in four Assembly Halls, geographically covering the whole country. We had a  peak of 22,742 publishers of the Kingdom in August 1990, of whom almost 1,700 were regular pioneers. There were 38,339 in attendance at the Memorial in 1990, promising further increase as long as Jehovah allows us to continue with this work.”

Step by step, the work in Sweden has progressed over the years. The brothers and sisters have shown stamina, faith,  and endurance. Loyally and eagerly they continue to obey the wishes of their heavenly Father as expressed through his earthly organization. Therefore, they look to the future with confidence for Jehovah’s continued blessing. They keep praying that they will remain loyal to our God, who is doing such wondrous things in Sweden as well as in more than 200 other lands. “For you are great and are doing wondrous things; you are God, you alone.”​—Ps. 86:10.

[Chart on page 185]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Sweden 28,000

1950 4,460

1960 8,593

1970 11,696

1980 17,311

1990 22,742

Peak Publishers

4,000

1950 178

1960 314

1970 754

1980 1190

1990 2,724

Av. Pioneers

 [Box/​Map on page 116]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Atlantic Ocean

NORWAY

North Sea

DENMARK

Copenhagen

SWEDEN

Kiruna

Arctic Circle

Härnösand

Sundsvall

Uppsala

Arboga

Jakobsberg

Örebro

Grums

Stockholm

Göteborg

Malmö

Baltic Sea

FINLAND

[Box]

SWEDEN

Capital: Stockholm

Official Language: Swedish

Major Religion: Lutheran

Population: 8,574,698

Branch Office: Arboga

[Picture on page 118]

Restful havens abound during autumn days in Sweden

[Picture on page 129]

Rosa and Arthur Gustavsson, busy in Kingdom preaching together for 59 years

[Picture on page 136]

Overseers from northern European countries. From left to right: Taylor (Latvia), Eneroth (Sweden), Harteva (Finland), Dey (general overseer), Lüttichau (Denmark), Öman (Norway), West (Estonia)

[Picture on page 137]

Johan H. Eneroth became branch overseer in 1925

[Picture on page 139]

William Dey became overseer of the Society’s new Northern European Office in 1925

[Picture on page 140]

Branch office, Luntmakaregatan 94, Stockholm, was bought in 1929. It served the Kingdom interests for 25 years

[Picture on page 141]

The good news traveled deep into the forests of northern Sweden

[Pictures on page 143]

All ready for a Sunday of preaching outside Stockholm

A group from Lulea will soon board the car to go preaching just south of the Arctic Circle

[Picture on page 145]

Asta and Axel Richardson served in the province of Jämtland during 1936

[Picture on page 147]

The early Witnesses in Hjo used a minibus to cover a territory of 1,900 square miles [5,000 sq km]

[Picture on page 150]

Never too young to serve the Kingdom

[Picture on page 155]

Portable phonographs were used to broadcast the good news. Why could they be called “Aaron 2”?

 [Pictures on page 160]

Young publishers of the good news with their mother in Värnamo, 1946

Sandwich men advertising a public meeting in Stockholm

[Picture on page 170]

Branch office was in Jakobsberg from 1954 to 1980

 [Pictures on page 176, 177]

 Branch office and Bethel Home in Arboga was dedicated December 23, 1980. The Society’s president, F. W. Franz, in white hard hat, visited building site shortly before completion of branch

[Picture on page 178]

Branch Committee. From left to right, Åke Carlsson, Rune Grahn, Bengt Hanson, and Inge Olofsson

[Pictures on page 183]

New press replaces older M.A.N. rotary press. New press prints Bible publications in full color

[Pictures on page 184]

Witnessing to fishermen at Djupvik on the island of Gotland and in a backyard in Ystad, a small city in the south