Mu 1870, gulu locepa la anthu mumzinda wa Pittsburgh (Allegheny) ku Pennsylvania, U.S.A, linayamba kufufuza Malemba. Anthu amenewa anali kutsogoleledwa ndi Charles Taze Russell. Iwo anaphunzila nkhani yokhudza dipo la Kristu, ndipo mosataya nthawi anazindikila kufunika kwa dipo limenelo pokwanilitsa cifunilo ca Yehova. Iwo anasangalala kwambili pamene anadziŵa kuti dipo limatsegula mwai wopulumutsidwa ngakhale kwa anthu amene sanamvepo za Yesu. Zimenezi zinawasonkhezela kuyamba kukumbukila imfa ya Yesu caka ciliconse.—1 Akor. 11:23-26.

M’kupita kwa nthawi, M’bale Russell anayamba kufalitsa magazini yochedwa Zion’s Watch Tower. Magaziniwo anali kuphunzitsa kwambili kuti dipo ndi njila yaikulu imene Mulungu anatisonyezela cikondi. Magazini ya Watch Tower inacha cikumbutso ca imfa ya Kristu kuti “nyengo yabwino koposa.” Inalimbikitsanso onse amene anali kuiŵelenga kuti ayenela kucita cikumbutso cimeneco ku Pittsburgh kapena kwina kulikonse kumene angakumane m’timagulu. “Ngakhale kuti pamalo amenewo pangapezeke anthu aŵili kapena atatu acikhulupililo cimodzi,” mwinanso munthu mmodzi, Ambuye adzakhala pamenepo.”

Ciŵelengelo ca anthu opezeka pa Cikumbutso ku Pittsburgh cinali kukwela caka ciliconse. Kapepala koitanila anthu ku mwambowo kanali ndi mau akuti: “Anthu amene amakukondani adzakulandilani kuno.” Ndipo zimenezi zinalidi zoona, cifukwa Ophunzila Baibulo a kumeneko modzipeleka anasunga ndi kudyetsa abale ndi alongo ao akuuzimu. Mu 1886, “Msonkhano waukulu” unakhala masiku ambili pa nyengo ya Cikumbutso. Magazini ya Watch Tower inalimbikitsa kuti: “Bwelani pokhala kuti mitima yanu ndi yosefukila ndi cikondi ca Ambuye, ca abale ake, ndi coonadi cake.”

Kwa zaka zambili, Ophunzila Baibulo a ku Pittsburgh anali kucita misonkhano yacigawo ya okhulupilila dipo amene anali kubwela ku Cikumbutso. Pamene ophunzila Baibulo anali kuculuka, ciŵelengelo ca malo komanso anthu ofika pa Cikumbutso cinali kukwelanso. M’bale Ray Bopp wa ku mpingo wa Chicago anakamba kuti m’zaka za m’ma 1910, kuyendetsa zizindikilo pa cikumbutso kunali kutenga maola ambili cifukwa pafupifupi anthu onse ofika pa mwambowo anali kudya zizindikilozo.

Kodi anali kugwilitsila nchito zizindikilo zotani? Ngakhale kuti anali kudziŵa kuti Yesu anagwilitsila nchito vinyo pa Cakudya ca Madzulo ca Ambuye, magazini ya Watch Tower inali kulimbikitsa kugwilitsila nchito juwisi weniweni wopangidwa kucokela ku mphesa zongokolola kumene kapena zouma, poopela kuti amene ali ndi “cifooko cakumwa mowa” asaikidwe pa ciyeso. Komabe, vinyo unali kupelekedwa kwa anthu amene anali kuona kuti “vinyo woŵila ndi umene unali kufunika kugwilitsilidwa nchito.” M’kupita kwa nthawi, ophunzila Baibulo anaona kuti vinyo weniweni wofiila wosasukuluka ndi umene uyenela kugwilitsilidwa nchito monga cizindikilo ca magazi a Yesu.

Mwambo wokumbukila imfa ya Yesu unali kupeleka  mwai wosinkhasinkha mwakuya pa zimene zinacitika. M’mipingo ina, anthu anali kulila pa mwambowu, ndipo mwambowu ukatha, onse anali kucoka popanda kunena ciliconse. Koma buku locedwa Jehovah la mu 1934, linakamba kuti Cikumbutso siciyenela kucitidwa ndi “mitima yacisoni” cifukwa coganizila imfa yowawa ya Yesu, koma ciyenela kucitidwa ndi “mitima yacisangalalo” podziŵa kuti iye akulamulila kuyambila mu 1914.

Mu 1935, panali kusintha kwakukulu kumene kunakhudza mmene Cikumbutso cinayenela kucitidwila mtsogolo, popeza tanthauzo la “khamu lalikulu” lochulidwa pa Chivumbulutso 7:9, linafotokozedwa momvekela bwino. Cakaco cisanafike, atumiki a Yehova anali kuona kuti khamu lalikulu ndi gulu la Akristu odzipeleka amene si acangu kwambili. Komabe, panthawiyo, khamu lalikulu linadziŵidwa kuti ndi olambila okhulupilika amene ali ndi ciyembekezo codzakhala padziko lapansi la paladaiso. Pambuyo poti m’bale Russell Poggensee wamvetsa bwino mfundo imeneyi, ndipo wazipenda mosamalitsa, iye anavomeleza kuti: “Yehova kupyolela mwa mzimu wake woyela sanandipatse ciyembekezo ca moyo wakumwamba.” M’bale Poggensee komanso abale ena ambili okhulupilika monga iye, analeka kudya zizindikilo, koma anapitiliza kupezeka pa Cikumbutso.

Mkati mwa “nyengo yabwino koposa” imeneyi, panali kucitika makampeni apadela, omwe anali kupatsa anthu mwai woonetsa ciyamikilo cao kaamba ka dipo. Mu 1932, Bulletin inati Akristu sayenela kukhala “Oyela Mtima a pa Cikumbutso,” omwe anali kudya zizindikilo koma n’kulephela kukhala “anchito enieni” olalikila uthenga wa coonadi. Mu 1934, Bulletin inalengeza kuti pakufunika apainiya othandiza pamene inati: “Kodi pangapezeke anthu 1,000 amene angalembetse podzafika nthawi ya Cikumbutso?” Ponena za odzozedwa, Informant inati: “Cimwemwe cao cidzakhala cokwanila kokha ngati agwila nchito yocitila umboni za Ufumu.” M’kupita kwa nthawi, zimenezi zinakhudzanso Akristu okhala ndi ciyembekezo ca padziko lapansi. *

Anthu onse a Yehova amaona kuti Cikumbutso ndi cocitika capadela pacaka. Iwo amacita mwambo umenewo ngakhale zinthu zivute bwanji. Mu 1930, Pearl English ndi mlongo wake Ora, anayenda makilomita 80 kuti akapezeke pa Cikumbutso. Pamene M’bale Harold King anali m’ndende m’dziko la China, iye analemba ndakatulo ndi nyimbo zokhudza Cikumbutso, ndipo anapanga vinyo pogwilitsila nchito tuzipatso tina tofanana ndi mphesa tochedwa black currants, ndipo anapanga mkate pogwilitsila nchito mpunga. Kucokela kum’mawa kwa Ulaya, ku dela la pakati pa America, mpaka kufika ku Africa, Akristu olimba mtima akhala akucitabe mwambo wokumbukila imfa ya Yesu ngakhale panthawi za nkhondo kapena ziletso. Kaya timakhala kuti kapena tikukumana ndi mavuto otani, timasonkhanabe pamodzi kuti tilemekeze Yehova Mulungu ndi Yesu Kristu pa nyengo yabwino koposa ya Cikumbutso.