“GORE idzva rinotanga paine kurwisana, mhirizhonga uye kuurayana,” yakadaro Nharireyomurindi yeChirungu yaJanuary 1, 1917. Hondo Yenyika 1, iyo yakaurayisa vanhu vakawanda uye yaizivikanwa nevakawanda seHondo Huru, yakaramba ichitsviriridza muEurope.

Kunyange zvazvo Vadzidzi veBhaibheri vakanga vasati vava kunyatsonzwisisa zvazvinoreva kuti vaKristu vechokwadi vasapindira mune zvematongerwo enyika, vakawanda vavo vakaita zvakanaka kuti vasava nemhosva yeropa. Semuenzaniso, mumwe  mukomana ainzi Stanley Willis wekuEngland uyo aiva nemakore 19, akanga akatsunga kusava nedivi raaitsigira. Asati amiswa pamberi pedare pamusana pezvaaitenda, akanyora kuti: “Ndinotoiona seropafadzo yakakura kuwana mukana wakadai wekupa uchapupu. Mukuru wemauto andiudza mangwanani ano kuti ndichanzi ndipfeke yunifomu yechiuto, asi kana ndikaramba, ndichanotongwa kudare rinotongerwa mauto.”

Stanley paakaramba, akatongerwa kugara mujeri achishanda zvakaoma. Pasinei naizvozvo, akaramba aine mafungiro akanaka. Papera mwedzi miviri akazonyora kuti: “‘Mweya wesimba’ watinopiwa neChokwadi, unoita kuti munhu akwanise kutsungirira . . . zvinhu zvinonyanya kuomera vamwe kuti vatsungirire.” Akashandisa nguva yaaiva mujeri nekuchenjera uye akati: “Chimwe chezvikomborero zvikuru zvandakawana kubva pamiedzo iyi yandichangobva kusangana nayo ndechekuva nenguva yakati wandei yekunyengetera, kufungisisa uye kudzidza.”

Pasina nguva, United States yakapindirawo muhondo yacho zviri pamutemo. Mumashoko aakataura pamusangano weUnited States Congress musi wa2 April 1917, purezidhendi Woodrow Wilson akaudza vanhu kuti vabvumirane nechisarudzo chekuti United States iende kunorwisa Germany. Papera mazuva mana, United States yakabva yatanga kurwisa muhondo yacho. Nekukurumidza, vaKristu vechokwadi muUnited States vakatanga kumanikidzwa kuti vapindire mune zvematongerwo enyika.

Kuti iwane masoja aidiwa nekukurumidza, United States yakagadza mutemo wainzi Selective Service Act muna May. Papera mwedzi, vakabva vagadza mumwe wainzi Espionage Act. Wekutanga waibvumira hurumende yeU.S. kuti imanikidze zviuru zvevarume kuenda kuhondo, uye wechipiri waiti yaiva mhosva kuramba kuenda kuhondo. Pasina nguva, vanhu vaivenga chokwadi vakashandisa mitemo iyi kuti ‘varonge kuti pave nedambudziko vachishandisa murau.’ Izvi zvakaita kuti vanamati vaJehovha vanoda rugare vatambudzwe.​—Pis. 94:20.

 Vadzidzi veBhaibheri havana kumboshamiswa nemhirizhonga yaikonzerwa nehondo iyi. Vakanga vava nemakumi emakore vachizivisa nezveuprofita hweBhaibheri hwaitaura nezvezviitiko izvozvo. Asi, vakawanda vakazoshamiswa nekusawirirana kwakangoerekana kwavapo pakati pevamwe vanhu vaJehovha.

Charles Taze Russell achangofa, dambudziko rakabva ratanga muUnited States. Nyaya yainetsa yaiva yekuti zvinhu zvaizofambiswa sei pakati pevashumiri vaJehovha. Hama Russell vakanga vanyoresa zviri pamutemo Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society muna 1884 uye vakashanda sapurezidhendi wesangano racho kusvikira pavakazofa muna October 1916. Joseph F. Rutherford paakatanga kutungamirira, vamwe varume vashoma vaizivikanwa musangano, kusanganisira 4 vaiva muboka revaitungamirira, vakaratidza kuti vaida kuva nemasimba akawedzerwa.

Varume 4 ava, nevamwe vakati kuti, havana kufarira nzira yaiitwa nayo zvinhu naHama Rutherford. Chimwe chakanetsa inyaya yaiva nechekuita nebasa raPaul S. L. Johnson, uyo akashanda semupilgrim, kana kuti mutariri anofambira.

Hama Russell vasati vafa, vakanga varonga kutumira Paul kuEngland semumwe wevamiririri vanofambira vesangano. Ari ikoko, Paul aifanira kuparidza mashoko akanaka, kushanyira ungano uye kuzopa mushumo webasa raiitwa mundima iyoyo. Paakasvika kuEngland muna November 1916, hama dzeko dzakamutambira nemaoko maviri. Zvinosuwisa kuti kurumbidzwa kwaakaitwa nevanhu kwakaita kuti atange kuzvikudza, akabva atanga kufunga kuti ndiye aifanira kutsiva Hama Russell.

Paul akaita zvemumusoro make ndokubvisa dzimwe hama nehanzvadzi dzaimupikisa dzaiva paBheteri rekuEngland. Akaedzawo kutora akaundi yekubhengi yesangano yaiva muLondon, ndokubva Hama Rutherford vamuti adzoke kuUnited States.

Paul akadzokera kuBrooklyn, asi pane kubvuma kutsiurwa, akaedza aedzazve kunyengetedza Hama Rutherford kuti vamubvumire kudzokera kuEngland kunopfuurira nebasa rake ikoko.  Achiona kuti zvirongwa zvake zvakundikana, Paul akabva aedza kunyengetedza hama dzaitungamirira uye 4 vavo vakamutsigira.

Vachityira kuti varume ava vaigona kuzoedza kutora mari yesangano yakanga iri muUnited States, sezvakanga zvamboedza kuitwa naPaul kuEngland, Hama Rutherford vakaita kuti varume ava vabve pautungamiriri. Mutemo weUnited States waiti mumwe nemumwe aizova muboka revanotungamirira aifanira kusarudzwa gore negore nevanhu vesangano racho. Asi pamusangano wepagore wakaitwa musi wa6 January 1917, vanhu vatatu chete ndivo vakasarudzwa kuti vave muboka revanotungamirira. Joseph F. Rutherford akasarudzwa kuti ave purezidhendi, Andrew N. Pierson semutevedzeri wapurezidhendi, uye William E. Van Amburgh semubati wehomwe. Hapana sarudzo dzakaitwa pane zvimwe zvinzvimbo 4 zvevatungamiriri zvakanga zvasara. Varume vaya 4 vaiva pazvinzvimbo izvi, vainge vakasarudzwa kare uye vamwe vanhu vaifunga kuti vaizoramba vari pazvinzvimbo izvozvo kusvikira vafa. Asi nekuti vakanga vasina kusarudzwa zvekare pamusangano wacho wepagore, maererano nemutemo vakanga vasisiri vatungamiriri. Saka muna July 1917, Hama Rutherford vakashandisa kodzero yavo kugadza vamwe varume vakatendeka kuti vatsive vaya vakanga vabviswa.

Sezvataizotarisira, vatungamiriri vacho 4 vakanga vadzingwa vakagumbuka ndokutanga kumira mira kuti vadzorerwe pazvinzvimbo zvavo. Asi vakakundikana. Vamwe Vadzidzi veBhaibheri vakavatsigira ndokutanga mamwe masangano, asi vakawanda vacho vakaramba vakatendeka, saka varume 4 ava havana kuzodzokera pazvinzvimbo zvekuva vatungamiriri.

Munguva iyi, Hama Rutherford nedzimwe hama dzainge dzakavimbika idzo dzaiva paBheteri dzakaramba dzichishanda kuti basa reUmambo rifambire mberi. Nhamba yevatariri vanofambira, avo vaimbonzi mapilgrim, yakawedzerwa kubva pa69 kusvika ku93. Nhamba yemacolporteur, kana kuti mapiyona  enguva dzose, yakawedzera kubva pa372 kusvika ku461. Uyezve ndipo pakatanga kugadzwa vaparidzi vanoita basa rakafanana neremapiyona ebetsero. Dzimwe ungano dzaiva nevaparidzi vaisvika 100 vaishingaira zvakadaro.

Musi wa17 July 1917, bhuku rinonzi, The Finished Mystery rakabudiswa. Pakazopera gore iroro makopi aivapo ebhuku racho akanga apera uye kambani yaiprinda mabhuku edu yakabva yakumbirwa kuti iprinde mamwe makopi 850 000. *

Kurongwazve kwebasa rakanga ratangwa naHama Russell paBheteri muna 1916 kwakazopera muna 1917. Muna December wegore iroro, Nharireyomurindi yeChirungu yakati: “Kurongwazve kwevashandi vepaBheteri . . . kwakapedzwa uye zvinhu zviri kufamba zvakanaka sezvinofanira kuitika musangano chero ripi zvaro rinenge richitungamirirwa zvakanaka . . . Vari kushanda paBheteri vanonzwisisa kuti kuvapo kwavo iropafadzo kwete kuti vanotova nekodzero yekuvapo.”

Muna September 1917, Nharireyomurindi yeChirungu yakati: “Kubva musi waJanuary 1 wegore rino, mabhuku ari kuprindwa ari kuwedzera kana tichienzanisa neaiprindwa muna 1916 . . . Izvi tinozviona seuchapupu hwakasimba hwekuti Ishe ari kukomborera basa riri kuitwa pano paBrooklyn.”

Vapikisi vakanga vabviswa musangano, uye zvakabuda musarudzo dzakaitwa neungano izvo zvakazobudiswa muNharireyomurindi yeChirungu, zvakaratidza kuti hama dzakawanda chaizvo dzaitsigira Hama Rutherford nevarume vakatendeka vaiva paBheteri. Asi kuedzwa kwevarume ava kwakanga kusati kwapera. Kunyange zvazvo gore ra1918 rakatanga zvakanaka, gore iroro ndiro raizova rakaoma kupfuura mamwe makore ese munhoroondo yevashumiri vaMwari yemazuva ano.