Proclaim to the World the GOOD NEWS OF THE WORLD TOMORROW
Box 111, Pasadena, Calif. 91109
Publishing: The PLAIN TRUTH a Magazine of UNDERSTANDING
Stockholm, Sweden
July 10, 1961
Dear Co-Workers with Christ:
Mrs. Armstrong and I are on our first trip through the Scandinavian countries—although I had been in Stockholm and Copenhagen before.
We are nearing the time when the door will open to reach these countries with Christ's Gospel and the last warning to God's people Israel—of which these nations form a part. One of our students in Ambassador College in England is from Sweden. We have hopes he will develop to be used, as others have in the German, Spanish and French languages, in broadcasting The WORLD TOMORROW in Swedish, as soon as radio time is available. And it appears it soon will be, on one of the world's most powerful stations.
We find, everywhere up in these countries that the Scandinavian edition of Reader's Digest are read by a very large percentage of the people. It will be available to us, as soon as we are ready.
Faster and faster, the living Jesus Christ is opening more and more doors for thundering HIS MESSAGE to all the nations of this world.
This is necessary. World conditions are developing faster and faster! Events are moving, now, at a fast clip toward the coming GIANT NEW WORLD POWER BLOC—the new UNITED EUROPE—the resurrection of the Roman Empire!
And remember!
WHEN this does become a reality—as a full political- military-religious Power, as well as economic—we shall then be VERY close to the END of this world, and the coming of Jesus Christ as KING of kings to rule the world. This terrifying new Power Bloc is to endure but a very short time!
Right now, the danger-spot POWDER KEG of the world is West Berlin! Mr. Khrushchev is now pressing this issue—fast, and HARD! In order to get a first-hand view of the situation in Berlin at the moment. I sent Garner Ted Armstrong and David Jon Hill, who is an Associate Editor of The Plain Truth, on a quick flight into Berlin three days ago. I have not had a report from them as yet— although Mrs. Armstrong remained awake until 1:00 a.m. for a long distance telephone call to Cologne, Germany, to talk to our son and be sure they arrived back into "free" country safely. All mothers will understand. But the main thing she was concerned about was his safety, and on being assured of that, she hung up and went to sleep.
You will read what they learned in Berlin in the September number of The Plain Truth. We were about a week too late to catch the August issue.
Today's newspapers over Europe are full of the BIG NEWS of Mr. Khrushchev's great 2-hour air show at Tushino Airdrome in Moscow yesterday. Russia has unveiled startling new secret supersonic jet bombers and giant helicopters. Half a million Russians gasped and marvelled at what they saw. Yuri Gagarin was there at Mr. Krushchev's side. The new giant bomber named the Bounder, is larger than America's B-52, faster than sound—and may soon be in scheduled passenger service, as well as military.
Papers in Europe are announcing that Russia is leaping ahead of America in aviation as far 35 she is in space.
More and more, this Russian propaganda is going over, and having a terrifying effect on western Europe. Mr. Khrushchev has just announced an increase in military power and the Kremlin budget for producing a vast army and vast military power. Russian prestige mounts. United States prestige is being sunk deeper in the mire. Western European nations have relied on United States power to hold Russia off. Russia is right on their very borders.
Today these nations are losing faith in American power to protect them. More and more the newspapers over here in Europe are filled with statements of the URGENCY of a UNITED EUROPE. Yesterday's Sunday Swedish and London newspapers carried feature stories quoting Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Selwyn Lloyd, to this effect. Actually, I do not expect the final political perfecting of the coming prophesied 10-nation United Europe for at least another 5 to 8 years. It will take some little time to work out all the thousands of intricate details. But it is developing—FAST!
Even 5 to 8 more years is mighty close! You may be sure that this Berlin crisis, now fast developing, and to come to a head by the end of this year, will have a decisive psychological effect on it!
Never before have I realized so much the urgency of getting on the air—or into Reader's Digest Scandinavian editions with our two- and three-page Messages—to reach the peoples of Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
You will find this next item hard to believe, but it's true! A mother of a 19-year-old son and 21-year-old daughter here in Stockholm said recently that she had been "rather annoyed" at coming downstairs of a morning and seeing a pretty and strange girl in a kimono in her kitchen. So, she said, she had asked her 19- year old son if he would not take his girl friends somewhere else for the night. She explained that her son respected her, and so he did as she requested.
"Do you mean to say," this mother was asked, "that it is now common practise here in Sweden for young unmarried men to bring their girl friends to their parents' homes to sleep with for the night?"
"Why, yes, this is more or less common practise," the "modern" mother replied. Premarital sex relations are more or less publicly condoned and encouraged here—it has become custom! Even surgical abortions are entirely legal—although they must be approved by authorized physicians. There are public bathing places here where men and women go in nude together.
Sweden is the most prosperous nation in the world—next to the United States—today. Their prosperity seems to be leading to a moral toboggan slide. The crime rate is high and mounting fast— especially juvenile crime! THIS WORLD IS ROTTEN, AND THE STENCH HAS REACHED TO GOD'S HIGH HEAVEN! Our Leader, CHRIST, is soon coming to CLEAN IT UP!
Co-Workers, TIME IS SHORT! Time is running out on us! We must step up the work faster and faster! The task MUST BE FINISHED —fast, and SOON! In directing it from human Headquarters, I can only go as fast as YOUR honest tithes and generous free-will offerings make possible. Faster and faster CHRIST is opening more doors!
In Ambassador College we have trained Mr. Erhard Klammer, a native born German, and Mr. Gerhard Marx, also German born, for the German work. Mr. Klammer broadcasts The World Tomorrow in German, now twice, and soon three times a week, over Radio Luxembourg—one of the two most powerful radio stations on earth. Mr. Marx, from Ambassador College in England, handles and answers the mail. A very heavy response is being received from all over Germany—even from East Germany.
Last week in Cologne and Hamburg, I questioned a number of German people, all of whom said they listen to Radio Luxembourg—in fact, a man in Cologne said it was the one most-listened-to station. His face lighted up when I mentioned "Die Welt von Morgan"—which is The WORLD TOMORROW in German. Oh yes, he listens to it, he said.
Mr. Dibar Apartian, Professor of French in the college at Pasadena, broadcasts the program to France in French over both Radio Luxembourg and Radio Europe No. One, twice every week. The response has been phenomenal! We never realized there would be such interest in God's Truth in France!
Dr. Benjamin Rea, now Principal of the College in England, broadcasts the program in Spanish to Latin America, with a consistent mail response.
Now I am hoping we can soon send it to these Scandinavian countries in their own languages.
Our son Garner Ted Armstrong arrived in England in time for the first graduation exercises there. Three—all transfers from Pasadena, since all British students are first-year—were graduated. The college in England has finished a VERY successful first year. Hundreds of new ministers, executives, and other workers are being developed in our two colleges! In every way GOD'S GREAT WORK IS MOVING FAST!
It is being slowed up by only one thing—insufficiency of needed funds to carry it faster! THAT, dear Co-Workers, is the part GOD HAS LAID ON YOU! A trans-Atlantic telephone conversation with our business manager in Pasadena the other day gave me the serious news that the financial situation in the business office is grave. The need is great and URGENT!!
I am doing all I can do! I have been driving myself harder, lately! Have you noticed, there has been an increase in the number of articles written by me personally, in The Plain Truth since we have enlarged it to 40 pages? I have been trying to carry a bigger part of the daily broadcasting, too. For the past year and a half or so I have had to put an increasing part of the broad- casting onto Garner Ted. And he has developed in power and effectiveness so much I sometimes think it might be better if he carried it altogether. But, then, there are many who keep insisting there is no substitute for all these many years of experience—and I suppose it does carry some additional weight to the 15 million people who hear The World Tomorrow every day—all around the world! But there is a limit to the number of things one man can do in a day!!!
But when I urge you to step up your efforts in sacrificing to provide finances for this work, I do want you to know I am doing the same—both financially, and in my daily personal activity. I am working harder than ever before.
The GREATEST URGENCY in all this whole world is not developing the resurrection of the Roman Empire (The "BEAST" of the Revelation), but meeting this financial need at our business office in Pasadena. To do this, we still need MORE than the combined tithes and offerings of all our Co-Workers. We need, not only the largest amounts each Co-Worker can send in, but more of the loans in amounts of $500, and up to several thousand dollars, from those who are unable to give such sums, but could loan them for a year or more.
I shall rush this letter, air-mail by jet plane over the polar route straight to Pasadena, to be copied and mailed on to you. Please respond as quickly, as often, and as generously as possible.
Mrs. Armstrong and I are returning to Pasadena soon. Please pray for our protection daily—and pray fervently, earnestly, continuously, that God will lay this financial burden heavily on the hearts of all who are able, that they will be willing. THANK YOU. God bless you!
With deep love, in Jesus' name, Herbert W. Armstrong
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