Minor editing and updates, but content is as of dec 2014. This page will no longer be updated.
I've been involved with the Jehovah's Witnesses' (official site) religion from 1994 to 2013 with breaks due to moving and other studies. I have had bible studies with various elders and publishers and also regularly attended their meetings. The Governing Body of the JWorg (what I call it) promotes consistency of their doctrine by providing public talk outlines and studies of their Watchtower magazines and various books. Please see the wikipedia page on Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Natsarim and Jehovah's Witnesses have some common beliefs. These include the condition of the dead, how Yahuah and Yahusha are separate (but "one" in purpose, no trinity), and the final destruction of the wicked (or lawless, not an eternal torment). They use Jehovah and Jesus Christ as the names of the Father and Son. The Scriptures are the main source of beliefs, much more so for the Natsarim. They are very active in publishing the Bible (their New World Translation) in various languages (much more than even Bible publishers) and in their outreach efforts. In general, the JWorg has a watered down faith and over emphasized doctrine (such as abstaining from blood and shunning). They acknowledge that scholars agree on the name of Yahweh, but prefer the name of Jehovah as it has been in common use since the mid 1600s.
A major difference is applying the Turah, or instructions, from the Brit Rishon. The JWorg do not observe the seven annual appointed times. Like most Christian churches, they gather to worship on sunday (instead of on the Shabat). Pork can be freely eaten, being an unclean meat. Also, while the JWorg Governing Body has existed since 1975, they claim there has been a central governance during the time of Acts (but I can't find time periods of a governing body operating from 100 toward 1870s).
John Cedars and his contributors write balanced articles about Jehovah's Witnesses at his site, JW Watch (was jwsurvey.org, "giving a voice to the silent majority") Please see his links page for sites with additional details of the JWorg faith, a key one is Jehovahs-Witnesses.net. You may want to search the internet for helpful files such as Shepard the Flock of God (the elder's manual) and Raymond Franz's Crises of Conscience.
Notable Dates
Charles Taze Russell
President 1884 to 1916
"If we were following a man undoubtedly it would be different with us; undoubtedly one human idea would contradict another and that which was light one or two or six years ago would be regarded as darkness now;… But with God there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, and so it is with truth; any knowledge or light coming from God must be like its author. A new view of truth never can contradict a former truth. "New Light" never extinguishes older "light" but adds to it…"
Zion's Watch Tower 1881, Feb. pp.3, 188
1870, formed group with George Storrs (1796-1879) and George Stetson (1814-1879) to study the scriptures. They were influenced by Millerism.
1881 - organization of the Spirit with bonds of love and common interest, but no earthly authority, "Must I not join some organization on earth, assent to some creed . . . ? No" Gal 5:1
1884 - “We belong to no earthly organization” (Feb., reprinted 1 Mar 1979)
1886 - Russell had correct view of superior authorities (same as Barnes in 1851)
1886s - called himself as the "one special channel"
1900s - some writings show how coloreds are inferior to the whites
1904 - "join with the civilized world" to celebrate Christmas (WT, 1 Dec 1904)
1910 - he considered his 6 volume Studies on the Scriptures near equal to the Bible
1911 - "Miracle Wheat" and it being an advertisement in Zion's WT
1916 - Romans 13:1 Higher powers are the governments
1916 - his forward didn't apologize for misleading others for his 1914 date
Joseph F. Rutherford
President 1917 to 1942
Presided as a judge over a few minor cases, but kept the worldly title of "Judge". He was in contempt of court 3 times (1894, 1895, 1896) and likely had alcohol smuggled in during prohibition. This was from a Freeminds2.org article (seems not there).
Released The Finished Mystery, which had 1500 errors and many false prophecies (Jehovah's Witnesses: A Statistical Survey pp 203 to 208)
1917 – Russell was the 7th Messenger of Revelation, 7 stars (or messengers) for the 7 epochs during the gospel age - 1 Paul / 2 John / 3 Arias / 4 Waldo / 5 Wycliff / 6 Luther / 7 Russell
1918ish - many left the Bible Students (up to about 75%)
1919 - congregations asked to register with the Society for a director to be appointed in congregations
1919 – 8 day general convention at Cedar Point, Ohio
1920 - weekly reports became required
1920 - advertising started for Millions Now Living Will Never Die book
1921 - picture of Jesus dying on a cross (The Harp of God, p 113)
1922 - Heb 11 faithrul, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, prophets to return in 1925 (WT 15 May 1922)
1922-1928 - seven blasts of Revelations trumpets at US conventions (Grand Climax, p. 173)
1923 - no such thing as rabies (The Golden Age, Jan. 1, 1923, p.214)
1923 - emphasized the ministry for all
1924 - prohibition is the devil's scheme (WT, 1 Nov. 1924, pp 323-326)
1924 to 1957 - WBBR (Feb. 1924 to Apr. 1957) radio ministry and short wave
1925 - Biola diagnoses and treats diseases (article and advert The Golden Age, 22 April 1925, p 454)
1925 - asserted "Millions Now Will Never Die" via book and talks
1925 - Rutherford blamed "weakness of many Bible Students" but Jesus won't "chide us" WT, 15 Feb 1925
1925 - prophets didn't return (nor by 1929 Beth Sarim)
1926? - Rutherford admitted "made of fool of myself" (w93 12/1 18)
1928 - overturned Russell's Giza and natural Jews would be restored (reversed own 1918 statement)
1928 - stopped celebrating Christmas
1929 – "vaccination is a crime, an outrage and delision . . . " The Golden Age, 1 May 1929 p. 502
1929 - Changed teaching of higher powers, or Superior Authorities, from gov'ts to Jehovah and Jesus, 1 June 1929
1929 - had Beth Sarim built (lavish lifestyle awaiting the 1925 princes)
1929 - avoid using aluminium cookware and sleep with your head toward the north The Golden Age, Nov. 12, 1929, p. 107
1930 - worship Michael the Archangel (per Light vol. 2)
1930 - Jesus started ruling in 1914 (not 1874 as Russell taugh)
1930 - acknowledged blunders, said group was scorned, of 1914 (Light vol. 1 p. 194, 1930)
1930? - stopped other holidays and birthdays (stated again in 1951 WT)
1931 - name of Jehovah's witnesses (small w to about 1975)
1931 - stopped celebrating Mother's Day
1931 - vaccination is a direction violation . . . . "Vaccination has never saved a human life. It does not prevent smallpox." The Golden Age, 4 Feb 1931, p. 293, 294
1931 - kerosene is good for cleaning sinks and bathtubs and "cuts heal sooner" (Consolation 1 Dec 1931, p. 12)
1932 - ended practice of locally elected bodies of elders (JW and Divine Purpose, p. 127)
1933 - Yearbook indicated "that the Lord himself is running his organization", p. 11
1935 - Great Crowd of other sheep started to appear (all prior were anointed)
1935 - tried to implement a new calendar (Golden Age, 13 March 1935, p. 380-381)
1935 - legal victories to apply the 14th Amendment to Freedom of speech and religion
1938 - stopped singing at the study portions of the meetings
1938 - fully theocratic as in all positions in a congregation appointed by the Society
1938 - delay child bearing (WT 1 Nov 1938, p. 324 and ?WT, 15 Nov 1938, p. 346)
1939 - "Would it be scripturally proper for them (great crowd) to now marry and begin to rear children? No, is the answer, which is supported by the Scriptures. -- It will be far better to be unhampered and without burdens, that they may do the Lord's will now, as the Lord commands, and also be without hindrance during Armageddon." Face the Facts booklet
1940 - blood transfusions are okay
1941 - talk toward children, referred to woman as "a stack of bones and hank of hair" (not to marry), "months before Armageddon"
1941 - defer marriage/child-bearing and "add nothing to our burdens" (Children, pp. 312, 366)
1942 - insisted on being buried at Beth Sarim and thus controversies
Lifestyle not modest and likely alcohol problems in the 1930s and thus lost a libel lawsuit (affirmed twice on appeal) in 1940 from Olin Moyle (former legal counsel)
Nathan H. Knorr
President 1942 to 1977
Restored Editorial department
1942 – The "Emphatic Diaglott" (interlinear Greek), Jesus "is composed of Yah or Jah . . . . and shua"
1943 - territory assignment system set up and quota for publishers, cover territory 4 times in 6 months
1943 - he established the Gilead school to train missionaries
1944 - bumper stickers for the international New York assembly (8 days, and new bibles)
1944 - Restored singing
1945 - no blood transfusions
1945 - Jesus Christ not to be worshiped
1946 - Let God Be True misrepresented Russell's view of 1914 (out of context)
1946 - JWs don't need organization as a teaching one for unity, all have their conscience before Jehovah WT, 1 Nov. 1946
1946 - Rom 13:1 higher powers refer to Jehovah and Jesus
1947 - polygamy not acceptable for an honorable marriage
1950s - women still were wary of showing pregnancies
1950s - 5 1 hour meetings per week
1950 - (or earlier) 5 day+ district assemblies and hot cafeteria food
1952 - "we are not medical advisers" (WT, 1 Feb 1952, p 95-96)
1952 - [the colored] race is meek and teachable (WT, 1 Feb 1952, p. 95)
1952 - disfellowhipping moved from congregation vote to judicial committee (from 1944)
1952 - overlapping generations (w52 9/1 pp. 542-543 Questions From Readers)
1952 - vaccinations are okay (WT 15 Dec 1952, p. 764)
1953 – 8 day district convention (Yankee Stadium)
1954 - unity at all costs (Covington's testimony in Douglas Walsh trial), Franz said to obey WT (asks for tolerance for itself and its errors, but not from the members), reverses WT 1 Nov 1946
1954 - Jesus didn't have a beard, 15 Aug 1954 WT, p. 511 Questions from Readers
1956 - need to be baptized as a JW (until then, any Christian baptism was ok)
1956 - cannot offer a disfellowshipped person memorial wine and bread (WT, 15 June 1956, p. 383)
1959 - many false doctrines that were not cleaned out of the organization (Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, p. 91) . . . also stated that earthly political gov'ts were superior authorities.
1959 – Christ is personally directing the organization, "these as from Christ through the organization", WT 1 May 1959, p. 269
1960 - were approved in 1919 ("survived testing . . . . clothed in clean garments") 15 July 1960, p. 436
1900 year old but awake slave trusting a 50 year old organization
1960s - Malawi (1964) party card causing many deaths vs. Mexico certificate (bribe gov't officer)
1961 - Responded in Questions from Readers that sexually mature women are akin to cows that seek a bull when ready to breed (to become contented), WT 15 Dec 1961
1962 - higher powers refers to governments (back to 1886 or 1916)
1962 - WT 15 December 1962, p 762 about seeing mistakes and correcting, Prov. 4:18 (clouds obscuring sun light of truth), comments on scriptures are not inspired. In context, Proverbs 4 is the path of the wicked compared to the righteous (first mis-used by Russell)
1967 - date of 1975 from DO's talk "Serving With Everlasting Life in View"
1967 - no organ transplants, cannibalistic WT, 15 Nov. 1967, pp 702-4), blood transfusion is a form of cellular organ transplant
1968 - Jesus did have a beard (see 1954), 1 May 1968 WT, p. 286
1969 - 1977 (Apr 1969 to Mar 1977) radio ministry, station WBBR
1970 - hierarchy structure created a Bethel elder description (no scriptural basis)
1970 - body of elders with a rotating responsibilities (like presiding overseer)
1971 - beginning work toward a Governing Body (informally the directors of the WTS)
1972 - body of elders for congregations that rotated presiding role (replaced congregation servant)
1973 - smoking is a cause for disfellowshipping
1973 - 22 January Awake p 8 misrepresented 1914 (start vs. Russell's end)
1974 - WT 1 Aug 1974 okay to associate due to blood/family ties (no spiritual fellowshipping - leaven)
1974 - "a great crowd of people are confidant that great destruction is imminent, which has been a major factor in their decision not to have children" (Awake. 8 Nov. 1974, p 11)
1975 - Frederick Franz spoke to Gilead about how a Governing Body is unscriptural
1975 - marked date related to the 6 days of 1000 years each from man's creation, over 500,000 people left (per Barbara Anderson), likely came from Frederick Franz
1975 - Governing Body and committees
1976 – from Jehovah's witnesses to Jehovah's Witnesses (about May)
1976 - Governing Body of 17 older men (1 Jan), including 7 directly appointed by Knorr (ill with brain cancer)
1976 - July 1976 could have apologized for the 1975 failure. still prophetic speculation of 1914
1976 - disfellowshipped person can partake WT, 1 Feb 1976, p. 76)
Frederick W. Franz - president 1977 to 1992
Milton G. Henschel - president 1992 to 2000
Don A. Adams - president 2000 to current
1968 - Henschel said transplanting organs is really cannibalism
1968 - Henschel said 1975 is the year to watch
1978 - refreshment stands (breakfast, lunch) at district conventions (no cafeteria style), still food tickets
1980 - organ transplant is a conscious manner (WT, 15 March 1980, p 31), thus not cannibalism (was a disfellowshipping offence)
1980 - 15 March 1980 WT “it is to be regretted” about the 1975 date, likely due to people leaving
1980 - summer/fall many disfellowships at Brooklyn, including Robert Dunlop. 1 Aug WT
1981 - "objectors may argue that . . . . the "slave" pictures only the leading ones", WT, 1 March 1981, pp. 24-25, which happened 15 July 2013
1981 - disassociated treated as disfellowshipped (WT, 15 Sep 1981, p. 23), stricter than Aug 1974, thus no dignified exit from being a JW (shunned)
1981 - Ray Franz of the GB was disfellowshipped (on new shunning policy, he ate with a DF person)
1981 - WT 1 Dec 1981 referred to the 1962 as understanding of superior authorities (w/o acknowledging the 1929 change)
1982 - the Faithful and Discreet Slave class are all of the anointed on earth
1983 - ended rotating responsibilities within body of elders (Organized to Accomplish Ministry)
1984 – the 16 people of the 1914 generation on the cover DID pass away, by 2008 WT, 15 May 1984
1984 - Centennial celebration of the WT charter (WTBTS of Penn), KM Dec 1984, p. 4
1985 - Change in Baptism question "in association with" to imply dedication to the organization, WT 1 June 1985, p. 30
1985 - 6% interest on Kingdom Hall funding (since 1983 at least, should be minimal)
1987 - packaged food (vs. hot food) and three day district conventions, KM Jan 87
1988 - having children would affect the ministry work (WT 1 Mar 1988, 18-22, 23-27)
1989 – theatre is their Stanley Theatre with anagram of “Jests put thru daily”, WT 1 Nov 1989, p. 10
1989 – Kingdom Hall Assistance Arrangement to help build and repair KHs, along with elder misconduct
1990 - literature no longer was priced due to the Swaggert court case (which lost)
1990 – food at no charge at district conventions
1991 - registered as a NGO with the UN to access the library (NGO not required)
1995 – no food provided, thus bring your own to conventions
1995 – Awake masthead changed, thus removing generation and 1914
1999 - Watchtower charter amended to remove worshipping Jesus
2000 - free literature for donations applied in Australia
2000 – WTS split into various legal (secular) corporations, see below
2001 - withdrew status as a NGO with the UN
2006 - ended Bethel Elder as a more mature/qualified elder
2007 - $ 12.5 million settlement for 16 victims of molestation
2009 - new song book (but teased for months prior to Sep. 2009)
2010 – “Christ is using a small group of anointed Christian men as a Governing Body”, WT 15 Sep 2010
2012 - FDS is the Governing Body (8 mature and anointed men as of October 2012)
2013 - final sale of Brooklyn holdings, yielding approximately $ 875 million (all tax free)
People who died at Sodom and Gomorrah resurrected
Yes - The men of Sodom will be resurrected (Watchtower, July 1879, 8)
No - The men of Sodom will not be resurrected (Watchtower, 1 June 1952, 338)
Yes - The men of Sodom will be resurrected (Watchtower, 1 August 1965, 479)
Yes - The men of Sodom will be resurrected (You Can Live Forever In Paradise On Earth, 1982, 179)
Yes - The men of Sodom will be resurrected (Insight On The Scriptures, 1988, vol. 2, 985)
No - The men of Sodom will not be resurrected (Watchtower, 1 June 1988, 31)
No - The men of Sodom will not be resurrected (You Can Live Forever In Paradise On Earth, revised 1989, 179)
No - The men of Sodom will not be resurrected (Revelation - Its Grand Climax at Hand, 1988 or revised 2006, 273)
Thanks to Blondie at Jehovahs-Witnesses.net