NSANJA YA OLONDA ya January 1, 1917 inanena kuti: “Nkhondo yapangitsa kuti chaka chatsopanochi tichiyambe ndi mavuto adzaoneni ndipo anthu ambiri akuphedwa.” Magaziniyi inkanena za nkhondo yoyamba ya padziko lonse imene inali itafika poipa kwambiri ku Europe.

Pa nthawiyi n’kuti Ophunzira Baibulo asanamvetse bwinobwino kuti Akhristu enieni sayenera kulowerera ndale komanso kumenya nawo nkhondo. Komabe abale ambiri anachita zinthu mwanzeru chifukwa anakana kumenya nawo nkhondo. Mwachitsanzo mnyamata wina wa zaka 19, dzina lake Stanley Willis, anaimbidwa mlandu atakana kulowa usilikali. Mnyamatayu asanaimbidwe mlanduwu  analemba kuti: “Mkulu wa asilikali anandilamula kuti ndivale yunifomu ya asilikali ndipo anandiuza kuti ndikakana ndikaimbidwa mlandu kukhoti la asilikali. Ndikuona kuti umenewu ukhala mwayi wanga woti ndithandize ena kudziwa za Yehova.”

Stanley anaimbidwadi mlandu kukhoti la asilikali koma sanagonje. Khotili linagamula kuti apite kundende komanso kuti azikagwira ntchito ya kalavula gaga. Koma sikuti zimenezi zinamukhumudwitsa chifukwa patangotha miyezi iwiri analemba kuti: “Mzimu wamphamvu womwe timaupeza tikaphunzira choonadi, umatithandiza kupirira . . . zinthu zimene ndi zovuta kwambiri kuzipirira.” Pa nthawi imene anali kundendeyi sikuti Stanley ankangokhala n’kumadzimvera chisoni. Iye anati: “Mayesero amene ndakumana nawo posachedwapa anandithandiza kuti ndizipeza nthawi yokwanira yopemphera kwa Yehova, kuphunzira Baibulo komanso kusinkhasinkha zimene ndawerenga.”

Pasanapite nthawi yayitali, dziko la United States linalengeza kuti nalonso limenya nawo nkhondoyi. Pa 2 April, 1917, pulezidenti wa dzikoli dzina lake Woodrow Wilson, analengeza kuti amenyana ndi dziko la Germany. Patapita masiku 4, dziko la United States linayamba kumenya nawo nkhondoyi. Zimenezi zinapangitsa kuti abale a m’dziko la United States akumane ndi mavuto chifukwa chokana kulowerera ndale komanso kumenya nkhondo.

Zimenezi zinapangitsa kuti dziko la United States liyambe kufuna asilikali ochuluka. Choncho m’mwezi wa May, dzikoli linakhazikitsa lamulo lokakamiza amuna onse kuti alowe usilikali. Patangotha mwezi umodzi wokha atakhazikitsa lamulo limeneli, dzikoli linakhazikitsanso lamulo lina lopereka chilango kwa aliyense amene wakana kulowa usilikali. Lamulo loyamba lija linathandiza kuti boma la United States lipeze asilikali ochuluka. Ndipo lamulo lachiwirili, linachititsa kuti anthu asamakane kulowa usilikali poopa kupatsidwa chilango. Pasanapite nthawi yayitali anthu ena oipa mitima anayamba kugwiritsa ntchito lamulo limeneli polimbana ndi atumiki a Yehova omwe amakonda mtendere.—Sal. 94:20.

Ophunzira Baibulo sanadabwe ndi zimenezi. Tikutero chifukwa kwa zaka zambiri Ophunzira Baibulowa ankalalikira zokhuza maulosi a m’Baibulo omwe ananeneratu kuti atumiki a Yehova  adzakumana ndi mavuto ambiri. Komabe, ambiri anadzidzimuka atazindikira kuti mavutowa ankachitikanso m’gulu la Yehova.

Mavutowa anayamba ku United States, M’bale Charles Taze Russell atangomwalira. Nkhani imene inavuta inali yokhudza munthu amene angalowe m’malo mwa M’bale Russell. M’bale Russell ndi amene analembetsa ku boma bungwe la Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society mu 1884, ndipo iyeyo ndi amene anali pulezidenti wa bungweli mpaka pamene anamwalira mu October 1916. Ndiyeno M’bale Joseph F. Rutherford atangoikidwa kukhala pulezidenti wa bungweli, abale angapo omwe anali ndi maudindo akuluakulu m’gulu la Yehova, anakhumudwa kwambiri. Ena mwa abale amenewa anali a m’komiti yoyendetsa bungwe la Watch Tower Tract Society, ndipo anachita zimenezi chifukwa chosakhutira ndi maudindo amene anali nawo.

Abalewa analipo 4 komanso panali anthu ena omwe sankagwirizana ndi mmene M’bale Rutherford ankayendetsera zinthu. China chimene chinachititsa kuti mavutowa ayambike inali nkhani yokhudza Paul S. L. Johnson, yemwe ankatumikira ngati woyang’anira woyendayenda.

M’bale Russell asanamwalire anatumiza a Johnson ku England kuti akayendere mipingo ya kumeneko. Ankafunikanso kumalalikira uthenga wabwino komanso kumatumiza lipoti la mmene ntchitoyi ikuyendera m’dzikoli. A Johnson atangofika m’dziko la England mu November 1916, abale ndi alongo anasangalala kwambiri ndipo anawalandira ndi manja awiri. N’zomvetsa chisoni kuti zimene abale ndi alongo anachita zinachititsa kuti a Johnson ayambe kudzimva, moti anayamba kuganiza kuti ayenera kulowa m’malo mwa M’bale Russell ngati pulezidenti wa Watchtower.

Kenako a Johnson anachotsa anthu ena pa Beteli ya ku England chifukwa choti anthuwo sankagwirizana ndi zimene ankachita. Ngakhale anachita zimenezi, umenewu sunali udindo wawo. Pa nthawi ina ankafunanso kumalamulira ndalama za gulu, zomwe zinali ku banki ya ku London. Choncho M’bale Rutherford atamva zimenezi anamuitanitsa kuti abwerere ku United States.

A Johnson anabwereradi ku Brooklyn koma iwo sanafune kumvera malangizo amene anapatsidwa. M’malomwake anayamba kuuza M’bale Rutherford kuti akufuna kubwerera ku England kuti  akapitirize ntchito yawo. Ataona kuti zimenezi sizitheka, a Johnson anayamba kunyengerera abale amene anali m’komiti yoyendetsa bungwe la Watchtower ndipo anthu 4 anakhala ku mbali yawo.

M’bale Rutherford anaona kuti akawalekerera abale 4 amenewa akhoza kuyamba kuyendetsa ndalama za gulu ku United States ngati zimene a Johnson ankafuna kuchita ku England. Choncho M’bale Rutherford anachotsa abale 4 amenewa m’komiti yoyendetsa bungwe la Watchtower. Malamulo a dziko la United States ankanena kuti anthu amene ali m’komiti yoyendetsa bungwe lililonse, ankayenera kumasankhidwa chaka ndi chaka ndi anthu a m’bungwelo. Ndiye pamsonkhano wa bungwe la Watchtower womwe unachitika pa 6 January, 1917, abale atatu okha ndi amene anasankhidwanso kuti akhale pa udindowu. Abalewa anali M’bale Joseph F. Rutherford, M’bale Andrew N. Pierson komanso M’bale William E. Van Amburgh. M’bale Rutherford anasankhidwa kukhala pulezidenti, M’bale Pierson kukhala wachiwiri kwa pulezidenti komanso M’bale Van Amburgh kukhala mlembi komanso woyang’anira za ndalama. Pamsonkhanowu sanasankhe anthu oti alowe m’malo mwa anthu 4 omwe anachotsedwa pamipando aja. Abale 4 amenewa anachita kusankhidwa pamsonkhano ngati womwewu womwe unachitika m’mbuyomu ndipo ankaganiza kuti adzakhala pamipandoyi kwa moyo wawo wonse. Koma popeza pamsonkhanowu sanasankhidwenso, sanalinso ovomerezeka kukhala m’komiti yoyendetsa bungwe la Watchtower. Choncho mu July 1917, M’bale Rutherford anasankhanso abale ena kuti alowe m’malo mwawo.

Anthu 4 omwe anachotsedwa pa udindo aja, anakwiya koopsa moti anayamba kukopa anthu ena n’cholinga chakuti abwerere pamaudindo awo. Ngati ankaganiza kuti zimenezi zitheka, analemba m’madzi chifukwa palibe chimene anaphulapo. N’zomvetsa chisoni kuti anthu amenewa anapangitsa kuti anthu ena asiye gulu la Yehova. Komabe Ophunzira Baibulo ambiri anapitirizabe kukhala okhulupirika.

M’bale Rutherford komanso abale ena okhulupirika, anapitirizabe kuchita nkhama ndipo zinthu zinayamba kuyenda bwino. Mwachitsanzo, chiwerengero cha oyang’anira oyendayenda chinawonjezeka kuchoka pa 69 kufika pa 93. Chiwerengero cha akopotala,  omwe masiku ano timati apainiya okhazikika, chinawonjezeka kuchoka pa 372 kufika pa 461. Kuwonjezera pamenepa, panasankhidwa akopotala apadera, omwe masiku ano timawatchula kuti apainiya othandiza. Aka kanali koyamba kuti zimenezi zichitike. Mipingo ina inkakhala ndi akopotala apadera okwana 100, ndipo ankagwira ntchito mwakhama.

Pa 17 July, 1917, panatulutsidwa buku lakuti The Finished Mystery. Pamene chaka cha 1917 chinkatha, mabuku amene anatulutsidwa anali atatheratu moti abale anakonza zoti kampani yomwe inkasindikiza mabuku athu isindikizenso mabuku owonjezera okwana 850,000. *

M’bale Russell asanamwalire mu 1916 anayamba kukonzanso mmene abale angamagwirire ntchito pa Beteli. Ntchito imeneyi inapitirirabe ndipo inatha mu 1917. Nsanja ya Olonda ya December 1917, inanena kuti: “Ntchito yokonzanso mmene abale azigwirira ntchito pa Beteli . . . yatha tsopano ndipo zinthu zikuyenda bwino kwambiri. Abale ndi alongo akugwira ntchito mofulumira kuposa kale monga gulu lomwe likuyendetsedwa mwadongosolo. . . . Akugwira ntchito mwakhama chifukwa akuona kuti ndi mwayi waukulu kutumikira pa Beteli.”

Nsanja ya Olonda ya September 1917 inati: “Kungoyambira pa 1 January, mwezi uliwonse tikuchita zinthu zochuluka [popanga mabuku] tikayerekezera ndi mmene tinachitira chaka chatha. . . . Umenewu ndi umboni woti Ambuye akudalitsa ntchito yathu yomwe ikuchitika ku Brooklyn.”

Anthu amene ankafuna kusokoneza aja anali atachoka m’gulu la Yehova. Lipoti limene linatuluka mu Nsanja ya Olonda linasonyeza kuti abale ambiri ankagwirizana ndi zimene M’bale Rutherford ndi abale amene anali pa Beteli ankachita. Koma abale anapitirizabe kuyesedwa. Chaka cha 1918 chinayamba bwino kwambiri, koma pasanapite nthawi zinthu zinasintha. Panachitika zinthu zina zodetsa kukhosi zomwe sizinachitikeponso m’gulu la Yehova la masiku ano.