The program, which began at 10 a.m., was presided over by the president of the school as well as of the Watch Tower Society, N. H. Knorr. After hearing his warm words of welcome all joined in song and prayer and then listened intently to a series of brief talks given by those who had oversight of the missionaries as instructors and in other capacities during the past six months.

N. H. Knorr gave the main talk of the morning, speaking on the subject “The Way.” He noted that today there are two ways for people to choose from. There is the way of the world, which is the Devil’s way. Dedicated Christians have chosen to walk in the right way, in Jehovah’s way. It is possible to enjoy life to the full by walking in that way. To gain eternal life one must keep walking in that way.

The speaker next noted that Jesus Christ had opened The Way. He walked in the way his heavenly Father wanted him to walk, and it was a way based on love. God, through his Word and by such publications as The Watchtower, helps Christians today to walk in His way, even as He says: “Your own ears will hear a word behind you saying: ‘This is the way. Walk in it, you people,’ in case you people should go to the right or in case you should go to the left.”​—Isa. 30:21.

Jehovah God is interested in people; he loves people, the Society’s president next emphasized. That is why he gave men the truth and showed them the way to walk. By paying more than the usual attention Christians will not stray to the right or to the left.

Christians should feel as did the psalmists who repeatedly refer to Jehovah’s way. And in particular did the speaker comment on the plea found at Psalm 119:37: “Make my eyes pass on from seeing what is worthless; preserve me alive in your own way.” He then asked: “Do we do that? Or do we let our heads turn to everything that is worthless, to the wicked things on TV,” and so forth? It is easy to stray from the way, he warned, and this may especially be the case in their foreign assignments. He assured the missionaries that the whole organization is always ready to help them and in conclusion urged: “Do just as Jesus did. You are in the world but no part of it . . . Keep in mind: ‘This is the way. Walk in it.’”

After these remarks N. H. Knorr handed each of the missionaries an envelope that contained the class picture, a gift from the Society and their diploma if they merited it.