It was these basic facts that moved Johnson, back in 1947, to make drastic changes in his life. His son Rufus recalls: “My father sent two of his wives back to their parents. He provided for their maintenance but left no opening to be enticed to resume living with them. He wanted to obey God’s requirements.”

It was not easy for Johnson to give up his polygamous life. Doing so involved serious moral, emotional, and cultural adjustments. More was involved than choosing between two social systems. It was a matter of obeying God and becoming free to serve him. So while Johnson’s polygamous arrangement may have brought him and his wives certain material benefits, remaining in it debarred all of them from gaining God’s favour.

Many have followed Johnson’s courageous course. Théodore, for example, says: “I was attending the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses and wanted to be baptized. But I had eight wives. How could I send away seven of them? I lived in that situation for five years, praying to Jehovah to help me out of it. I continued to study the Bible and associate with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Gradually my increasing knowledge of God’s Word and my desire to please him strengthened me to make the right decision. I explained to my wives that the Bible says that my first wife is the ‘wife of my youth’ and that I should remain married to her alone. (Malachi 2:14-16) I then dismissed the seven junior ones from my home and provided separate accommodations for them and their 12 children. So I brought my life into harmony with Christian standards and realized my desire to serve Jehovah. My former wives, too, were now free to serve Jehovah acceptably and to get married again if they chose to.”

Such changes often brought strong opposition from relatives and neighbours. Warigbani’s experience illustrates this: “I was the second of my husband’s two wives and had two children for him. When I learned that the first wife is the rightful wife in the eyes of the Creator, these questions confronted me: Should I leave my husband? If I did and was allowed to take the children, how would I feed them and me? Should I suppress my conscience and deprive myself of this great joy of finding the true religion? You see, I was studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. I prayed to Jehovah for help.

“When I told my husband that I had to leave and wanted to take the children, he became very angry and refused to listen to me. Finally I was allowed to go with the children, but without any financial assistance​—not even transport fare.

“Next I had to face the wrath of my own family. They said I was mad. My brother called me a ‘prodigal daughter’ and laughed at me. But I kept preaching to them and, after some time, several of them started to study the Bible. Now five of these family members are joining me in serving Jehovah. True, I have had to do without many things I used to enjoy. I have to work hard in order to earn a living for myself and my two children. But the joy of knowing the truth and obeying it surpasses material things. Wealth cannot be compared to pleasing Jehovah.”

Moses similarly concludes: “I now have the joy of a clean, harmonious family relationship. My children have grown up to be dedicated, faithful worshipers of Jehovah. This has made me very happy.”

Reflecting on how Johnson’s action brought benefits, his son Rufus says: “There were no more fights in the house, and my father was able to give us close supervision and training in harmony with the Bible’s teachings. He became a pioneer [full-time preacher] for the greater part of 20 years, and remained faithful to Jehovah until his death two years ago.”