Marvelous Transformation Effected

Has this large-scale educational program really softened the stony hearts of prisoners? Let them tell their stories.

“I have never known my parents because they abandoned me when I was small, and I came to miss most painfully the feeling of being loved,” confesses Zdzisław, a man reflective by nature. “Early in my life, I got involved in crime, eventually committing a murder. The feeling of guilt pushed me to consider committing suicide, and I was desperately looking for a real hope. Then, in 1987, I came across the Watchtower magazine. From it I learned of the hope of the resurrection and of everlasting life. Realizing that not everything had been lost, I put away the idea of suicide and began to study the Bible. Now I have learned the meaning of love from Jehovah and from the brothers.” Since 1993, this former murderer has been a ministerial servant and an auxiliary pioneer, and last year he became a regular pioneer.

Tomasz, on the other hand, readily accepted a Bible study. “That, however, was not a sincere step,” he confesses. “I was studying only because I liked to show off when explaining the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses to others. But I was not doing much about Bible truth. One day, I made up my mind and went to a Christian meeting. The baptized prisoners gave me a warm welcome. I realized that instead of trying to show off with knowledge, I had to soften my stony heart and transform my mind.” Tomasz began to put on the new Christian personality. (Ephesians 4:22-24) Today, he is a dedicated, baptized Witness and finds delight in preaching from ward to ward.

Pressures From Former Friends

Those who learned Bible truth in prison came under heavy pressures from former friends in the ward and from prison officials. One of them recalls: “I was constantly being derided and scoffed at. But I kept in mind the encouraging words of the brothers. ‛Keep praying to Jehovah,’ they told me. ‘Read your Bible and you will feel the inner peace.’ That really helped.”

“My fellow prisoners were unsparing in the bitter remarks that they directed against me,” says Ryszard, a robust baptized brother. “‛You can go to your meetings, but do not try to stand out and pretend you are better, OK?’ they would warn me. When I made changes in my life because of applying Bible principles, I had to suffer for it. They overturned my bed, threw my Bible literature around, and made a mess in my part of the ward. I prayed to Jehovah for strength to control myself and then went about straightening things up quietly. After a while, the attacks stopped.”

“When fellow prisoners see that we have made a firm decision to serve Jehovah,” relate some other baptized prisoners, “the pressure takes on another form. They are likely to say, ‛Remember, you are not supposed to drink, smoke, or lie anymore.’ That kind of pressure helps one control one’s body, quickly getting rid of any vices or addictions. It also helps one to cultivate the fruits of the spirit.”—Galatians 5:22, 23.

Jerzy, baptized in June, relates: “Though I had some contact with Bible truth years ago, what was in me was truly a heart of stone. Fraud, divorce from my first wife, illicit relations with Krystyna, a child out of wedlock, and frequently returning to prison—that is what my life was like.” Seeing how other hardened criminals became Witnesses while in prison, he began asking himself, ‘Could I not become a better man too?’ He requested a Bible study and started coming to meetings. However, the real turning point came when he learned from the public prosecutor that Krystyna had become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses three years earlier. “I was completely surprised!” says Jerzy. “I thought, ‘What about me? What am I doing?’ I realized that to be approved by Jehovah, I had to get my life in order.” As a result, a happy reunion took place in the prison—with Krystyna and their 11-year-old daughter, Marzena. Before long, they legalized their marriage. Though still in prison and having his ups and downs, Jerzy recently taught himself sign language and is able to help prisoners who are deaf.

Mirosław was already involved in criminal activities when he was in primary school. He greatly admired what his friends were doing, and soon he started doing the same. Many were the ones that he robbed or beat up. Then he landed in prison. “When I found myself in prison, I turned to the priest for help,” Mirosław confesses. “But I was bitterly disappointed. So I decided that I would kill myself by taking poison.” On the very day that he planned to take his life, he was transferred to another ward. There he found a copy of The Watchtower that talked about the purpose of life. “The simple and clear information proved to be just what I needed,” he adds. “Now I wanted to live! So I prayed to Jehovah and asked the Witnesses for a Bible study.” He made rapid progress in his Bible study and was baptized in 1991. Now he serves as an auxiliary pioneer in prison, having the privilege to preach from ward to ward.