An edited and proofread version of My Short-Lived Life at Being Perfect is now available on Amazon at: My Short-Lived Life at Being Perfect

Today I felt compelled to write a note directly to my readers.

First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to read my work. I am very grateful for all your messages both sharing your experiences, thoughts and opinions. No matter what anyone has to say, I do appreciate your interactions and input.

One thing I do feel I should make clear is this: My Short-Lived Life at Being Perfect is strictly a memoir about my personal life while being a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW’s). Because of the direction I’ve chosen to take with my story it is not meant to be a book used to teach others what the JW’s believe. If anyone is interested specifically in their beliefs then they should study with actual members of this group.

Also, the story is written from my personal point of view and my personal experiences. Although I have had several readers comment that they experienced similar situations, it stands to reason that not every single member had the same encounters. For example: I was forbidden from getting a secular job as it would put me in contact with non-JW’s plus I wasn’t allowed to move out until I was married. An elder from my congregation stood by and defended my parents with this decision even though I was eighteen years old. That was my experience; not everyone who was or is a JW went through this. This was an experience unique to me.

Recently I’ve had several comments from readers informing me that what I have written in regards to Jehovah’s Witness teachings are incomplete or inaccurate. Please be advised that I’ve been gone from the JW organization for about twenty years. Every so often, the organization makes adjustments to their beliefs. (For example, research their multiple definitions of “this generation” and their stand on blood transfusions.)

Also, I do not go into explicit detail about their beliefs in my story. I touch on the very basics: they do not celebrate holdiays or birthdays, they do not associate with people who have been disfellowshipped or dissociated and they do not believe that everyone will be saved. In other words: I am disfellowshipped but I have a relationship with God and Jesus. Since I am no longer a member of the JW religion, even though I have accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, this is not enough. Chances are, I will still not be saved unless I go back to the JW organization, confess my sins that the elders and work my way back to getting reinstated. (If you would like to learn more about this, please contact your local Kingdom Hall and discuss it with one of their members.) As everything ends up being a game of semantics, I will probably get called out on how I worded that last part about being saved but, at the end of the day, what I just stated is true no matter what phraseology is used.

So to be completely clear, I only touch on the very basics of what this religious group believes. This story is not meant to teach you everything you need to know about the Jehovah’s Witnesses. If you like reading memoirs (as I do) and are looking for an easy read then you’ve come to the right place. If you want to learn more about the JW’s, contact them. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to them, there are many websites you can turn to that will answer any questions you have.

Thank you again my amazing readers!

Brenda Thornlow is one of the finalists for the 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading for 2016 contest. To vote for her click here: 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading

Chapter 1: My Short-Lived Life at Being Perfect – Chapter 1

An edited and proofread version of My Short-Lived Life at Being Perfect is now available on Amazon at: My Short-Lived Life at Being Perfect

To read more of Brenda Thornlow’s work visit her pages:

Brenda Thornlow’s Amazon page

Brenda Thornlow’s Barnes & Noble page

Brenda Thornlow’s Smashwords page