THAT reporter then interviewed a family who are Witnesses. The result? “My view of them changed from the moment I entered their home!” she wrote. “Maybe people don’t know them well enough, or maybe we are all simply too quick to judge. I know I was. And I found out I was wrong.”​—Cecilie Feyling, for Jydske Vestkysten.

On the basis of his dealings with Jehovah’s Witnesses on a professional level, a human resources consultant for a chain store in Europe found them to be honest workers. As a result, he sought to hire Witnesses.

Of course, Jehovah’s Witnesses are primarily known for their public ministry. They find that some people prefer not to discuss the Bible, while others enjoy a discussion. In fact, more than seven million people, in virtually every country, have a regular Bible study with the Witnesses, and some of these students later become Bible teachers themselves. In the United States, for example, a National Council of Churches report notes that of the 25 largest religions, Jehovah’s Witnesses are 1 of only 4 that have shown an increase.

Why are millions of people studying the Bible with the Witnesses? How are these studies conducted? Are students expected to become Witnesses themselves? At the very least, you are entitled to truthful answers. So do not listen to prejudicial hearsay, or rumor, but search for the facts. Says the Bible at Proverbs 14:15: “A simple man believes every word he hears; a clever man understands the need for proof.”​—The New English Bible.

May this issue of Awake! help you to understand Jehovah’s Witnesses more fully and accurately. Indeed, the very fact that you are reading this magazine suggests that you have an open and fair mind. So why not do this: As you read the next four articles and the accompanying boxes, look up the cited scriptures in your own Bible. * Doing so is both wise and, as the Bible says, “noble-minded.”​—Acts 17:11.