MU 1870, kagulu ka anthu mumzinda wa Pittsburgh ku Pennsylvania m’dziko la United States kanayamba kufufuza Malemba. Charles Taze Russell ndi amene ankatsogolera ndipo anakambirana za dipo la Yesu n’kuona kuti ndi lofunika kwambiri pokwaniritsa cholinga cha Yehova. Iwo anasangalala kuzindikira kuti dipo likhoza kuthandiza anthu kupulumuka, ngakhale amene pa nthawiyo anali asanamvepo za Yesu. Iwo anaona kuti ndi bwino kuyamikira imfa ya Yesu n’kumaikumbukira chaka chilichonse.—1 Akor. 11:23-26.

M’bale Russell anayamba kufalitsa Nsanja ya Olonda ndipo inkasonyeza kuti Yehova anapereka dipoli chifukwa chotikonda kwambiri. Magaziniyi inkanena kuti nthawi yokumbukira imfa ya Yesu ndi “nyengo yofunika kwambiri.” Inkalimbikitsanso anthu kuti azisonkhana ku Pittsburgh kapena kwina kulikonse kuti akumbukire imfayi. Inanena kuti: “Ambuye azikhala nawo pa nthawiyo kaya anthu alipo awiri, atatu ngakhalenso mmodzi yekha.”

Chaka chilichonse, anthu obwera ku Pittsburgh kudzachita Chikumbutso ankawonjezeka. Mawu oitanira anthu ku mwambowu anali akuti: “Mudzalandiridwa ndi anthu achikondi kuno.” Ophunzira Baibulo akumeneko ankalandira abale ndi alongo awo ndipo ankawapatsa malo ogona ndi chakudya. Mu 1886, pa nyengo ya Chikumbutso panachitika msonkhano wa masiku angapo. M’magazini ya Nsanja ya Olonda munali mawu akuti: “Bwerani anthuni. Sonyezani kuti mumakonda kwambiri Ambuye, abale ake komanso choonadi chake.”

Kwa zaka zambiri, Ophunzira Baibulo ankachita misonkhano ikuluikulu pa nyengo yokumbukira imfa ya Yesu ku Pittsburgh. Pamene chiwerengero cha Ophunzira Baibulo chinkawonjezeka, magulu osonkhana kuti achite Chikumbutso ankawonjezekanso padziko lonse. M’bale wina dzina lake Ray Bopp anali mumpingo wa mumzinda wa Chicago ndipo anafotokoza zimene zinkachitika pa Chikumbutso m’ma 1910. Ananena kuti pankadutsa maola angapo kuti anthu amalize kuyendetsa zizindikiro chifukwa chakuti pafupifupi onse pa mwambowo ankadya.

Kodi ankagwiritsa ntchito zizindikiro ziti? Abale ankadziwa kuti Yesu anagwiritsa ntchito vinyo koma Nsanja ya Olonda inanena kuti ndi bwino kumangogwiritsa ntchito madzi a mpesa. Ati ankachita izi poopa kuchimwitsa anthu ofooka. Komabe anthu amene ankaona kuti ayenera kugwiritsa ntchito vinyo ankapatsidwa vinyoyo. Koma kenako Ophunzira Baibulo anazindikira kuti vinyo wofiira komanso wosasakanizidwa ndi chilichonse ayenera kugwiritsidwa ntchito ngati chizindikiro cha magazi a Yesu.

 Chikumbutso chinkathandiza anthu kuganizira kwambiri kufunika kwa imfa ya Yesu. Koma m’mipingo ina anthu ankakhala achisoni kwambiri pa mwambowu moti pamapeto ake ankachoka osalankhulana. Ndiyeno mu 1934, buku lakuti Jehovah linanena kuti anthu sayenera kukhala achisoni pa mwambowu. Linanenanso kuti m’malo moganizira imfa yopweteka ya Yesu anayenera kusangalala podziwa kuti iye anayamba kulamulira mu 1914.

Mu 1935, tanthauzo la “khamu lalikulu” lotchulidwa pa Chivumbulutso 7:9 linafotokozedwa bwino. Mfundo zatsopanozo zinachititsa kuti mwambowu uzichitika mosiyana ndi kale. Poyamba atumiki a Yehova ankaganiza kuti “khamu lalikulu” likuimira Akhristu odzipereka amene anali ofooka pang’ono. Koma m’chakachi, zinadziwika kuti likuimira anthu ambirimbiri okhulupirika amene adzakhale m’Paradaiso padziko lapansi. Mfundo imeneyi inachititsa anthu kudzifufuza bwinobwino. M’bale wina dzina lake Russell Poggensee anati: “Ndinkaona kuti mzimu wa Yehova sunanditsimikizire zoti ndidzapita kumwamba.” M’baleyu limodzi ndi Akhristu ena okhulupirika anasiya kudya zizindikiro koma ankapezekabe pa mwambo wa Chikumbutso.

Pa “nyengo yofunika kwambiri” imeneyi, pankakhala ntchito yapadera yolalikira imene inkathandiza Akhristuwo kusonyeza kuti akuyamikira dipo. Utumiki Wathu wa Ufumu wa 1932 unanena kuti Akhristu ayenera kugwira mwakhama ntchito yolalikira osati kumangodya zizindikiro pa chikumbutso basi. Utumiki Wathu wa Ufumu wa 1934 unapempha anthu kuti alembetse upainiya wothandiza. Panali funso lakuti: “Kodi papezeka apainiya 1,000 pa nyengo ya Chikumbutso?” Utumiki Wathu wa Ufumu umenewo unanena kuti odzozedwa “akhoza kusangalala pokhapokha ngati atagwira mwakhama ntchito yolalikira.” Kenako anthu amene ankayembekezera kudzakhala padzikoli anayambanso kulalikira nawo.

Anthu onse a Yehova amaona kuti tsiku la Chikumbutso ndi lofunika kwambiri kuposa tsiku lina lililonse. Amayesetsa kuti achite mwambowu zivute zitani. Mu 1930, mlongo wina dzina lake Pearl English ndi mchemwali wake dzina lake Ora, anayenda mtunda wa makilomita 80 kuti akapezeke pa Chikumbutso. Mmishonale wina dzina lake Harold King anali m’ndende ya ku China ndipo anatsekeredwa m’chipinda chayekha. Koma ankapeka ndakatulo ndiponso nyimbo zokhudza Chikumbutso ndipo ankapanga zizindikiro zake pogwiritsa ntchito tizipatso tinatake ndi mpunga. Padziko lonse, Akhristu a m’mayiko kumene ntchito yathu ndi yoletsedwa kapena kumene kuli nkhondo amalimba mtima n’kumayesetsa kuti azichitabe mwambo wokumbukira imfa ya Yesu. Kaya tili kuti kapena zinthu zili bwanji, timasonkhana limodzi pa nthawi ya Chikumbutso n’cholinga choti tilemekeze Yehova Mulungu ndiponso Yesu Khristu.