Anna

I'm glad you got right to the point. Asking "why associate with an organization that...?" clearly means that you think Christians should leave the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. You are bringing up points that could be put in a thread of their own, but I'll assume that you are tying these points to survival of the Great Tribulation, which many (most?) Witnesses conflate with any fear of a third world war or the potential of world-wide persecution.
Asking that question, "why associate?" means you have given up on the idea that Jehovah's Witnesses are a true and valid representation in this twenty-first century of the Christian congregation in the first century.
Personally, I don't see anything wrong with you bringing these issues up for whatever reasons. I bring up similar issues regularly for clarity, so that fellow brothers and sisters are aware of the counter-arguments to our beliefs, and so that we don't fall into the trap of dishonesty where we simply say that something can't be true if it makes us look wrong. I would be happy to engage fully with your points especially if I thought your purpose was to help remove potential error from our teachings. That said, I don't actually believe that we survive the Great Tribulation of Revelation 7 by "washing our robes" through perfectly clean teachings, but by the cleanness of our conscience, by clean conduct. Therefore honesty about doctrine is even more important than claiming to have the right doctrine:
(Matthew 7:21-24) 21 “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of the heavens, but only the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. 22 Many will say to me in that day: ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them: ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’
24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does them will be like a discreet man who built his house on the rock.
Therefore, it's a matter of what sort of persons ought we to be, not what sort of doctrines did we believe.
But there is also considerable overlap between doctrines themselves and how we should honestly conduct ourselves. For example, we should trust that we don't need to participate in the world's politics and wars if we think about what it must mean to remain 'no part of this world.' That is very difficult for most people, and most religions. I won't get into dozens of other points like that here, but I'll try to get to the question of using the name "Jehovah."
I have a 1-year old granddaughter who calls me g'PA and sometimes GanPA and sometimes Gam'PA and sometimes GAM'pa. She identifies me correctly when she sees a picture on their wall, or in my iPhone, or on Skype or FaceTime. She has another grandfather who she calls Papa and Poppy (she calls her father Dada and Daddy). When I come through her door a few times a week to babysit along with my wife, I smile inside and out when she calls out g'PA. That's my name to her. She doesn't use that term for anyone else. I don't mind in the least that she mispronounces "grandpa" by leaving out a couple of whole consonants, or turns two syllables to one syllable.  Someday, she will probably try to distinguish her two grandfathers by including a more specific name like Grandpa Beezlebumps vs. Grandpa Hamhocker. Having her know that I have a more personal and specific name is probably not that important to me, as long as she knows me.
I can understand why we could be just as happy to "know" the personal specific name for God and use it for circumstances like public prayer and discussion, and use a title like "Father" in private, in the same way that my granddaughter calls me "g'PA." But we have the example of the Israelites whose history as found in the Bible contains the specific name THOUSANDS of times. That's the reason we think it's important. Because of the Bible. Jesus used the term Father (also Aramaic, abba) in his speech and prayers. And when the apostle Paul speaks of distinguishing our God from other gods, he doesn't use the divine name, but also calls Him, "God, the Father."
(1 Corinthians 8:5, 6) 5 For even though there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many “gods” and many “lords,” 6 there is actually to us one God, the Father, from whom all things are and we for him; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and we through him.
No one thinks it's a magic name that must be pronounced exactly right, or exactly the same in each language. That's not the point. The point is that we try to use a name that is distinctive, based on the tetragrammaton, with whatever vowels are common and understandable, and so that others know who we mean.
Also, just because Greber translates John 1:1 as we do, doesn't mean that the NWT depended on Greber or has any relationship to him. It's just an acknowledgement that other translators have translated the verse as the NWT does. People don't usually have a lot of complaints about how the Greber translation turned out, usually only two or three passages. Another one is about how the bodies turned up from an earthquake. We like Greber's version here, too.
(Matthew 27:51-53) . . .. 52 And the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the holy ones who had fallen asleep were raised up 53 (and people coming out from among the tombs after his being raised up entered into the holy city), and they became visible to many people.  [NWT shown, Greber presents same idea]
My point is that people don't complain about the Greber Bible as a bad translation with a lot of mistakes. They only point out one or two. They also complain about a claim of "spiritism" made about his translation process. Martin Luther made similar claims. One might even say that the apostle Paul made similar claims. It's what some people expected the direction of "holy spirit" to feel like.

I am really touched by this development.  Active preaching helps to refine our individual faith.  I believe Jehovah will make a way for our dear brothers and sisters.  As we ALL pray, may HIS will be done!

Rough translation, based partly on Google:
 

Solche politische Aktionen haben sich auf kurz oder lang immer als Bumerang für die Könige der Welt erwiesen. Der König der Ewigkeit Jehova Gott läßt gewähren. In der Zukunft werden wir verstehen WARUM und warum gerade SO und nicht anders.
Denken wir daran wieviele Millionen Menschen mit unseren Briefen konfrontiert waren, ein Zeugnis, wie nie zuvor.
Interessant wird auch sein, wie die Medien in Europa, auch hier in Österreich damit umgehen werden und vor allem - Babylon. Wie wirkt es sich im Dienst aus? Alles von enormer Bedeutung. Und vergessen wir nie die 4 Engel an den Enden der Erde, die treu warten auf das Signal der Signale.

If you knew Hebrew or Arabic you will know that the consonants alone (without vowels) stand for a specific meaning. The letters KTB stand for the word Book in arabic. More than ten words can be made out of these consonants by changing the points/diacritics/vowels and all relate to books, places where one finds books, or writing.
Similarly - in Hebrew - (related Semitic language) we find that the verb from these 4 letters JHWH carries the causative form of the verb which means "I shall prove to be"  and the noun would mean - he causes - in causative form - to become.   So the Vowels are not that important but the CoNSoNaNTS always are! - unlike other languages.  This is why Hebrew and related languages are all written only with consonants - the diacritics are added for readers who are beginners only.
We say JaHWeH but in other translations Jehovah (or something close to this - depending on the language) is acceptable. The translation of Jesus is actually Jasu-3a/Jeshua but when we speak everyone knows that you are acknowledging Jesus. It is the acknowledgement of the name that counts.
Jehovah knows the heart of each individual and he is the one who can see if we acknowledge HIS name and we believe that this name (which is associated with his final purpose for the earth, Jesus' sacrifice and also associated with His wonderful qualities), as set out in the Bible, is the true god which we as individuals acknowledge.
 
Many of the old languages such as the Greek do not have the indefinite article "a" - just like Arabic.  So one ads letters when one speaks of "the" or there is a declension...... something in the word changes to show  a different form.   John 1:1  Theon and Theos.... are two different forms of the word god.....in one the word "a " must be added in the English because English has this word "a" in it but it is this what is meant by Theos - so one does not need a medium to tell you this - all one needs is a bit of knowledge of the language.
 
declension: (in the grammar of Latin, Greek, and certain other languages) the variation of the form of a noun, pronoun, or adjective, by which its grammatical case, number, and gender are identified
 
 

What about the quotes in the Greek scriptures from the Hebrew scriptures.... must Jehovah's name be taken out there too? I am merely following through on your thoughts and criticisms.
One either accepts the name Jehovah and give it the honor it deserves (wherever and whenever you can) or one does not.
One can get mired down in little details and lose sight of the big picture: - that it is important to acknowledge the true god's name whenever you can.  In my studies of the Bible I have found that many humans equate Jehovah on a level with Jesus (because of his death and ransom) but this is very wrong because Jehovah is supreme and all else are merely his 'creations'. Jesus is the firstborn of all creation (Col1:15). Jehovah was the one who sent Jesus to the earth and it was ultimately Jehovah's kindness that made it possible for Jesus to come. "for god (Jehovah) so much loved the world that he sent his only begotten son." he loved us while we were sinners and prepared a body for Christ that would be sacrificed.  Jehovah used his spirit to put the life of Jesus in the womb of Mary. (phil: 2)
This is why the name he chose for himself and the meaning of the name is so important. When one studies the bible one sees that he is in reality so high that we cannot fathom anything about him except what our human frailty allows us to see and what he has allowed to be written about himself as well as the restoration of his purpose concerning the earth.
The entire Hebrew scriptures is dedicated to Jehovah and his plans (purpose for mankind's future) and Israel was chosen to bring forth the messiah (Jesus has a genealogy of 2025 years).  Israel was a nation dedicated to Jehovah and were severely punished because they brought other gods before Jehovah.  They were a dedicated nation to Jehovah and were supposed to love Jehovah with their whole heart (as Jesus said).
Jesus did not come to criticize the scholars of his time and their actions to remove Gods name... The bible shows in John 17 that he had made the name of god known everywhere he went... He knew the scholars were white washed graves - so he did not answer the Pharisees at all  - unless there were others present who could benefit by his answer.  Jesus taught about the future Kingdom and Jehovah gave him holy spirit to heal people as a sign that God has sent him. The Pharisees  turned against Jesus when he called himself the 'son" of God.
Do you acknowledge the name Jehovah, Jahweh or Jehwah or any of the acceptable forms of the name or do you throw out the cat with the bathwater and sit with the empty dish?
The Bible is one entity - one cannot throw the Hebrew scriptures away - because this is the "timeline" of how Jehovah has been working throughout the ages toward his purpose of appointing a future government that would rectify all the problems on earth - which also included the ransom sacrifice that came exactly when Jehovah predicted it in the prophecies in Daniel.
Jesus is going to hand his Kingdom back to god/father (Jehovah) when he has completed the job he was anointed for, namely to bring mankind back to perfection and make the earth into a beautiful paradise like Jehovah originally intended. 1 Cor 15:24. Eph 1:9  Jesus is the guarantee that Jehovah's plans are going to be fulfilled.  The honor and glory ultimately belong to Jehovah the creator. Rev 4:11
By the way in the New World translation there is a segment which shows that there are fragments of the Septuagint (translation of the Hebrew scriptures into Greek) which were found in the 20th century - which was available during the time of Jesus - which contained the Tetramagrammaton -JHWH- written in Hebrew letters. So when Jesus quoted from this he definitely used the name Jehovah.
 
 
 

As far as I know, yes, if there are not enough brothers available.

People should get their story straight when it comes to practicing high-degree Freemasons. Notice this "true" story:
That the most powerful Masons are actually reptilian shape shifters that drink human blood and eat human flesh.
 - That I demonstrated characteristics of someone with incredible survival instincts and that I was attempting to be the alpha male at work by dominating other men and trying to possess nearly every attractive woman in the workplace, which are reptilian characteristics.
 - That the Masonic initiation ritual I would go through would activate my reptilian DNA.
 - That the blood drinking, flesh eating orgies that I would participate in have roots in the ancient mystery religion of the Egyptians. - See more at: https://www.henrymakow.com/freemasonry.html#sthash.hTMw0qVB.dpuf That the most powerful Masons are actually reptilian shape shifters that drink human blood and eat human flesh.
 - That I demonstrated characteristics of someone with incredible survival instincts and that I was attempting to be the alpha male at work by dominating other men and trying to possess nearly every attractive woman in the workplace, which are reptilian characteristics.
 - That the Masonic initiation ritual I would go through would activate my reptilian DNA.
 - That the blood drinking, flesh eating orgies that I would participate in have roots in the ancient mystery religion of the Egyptians. - See more at: https://www.henrymakow.com/freemasonry.html
Charles Taze Russell was not a Freemason at all, much less a 33rd degree Freemason. No one has yet been able to offer any evidence that he was. Also, there was never a time when the 10,000 or so partakers under Russell's leadership had a secondary passover. With the large number of defectors from Russell who spoke out against him after leaving the various Bible Students associations, none of them ever mentioned such a practice. Not even any of the supposed eye-witnesses that you have heard from have ever presented any evidence. "Recalling accounts" is not evidence. [For example, I recall an account where Richard Nixon said he was innocent of any involvement in Watergate. That does not mean that I have evidence that Richard Nixon was innocent of any involvement in Watergate -- yet I really do recall the account where he actually said this himself. It's even on video.]
Under Russell, the "great crowd of other sheep" were actually of the anointed. Under Russell, the great crowd of other sheep were also of the heavenly hope.
Under Rutherford this great crowd remained exactly as they were under Russell, until the early 1930's, when they were seen as less spiritual than the 144,000. They were soon seen as persons who had squandered their hope of getting into heaven by being materialistic. After they were defined as people who would live on earth (by 1935) they were not even allowed to come to the Memorial, and they were told that they were no longer anointed. They were not even called Jehovah's witnesses. The "great multitude" would join the "Jonadab" class. The expression referring to all the persons associated with the Watch Tower was: "Jehovah's witnesses and their associates, the Jonadabs." This meant the same thing as "the anointed and the non-anointed." (Only the anointed could be called Jehovah's witnesses.)
Only when the Jonadabs were finally invited to the Memorial did there come a time when persons would be in the audience who passed up the emblems and did not partake. But at that time (in some congregations) it was just as high a percentage who partook compared with the percentage who did not. It was only over the years as the number of Jonadabs significantly outnumbered the anointed, that it appeared that the Memorial was a 'ritual' where everyone seemed to pass up the emblems.
 
I would agree with your first statement. After all:
(John 6:54-58) 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I will resurrect him on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in union with me, and I in union with him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. It is not as when your forefathers ate and yet died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
Jesus did not say that only those of a heavenly hope should partake. But we don't need to partake of anything in a physical ritual. The ritual is there as a Memorial. Any claim that we must participate only in a specific manner is the same as creating specific acts (or works) of law. But mentally we must understand that Jesus is the bread from heaven and that his blood means life for us. Whether we put the glass to our lips or add our saliva to a piece of bread and swallow it during a ritual is not what is truly important. Besides, if we hold to an earthly hope, then we would merely be confusing others who might take our participation as a declaration that we are of a heavenly hope. As JWs we have imbued the emblems with a different meaning than Jesus gave them, but we are not judged by our action with respect to physical emblems. Other humans might judge us and even be offended and think it is "unclean" to partake if we have an earthly hope. But, overall, the emblems are just "food" so it doesn't matter.
(Romans 14:14-17) 14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; only where a man considers something to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 For if your brother is being offended because of food, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not by your food ruin that one for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore, do not let the good you do be spoken of as bad. 17 For the Kingdom of God does not mean eating and drinking,. . .
The point about two folds of sheep being all part of the same flock has been known for a long time. When Jesus said he had "other sheep" who were not of this fold, I would have to agree that he meant "Gentiles." (Even the "great crowd" in Revelation come out of all nations, while the 144,000 come out of the tribes of Israel.) Russell understood this, and several members of the Governing Body still understood it this way through the 1970's and 1980's. Some Governing Body members might still see it this way. But the understanding has been "spiritualized" so that these are spiritual Gentiles and the 144,000 are spiritual Jews. It's not an impossible doctrinal construction. In other words, even if we changed our doctrine back to claiming that the "other sheep" referred to physical Gentiles [non-Jews], and that non-Jews (like Cornelius) would be brought into the same pen after Jesus died, this doesn't mean that anything would necessarily change with respect to who physically partakes at the Memorial.

Anything can turn peoples interest if Jehovah's wants it and if they have an enquiring mind. I met a woman once who said she came to the Circuit Assembly because her neighbour had been disfellowshipped. I was puzzled and asked her how so? She said because the neighbour had started behaving so badly since leaving Jehovah's Witnesses, she had to come and see why they had been so much better before.
One of the first pieces of information I ever read on Jehovah's Witnesses was a trash UK newspaper article on Jehovah's Witnesses being crazy for not celebrating Christmas, birthdays etc. This just made me curious because I wondered how they had the guts to do it with so much bad publicity.

If authorities told you to stop using dozens of books, booklets, videos and tracts, and you had lots of these publications, then it would be very easy to make a mistake and accidentally bring a copy of one with you to a meeting or out in service. But the brothers at the Hall went to the trouble to put up a list of all the banned material so that there would be very few mistakes.
The brothers were so compliant that the authorities weren't able to build a case against them by catching Witnesses here and there who made a mistake. The brothers were extra compliant with the law, too compliant for the authorities to build the case they wanted against the brothers.
I don't know if you saw the videos, but they proved to be an embarrassment to the people who planted the evidence, and the fact that they are shown worldwide on jw.org makes them an embarrassment worldwide. That was one of the reasons to post the videos, to embarrass the authorities who had to cheat to create evidence against the JWs. There are at least three such incidents, and you can see video here:
https://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/russia/police-planting-evidence-video/
 

What would be fantastic is if the final court transcript of the actual decision would be made public, because this would be a clear summary of the case, and clear explanation for the decision, (whichever way it goes) neatly packaged in a few pages. (But hopefully not translated by Google, I don't think I could take any more "little wives").

Because there isn't any. If they submit fabricated evidence for scrutiny, they will have a problem. Let's hope there is more justice in the Supreme Court than in the Ministry of.
I find it ironic that even some posters on this site seem to see evidence of extremism that the Russian lawyers cannot!

Interesting....Probably all sorts of things in the mix, but actually.............  
"God put it into their hearts to carry out his thought, yes, to carry out their one thought by giving their kingdom to the wild beast, until the words of God will have been accomplished..........why in one day her plagues will come, death and mourning and famine, and she will be completely burned with fire, because Jehovah God, who judged her, is strong" Rev 1717; 18:8.
And also: "And out of his mouth protrudes a sharp, long sword with which to strike the nations, and he will shepherd them with a rod of iron. Moreover, he treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his outer garment, yes, on his thigh, he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords" Rev 1915-16.
Meanwhile, we have work to do along with those "who observe the commandments of God and have the work of bearing witness concerning Jesus." Rev12:17.
 

Yea that is funny. He is the Lawyer Zhenkov
  AS EVERYONE KNOWS JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES HAVE FOR MANY MANY DECADES BEEN WARNING OF THE DESTRUCTION OF FALSE RELIGION. NOW EXTREMISM ACCORDING TO THE RUSSIAN LAWS WOULD BE 1 - TO CALL A RELIGION "FALSE" AND 2 - TO SAY IT WILL BE "DESTROYED".. IT IS EVERYWHERE IN NEARLY ALL OUR LITERATURE {over 7,000 times for "false religion" phrase alone }. YET THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE CANNOT FIND ANY !!!! WOW. I THINK THE ANGELS ARE PREVENTING THEM FROM SEEING ANY IN ACCORDANCE TO ACTS 12.
14:40 Continue the hearing. Fro 39, containing protocols MPO meetings in different cities. The minutes recorded in detail the events associated with the planted of extremist literature, as well as measures that have been taken against the emergence of extremist literature in the service buildings. 14:45 The Court draws attention to the fact that the form of minutes of meetings of different MPO resemble one another. Court interested in the question: is there any approved form for these protocols? In connection with what they look like? Omelchenko explains that there is no approved form. The reason for their similarity due to the fact that believers are closely communicate with each other. 14:50 The court again asks the defendant's representatives, whether they pretend to challenge judicial decisions, which formed the basis of the claim. The lawyer Lew makes it clear that this is not a review of these decisions. In this meeting, the court must assess these decisions, like any other evidence in the case, the degree of relevance.

A great tribulation involving all mankind will occur before Armageddon. Conditions on earth will be severe and life threatening.
See following scripture:
*** Bible Citations ***
Matt 24:21-22:  "21 for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short."
Armageddon will not come when we are expecting it. See following scripture.
*** Bible Citations ***
Matthew 24: 42-44: "42 Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 “But know one thing: If the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 On this account, you too prove yourselves ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour that YOU do not think to be it."
(1 Thessalonians 5:1-3) "5 Now as for the times and the seasons, brothers, you need nothing to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that Jehovah’s day is coming exactly as a thief in the night. 3 Whenever it is that they are saying, “Peace and security!” then sudden destruction is to be instantly on them, just like birth pains on a pregnant woman, and they will by no means escape. . ."
 
Just a reminder!!

Just seemed a hint of presupposition that an "Extraterrestrial sentient life form" would have a need of baptism. Apologies for any misunderstanding.
 https://www.theworldnewsmedia.org/topic/22527-jws-in-space/
 

From Jeremiah 26:7-16:
"And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Jehovah.
"So when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that Jehovah had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him and said: “You will surely die…
"The priests and the prophets said to the princes and to all the people: “This man deserves the death penalty, because he has prophesied against this city just as you have heard with your own ears.”…
"Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and the prophets: “This man does not deserve the death penalty, for he spoke to us in the name of Jehovah our God.”   
……….
It is always this way. The princes have no problem with it. It is the priests and the prophets that oppose religious freedom.
Perhaps it will be that way with Putin, if he can withdraw his head from the lock of the Church.
 

'I'll bet you think the Org composed the music for Jehovah Will Treat His Loyal One in a Special Way, didn't you?' my nemesis taunted, hoping the new knowledge would sour me on God's organization.
Of course, it did not, because my wife and I had just had dinner at the Pearlsnswines's
Pearls cooking is to die for. Several have died after eating there. But her desserts are positively out of this world. We were savoring her one of a kind lemon meringue pie. Everyone at the table, for it was not only us invited, praised her baking skills. We marveled at her painstaking preparation of the ingredients and the mixing of it in just the right proportions, baking at just the right temperature for just the right time - all testifying to her innate sense of how to please the palate. She blushed, as she always does. She mentioned how she had purchased the lemons just that morning at Shutterstock Farm Market.
My fork froze in mid-air.
"You lying, despicable wench!" I glared at her. "You just sat there with your smug smile and let all of us think you had grown those lemons on your lemon tree out back!" With that I upended the table, spilling the apostate pie to the floor. "I'll be in the car, dear!" I said to my wife, long suffering woman that she is.

I know you weren't trying to be argumentative. If anything, it was my response that probably seemed so. But I did it because of something very subtle that should be pointed out when it happens. Here was what I responded to more precisely:
The first sentence is absolutely true. The second sentence is a form of idolatry. We are not devoted to the Governing Body, just as the early Christians were not devoted to the apostles.
Moses was the leader of the Israelites. The Israelites could be "devoted" to Moses as the representative of Jehovah's authority. And by being the representative Lawgiver he was even the master of their "faith." The Governing Body should not be the leaders of Jehovah's people. Jesus, as Lawgiver, gave an entirely new commandment that replaced the Mosaic system.
(Matthew 23:10) 10 Neither be called leaders, for your Leader is one, the Christ.
This doesn't mean we don't need persons who can lead by their example and their faith, but we don't want any to be called leaders, masters, governors. The congregation can have many teachers, but we don't look to just one place for those teachers, unless it's Jesus Christ.
(2 Corinthians 1:23, 24) . . .. 24 Not that we are the masters over your faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy, for it is by your faith that you are standing.
Our faith and salvation must depend on no man, because in the Christian congregation, it must run directly from Jesus to our own heart and mouth.
(Romans 10:5-10) 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is by the Law: “The man who does these things will live by means of them.” 6 But the righteousness resulting from faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ that is, to bring Christ down, 7 or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.” 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your own mouth and in your own heart”; that is, “the word” of faith, which we are preaching. 9 For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one exercises faith for righteousness, but with the mouth one makes public declaration for salvation.
(1 Corinthians 10:2-4) 2 and all got baptized into Moses by means of the cloud and of the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they used to drink from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock meant the Christ.
(Hebrews 3:4-6) . . .. 5 Now Moses was faithful as an attendant in all the house of that One as a testimony of the things that were to be spoken afterward, 6 but Christ was faithful as a son over God’s house. We are His house if, indeed, we hold on firmly to our freeness of speech and the hope of which we boast down to the end.
Moses was not a pattern for the Governing Body, or even the apostles. Moses was a pattern for Christ, where under a new covenant, there was no need for any other go-betweens. There is no tent set up by man. There is no need for each one to teach his fellow citizen.
(Hebrews 8:1-11) 8 Now this is the main point of what we are saying: We have such a high priest as this, and he has sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister of the holy place and of the true tent, which Jehovah set up, and not man. . . .  6 But now Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry because he is also the mediator of a correspondingly better covenant, which has been legally established on better promises. . . . : “‘Look! The days are coming,’ says Jehovah, ‘when I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant. . . . 10 “‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ says Jehovah. ‘I will put my laws in their mind, and in their hearts I will write them. And I will become their God, and they will become my people. 11 “‘And they will no longer teach each one his fellow citizen and each one his brother, saying: “Know Jehovah!” For they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them.
The ones taking the lead could include the elders making up a governing body. But it's every elder in every congregation who takes the lead by speaking to us, encouraging us, and showing faith and conduct that we can imitate -- and so every elder, by that definition, is therefore a "governing one."
(Hebrews 13:7, 17) . . .Remember those who are taking the lead among you, who have spoken the word of God to you, and as you contemplate how their conduct turns out, imitate their faith. . . . Be obedient to those who are taking the lead among you and be submissive, for they are keeping watch over you
(1 Peter 5:1-4) . . .I make this appeal to the elders among you: 2 Shepherd the flock of God under your care, serving as overseers, not under compulsion, but willingly before God; not for love of dishonest gain, but eagerly; 3 not lording it over those who are God’s inheritance, but becoming examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief shepherd has been made manifest, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
It appears that elders do not take the lead by governing, because that is a form of "lording it over" (same as the words for "master over" as in "we are not masters over your faith.") Elders, and therefore every governing body member and member of any council of elders, leads by being examples to the flock. We submit to the counsel of elders when their advice is based on Christian experience, faith and conduct. We follow their example of hard work, and the loving and humble way in which they preside, and their manner of teaching.

Thanks @Eoin Joyce.  Your comment is pretty much my thoughts too. Why I pushed that point about the FDS was because some have the attitude (and opposers love pointing this out) that we believe that we are somehow dependent on the FSD for surviving the great tribulation, i.e. that they play a direct role or special role in our outcome, and that without them we would not be able to make it. This is why I kept harping on about WHAT is the REAL criterion for us surviving. It's not the FDS obviously, although as you have rightly pointed out, their role in helping us to maintain our loyalty to Jehovah has not been small by any means. And as you say, yes, we could spend a lot of time speculating on how the actual scenarios will play out, because we just don't know. But that wasn't really my concern. My concern was that readers don't get the impression that we are putting the FDS above the place they were given by Jesus, or on par with Jesus, because each of them individually are also the domestics, like everyone else in the Christian congregation.

Oh yes I have!! 

We could spend a great deal of time speculating on scenarios on how we will (if we are there) survive the GT as you term it and what role the FDS will play in leading us during that time. And yet you have highlighted the most important aspect already in saying "if we ARE loyal, and approved by Jehovah..."
In the light of Habbakuk's words at Hab.3:16-17, we need to be prepared for any eventuality during the "great tribulation" that will exceed all others in history. In the 1984 NWT, the rendering of verse 17, in connection with the "day of distress" (v16), contained the phrase "[the] flock may actually be severed from [the] pen.." What does that suggest as a possibility? And yet the WT 15/7/1977 stated in commenting on that verse "And never allow your vision to become dim as regards angelic backing of those holding to their dedication to Jehovah".
Habbakuk goes on to exemplify what our resolve should be in verse 18: "Yet, as for me, I will exult in Jehovah; I will be joyful in the God of my salvation" and indicates Jehovah's response in v19: "The Sovereign Lord Jehovah is my strength; He will make my feet like those of a deer and cause me to tread on high places."

I agree with your statement that we now need to maintain our loyalty, along with Jehovah's approval. And the FDS has had no meagre role in assisting and encouraging us to do this successfully so far. So there is no need to fear that this will cease, or that somehow, the loyalty and approval by Jehovah that we now experience (if genuine) should some how wear off if we find ourselves seemingly "severed from the pen". This regardless of where the anointed are located say, during the time of Gog's attack. 
And neither is there any doubt that Jehovah can and will provide the means for His people to escape at that time, because "Jehovah knows how to rescue people of godly devotion out of trial" 2Pet.2:9.

Actually I did, hence the dots......I only put what I thought was relevant to the discussion, the other bit was...."or with my health care surrogate in case of my incapacity"
By the way you never got back with me on that discussion HERE
 

There.You've hit the nail on the head.

Actually the focus on this sister was really your contribution (admittedly early on) to a discussion generated by an original post about a number of people claiming "total control" whilst being members of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. So it isn't really going off topic, yet.
I appreciate your concern regarding what you see as a dangerous line of reasoning however, but remember this is a public forum. We are all at liberty to stay clear of discussions that we feel stray across our personal boundaries for consideration.