Escaping Jehovah's Witnesses: Time lost, Lessons Learned 

I have an older cousin that was jw all his love when he got to retirement age he got discomunicated because of plans he had for his retirement, didn't fall into what they felt was acceptable. So anyway he didn't communicate with many family members through his life because we weren't jw well he came to a family reunion and he said I can't believe all the time I wasted. That statement stayed with me. All in all he has his family back so the shunning doesn't really affect him that much because we aren't jw so of course we bring him into the family fold. Happy to have him back. We don't shun people and never did even when he was a jw it was him that didn't associate with us. But now he can live the rest of his life and enjoy his retirement free.

This was yet another great episode. I always tell people that the best part of being a JW when I was a kid was that it kept me off the streets. A lot of boys in my neighborhood ended up on drugs, in jail, or dead - but being sheltered, I was away from that. However after I got older and was shunned in the Kingdom Hall after being privately reproved and one of the elders told his wife what I did… she then told a lot of people and it made my life hell. Suffering from Bipolar II and anxiety disorder, there’s nothing worse than people talking about you under your breath and giving you awkward stares. It really messed my head up. Glad I left 15 years ago

You guys are so RIGHT!...I was baptized in 1983,17years old...I was in,became "inactive ",came back, etc..always did have questions-no elder, or my C/O brother in law could answer....I finally walked away in 2019!...was tired of playing the JW game!...I'm 58 now..I celebrate, spend time with my true friends, and "worldly relatives as much as possible!..lol...caused me my Marriage at the same time....She still in..chose JWs over our Marriage....keep up the good work!..Mad Respect from Chicago...

The fact that you both left the organization at a young age, you two haven’t wasted much. Enjoy each other’s love and continue building each other. Us older folks are the ones who wasted our time while we served in the organization, before leaving it for good.

I got rushed into a marriage raised in this dumb organization. Got engaged at 18 and married at 19. It was the worse mistake of my life. I woke up at 30 and left the miserable marriage and the jws. A big waste of my life.😢

Jehovah's witnesses really fucked my mind up totally and wasted my time to

Exactly I got tired of going out in service for 3 hrs at a time only to talk to two people wasting my time it was ridiculous. 🙄🙄🙄

I’m in my mid 40s. Grew up in the Bog from the lat 70s to about 1997. Left when I was 20. All your videos have been spot on! I see they have not changed.

* my wife and i are out* the story : I started waking up back in December 2022 and at the time i was dating a sister and we got engaged same month. 3 months after i couldn't keep on lying to her so i had to tell her the truth how i felt. I was afraid of how she would react but i did tell her the truth. She almost broke up the engagement because she said she would never date someone who is not serving jehovah, so i was willing to let her go so i can gain my freedom. (Being a ministerial servant). Now we are both out completely and we are so happy together and married. My advice is, once you wake up don't be afraid to tell your spouse if they love you they will never leave you. But do so the best way possible. I was afraid that my wife would never wake up but she proved me wrong. WE ARE BOTH OUT OF THE JW CULT. Celebration 🍾 time 🎉🎉🎉

Knowledge is Power FREEDOM!

I had a very close friend who was a pioneer and her husband was an elder. They found out it was a cult and left the org. She sadly passed away and literally no one showed up to her funeral not even her mother. And what’s worst is that a man elder who was her brother in law showed up with her sister just to record the funeral for the “friends to watch in the KH 😡 I was so disgusted

As a pimo introvert, I've severe regrets beings used and wasted from them

OMG< I was told the same thing "Wherever you go, JW will take you in, doesn't matter where you are in this world", meanwhile, the Witness who told me this IS STILL waiting for members to help her with something in her home. It's been 6 months, and her members haven't come to help her.

Hi guys I'm from Cape Town South Africa and an ex jehovah's witnesses and I'm proud to say Christ Is King!

There are so many sisters who waited patiently for a suitable mate and were passed over or never considered because of the shortage of brothers. But instead of looking for love outside of the organization, they remain miserable and their best years pass them by. No love, no children, and dying alone. This was almost me but I abandoned ship in the middle of my life. Still trying to free my mind because the mental conditioning is very real and can keep you imprisoned even after you leave.

What is sad too, is especially how the situation affects sisters in the organization, dealing with loneliness; which is so much harder for them than for the brothers. The fact that they face the desperation of wanting to marry and have a family before they are too old and past the age of childbearing (because they are forbidden to seek a suitable mate or marry outside of the organization). What's even more sinister is that you have brothers in the organization who feel they have the upper hand, sending a sister's desperation to find a mate, and many of them play games with these sisters, among whom they feel they can have their pick. One brother in a congregation I attended for several years would do that. He bragged about the fact that he would "not marry any sister until after Armageddon when (he) could get a perfect wife". How sick and unreasonable, especially when he himself was not perfect, and as if paradise and 'perfection,' will instantly 'appear' after the tribulation or after Armageddon. How ignorant. And it just so happened that several years after I left the cult, I read an obituary where this brother had passed away. So much for waiting for Armageddon to get a perfect wife! Just another incidence of how truly sick this organization and their reasoning is. You two are doing such an excellent job of exposing these evils. Keep up the good work 😊!

…and for Us PIMOs that are doing as little as possible, we get softly shunned and don’t get invited to any gatherings, certain ones avoid even giving a greeting…. Can’t hardly wait until I leave for good…

You all are so blessed to WAKE UP at this point. I was in my late 40s. You are such an inspiration. But at 53, I FINALLY finished school and I'm not taking my foot off the gas. WT took more than enough from me! Keep shinning and inspiring! Love y'all! 🥰🫶🏽✨

You two are awesome! So articulate, well spoken and every video I’m like YES! That was exactly my experience and the experience of my JW “friends”. Suffered in it for 33 years before I broke free (am in my 50s now). Even through the feelings of frustration for time and opportunities lost from believing this lie of a religion was the truth-you guys make it an easier pill to swallow. You have me LMAO (especially the one on dating), and it helps to not feel so alone for what we been through. Your future is bright and I’m so glad you made it to the other side. Keep on keeping on….you’re such a beautiful couple and I can feel the love & harmony through the screen. 💞

So true. I spent 4 years in a cultist environment and it took a few more years after I left to even get my mind right. Time...can't get it back.

Last Saturday I joined the protest in Amsterdam. (Stephen Lett gave a talk to all Dutch JWs). The stories I heard of exJWs are just heartbreaking... I've only been a 'never baptised bible study', but being at all meetings and conventions truly opened my eyes...😢

This is the best video yet that you guys have made. It is so inspiring. I’m one of those that just got out a couple months ago. I told my friends that are not Jehovah witnesses that I’m out, but I haven’t told witnesses because I don’t wanna give them any more of my time. They don’t need to know. They will it out, I asked people on some Facebook groups if I should write a letter. Many said you shouldn’t. They don’t need a letter. This is not a job. And it’s true. A letter doesn’t mean anything. I’m just glad that I was one of those witnesses that never put forth that much energy. I was in it for 20 years on and off never been in the school. I didn’t go out and wetness too much door-to-door, but I did talk about God a lot. That was my idea of witnessing. Basically, I just live my life, but as I mentioned before the congregation or the two congregations I was wearing we’re both pretty much lenient. I didn’t even know you couldn’t even go to college nobody ever told me that not even my Bible study person. It feels like I’m learning more about the witnesses now then when I was in it, I just laugh about it. However, on that note, I feel so badly for people that have been shunned by family members. And I’m glad my kids decided not to go and get baptized.. But I have moved on and I don’t talk about it that much. I do watch videos, especially you guys for motivation, but that’s about it. I put it behind me cause I don’t have too much to tell.

I’ve only been officially out for a little over 18 months, but I was essentially soft shunned for the last 10 years I was in. I’m having to fade because I’m an only child & I need to be able to make sure my parents are okay uninhibited (I’d love to formally disassociate & burn all bridges otherwise). I’m currently at the stage where I only have one friend (who isn’t a JW), there isn’t a light at the end of my tunnel yet, but I’m slowly clawing my way out. I only ever felt like a few of my JW friendships were genuine anyways, one of my issues with the cult was how fake & empty most JW “friendships” seemed. Your comment comparing being in the org to an abusive relationship is so true, my prayers for the last few years I was were essentially only about that. I feel like the best years of my life were completely wasted, I’m 44 now so I’ve still got a lot of life left, just figuring out what I’m going to do, & to be honest it feels like I’m in some kind of limbo. I was born in & left when I was 18 only to be sucked back in at 28 (after a break up from a long term relationship) because I didn’t know what indoctrination was, or how deeply it had affected me (my ex really tried to help, but he went about it all wrong). I’m so grateful for the life experience I had while I was out the first time otherwise leaving would be so much more difficult now.

Both of my sisters got married at 18. Both marriages ended in divorce after a few years. I married a “worldly” woman after I left. We’ve been married 26 years and put both of our kids through college. One is now an IT/computer programmer and the other works in marketing for a symphony orchestra. My kids are my biggest accomplishment! So awesome!

My birthday is this month (04/29) and I've been celebrating for the past couple of weeks. I can't tell you how wonderful it is just to go out and enjoy the company of friends in my age group. It's 4 of us that turn 55 this year. I get to celebrate three more times with them. My cousin is an elder and his daughter is getting "the bug." They live in Atlanta and she wants to go out and have a good time with co-workers. I had to tell him, "She inherited your DNA, not your religion and its beliefs. He really couldn't respond to that. I hope he "heard" what I said.

I had to LOL! When you said JWs are on your channel telling you to ‘ come back”…I love the parallel you gave between the 2nd grader and high schoolers..excellent point….to all of you JWs listening/watching this video, keep watching and you too may be awaken with the truth…❤

Hi Awaken Truths. Time is a gift & so happy I'm not wasting mine anymore in that cult. I love yalls videos & sincerely appreciate your fabulous healing helpful advice & valuable information. I'm always looking forward to 👀 seeing yall soon. Peace ✌️ fine guys🆒️💎👑🎩🚘 & 🆒️💍💄👄🎁dolls, Janine Smiley😉😋😍🤩🧸🆒️♏️⌚️

I woke up fr in December….the last meeting I went to was like last year memorial…i got baptized in 2021 out by 2023..which is crazy im thankful everyday now…Im 19 and learning myself truly, building a life for me and not by means of anyone else….it’s hard seeing older ones I used to look up to not see….and them dealing with depression or them not realizing their brother committed Bc of it..and everyone just doesn’t talk about it…it’s just sad…it’s all just pretending and maybe it’s worth it smh

I was going to have my shower. But wait... hold on. 'Awaken Truths' is on. The shower can wait. Awaken Truths is on, and I need to hear what they have to say.

RIP Raymond Franz please read Crisis of Conscience

Never really took it seriously as a teen and/or young person. Tried to do it seriously as an adult, but was treated badly, mostly ignored by most witnesses. It was a blessing in disguise👍🏽

I’m awake, I just don’t know how to tell my family I don’t want to go to the hall anymore. I’m 20, work full time and I been awake since 15, but now I’m going to these studies and I’m fully awake now. The teachings don’t make sense to me and y’all channel has helped me realize why it doesn’t make sense. I don’t want to go to this study or the hall anymore but you guys know it’s not that easy. I don’t want to waste anymore time and idk how to tell my jw family, I don’t want to be looked at differently.

Imagine being born in it and not getting out until your 30s. Complete waste of time and I was one of the fools who put my life in jeopardy by not taking blood that I needed. Oh well, at least I’m still young enough to enjoy my freedom now

I also wanted to tell you there's a controversy about a song they created for there convention that everyone is up in arms saying it sounds like a Christmas hymn check it out. I'd love to see you cover it. Are they bringing Christmas into the religion? Maybe to get more people. More changes HA HA

This was a good one. Keep sharing! I love all the analogies. I spent longer than I would have liked in the cult but there was a reason I was there and I think it was so I could meet my husband and have our daughter. I definitely mourn a lot that I lost (including children from my first marriage) but they may not be forever lost and hopefully will understand someday. Plus, I became a certain person because of the cult (i think in a good way). ❤

So thankful for you. 30 years of hurt after wife is df and died. Not one compassionate person. Ty for the courage ty you help me heal at 63. Yes college gave up family gone but free now that is worth it all. Now my God is so big now he is not kept hostage

I am so thankful for you both. This is helping me heal.

I am glad woke up in my late 20.s and went back to college. My job is saving me if had not left JW no college or learned a profession. My children are productive adults too. They nor I did not waste time in JW religion in losing college, no friends, or marrying too early .Plus dealing with the controlling GB rules, Etc.

Enjoyed the episode guys 👍 keep them coming.

Love your analogy of this life as a video game. There are LEVELS to this ish. I love your relationship and the way you share with your platform.

My cousin and I used to say to each other all the time. “If I wasn’t a witness, I would probably kill myself”. Being a JW can foster feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness; ultimately leading to depression. Especially for those who are naturally anxious and/or have a family history of mental health issues. I consider myself lucky; the way events panned out in my life, I was already in therapy before I woke up. Otherwise, I can imagine I would have followed through with my previous sentiments. Heart hurts for those who couldn’t see another way out.

You guys and your videos are my therapy! Please don't stop!

God Bless You All

Rushed into a marriage being older it was the most disastrous thing I did lasted barely two years, because of inactivity and waking up some still soft shun me I’m much happier now it took time glad only one relative still in I see the cart witnessing being set up downtown Jw appears to be so nice to those walking by, but stop talking to me because I left no immorality just depressed being there new lies not new light, love you guys channel has helped woke up four years ago. A few friends still call and check on me hoping I will come back some of them respect my decision, fact is I didn’t do anything personally to them just made decision best for my life, while I was dealing with cancer, Healing now wanna tell them God still blessed me some asked others about me, but they didn’t check on me that I thought was friends 😢showed me how unloving some are, we don’t have to hang just a call ,told them my concerns about organization never tried to force my opinions on them unless they ask ❤sorry for so long gonna order your book

Another awesome video! I was there at that funeral you mentioned. We never got into the building, that was so crazy! Y'all are so regressing and your helping me build up the courage yo dip on out of this CULT!

You two are such a beautiful couple who always strive to say it as it really is. All your videos are so truthful and thought provoking. Continue speaking truth. The issues you’ve covered are so well needed. I hope you get plenty more subscribers.

You guys are sooo beautiful. I love listening to you guys and pray that become Christians - believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior. That is my prayer for you all.

Thank you so much. This was a great video and not something talked about enough!

I surely wish I could tell you all my story. I’ll have to send you the link to my story. I have it on RU-vid but it’s under my page for being an ex-jw. I’ll share it here in a bit. You both are right on point. I’m gonna be 50 this year and I always say I’ll never know how great I could have been because I grew up in this cult and didn’t get to be the track star in college or the astronaut I wanted to be. So sad.

WOW GUYS! you two can get an hour on camera and talk all tuff relatable. I can be sad, ambitious, laughing' all in one video and IDK what else to say but this is amazing. I'm 23 still didn't go to higher education so miutrs 28 and 29 were super relatable because it's still feeling like getting money and achieve goals and being "selfish" is a sin. still working on it tho.

Fam thank you for your testimonies. People need to hear what you are explaining to them about this cults. Keep spreading the news. ❤❤

That nail tech knew they were wrong, I wasn’t expecting it to be that bad 😂 I always forget you all live in Atlanta!

You are both great ! Thank you.

On a positive spin: when you've experience those things, you know better what you do enjoy & want. Also, making appreciate even more your life, peace and freedom. You are exactly where you are suppose to be, the best is here for you to enjoy, every moment is a gift 💖

I watch a lot of police and court sentencing videos and I realized that even though the JW's wasted a lot of my time and I missed out on a lot of opportunities, I know it could've been worse. I could've been in prison, dead or chained to a crazy baby mama so even through all the bs of that cult, I've accepted it as a part of my story. I'm grateful I was able to get out young and now I try to live in the moment!

I love you guys‘s videos!

Great video!!! This will real inspire my daughters brainwashed and manipulated with lies and fears in a very toxic JW environment. I would love you guys to help them, as they have been messed up so badly by the JW mom. Let me know how I can reach you guys to share some more info to help the teenage girls?

Great analogy

Tbh I was very lucky to leave around 17/18. Bc I still have a lot years. But people who has been in it for like 30+ years must be painful and I’m so sorry for people who went through that

You guys are so right about the marriage part. I first got married at 19 and divorced at 22. No way were we ready for marriage, but thats JW CULTure. Its all about a show, and how you look to those in the congregation. My father, God rest his soul, was an elder and performed our marriage ceremony. Only to tell me a decade later while now in my second marriage, that my first marriage was one of the biggest mistakes I could've made, and that he new it wasn't going to work. I just have to laugh about it now. Knowing that he felt that way and still performed the ceremony. CULT LIFE is real. 😂😂😂

"To thine self be true". A spiritual principal that applies to showing yourself love. So you can love others.

I always enjoy your great videos. 🙏🏿

Yall are speaking the real truth. Not that fake truth that we were lied to about.

Thank you so much for all you do and your encouragement. From detroit 🙂

Hi Awaken Truths. I love yalls videos! Thanks for being so real & interesting! Rewatching is always better because I get good points each time to enjoy even more! See yall guys👑🎩💎🚘 & 💍👙👡🛍💄🚙🥳🧸dolls on the next one! ✌️love Janine Smiley🙂🙃🫠😉😗😘🥰😍🤩

Love your channel... Blessings to you both!!!

I already helped a person out of the WTBTS. This young Lady I work with started attending the meetings and bringing Her Mom… Sent a message to Her through another co-worker about researching online the history of JWs. Haven’t seen Her back at any JW meetings 😁👍🏼

That is so true

Time definitely goes by fast. And let me just break the news to you, the older you get the faster it flies! I left the JW organization at 18 and I’m about to be 48. Seems like yesterday I was graduating high school and now I’m almost a half a century old!🤣

I am sad for the people entrapped. Psychological mind control. Jesus Christ is a freeing God. His burden is light. Free indeed

I would have went to college instead of getting married at 23. It was truly a mistake for me to get married at that time, but the elders kept telling me I needed to get married. So, I did. I regret listening to them, and later on divorced and now I reached my goal of an MBA. The org just messes up peoples lives.

Congratulations on your book!! That is so amazing xo

Regarding that tree that just missed your house, wow that was an awakening experience, I wonder where that miracle came from? If nothing else it proves that the watchtower god had nothing to do with saving your house. You two have good energy flowing and just maybe you two taped into something greater then yourselves. Who knows? Just think of the things that make you go hummmmm. I enjoy reading about your miracles since you left the watchtower.

It’s true, “friends” are a manipulation tactic. Very hard to determined who is genuine. In the world, you get a better sense who is a “friend”.

Many years ago my wife’s grandfather went out on a limb and donated $20,000 toward a new Kingdom Hall which was under construction. He made the mistake of writing a personal check. Since his name was on the check he was pulled aside and reprimanded by the elders for “seeking to draw attention” to himself. But of course they kept his money.

Education. Marriage way too long and waisting my older kids life. Luckily I left when they were 10ish and now they’re college graduates and have wonderful lives.

I come from a Family of jws!..smh....Brothers are elders, a C/O brother in law, pioneer sisters...I have 3 young adult children that's not JWs,they saw for themselves the HYPOCRISY...so like you guys said some of us come from generation of JWs...My Mom, who is deceased ,got baptized in 1969....good job to both of You...

I'm 25 now, woke up at 15. Couldn't do much but I did manage to live alone at 19 onward. Finished my degree, finishing up a second one and gonna go for a doctorate. I beat the JWs on the education front, but I'd say that on dating it gets really hard because of the social stigmas they added to dating in high school. I had people interested me in high school but couldn't pursue because of the JWs being on our backs in a small community. I have simce dated because i live on my own, but it still impacted my psyche and level of experience and comfort with dating. You just feel like you're playing catch-up compsred to everyone else. COVID-19 did *not* help, obviously.

The serenity prayer has been a lot more powerful for me than the lords prayer

Although, I was never baptized in that Organization. I think it was one of the worst mistakes of my life. I should have gotten baptized. I cant believe those people are still trying to get me, to go back to those meetings and stuff. Had I gotten baptized. I would have been shunned. They would not be able to talk to me and that would be great.

The Spanish Cong I attend is a psychiatric ward… So many depressed, bipolar, autistic, schizophrenics…🤪🤪🤪 What the HELL🤔🤔🤔

When you date you are not allowed to be alone. You have to be chaperoned and you are both adults in your 20’s. That’s what happened to me. Crazy how much control is done even with dating.

❤❤❤

Loving your old heads on those young shoulders...Yeah!!! ❤

So many black celebrities were Jehovah witnesses 😭😭😭😭😭

Great Job Thanks

Absent of true love. You will know my disciples. Love. Thy shall have love for one another ❤️ by this your known to be a true disciple...piercing of the heart ❤️

Great video, thanks 🙂

Do you guys ever do live question and answer?

My husband is an awake person, but since he wasn't baptized, his family is still open to speaking to him. I am thinking that is the only reason why they can still talk to him?

I am in a difficult place being in love with a gentleman who is a JW. Early on, I asked him if he is allowed to marry outside of his religion and he said "yes" BUT he won't be able to date without supervision and obviously sex before marriage is out. His family- not even his daughter knows anything about me - yet he says that "we are going to be together". I want to trust what he is saying, but the knowledge I have gained listening to your videos have me believing that I may be wasting my time until he truly decides that he doesn't want to be a part of this religion. I honestly feel that he is only in it still because he is tight with his family and many of them are JW and he wouldn't be able to deal with the shunning..... AM I WASTING MY TIME???

Great video as always. Have you guys discussed what it was like as children growing up? How did it feel to miss out on holidays and do you guys celebrate anything now? If so, how does it feel to celebrate events without JW’s breathing down your neck?

Please do a video on “the kind of love Jehovah’s Witnesses have” I think their love is superficial and it is not real love as Jesus taught. Thanks

Conditional

I hate it when someone leaves and they try to make him a liar so they don't wake anyone else up I believe that's the main reason for shunning I started calling them Watchtower construction workers C.W.'S

I love yall. I was a witness. Happy for yall. Hoping my wife and I, can get like yall. When yall ready, hit me up. I'll tell my (jw) story. #exjw #cult

Did the time in the organization strengthen your discipline in life ? ❤ On what level was it beneficial to you life the way it is now ?

😍

I like your natural nails

Manipulation