Theocratic Aid To Kingdom Publishers

Lesson 44

LETTERS

The Bible contains many letters. The first occurrence of the term "letter" is the time David sent a letter to Joab by the "mail carrier" Uriah. (2 Sam. 11:14) The fourth chapter of Ezra narrates an exchange of letters between religious trouble-makers and King Artaxerxes. At the time of a religious purge in Israel, King Hezekiah wrote letters and dispatched them by posts throughout the land to call the people to Jerusalem for the delayed passover celebra-

tion. (2 Chron. 30:1,6) Some of the entire books of the Bible are letters. The apostle Paul wrote fourteen such epistles (letters), and others of the apostles likewise wrote epistles. Jehovah's servants today write letters. The 1945 Yearbook of Jehovah's witnesses reports that the Brooklyn office of the Watchtower Society received 325,600 letters during the service year 1944. The vast majority of these were from Jehovah's witnesses. In turn, the Society sent out 405,725 letters. Having given this report of the tremendous volume of mail, the Yearbook mentioned the value of properly composed letters. (Pages 49 and 50) Hence letter-writing is a subject that concerns the Kingdom publisher.

Letters may be generally divided into two classes, business and personal. They may partake of both, and be either formal or informal. The following discussion, for the most part, excludes the cold, efficient business letter, and treats more the warm, personal communication generally engaged in by Kingdom publishers, even though business may also be dispatched therein. Letters should be easy and natural, and they should express the sentiments and ideas of the sender just as well as if the sender were speaking personally to the receiver. There are certain principles of composition that the body of the letter should follow; but first consider the various parts and form of the letter.

At the top of the letter and on the right-hand side of the page appears the heading. This consists of the sender's address and the date. (In letters to the Watchtower Society, however, this heading should have the sender's name, in addition to his address and the date.) Below this, and to the extreme left of the page, comes the salutation or opening greeting. In personal letters the salutation is followed by a comma, but in business letters the colon is used. Also in business letters there is what is known as the "inside address". This is the address of the receiver of the letter, and appears just above the salutation, which in such cases is generally "Dear Sir" (or, Sirs) or "Gentlemen". One of the first indications in the Bible of a heading and salutation is found

at Ezra 4:11,12: "Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time. Be it known unto the king, . . . " Here the senders give their location or "address", and at least mention the element of time. The next phrase addresses the king. Salutations, however, are more clearly evidenced in the epistles of the Greek Scriptures.

The body of the letter follows the salutation, and it in turn is succeeded by the closing or concluding phrase, such as "Yours truly", "Sincerely yours," "Your brethren in Theocratic service," etc. Only the first word of the close is capitalized, except when it includes a word that is normally capitalized, as in the last illustration. This final phrase has a comma after it, and then comes the writer's signature. Jezebel, on one occasion, "wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal." (1 Ki. 21:8) This seal (sometimes an insignia and sometimes the actual name, and oftentimes both) appeared on a ring worn either on the finger or hung around the neck on a cord of some kind. When a letter was sealed, with some soft material such as a bit of clay that would receive an impression, this ring was pressed against it. This constituted the "signature". Business letters often have modifying data under the signature to identify the position held by the writer, and also below the signature and to the left appears reference data indicating such things as the secretary who typed the letter, persons to whom carbon copies should be sent, etc. In personal letters the heading (sender's address and the date) may appear in this position instead of at the top of the letter.

Now to give some attention to the body. This part of the letter should be carefully composed, because once it is written and mailed it cannot be changed. The body should follow logic and all the rules for good composition. However, its style is informal and conversational; but this does not mean slovenly, disconnected, incoherent, rambling. Principles of good paragraphing should be followed. All paragraphs should receive the same indention. Finish one sub-

ject before taking up another; do not go back. Follow the principles of outlining.

If the letter is part business and part informal and personal (as, for example, are most letters of Kingdom publishers to the Society), it is best to tend to business matters first. If previously requested information is to be given, give it first; otherwise, the reader may be wondering if it is going to be given, rather than getting what the writer is saying. Clear the reader's mind of concern at the outset by giving the expected information, then go to new business. Let the opening sentence of each paragraph serve as a topic sentence or signpost of what that paragraph is to deal with. All matter pertaining to that subject should come within that paragraph; or, if the subject is somewhat involved and different phases of it are to be developed, each phase may take a paragraph, but at least the paragraphs on one matter should follow consecutively and logically.

With the business thus cared for, one may wish to relate an experience, or express appreciation for some service or provision, or some other such informal matter upon which one might wish to converse with the receiver of the letter. In this portion of the letter, it is also essential to follow the rules of paragraphing, particularly opening the paragraph with a topic sentence that sets the mind of the reader for what is to follow. For example, a paragraph might open, "I would like to relate an interesting experience I had the other day." Or, "I wish to express my appreciation for the new publication I received." Then the writer could continue with the experience, or the reasons for his appreciating the new publication. In either event, the mind of the reader has been prepared for what is to follow, and from the very outset he knows what is up for discussion. He is able to appreciate fully the material that follows. Without this topic sentence the reader may wade through a half or three-fourths of the paragraph before he realizes what it is all about. Hence it is in the interests of the letter-writer to put a "signpost" at the beginning of each paragraph.

Below is an illustration of a letter that a Kingdom publisher might send to the Watchtower Society. Note in it the various parts of a letter, as discussed in this lesson, and also the application of paragraphing principles.

Two additional points before closing this discussion: length and appearance. There can be no arbitrary rules for length. Some of the epistles in the Greek Scriptures are pages upon pages; others are very brief. But none of them are wordy, and that is the test for length. Regardless of how many pages one writes, if his letter is not wordy it is not too long; no matter how few sentences one writes, if his letter is wordy it is too long. As in all composition, be to the point. Finally, be neat in letter-writing. Some impose on the good nature of their friends by sending slovenly, untidy letters, letters they would not consider sending to a business firm. Watch spelling and punctuation and grammar, else one gives the impression of being ignorant. Strive to write neat letters that are pleasing to the eye. An untidy letter is a discourteous letter.