In Memory sorted alphabetically

Lawson Briggs, Jr. - Year Entered 1954

Lawson Briggs, Jr.



 
go to bottom 
  Post Comment

01/31/15 08:11 PM #1    

Robert Macdonald III (1958)

Remembrances of Lawson C. Briggs
By Robert Macdonald

    I arrived on the Ambassador College Campus in 1959.  Having taken the Bible Correspondence Course (CC), I soon met Lawson C. Briggs one of the writers of the publication.  I had many discussions with him.  Questioning some of the points in the CC, I occasionally put Lawson in the sometimes uncomfortable position of being “defender of the faith”.  Nevertheless he was always willing to talk to me.  Unlike some other staff members he never dismissed my questions as indicative as a “bad attitude”.  He was always a gentleman.  

    In June 1975 he wrote an article for the Good News called “The Wave Sheaf Ritual – Proof of Christ and the Bible”.  At that time the conventional idea at WGC was that Jesus was resurrected at the end of the Sabbath.  Lawson was the first to suggest that based on the ritual of the cutting of the sheaf of grain, that Jesus was resurrected during the first moments after sundown on the first day of the week.  Even though that the difference between these views was but a few minutes, he took a lot of flack for his conclusions.  He had the intestinal fortitude to stick up for what he believed!  

    I always respected him for his honesty and willingness to stand up for the truth.  
He was one of the more forward thinking and intellectually honest scholars on the staff.  

    He later became disillusioned with developments in the Church and College. Perhaps because of this and his independence of thought he was given a different job and eventually laid off.   

    He developed liver cancer and was lovingly cared for at home by his wife Joy.  I visited him during this period and thanked him for his help and inspiration.  I gave him a copy of my paper “Overview of God’s Feasts and Festival Seasons”, pointing out that his Good News article was referenced, and was part of the inspiration for the paper. He was one of those who gave me the guts to think outside the box.  
    
    After Lawson died, Joy told me that that I was the only one to visit him during his illness.  I look forward to meeting Lawson after the resurrection of the saints.

    The above referenced paper is a work in progress.  Though I could be all wrong about this, I later came to the conclusion that the three annual harvest festival seasons or pilgrimage feasts (when all the males in Israel were to present themselves before God at the Tabernacle or Temple) looked forward to three resurrections:  Jesus’ resurrection, the resurrection of the saints, and another resurrection at the end of the Millennium.  As explained in the paper, all three of these pilgrimage feasts are associated with an eighth day.  I call this the “eighth day connection”.  The numeral “eight” is associated with new beginnings.  Resurrections are the ultimate new beginnings!    I am indebted to Lawson for planting the seeds for the connection to the eighth day by pointing out that Jesus’ resurrection occurred on the first day of the week, an “eighth day”!


09/02/15 07:31 AM #2    

Patsy Patterson (Mchale) (1961)

I worked for Lawson Briggs in college..I remember good days in correspondence dept. he was always very fair and good boss. Saddened at his passing. I worked my way thru college with the job. Thank you. Peace


go to top 
  Post Comment

 




UA-51763549-1 UA-167577202-1