Plain Living
1 total work
The incredible true story of an inquisitive Amish family and the smooth-talking cult leader who deceives them. Discouraged by his parents' lukewarm attitude toward God, teenage Wil Hochstetler is intrigued when they begin visiting a local ex-Amishman who claims to receive revelations from God. Soon several people are meeting weekly at Wilbur Lee Eash's home, dazzled by reports of his spiritual experiences and enthralled by his scriptural-sounding teachings. The deceptive but charismatic leader soon becomes controlling. He blames his unfulfilled prophecies on his followers' disobedience, and he threatens that those who don't follow him wholeheartedly will suffer eternal condemnation. When he convinces his tiny flock to sell their possessions ("the end is near!") but then requests that they give him increasingly large sums of money, Wil finally makes his escape - or so he thinks. This fast-paced account vividly displays the power of deception and the redemptive grace of God.