The following short segment details the superiority complex that TFI taught its members. This superiority complex primarily encompassed the idea that TFI members were God’s chosen children and therefore would be integral in the saving of the world and detrimental to the Devil’s plans. This is repeatedly exemplified in Warriors: At the Edge of Time; for example, Marduke, a minion of the Antichrist, is hell-bent on taking down The Family International, because they pose the greatest threat to the Antichrist and his New World Order. The novel also depicts the crucial role TFI should play in the Endtime and how TFI members should be beacons of light and peace during the crises the Antichrist creates.

Over the course of the novel, the TFI members repeatedly speak of their own importance in the Endtime; sometimes these opinions stem from prophecies they’ve received, other times the opinions originate from directly referenced Mo Letters. The first time the novel shows the Antichrist’s followers speak about the dangers of TFI and its members occurs in Part III, Chapter 1: “The Deadly Virtue”. In this scene, Will thinks back to what Marduke told him about the Antichrist’s plan. Will had been asked to call a friend of his, and when he asked why that was important, Marduke explained that the phone call was integral to the Antichrist’s plans, because it would lead to a setback for The Family.

She had told him the time was drawing very near, and that this simple phone call he had been asked to make was going to play a big part in paving the way. She said evangelical Christians and missionaries were the greatest threat to the Plan, that as well meaning as they seemed to be, their very goodness and mercy on even the lowest forms of human life stood in the way of the Great Plan. So any blow against them was a victory for the New World Order. (HL, 160)

The phone call in question was from Will to one of his past band mates, Collin. Collin has information on TFI members, namely he has the contact information for Lenny, Don, Gypsy and Roy, four of the main TFI characters. Marduke wants this information in order to take these TFI members and their homes out of the picture. The latter part of the novel focuses specifically on how Don, Gypsy and their home are a target for Marduke’s anger. This extract exhibits some of the dramatic language of the novel: how Christians are “the greatest threat to the Plan”, or how they show “goodness and mercy on even the lowest forms of human life”. The novel never explains why evangelical Christians are such a threat, nor why precisely showing kindness to so-called “lowest forms” is a problem. However, this clearly demonstrates that TFI members are supposed to pose a danger in the Endtime, they are a threat that stands in the way. Since “any blow against them was a victory”, of course the Antichrist and his minions would focus on TFI members and eliminate them from the equation as soon as possible.

This threat posed by members of The Family to the New World Order and the Antichrist is more explicitly mentioned in Part III, Chapter 2: “Compassion Takes Action”. At this point, the state of the world is rather poor, which is cause for Marduke to celebrate. When Will is urged to join her, he asks for clarification of how his previously mentioned contact with Collin and the Family helps the New World Order, and Marduke explains.

“Well, believe it or not,” she replied, “whatever insight we’re able to gain into the goings-on of your little missionary friends is very important to the cause. That group of theirs might be small, but they’ve proven to be a big threat, a tremendous obstacle to our plans. (189-190)

In this passage, the superiority complex is even clearer, as The Family International is described as a “big threat” and a “tremendous obstacle”. As above, the novel never explains how or why TFI is such a threat; it never specifies what exactly TFI and its members are doing that could be so harmful to the Antichrist’s plans. Due to my knowledge, I assume that the largest threat is TFI’s teachings: the Antichrist presumably would not want the world to be made aware of the signs of his rise and the dangers of his later reign.

Marduke’s explanation continues as she describes previous efforts that she and other minions of the Antichrist undertook to stop TFI. Many of these efforts are beliefs that I was raised with, examples of how the world was against us because of the Devil’s influence.

“There have been several attempts made over the years to put a stop to them [TFI]–manipulating the media to stir up public opinion against them; even using the courts and legal systems of various countries to try to ban their activities. ([TFI added], 190)

Marduke’s statement about how they used the media to “stir up public opinion” is typical TFI rhetoric. If there was ever anything negative about TFI in the news, we were told that it was the Devil and the Antichrist’s work. It was an easy way to combat information we heard about TFI from the outside. We were all acutely aware of the negative view the media had of us, but TFI portrayed it as a symbol of how important we were to Go, and how fiercely the Devil wanted to get rid of us. Because we were of God, the Devil would use everything he could to stop us, like influencing people to not like us or help us. Meanwhile, the reference to “courts and legal systems” likely refers to the varying court cases against TFI, as well as the raids on certain TFI homes. Again, this was another aspect that TFI called persecution and claimed as proof that we were God’s chosen children. It was used as yet another example of how we were so vital to the Endtime that the Devil was out to get us.

Aside from the Antichrist’s clear antagonism to TFI and its members, Warriors also expresses the importance of TFI members as beacons of hope and light. As soon as the Economic Crash takes place in the novel, leading to the Great Confusion, TFI members step up and help create small areas of peace. Over the last third of Warriors, from Part III, Chapter 3 until the end, the novel depicts how the world is filled with chaos and violence, but the TFI homes are an exception. An omniscient narrator describes this exact picture in Part IV’s “Introduction”. All economies and markets have failed, and the world is full of poverty, hunger, gangs and anarchy. However, TFI members are points of light in this darkest of times.

In those cities where there was still some semblance of law and order, many of these [Christians], like the prophets of old, distributed God’s Word via posters and tracts by the thousands to the hungry multitudes. Crowds gathered round them, asking urgent questions, with eyes hungry for answers, and hearts desperate for the healing balm of they-knew-not-what. But God’s messengers knew, God knew, that the multitudes were fainting, hungering—starving—for His Words of Life. And His children gave out those Words with an urgency they’d never had before. ([Christians] added, 246)

[…] In the more dangerous parts of the world, where anarchy ruled and it was unsafe to distribute literature openly, the Family Homes were like heavenly havens. Many, led as if by an unseen hand, found their way to their gates, to their doors. The Home filled with those hungry to know how to survive and what to look for. Many became so filled with the truth they had found that they felt compelled to join the ranks of God’s Endtime followers and witnesses. (247)

These extracts again show TFI homes and members as special snowflakes – not only are these children of God surviving through the Economic Crash, they are thriving. In some areas they leave their homes to witness to lost souls, those who search for answers in the chaos of the Great Confusion. These TFI members pass out posters, speak God’s word and act as God’s voice.  Other TFI members don’t have to go out to witness, the sheep are brought to their doors, where they can be saved in relative safety. These saved souls are then so inspired that they decide to join TFI themselves. This demonstrates the importance of TFI members in two ways. First of all, they are sought after in the chaos of the Endtime; people flock to them for hope and comfort, which is delivered through God’s word. They are centres of attention and good news. Second of all, they are clearly chosen by God, because they are not experiencing all the horrors and the terrible aftermath of the Economic Crash. Since the TFI members learned about the stages of the Endtime, they saw the Economic Crash coming and were able to prepare for it. Also, of course, God looks out for his own and provides and protects his children in this time of need. Not normal people, of course. God doesn’t provide and protect for the normal people, but he does step up for his chosen children.

Finally, at the very end of the conclusion, there is paragraph which speaks directly to the reader. The passage assumes that the reader is a TFI member, and it reads like a prophecy; it has the same vocabulary and phrasing that prophecies in TFI generally did. This prophecy essentially tells the reader to prepare for the Endtime and be ready to fight, because they have been chosen for this final war.

For now, brave children of David, arm yourselves, for the day of your destiny has come. Your path is right; your cause is just; your reward is sure, and no sacrifice can ever be too much. Rise up and fight with courage and faith until that seventh trumpet sounds and the mystery of God is finished, the completion of His Kingdom in you and all of His faithful children throughout the ages! Count yourselves blessed above all generations, that you were chosen to live in these days, God’s warriors at the edge of time! (356)

From the first phrase it is clear that the writer is referring to TFI members, because readers are called “children of David”. Then the writer takes up the chosen one idea when they write “the day of your destiny has come”. We were raised to be warriors in the Endtime, it was our destiny to live, fight and die for Jesus. The readers are reassured that we are on the right path, and our cause, whatever cause set before us by TFI’s leaders, is a good one. Then of course, we must be sure that we are ready to sacrifice anything, well everything, because no matter what is asked of us it cannot “be too much”. The final sentence says how we are blessed because we are chosen and God’s own warriors. While this may all seem rather dramatic and made to fit the fictional setting of the novel, phrases like these were often told to us as children in a non-fictitious context. We were raised as the chosen children of God who would save the world in the Endtime. The fictional idea of chosen ones that arises in System YA novels was a non-fictional, normalised idea to children who were raised in TFI. This novel really does exemplify ideals that we were raised with and moves we were expected to make. We were meant to be God’s chosen beacons of light in the Endtime.

Heaven’s Library. (1999) Warriors: At the Edge of Time. As told by John Steinbeck. Thailand: The Family.