Thank Peg. Very interesting, and it seems like a very sensible way of "converting" someone, i.e. letting them make the decision themselves and then taking all the necessary steps before actually being allowed to join.

It does lead to another question though: what if someone stops smoking, gets rid of their addictions, etc because they want to become JW, and then, say a few years down the line, something traumatic happens to them that triggers all these bad habits to start again? I am thinking that you would hope that their faith would get them through and that they no longer need these "crutches", however I know that for some people addiction is actually a physical illness. Would the church help them get back on track?