What's the best explanation?

Always since Russell founded them?

Chosen in a specific year by Jesus?

They are currently "the truth" because they are the closest to 1st century?

Thoughts people.

My blog article on the subject When did jw's become "the truth"

I think it was when they channeled the New World Translation.  Jehovah needed to update the Bible after Satan messed with it so much over the centuries.

....and for those looking for the blog article, it can be found here.

Excerpt:

Jehovah's Witnesses have the "truth" right?

Now any witness will tell you they believe they are the true religion on earth right now....

But is that based upon their current beliefs and standing with God?

Or have they perhaps always been God's chosen ones since C . T. Russell founded them?

Or as Franz believed attained such a lofty title at a specific time?

One of the above must be what they believe.

In my opinion the answer to these questions lies in a long term strategy by Governing Body 2.0 to re-shape or abandon doctrines and overhaul the public/religious image of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

In the days of men like Fred Franz and his ilk they totally believed in their own press and thus felt they were in a position of having “special insight”. Fred Franz was merely following in the footsteps of "judge" Rutherford and his predecessor Charles Russell, the religion's founder in his mind-set.

Franz believed they were "chosen" by Jesus himself during an "invisible" visit to earth to inspect the world's religions around the year 1919 a.d.

Now how does that above statement sound ? Would a "householder" in the 21century be likely to buy into that during a visit from a Jehovah's Witness at their door?
Remember ultimately they are a publishing corporation with a product to "sell" whether that be books, donations to the cause or joining the religion. Products have to be saleable and attractive to prospective buyers.

So the previous "product" sold. The end is coming! The people flooded in and so did the money......
Unfortunately  the product had passed it's sell-by date in the shape of the combined "insights" of Russell, Rutherford and Franz  when they turned out to be poorly judged guesswork and idle speculation at best.

They've never been 'the truth' any more than any other religion that has used 'the truth' as a noun to describe their particular set of doctrines.

They probably just borrowed the term, like they did with most of their doctrines, but I don't know when that happened, or when it was first used as a noun by the bOrg or it's members.  It's been around longer than I have and I'm no spring chicken.

When did Jehovah's Witnesses become "the truth"?

NEVER

The WTS has applied that term THE TRUTH to themselves since Russell's time.

Some here might be thinking of the phrase "present truth" which did change with the advent of the NWT.

Hobo Ken:

I don't know the answer to that question.   After I found out the religion's real story on various internet sites and learned about their dirt, scandals, hidden history, etc., I did not think they ever had the "truth"and I never refer to it as the "truth" as I feel the term imparts a virtue to them that I do not agree they ever had. 

This is a very good question to ask an active JW as I did some 2 or 3 years ago, having just read to him the scripture about there being no felowship between false religion (idolatry etc) and  christianity, according to Paul.

The guy I asked did not answer, he could see the trap I had laid, how could it be the "Truth" when some falsehood (they would perhaps use the word error, or even the milder "wrong understanding") was part of it ?

So, as has been said, it never was, and still is not the "Truth", in any way.

Divine Plan of the Ages

foreword ii

The present Volume was written from the reverse standpoint. It presents the Truth, shows its strength and beauty, and then suggests the removal of the error, as not only unnecessary, but absolutely useless and very injurious. Thus the reader of the DIVINE PLAN OF THE AGES at each step finds a strengthening of faith and a greater nearness to the Lord, and therefore a confidence that he is in the right way. After seeing the Truth, the errors are more and more seen to be absurd, worthless, injurious, and are gladly abandoned.

Since the JW version of truth is ever-changing they can never become the truth.

Believe it or not some even called it "The Way" back in the 50's. I know there is a religion that goes by that name but they meant it was the only way to get everlasting life when they said it. Instead of "The Truth some witnesses  said "The Way". I don't know if the magazines ever reflected that saying but I heard many I associated with call it that back then.

I did find one article a while back tht called it that in discussing a bible scripture but have no idea where it is now.

Snoozy, who never ever refers to it as "The Truth"". I always call it the Jehovah's Witness religion or the WTBTS ..

What's the best explanation?

When the WTS wanted to increase their sales of their publications.

No other Christian based religion has the Truth, well thats what the WTS. publishing corporation says at least.

Did anyone else notice in that video put out by the WTS. GB last year, that the phrase we are preaching the " Truth "

was said over and over again by all the members who were commenting.

I think the GB are starting to realize with the advent of the age of information that their own self devised Bullshit

is starting to be recognized by the general public.

Not to mention people who are involved with this religion.

Dam the inter-net and Dam Al Gore