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Synopsis from atstracts.org

Which is greater?

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Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne in the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

Gandalf quoting an ancient verse to Frodo Baggins, LotR I, p. 81

The Lord of the Rings is J. R. R. Tolkien's epic trilogy of the battle between good and evil which takes place in a time when Elves, Dwarfs, Trolls, Goblins, Men, Hobbits and other earth creatures all strove together for dominance of Middle-earth. The evil sorcerer Sauron created the magical rings that he distributed among the inhabitants of earth to give them powers to rule, but only in return for their aiding him in his evil quest for total domination of Middle-earth. Only Sauron possessed the one ring that brings all their powers together and combines them into one mighty force.

The Fellowship of the Ring is the first book of the trilogy. It explains how Sauron lost the Ring of Power and how it happened to be in the most unlikely of places. It then tells how the finders of this ring set out on a perilous journey to destroy it by casting it into the fire in which it was wrought. The Fellowship of the Ring consists of the free peoples of the world; Dwarfs, Elves, Men, Hobbits and Wizards.

The Two Towers is the second book. It tells of the separation of the fellow-ship. Frodo, a Hobbit and Bearer of the Ring, sets out into the hellish Shadow of the Land of Mordor in hope of reaching the Fire of Doom, where he will forever destroy the ring. Hobbits are a fat and happy race reaching only two to three feet tall, sometimes called "Halflings." Who would expect such an unlikely person to be given such a dreadfully important task?₁

The Return of the King is the third and final book of the trilogy depicting the last battle of the War of the Ring, the downfall of Sauron and the ultimate destruction of the Ring of Power.₂ Through many twists and turns, good wins out over evil and peace is restored to Middle-earth.

In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien develops the premise that even the smallest and least likely individual can perform the most heroic task if he does not give in to the powers of the Dark Lord. Although a fantasy, this story illustrates a very important truth for all of us. Each of us is in a mortal battle, not for the world alone, but for our souls and eternity. Where shall we turn for help and victory?₃

The Lord of Lords

The Bible says that our evil enemy, Satan, has rallied his troops against us in a real battle, and it explains how high the stakes truly are. It also tells of a mighty Prince who has come to vanquish evil and set the captives free.₄ If we will place our complete trust and confidence in Jesus Christ, He will lead us to victory over Satan and death, and we can be certain of an eternal place in His kingdom called Heaven.₅ We will also be delivered from the fear of our enemies and live in safety here on earth.₆ Do you want this type of peace in your heart?

You can pledge allegiance to Jesus by saying something like this:

LORD Jesus, I believe that You alone can defeat the evil in my life. I believe that You are the rightful ruler of this world and I want You to be my King. Please save me from death. Forgive me for my sins, and help me now to be Your loyal servant from this day forward. Amen.

Here are some steps for following Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords:

Repent--Change your mind about sin. Admit that you are powerless to defeat the enemy of your soul on your own.7

Invite--Tell Jesus that you are willing to be His follower. Ask Him to be your Lord and King.8 He will forgive you and empower you in the life you lead. He will set you free from evil and death.9

Now--Life is uncertain. The sooner you pledge your allegiance to Jesus, the sooner His power will be unleashed in your life.₁₀

Go--Tell someone else about your discovery of the truth of Jesus. Be an ambassador of the only One who cared enough to suffer and die for you, so that you could have life.₁₁

Stay--Only God can keep you by His power. It is not up to you. You are weak. When you ask, He will send His Spirit into your life to help you follow Him.₁₂

Dan and Adam Southern

Bible references: [1]1 Corinthians 3:18-20; [2]Revelation 20:10; [3]Psalm 121; [4]Luke 4:18; [5]1 John 5:13; [6]Joshua 1:5; [7]2 Corinthians 10:4; [8]Philippians 2:10; [9]Romans 8:2,6; [10]Deuteronomy 10:12,13; [11]John 3:16; [12]Philippians 2:13

They will make war against the Lamb [Jesus], but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of Kings-- and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers. - Revelation 17:14

J.R.R. Tolkien 1892?1973 - British Author and Professor

The late J.R.R. Tolkien, who taught Anglo-Saxon and English Literature at Oxford University in England, created a series of literary works which grew out of his lifelong fascination with languages, myths and legends. The most famous of these works are The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

• He was born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien in 1892 in Bloemfontein, S. Africa.
• As a youth, Tolkien showed a great linguistic talent. After studying Middle English, old Welsh and Finnish, he started to invent his own languages.
• Tolkien served as a second lieutenant with the Lancaster Fusilers during WWI. Before embarking for France in June 1916, he married his childhood sweetheart, Edith Bratt. Tolkien survived the Battle of the Somme, where two of his closest friends were killed.
  
• After the war, Tolkien settled into his work as an academic, and he and Edith had four children. It was to them that he first told the tale of The Hobbit, which he would eventually publish in 1937.
  
• It was not until 1954, when Tolkien was approaching retirement, that the first volume of his great masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, was published, and its great success took him by surprise.
  
• The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings developed a widespread following in the 1960s. Their grand, mythic themes presented entertaining and compelling stories in sharp contrast to the reality of the Vietnam War.
  
• Tolkien died after a brief illness on September 2nd, 1973, leaving his great mythological work, The Silmarillion, to be edited for publication by his son, Christopher.
  
  

"The Lord of the Rings" and corresponding character names are the exclusive property of Tolkien Enterprises. This product is not associated with Tolkien Enterprises or New Line Productions.

This tract expresses solely the editorial views of ATS and is not associated in
any way with the film’s creators, producers, or actors.