January had come and gone but the United States had not. Therein lies the need for some tall explaining by Moses David Berg, secluded founder of the controversial Children of God sect. Berg had ordered all his followers out of America, predicting the country would experience the judgment of God before the end of the month of January, 1974.

Leaders of the Children were quoted by newspapers in various countries as saying that Comet Kohoutek would explode and America with it.