Free individual choice claimed:

"...the Witnesses use the Watch Tower Society as a legal instrument...the Witnesses are dedicated to God, not to any legal agency..." "If a Witness makes decisions on the basis of Bible counsel offered by the Governing Body, he does so of his own volition because his own study of the Bible has convinced him that this is the proper course. Each Witness is influenced by God's own Word to apply sound Scriptural counsel offered by the Governing Body, in full recognition that decisions he makes will affect his personal relationship with God, to whom he is dedicated."
-- THE WATCHTOWER March 15, 1998 pages 18, 22

Instructions to hide obedience:

To convince onlookers that it is not
"a religious organization that enslaves its members, exercises authoritarian control over them, unduly restricts their freedom, and throws them out of step with society as a whole"
the Watch Tower Society tells JWs to
"be careful about how they express themselves. Instead of saying, 'the Society teaches,' many Witnesses prefer to use such expressions as, "the Bible says" or, "I understand the Bible to teach." In this way they emphasize the personal decision that each Witness has made in accepting Bible teachings and also avoid giving the false impression that Witnesses are somehow bound to the dictates of some religious sect."
-- THE WATCHTOWER March 15, 1998 pgs. 11, 19

Obedience actually required:

"Willing submission to him [Jesus] and to his Father is manifested through our faith in theocratic appointments and decisions related to our unitedly doing Jehovah's will. ... we are urged to respect such overseers and to be submissive."
-- THE WATCHTOWER May 15, 1998 page 18

"Another test we might face relates to ... the counsel provided by the faithful slave class. ...Will we question the wisdom of the counsel offered?" -THE WATCHTOWER May 15, 1998 page 19

"How vividly these examples teach us to listen to counsel and to respect those whom Jehovah uses in positions of responsibility! ... Some will, at times, criticize a decision made by a body of elders or a judicial committee. ... Never would we want to pose a spiritual danger to others." -- THE WATCHTOWER June 1, 1998 page 17

"How happy we are that Jehovah is still speaking to us today, through his Word and his organization."
-- THE WATCHTOWER July 15, 1998 page 14

"Those who view Jehovah as their confidence also show confidence in the men Jehovah chooses to use in the outworking of his purposes. ... For us today, it means having confidence in 'the faithful and discreet slave' appointed to give us our spiritual 'food at the proper time,' as well as those from among them who form the Governing Body. ... We are told: Be obedient...'" -- THE WATCHTOWER August 15, 1998 page 12