Satan Discourages Joining the Church—It is his [Satan’s] studied effort to lead professed Christians just as far from heaven’s arrangement as he can; therefore he deceives even the professed people of God and makes them believe that order and discipline are enemies to spirituality; that the only safety for them is to let each pursue his own course, and to remain especially distinct from bodies of Christians who are united and are laboring to establish discipline and harmony of action. All the efforts made to establish this are considered dangerous, a restriction of rightful liberty, and hence are feared as popery. These deceived souls consider it a virtue to boast of their freedom to think and act independently. They will not take any man’s say so. They are amenable to no man. It was and now is Satan’s special work to lead men to feel that it is God’s order to strike out for themselves and choose their own order independent of their brethren.—Letter 32, 1892. {Ev 318.2}

Satan modvirker menighedens forening. - Det er hans (Satans) målrettede bestræbelser at lede bekendende kristne så langt væk fra himlens ordning som han kan; derfor bedrager han endog Guds bekendende folk og får dem til at tro at orden og disciplin er fjender til åndelighed; så den eneste sikkerhed for dem er at lade hver enkelt udøve sin egen handlemåde, og opholde sig særlig langt fra de kristnes legemer som er forenede og arbejder på at danne disciplin og handle i harmoni. Alle anstrengelser der gøres for dette betragtes som farlige, som en indskrænkning af frihed, og frygtes siden efter som ejendom. Disse bedragede sjæle ser det som en dyd at prale af deres frihed til at tænke og handle selvstændigt. De vil ikke tage et menneskes "Sådan siger han!" De skal ikke være føjelige for noget menneske. Det var og er Satans særlige værk at få mennesker til at føle at det er Guds orden at de selv slår fra sig, og vælger deres egen orden uafhængig af deres brødre. - Brev 32, 1892.