How did man gain his knowledge of how to devise?—From the Lord, by studying the formation and habits of different animals. Every animal is a lesson book, and from the use they make of their bodies and the weapons provided them, men have learned to make apparatus for every kind of work. If men could only know how many arts have been lost to our world, they would not talk so fluently of the dark ages. Could they have seen how God once worked through His human subjects, they would speak with less confidence of the arts of the antediluvian world. More was lost in the Flood, in many ways, than men today know. Looking upon the world, God saw that the intellect He had given man was perverted, that the imagination of his heart was evil and that continually. God had given these men knowledge. He had given them valuable ideas, that they might carry out His plan. But the Lord saw that those whom He designed should possess wisdom, tact, and judgment, were using every quality of the mind to glorify self. By the waters of the Flood, He blotted this long-lived race from the earth, and with them perished the knowledge they had used only for evil. When the earth was repeopled, the Lord trusted His wisdom more sparingly to men, giving them only the ability they would need in carrying out His great plan (Letter 175, 1896).{1BC 1089.2}

Hvordan fik mennesket kundskab til at opfinde? - Fra Herren, ved at studere forskellige dyrs formationer og levevaner. Ethvert dyr er en lektiebog, og bruges denne laver de deres våben af dem, mennesker har lært at gøre hjælpemidler af enhver slags arbejde. Hvis mennesker blot kunne vide hvor mange kunstværker der var gået tabt i vor verden, ville de ikke snakke så flydende om mørke tider. Kunne de have set hvordan Gud en gang arbejdede igennem Sine menneskelige undersåtter, ville de tale mindre sikkert om førsyndflodverdens kunster. Meget gik tabt under vandfloden, på mange måder, en mennesker ved i dag. Når de ser på verden, så Gud at den forstand Han havde givet mennesker var blevet forvansket, at indbildningen i dets hjerter var ondt og det til stadighed. Gud havde givet disse mennesker en kundskab. Han havde givet dem værdifulde idéer, så de måtte gennemføre Hans plan. Men Herren så at dem som Han havde planlagt skulle have visdom, taktfølelse og dømmekraft brugte alle sindets egenskaber på at forherlige selvet. Ved vandflodens vande, udslettede Han denne længe levende slægt fra jorden, og sammen med dem gik den kundskab tabt som de blot have brugt på ondskab. Da jorden blev genbefolket, betroede Herren Sin visdom mere sparsomt til mennesker, og gav dem blot de evner som de behøvede for at gennemføre Hans store plan (Brev 175, 1896).