Ministers and Their Children—But great as are the evils of parental unfaithfulness under any circumstances, they are tenfold greater when they exist in the family of those who stand in Christ’s stead, to instruct the people. Ministers of the gospel, who fail to control their own households, are, by their wrong example, misleading many. They sanction the growth of evil, instead of repressing it. Many who consider themselves excellent judges of what other children should be and what they should do, are blind to the defects of their own sons and daughters. Such a lack of divine wisdom in those who profess to teach the Word of God, is working untold evil. It tends to efface from the minds of the people the distinction between right and wrong, purity and vice (The Signs of the Times, November 24, 1881).{2BC 1009.7}

Prædikanter og deres børn. - Men lige så stor som onderne af forældrenes upålidelighed er, er de ti gange større, når de eksisterer I deres familie, som står i Kristi sted, for at undervise folk. Evangeliets prædikanter, som ikke styrer deres eget hjem, vildfører mange ved deres eksempel. De billiger det ondes vækst, i stedet for at holde det tilbage. Mange der betragter sig selv som gode dommere for andre børn, hvad de bør være og hvad de burde gøre, er blinde for deres egne sønner og døtres mangler. En sådan mangel på guddommelig visdom hos dem der bekender at undervise i Guds ord, udvirker ti gange ondt. Det tenderer til at udviske forskellen mellem rigtigt og forkert, mellem renhed og uvaner i folks sind (ST 24. nov., 1881).