My feelings were very sensitive. I dreaded giving pain to any living creature. When I saw animals ill-treated, my heart ached for them. Perhaps my sympathies were more easily excited by suffering because I myself had been the victim of thoughtless cruelty, resulting in the injury that had darkened my childhood. But when the thought took possession of my mind that God delighted in the torture of His creatures, who were formed in His image, a wall of darkness seemed to separate me from Him. When I reflected that the Creator of the universe would plunge the wicked into hell, there to burn through the ceaseless rounds of eternity, my heart sank with fear, and I despaired that so cruel and tyrannical a being would ever condescend to save me from the doom of sin. {1T 25.1}

Mine følelser var meget sarte. Jeg frygtede for at forårsage noget levende væsen smerte. Når jeg så dyr blive mishandlet, gjorde det mig ondt på deres vegne. Min sympati blev måske lettere vakt ved lidelse, fordi jeg selv havde været et offer for tankeløs grusomhed, som havde resulteret i den skade, der havde fyldt min barndom med mørke. Men når den tanke fyldte mit sind, at Gud fandt fornøjelse ved at torturere sine skabninger, som var skabt i hans billede, syntes en væg af mørke at skille mig fra ham. Når jeg tænkte på, at universets Skaber ville kaste de ugudelige i helvede for der at brænde i en evighed uden afslutning, fyldtes mit hjerte af frygt, og jeg opgav håbet om, at et så grusomt, tyrannisk væsen nogensinde ville nedlade sig til at frelse mig fra syndens fordømmelse.