Parents should deal faithfully with the souls committed to their trust. They should not encourage in their children pride, extravagance, or love of show. They should not teach them, or suffer them to learn, little pranks which appear cunning in small children, but which they will have to unlearn, and for which they must be corrected, when they are older. The habits first formed are not easily forgotten. Parents, you should commence to discipline the minds of your children while very young, to the end that they may be Christians. Let all your efforts be for their salvation. Act as though they were placed in your care to be fitted as precious jewels to shine in the kingdom of God. Beware how you lull them to sleep over the pit of destruction with the mistaken thought that they are not old enough to be accountable, not old enough to repent of their sins and profess Christ. {1T 396.1}

Forældre bør handle trofast med de sjæle, der er blevet betroet i deres varetægt. De bør ikke oplære børnene til stolthed, flothed og ødselhed eller lyst til stads. De bør ikke lære dem, eller tillade dem at lære, små streger og spilopper, som ser morsomme ud hos små børn, men som de må lære at aflægge og som de må tilrettevises for, når de bliver ældre. De vaner, der først læres, glemmes ikke let. Forældre, I bør begynde at bringe jeres børns sind under disciplin, medens de er meget små, for at de må kunne blive kristne. Lad alle jeres bestræbelser tilsigte deres frelse. I må handle, som om de var overladt til jeres omsorg for at blive tildannet som kostelige juveler, der skal skinne i Guds rige. Tag jer i agt, at I ikke luller dem i søvn over fordærvelsens afgrund i den fejlagtige tro, at de ikke er gamle nok til at holdes ansvarlige, ikke gamle nok til at omvende sig fra deres synder og bekende Kristus.