Chapter 28—Worldliness in the Church Dear Brethren and Sisters in -----, June 12, 1868, I was shown that the love of the world was to a great extent taking the place of love to God. You are situated in a pleasant country, one that is favorable to worldly prosperity. This places you where you are in constant danger of having your interest swallowed up in the world, in laying up treasure upon the earth. Your hearts will be where your treasure is. You are situated where there are temptations to be plunging deeper and deeper into the world, to be continually accumulating; and while you are thus engaged, the mind becomes engrossed with the cares of this life to such an extent as to shut out true godliness. But few realize the deceitfulness of riches. Those who are anxious to acquire means are so bent upon this one object as to make the religion of Christ a secondary matter. Spiritual things are not valued and are not sought after, for the love of gain has eclipsed the heavenly treasure. If the prize of eternal life were to be valued by the zeal, perseverance, and earnestness exhibited by those who profess to be Christians, it would not be half as valuable as earthly possessions. Compare the earnest effort made to obtain the things of this earth with the languid, weak, inefficient effort to gain spirituality and a heavenly treasure. No wonder that we experience so little of the illuminating influence from the heavenly sanctuary. Our desires are not in that direction; they are mostly confined to earthly pursuits, seeking for worldly things, and neglecting the eternal. Prosperity is blinding the eyes and deceiving the soul. God may speak, but the rubbish of earth prevents His voice from being heard. {2T 183.1}

Kære brødre og søstre i ___: Den 12. juni, 1868 fik jeg vist at verdenskærlighed i stort omfang tog pladsen for Guds kærlighed. I er placeret i et godt land, et der nemt at få verdslig velstand i. Det sætter jer i den konstante fare I er i, at jeres interesser opsluges i verden, ved at samle på rigdomme. Jeres hjerter vil være hvor jeres skatte er. I er placeret der hvor der er fristelser for at synke dybere og dybere ned i verden og hele tiden samle ting sammen; og medens I er i gang af dette, bliver sindet optaget af dette livs bekymringer i sådant omfang så sand gudfrygtighed lukkes ude. Men få erkender rigdommenes falskhed. Dem som er bekymrede for at skaffe sig midler er så bundet af dette mål så at Kristi religion gøres til en sekundær sag. Åndelige sager værdsættes ikke og efterspørges ikke, for kærlighed til vinding har fordunklet den himmelske skat. Hvis det evige livs pris blev værdsat under iver, udholdenhed og alvor blev udvist af kristendomsbekendere, ville det ikke være halvt så værdifuldt at have jordiske ejendomme. Sammenlign de alvorlige bestræbelser for jordiske ting med de matte, svage, virkningsløse (184) anstrengelser for at vinde åndelighed og himmelsk rigdom. Intet under at vi erfarer så lidt af oplysningen fra den himmelske helligdom. Vore ønsker ligger ikke i den retning; de er mere begrænset til jordisk udfoldelse, opsøger verdslige sager og forsømmer det evige. Fremgang forblænder øjnene og bedrager sjælen. Gud må tale, men jordens snavs forhindrer hans stemme fra at blive hørt.