You should have felt that with your own evil heart to subdue you could not be brought in connection with an influence which would make it more difficult for you to overcome self, make your path upward to heaven more rugged. You have now made your religious progress tenfold more difficult than when you stood alone. It is true you were lonely, for you had lost a precious jewel. But if you had counseled with your brethren, and committed your ways to the Lord, He would have opened the way for you to have connected yourself with one who could have been a help to you instead of a hindrance. {2T 226.2}

Du burde føle at du med dit eget onde underkuende hjerte ikke bliver påvirket til at (227) overvinde selvet og gøre din sti op mod himlen bliver mere ujævn. Du har nu gjort din religiøse vækst ti gange vanskeligere end da du stod alene. Det er sandt du var alene, for du havde mistet en dyrebar juvel. Men havde du rådført dig med dine brødre og lagt dine veje i Herrens hænder, ville han have åbnet vejen for dig og sat dig i forbindelse med en som kunne være dig til hjælp i stedet for til hindring.