Chapter 35—Servants of Mammon The case of Brother I is fearful. This world is his god; he worships money. He has not heeded the warning given him years ago and overcome his love of the world while in the exercise of all his faculties. The dollars which he has since accumulated have been like so many cords to entangle his soul and bind him to the world. As he has gained in property he has become more greedy for gain. All the powers of his being are devoted to the one object, securing money. This has been the burden of his thoughts, the anxiety of his life. He has turned all the powers of his being in this one direction until, to all intents and purposes, he is a worshiper of mammon. Upon this subject he is insane. His example before his family is leading them to think that property is to be valued before heaven and immortality. He has for years been educating his mind to acquire property. He is sacrificing his eternal interest for treasures upon the earth. He believes the truth, he loves the principles of truth, and loves to see others prospering in the truth; but he has made himself so thoroughly a slave to mammon that he feels bound to serve this master as long as he shall live. But the longer he lives the more devoted will he become to his love of gain, unless he tears away from this terrible god, money. It will be like tearing out his vitals, but it must be done if he values heaven. {2T 237.2}

Bror I's tilfælde er skrækkelig. Denne verden er hans gud; han dyrker penge. Han har ikke givet agt på den advarsel han fik for nogle år siden og overvundet hans verdenskærlighed da han brugte alle sine evner. De dollars han siden har sparet op er blevet ligesom mange snore indfiltret i hans sjæl og forblinder ham til verden. Idet han har vundet rigdom er han blevet mere begærlig for vinding. Alle hans sjæls kræfter er helliget det ene mål, tjene penge. Dette har været hans tankers byrde, hans livs bekymring. Han har rettet hele sin sjæls kræfter i denne ene retning indtil, alle mål og hensigter, han er en pengedyrker. Han er sindssyg efter dette. I hans eksempel for sin familie, leder han dem til at tro at ejendomme skal værdsættes før himlen og evigt liv. I årevis har han oplært sine (238) tanker til at få besiddelser. Han ofrer sine evige interesser for jordens rigdomme. Han tror på sandheden, han elsker sandhedens grundsætninger og holder af at se andre vokse i sandheden; men han har gjort sig selv til så stor en slave af mammon at han føler sig bundet til at tjene denne mester så længe han lever. Men jo længere han lever jo mere helliget vil ham blive til hans kærlighed for vinding, medmindre han rives væk fra denne frygtelige gud, penge. Det vil være som at rive hans livsværdier ud, men det må gøres hvis han værdsætter himlen.