Ministers should become Bible students. Are the truths which they handle mighty? Then they should seek to handle them skillfully. Their ideas should be clear and strong, and their spirits fervent, or they will weaken the force of the truth which they handle. By tamely presenting the truth, merely repeating the theory without being stirred by it themselves, they can never convert men. If they should live as long as did Noah, their efforts would be without effect. Their love for souls must be intense and their zeal fervent. A listless, unfeeling manner of presenting the truth will never arouse men and women from their deathlike slumber. They must show by their manners, by their acts and words, and by their preaching and praying, that they believe that Christ is at the door. Men and women are in the last hours of probation, and yet are careless and stupid, and ministers have no power to arouse them; they are asleep themselves. Sleeping preachers preaching to a sleeping people! {2T 337.2}

Min mand og jeg overværede engang et møde, hvor man henvendte sig til os om at hjælpe en broder, der var stærkt lidende af lungetuberkulose. Han var bleg og afmagret. Han bad om Guds folks forbønner. Han fortalte, at hans familie var syg og at han havde mistet et barn. Han talte med følelse om sin sorg og sagde, at han i nogen tid havde ventet på at kunne træffe broder og søster White. Han havde troet, at dersom de ville bede for ham, ville han blive helbredt. Efter mødet gjorde brødrene os opmærksomme på dette tilfælde. De sagde, at menigheden ydede dem støtte, at mandens hustru var syg og at hans barn var afgået ved døden. Brødrene havde været samlede i hans hus og holdt forbøn for den lidende familie. Vi var meget trætte, byrden af arbejdet under møderne hvilede på os og vi ønskede at blive fritaget.