There are some who go to extremes. They must eat just such an amount and just such a quality, and confine themselves to two or three things. They allow only a few things to be placed before them or their families to eat. In eating a small amount of food, and that not of the best quality, they do not take into the stomach that which will suitably nourish the system. Poor food cannot be converted into good blood. An impoverished diet will impoverish the blood. I will mention the case of Sister A. That case was presented to me to show an extreme. Two classes were presented before me: First, those who were not living up to the light which God had given them. They started in the reform because somebody else did. They did not understand the system for themselves. There are many of you who profess the truth, who have received it because somebody else did, and for your life you could not give the reason. This is why you are as weak as water. Instead of weighing your motives in the light of eternity, instead of having a practical knowledge of the principles underlying all your actions, instead of having dug down to the bottom and built upon a right foundation for yourself, you are walking in the sparks kindled by somebody else. And you will fail in this, as you have failed in the health reform. Now, if you had moved from principle you would not have done this. {2T 367.2}

Når han har udøvet en forkert fremgangsmåde, øjensynligt uklædeligt for en discipel af den ydmyge og sagtmodige Jesus og har vidst at hans ord og handlinger ikke var i overensstemmelse med sandhedens opofrende indflydelse, har han stædigt stået på sit eget forsvar, indtil hans ærlighed er draget i tvivl. Han har gjort den dyrebareste sandhed for de sidste dage modbydelig for sine venner og slægtninge; han har vist sig at være en anstødssten for dem. Hans undvigelser, hans blinde tro og de ekstreme synspunkter han har antaget har snarere vendt sjæle væk fra sandheden end hans bedste bestræbelser har bragt dem hen til den.