Sister E, you cannot realize the many blessings you have lost by making the failings of others a balm to soothe your conscience for a neglect of your duty. You have been measuring yourself by others. Their crooked paths, their failings, have been your textbook. But their errors, their follies and sins, do not make your disobedience to God less sinful. We regret that those who should be a strength to you in your efforts to overcome your love of self, your pride of heart, your vanity and love of the approbation of worldlings, have been only a hindrance by their own lack of spirituality and true godliness. We cannot tell you how much we regret that those who should be self-denying Christians are so far from coming up to the standard. Those who should be steadfast, abounding in the work of God, are weakened by Satan because they remain at such a distance from God. They fail to obtain the power of His grace, through which they might overcome the infirmities of their nature, and, by obtaining signal victories in God, show those of weaker faith the way, the truth, and the life. {2T 394.2}

Du har været hævet over skyerne og taget plads over din hustru. Du har ikke forstået dig selv. Du har haft en høj påskønnelse i din religiøse erfaring og vækst i det guddommelige liv. Disse ting har været til hindring, i stedet for at hjælpe din hustru. Hun var bange for dig, hun frygtede at du ikke virkelig forstod dig selv og at du ville gå for hurtigt. Jeres ægteskab her ikke været lykkeligt. I har ikke passet til hinanden. Din hustru har en forskræmt, frygtsom indesluttet natur. Du har fuldstændig undladt at forstå hende. Hun nøler og frygter for at gå frem fordi hun er bange for at det skal gå for hurtigt. Hun behøver selvtillid og bør fremhjælpe selvstændighed.