I took the precious Bible and surrounded it with the several Testimonies for the Church, given for the people of God. Here, said I, the cases of nearly all are met. The sins they are to shun are pointed out. The counsel that they desire can be found here, given for other cases situated similarly to themselves. God has been pleased to give you line upon line and precept upon precept. But there are not many of you that really know what is contained in the Testimonies. You are not familiar with the Scriptures. If you had made God’s word your study, with a desire to reach the Bible standard and attain to Christian perfection, you would not have needed the Testimonies. It is because you have neglected to acquaint yourselves with God’s inspired Book that He has sought to reach you by simple, direct testimonies, calling your attention to the words of inspiration which you had neglected to obey, and urging you to fashion your lives in accordance with its pure and elevated teachings. {2T 605.1}

Bror B, dit liv har næsten været en fejltagelse. Du havde indflydelsesrige talenter, men du har ikke udnyttet dem til det bedste. Du har svigtet din familie; du har ikke haft nogen særlige planer, ladet tingene ligge og de samme mangler kan mærkes i menigheden. Herren har givet dig lys med hensyn til din pligtforsømmelse for din familie og for det du skal gøre for at indløse fortiden. Dine mangler blev peget ud, men du mærkede ikke syndigheden i at bringe børn i verden uden en korrekt opdragelse. Du har båret over med deres fejl, deres synder og deres egensindige, dumdristige opførsel og du har bildt dig selv ind at det snart vil rette sig.