Much study and earnest prayer for heavenly wisdom are needed to know how to deal with youthful minds, for very much depends upon the direction parents give to the minds and wills of their children. To balance their minds in the right direction and at the right time is a most important work, for their eternal destiny may depend on the decisions made at some critical moment. How important, then, that the minds of parents be as free as possible from perplexing, wearing care in temporal things, that they may think and act with calm consideration, wisdom, and love, and make the salvation of the souls of their children the first and highest consideration! The great object which parents should seek to attain for their dear children should be the inward adorning. Parents cannot afford to allow visitors and strangers to claim their attention, and by robbing them of time, which is life’s great capital, make it impossible for them to give their children each day that patient instruction which they must have to give right direction to their developing minds. {3T 146.1}

(146) [Der er behov for granskning og bøn om himmelsk visdom til at forstå de unges tankegang, for meget afhænger af den kurs, forældrene giver deres børns sind og vilje. Den mest betydningsfulde gerning er en balancegang, som fører i den rigtige retning på det rette tids punkt, for deres evige skæbne kan bero på den beslutning, de tager på et kritisk tidspunkt. Derfor er det af stor betydning, at forældrenes sind ikke er rådvilde, men at de handler roligt, betænksomt og forstandigt i kærlighed og tager de største hensyn til deres børns frelse! Det mål, forældrene først og fremmest bør søge at opnå for deres kære børn, er at skabe en indre skønhed. Forældre har ikke råd til at vise gæster og fremmede opmærksomhed på bekostning af børnenes tid, som er livets store kapital. Derved er det umuligt at benytte den tid hver dag, hvor børnene skal få den omhyggelige oplæring, som er nødvendig for at deres sind kan udvikle sig i den rigtige retning.