But the influence of some in the office grieved and discouraged Marcus. Those young men who did not esteem him as he deserved, and whose Christian life was a contradiction to their profession, were the means that Satan used to separate from the office the gift which God had given to it. He went away perplexed, grieved, discouraged. Those who had had years of experience, and who should have had the love of Christ in their hearts, were so far separated from God by selfishness, pride, and their own folly that they could not discern the special work of God in connecting Marcus with the office. {3T 206.1}

Men den indflydelse, nogle i forlaget øvede, voldte Marcus sorg og gjorde ham modløs. Disse unge mænd, der ikke viste ham den agtelse, han fortjente og hvis kristelige liv var i strid med deres bekendelse, blev midlet til at skille forlaget af med den gave, som Gud havde givet det. Besværet, bedrøvet og forsagt rejste han derfra. De, som havde haft flere års erfaring og som skulle have haft Kristi kærlighed i deres hjerter, var som følge af egenkærlighed, stolthed og deres egen dårskab kommet så langt bort fra Gud, at de ikke kunne se Guds særskilte hensigt med at knytte Marcus til forlaget.