The spiritual weakness of many young men and women in this age is deplorable because they could be powerful agents for good if they were consecrated to God. I mourn greatly the lack of stability with the young. This we should all deplore. There seems to be a lack of power to do right, a lack of earnest effort to obey the calls of duty rather than those of inclination. There seems to be with some but little strength to resist temptation. The reason why they are dwarfs in spiritual things is because they do not by exercise grow spiritually strong. They stand still when they should be going forward. Every step in the life of faith and duty is a step toward heaven. I want greatly to hear of a reformation in many respects such as the young have never heretofore realized. Every inducement that Satan can invent is pressed upon them to make them indifferent and careless in regard to eternal things. I suggest that special efforts be made by the youth to help one another to live faithful to their baptismal vows and that they pledge themselves solemnly before God to withdraw their affections from dress and display. {3T 379.1}

(379) Mange unge mænd og kvinders åndelige svaghed i denne tidsalder er yderst beklagelig fordi de kunne være mægtige agenter for det gode hvis de var helliget Gud. Jeg sørger meget over den manglende stabilitet hos de unge. Dette burde alle beklage dybt. Der synes at være en mangel på kraft for at gøre det rigtige, en mangel på alvorlige anstrengelser for at adlyde pligtskaldet snarere end at lyde tilbøjeligheden. Der synes hos nogle kun at være en lille styrke til at modstå fristelser. Grunden til at de er dværge i åndelige ting er fordi de ikke ved praktisk gerning vokser sig åndeligt stærke. De står der stadig skønt de skulle gå fremad. Ethvert skridt i troslivet og pligtslivet er et skridt mod himlen. Jeg ønsker meget at høre om en reformation i mange henseender, sådan som de unge aldrig før har set. Enhver anledning Satan kan finde på, presser de unge på, for at gøre dem ligegyldige og ligeglade med evige ting. Jeg foreslår at særlige anstrengelser skal gøres af unge for at hjælpe hinanden for at være trofaste for deres dåbsløfte og så de højtideligt kan forpligte sig for Gud til at tilbageholde deres lyst til klæder og forfængelighed.