While young men should guard against being pompous and independent, they should be continually making marked improvement. They should accept every opportunity to cultivate the more noble, generous traits of character. If young men would feel their dependence upon God every moment and cherish a spirit of prayer, a breathing out of the soul to God at all times and in all places, they might better know the will of God. But I have been shown that Brethren F and G are almost wholly unacquainted with the operations of God’s Spirit. They have been working in their own strength and have been so fully wrapped up in themselves that they have not seen and realized their great destitution. They talk flippantly of the Testimonies given of God for the benefit of His people, and pass judgment upon them, giving their opinions and criticizing this and that, when they would better place their hands upon their lips and lie with their faces in the dust; for they know no more of the spirit of the Testimonies than they do of the Spirit of God. {4T 443.1}

Unge mænd bør vogte sig imod at blive opblæste og selvstændige, de bør hele tiden gøre mærkbare forbedringer. De bør tage enhver anledning til at fremelske de ædlere, generøse karaktertræk. Hvis unge mænd mærker at de er afhængige af Gud hvert øjeblik og bevarer bønnens ånd, et sjælens åndepust til Gud til alle tider og alle steder, kan de bedre kende Guds vilje. Men jeg er blevet vist, at bror F og G næsten ikke kender til Guds Ånds virke. De har arbejdet i deres egen styrke og er blevet så indpakket i sig selv, at de ikke har kunnet se eller erkende deres store nød. De taler respektløst om Vidnesbyrdene som Gud har givet sit folks skyld, lader dommen hen gå over dem, giver deres meninger til kende og kritiserer dit og dat, skønt de hellere skulle tage hænderne op for munden og skjule deres ansigter ned i støvet; for de ved ikke mere om Vidnesbyrdenes ånd end hvad de ved om Guds Ånd.