I speak the things I know; I testify to you the things which I have seen when I say there is among our youth, among educated young men of professedly Christian parents, a grievous offense in the sight of God, which is so common that it constitutes one of the signs of the last days. It is so full of evil tendencies as to call for decided exposure and denunciation. It is the sin of regarding with levity or contempt their early vows of consecration to God. In a religious interest the Holy Spirit moved upon them to take their stand wholly under the bloodstained banner of Prince Immanuel. But the parents were so far from God themselves, so busily engaged in worldly business, or so filled with doubts and dissatisfaction in regard to their own religious experience, that they were wholly unfitted to give them instruction. These youth, in their inexperience, needed a wise, firm hand to point out the right way and to bar with counsel and restraint the wrong way. {5T 40.2}

Jeg siger hvad jeg ved, jeg bevidner at det jeg har set, når jeg siger at der blandt vore unge, blandt uddannede unge mennesker af kristendomsbekendende forældre, sker så frygtelig en krænkelse i Guds øjne. Den er endog så almindelig at den udgør en af de sidse dages tegn. Den er så fuld af onde tendenser, at den må afsløres og fordømmes. Det er syndigt at se let eller foragtende på deres tidlige dåbsløfter til Gud. Af religiøs interesse har Helligånden bevæget dem til at tage deres standpunkt helt under Prins Immanuels banner. Men forældrene var selv så langt fra Gud, så stærkt optaget i verdslige forretninger, så fyldt med tvivl og utilfredshed med deres egen religiøse interesse, at de var helt uegnede til at undervise dem. Disse unge behøver i deres uerfarenhed, en klog, fast hånd til at pege den rigtige vej og udelukke den forkerte vej med råd og indskrænkninger.