Parents are responsible for the work coming from their hands. They should have wisdom and firmness to do their work faithfully and in the right spirit. They are to train their children for usefulness by developing their God-given talents. A failure to do this should not be winked at, but should be made a matter of church discipline, for it will bring the curse of God on the parents and a reproach and grievous trials and difficulties on the church. A moral leprosy that is contagious, polluting the bodies and souls of the youth, often results from a failure to discipline and restrain the young; and it is time that something was done to check its ravages. {5T 327.2}

Forældre er ansvarlige for det arbejde, der kommer fra deres hænder. De bør have visdom og fasthed til at gøre deres arbejde trofast og i den rette ånd. De skal oplære deres børn til nytte, ved at udvikle deres gudgivne talenter. Der skal ikke ses igennem fingre hvis dette ikke gøres, men det bør gøres til en sag om menighedsdisciplin, for det vil bringe Guds forbandelse over forældrene og skam og svære prøvelser og vanskeligheder over menigheden. En moralsk spedalskhed som er smitsom og forurener de unges legemer og sjæle, kommer ofte fra (328) en forsømt opdragelse og beherskelse af de unge; og det er tid at noget bliver gjort for at bremse dets hærgen.