The parents despised reproof themselves, and despised the reproof given to their children, and were not careful to conceal this from them. The sin of the parents began with their mismanagement at home. The souls of some of these children will be lost because they did not receive instruction from God’s word and did not become Christians at home. Instead of sympathizing with their children in a perverse course, the parents should have reproved them and sustained the faithful teacher. These parents were not united to Christ themselves, and this is the reason of their terrible neglect of duty. That which they have sown they will also reap. They are sure of a harvest. {5T 51.4}

Forældrene foragter selv irettesættelser og foragter de irettesættelser deres børn får og kviede sig ikke for at skjule dette for dem. Forældrenes synd begyndte med deres forkerte ledelse i hjemmet. Nogle af disse børns sjæle (52) vil gå tabt fordi de ikke får undervisning fra Guds ord og bliver ikke kristne der hjemme. I stedet for at forstå børnene i deres urimelige opførsel, burde forældrene have irettesat dem og støttet den trofaste lærer. Disse forældre var ikke selv forenet til Kristus og det er grunden til deres frygtelig pligtsforsømmelse. Det som de har sået vil de også høste. De er sikre på en høst.