Elder M, although you may be sustained by many, as were the unfaithful spies, yet the sentiments of your letter are not prompted by the Spirit of the Lord. Beware lest your words and your spirit be like theirs, and your work of the same baleful character. At such a time as this we must not harbor a thought nor breathe a word of unbelief, nor encourage an act of self-serving. This has been done in the Upper Columbia and North Pacific Conferences; and while there we felt in some measure the sorrow, mortification, and discouragement that Moses and Aaron, Caleb and Joshua, experienced. We tried to set the current flowing in an opposite direction; but it was at the cost of much severe labor and great anxiety and distress of mind. And the work of reform in these conferences has but just commenced. It is the work of time to overcome the unbelief, distrust, and suspicion of years. Satan has been to a great extent successful in carrying out his purposes in these conferences because he has found persons whom he could use as his agents. {5T 379.1}

(379) Ældre M, selvom du støttes af mange, ligesom de upålidelige spejdere, er din indstilling i dit brev ikke fremkaldt af Herrens Ånd. Pas på at dine ord og din ånd bliver ligesom deres og pas på at dit arbejde ikke får samme skadelige karakter. I en tid som denne, må vi ikke huse en tanke, eller udgyde et vantroens ord, ej heller anspore til at tjene os selv. Dette er sket i Upper Columbia og North Pacific konferenserne; og medens vi var der, mærkede vi i nogen grad den sorg, ydmygelse og modløshed som Moses og Aron, Kaleb og Josua erfarede. Vi prøvede at føre strømningerne i modsat retning; men det ville koste for meget hårdt arbejde og stor bekymringer og kvaler. Og arbejdet med at reformere disse konferenser er kun begyndt. Det er tidens opgave at overvinde årgammel vantro, mistillid og mistanker. Det har i stort omfang lykkes for Satan at gennemføre sine mål i disse konferenser, fordi han har fundet personer, han kunne bruge som sine redskaber.