There is, I am sorry to say, a great want of earnestness and interest in spiritual things on the part of the heads of many families. There are some who are seldom found in the house of worship. They make one excuse, then another, and still another, for their absence; but the real reason is that their hearts are not religiously inclined. A spirit of devotion is not cultivated in the family. The children are not brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. These men are not what God would have them. They have no living connection with Him; they are purely businessmen. They have not a conciliatory spirit; there is such a lack of meekness, kindness, and courtesy in their deportment that their motives are misconstrued, and the good they really do possess is evil spoken of. If they could realize how offensive their course is in the sight of God, they would make a change. {5T 425.3}

Det bedrøver mig at sige, at der for mange familieoverhoveders vedkommende råder stor mangel på alvor og interesse for åndelige ting. Der er nogle, som sjældent er at se i Guds hus. De finder én undskyldning, så en til og derpå atter én for deres fraværelse; men den virkelige årsag er, at deres hjerter ikke er religiøst indstillet. Der opelskes ikke en andægtighedens ånd i familien. Børnene opdrages ikke i Herrens tugt og formaning. Disse mænd er ikke, hvad Gud ønsker, de skulle være. De har ingen levende forbindelse med ham; de er blot forretningsmænd. De har ikke en forsonende ånd; der er en sådan mangel på sagtmodighed, venlighed og høflighed i deres færd, at deres bevæggrunde bliver mistydet og det gode, de i virkeligheden er i besiddelse af, bliver ilde omtalt. Hvis de kunne forstå, hvor anstødelig deres handlemåde er i Guds øjne, ville de gøre en forandring.