Oh, this is a cold and selfish world! Your relatives, who should have loved and befriended you for your parents’ sake if not for your own, have shut themselves up in their selfishness, and have no special interest for you. But God will be nearer and dearer to you than any of your earthly relatives can be. He will be your friend and will never leave you. He is a father to the fatherless. His friendship will prove sweet peace to you and will help you to bear your great loss with fortitude. Seek to make God your father, and you will never want a friend. You will be exposed to trials; yet be steadfast, and strive to adorn your profession. You will need grace to stand, but God’s pitying eye is upon you. Pray much and earnestly, believing that God will help you. Guard against irritability and petulance, and a spirit of tantalizing. Forbearance is a virtue which you need to encourage. Seek for piety of heart. Be a consistent Christian. Possess a love of purity and humble simplicity, and let these be interwoven with your life.
(2T 314.1)
MC
VC
By educating yourself to fear God, and to love all around you, yours can be a useful, happy life, and your example can be such as to lead others to choose the humble path of holiness. Have moral courage at all times to do right and to honor your Redeemer. I implore you, dear boy, to seek true holiness.
(2T 314.2)
MC
VC
Some things have been shown me in reference to you. You have not a sense of your true state. You need a deep and thorough work of grace in your heart. You need to set your heart and your house in order. Your example in your family is not worthy of imitation. You come up to a low standard, but fail to reach the standard elevated by our divine Lord. You love to visit and talk, and you say many things unbecoming a Christian. Your statements are exaggerated and frequently come far from the truth. Your words and acts will judge you in the last day. By them you will be justified or by them condemned. Your education has not been of an ennobling character, therefore there is the greatest necessity of your now training and educating yourself to purity of thought and action. Train your thoughts so that it will be easy for them to dwell upon pure and holy things. Cultivate a love for spirituality and true godliness.
(2T 314.3)
MC
VC