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Testimonies for the Church Volume 2
baser passions will be strengthened by exercise, while the nobler
qualities will become weaker and weaker.
He can mold their posterity much more readily than he could the
parents, for he can so control the minds of the parents that through
them he may give his own stamp of character to their children.
Thus many children are born with the animal passions largely in
the ascendancy, while the moral faculties are but feebly developed.
These children need the most careful culture to bring out, strengthen,
and develop the moral and intellectual powers, that these may take
the lead. But the workings of Satan are not perceived; his wiles are
not understood. Children are not trained for God. Their moral and
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religious education is neglected. The animal passions are constantly
strengthened, while the moral faculties become enfeebled.
Some children begin to practice self-pollution in their infancy;
and as they increase in years, the lustful passions grow with their
growth and strengthen with their strength. Their minds are not at
rest. Girls desire the society of boys, and boys that of the girls. Their
deportment is not reserved and modest. They are bold and forward,
and take indecent liberties. The habit of self-abuse has debased their
minds and tainted their souls. Vile thoughts, and the reading of
novels, love stories, and vile books excite their imagination, and just
such suit their depraved minds. They do not love work, and when
engaged in labor they complain of fatigue; their backs ache; their
heads ache. Is there not sufficient cause? Are they fatigued because
of their labor? No, no! Yet the parents indulge these children in
their complaints, and release them from labor and responsibility.
This is the very worst thing that they can do for them. They are thus
removing almost the only barrier that prevents Satan from having
free access to their weakened minds. Useful labor would in some
measure be a safeguard from his decided control of them.
We have some knowledge of Satan’s manner of working and
how well he succeeds in it. From what has been shown me, he
has paralyzed the minds of parents. They are slow to suspect that
their own children can be wrong and sinful. Some of these children
profess to be Christians, and parents sleep on, fearing no danger,
while the minds and bodies of their children are becoming wrecked.
Some parents do not even take care to keep their children with them
when in the house of God. Young girls attend meetings and take