And I would suggest to you here, and I'll get back to this passage, the crisis is the Sunday Law. This is the place the church is purified. This is where our probation comes to an end, and it's at this crisis that our character is revealed to the world, either for or against God. This is the crisis that is coming at blinding speed, and what she's saying is we have to have our character prepared before this crisis. Continuing on, it is as if they should go to their neighbors and say, give me your character or I shall be lost. Those that were wise could not impart their oil to the flickering lamps of the foolish virgins. Character is not transferable. It is not to be bought or sold, it is to be acquired. The Lord has given to every individual an opportunity to obtain a righteous character through the hours of probation. But he has not provided a way by which one human agent may impart to another the character which he has developed by going through hard experiences, by learning lessons from the great teacher, so that he can manifest patience under trial and exercise faith so that he can remove mountains of impossibility. It is impossible to impart the fragrance of love, to give to another gentleness, tact, and perseverance. It is impossible for one human heart to pour into another the love of God and humanity. But the day is coming, and it is close upon us when every phase of character will be revealed by special temptation. Those who remain true to principle, who exercise faith to the end, will be those who have proved true under test and trial during the previous hours of their probation, and have formed characters after the likeness of Christ. It will be those who have cultivated close acquaintance with Christ who, through his wisdom and grace, are partakers of the divine nature. But no human being can give to another heart devotion and noble qualities of mine, and supply his deficiencies with moral power. We can each do much for each other by giving to men a Christlike example, thus influencing them to go to Christ for the righteousness without which they cannot stand in the judgment. Men should prayerfully consider the important matter of character building, and frame their characters after the divine model. Brothers and sisters, this message is for each one of us today. Based on the prophetic word and what's going on in the world, brothers and sisters, we have to develop that character now. We have to have it now, because there's a crisis coming that is always identified in the spirit of prophecy in the context as coming as an overwhelming surprise. It's coming. It's on the horizon. And if we don't have our character developed before that time, that crisis will illustrate it to the entire world. And we will be lost. The View and Herald, October 7, 2011.