"When the thought took possession of my mind that God delighted in the torture of His creatures, who were formed in His image, a wall of darkness seemed to separate me from Him. When I reflected that the Creator of the universe would plunge the wicked into hell, there to burn through the ceaseless rounds of eternity, my heart sank with fear, and I despaired that so cruel and tyrannical a being would ever condescend to save me from the doom of sin. LS 31.1"
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
EGW's passage refers to God's creatures being formed in His image, which is a direct reference to Genesis 1:27. The connection lies in the perceived contradiction between a God who creates in His image and then tortures those creations.
"I thought that the fate of the condemned sinner would be mine,—to endure the flames of hell forever, even as long as God Himself existed. Almost total darkness settled upon me, and there seemed no way out of the shadows. Could the truth have been presented to me as I now understand it, much perplexity and sorrow would have been spared me. If the love of God had been dwelt upon more, and His stern justice less, the beauty and glory of His character would have inspired me with a deep and earnest love for my Creator. LS 31.2"
"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
This passage directly contrasts the idea of a God of stern justice with a God of love, and how the perception of God's character affects one's relationship with Him. This aligns with the principle that 'God is love' in 1 John 4:8.