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Teaching the Cause of God
Why Must I Teach?
Who Should Teach?
‘*Say: Teach ye the Cause of God, O people of Baha, for God hath prescribed unto every one the duty of proclaiming His Message, and regardeth it as the most meritorious of all deeds. —Baha’u lah (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 278)
‘“‘Unloose your tongues, and proclaim unceasingly His Cause. This shall be better for you than all the treasures of the past and of the future, if ye be of them that comprehend this truth.”’—Baha’u’llah (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 330)
“Of all the gifts of God the greatest is the gift of Teaching. It draweth unto us the grace of God and is our first obligation. Of such a gift how can we deprive ourselves?—‘A bdu’|1-Baha
(Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahd, p.25)
‘*All must participate, however humble their origin, however limited their experience, however restricted their means, however deficient their education, however pressing their cares and preoccupations, however unfavorable the environment in which they live.’”’-—Shoghi Effendi
(The Advent of Divine Justice, pp. 37-38)
‘‘Every Baha’i, however humble or inarticulate, must become intent on fulfilling his role as a bearer of the Divine Message. Indeed, how cana true believer remain silent while around us men cry out in anguish for truth, love and unity to descend upon this world?’’—The Universal House of Justice
(From a letter dated 16 November 1969 to
the Baha’is of the World—Messages from
The Universal House of Justice, p. 34)
Whom Should | Teach?
Every believer, regardless of his stage of development in the deepening process, can tell an interested seeker about those principles and
verities which won his own allegiance to the Faith.
Even a new believer who is in the process of
deepening himself in the essentials of his Faith may win the interest and respect of his relatives, friends, and close associates by his ceaseless
efforts to exemplify the principles of the Faith to which he belongs by ‘‘living the life.’” When his exemplary conduct and joyous enthusiasm have evoked the expressed curiosity of his observer, the Baha’i should lovingly offer Baha’i literature and extend an invitation to a Baha’i meeting.
All can pray for the teaching successes of others—using the prayers revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Baha in the Tablets of the Divine Plan.
If one is physically unable to pioneer, he can appoint one in his stead (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, pp. 196-97).
All must contribute to the Fund.
‘The paramount goal of the teaching work at the present time is to carry the Messag« of Baha'u'llah to every stratum of human society and every walk of life.” —The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 31 October 1967—Wellspring of Guidance, p. 124)
‘*The believers ought to give the Message even to those who do not seem to be ready for it, because they can never judge the real extent to which the Word of God can influence the hearts and minds of the people, even those who appear to lack any power of receptivity to the teachings.”
(From a letter dated 14 January 1938
written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an
9
individual believer—Bahd’i News, no. 118 [August 1938], p. 2)
“Every Baha’i, as a part of his spiritual
birthright, must teach, and the one avenue where
he can do this most effectively is by inviting
friends into his home once in nineteen days, and
gradually attracting them to the Cause.” (From a letter dated 31 March 1955 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Baha’ is of Key West, Florida—Bahd’i News, no. 292 [June 1955], p. 10)
