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	<updated>2026-05-18T03:20:08Z</updated>
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	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Vaccination&amp;diff=17707</id>
		<title>Vaccination</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Vaccination&amp;diff=17707"/>
		<updated>2023-10-18T20:37:56Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* Coronavirus vaccines offer great promise. Bahá&amp;#039;ís should follow counsel of medical experts. */ +ref&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* https://bahai-library.com/compilation_vaccination_us-nsa&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Nothing in the teachings about vaccination==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Regarding your question about vaccination:  These are technical matters which have not been specifically mentioned in the teachings, and consequently the Guardian cannot make any statement about them. No doubt medical science will progress tremendously as time goes by, and the treatment of disease become more perfect.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, December 24, 1943:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 173, p. 3, February 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:992|992]]; also in &#039;&#039;[[Directives from the Guardian]]&#039;&#039;, no. 212, p. [[dg:80|80]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Decision rests with parents in consultation with good physician they rely on. Bahá&#039;ís free to use own judgment as to what kind of physician they consider good==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is nothing in the Bahá’í Teachings regarding vaccinations but only general indications about health; therefore, the Guardian cannot advise you on this subject.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;One thing is clear ― that Bahá’u’lláh has said we should consult a good physician if we are ill; and as good physicians nowadays prescribe mostly drugs, it would not seem that a Bahá’í could refuse to take them. However, they are free to use their own judgment as to what kind of a physician they consider a good physician, and ultimately decision as to whether to have one’s child vaccinated or not must rest with the parents in consultation with the doctor on whom they rely.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[On behalf of the Guardian]], from a letter dated February 15, 1957, &#039;&#039;[[On the Question of Vaccination (compilation)]]&#039;&#039;, sel. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_vaccination_us-nsa 2])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Bahá&#039;ís cannot claim religious exemption for governmental vaccine mandate==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A fundamental Bahá’í principle is loyalty and obedience to government. As Shoghi Effendi explained in a letter dated 21 December 1948 written on his behalf to an individual believer, &amp;quot;We must obey in all cases except where a spiritual principle is involved, such as denying our Faith.&amp;quot; If a Bahá’í is faced with a governmental mandate of vaccination, the Bahá’í writings would not provide him or her justification for refusing to comply with such a legal requirement; therefore, a religious exemption could not be claimed. Of course, if the law itself provided another applicable exemption, a believer would be free to decide, including for family members for whom he or she is responsible, whether to invoke such an exemption.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[On behalf of the Universal House of Justice]], 10 July 2020)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===See also===&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Obedience to government]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Bahá&#039;ís should follow counsel of medical experts==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Nothing has been found in the Bahá’í Writings on the subject of vaccination. Nevertheless, in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh stated: “Resort ye, in times of sickness, to competent physicians; We have not set aside the use of material means, rather have We confirmed it through this Pen, which God hath made to be the Dawning-place of His shining and glorious Cause.” Moreover, in reply to scientific issues raised on a number of occasions, Shoghi Effendi consistently advised Bahá’ís that such matters would need to be investigated by scientists. In recent decades, advances in medical science have led to the production of effective vaccines, the use of which has freed humanity from many debilitating and deadly infectious diseases. Reports indicate that the coronavirus vaccines currently being developed offer great promise for protecting individuals from, and helping to reduce transmission of, the virus. As to the advisability and efficacy of the various options that may become available, the friends should follow the counsel of medical and other scientific experts.&amp;quot; Letter dated 8 Dec. 2020 to an individual&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[On behalf of the Universal House of Justice]], [https://bahai-library.com/pdf/uhj/uhj_vaccination_covid-19_3.pdf 8 December 2020])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==In relation to coronavirus pandemic, Bahá&#039;ís should consider their social responsibilities and the common good==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In light of the foregoing, when faced with issues of a scientific or medical nature, Bahá’ís should seek out and rely on the best expert advice available. For example, in connection with medical matters, believers should bear in mind Bahá’u’lláh’s statement in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas: “Resort ye, in times of sickness, to competent physicians; We have not set aside the use of material means, rather have We confirmed it through this Pen, which God hath made to be the Dawning-place of His shining and glorious Cause.” In relation to the coronavirus pandemic, the friends should follow the counsel of medical and other scientific experts on the advisability and efficacy of the various vaccination options that are becoming available and the wisdom of particular public health measures. They should not be concerned merely with their own personal choices and well-being, but in reaching their decisions, they should also consider their social responsibilities and the common good.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[On behalf of the Universal House of Justice]], 11 February 2021, &#039;&#039;Science, Truth and Expert Advice&#039;&#039;, at https://iefworld.org/node/1139 )&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Applied Material Sciences-Professions]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Template:PilgrimsNote&amp;diff=17706</id>
		<title>Template:PilgrimsNote</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Template:PilgrimsNote&amp;diff=17706"/>
		<updated>2023-10-18T13:12:25Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: add text&lt;/p&gt;
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tooltip=This content belongs to [[Pilgrim&#039;s notes]], notes known not to have an original language text or transcript and which &amp;quot;may be interesting but not authoritative&amp;quot; to Bahá&#039;ís|&lt;br /&gt;
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tooltip=This content belongs to [[Pilgrim&#039;s notes]], notes known not to have an original language text or transcript and which &amp;quot;may be interesting but not authoritative&amp;quot; to Bahá&#039;ís|&lt;br /&gt;
container-style=border: 2px gray outset; border-radius: 5px 5px; padding: 10px; background: repeating-linear-gradient(45deg, #ffDff1, #ffF4F1 15%); }}|{{tooltip|{{{content|{{{1|}}}}}}|&lt;br /&gt;
tooltip=This content belongs to [[Pilgrim&#039;s notes]], notes known not to have an original language text or transcript and which &amp;quot;may be interesting but not authoritative&amp;quot; to Bahá&#039;ís|&lt;br /&gt;
container-style=border: 2px gray outset; border-radius: 5px 5px; padding: 10px; background: repeating-linear-gradient(45deg, #ffDff1, #ffF4F1 15%); }} }}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Template:PilgrimsNote&amp;diff=17705</id>
		<title>Template:PilgrimsNote</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Template:PilgrimsNote&amp;diff=17705"/>
		<updated>2023-10-18T13:11:24Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: rollback&lt;/p&gt;
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tooltip=This content belongs to [[Pilgrim&#039;s notes]], notes known not to have an original language text or transcript|&lt;br /&gt;
container-style=border: 2px gray outset; border-radius: 5px 5px; padding: 10px; background: repeating-linear-gradient(45deg, #ffDff1, #ffF4F1 15%); }} |&lt;br /&gt;
{{tooltip|{{{1|}}} |&lt;br /&gt;
tooltip=This content belongs to [[Pilgrim&#039;s notes]], notes known not to have an original language text or transcript|&lt;br /&gt;
container-style=border: 2px gray outset; border-radius: 5px 5px; padding: 10px; background: repeating-linear-gradient(45deg, #ffDff1, #ffF4F1 15%); }}|{{tooltip|{{{content|{{{1|}}}}}}|&lt;br /&gt;
tooltip=This content belongs to [[Pilgrim&#039;s notes]], notes known not to have an original language text or transcript|&lt;br /&gt;
container-style=border: 2px gray outset; border-radius: 5px 5px; padding: 10px; background: repeating-linear-gradient(45deg, #ffDff1, #ffF4F1 15%); }} }}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Template:PilgrimsNote&amp;diff=17704</id>
		<title>Template:PilgrimsNote</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Template:PilgrimsNote&amp;diff=17704"/>
		<updated>2023-10-18T13:09:46Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;div&gt;{{#if: {{{tooltip|}}} |&lt;br /&gt;
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padding={{{padding|10px}}} |&lt;br /&gt;
margin-left={{{margin-left|78px}}} |&lt;br /&gt;
margin-top={{{margin-top|15px}}} |&lt;br /&gt;
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tooltip=This2 content belongs to Pilgrim&#039;s notes, notes known not to have an original Persian transcript|&lt;br /&gt;
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container-style=border: 2px gray outset; border-radius: 5px 5px; padding: 10px; background: repeating-linear-gradient(45deg, #ffDff1, #ffF4F1 15%); }} }}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Diversity_of_thought&amp;diff=17700</id>
		<title>Diversity of thought</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Diversity_of_thought&amp;diff=17700"/>
		<updated>2023-10-18T12:52:44Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* The Law of Bahá&amp;#039;u&amp;#039;lláh does not attempt to suppress diversity of thought; diversity of thought brings beauty of human perfection; needs Word of God to harmonize */ source&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;==Do not allow diversity of thought to separate you from fellowmen or be cause of dispute in your hearts==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Do not allow difference of opinion, or diversity of thought to separate you from your fellowmen, or to be the cause of dispute, hatred and strife in your hearts.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rather, search diligently for the truth and make all men your friends.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{pta|53}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Contrary opinions and thought can be reconciled; one kind of diversity relates to annihilation, the other to perfection and bestowals of God==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A critic may object, saying that peoples, races, tribes and communities of the world are of different and varied customs, habits, tastes, character, inclinations and ideas, that opinions and thoughts are contrary to one another, and how, therefore, is it possible for real unity to be revealed and perfect accord among human souls to exist?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In answer we say that differences are of two kinds. One is the cause of annihilation and is like the antipathy existing among warring nations and conflicting tribes who seek each other&#039;s destruction, uprooting one another&#039;s families, depriving one another of rest and comfort and unleashing carnage. The other kind which is a token of diversity is the essence of perfection and the cause of the appearance of the bestowals of the Most Glorious Lord.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[&#039;Abdu&#039;l-Bahá]], &#039;&#039;[[Selections from the Writings of &#039;Abdu&#039;l-Bahá]]&#039;&#039;, section [[swabs:225|225]], pp. [[swab:290|290]]-291))&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Diverse shades of thought under one agency (of Word of God) allows revealing of human perfection==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Diversity of hues, form and shape, enricheth and adometh the garden, and heighteneth the effect thereof. In like manner, when divers shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought together under the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and made manifest. Naught but the celestial potency of the Word of God, which ruleth and transcendeth the realities of all things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts, sentiments, ideas, and convictions of the children of men.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[&#039;Abdu&#039;l-Bahá]], &#039;&#039;[[Selections from the Writings of &#039;Abdu&#039;l-Bahá]]&#039;&#039;, section [[swabs:225|225]], pp. [[swab:291|291]]-292))&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==The Law of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh does not attempt to suppress diversity of thought; diversity of thought brings beauty of human perfection; needs Word of God to harmonize==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Let there be no misgivings as to the animating purpose of the worldwide Law of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh...It does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity...of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[World Order of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh]]&#039;&#039;, pp. [[wob:41|41]]-42 passim)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Respect for differing opinions]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Loving people of other political persuasions]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Diversity_of_thought&amp;diff=17699</id>
		<title>Diversity of thought</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Diversity_of_thought&amp;diff=17699"/>
		<updated>2023-10-18T12:52:27Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: +quote&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;==Do not allow diversity of thought to separate you from fellowmen or be cause of dispute in your hearts==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Do not allow difference of opinion, or diversity of thought to separate you from your fellowmen, or to be the cause of dispute, hatred and strife in your hearts.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rather, search diligently for the truth and make all men your friends.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{pta|53}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Contrary opinions and thought can be reconciled; one kind of diversity relates to annihilation, the other to perfection and bestowals of God==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A critic may object, saying that peoples, races, tribes and communities of the world are of different and varied customs, habits, tastes, character, inclinations and ideas, that opinions and thoughts are contrary to one another, and how, therefore, is it possible for real unity to be revealed and perfect accord among human souls to exist?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In answer we say that differences are of two kinds. One is the cause of annihilation and is like the antipathy existing among warring nations and conflicting tribes who seek each other&#039;s destruction, uprooting one another&#039;s families, depriving one another of rest and comfort and unleashing carnage. The other kind which is a token of diversity is the essence of perfection and the cause of the appearance of the bestowals of the Most Glorious Lord.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[&#039;Abdu&#039;l-Bahá]], &#039;&#039;[[Selections from the Writings of &#039;Abdu&#039;l-Bahá]]&#039;&#039;, section [[swabs:225|225]], pp. [[swab:290|290]]-291))&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Diverse shades of thought under one agency (of Word of God) allows revealing of human perfection==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...Diversity of hues, form and shape, enricheth and adometh the garden, and heighteneth the effect thereof. In like manner, when divers shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought together under the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and made manifest. Naught but the celestial potency of the Word of God, which ruleth and transcendeth the realities of all things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts, sentiments, ideas, and convictions of the children of men.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[&#039;Abdu&#039;l-Bahá]], &#039;&#039;[[Selections from the Writings of &#039;Abdu&#039;l-Bahá]]&#039;&#039;, section [[swabs:225|225]], pp. [[swab:291|291]]-292))&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==The Law of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh does not attempt to suppress diversity of thought; diversity of thought brings beauty of human perfection; needs Word of God to harmonize==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Let there be no misgivings as to the animating purpose of the worldwide Law of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh...It does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity...of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(&#039;&#039;[[World Order of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh]]&#039;&#039;, pp. [[wob:41|41]]-42 passim)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Respect for differing opinions]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Loving people of other political persuasions]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17698</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17698"/>
		<updated>2023-10-17T01:01:17Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail */ lb&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://www.bahai.org/action/youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth qualities==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To-dos for this section===&lt;br /&gt;
* Include the many positive qualities indicated for youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth and professions==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
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== Youth and freedom from prejudice ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
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==Youth and morality==&lt;br /&gt;
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===Set a high example in chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need for belief in God]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need for religion]]&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
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== Youth and laws ==&lt;br /&gt;
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===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
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== Youth and older believers ==&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
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== Youth and Administration ==&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
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===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Registration of children]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17697</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17697"/>
		<updated>2023-10-17T00:54:15Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://www.bahai.org/action/youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth qualities==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To-dos for this section===&lt;br /&gt;
* Include the many positive qualities indicated for youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth and professions==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and freedom from prejudice ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth and morality==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Set a high example in chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
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====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need for belief in God]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need for religion]]&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
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== Youth and laws ==&lt;br /&gt;
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===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
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== Youth and older believers ==&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
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== Youth and Administration ==&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
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==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
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===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
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No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
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No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
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No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
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No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
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&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Registration of children]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17696</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17696"/>
		<updated>2023-10-17T00:16:49Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://www.bahai.org/action/youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth qualities==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To-dos for this section===&lt;br /&gt;
* Include the many positive qualities indicated for youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth and professions==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and freedom from prejudice ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth and morality==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Set a high example in chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need for belief in God]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need for religion]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and laws ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and older believers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and Administration ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Registration of children]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17695</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17695"/>
		<updated>2023-10-16T22:04:43Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: reorder&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://www.bahai.org/action/youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth qualities==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To-dos for this section===&lt;br /&gt;
* Include the many positive qualities indicated for youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth and professions==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and freedom from prejudice ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth and morality==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need for belief in God]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need for religion]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and laws ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and older believers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and Administration ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Registration of children]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17694</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17694"/>
		<updated>2023-10-16T21:59:59Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: reorder&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://www.bahai.org/action/youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth qualities==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To-dos for this section===&lt;br /&gt;
* Include the many positive qualities indicated for youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth and professions==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and freedom from prejudice ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth and morality==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and laws ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and older believers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and Administration ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Registration of children]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17693</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17693"/>
		<updated>2023-10-16T21:59:00Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://www.bahai.org/action/youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth qualities==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To-dos for this section===&lt;br /&gt;
* Include the many positive qualities indicated for youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth and professions==&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
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==Youth and morality==&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
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== Youth and freedom from prejudice ==&lt;br /&gt;
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===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and laws ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
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== Youth and older believers ==&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
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== Youth and Administration ==&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Registration of children]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17692</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17692"/>
		<updated>2023-10-16T21:56:53Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://www.bahai.org/action/youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth and professions==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Youth and morality==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and freedom from prejudice ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and laws ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and older believers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and Administration ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Registration of children]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17691</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17691"/>
		<updated>2023-10-16T20:50:24Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://www.bahai.org/action/youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and freedom from prejudice ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and laws ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and older believers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and Bahá&#039;í institutions ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17690</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17690"/>
		<updated>2023-10-16T20:14:05Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* From Lights of Guidance (to categorize or add to subpages) */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://www.bahai.org/action/youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and laws ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and older believers ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Youth and National Committee ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17689</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17689"/>
		<updated>2023-10-16T13:28:04Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects */ lb&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://www.bahai.org/action/youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17688</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17688"/>
		<updated>2023-10-16T13:27:42Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&amp;#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause */ lb&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://www.bahai.org/action/youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17687</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17687"/>
		<updated>2023-10-16T13:27:26Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&amp;#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up */ lb&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://www.bahai.org/action/youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17686</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17686"/>
		<updated>2023-10-13T03:24:01Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: update link&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://www.bahai.org/action/youth&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17685</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17685"/>
		<updated>2023-10-13T02:12:03Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* From Lights of Guidance (to categorize or add to subpages) */ cit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://bahai.org/article-1-9-2-8.html&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17684</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17684"/>
		<updated>2023-10-13T01:40:27Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth */ heading&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://bahai.org/article-1-9-2-8.html&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth===&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Year_of_service&amp;diff=17683</id>
		<title>Year of service</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Year_of_service&amp;diff=17683"/>
		<updated>2023-10-13T01:35:44Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;==Youth may engage one or two years to some Bahá&#039;í service in teaching or development==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say, one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Universal House of Justice]], &#039;&#039;[[Wider Horizon]]&#039;&#039;, p. [[wh:17|17]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==During years of study, youth may be able to offer specific periods up to a year or more for travel teaching or services to the Bahá&#039;í community; National committee to organize implementation==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith. At the same time, during their years of study, youth are often able to offer specific periods of weeks or months, or even of a year or more, during which they can devote themselves to travel teaching or to serving the Bahá&#039;í community in other ways, such as conducting children&#039;s classes in remote villages. They should be encouraged to offer such service, which will in itself be admirable experience for the future, and the National Assembly should instruct an appropriate committee to receive such offers and to organize their implementation so as to derive the greatest possible advantage from them.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Service]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17682</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17682"/>
		<updated>2023-10-13T01:33:43Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://bahai.org/article-1-9-2-8.html&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]] (to balance study with service)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17681</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17681"/>
		<updated>2023-10-13T01:19:23Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* See also */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://bahai.org/article-1-9-2-8.html&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith. At the same time, during their years of study, youth are often able to offer specific periods of weeks or months, or even of a year or more, during which they can devote&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
themselves to travel teaching or to serving the Bahá&#039;í community in other ways, such as conducting children&#039;s classes in remote villages. They should be encouraged to offer such service, which will in itself be admirable experience for the future, and the National Assembly should instruct an appropriate committee to receive such offers and to organize their implementation so as to derive the greatest possible advantage from them.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parent]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.js&amp;diff=17680</id>
		<title>MediaWiki:Common.js</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.js&amp;diff=17680"/>
		<updated>2023-10-12T17:16:05Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: noUnderscoresPageName&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;/* globals document, window, URLSearchParams, location, event, console, localStorage,&lt;br /&gt;
  $, mw, -- Set by MediaWiki */&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint-disable&lt;br /&gt;
  no-tabs, padded-blocks, no-multiple-empty-lines,&lt;br /&gt;
  vars-on-top&lt;br /&gt;
  -- Disabling for readability&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint-disable&lt;br /&gt;
  no-var, prefer-named-capture-group, require-unicode-regexp,&lt;br /&gt;
  object-shorthand,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/no-document-cookie,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/prefer-query-selector, unicorn/prefer-includes, unicorn/no-for-loop,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/prefer-default-parameters&lt;br /&gt;
  -- Disabling some due to older browser support/lack of ES6+ support&lt;br /&gt;
  */&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint indent: [&#039;error&#039;, &#039;tab&#039;] -- Differs from eslint-config-ash-nazg */&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
CONTENTS&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
1. Character subset menu&lt;br /&gt;
2. Collapsible headings&lt;br /&gt;
3. Collapsible lists&lt;br /&gt;
4. Toggling table of contents&lt;br /&gt;
5. Toggling headings&lt;br /&gt;
6. Search category pages&lt;br /&gt;
7. Prepopulating user category pages&lt;br /&gt;
8. Sister project links (convert to specific page)&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// MediaWiki vars (use mw.config.get() for some): https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Interface/JavaScript&lt;br /&gt;
/* Any JavaScript here will be loaded for all users on every page load. */&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;use strict&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**********************&lt;br /&gt;
*** add menu on edit page /for selecting subsets of special characters&lt;br /&gt;
*** by [[user:Pathoschild]]&lt;br /&gt;
***   - note: must match MediaWiki:Edittools&lt;br /&gt;
**********************/&lt;br /&gt;
function addCharSubsetMenu () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var specialchars = document.getElementById(&#039;specialchars&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	if (specialchars) {&lt;br /&gt;
		var menu = &#039;&amp;lt;select style=&amp;quot;display:inline&amp;quot; onChange=&amp;quot;chooseCharSubset(selectedIndex)&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Select&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Ligatures and symbols&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Accents&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Tildes&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Cedillas&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Diereses&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Circumflexes&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Macrons&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Other diacritics&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Greek&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Hebrew&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Cyrillic&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;IPA&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;/select&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		specialchars.innerHTML = menu + specialchars.innerHTML.replace(/_newline_/gm, &#039;\n&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		/* default subset - try to use a cookie some day */&lt;br /&gt;
		chooseCharSubset(0);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * Select subsection of special characters.&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {int} s&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function chooseCharSubset (s) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var l = document.getElementById(&#039;specialchars&#039;).getElementsByTagName(&#039;p&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	for (var i = 0; i &amp;lt; l.length; i++) {&lt;br /&gt;
		l[i].style.display = i === s ? &#039;inline&#039; : &#039;none&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		l[i].style.visibility = i === s ? &#039;visible&#039; : &#039;hidden&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
addCharSubsetMenu(); // addOnloadHook();&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Collapsible headings&lt;br /&gt;
var a = $(&#039;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;javascript:void(0);&amp;quot;&amp;gt;collapse&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&#039;).click(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var currentHeading = parseInt($(this).parent().parent()[0].nodeName.match(/\d$/));&lt;br /&gt;
	var sameOrHigherHeading = &#039;h&#039; + Array.from({length: 6}, function (x, i) {return i+1;}).slice(0, currentHeading).join(&#039;,h&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var method = this.textContent === &#039;collapse&#039; ? &#039;hide&#039; : &#039;show&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	$(this).parent().parent().nextUntil(sameOrHigherHeading)[method]();&lt;br /&gt;
	this.textContent = this.textContent === &#039;collapse&#039; ? &#039;show&#039; : &#039;collapse&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
});&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6&#039;).children(&#039;.mw-editsection&#039;).append(&#039; [&#039;, a, &#039;]&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// add collapsible list if an empty span is present indicating to do so&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if ($(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList&#039;).length || $(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList_collapsed&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;ul,ol&#039;).each(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		$(this).addClass(&#039;collapsibleList&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		var li = $(this).find(&#039;li:has(ul,ol)&#039;).addClass(&#039;collapsibleListOpen&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		if (!li.find(&#039;span&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
			li.prepend(&#039;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;user-select: none;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	});&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// User:Brettz9 added with some JSLint/XHTML/JSDoc clean-up, optimization/convenience changes, OL support, and beginning of work to allow pre-expansion of lists&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
MEDIAWIKI LIST NOTES&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nested DL hierarchies do not work properly with Mediawiki (see bug at http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Thread:Project:Support_desk/How_to_create_nested_definition_lists%3F )&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Resources:&lt;br /&gt;
1. http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting&lt;br /&gt;
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:List&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
CollapsibleLists.js&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An object allowing lists to dynamically expand and collapse&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Original version created by Stephen Morley - http://code.stephenmorley.org/javascript/collapsible-lists/ -&lt;br /&gt;
and released under the terms of the CC0 1.0 Universal legal code:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ideas&lt;br /&gt;
1. Remember expanded states&lt;br /&gt;
2. Make DL collapsible via its DD&lt;br /&gt;
3. Support collapsing of DL component children (DD and DT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Todo summary: (see &amp;quot;todo&amp;quot;&#039;s below)&lt;br /&gt;
1. Optimize iteration algorithms&lt;br /&gt;
2. When #1 is completed, check top-most class of list (or its parent) for `doNotRecurse` and pre-expansion options&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars -- Might expand&lt;br /&gt;
var CollapsibleLists;&lt;br /&gt;
(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	// Create the CollapsibleLists object&lt;br /&gt;
	var collapsibleLists,&lt;br /&gt;
		autoApplyWithNoGlobal = true; // Configure as to whether to auto-apply to lists on the page (without creating a global) or whether to allow manual control via a global&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Opens or closes the list elements of the given type&lt;br /&gt;
	*   within the specified node.&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} node The node containing the list elements&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] Type of list; defaults to &amp;quot;ul&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {int}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function toggle (node, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
		listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// Determine whether to open or close the lists&lt;br /&gt;
		var index, li,&lt;br /&gt;
			open = node.className.match(/(^| )collapsibleListClosed( |$)/),&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the list elements with the node&lt;br /&gt;
			lists = node.querySelectorAll(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
			listsLength = lists.length;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; listsLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Find the ancestor list item of this list&lt;br /&gt;
			li = lists[index];&lt;br /&gt;
			while (li.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== &#039;li&#039;) {&lt;br /&gt;
				li = li.parentNode;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Style the list if it is within this node&lt;br /&gt;
			if (li === node) {&lt;br /&gt;
				lists[index].style.display = (open ? &#039;block&#039; : &#039;none&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		if (listsLength) {&lt;br /&gt;
			// Remove the current class from the node&lt;br /&gt;
			node.className = node.className.replace(&lt;br /&gt;
				/(^| )collapsibleList(Open|Closed)( |$)/, &#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
			);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// If the node contains lists, set its class&lt;br /&gt;
			if (listsLength &amp;gt; 0) {&lt;br /&gt;
				node.className += &#039; collapsibleList&#039; + (open ? &#039;Open&#039; : &#039;Closed&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		return listsLength;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
 /**&lt;br /&gt;
  * @callback ClickHandler&lt;br /&gt;
  * @private&lt;br /&gt;
  * @static&lt;br /&gt;
  * @param {Event} e The click event&lt;br /&gt;
  * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
  */&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Returns a function that toggles the display status of any&lt;br /&gt;
	*   list elements within the specified node. The parameter is...&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} node The node containing the list elements&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {ClickHandler}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function createClickListener (node) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		// Return the function&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
     * @type {ClickHandler}&lt;br /&gt;
     */&lt;br /&gt;
		return function (e) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Ensure the event object is defined&lt;br /&gt;
			e = e || window.event;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Find the list item containing the target of the event&lt;br /&gt;
			var li = e.target || e.srcElement;&lt;br /&gt;
			while (li.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== &#039;li&#039;) {&lt;br /&gt;
				li = li.parentNode;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Toggle the state of the node if it was the target of the event&lt;br /&gt;
			if (li === node) {&lt;br /&gt;
				toggle(node);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		};&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Event} e The event to prevent&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function preventDefault (e) {&lt;br /&gt;
		e.preventDefault();&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function preventDefaultIE () {&lt;br /&gt;
		// eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-globals -- IE&lt;br /&gt;
		event.returnValue = false;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	 * @param {boolean} leaveExpanded&lt;br /&gt;
 	 * @private&lt;br /&gt;
 	 * @static&lt;br /&gt;
     * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	 */&lt;br /&gt;
	function applyLists (leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
		collapsibleLists.apply(false, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Makes sublists of a given list type collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} list The list element&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] The list type under which sublists should be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
  * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function applySubListsForListType (list, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
		listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// Todo: This is unnecessarily redundant and thus expensive for deeply nested lists;&lt;br /&gt;
		//			 should instead check direct children recursively&lt;br /&gt;
		var subIndex,&lt;br /&gt;
			subLists = list.getElementsByTagName(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
			subListsLength = subLists.length;&lt;br /&gt;
		for (subIndex = 0; subIndex &amp;lt; subListsLength; subIndex++) {&lt;br /&gt;
			// Tempory fix to at least avoid multiple classes&lt;br /&gt;
			if (!(/(^| )collapsibleList( |$)/).test(subLists[subIndex].className)) {&lt;br /&gt;
				subLists[subIndex].className += &#039; collapsibleList&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	collapsibleLists = {&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes all lists with the class &#039;collapsibleList&#039; collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
    * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		apply: function (doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
			this.applyForListType(doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
		},&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes lists of the given type with the class &#039;collapsibleList&#039; collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] Type of list; defaults to &amp;quot;ul&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyForListType: function (doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
			listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the lists&lt;br /&gt;
			var index, list,&lt;br /&gt;
				// Todo: This is unnecessarily redundant and thus inefficient; should instead&lt;br /&gt;
				//			 iterate over direct children&lt;br /&gt;
				lists = document.querySelectorAll(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
				listsLength = lists.length,&lt;br /&gt;
				listPattern = /(^| )collapsibleList( |$)/;&lt;br /&gt;
			for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; listsLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
				list = lists[index];&lt;br /&gt;
				// Check whether this list should be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
				if (listPattern.test(list.className) ||&lt;br /&gt;
					listPattern.test(list.parentNode.className) // For convenience when used with Mediawiki simple syntax lists (which cannot specify classes on the list)&lt;br /&gt;
				) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Make this list collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
					this.applyTo(list, true, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Check whether sub-lists should also be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
					// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow doNotRecurse specification&lt;br /&gt;
					if (!doNotRecurse) {&lt;br /&gt;
						// Add the collapsibleList class to the sub-lists&lt;br /&gt;
						applySubListsForListType(list);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
				}&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		},&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes the specified list collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {Element} node The list element&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyTo: function (node, doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the list items within this node&lt;br /&gt;
			var index,&lt;br /&gt;
				lis = node.querySelectorAll(&#039;li&#039;),&lt;br /&gt;
				lisLength = lis.length;&lt;br /&gt;
			for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; lisLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
				// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow doNotRecurse specification&lt;br /&gt;
				// Check whether this list item should be collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
				if (!doNotRecurse || node === lis[index].parentNode) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
                    var attachNode = lis[index].querySelector(&#039;span&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
                    if (!attachNode) {&lt;br /&gt;
                    	continue;&lt;br /&gt;
                    }&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Prevent text from being selected unintentionally&lt;br /&gt;
					if (attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener(&#039;mousedown&#039;, preventDefault, false);&lt;br /&gt;
					} else {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.attachEvent(&#039;onselectstart&#039;, preventDefaultIE);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Add the click listener&lt;br /&gt;
					if (attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener(&#039;click&#039;, createClickListener(lis[index]), false);&lt;br /&gt;
					} else {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.attachEvent(&#039;onclick&#039;, createClickListener(lis[index]));&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Close the lists within this list item&lt;br /&gt;
					// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow expansion via class&lt;br /&gt;
					if (!leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
						toggle(lis[index]);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
				}&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	};&lt;br /&gt;
	if (autoApplyWithNoGlobal) {&lt;br /&gt;
		/*&lt;br /&gt;
		if (window.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
			window.addEventListener(&#039;DOMContentLoaded&#039;, applyLists, false);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		else {&lt;br /&gt;
			window.attachEvent(&#039;onload&#039;, applyLists);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyLists(!$(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList_collapsed&#039;).length);&lt;br /&gt;
	} else {&lt;br /&gt;
		CollapsibleLists = collapsibleLists;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}());&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {Element} el&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {string} newText&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
function changeText (el, newText) {&lt;br /&gt;
	if (el.firstChild &amp;amp;&amp;amp; el.firstChild.nodeValue) {&lt;br /&gt;
		el.firstChild.nodeValue = newText;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
var t, toc, toggleLink;&lt;br /&gt;
try {&lt;br /&gt;
	t = document.getElementById(&#039;toc&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	if (t) { // No TOC for pages with no headings&lt;br /&gt;
		t.style.display = &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		toc = t.getElementsByTagName(&#039;ul&#039;)[0];&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink = document.getElementById(&#039;toctogglecheckbox&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		// if (tocIsHidden()) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleToc();&lt;br /&gt;
		// }&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
} catch (error) {&lt;br /&gt;
	// eslint-disable-next-line no-console -- Error surfacing&lt;br /&gt;
	console.log(&#039;erred&#039;, error);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {boolean}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function tocIsHidden () {&lt;br /&gt;
	return !toc || !toggleLink || window.getComputedStyle(toc).display !== &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function toggleToc () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var hidden = tocIsHidden();&lt;br /&gt;
	if (hidden &amp;amp;&amp;amp; document.cookie.indexOf(&#039;hidetoc=0&#039;) &amp;gt; -1) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink.click();&lt;br /&gt;
		// changeText(toggleLink, tocShowText);&lt;br /&gt;
		// toc.style.display = &#039;none&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// eslint-disable-next-line sonarjs/no-duplicated-branches -- Might expand&lt;br /&gt;
	} else if (!hidden &amp;amp;&amp;amp; document.cookie.indexOf(&#039;hidetoc=1&#039;) &amp;gt; -1) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink.click();&lt;br /&gt;
		// changeText(toggleLink, tocHideText);&lt;br /&gt;
		// toc.style.display = &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if (toggleLink) {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleLink.addEventListener(&#039;click&#039;, function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		var isHidden = tocIsHidden();&lt;br /&gt;
		document.cookie = isHidden ? &#039;hidetoc=1&#039; : &#039;hidetoc=0&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	});&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
// &amp;lt;/source&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {boolean} forceConceal&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function toggleHeadings (forceConceal) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var headings = $(&#039;#content h2:not(#mw-toc-heading), #content h3, #content h4, #content h5, #content h6&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var th = $(&#039;#toggle-headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	if (!forceConceal &amp;amp;&amp;amp; localStorage.getItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;)) {&lt;br /&gt;
		localStorage.removeItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		headings.show();&lt;br /&gt;
		th.text(&#039;Collapse headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	} else {&lt;br /&gt;
		localStorage.setItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;, &#039;1&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		headings.hide();&lt;br /&gt;
		th.text(&#039;Show headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
$(&lt;br /&gt;
	&#039;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;javascript:void(0);&amp;quot; id=&amp;quot;toggle-headings&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Collapse headings&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
).appendTo(&#039;#p-tb .vector-menu-content-list&#039;).click(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleHeadings();&lt;br /&gt;
});&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if (localStorage.getItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;)) {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleHeadings(true);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Search category pages&lt;br /&gt;
// If a category page&lt;br /&gt;
if (mw.config.get(&#039;wgNamespaceNumber&#039;) === 14 &amp;amp;&amp;amp; $(&#039;#mw-pages&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;form action=&amp;quot;/index.php&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;label&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Search category pages&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;: &amp;lt;input id=&amp;quot;categoryWorkSearch&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/label&amp;gt;&#039; +&lt;br /&gt;
		&#039;&amp;lt;input type=&amp;quot;submit&amp;quot; value=&amp;quot;go&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/form&amp;gt;&#039;).submit(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		var $el = $(&#039;&amp;lt;input type=&amp;quot;hidden&amp;quot; name=&amp;quot;search&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		$el.attr({&lt;br /&gt;
			value: &#039;incategory:&amp;quot;&#039; + mw.config.get(&#039;wgTitle&#039;) + &#039;&amp;quot; &#039; +&lt;br /&gt;
				$(this).find(&#039;#categoryWorkSearch&#039;).val()&lt;br /&gt;
		});&lt;br /&gt;
		$(this).append($el);&lt;br /&gt;
	}).appendTo(&#039;#mw-pages &amp;gt; p&#039;); // .prependTo(&#039;#mw-content-text&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Prepopulating user category pages&lt;br /&gt;
var params = new URLSearchParams(location.search);&lt;br /&gt;
if (params.has(&#039;prepopulate&#039;) &amp;amp;&amp;amp; params.get(&#039;action&#039;) === &#039;edit&#039; &amp;amp;&amp;amp; !$(&#039;#wpTextbox1&#039;).val()) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var title = params.get(&#039;title&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var match = title.match(/User:[^/]*([^&amp;amp;]*)$/);&lt;br /&gt;
	var text = &#039;[[Category:User&#039; + match[1] + &#039;]]&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
    $(&#039;#wpTextbox1&#039;).val(text);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Sister project links (convert to specific page)&lt;br /&gt;
// If want these added server-side, could add as header/footer using https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Header_Footer&lt;br /&gt;
if (mw.config.get(&#039;wgNamespaceNumber&#039;) === 0) { // Namepsaces: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension_default_namespaces&lt;br /&gt;
	var pageName = mw.config.get(&#039;wgPageName&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var encPageName = encodeURIComponent(pageName);&lt;br /&gt;
	var noUnderscoresPageName = encPageName.replace(/_/g, &#039;+&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.media a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai.media/index.php?search=&#039; + noUnderscoresPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.works a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai.works/index.php?search=&#039; + noUnderscoresPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahaipedia\\.org a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahaipedia.org/index.php?search=&#039; + noUnderscoresPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Indexes a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai-browser.org/indexes/json/?indexTerm=&#039; + noUnderscoresPageName);&lt;br /&gt;
	&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.org\\-Writings a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/search?q=&#039; + noUnderscoresPageName);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\-library\\-tags a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai-library.com/tags/&#039; + encodeURI(pageName));&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\-library a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Abahai-library.com+&#039; + noUnderscoresPageName);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Wikipedia a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://en.wikipedia.org/?search=&#039; + noUnderscoresPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Relationship_of_believers_with_the_Assemblies&amp;diff=17679</id>
		<title>Relationship of believers with the Assemblies</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Relationship_of_believers_with_the_Assemblies&amp;diff=17679"/>
		<updated>2023-10-12T05:14:34Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* Two Kinds of Bahá&amp;#039;ís */ moved quote to Believers page&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;==&lt;br /&gt;
===Being a Bahá&#039;í Essentially an Inner Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It is good for the Bahá&#039;ís to learn that being a Bahá&#039;í is essentially an inner thing, or way of life, and not dependent on fixed patterns. Important as our organized institutions are, they are not the Faith itself. The strength of the Cause grows no matter how much disrupted its activities may temporarily be. This we see over and over again, in lands where the Faith has been temporarily banned; at times when the believers are persecuted and even killed; where they are serving all alone or scattered and isolated....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Program Committee of Geyserville, November 11, 1951:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 257, p. 4, July 1952, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:267|267]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Should Have Respect for National and Local Assemblies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We should respect the National Spiritual Assembly and the Local Spiritual Assembly because they are institutions founded by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It has nothing to do with personality, but is far above it. It will be a great day when the friends, on and off the Assemblies, come to fully grasp the fact that it is not the individuals on an Assembly which is important, but the Assembly as an institution.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, July 7, 1949:  The National Spiritual Assembly, p. 19, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:268|268]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===This Great Prize, This Gift of God--Local Spiritual Assembly===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The friends are called upon to give their whole-hearted support and cooperation to the Local Spiritual Assembly, first by voting for the membership and then by energetically pursuing its plans and programmes, by turning to it in time of trouble or difficulty, by praying for its success and taking delight in its rise to influence and honour. This great prize, this gift of God within each community must be cherished, nurtured, loved, assisted, obeyed and prayed for.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Naw-Ruz Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:269|269]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Assembly is a Nascent House of Justice--Individuals Toward Each Other Governed by Love, Unity, etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...There is a tendency to mix up the functions of the Administration and try to apply it in individual relationships, which is abortive, because the Assembly is a nascent House of Justice and is supposed to administer, according to the Teachings, the affairs of the community. But individuals toward each other are governed by love, unity, forgiveness and a sin-covering eye. Once the friends grasp this they will get along much better, but they keep playing Spiritual Assembly to each other and expect the Assembly to behave like an individual....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 5, 1950:  Living the Life, p. 17, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:270|270]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Spiritual Children Should Not Cling to Misconceptions of Their Teachers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to your question about the spiritual children of people who enter the Cause with some old ideas still clinging to them:  Everyone should study the Faith for himself, and just because a person&#039;s Bahá&#039;í teacher has some concept not strictly Bahá&#039;í it does not stand to reason that the new believer must be saddled with it; old believers, as well as new, should constantly endeavour to grow more fully into the Bahá&#039;í pattern of thought and of life. Each soul receives the gift of faith for himself, and from then on is a Bahá&#039;í in his own right, independent of his teacher.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, July 17, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:272|272]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Assemblies Should Inspire Confidence in Individual Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Local Assemblies should inspire confidence in the individual believers, and these in their turn should express their readiness to fully abide by the decisions and directions of the Local Assembly; the two must learn to co-operate, and to realize that only through such a co-operation can the institutions of the Cause effectively and permanently function. While obedience to the Local Assembly should be unqualified and whole-hearted, yet that body should enforce its directions in such a way as to avoid giving the impression that it is animated by dictatorial motives. The spirit of the Cause is one of mutual co-operation, and not that of a dictatorship.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 28, 1935:  The Local Spiritual Assembly, p. 23, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:273|273]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Buckets-Full of Administrative Information:  Putting Out the First Sparks===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The process of educating people of different customs and backgrounds must be done with the greatest patience and understanding, and rules and regulations not imposed upon them, except where a rock-bottom essential is in question. He feels sure that your Assembly is capable of carrying on its work in this spirit, and of fanning the hearts to flame through the fire of the love of God, rather than putting out the first sparks with buckets-full of administrative information and regulations.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa, July 9, 1957:  Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:274|274]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Look to the Teachings===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...You should, under no circumstances, feel discouraged, and allow such difficulties, even though they may have resulted from the misconduct, or the lack of capacity and vision of certain members of the Community, to make you waver in your faith and basic loyalty to the Cause. Surely, the believers, no matter how&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
qualified they may be, whether as teachers or administrators, and however high their intellectual and spiritual merits, should never be looked upon as a standard whereby to evaluate and measure the divine authority and mission of the Faith. It is to the Teachings themselves, and to the lives of the Founders of the Cause that the believers should look for their guidance and inspiration, and only by keeping strictly to such true attitude can they hope to establish their loyalty to Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh upon an enduring and unassailable basis. You should take heart, therefore, and with unrelaxing vigilance and unremitting effort endeavour to play your full share in the gradual unfoldment of this Divine World Order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, August 23, 1939:  Living the Life, p. 7, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:275|275]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Two Principles to Follow:  Doctrinal and Administrative Unity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There are two main principles which the Guardian wishes the friends to always bear in mind and to conscientiously and faithfully follow. First is the principle of unqualified and wholehearted loyalty to the revealed Word. The believers should be careful not to deviate, even a hair-breadth, from the Teachings. Their supreme consideration should be to safeguard the purity of the principles, tenets and laws of the Faith. It is only by this means that they can hope to maintain the organic unity of the Cause. There can and should be no liberal or conservatives, no moderates or extremes in the Cause. For they are all subject to the one and the same law which is the Law of God. This Law transcends all differences, all personal or local tendencies, moods and aspirations.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Next is the principle of complete and immediate obedience to the Assemblies, both Local and National. It is the responsibility of these Bahá&#039;í administrative bodies to enable the community to acquire, and increasingly deepen in, the knowledge and understanding of the Cause. Doctrinal unity and administrative unity, these are the two chief pillars that sustain the edifice of the Cause, and protect it from the storms of opposition which so severely rage against it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma, September 5, 1936:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 61, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:276|276]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bahá&#039;í Administration--Instrument of Spirit of the Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The friends must never mistake the Bahá&#039;í administration for an end in itself. It is merely the instrument of the spirit of the Faith. This Cause is a Cause which God has revealed to humanity as a whole. It is designed to benefit the entire human race, and the only way it can do this is to reform the community life of mankind, as well as seeking to regenerate the individual. The Bahá&#039;í administration is only the first shaping of what in future will come to be the social life and laws of community living. As yet the believers are only first beginning to grasp and practice it properly. So we must have patience if at times it seems a little self conscious and rigid in its workings. It is because we are learning something very difficult but very wonderful--how to live together as a community of Bahá&#039;ís, according to the glorious teachings.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 14, 1941:  The Local Spiritual Assembly, pp. 28-29, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:277|277]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Bahá&#039;í World Community Develops New Cells, New Organs===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;In the human body, every cell, every organ, every nerve has its part to play.&lt;br /&gt;
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When all do so the body is healthy, vigorous, radiant, ready for every call made upon it. No cell, however humble, lives apart from the body, whether in serving it or receiving from it. This is true of the body of mankind in which God &#039;has endowed each humble being with ability and talent&#039;, and is supremely true of the body of the Bahá&#039;í World Community, for this body is already an organism, united in its aspirations, unified in its methods, seeking assistance and confirmation from the same Source, and illumined with the conscious knowledge of its unity... The Bahá&#039;í World Community, growing like a healthy new body, develops new cells, new organs, new functions and powers as it presses on to its maturity, when every soul, living for the Cause of God, will receive from that Cause, health, assurance, and the overflowing bounties of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh which are diffused through His divinely ordained Order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, September 1964:  Wellspring of Guidance, pp. 37-38, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:278|278]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Believers Should Turn to Assemblies for Advice and Help===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The believers should learn to turn more often to their Assemblies for advice and help and at an earlier date, and the Assemblies, on the other hand, should act with more vigilance and a greater sense of community responsibility towards every situation that may damage the prestige of the Faith in the eyes of the public. When decisions have been reached by the Assembly, they must be carried out loyally and willingly, by all concerned.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1944:  The Local Spiritual Assembly, p. 26, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:279|279]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Mission of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, Friends Are Trustees of===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The friends have a great duty, first towards the Cause and then towards society at large. Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh has come to the world with a divine Message and devoted all His life and withstood all forms of persecution in the hope of establishing it firmly. We are now the trustees of that Mission. It is for us to bring that task begun by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to a final consummation. Should we fail, we have been untrue to our Lord and also remained deaf to the cry of humanity seeking salvation.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, November 15, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 71, p. 2, February 1933, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:280|280]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Believers Should Have Confidence in Assembly===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The believers should have confidence in the directions and orders of their Assembly, even though they may not be convinced of their justice or right. Once the Assembly, through a majority vote of its members, comes to a decision the friends should readily obey it. Specially those dissenting members within the Assembly whose opinion is contrary to that of the majority of their fellow-members should set a good example before the community by sacrificing their personal views for the sake of obeying the principle of majority vote that underlies the functioning of all Bahá&#039;í Assemblies.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, October 28, 1935:  The Local Spiritual Assembly, p. 26, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:281|281]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===If Assembly Makes Ill-Advised Decision It Must Be Upheld===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;One of the fundamentals involved in our Administrative Order, which we must remember will become the pattern for our World Order, is that even if an Assembly makes an ill-advised decision it must be upheld in order to preserve the unity of the community. Appeal can be made from the Local Assembly&#039;s decision to the National Assembly... But the principle of authority invested in our elected bodies must be upheld. This is not something which can be learned without trial and test....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and Austria, June 30, 1949:  Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:282|282]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===If Assembly Makes a Mistake--God Will Right the Wrongs Done===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The Assembly may make a mistake, but, as the Master pointed out, if the Community does not abide by its decisions, or the individual Bahá&#039;í, the result is worse, as it undermines the very institution which must be strengthened in order to uphold the principles and laws of the Faith. He tells us God will right the wrongs done. We must have confidence in this and obey our Assemblies. He therefore strongly urges you to work directly under your Bahá&#039;í Assembly, to accept your responsibilities as a voting member, and do your utmost to create harmony within the community.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer in 1949:  Ibid., p. 27, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:283|283]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Obedience, Patience and Restraint===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The friends should therefore not feel discouraged at the differences of opinion that may prevail among the members of an Assembly for these, as experience has shown, and as the Master&#039;s words attest, fulfil a valuable function in all Assembly deliberations. But once the opinion of the majority has been ascertained, all the members should automatically and unreservedly obey it, and faithfully carry it out. Patience and restraint, however, should at all times characterize the discussions and deliberations of the elected representatives of the local community, and no fruitless and hair-splitting discussions indulged in, under any circumstances.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, April 18, 1939:  Ibid., pp. 18-19, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:284|284]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Criticism to Assemblies--Bahá&#039;ís Can Freely Air Their Views===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The Bahá&#039;ís are fully entitled to address criticisms to their Assemblies; they can freely air their views about policies or individual members of elected bodies to the Assembly, Local or National, but then they must whole-heartedly accept the advice or decision of the Assembly, according to the principles already laid down for such matters in Bahá&#039;í administration.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand, May 13, 1945: Letters from the Guardian to Australia and New Zealand, p. 55, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:285|285]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===No Protection for Faith Unless Friends Submit to Administrative Bodies===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...There can be no protection for the Faith unless the friends are willing to submit to their administrative bodies, especially when these are acting in good faith; the individual believers are not in a position to judge their National Body. If any wrong has been done, we must leave it in the hands of God, knowing, as Abdu&#039;l-Bahá said, that He will right it, and in the meantime not disrupt the Cause of God by constantly harping on these matters.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, February 3, 1957:  The National Spiritual Assembly, p. 37, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:286|286]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===If Bahá&#039;ís Undermine Leaders===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The Guardian believes that a great deal of the difficulties from which the believers ... feel themselves to be suffering are caused by their neither correctly understanding nor putting into practice the administration. They seem--many of them--to be prone to continually challenging and criticizing the decisions of their Assemblies. If the Bahá&#039;ís undermine the very leaders which are, however immaturely, seeking to coordinate Bahá&#039;í activities and administer Bahá&#039;í affairs, if they continually criticize their acts and challenge or belittle their decisions, they not only prevent any real rapid progress in the Faith&#039;s development from taking place, but they repel outsiders who quite rightly may ask how we ever expect to unite the whole world when we are so disunited among ourselves!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1943:  Ibid., pp. 34-35, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:287|287]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Believers Have the Right to Express Their Criticism Action of Assembly, But Not in a Way to Undermine Its Authority===&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;...with reference to your ... letter in which you ... asked whether the believers have the right to openly express their criticism of any Assembly action or policy:  It is not only the right, but the vital responsibility of every loyal and intelligent member of the Community to offer fully and frankly, but with due respect and consideration to the authority of the Assembly, any suggestion, recommendation or criticism he conscientiously feels he should in order to improve and remedy certain existing conditions or trends in his local community, and it is the duty of the Assembly also to give careful consideration to any such views submitted to them by any one of the believers. The best occasion chosen for this purpose is the Nineteen Day Feast which, besides its social and spiritual aspects, fulfils various administrative needs and requirements of the Community, chief among them being the need for open and constructive criticism and deliberation regarding the state of affairs within the local Bahá&#039;í Community.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;But again it should be stressed that all criticism and discussions of a negative character which may result in undermining the authority of the Assembly as a body should be strictly avoided. For otherwise the order of the Cause itself will be endangered, and confusion and discord will reign in the Community.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, December 13, 1939, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Obedience to the Decisions of the Local Assembly Should Be Unqualified and Whole-Hearted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The most vital matter on which the Guardian wishes you to fully concentrate is that of consolidating the foundations of the Administration. Not until your group learns to work efficiently through obedience to the Local Assembly and under its guidance can there be any hope for future expansion. The friends must all realize the necessity of internal discipline and order which only a properly elected and efficiently functioning body such as the Local Assembly can effectively maintain. Obedience to the decisions of the Local Assembly should be unqualified and whole-hearted, as by this means alone can the community work as a united body and achieve something constructive and enduring.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of Vienna, April 5, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:289|289]])&lt;br /&gt;
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===Local Assembly Should Not Criticize Policy of National Assembly===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the problem which has arisen in connection with the Newsletter published and circulated by the ... Assembly, the Guardian has already written about it to your National Spiritual Assembly, expressing the view that under no circumstances should any Local Assembly be given the right to criticize, and much less oppose, the policy duly adopted and approved by the National Spiritual Assembly. It is his hope that henceforth the problem of the relationship between the National Spiritual Assembly and the Local Spiritual Assemblies in matters of this nature will, in the light of his instructions, be carefully understood by individuals and Assemblies alike.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, May 19, 1934, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:290|290]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Only One Remedy--Study the Administration===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is only one remedy for this:  To study the administration, to obey the Assemblies, and each believer seek to perfect his own character as a Bahá&#039;í. We can never exert the influence over others which we can exert over ourselves. If we are better, if we show love, patience, and understanding of the weakness of others, if we seek to never criticize but rather encourage, others will do likewise, and we can really help the Cause through our example and spiritual strength. The Bahá&#039;ís everywhere, when the administration is first established, find it very difficult to adjust themselves. They have to learn to obey, even when the Assembly may be wrong, for the sake of unity. They have to sacrifice their personalities, to a certain extent, in order that the Community life may grow and develop as a whole. These things are difficult, but we must realize that they will lead us to a very much greater, more perfect way of life when the Faith is properly established according to the administration.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1943:  The National Spiritual Assembly, p. 35, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:291|291]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===On Individual Believer Depends Fate of Community===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This challenge, so severe and insistent, and yet so glorious, faces no doubt primarily the individual believer on whom, in the last resort, depends the fate of the entire community. He it is who constitutes the warp and woof on which the quality and pattern of the whole fabric must depend. He it is who acts as one of the countless links in the mighty chain that now girdles the globe. He it is who serves as one of the multitude of bricks which support the structure and insure the stability of the administrative edifice now being raised in every part of the world. Without his support, at once whole-hearted, continuous and generous, every measure adopted, and every plan formulated, by the body which acts as the national representative of the community to which he belongs, is foredoomed to failure. The World Center of the Faith itself is paralyzed if such a support on the part of the rank and file of the community is denied it. The Author of the Divine Plan Himself is impeded in His purpose if the proper instruments for the execution of His design are lacking. The sustaining strength of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh Himself, the Founder of the Faith, will be withheld from every and each individual, who fails in the long run to arise and play his part.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Citadel of Faith]]&#039;&#039;, pp. [[cf:130|130]]-131, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:292|292]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Individual]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Institution]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Local Spiritual Assembly#Not to confuse distinct role of Assemblies vs. individuals]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Relationships]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Believers&amp;diff=17678</id>
		<title>Believers</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Believers&amp;diff=17678"/>
		<updated>2023-10-12T05:14:25Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: move quote&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;==By type==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[New believers]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Inactive believers]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Topics==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Relationship of believers with the Assemblies]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Fallibility of believers]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Maturity of believers to increase over generations]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Two Kinds of Bahá&#039;ís==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There are two kinds of Bahá&#039;ís, one might say:  those whose religion is Bahá&#039;í and those who live for the Faith. Needless to say if one can belong to the latter category, if one can be in the vanguard of heroes, martyrs and saints, it is more praiseworthy in the sight of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 16, 1950:  Living the Life, p. 16, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:271|271]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Non-believers]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17677</id>
		<title>Youth</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Youth&amp;diff=17677"/>
		<updated>2023-10-11T16:33:04Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* Activities */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;For an official article on Bahá&#039;í youth, see https://bahai.org/article-1-9-2-8.html&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Activities==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[youth activities]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Need to plan - youth]] (also [[Life planning]])&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth (compilation)]] ([https://bahai-library.com/compilation_youth direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
* &#039;&#039;[[Unrestrained as the Wind]]&#039;&#039; ([https://bahai-library.com/unrestrained_as_the_wind direct link])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Study==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study topics]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[youth study meetings]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Topics of study/practice enjoined especially for youth==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Chastity]], [[holiness]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==(Youth has impetuousness, irrationality, follies, pride, rebelliousness)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The tumult of this age of transition is characteristic of the impetuosity and irrational instincts of youth, its follies, its prodigality, its pride, its self-assurance, its rebelliousness, and contempt of discipline.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Promised Day Is Come]]&#039;&#039;, par. [[pdcp:288|288]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize or add to subpages)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Our Expectant Eyes Are Fixed on Bahá&#039;í Youth!===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigour, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá&#039;í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá&#039;í youth!&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2122|2122]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Teenagers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá&#039;í communities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 183, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2123|2123]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Special Message and Mission for Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá&#039;ís are active in the pioneer work.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, June 16, 1942:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2124|2124]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Open Their Eyes to Existing Situation of World Conditions and Inquire About What the Future is Going to Bring===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present condition of the world--its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust--should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweeps over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms--reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 13, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2125|2125]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To Make Their Views Known to Others the Young People Should Keep in Touch with Local Youth Activities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the young Bahá&#039;ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavouring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá&#039;ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2126|2126]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Scholars of the Faith--Material Training and Material Progress Are Insufficient===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In regard to your questions in your letter of June 15th:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 1. The Guardian has always advised young people to study deeply such subjects as History, Economics and Sociology as they are all related to the teachings and aid in understanding the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 2. A course on the Faith suitable for university use should be worked out by some body of Bahá&#039;ís and educators and approved by the N.S.A.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 3. The greatest need of youth today is character training. Prayer is only one factor in this; they must learn to live up to the ethical teachings of the Faith...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
No. 4. Once young people become convinced of the existence of the soul they should not need much convincing that material training and material progress are not sufficient. The soul needs training and help too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that teaching the Faith to the youth is of the utmost importance in these days, as they will not only become the workers of the future but will be able to widely spread the Message among their own generation. He approves of your devoting as much time to this work as feasible....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 12, 1944, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2127|2127]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Saints, Heroes, Martyrs and Administrators===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you to make up your minds to do great, great deeds for the Faith; the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], October 2, 1951: Bahá&#039;í Youth, p. 6, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2128|2128]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Cause Doomed to Stagnation if Youth Fail===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...If the younger Bahá&#039;í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pain of studying the Cause deeply and thoroughly, read its history, find its underlying principles and become both well informed and energetic, they surely can achieve a great deal. It is upon their shoulders that the Master has laid the tremendous work of teaching. They are the ones to raise the call of the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kingdom and arouse the people from slumber. If they fail the Cause is doomed to stagnation....&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, p. 3, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2129|2129]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Responsibility for Teaching is Placed on the Shoulders of the Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...The responsibilities that have been laid upon your shoulders are manifold, and unless you exert your utmost to carry them out there can be not much hope for any further progress in the field of Bahá&#039;í teaching activity. The obligation to teach is essentially the responsibility of young believers. Their whole training should therefore be directed in such a way as to make them competent teachers. It is for this very purpose that Bahá&#039;í Summer Schools, which constitute the very basis upon which the Bahá&#039;í universities of the future will be established, should be widely attended by young believers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to five Bahá&#039;í Youth Groups in the United States, May 15, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2130|2130]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Inherit the Work of the Older Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibility of young believers is very great, as they must not only fit themselves to inherit the work of the older Bahá&#039;ís and carry on the affairs of the Cause in general, but the world which lies ahead of them--as promised by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh--will be a world chastened by its sufferings, ready to listen to His Divine Message at last; and consequently a very high character will be expected of the exponents of such a religion. To deepen their knowledge, to perfect themselves in the Bahá&#039;í standards of virtue and upright conduct, should be the paramount duty of every young Bahá&#039;í.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]]:  Dawn of a New Day, pp. 179-180, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2131|2131]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Need of Modern Youth for a Type of Ethics Founded on Pure Religious Faith===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...He quite agrees ... that the dangers facing the modern youth are becoming increasingly grave, and call for immediate solution. But as experience clearly shows, the remedy to this truly sad and perplexing situation is not to be found in traditional and ecclesiastical religion. The dogmatism of the church has been discarded once for all. What can control youth and save it from the pitfalls of the crass materialism of the age is the power of a genuine, constructive and living Faith such as the one revealed to the world by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Religion, as in the past, is still the world&#039;s sole hope, but not that form of religion which our ecclesiastical leaders strive vainly to preach. Divorced from true religion, morals lose their effectiveness and cease to guide and control man&#039;s individual and social life. But when true religion is combined with true ethics, then moral progress becomes a possibility and not a mere ideal.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The need of our modern youth is for such a type of ethics founded on pure religious faith. Not until these two are rightly combined and brought into full action can there be any hope for the future of the race.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, April 17, 1936:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 8-9, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2132|2132]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Associate in a Friendly Spirit with Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;By all means persevere and associate in a friendly spirit with other groups of young people, particularly of a different race or minority nationality, for such an association will demonstrate your complete conviction of the oneness of mankind and attract others to the Faith, both young and old alike. A spirit of prejudice-free, loving comradeship with others is what will open the eyes of people more than any amount of words.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the Guardian to the Dayton Bahá&#039;í Youth Group, January 18, 1945, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2133|2133]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===From Beginning Bahá&#039;í Era Youth Played Vital Part===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...From the very beginning of the Bahá&#039;í Era, youth have played a vital part in the promulgation of God&#039;s Revelation. The Bab Himself was but twenty-five years old when He declared His Mission, while many of the Letters of the Living were even younger. The Master, as a very young man, was called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities in the service of His Father in Iraq and Turkey, and His brother, the Purest Branch, yielded up his life to God in the Most Great Prison at the age of twenty-two that the servants of God might &#039;be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united&#039;. Shoghi Effendi was a student at Oxford when called to the throne of his guardianship, and many of the Knights of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, who won imperishable fame during the Ten Year Crusade, were young people. Let it, therefore, never be imagined that youth must await their years of maturity before they can render invaluable services to the Cause of God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to Bahá&#039;í youth in every land, June 10, 1966, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2134|2134]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===We May Well Emulate the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...We may well emulate Bahá&#039;í youth whose recent surge forward into the van of proclamation and teaching is one of the most encouraging and significant trends in the Faith, and who storm the gates of heaven for support in their enterprises by long-sustained, precedent and continuing prayer. We are all able to call upon Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh for His Divine, all-powerful aid, and He will surely help us. For He is the Hearer of prayers, the Answerer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1972, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2135|2135]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Upsurge of Bahá&#039;í Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first, the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá&#039;í youth, has changed the face of teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or over passed by eager teams of young Bahá&#039;ís, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá&#039;í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá&#039;í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and so to offer the Divine Programme to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Message from the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2136|2136]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Be Encouraged to Think of Their Studies===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í youth should be encouraged to think of their studies and of their training for a trade or profession as part of their service to the Cause of God and in the context of a lifetime that will be devoted to advancing the interests of the Faith. At the same time, during their years of study, youth are often able to offer specific periods of weeks or months, or even of a year or more, during which they can devote&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
themselves to travel teaching or to serving the Bahá&#039;í community in other ways, such as conducting children&#039;s classes in remote villages. They should be encouraged to offer such service, which will in itself be admirable experience for the future, and the National Assembly should instruct an appropriate committee to receive such offers and to organize their implementation so as to derive the greatest possible advantage from them.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2137|2137]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Will Arise for the Sake of God===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We sincerely hope that the forefront of the volunteers, the Bahá&#039;í youth will arise for the sake of God and, through their driving force, their ability to endure inhospitable and arduous conditions, and their contentment with the bare necessities of life, they will offer an inspiring example to the peoples and communities they set out to serve, will exert an abiding influence on their personal lives, and will promote with distinction the vital interests of God&#039;s Cause at this crucial stage in the fortunes of the Plan.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, March 25, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2138|2138]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Calls on the Bahá&#039;í Youth as &amp;quot;Legatees of the Heroic Early Believers&amp;quot; to Redouble Their Efforts in Spreading the Divine Message===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to Bahá&#039;í youth, legatees of the heroic early believers and now standing on their shoulders, we call upon them to redouble their efforts, in this day of widespread interest in the Cause of God, to enthuse their contemporaries with the divine Message and thus prepare themselves for the day when they will be veteran believers able to assume whatever tasks may be laid upon them. We offer them this passage from the Pen of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth and the heyday of his life will arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and adorn his heart with His love. The manifestation of such a grace is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth. Blessed are the steadfast and well is it with those who are firm&#039;.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;ís of the World, Ridvan 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2139|2139]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth Should Not Indict Non-Bahá&#039;í Friends for They Only See a World Crumbling But We See a New World Being Built Up===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Even though the Bahá&#039;í youth should feel with the condition in which they see their non-Bahá&#039;í friends and not indict them for it, they should not let themselves be carried by the wave of world events as they are being carried. Whereas they see before them only a world that is crumbling down we are also seeing a new world being built up. Whereas they experience the destruction of old institutions that commanded their respect, we are beholding the dawn of a new era with its strict commands and new social bonds. Their materialistic outlook shows them the futility of all things while our faith in a regenerated and spiritualized man makes us look to the future and build for it. To make them follow our ways we should sympathize with their plight but should not follow their ways. We should take our stand on a higher plane of moral and spiritual life and, setting for them the true example, urge them up to our&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
level. The young people should read what Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the Master say on such matters and follow them conscientiously. That is if they desire to be true to the teachings and establish them throughout the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 26, 1932:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, A Compilation, pp. 4-5, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2140|2140]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Education, One of the Most Fundamental Factors of True Civilization===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Being a Bahá&#039;í you are certainly aware of the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects. This should be the program of the Bahá&#039;í Youth all over the world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 9, 1931:  Bahá&#039;í Youth, pp. 10-11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2141|2141]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Future Peace--Great Responsibility Borne by Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A very great responsibility for the future peace and well-being of the world is borne by the youth of today. Let the Bahá&#039;í youth by the power of the Cause they espouse be the shining example for their companions.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 15, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2142|2142]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Universal House of Justice Calls on Bahá&#039;í Youth to Rededicate Themselves to the Urgent Needs of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;RECENT MARTYRDOMS COURAGEOUS STEADFAST YOUTH IN SHIRAZ, SCENE INAUGURATION MISSION MARTYR-PROPHET, REMINISCENT ACTS VALOUR YOUTHFUL IMMORTALS HEROIC AGE. CONFIDENT BAHA&#039;I YOUTH THIS GENERATION WILL NOT ALLOW THIS FRESH BLOOD SHED ON VERY SOIL WHERE FIRST WAVE PERSECUTION FAITH TOOK PLACE REMAIN UNVINDICATED OR THIS SUBLIME SACRIFICE UNAVAILING. AT THIS HOUR OF AFFLICTION AND GRIEF, AND AS WE APPROACH ANNIVERSARY MARTYRDOM BLESSED BAB CALL ON BAHA&#039;I YOUTH TO REDEDICATE THEMSELVES TO URGENT NEEDS CAUSE BAHA&#039;U&#039;LLAH. LET THEM RECALL BLESSINGS HE PROMISED THOSE WHO IN PRIME OF YOUTH WILL ARISE TO ADORN THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS LOVE AND REMAIN STEADFAST AND FIRM. LET THEM CALL TO MIND EXPECTATIONS MASTER FOR EACH TO BE A FEARLESS LION, A MUSK-LADEN BREEZE WAFTING OVER MEADS VIRTUE. LET THEM MEDITATE OVER UNIQUE QUALITIES YOUTH SO GRAPHICALLY MENTIONED IN WRITINGS GUARDIAN WHO PRAISED THEIR ENTERPRISING AND ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, THEIR VIGOUR, THEIR ALERTNESS, OPTIMISM AND EAGERNESS, AND THEIR DIVINELY-APPOINTED, HOLY AND ENTHRALLING TASKS. WE FERVENTLY PRAY AT SACRED THRESHOLD THAT ARMY OF SPIRITUALLY AWAKENED AND DETERMINED YOUTH, MAY IMMEDIATELY ARISE RESPONSE NEEDS PRESENT HOUR DEVOTE IN EVER GREATER MEASURE THEIR VALUED ENERGIES TO PROMOTE BOTH ON HOMEFRONTS AND IN&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
FOREIGN FIELDS, CAUSE THEIR ALL-WATCHFUL AND EXPECTANT LORD. MAY THEY MANIFEST SAME SPIRIT SO RECENTLY EVINCED THEIR MARTYR BRETHREN CRADLE FAITH, SCALE SUCH HEIGHTS OF ENDEAVOUR AS TO BECOME PRIDE THEIR PEERS CONSOLATION HEARTS PERSIAN BELIEVERS, AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FLAME HIS OMNIPOTENT HAND HAS KINDLED BURNS EVER BRIGHT AND THAT ITS LIFE-IMPARTING WARMTH AND RADIANCE SHALL SOON ENVELOP PERMEATE WHOLE EARTH.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a cable of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;í youth throughout the world, June 24, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2143|2143]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Youth of Today Have the Distinction of Seeing the Establishment of the Lesser Peace and the Reconciliation of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This generation of Bahá&#039;í youth enjoys a unique distinction. You will live your lives in a period when the forces of history are moving to a climax, when mankind will see the establishment of the Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause of God will play an increasingly prominent role in the reconstruction of human society. It is you who will be called upon in the years to come to stand at the helm of the Cause in face of conditions and developments which can, as yet, scarcely be imagined.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the European Youth Conference in Innsbruck, July 4, 1983, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2144|2144]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Key to Success is to Deepen Your Understanding of the Teachings and be Able to Explain Them to Your Peers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;European Bahá&#039;í youth in particular face tremendous and challenging tasks in the immediate future. Can one doubt that the manner in which the governments of the European nation have rallied to the defence of the persecuted Bahá&#039;ís in Iran will draw down blessings from on high upon this continent?  And who among the people of Europe are more likely to be kindled by the challenge and hope of the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh than the youth?  Now is an opportunity to awaken the interest, set afire the hearts and enlist the active support of young people of every nation, class and creed in that continent. The key to success in this endeavour is, firstly, to deepen your understanding of the Teachings of the Cause so that you will be able to apply them to the problems of individuals and society, and explain them to your peers in ways that they will understand and welcome; secondly, to strive to model your behaviour in every way after the high standards of honesty, trustworthiness, courage, loyalty, forbearance, purity and spirituality set forth in the Teachings; and, above all, to live in continual awareness of the presence and all-conquering power of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, which will enable you to overcome every temptation and surmount every obstacle.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2145|2145]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth and Fellow Believers Exhorted to Arise and Revolutionize the Progress of the Cause===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A vibrant band of Bahá&#039;í youth on the European continent, committed to the promotion of the Cause of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the upholding of His laws and principles, determined to work in harmony and unity with their fellow believers of all ages and classes, can revolutionize the progress of the Cause. With a rapid increase in the size&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
of the Bahá&#039;í communities in Europe, the believers of that continent, the cradle of western civilization, will be the better able to serve as a fountainhead of pioneers, travelling teachers and financial assistance to the Bahá&#039;í communities of the Third World.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A particular challenge to the Bahá&#039;í youth of Europe is the vast eastern half of the continent that is as yet scarcely touched by the light of the Faith of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. It is not easy to settle in those lands, but with ingenuity, determination and reliance upon the confirmations of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh it is certainly possible both to settle and to persevere in service in goals which demand a spirit of self-sacrifice, detachment and purity of heart worthy of those who would emulate the shining example set by the martyrs in Iran, so many of whom are youth, who have given their lives rather than breathe one word that would be a betrayal of the trust of God placed upon them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With love and utmost longing we call upon you to immerse yourselves in the divine Teachings, champion the Cause of God and His Law, and arise for the quickening of mankind.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2146|2146]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Courses of Study that One Can Pursue to Acquire Skills Needed to Assist the Developing Countries===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When deciding what course of training to follow, youth can consider acquiring those skills and professions that will be of benefit in education, rural development, agriculture, economics, technology, health, radio and in many other areas of endeavour that are so urgently needed in the developing countries of the world. You can also devote time in the midst of your studies, or other activities, to travel teaching or service projects in the Third World.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2147|2147]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Simultaneously with the Proclamation Engendered by the Persecutions in Iran, More People Are Seeking Their True Identity===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A highlight of this period of the Seven Year Plan has been the phenomenal proclamation accorded the Faith in the wake of the unabating persecutions in Iran; a new interest in its Teaching has been aroused on a wide scale. Simultaneously, more and more people from all strata of society frantically seek their true identity, which is to say, although they would not so plainly admit it, the spiritual meaning of their lives; prominent among these seekers are the young. Not only does this knowledge open fruitful avenues for Bahá&#039;í initiative, it also indicates to young Bahá&#039;ís a particular responsibility so to teach the Cause and live the life as to give vivid expression to those virtues that would fulfil the spiritual yearning of their peers.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, January 3, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2148|2148]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Persevere in Your Individual Efforts to Teach the Faith, Study the Writings, Serve Mankind, Volunteer for Projects===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;May you all persevere in your individual efforts to teach the Faith, but with added zest, to study the Writings, but with greater earnestness. May you pursue your education and training for future service to mankind, offering as much of your free time as possible to activities on behalf of the Cause. May those of you already bent on your life&#039;s work and who may have already founded families, strive towards&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
becoming the living embodiments of Bahá&#039;í ideals, both in the spiritual nurturing of your families and in your active involvement in the efforts on the home front or abroad in the pioneering field. May all respond to the current demands upon the Faith by displaying a fresh measure of dedication to the tasks at hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Further to these aspirations is the need for a mighty mobilization of teaching activities reflecting regularity in the patterns of service rendered by young Bahá&#039;ís. The native urge of youth to move from place to place, combined with their abounding zeal, indicates that you can become more deliberately and numerously involved in these activities as travelling teachers. One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth. Regardless of the modes of service, however, youth must be understood to be fully engaged, at all times, in all climes and under all conditions. In your varied pursuits you may rest assured of the loving support and guidance of the Bahá&#039;í institutions operating at every level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2149|2149]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Assembly Should Encourage the Invaluable Aid of Youth as Travelling Teachers, to Hold Youth Class, Etc.===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The incalculable value of Bahá&#039;í youth in the service of our Faith cannot be overlooked. They should be enlisted as travelling teachers, going on foot when necessary, in the mountains and jungles to visit, teach and encourage the local Bahá&#039;ís and to help them to elect their Local Spiritual Assemblies should the friends be either unaware of the procedure required, or perhaps illiterate and in need of help in casting their ballots. The youth should be encouraged to hold youth classes, to convey to their peers the Message of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, to learn to give courses and lectures on the Teachings, and above all, to exemplify by their high moral behavior that which makes the Bahá&#039;ís outstanding in a corrupt and decadent society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá&#039;ís of Ecuador, Ridvan 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2150|2150]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The House of Justice Applauds Efforts of Youth to Acquire Spiritual Qualities===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We applaud those youth who, in respect of this period,[+F1 (International Youth Year)] have already engaged in some activity within their national and local communities or in collaboration with their peers in other countries, and call upon them to persevere in their unyielding efforts to acquire spiritual qualities and useful qualifications. For if they do so, the influence of their high-minded motivations will exert itself upon world developments conducive to a productive, progressive and peaceful future.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the Bahá&#039;í youth of the world, May 8, 1985, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2152|2152]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Have the Inescapable Duty of Reflecting the Transforming Power of the Faith to Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The present requirements of a Faith whose responsibilities rapidly increase in relation to its rise from obscurity impose an inescapable duty on the youth to ensure that their lives reflect to a marked degree the transforming power of the new Revelation they have embraced. Otherwise, by what example are the claims of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh to be judged?  How is His healing Message to be acknowledged by a skeptical humanity if it produces no noticeable effect upon the young, who are seen to be among the most energetic, the most pliable and promising elements in any society?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá&#039;í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s stupendous Revelation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The words, the deeds, the attitudes, the lack of prejudice, the nobility of character, the high sense of service to others--in a word, those qualities and actions which distinguish a Bahá&#039;í--must unfailingly characterize their inner life and outer behaviour, and their interactions with friend or foe.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2153|2153]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Aspire to Excellence, Move Towards Front Ranks of Professions, Trades, Arts and Crafts===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Rejecting the low sights of mediocrity, let them scale the ascending heights of excellence in all they aspire to do. May they resolve to elevate the very atmosphere in which they move, whether it be in the school rooms or halls of higher learning, in their work, their recreation, their Bahá&#039;í activity or social service.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Indeed, let them welcome with confidence the challenges awaiting them. Imbued with this excellence and a corresponding humility, with tenacity and a loving servitude, today&#039;s youth must move towards the front ranks of the professions, trades, arts and crafts which are necessary to the further progress of humankind--this to ensure that the spirit of the Cause will cast its illumination on all these important areas of human endeavour. Moreover, while aiming at mastering the unifying concepts and swiftly advancing technologies of this era of communications, they can, indeed they must also guarantee the transmittal to the future of those skills which will preserve the marvelous, indispensable achievements of the past. The transformation which is to occur in the functioning of society will certainly depend to a great extent on the effectiveness of the preparations the youth make for the world they will inherit.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2154|2154]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Youth Must Constantly Strive to Exemplify a Bahá&#039;í Life which is the Opposite of the Moral Decay of Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that the youth, in particular, must constantly and determinedly strive to exemplify Bahá&#039;í life. In the world around us we see moral decay, promiscuity, indecency, vulgarity, bad manners--the Bahá&#039;í young people must be the opposite of these things, and, by their chastity, their uprightness, their decency, their consideration and good manners, attract others, old and young, to the Faith. The world is tired of words; it wants example, and it is up to the Bahá&#039;í youth to furnish it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í Youth who attended the Green Acre Summer School, August 4, 1946, September 19, 1946, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2155|2155]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Contact with Racial Minorities in a Country with Such a Large Element of Prejudice is Important===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He urges you all to devote particular attention to the contact with racial minorities. In a country which has such a large element of prejudice against its colored citizens as the United States, it is of the greatest importance that the Bahá&#039;ís--and more especially the youth--should demonstrate actively our complete lack of prejudice and, indeed, our prejudice in favour of minorities.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends who were present at the Senior Youth Session, Louhelen Bahá&#039;í School, November 11, 1951, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2156|2156]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Bahá&#039;í Faith is a Religion that Belongs to the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If ever it could be said that a religion belonged to the youth, then surely the Bahá&#039;í Faith today is that religion. The whole world is suffering, it is sunk in misery, crushed beneath its heavy problems. The task of healing its ills and building up its future devolves mainly upon the youth. They are the generation who, after the war, will have to solve the terrible difficulties created by the war and all that brought it about. And they will not be able to upbuild the future except by the laws and principles laid down by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. So their task is very great and their responsibility very grave.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the Bahá&#039;í children and youth of Peoria, May 8, 1942, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2157|2157]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Second Declaration:  No Such Thing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no such thing as a &#039;second declaration&#039; in Bahá&#039;í administration. The procedure to be followed in a youth&#039;s claiming, or being granted, voting rights at the age of 21 is within the discretion of the National Assembly.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, June 29, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2158|2158]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Solution to Difficulties which Stand in the Way of Co-Operation Between Young and Old Believers===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Guardian fully realizes the difficulties that stand in the way of co-operation between the young and old believers. This is a problem that confronts the Cause almost everywhere, specially in those communities where the number of young and old Bahá&#039;ís is nearly the same. The solution, as in all such cases, is to be found through intelligent and mutual compromise. The old believers have to give up something of their old conceptions and ways of working in order to better adapt themselves to the changing social conditions and circumstances. The young too must learn to act with wisdom, tact and moderation, and to take advantage and benefit from the age-long experience of their older fellow-believers. The old and the young have each something specific to contribute to the progress and welfare of the Bahá&#039;í community. The energy of youth should be tempered and guided by the wisdom of old age.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 4, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2159|2159]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Laws and Precepts which Some Young Believers Are Inclined to Resent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As to the attitude of resentment which the young believers are inclined to assume regarding certain precepts of the Cause such as obligatory prayers: There can and should be no compromise whatever in such matters that are specifically enjoined by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. We should neither have any feeling of shame when observing such laws and precepts, nor should we over-estimate their value and significance. Just as the friends have no difficulty in recognizing the value of the specific prayers revealed by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, such as the Tablets of Fasting and Healing, so also they should recognize that the obligatory prayers are by their very nature of greater effectiveness and are endowed with a greater power than the non-obligatory ones, and as such are essential.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2160|2160]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Regarding a National Committee to Supervise the Work of the Youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian fully appreciates the significance of the problems involved. Surely there should be no division according to general outlook among the friends. Should we do such a thing we will soon have parties and factions among the Bahá&#039;ís--a thing which is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At the same time if we say that no older person should take part in the organization of the youth it will be depriving them of the necessary experience needed to have a permanent and working institution.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Shoghi Effendi believes that the best solution is to have some reasonable age limit for the actual membership of the body of the organization so that only the young people may take part in the different activities and have no older person usurp the floor or deprive them from their chances to train themselves, and express their ideas. At the same time the National Assembly could appoint on the National committee that is to supervise their work some older and experienced persons who could co-operate with them and guide them in their activities. The National committee should be composed of both people within the age limit and also older people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 27, 1932, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:2163|2163]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Activities by age]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parents]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Year_of_service&amp;diff=17676</id>
		<title>Year of service</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Year_of_service&amp;diff=17676"/>
		<updated>2023-10-11T16:32:50Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;==Youth may engage one or two years to some Bahá&#039;í service in teaching or development==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say, one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Universal House of Justice]], &#039;&#039;[[Wider Horizon]]&#039;&#039;, p. [[wh:17|17]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Service]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Youth]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Year_of_service&amp;diff=17675</id>
		<title>Year of service</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Year_of_service&amp;diff=17675"/>
		<updated>2023-10-11T16:32:37Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: +page&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;==Youth may engage one or two years to some Bahá&#039;í service in teaching or development==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;One pattern of this mobilization could be short-term projects, carried out at home or in other lands, dedicated to both teaching the Faith and improving the living conditions of people. Another could be that, while still young and unburdened by family responsibilities, you give attention to the idea of volunteering a set period, say, one or two years, to some Bahá&#039;í service, on the home front or abroad, in the teaching or development field. It would accrue to the strength and stability of the community if such patterns could be followed by succeeding generations of youth.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Universal House of Justice]], &#039;&#039;[[Wider Horizon]]&#039;&#039;, p. [[wh:17|17]])&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Service&amp;diff=17674</id>
		<title>Service</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Service&amp;diff=17674"/>
		<updated>2023-10-11T16:30:27Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: +year of service&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;* [[Teaching]] (the Cause)&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Service to the Cause]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Service to one&#039;s profession]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Social and economic development]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Service in Bahá&#039;í Temples]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Year of service]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Service to humanity is a reflection of service to God==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A. B. &amp;quot;Let us look at the glorious life of Christ and those sanctified souls who came after him. Did they not embody in their deeds the ideals of their words? There have appeared many philosophers in the world, but they are all forgotten. But because Christ was the Spirit and the Word of God, he and his disciples through him, became the fountains of the water of life. Now I hope that like unto them thou wilt be the means of the illumination of the world of humanity and serve God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
H. S. &amp;quot;Serve God? There is no one in this world who can serve God, because we are not able to see Him. He is above our human ken. In my mind the only way we can serve Him is to serve mankind and try to alleviate the sorrows and sufferings of the people.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A. B. &amp;quot;Christ served God and his apostles served God. Their service was to humanity, which was a reflection of their service to God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Attributed to [[&#039;Abdu&#039;l-Bahá]], &#039;&#039;[[Star of the West]]&#039;&#039;, Volume 7, Issue 3, p. 21)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===See also===&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Motivation#To_love.2C_pray_and_sacrifice_not_for_others.27_sake.2C_but_for_God.27s_exaltation_and_due_to_His_perfection]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
(Should be further subcategorized or possibly moved to a subcategory)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service as Magnet for Divine Confirmation===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...There is nothing that brings success in the Faith like service. Service is the magnet which draws the divine confirmations. Thus, when a person is active, they are blessed by the Holy Spirit. When they are inactive, the Holy Spirit cannot find a repository in their being, and thus they are deprived of its healing and quickening rays.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, July 12, 1952:  Living the Life, p. 18, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:405|405]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Assistance of Hosts of Divine Concourse===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...An individual must center his whole heart and mind on service to the Cause, in accordance with the high standards set by Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. When this is done, the hosts of the Supreme Concourse will come to the assistance of the individual, and every difficulty and trial will gradually be overcome.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to an individual believer, October 6, 1954:  Living the Life, p. 19, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:406|406]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===An Irresistible Urge to Serve--Do Not Look at Your Shortcomings===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...This irresistible urge to serve which you feel and which has prompted you to offer yourself for work in the teaching field is itself a clear indication that you are being guided by the Almighty to attain your highest and noblest goal in this life. For what a greater destiny can you hope to seek except that which Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh has traced for every one of His loyal believers, namely to consecrate one&#039;s all to the service and glorification of His Faith! This assurance should indeed fortify your hopes, and enable you to banish every sense of dissatisfaction, and of unworthiness which may linger in your heart, and which may deter you from participating joyously and actively in serving the Cause. You should not look at your limitations, but derive full confidence at the thought that, however limited your resources and capacities may be, your efforts will be reinforced by Divine confirmations, provided you do your share and discharge your obligations as a believer, fully and conscientiously. Your perseverance will, even as a magnet, draw upon you the favours and blessings of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh. Do feel happy and confident, therefore, and fortified by such an assurance arise to contribute all that is in your power towards the furtherance and promulgation of our beloved Cause.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, January 30, 1939, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:407|407]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===There is No Rule or Standard Requiring a Believer to Serve in One Field at the Exclusion of Others===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Whatever the particular field of service you may choose, whether teaching or administrative, the essential is for you to persevere, and not to allow any consciousness of your limitations to dampen your zeal, much less to deter you from serving joyously and actively.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no general rule, or any particular standard requiring a believer to serve in one field at the exclusion of others. Every believer is to choose for himself any avenue of work in which he conscientiously feels he can render the greatest amount of service to the Cause. He can seek the advice of his Assembly, and of his fellow-believers before taking such a step, but there is no obligation requiring him to do so.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, February 6, 1939, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:408|408]])&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Literature&amp;diff=17673</id>
		<title>Literature</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Literature&amp;diff=17673"/>
		<updated>2023-10-11T15:06:07Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* For youth */ italics&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* https://bahai-library.com/compilation_writers_writing&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Subdisciplines==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Fiction]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Poetry]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Articles]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Skills applied==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Interpretation]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Techniques used in (including the Bahá&#039;í Writings)==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Exaggerated emphasis]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Analogy]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Aspects==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Publishing]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Literature review]]&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Translation]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Need to read==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===For youth===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“The Bahá’í youth must be taught how to teach the Cause of God. Their knowledge of the fundamentals of the Faith must be deepened and the standard of their education in science and literature enhanced. They must become thoroughly familiar with the language used and the example set by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His public addresses throughout the West. They must also be acquainted with those essential prerequisites of teaching as recorded in the Holy Books and Tablets.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#73 73])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===For women===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Women must go on advancing; they must extend their knowledge of science, literature, history, for the perfection of humanity. Erelong they will receive their rights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[&#039;Abdu&#039;l-Bahá]] quoted in &#039;&#039;[[Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh and the New Era]]&#039;&#039;, pp. [[bne:148|148]]-149)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===See also===&lt;br /&gt;
* Respective [[Writings]] pages for encouragement to read or master specific books.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===To-dos for this section===&lt;br /&gt;
* Incorporate from, or make page for, [[Bahá&#039;í wiki quotes#Balance between need for mastery and current lack of well-translated material]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Protagaonists==&lt;br /&gt;
*[[Authors-Writers]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Haz%C3%ADratu%27l-Quds&amp;diff=17672</id>
		<title>Hazíratu&#039;l-Quds</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Haz%C3%ADratu%27l-Quds&amp;diff=17672"/>
		<updated>2023-10-11T14:52:30Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* Dancing */ +Letters&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;Hazíratu&#039;l-Quds (or Hazíra for short) is sometimes used to describe local (and national) Bahá&#039;í centers as they are now, and sometimes it is described as a future, more developed, focused building, dedicated to administrative purposes. It is to be a part of each [[Mashriqu&#039;l-Adhkár]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Compilations and Bahá&#039;í Writings on==&lt;br /&gt;
* https://bahai-library.com/compilation_functions_importance_hazirat-quds&lt;br /&gt;
* https://bahai-library.com/uhj_dancing_bahai_centers&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Components of (to be brought into one place)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
(See [[#1|1]] below)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* Secretariat&lt;br /&gt;
* Treasury&lt;br /&gt;
* Archives&lt;br /&gt;
* Library&lt;br /&gt;
* Publishing Office&lt;br /&gt;
* Assembly Hall (see also [[Foundation Hall]])&lt;br /&gt;
* Council Chamber&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Pilgrims&#039; Hostel]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==The Hazíratu&#039;l-Quds to symbolize the ideal of service in relation to the Faith and mankind in general==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;div id=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
1. &amp;quot;the institution of the Haziratu&#039;l-Quds - the seat of the Baha&#039;i National Assembly and pivot of all Baha&#039;i administrative activity in future ... Complementary in its functions to those of the Mashriqu&#039;l-Adhkar - an edifice exclusively reserved for Baha&#039;i worship - this institution, whether local or national, will, as its component parts, such as the Secretariat, the Treasury, the Archives, the Library, the Publishing Office, the Assembly Hall, the Council Chamber, the Pilgrims&#039; Hostel, are brought together and made jointly to operate in one spot, be increasingly regarded as the focus of all Baha&#039;i administrative activity, and symbolize, in a befitting manner, the ideal of service animating the Baha&#039;i community in its relation alike to the Faith and to mankind in general.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[God Passes By]]&#039;&#039;, pp. [[gpb:339|339]]-340)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==The spiritual to precede the material, but a local centre can be a tutorial school and heart of other aspects of community life (in addition to the spiritual, administrative, and as a gathering-place)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;div id=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
2. &amp;quot;...even the first local centre that a Bahá&#039;í community erects can begin to serve not only as the spiritual and administrative centre and gathering place of the community, but also as the site of a tutorial school and the heart of other aspects of community life. The principle remains, however, that the spiritual precedes the material...Such stirring can be fostered, encouraged and assisted by the national and continental instiutitions of the Faith, but without them any activities introduced from above might well prove abortive.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written on behalf of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil, May 8, 1984, &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, vol. iii., no. [[logn:1884|1884]], p. 556)&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==The Centre will ideally become the site of the Mashriqu&#039;l-Adhkár==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;div id=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
3. &amp;quot;In these days one of the essential requirements of the Faith which will attract divine blessings and lead to the protection of the servants at His Threshold, is to set aside a suitable place to serve as a centre for Bahá&#039;í activities in each of the localities where believers reside. In such a centre, even if it is among the most modest of locations, all gatherings of the friends should be held, such as those for the reading of the Tablets, for prayers and supplications, for the meetings of the Local Spiritual Assembly, for the teaching work, for the delivery of talks, for commemorations, for festivals and for the Feasts. If the location is suitable, it would be light upon light if in the future the edifice of the Mashriqu&#039;l-Adhkár could also be erected on that spot. That centre should be named Hazíratu&#039;l-Quds, so that the musk-scented breaths of the fervent prayers offered therein, and the sweet breeze of spiritual discussions and worthy enterprises wafted from the Hazíratu&#039;l-Quds may spread to neighbouring regions, and impart healing and fragrance to the nostrils of a sorely-afflicted world.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Translated from a letter of [[Shoghi Effendi]] to the friends in Írán and the East, dated July 1925 quoted in Social and Economic Development, Compilation on Social and Economic Development, no. [https://bahai-library.com/?file=compilation_social_economic_development.html#489 489])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationship with the [[Mashriqu&#039;l-Adhkár]] and individual&#039;s [[homes]]==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Sequence-Homes-Hazíratu&#039;l-Quds-Mashriqu&#039;l-Adhkár]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Dancing==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Letters===&lt;br /&gt;
* https://bahai-library.com/uhj_dancing_bahai_centers&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dancing Not Appropriate in Haziratu&#039;l-Quds===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer the questions raised in your recent letter regarding the proper use of the Haziratu&#039;l-Quds.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As in most cases the Bahá&#039;ís have no other meeting-place in the city which has a Haziratu&#039;l-Quds, and the Haziratu&#039;l-Quds is a building that has a number of rooms, he sees no objection in allowing the youth to have their meetings there with their non-Bahá&#039;í friends, but dancing he does not feel is appropriate.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of South America, February 15, 1947, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:913|913]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===(Non-traditional) dancing not allowed in Local or National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Haziratu&#039;l-Quds is an Institution of the Faith and no distinction should be made between a National or Local Haziratu&#039;l-Quds concerning its use. Other than the Haziratu&#039;l-Quds dances may certainly be allowed at summer schools, etc., and it should be left to the discretion of the committee or Assembly in charge to make whatever arrangements are necessary.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Mexico, June 27, 1970, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:914|914]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Traditional dances expressing a culture are permissible in Bahá&#039;í Centres but any themes must be harmony with ethics and not arouse unworthy passions===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...traditional dances associated with the expression of a culture are permissible in Bahá&#039;í Centres. However, it should be borne in mind that such traditional dances generally have an underlying theme or a story being represented. Care must be exercised that the themes of such dances are in harmony with the high ethical standards of the Cause and are not portrayals that would arouse base instincts and unworthy passions...&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[On behalf of the Universal House of Justice]], 20 June 1991 to a National Spiritual Assembly, &amp;quot;Arts: Guidelines for Bahá&#039;í Artists&amp;quot;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_arts_bwc#87 87])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Haziratu&#039;l-Quds--Its Main Function===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;With reference to the use of your Haziratu&#039;l-Quds we wish to point out that its main function is to serve as the National Administrative Headquarters of the Faith in your country, and anything else is secondary to that. If possible and convenient, believers may be accomodated from time to time, but it should not be regarded as a hotel facility. The work of the Cause is the prime matter and nothing should be allowed to interfere with that.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador, October 23, 1963, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:912|912]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Youth allowed to have meetings with non-Bahá&#039;í friends in the Haziratu&#039;l-Quds as well as Bahá&#039;í weddings, funerals, Feasts and Holy Days, though in the future, it will be used for purely administrative purposes===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer the questions raised in your recent letter regarding the proper use of the Haziratu&#039;l-Quds.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;As in most cases the Bahá&#039;ís have no other meeting-place in the city which has a Haziratu&#039;l-Quds, and the Haziratu&#039;l-Quds is a building that has a number of rooms, he sees no objection in allowing the youth to have their meetings there with their non-Bahá&#039;í friends, but dancing he does not feel is appropriate. Bahá&#039;í weddings and funerals can likewise be conducted in the Haziratu&#039;l-Quds.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Haziratu&#039;l-Quds, although Feasts and Holy Days are celebrated in it, must not be confounded with a Temple; it is an administrative headquarters. No doubt in the future it will be used for purely administrative purposes, but for the time being it must fill the role of being a true Centre and rallying-point for the Bahá&#039;í Community.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of South America, February 15, 1947, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:913|913]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Principles that Govern Acceptance of Gifts of Land===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Please refer to No. [[logn:728|728]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(&#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:915|915]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===National Spiritual Assembly Should Budget Annually for Maintenance of Properties===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Many properties have already been acquired in the course of previous plans. It is important that these properties be properly maintained in good repair. National Spiritual Assemblies should set aside sums annually in their budgets for the maintenance of national properties so that when a repair becomes necessary the funds will be available without creating a sudden crisis for the national fund. As far as possible, local Haziratu&#039;l-Quds and other local properties should be kept up by the local friends themselves.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It is also important to make full use of the properties of the Faith for the purposes for which they were acquired. Well maintained and regularly used properties will not only be a means of fostering Bahá&#039;í community life, but will add to the prestige and dignity of the Faith in the eyes of the non-Bahá&#039;í public.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Naw-Ruz 1979, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:916|916]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Responsibility of National Spiritual Assembly to Maintain and Improve Properties--Individual Bahá&#039;ís Can Help in Many Ways===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;National Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world are required to assume, on a continuing basis, the responsibility of providing for the maintenance and improvement of their own Bahá&#039;í properties, and they should instill into the consciousness of the believers the importance of their role in keeping the national headquarters in a representative and attractive condition. There are many ways in which the Bahá&#039;ís can help to beautify and maintain their National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds, not only by contributing by material means, but also by offering their time and labour to clean, paint, take care of minor repairs, work in the gardens, etc.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Uruguay, June 20, 1979, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:917|917]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Purchase and Sale of Haziratu&#039;l-Quds===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Universal House of Justice has requested us to acknowledge your letter of May 6, 1981 concerning the proposed sale of your National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds and to convey the following.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The matter is entirely within the discretion of your National Assembly bearing in mind the principle that you should not be without a National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds; that is, you must obtain a new one, or at least have the transactions for obtaining it well advanced and secure, before disposing of the old one.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In reply to your question about the location of the Secretariat of the National Assembly, we have been asked to say that your Assembly must operate from the National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds, and it is important and desirable that your Secretary reside as near as possible to the National Headquarters in order that the duties of the office may be attended to with dispatch. Enclosed for your consideration are excerpts from recent letters dealing with this subject.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Nicaragua, June 7, 1981, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:918|918]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds Need Not Serve Needs of Local Spiritual Assembly--Preferable that National Secretary Live in Haziratu&#039;l-Quds===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no requirement for the National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds to include within its accommodations a public meeting hall, neither is there a requirement that it be a meeting place for the Local Spiritual Assembly in the city in which it may be located. Its essential function is that it is the seat of the National Spiritual Assembly, and should have adequate facilities for its secretariat. Should there be adequate space and the National Assembly feels it convenient, there would be no objection to its leasing one or two rooms to the Local Spiritual Assembly, but this certainly is not an essential part of the National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds. The facilities you choose to specify as criteria in the search for new quarters are a matter for your own decision.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;While it is not imperative for the National Secretary to live in the National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds, it is the generally preferred arrangement. Should it be impossible for the Secretary to live actually in the Haziratu&#039;l-Quds itself, there would be no objection to his living nearby. The vital thing is that the seat of the National Spiritual Assembly should be the National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds, and that the National Assembly should operate from there.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Virgin Islands, July 22, 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:919|919]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The National Spiritual Assembly Must Operate from the National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds--Eventually, Full Time Service Will Be Required of the National Secretary===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The first principle which has been established is that a National Spiritual Assembly must operate from its National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds, which is the official Seat of the National Spiritual Assembly. During the early formative years of the Faith and the building up of the Administrative Order it has been permitted in certain instances for the National Secretary to reside away from the city in which the National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds is located, but in these cases the principle has always been enforced that the National Spiritual Assembly itself operates from its proper address at the National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds.... The aim should be to overcome this anomaly and for the National Secretary to reside close to, if not in, the National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds itself. Inevitably the day will come when it will be necessary for your National Secretary to devote his entire time to the service of the National Spiritual Assembly and it will then be imperative for the Secretary to operate from the Haziratu&#039;l-Quds.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Dominican Republic, February 9, 1976, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:920|920]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferable Arrangement and Bahá&#039;í Norm that the National Secretary Live in the Haziratu&#039;l-Quds--Not to be Considered a &amp;quot;Right of Office&amp;quot;===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;While it is not imperative for the National Secretary to live in the National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds, and certainly the believer elected to the important post cannot claim such residence as a right of office, it is the generally preferred arrangement and is, in fact, the norm of Bahá&#039;í practice. The vital thing is that the seat of the National Spiritual Assembly should be the National Haziratu&#039;l-Quds and that the National Assembly should operate from there. This obviously requires the constant attendance of the Secretary since all mail for the Assembly should be received at and despatched from the Haziratu&#039;l-Quds, and there are many other considerations of which you are all informed. However, the final decision must rest with your National Spiritual Assembly and should it be impossible for the National Secretary to live actually in the Haziratu&#039;l-Quds itself there&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
would be no objection to the officer living near or within easy reach, particularly if it were on a temporary basis.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom, September 22, 1974, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:921|921]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===A District Haziratu&#039;l-Quds Serves the Local Community as a Gathering Place for Bahá&#039;ís of Wider Area===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;A district Haziratu&#039;l-Quds should be considered as the local Haziratu&#039;l-Quds of the community in which it is situated, but as it is intended also to serve as a central gathering place for friends from a wider area it should be a more substantial structure than normally required for a local Haziratu&#039;l-Quds. In keeping with this concept, such a building can be used for the holding of conferences, teaching institutes, deepening classes, etc., for the larger area.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Whether someone should live in the district Haziratu&#039;l-Quds is a matter for your Assembly to determine. However, it is usually desirable to have living accommodation available for someone to reside there to act as a caretaker for the property.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Surinam and French Guiana, August 15, 1982, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:922|922]])&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Dancing&amp;diff=17671</id>
		<title>Dancing</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Dancing&amp;diff=17671"/>
		<updated>2023-10-11T14:44:53Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: redirect&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;#REDIRECT [[dance]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=User:Brettz9/web-protocol&amp;diff=17670</id>
		<title>User:Brettz9/web-protocol</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=User:Brettz9/web-protocol&amp;diff=17670"/>
		<updated>2023-10-11T04:42:25Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: update link&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;==Steps to open the site-independent web+bahaiwritings: links below==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
# Go to https://bahai-library.com/test-bahai-web-protocol/test-bahai-web-protocol.html&lt;br /&gt;
# Click on &amp;quot;Register protocol handler&amp;quot; and approve use of https://bahai-library.com to your browser to handle such links&lt;br /&gt;
# Click on one of the links in the list below and agree for your browser to allow bahai9.com to open these links&lt;br /&gt;
# You should be brought to bahai-library.com&#039;s version of par. 15 of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (if another site registers itself for such links, you could instead choose to visit that site&#039;s or app&#039;s version of the Aqdas instead)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Note that these links will only work if you follow the steps above. To use such links in your own apps while still having a working fallback, see the JavaScript (&amp;lt;code&amp;gt;default-href.js&amp;lt;/code&amp;gt;) at https://github.com/bahaidev/bahai-writings-handler&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* web+bahaiwritings:en:ka:15:par&lt;br /&gt;
* [web+bahaiwritings:en:ka:15:par]&lt;br /&gt;
* [web+bahaiwritings:en:ka:15:par par 15]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Note to self==&lt;br /&gt;
* These links can be added to templates like &amp;lt;nowiki&amp;gt;{{kap|5}}&amp;lt;/nowiki&amp;gt; and be normally hidden unless people opt in by adding user CSS to show them (e.g., wrapping inside a particular span class); see [[User:WikiSysop/common.css]] and [[Template:Wka]] for how to do this&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Parental_consent&amp;diff=17669</id>
		<title>Parental consent</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Parental_consent&amp;diff=17669"/>
		<updated>2023-10-11T02:39:06Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: /* Applies whether the woman (or man) is a virgin or not */ fix link&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;==Compilations==&lt;br /&gt;
* https://bahai-library.com/compilation_consent_parents&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Ascertaining knowledge of character==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Knowledge of Character Responsibility of Two Parties and Parents===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í law places the responsibility for ascertaining knowledge of the character of those entering into the marriage contract on the two parties involved, and on the parents, who must give consent to the marriage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The obligation of the Spiritual Assembly is to ascertain that all requirements of civil and Bahá&#039;í law have been complied with, and, having done so, the Assembly may neither refuse to perform the marriage ceremony nor delay it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, March 30, 1967, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1231|1231]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Must Become Thoroughly Acquainted with Characters of Each Other===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;í marriage is the commitment of the two parties one to the other, and their mutual attachment of mind and heart. Each must, however, exercise the utmost care to become thoroughly acquainted with the character of the other, that the binding covenant between them may be a tie that will endure forever. Their purpose must be this:  to become loving companions and comrades and at one with each other for time and eternity....&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The true marriage of Bahá&#039;ís is this, that husband and wife should be united both physically and spiritually, that they may ever improve the spiritual life of each other, and may enjoy everlasting unity throughout all the worlds of God. This is Bahá&#039;í marriage.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(Ibid., in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1232|1232]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===See also===&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Dating]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==(Possible) role of the Assembly==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Parents may seek advice of Spiritual Assembly, but decision rests with the parents===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In reply to your letter of 9 March, 1979 requesting comment on an item in the Minutes of a Local Spiritual Assembly concerning parental consent to marriage, the Universal House of Justice directs us to say that while parents may seek advice of an Assembly about whether they should consent to the marriage of their children and the Assembly may give such advice, the decision rests with the parents and the Assembly cannot assume that responsibility.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 5, 1979, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1238|1238]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Attitude/actions for those not obtaining consent==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===May consult with Local Spiritual Assembly about finding possible ways to change attitude of any parents; believers to devote more time to service and teaching and chastely rely on God to open a way===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;ís who cannot marry because of lack of consent of one or more parents could consult with their Local Spiritual Assembly, to see whether it may suggest a way to change the attitude of any of the parents involved. The believers, when faced with such problems, should put their trust in Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, devote more time to the service, the teaching and the promotion of His Faith, be absolutely faithful to His injunctions on the observance of an unsullied, chaste life, and rely upon Him to open the way and remove the obstacle, or make known His will.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Universal House of Justice]], 9 September 1969 to an individual believer, &#039;&#039;[[Consent of Parents to Marriage (compilation)]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_consent_parents#13 13])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==From &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039; (to categorize)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Law Requiring Parental Consent Should Encourage Young People to Consider Marriage Seriously===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh definitely says that the consent of the parents should be obtained before the marriage is sanctioned and that undoubtedly has great wisdom. It will at least detain young people from marrying without considering the subject thoroughly. It is in conformity with this teaching of the Cause that Shoghi Effendi cabled that the consent of your parents should be obtained.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I personally believe that if you retain your love as a pure and close friendship and continue your studies until you bring them to a close then you will be in a better position to judge and perhaps your parents would be given time to give the subject better consideration. Time can always provide things and settle disputes that temporary endeavour and heated discussion cannot help.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, May 29, 1929, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1233|1233]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Consent Required of Parents for Adults, for Second Marriages, for Bahá&#039;ís or Non-Bahá&#039;ís===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;About the consent of parents for marriage:  This is required before and also after the man or woman is twenty-one years of age. It is also required in the event of a second marriage, after the dissolution of the first whether through death or through divorce.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The parental consent is also a binding obligation irrespective of whether the parents are Bahá&#039;ís or not, whether they are friendly or opposed to the Cause. In the event of the death of both parents, the consent of a guardian is not required.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, October 10, 1936, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1234|1234]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Law of Parental Consent is to Strengthen Family Relationships===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh has clearly stated the consent of all living parents is required for a Bahá&#039;í marriage. This applies whether the parents are Bahá&#039;ís or non-Bahá&#039;ís, divorced for years or not. This great law He has laid down to strengthen the social fabric, to knit closer the ties of the home, to place a certain gratitude and respect in the hearts of children for those who have given them life and sent their souls out on the eternal journey towards their Creator. We Bahá&#039;ís must realize that in present-day society the exact opposite process is taking place:  young people care less and less for their parents&#039; wishes, divorce is considered a natural right, and obtained on the flimsiest and most unwarrantable and shabby pretexts. People separated from each other, especially if one of them has had full custody of the children, are only too willing to belittle the importance of the partner in marriage also responsible as a parent for bringing those children into this world. The Bahá&#039;ís must, through rigid adherence to the Bahá&#039;í laws and teachings, combat these corrosive forces which are so rapidly destroying home life and the beauty of family relationships, and tearing down the moral structure of society.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, October 25, 1947, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1235|1235]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Consent of Parents Law of Great Importance Affecting the Foundation of Human Society===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In many cases of breach of marriage laws the believers apparently look upon the law requiring consent of parents before marriage as a mere administrative regulation, and do not seem to realize that this is a law of great importance affecting the very foundations of human society. Moreover they seem not to appreciate that in the Bahá&#039;í Faith the spiritual and administrative aspects are complementary and that the social laws of the Faith are as binding as the purely spiritual ones.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, August 29, 1965:  Canadian Bahá&#039;í News, No. 265, February 1973, p. 11, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1236|1236]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Consent of All Living Parents Places a Grave Responsibility on Each Parent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It is perfectly true that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh&#039;s statement that the consent of all living parents is required for marriage places a grave responsibility on each parent. When the parents are Bahá&#039;ís they should, of course, act objectively in withholding or granting their approval. They cannot evade this responsibility by merely acquiescing in their child&#039;s wish, nor should they be swayed by prejudice; but, whether they be Bahá&#039;í or non-Bahá&#039;í, the parents&#039; decision is binding, whatever the reason that may have motivated it. Children must recognize and understand that this act of consenting is the duty of a parent. They must have respect in their hearts for those who have given them life, and whose good pleasure they must at all times strive to win.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, February 1, 1968, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1237|1237]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Parents May Seek Advice of Spiritual Assembly, But Decision Rests with the Parents===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In reply to your letter of 9 March, 1979 requesting comment on an item in the Minutes of a Local Spiritual Assembly concerning parental consent to marriage, the Universal House of Justice directs us to say that while parents may seek advice of an Assembly about whether they should consent to the marriage of their children and the Assembly may give such advice, the decision rests with the parents and the Assembly cannot assume that responsibility.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, April 5, 1979, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1238|1238]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Opposition of Family Members Other Than Parents Does Not Affect Validity of the Marriage===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In this connection, the Guardian feels the necessity of bringing to your attention the fact that the validity of a Bahá&#039;í marriage is conditioned upon the consent of the two parties and their parents only. So that in case the other members of your family show any dislike or opposition to your sister&#039;s union with Mr. ..., their objection does under no circumstances invalidate it. Your parents&#039; approval would be sufficient even though all the rest of your family may violently oppose it.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to a Bahá&#039;í couple, March 31, 1937, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1239|1239]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Marriage to Non-Bahá&#039;í, Consent of Parents of Both Parties Required===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Regarding the question whether it is necessary to obtain the consent of the parents of a non-Bahá&#039;í participant in a marriage with a Bahá&#039;í:  As Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh has stated that the consent of the parents of both parties is required in order to promote unity and avoid friction, and as the Aqdas does not specify any exceptions to this rule, the Guardian feels that under all circumstances the consent of the parents of both parties is required.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, August 12, 1941, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1240|1240]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===The Child May Ask Parents to Reconsider--May Request Assistance of Assembly===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It is clear from your letter that you understand the basic requirement that parental consent is necessary to having a Bahá&#039;í marriage and that parents may give or withhold consent for their own reasons. If in a given case the parents at first withhold consent, there is no harm in the child&#039;s asking his parents to reconsider,&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
bearing in mind that he has to abide by their decision. The child, on the other hand, may not wish to pursue the matter; it is left entirely to his own judgement of the circumstances whether to request reconsideration or not.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There have been instances when parties have appealed to Bahá&#039;í institutions (local and national) to assist them in removing any misunderstanding that may have stood in the way of a positive decision on the part of their parents. But there are no hard and fast rules in these matters. Each case is dealt with according to the prevailing circumstances at the time.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to an individual believer, October 28, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1241|1241]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Consent of Parents Often Withheld for Reasons of Bigotry===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Bahá&#039;í law requiring consent of parents to marriage. All too often nowadays such consent is withheld by non-Bahá&#039;í parents for reasons of bigotry or racial prejudice; yet we have seen again and again the profound effect on those very parents of the firmness of the children in the Bahá&#039;í law, to the extent that not only is the consent ultimately given in many cases, but the character of the parents can be affected and their relationship with their child greatly strengthened.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Thus, by upholding Bahá&#039;í law in the face of all difficulties we not only strengthen our own characters but influence those around us.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to an individual believer; copies to all National Spiritual Assemblies, February 6, 1973:  Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1968-1973, pp. 106-107, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1242|1242]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===If Parents Are Alive, Consent Must Be Obtained===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Regarding your question of applying the sanction of suspension of voting rights to people who marry without the consent of parents, this should be done from now on. The law of the Aqdas is explicit and not open to any ambiguity at all. As long as the parents are alive, the consent must be obtained; it is not conditioned on their relationship to their children. If the whereabouts of the parents is not known legally, in other words, if they are legally dead, then it is not necessary for the children to obtain their consent, obviously. It is not a question of the child not knowing the present whereabouts of its parents, it is a question of a legal thing--if the parents are alive, they must be asked.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Guardian]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, June 26, 1956:  Bahá&#039;í News, No. 335, January 1959, p. 2, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1243|1243]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Circumstances Under which Parental Consent for Bahá&#039;í Marriage Not Required===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In reply to your letter about the problem of ... who is unable to locate the natural father of her fiance we are glad to offer you the following guidance:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The only circumstances under which parental consent for Bahá&#039;í marriage is not required are the following:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
1. If the parent is dead.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
2. If the parent has absented himself to the degree that he can be adjudged legally dead.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
3. If the parent is certified insane and therefore legally incompetent to give consent.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
4. If the parent is a Covenant-breaker.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
5. It is possible under Bahá&#039;í Law, in certain very rare cases, to recognize that a state of disownment exists. All such cases should be referred to the Universal House of Justice.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The problem therefore is reduced to the simple question of whether your National Assembly accepts that Miss ...&#039;s father-in-law elect cannot be traced and therefore may, to your satisfaction, be presumed to be legally dead. You should of course ascertain that Miss ... has made every effort possible to trace her fiance&#039;s father.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska, May 30, 1971, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1244|1244]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Withdrawal from the Faith in Order to Evade Law of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh is Not Possible for True Believer===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The responsibilities laid upon parents as they give consideration to the question of consent to marriage of their children is directed to their conscience and therefore it is not possible to apply sanctions. On the other hand, the Bahá&#039;í law requiring children to obtain the consent of their parents to marriage is subject to sanction, and as you know these are matters set forth in the Kitab-i-Aqdas and in the instructions of the beloved Guardian.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;At some time or other, every law of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh may impose a test upon the faith of a believer and the question is whether the believer will meet the test or not. As you are aware, withdrawal from the Faith in order to evade a law of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh is not possible to a true believer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, August 22, 1968, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1245|1245]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Parents Give Consent to Marriage, Not to a Bahá&#039;í Religious Ceremony===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;1. Your understanding about withdrawal of consent by one or more of the parents prior to a Bahá&#039;í marriage is correct; namely, if such withdrawal occurs, the marriage cannot take place.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;2. The principle of the Bahá&#039;í law requiring parental consent to marriage is that the parents consent to the marriage of the man to the woman concerned. It does not require that they consent to the performance of any particular ceremony. Obviously, where the parents are Bahá&#039;ís, it is taken for granted that the marriage of a Bahá&#039;í couple will be by the performance of the Bahá&#039;í ceremony. In some cases, however, it would be difficult for non-Bahá&#039;í parents to give consent to the participation of their son or daughter in a Bahá&#039;í religious ceremony, and in these cases the distinction of principle is important. In other words, if the non-Bahá&#039;í parents consent to the marriage of the couple, the Bahá&#039;í ceremony can be held unless they expressly object to the holding of the Bahá&#039;í ceremony, in which case the marriage cannot take place.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to an individual believer, July 23, 1984, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1246|1246]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Every Reasonable Avenue of Search Must Be Exhausted to Find Parent-- The Responsible Assembly Must Be Satisfied This Has Been Done===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Universal House of Justice has received your letter of 8 May 1986 presenting Miss ..., problem of consent to her marriage by her putative father. We are asked to convey its response.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It seems clear that Miss ... has a slender connection with her genetic father. Nevertheless, despite his long absence and his lack of any relationship with either mother or daughter, Miss ... is obligated to make every effort, however discreetly carried out, to ascertain his whereabouts, including such steps as contacting persons, firms or agencies, and even advertising in newspapers if necessary. The Local or National Assembly accepts that Miss ...&#039;s father-in-law elect cannot be traced and the National Assembly may offer its assistance to the couple, if needed. When the Assembly is satisfied that every reasonable avenue of search has been exhausted without discovering the missing parent, the Assembly may permit the marriage to take place.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to a National Spiritual Assembly, June 2, 1986, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1247|1247]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===One May Ask Others to Approach Parent on His or Her Behalf===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If the father has been certified mentally incompetent, then no consent is required. Otherwise his consent must be obtained.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;If the young lady is concerned about approaching her father directly she may ask others to do this on her behalf. We suggest also that the Local Assembly be asked to assist.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, August 18, 1968, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1248|1248]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Marriages Are Supposed to Promote Unity and Harmony--Alienated Parent and Child Might Be Brought Together===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He feels that marriage is primarily a thing that the two young people must decide upon. If the young Bahá&#039;í girl you mentioned desires to marry the son of the Hindu ... and her parents consent, and his parents consent, then there is nothing to prevent the union, as long as Bahá&#039;í laws are followed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian suggests that the young man himself seek out his father, and explain to him that he wishes to marry a Bahá&#039;í girl according to civil law, and then with a brief Bahá&#039;í ceremony following it for her sake, and ask his father&#039;s permission and blessing. Marriages are supposed, as Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh says, Himself, to promote unity and harmony in the world, and not dissension and alienation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It would be a wonderful opportunity if this marriage could bring the father and son, alienated from each other, together, at least in a moment of friendly and filial contact. In order to live up to the Bahá&#039;í laws for the new age we are entering upon, we have to make sacrifices. If the Bahá&#039;ís themselves will not sacrifice for their Faith, who will?  It may often be difficult, but the results will be seen in a more rapid spread of the Cause and a greater unity amongst the Community itself.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] to an individual believer, March 12, 1953, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1249|1249]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Summary of Requirements for Adopted Children in Respect to Consent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Regarding the matter of adopted children, the consent of all natural parents must be obtained wherever this is legally possible but no effort should be made to trace the natural parents if this contravenes the provision of the adoption certificate or the laws of the country. If there is no such legal bar to approaching the natural parents and if it is legally established that the man in question is the father, the child must obtain his consent if he is alive. If the presumed father has disappeared to the&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
degree that he can be presumed legally dead then his consent is not required. Furthermore, if the assumed natural father denies that he is the father of the child the following principles apply:  if his name appears on the birth certificate of the child and if the law of the country presumes that the name on the birth certificate is that of the father, then he should be considered as the father for the purpose of obtaining consent. If the name of the father given on the birth certificate is not a conclusive presumption of parenthood and if the man in question has always denied that he is the father of the child, the child is not required to seek the consent of this man unless it has been legally established that he is the father notwithstanding his denial.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 24, 1965, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1250|1250]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Adopted Children and the Special Significance of Their Relationship with the Natural Parents===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We acknowledge receipt of your letter of November 13, 1973 expressing concern that the provision of the Bahá&#039;í marriage law requiring consent of living natural parents creates a double standard in your family because you have adopted children as well as your own.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We appreciate your concern and are in sympathy with your worthy aspiration to attain unity in your family group. However, the unity of your family need not be imperilled because your adopted children when ready for marriage must obtain consent of their natural parents. Just as love for one person need not reduce the love one bears to another, so unity with the adoptive parents need not destroy nor reduce the unity a child may have with its natural parents, or vice versa. The characters and attitudes of the individuals concerned will have an effect upon this.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;You also state that unless there is a broader concept of the meaning of &#039;natural parent&#039;, you feel the law creates disharmony. Perhaps the following extract from a letter written on behalf of the beloved Guardian by his secretary was quoted to you by your National Spiritual Assembly, but we draw your attention to that portion we have underlined because it refers to the special significance of the relationship between children and their natural parents.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh has clearly stated the consent of all living parents is required for a Bahá&#039;í marriage.... This great law He has laid down to strengthen the social fabric, to knit closer the ties of the home, to place a certain gratitude and respect in the hearts of children for those who have given them life and sent their souls out on the eternal journey towards their Creator.&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In short, love for the foster parents and unity with their home should not exclude love for a child&#039;s natural parents, although it is likely a child will become very much more a part of the home in which he lives and grows up.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Of course, wherever the law of the land or the Agreement of Adoption prohibits future contact between an adopted child and its natural parents, the Bahá&#039;í law does not require the child to seek the consent of those parents to its marriage. However, children may very well wish to obtain the consent of their foster parents although not obliged to do so.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to an individual believer, December 11, 1973, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1251|1251]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Uniform Adoption Law===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We have your letter of 23 July informing us of the Uniform Adoption Law which makes it the practice to withhold the names of natural parents from the adoptive parents and the child, and asking for advice as to what is required under the laws of Bahá&#039;í marriage regarding consent of the natural parents.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In cases where the Uniform Adoption Law prevents the disclosure of the names of the natural parents, the child is under no obligation to seek their consent to marriage, but in those cases where it is possible for the child to know his natural parents, consent must be obtained provided there is nothing in the law or in the adoption contract which prevents him from doing so.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter of the [[Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia, August 7, 1966:  Bahá&#039;í Bulletin of Australia; No. 145, September 1966, p. 2, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1252|1252]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Duty of Assembly to Ascertain if Consent is Freely Given. It is Desirable to Have Signed Consent, is Not Requirement Under Law===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;In the Bahá&#039;í Faith it is the right of each individual to choose without duress his future partner in marriage and the freedom of the parents in exercising their right to give or refuse consent is unconditional. While it is desirable to have a signed consent from each parent it is not a requirement under Bahá&#039;í Law. The responsible Spiritual Assembly must satisfy itself that consents are freely given but it should not insist upon a signed document. Reliable evidence of oral consents is quite sufficient; some parents freely give their consents orally while refusing to write their consents.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to the National Spiritual Assembly of Guyana, April 11, 1978, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1253|1253]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===If Parents Do Not Name Future Spouse in Letter of Consent===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Basically, Bahá&#039;í Law pertaining to marriage requires that the parties intending to marry must obtain consent of all living natural parents. Further, the responsibility of the parents in giving their consent is unrestricted and unconditioned, but in discharging this duty they are responsible for their decision to God. Should the parents in their letter of consent, as you indicated, not name a specific future spouse, the House of Justice states that it could be accepted and it would be permissible to perform a Bahá&#039;í marriage ceremony on the basis of such a letter.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter written [[on behalf of the Universal House of Justice]] to an individual believer, October 9, 1975, in &#039;&#039;[[Lights of Guidance]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[logn:1254|1254]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Applies whether the woman (or man) is a [[virginity|virgin]] or not==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;QUESTION: Is the consent of the parents on both sides prerequisite to marriage, or is that of the parents on one side sufficient? Is this law applicable only to virgins or to others as well?&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;ANSWER: Marriage is conditional upon the consent of the parents of both parties to the marriage, and in this respect it maketh no difference whether the bride be a virgin or otherwise.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh]], Questions and Answers to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, no. [[kaq:13|13]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Marriage is conditioned on the consent of both parties and their parents, whether the woman be a maiden or not.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Synopsis and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas]]&#039;&#039;, no. [[syn:IV.C.1.d|IV.C.1.d]])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Marriage]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Engagement]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Dating]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Arranged marriage]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Todos for this page==&lt;br /&gt;
* Incorporate info on [[dating]] page re: parents&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Consent_of_Parents_to_Marriage_(compilation)&amp;diff=17668</id>
		<title>Consent of Parents to Marriage (compilation)</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Consent_of_Parents_to_Marriage_(compilation)&amp;diff=17668"/>
		<updated>2023-10-11T02:38:13Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: +Parental consent&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;Read online at https://bahai-library.com/compilation_consent_parents&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Parental consent]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&amp;diff=17667</id>
		<title>MediaWiki:Sidebar</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&amp;diff=17667"/>
		<updated>2023-10-06T22:14:19Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: reorg.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;lt;!-- {{PAGENAME}} not working, nor ifeq with it --&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* navigation&lt;br /&gt;
** mainpage|mainpage-description&lt;br /&gt;
** Bahai9:About|About Bahai9&lt;br /&gt;
** recentchanges-url|recentchanges&lt;br /&gt;
** randompage-url|randompage&lt;br /&gt;
** helppage|help-mediawiki&lt;br /&gt;
* Sister projects&lt;br /&gt;
** :medias:Main Page|Bahai.media&lt;br /&gt;
** :workss:Main Page|Bahai.works&lt;br /&gt;
** :pedias:Main Page|Bahaipedia.org&lt;br /&gt;
* Other projects&lt;br /&gt;
** :bws:|Bahai.org Writings&lt;br /&gt;
** :index:|Indexes&lt;br /&gt;
** https://bahai-library.com|Bahai-library&lt;br /&gt;
** :bltags:|Bahai-library tags&lt;br /&gt;
** :wikipedias:|Wikipedia&lt;br /&gt;
* SEARCH&lt;br /&gt;
* TOOLBOX&lt;br /&gt;
* LANGUAGES&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.js&amp;diff=17666</id>
		<title>MediaWiki:Common.js</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.js&amp;diff=17666"/>
		<updated>2023-10-06T12:07:16Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: b-l&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;/* globals document, window, URLSearchParams, location, event, console, localStorage,&lt;br /&gt;
  $, mw, -- Set by MediaWiki */&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint-disable&lt;br /&gt;
  no-tabs, padded-blocks, no-multiple-empty-lines,&lt;br /&gt;
  vars-on-top&lt;br /&gt;
  -- Disabling for readability&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint-disable&lt;br /&gt;
  no-var, prefer-named-capture-group, require-unicode-regexp,&lt;br /&gt;
  object-shorthand,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/no-document-cookie,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/prefer-query-selector, unicorn/prefer-includes, unicorn/no-for-loop,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/prefer-default-parameters&lt;br /&gt;
  -- Disabling some due to older browser support/lack of ES6+ support&lt;br /&gt;
  */&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint indent: [&#039;error&#039;, &#039;tab&#039;] -- Differs from eslint-config-ash-nazg */&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
CONTENTS&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
1. Character subset menu&lt;br /&gt;
2. Collapsible headings&lt;br /&gt;
3. Collapsible lists&lt;br /&gt;
4. Toggling table of contents&lt;br /&gt;
5. Toggling headings&lt;br /&gt;
6. Search category pages&lt;br /&gt;
7. Prepopulating user category pages&lt;br /&gt;
8. Sister project links (convert to specific page)&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// MediaWiki vars (use mw.config.get() for some): https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Interface/JavaScript&lt;br /&gt;
/* Any JavaScript here will be loaded for all users on every page load. */&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;use strict&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**********************&lt;br /&gt;
*** add menu on edit page /for selecting subsets of special characters&lt;br /&gt;
*** by [[user:Pathoschild]]&lt;br /&gt;
***   - note: must match MediaWiki:Edittools&lt;br /&gt;
**********************/&lt;br /&gt;
function addCharSubsetMenu () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var specialchars = document.getElementById(&#039;specialchars&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	if (specialchars) {&lt;br /&gt;
		var menu = &#039;&amp;lt;select style=&amp;quot;display:inline&amp;quot; onChange=&amp;quot;chooseCharSubset(selectedIndex)&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Select&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Ligatures and symbols&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Accents&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Tildes&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Cedillas&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Diereses&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Circumflexes&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Macrons&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Other diacritics&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Greek&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Hebrew&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Cyrillic&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;IPA&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;/select&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		specialchars.innerHTML = menu + specialchars.innerHTML.replace(/_newline_/gm, &#039;\n&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		/* default subset - try to use a cookie some day */&lt;br /&gt;
		chooseCharSubset(0);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * Select subsection of special characters.&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {int} s&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function chooseCharSubset (s) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var l = document.getElementById(&#039;specialchars&#039;).getElementsByTagName(&#039;p&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	for (var i = 0; i &amp;lt; l.length; i++) {&lt;br /&gt;
		l[i].style.display = i === s ? &#039;inline&#039; : &#039;none&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		l[i].style.visibility = i === s ? &#039;visible&#039; : &#039;hidden&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
addCharSubsetMenu(); // addOnloadHook();&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Collapsible headings&lt;br /&gt;
var a = $(&#039;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;javascript:void(0);&amp;quot;&amp;gt;collapse&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&#039;).click(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var currentHeading = parseInt($(this).parent().parent()[0].nodeName.match(/\d$/));&lt;br /&gt;
	var sameOrHigherHeading = &#039;h&#039; + Array.from({length: 6}, function (x, i) {return i+1;}).slice(0, currentHeading).join(&#039;,h&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var method = this.textContent === &#039;collapse&#039; ? &#039;hide&#039; : &#039;show&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	$(this).parent().parent().nextUntil(sameOrHigherHeading)[method]();&lt;br /&gt;
	this.textContent = this.textContent === &#039;collapse&#039; ? &#039;show&#039; : &#039;collapse&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
});&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6&#039;).children(&#039;.mw-editsection&#039;).append(&#039; [&#039;, a, &#039;]&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// add collapsible list if an empty span is present indicating to do so&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if ($(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList&#039;).length || $(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList_collapsed&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;ul,ol&#039;).each(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		$(this).addClass(&#039;collapsibleList&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		var li = $(this).find(&#039;li:has(ul,ol)&#039;).addClass(&#039;collapsibleListOpen&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		if (!li.find(&#039;span&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
			li.prepend(&#039;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;user-select: none;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	});&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// User:Brettz9 added with some JSLint/XHTML/JSDoc clean-up, optimization/convenience changes, OL support, and beginning of work to allow pre-expansion of lists&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
MEDIAWIKI LIST NOTES&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nested DL hierarchies do not work properly with Mediawiki (see bug at http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Thread:Project:Support_desk/How_to_create_nested_definition_lists%3F )&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Resources:&lt;br /&gt;
1. http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting&lt;br /&gt;
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:List&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
CollapsibleLists.js&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An object allowing lists to dynamically expand and collapse&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Original version created by Stephen Morley - http://code.stephenmorley.org/javascript/collapsible-lists/ -&lt;br /&gt;
and released under the terms of the CC0 1.0 Universal legal code:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ideas&lt;br /&gt;
1. Remember expanded states&lt;br /&gt;
2. Make DL collapsible via its DD&lt;br /&gt;
3. Support collapsing of DL component children (DD and DT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Todo summary: (see &amp;quot;todo&amp;quot;&#039;s below)&lt;br /&gt;
1. Optimize iteration algorithms&lt;br /&gt;
2. When #1 is completed, check top-most class of list (or its parent) for `doNotRecurse` and pre-expansion options&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars -- Might expand&lt;br /&gt;
var CollapsibleLists;&lt;br /&gt;
(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	// Create the CollapsibleLists object&lt;br /&gt;
	var collapsibleLists,&lt;br /&gt;
		autoApplyWithNoGlobal = true; // Configure as to whether to auto-apply to lists on the page (without creating a global) or whether to allow manual control via a global&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Opens or closes the list elements of the given type&lt;br /&gt;
	*   within the specified node.&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} node The node containing the list elements&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] Type of list; defaults to &amp;quot;ul&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {int}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function toggle (node, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
		listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// Determine whether to open or close the lists&lt;br /&gt;
		var index, li,&lt;br /&gt;
			open = node.className.match(/(^| )collapsibleListClosed( |$)/),&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the list elements with the node&lt;br /&gt;
			lists = node.querySelectorAll(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
			listsLength = lists.length;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; listsLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Find the ancestor list item of this list&lt;br /&gt;
			li = lists[index];&lt;br /&gt;
			while (li.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== &#039;li&#039;) {&lt;br /&gt;
				li = li.parentNode;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Style the list if it is within this node&lt;br /&gt;
			if (li === node) {&lt;br /&gt;
				lists[index].style.display = (open ? &#039;block&#039; : &#039;none&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		if (listsLength) {&lt;br /&gt;
			// Remove the current class from the node&lt;br /&gt;
			node.className = node.className.replace(&lt;br /&gt;
				/(^| )collapsibleList(Open|Closed)( |$)/, &#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
			);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// If the node contains lists, set its class&lt;br /&gt;
			if (listsLength &amp;gt; 0) {&lt;br /&gt;
				node.className += &#039; collapsibleList&#039; + (open ? &#039;Open&#039; : &#039;Closed&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		return listsLength;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
 /**&lt;br /&gt;
  * @callback ClickHandler&lt;br /&gt;
  * @private&lt;br /&gt;
  * @static&lt;br /&gt;
  * @param {Event} e The click event&lt;br /&gt;
  * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
  */&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Returns a function that toggles the display status of any&lt;br /&gt;
	*   list elements within the specified node. The parameter is...&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} node The node containing the list elements&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {ClickHandler}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function createClickListener (node) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		// Return the function&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
     * @type {ClickHandler}&lt;br /&gt;
     */&lt;br /&gt;
		return function (e) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Ensure the event object is defined&lt;br /&gt;
			e = e || window.event;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Find the list item containing the target of the event&lt;br /&gt;
			var li = e.target || e.srcElement;&lt;br /&gt;
			while (li.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== &#039;li&#039;) {&lt;br /&gt;
				li = li.parentNode;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Toggle the state of the node if it was the target of the event&lt;br /&gt;
			if (li === node) {&lt;br /&gt;
				toggle(node);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		};&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Event} e The event to prevent&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function preventDefault (e) {&lt;br /&gt;
		e.preventDefault();&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function preventDefaultIE () {&lt;br /&gt;
		// eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-globals -- IE&lt;br /&gt;
		event.returnValue = false;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	 * @param {boolean} leaveExpanded&lt;br /&gt;
 	 * @private&lt;br /&gt;
 	 * @static&lt;br /&gt;
     * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	 */&lt;br /&gt;
	function applyLists (leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
		collapsibleLists.apply(false, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Makes sublists of a given list type collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} list The list element&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] The list type under which sublists should be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
  * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function applySubListsForListType (list, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
		listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// Todo: This is unnecessarily redundant and thus expensive for deeply nested lists;&lt;br /&gt;
		//			 should instead check direct children recursively&lt;br /&gt;
		var subIndex,&lt;br /&gt;
			subLists = list.getElementsByTagName(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
			subListsLength = subLists.length;&lt;br /&gt;
		for (subIndex = 0; subIndex &amp;lt; subListsLength; subIndex++) {&lt;br /&gt;
			// Tempory fix to at least avoid multiple classes&lt;br /&gt;
			if (!(/(^| )collapsibleList( |$)/).test(subLists[subIndex].className)) {&lt;br /&gt;
				subLists[subIndex].className += &#039; collapsibleList&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	collapsibleLists = {&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes all lists with the class &#039;collapsibleList&#039; collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
    * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		apply: function (doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
			this.applyForListType(doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
		},&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes lists of the given type with the class &#039;collapsibleList&#039; collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] Type of list; defaults to &amp;quot;ul&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyForListType: function (doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
			listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the lists&lt;br /&gt;
			var index, list,&lt;br /&gt;
				// Todo: This is unnecessarily redundant and thus inefficient; should instead&lt;br /&gt;
				//			 iterate over direct children&lt;br /&gt;
				lists = document.querySelectorAll(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
				listsLength = lists.length,&lt;br /&gt;
				listPattern = /(^| )collapsibleList( |$)/;&lt;br /&gt;
			for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; listsLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
				list = lists[index];&lt;br /&gt;
				// Check whether this list should be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
				if (listPattern.test(list.className) ||&lt;br /&gt;
					listPattern.test(list.parentNode.className) // For convenience when used with Mediawiki simple syntax lists (which cannot specify classes on the list)&lt;br /&gt;
				) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Make this list collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
					this.applyTo(list, true, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Check whether sub-lists should also be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
					// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow doNotRecurse specification&lt;br /&gt;
					if (!doNotRecurse) {&lt;br /&gt;
						// Add the collapsibleList class to the sub-lists&lt;br /&gt;
						applySubListsForListType(list);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
				}&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		},&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes the specified list collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {Element} node The list element&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyTo: function (node, doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the list items within this node&lt;br /&gt;
			var index,&lt;br /&gt;
				lis = node.querySelectorAll(&#039;li&#039;),&lt;br /&gt;
				lisLength = lis.length;&lt;br /&gt;
			for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; lisLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
				// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow doNotRecurse specification&lt;br /&gt;
				// Check whether this list item should be collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
				if (!doNotRecurse || node === lis[index].parentNode) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
                    var attachNode = lis[index].querySelector(&#039;span&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
                    if (!attachNode) {&lt;br /&gt;
                    	continue;&lt;br /&gt;
                    }&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Prevent text from being selected unintentionally&lt;br /&gt;
					if (attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener(&#039;mousedown&#039;, preventDefault, false);&lt;br /&gt;
					} else {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.attachEvent(&#039;onselectstart&#039;, preventDefaultIE);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Add the click listener&lt;br /&gt;
					if (attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener(&#039;click&#039;, createClickListener(lis[index]), false);&lt;br /&gt;
					} else {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.attachEvent(&#039;onclick&#039;, createClickListener(lis[index]));&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Close the lists within this list item&lt;br /&gt;
					// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow expansion via class&lt;br /&gt;
					if (!leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
						toggle(lis[index]);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
				}&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	};&lt;br /&gt;
	if (autoApplyWithNoGlobal) {&lt;br /&gt;
		/*&lt;br /&gt;
		if (window.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
			window.addEventListener(&#039;DOMContentLoaded&#039;, applyLists, false);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		else {&lt;br /&gt;
			window.attachEvent(&#039;onload&#039;, applyLists);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyLists(!$(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList_collapsed&#039;).length);&lt;br /&gt;
	} else {&lt;br /&gt;
		CollapsibleLists = collapsibleLists;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}());&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {Element} el&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {string} newText&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
function changeText (el, newText) {&lt;br /&gt;
	if (el.firstChild &amp;amp;&amp;amp; el.firstChild.nodeValue) {&lt;br /&gt;
		el.firstChild.nodeValue = newText;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
var t, toc, toggleLink;&lt;br /&gt;
try {&lt;br /&gt;
	t = document.getElementById(&#039;toc&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	if (t) { // No TOC for pages with no headings&lt;br /&gt;
		t.style.display = &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		toc = t.getElementsByTagName(&#039;ul&#039;)[0];&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink = document.getElementById(&#039;toctogglecheckbox&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		// if (tocIsHidden()) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleToc();&lt;br /&gt;
		// }&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
} catch (error) {&lt;br /&gt;
	// eslint-disable-next-line no-console -- Error surfacing&lt;br /&gt;
	console.log(&#039;erred&#039;, error);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {boolean}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function tocIsHidden () {&lt;br /&gt;
	return !toc || !toggleLink || window.getComputedStyle(toc).display !== &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function toggleToc () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var hidden = tocIsHidden();&lt;br /&gt;
	if (hidden &amp;amp;&amp;amp; document.cookie.indexOf(&#039;hidetoc=0&#039;) &amp;gt; -1) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink.click();&lt;br /&gt;
		// changeText(toggleLink, tocShowText);&lt;br /&gt;
		// toc.style.display = &#039;none&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// eslint-disable-next-line sonarjs/no-duplicated-branches -- Might expand&lt;br /&gt;
	} else if (!hidden &amp;amp;&amp;amp; document.cookie.indexOf(&#039;hidetoc=1&#039;) &amp;gt; -1) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink.click();&lt;br /&gt;
		// changeText(toggleLink, tocHideText);&lt;br /&gt;
		// toc.style.display = &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if (toggleLink) {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleLink.addEventListener(&#039;click&#039;, function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		var isHidden = tocIsHidden();&lt;br /&gt;
		document.cookie = isHidden ? &#039;hidetoc=1&#039; : &#039;hidetoc=0&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	});&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
// &amp;lt;/source&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {boolean} forceConceal&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function toggleHeadings (forceConceal) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var headings = $(&#039;#content h2:not(#mw-toc-heading), #content h3, #content h4, #content h5, #content h6&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var th = $(&#039;#toggle-headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	if (!forceConceal &amp;amp;&amp;amp; localStorage.getItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;)) {&lt;br /&gt;
		localStorage.removeItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		headings.show();&lt;br /&gt;
		th.text(&#039;Collapse headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	} else {&lt;br /&gt;
		localStorage.setItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;, &#039;1&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		headings.hide();&lt;br /&gt;
		th.text(&#039;Show headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
$(&lt;br /&gt;
	&#039;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;javascript:void(0);&amp;quot; id=&amp;quot;toggle-headings&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Collapse headings&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
).appendTo(&#039;#p-tb .vector-menu-content-list&#039;).click(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleHeadings();&lt;br /&gt;
});&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if (localStorage.getItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;)) {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleHeadings(true);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Search category pages&lt;br /&gt;
// If a category page&lt;br /&gt;
if (mw.config.get(&#039;wgNamespaceNumber&#039;) === 14 &amp;amp;&amp;amp; $(&#039;#mw-pages&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;form action=&amp;quot;/index.php&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;label&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Search category pages&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;: &amp;lt;input id=&amp;quot;categoryWorkSearch&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/label&amp;gt;&#039; +&lt;br /&gt;
		&#039;&amp;lt;input type=&amp;quot;submit&amp;quot; value=&amp;quot;go&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/form&amp;gt;&#039;).submit(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		var $el = $(&#039;&amp;lt;input type=&amp;quot;hidden&amp;quot; name=&amp;quot;search&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		$el.attr({&lt;br /&gt;
			value: &#039;incategory:&amp;quot;&#039; + mw.config.get(&#039;wgTitle&#039;) + &#039;&amp;quot; &#039; +&lt;br /&gt;
				$(this).find(&#039;#categoryWorkSearch&#039;).val()&lt;br /&gt;
		});&lt;br /&gt;
		$(this).append($el);&lt;br /&gt;
	}).appendTo(&#039;#mw-pages &amp;gt; p&#039;); // .prependTo(&#039;#mw-content-text&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Prepopulating user category pages&lt;br /&gt;
var params = new URLSearchParams(location.search);&lt;br /&gt;
if (params.has(&#039;prepopulate&#039;) &amp;amp;&amp;amp; params.get(&#039;action&#039;) === &#039;edit&#039; &amp;amp;&amp;amp; !$(&#039;#wpTextbox1&#039;).val()) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var title = params.get(&#039;title&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var match = title.match(/User:[^/]*([^&amp;amp;]*)$/);&lt;br /&gt;
	var text = &#039;[[Category:User&#039; + match[1] + &#039;]]&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
    $(&#039;#wpTextbox1&#039;).val(text);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Sister project links (convert to specific page)&lt;br /&gt;
// If want these added server-side, could add as header/footer using https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Header_Footer&lt;br /&gt;
if (mw.config.get(&#039;wgNamespaceNumber&#039;) === 0) { // Namepsaces: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension_default_namespaces&lt;br /&gt;
	var pageName = mw.config.get(&#039;wgPageName&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var encPageName = encodeURIComponent(pageName);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.media a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai.media/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.works a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai.works/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahaipedia\\.org a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahaipedia.org/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Indexes a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai-browser.org/indexes/json/?indexTerm=&#039; + encPageName.replace(/_/g, &#039;+&#039;));&lt;br /&gt;
	&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.org\\-Writings a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/search?q=&#039; + encPageName);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\-library\\-tags a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai-library.com/tags/&#039; + encodeURI(pageName));&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\-library a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Abahai-library.com+&#039; + encPageName);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Wikipedia a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://en.wikipedia.org/?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&amp;diff=17665</id>
		<title>MediaWiki:Sidebar</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&amp;diff=17665"/>
		<updated>2023-10-06T12:05:14Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: b-l&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;lt;!-- {{PAGENAME}} not working, nor ifeq with it --&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* navigation&lt;br /&gt;
** mainpage|mainpage-description&lt;br /&gt;
** Bahai9:About|About Bahai9&lt;br /&gt;
** recentchanges-url|recentchanges&lt;br /&gt;
** randompage-url|randompage&lt;br /&gt;
** helppage|help-mediawiki&lt;br /&gt;
* Sister projects&lt;br /&gt;
** :medias:Main Page|Bahai.media&lt;br /&gt;
** :workss:Main Page|Bahai.works&lt;br /&gt;
** :pedias:Main Page|Bahaipedia.org&lt;br /&gt;
** :index:|Indexes&lt;br /&gt;
* Other projects&lt;br /&gt;
** :bws:|Bahai.org Writings&lt;br /&gt;
** https://bahai-library.com|Bahai-library&lt;br /&gt;
** :bltags:|Bahai-library tags&lt;br /&gt;
** :wikipedias:|Wikipedia&lt;br /&gt;
* SEARCH&lt;br /&gt;
* TOOLBOX&lt;br /&gt;
* LANGUAGES&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.js&amp;diff=17664</id>
		<title>MediaWiki:Common.js</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.js&amp;diff=17664"/>
		<updated>2023-10-05T19:21:59Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;/* globals document, window, URLSearchParams, location, event, console, localStorage,&lt;br /&gt;
  $, mw, -- Set by MediaWiki */&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint-disable&lt;br /&gt;
  no-tabs, padded-blocks, no-multiple-empty-lines,&lt;br /&gt;
  vars-on-top&lt;br /&gt;
  -- Disabling for readability&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint-disable&lt;br /&gt;
  no-var, prefer-named-capture-group, require-unicode-regexp,&lt;br /&gt;
  object-shorthand,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/no-document-cookie,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/prefer-query-selector, unicorn/prefer-includes, unicorn/no-for-loop,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/prefer-default-parameters&lt;br /&gt;
  -- Disabling some due to older browser support/lack of ES6+ support&lt;br /&gt;
  */&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint indent: [&#039;error&#039;, &#039;tab&#039;] -- Differs from eslint-config-ash-nazg */&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
CONTENTS&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
1. Character subset menu&lt;br /&gt;
2. Collapsible headings&lt;br /&gt;
3. Collapsible lists&lt;br /&gt;
4. Toggling table of contents&lt;br /&gt;
5. Toggling headings&lt;br /&gt;
6. Search category pages&lt;br /&gt;
7. Prepopulating user category pages&lt;br /&gt;
8. Sister project links (convert to specific page)&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// MediaWiki vars (use mw.config.get() for some): https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Interface/JavaScript&lt;br /&gt;
/* Any JavaScript here will be loaded for all users on every page load. */&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;use strict&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**********************&lt;br /&gt;
*** add menu on edit page /for selecting subsets of special characters&lt;br /&gt;
*** by [[user:Pathoschild]]&lt;br /&gt;
***   - note: must match MediaWiki:Edittools&lt;br /&gt;
**********************/&lt;br /&gt;
function addCharSubsetMenu () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var specialchars = document.getElementById(&#039;specialchars&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	if (specialchars) {&lt;br /&gt;
		var menu = &#039;&amp;lt;select style=&amp;quot;display:inline&amp;quot; onChange=&amp;quot;chooseCharSubset(selectedIndex)&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Select&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Ligatures and symbols&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Accents&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Tildes&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Cedillas&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Diereses&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Circumflexes&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Macrons&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Other diacritics&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Greek&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Hebrew&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Cyrillic&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;IPA&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;/select&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		specialchars.innerHTML = menu + specialchars.innerHTML.replace(/_newline_/gm, &#039;\n&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		/* default subset - try to use a cookie some day */&lt;br /&gt;
		chooseCharSubset(0);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * Select subsection of special characters.&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {int} s&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function chooseCharSubset (s) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var l = document.getElementById(&#039;specialchars&#039;).getElementsByTagName(&#039;p&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	for (var i = 0; i &amp;lt; l.length; i++) {&lt;br /&gt;
		l[i].style.display = i === s ? &#039;inline&#039; : &#039;none&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		l[i].style.visibility = i === s ? &#039;visible&#039; : &#039;hidden&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
addCharSubsetMenu(); // addOnloadHook();&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Collapsible headings&lt;br /&gt;
var a = $(&#039;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;javascript:void(0);&amp;quot;&amp;gt;collapse&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&#039;).click(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var currentHeading = parseInt($(this).parent().parent()[0].nodeName.match(/\d$/));&lt;br /&gt;
	var sameOrHigherHeading = &#039;h&#039; + Array.from({length: 6}, function (x, i) {return i+1;}).slice(0, currentHeading).join(&#039;,h&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var method = this.textContent === &#039;collapse&#039; ? &#039;hide&#039; : &#039;show&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	$(this).parent().parent().nextUntil(sameOrHigherHeading)[method]();&lt;br /&gt;
	this.textContent = this.textContent === &#039;collapse&#039; ? &#039;show&#039; : &#039;collapse&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
});&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6&#039;).children(&#039;.mw-editsection&#039;).append(&#039; [&#039;, a, &#039;]&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// add collapsible list if an empty span is present indicating to do so&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if ($(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList&#039;).length || $(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList_collapsed&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;ul,ol&#039;).each(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		$(this).addClass(&#039;collapsibleList&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		var li = $(this).find(&#039;li:has(ul,ol)&#039;).addClass(&#039;collapsibleListOpen&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		if (!li.find(&#039;span&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
			li.prepend(&#039;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;user-select: none;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	});&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// User:Brettz9 added with some JSLint/XHTML/JSDoc clean-up, optimization/convenience changes, OL support, and beginning of work to allow pre-expansion of lists&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
MEDIAWIKI LIST NOTES&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nested DL hierarchies do not work properly with Mediawiki (see bug at http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Thread:Project:Support_desk/How_to_create_nested_definition_lists%3F )&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Resources:&lt;br /&gt;
1. http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting&lt;br /&gt;
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:List&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
CollapsibleLists.js&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An object allowing lists to dynamically expand and collapse&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Original version created by Stephen Morley - http://code.stephenmorley.org/javascript/collapsible-lists/ -&lt;br /&gt;
and released under the terms of the CC0 1.0 Universal legal code:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ideas&lt;br /&gt;
1. Remember expanded states&lt;br /&gt;
2. Make DL collapsible via its DD&lt;br /&gt;
3. Support collapsing of DL component children (DD and DT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Todo summary: (see &amp;quot;todo&amp;quot;&#039;s below)&lt;br /&gt;
1. Optimize iteration algorithms&lt;br /&gt;
2. When #1 is completed, check top-most class of list (or its parent) for `doNotRecurse` and pre-expansion options&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars -- Might expand&lt;br /&gt;
var CollapsibleLists;&lt;br /&gt;
(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	// Create the CollapsibleLists object&lt;br /&gt;
	var collapsibleLists,&lt;br /&gt;
		autoApplyWithNoGlobal = true; // Configure as to whether to auto-apply to lists on the page (without creating a global) or whether to allow manual control via a global&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Opens or closes the list elements of the given type&lt;br /&gt;
	*   within the specified node.&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} node The node containing the list elements&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] Type of list; defaults to &amp;quot;ul&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {int}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function toggle (node, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
		listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// Determine whether to open or close the lists&lt;br /&gt;
		var index, li,&lt;br /&gt;
			open = node.className.match(/(^| )collapsibleListClosed( |$)/),&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the list elements with the node&lt;br /&gt;
			lists = node.querySelectorAll(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
			listsLength = lists.length;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; listsLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Find the ancestor list item of this list&lt;br /&gt;
			li = lists[index];&lt;br /&gt;
			while (li.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== &#039;li&#039;) {&lt;br /&gt;
				li = li.parentNode;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Style the list if it is within this node&lt;br /&gt;
			if (li === node) {&lt;br /&gt;
				lists[index].style.display = (open ? &#039;block&#039; : &#039;none&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		if (listsLength) {&lt;br /&gt;
			// Remove the current class from the node&lt;br /&gt;
			node.className = node.className.replace(&lt;br /&gt;
				/(^| )collapsibleList(Open|Closed)( |$)/, &#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
			);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// If the node contains lists, set its class&lt;br /&gt;
			if (listsLength &amp;gt; 0) {&lt;br /&gt;
				node.className += &#039; collapsibleList&#039; + (open ? &#039;Open&#039; : &#039;Closed&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		return listsLength;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
 /**&lt;br /&gt;
  * @callback ClickHandler&lt;br /&gt;
  * @private&lt;br /&gt;
  * @static&lt;br /&gt;
  * @param {Event} e The click event&lt;br /&gt;
  * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
  */&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Returns a function that toggles the display status of any&lt;br /&gt;
	*   list elements within the specified node. The parameter is...&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} node The node containing the list elements&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {ClickHandler}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function createClickListener (node) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		// Return the function&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
     * @type {ClickHandler}&lt;br /&gt;
     */&lt;br /&gt;
		return function (e) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Ensure the event object is defined&lt;br /&gt;
			e = e || window.event;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Find the list item containing the target of the event&lt;br /&gt;
			var li = e.target || e.srcElement;&lt;br /&gt;
			while (li.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== &#039;li&#039;) {&lt;br /&gt;
				li = li.parentNode;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Toggle the state of the node if it was the target of the event&lt;br /&gt;
			if (li === node) {&lt;br /&gt;
				toggle(node);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		};&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Event} e The event to prevent&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function preventDefault (e) {&lt;br /&gt;
		e.preventDefault();&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function preventDefaultIE () {&lt;br /&gt;
		// eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-globals -- IE&lt;br /&gt;
		event.returnValue = false;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	 * @param {boolean} leaveExpanded&lt;br /&gt;
 	 * @private&lt;br /&gt;
 	 * @static&lt;br /&gt;
     * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	 */&lt;br /&gt;
	function applyLists (leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
		collapsibleLists.apply(false, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Makes sublists of a given list type collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} list The list element&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] The list type under which sublists should be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
  * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function applySubListsForListType (list, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
		listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// Todo: This is unnecessarily redundant and thus expensive for deeply nested lists;&lt;br /&gt;
		//			 should instead check direct children recursively&lt;br /&gt;
		var subIndex,&lt;br /&gt;
			subLists = list.getElementsByTagName(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
			subListsLength = subLists.length;&lt;br /&gt;
		for (subIndex = 0; subIndex &amp;lt; subListsLength; subIndex++) {&lt;br /&gt;
			// Tempory fix to at least avoid multiple classes&lt;br /&gt;
			if (!(/(^| )collapsibleList( |$)/).test(subLists[subIndex].className)) {&lt;br /&gt;
				subLists[subIndex].className += &#039; collapsibleList&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	collapsibleLists = {&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes all lists with the class &#039;collapsibleList&#039; collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
    * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		apply: function (doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
			this.applyForListType(doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
		},&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes lists of the given type with the class &#039;collapsibleList&#039; collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] Type of list; defaults to &amp;quot;ul&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyForListType: function (doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
			listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the lists&lt;br /&gt;
			var index, list,&lt;br /&gt;
				// Todo: This is unnecessarily redundant and thus inefficient; should instead&lt;br /&gt;
				//			 iterate over direct children&lt;br /&gt;
				lists = document.querySelectorAll(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
				listsLength = lists.length,&lt;br /&gt;
				listPattern = /(^| )collapsibleList( |$)/;&lt;br /&gt;
			for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; listsLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
				list = lists[index];&lt;br /&gt;
				// Check whether this list should be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
				if (listPattern.test(list.className) ||&lt;br /&gt;
					listPattern.test(list.parentNode.className) // For convenience when used with Mediawiki simple syntax lists (which cannot specify classes on the list)&lt;br /&gt;
				) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Make this list collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
					this.applyTo(list, true, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Check whether sub-lists should also be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
					// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow doNotRecurse specification&lt;br /&gt;
					if (!doNotRecurse) {&lt;br /&gt;
						// Add the collapsibleList class to the sub-lists&lt;br /&gt;
						applySubListsForListType(list);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
				}&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		},&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes the specified list collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {Element} node The list element&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyTo: function (node, doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the list items within this node&lt;br /&gt;
			var index,&lt;br /&gt;
				lis = node.querySelectorAll(&#039;li&#039;),&lt;br /&gt;
				lisLength = lis.length;&lt;br /&gt;
			for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; lisLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
				// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow doNotRecurse specification&lt;br /&gt;
				// Check whether this list item should be collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
				if (!doNotRecurse || node === lis[index].parentNode) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
                    var attachNode = lis[index].querySelector(&#039;span&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
                    if (!attachNode) {&lt;br /&gt;
                    	continue;&lt;br /&gt;
                    }&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Prevent text from being selected unintentionally&lt;br /&gt;
					if (attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener(&#039;mousedown&#039;, preventDefault, false);&lt;br /&gt;
					} else {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.attachEvent(&#039;onselectstart&#039;, preventDefaultIE);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Add the click listener&lt;br /&gt;
					if (attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener(&#039;click&#039;, createClickListener(lis[index]), false);&lt;br /&gt;
					} else {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.attachEvent(&#039;onclick&#039;, createClickListener(lis[index]));&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Close the lists within this list item&lt;br /&gt;
					// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow expansion via class&lt;br /&gt;
					if (!leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
						toggle(lis[index]);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
				}&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	};&lt;br /&gt;
	if (autoApplyWithNoGlobal) {&lt;br /&gt;
		/*&lt;br /&gt;
		if (window.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
			window.addEventListener(&#039;DOMContentLoaded&#039;, applyLists, false);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		else {&lt;br /&gt;
			window.attachEvent(&#039;onload&#039;, applyLists);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyLists(!$(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList_collapsed&#039;).length);&lt;br /&gt;
	} else {&lt;br /&gt;
		CollapsibleLists = collapsibleLists;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}());&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {Element} el&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {string} newText&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
function changeText (el, newText) {&lt;br /&gt;
	if (el.firstChild &amp;amp;&amp;amp; el.firstChild.nodeValue) {&lt;br /&gt;
		el.firstChild.nodeValue = newText;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
var t, toc, toggleLink;&lt;br /&gt;
try {&lt;br /&gt;
	t = document.getElementById(&#039;toc&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	if (t) { // No TOC for pages with no headings&lt;br /&gt;
		t.style.display = &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		toc = t.getElementsByTagName(&#039;ul&#039;)[0];&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink = document.getElementById(&#039;toctogglecheckbox&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		// if (tocIsHidden()) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleToc();&lt;br /&gt;
		// }&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
} catch (error) {&lt;br /&gt;
	// eslint-disable-next-line no-console -- Error surfacing&lt;br /&gt;
	console.log(&#039;erred&#039;, error);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {boolean}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function tocIsHidden () {&lt;br /&gt;
	return !toc || !toggleLink || window.getComputedStyle(toc).display !== &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function toggleToc () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var hidden = tocIsHidden();&lt;br /&gt;
	if (hidden &amp;amp;&amp;amp; document.cookie.indexOf(&#039;hidetoc=0&#039;) &amp;gt; -1) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink.click();&lt;br /&gt;
		// changeText(toggleLink, tocShowText);&lt;br /&gt;
		// toc.style.display = &#039;none&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// eslint-disable-next-line sonarjs/no-duplicated-branches -- Might expand&lt;br /&gt;
	} else if (!hidden &amp;amp;&amp;amp; document.cookie.indexOf(&#039;hidetoc=1&#039;) &amp;gt; -1) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink.click();&lt;br /&gt;
		// changeText(toggleLink, tocHideText);&lt;br /&gt;
		// toc.style.display = &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if (toggleLink) {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleLink.addEventListener(&#039;click&#039;, function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		var isHidden = tocIsHidden();&lt;br /&gt;
		document.cookie = isHidden ? &#039;hidetoc=1&#039; : &#039;hidetoc=0&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	});&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
// &amp;lt;/source&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {boolean} forceConceal&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function toggleHeadings (forceConceal) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var headings = $(&#039;#content h2:not(#mw-toc-heading), #content h3, #content h4, #content h5, #content h6&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var th = $(&#039;#toggle-headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	if (!forceConceal &amp;amp;&amp;amp; localStorage.getItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;)) {&lt;br /&gt;
		localStorage.removeItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		headings.show();&lt;br /&gt;
		th.text(&#039;Collapse headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	} else {&lt;br /&gt;
		localStorage.setItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;, &#039;1&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		headings.hide();&lt;br /&gt;
		th.text(&#039;Show headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
$(&lt;br /&gt;
	&#039;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;javascript:void(0);&amp;quot; id=&amp;quot;toggle-headings&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Collapse headings&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
).appendTo(&#039;#p-tb .vector-menu-content-list&#039;).click(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleHeadings();&lt;br /&gt;
});&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if (localStorage.getItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;)) {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleHeadings(true);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Search category pages&lt;br /&gt;
// If a category page&lt;br /&gt;
if (mw.config.get(&#039;wgNamespaceNumber&#039;) === 14 &amp;amp;&amp;amp; $(&#039;#mw-pages&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;form action=&amp;quot;/index.php&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;label&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Search category pages&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;: &amp;lt;input id=&amp;quot;categoryWorkSearch&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/label&amp;gt;&#039; +&lt;br /&gt;
		&#039;&amp;lt;input type=&amp;quot;submit&amp;quot; value=&amp;quot;go&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/form&amp;gt;&#039;).submit(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		var $el = $(&#039;&amp;lt;input type=&amp;quot;hidden&amp;quot; name=&amp;quot;search&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		$el.attr({&lt;br /&gt;
			value: &#039;incategory:&amp;quot;&#039; + mw.config.get(&#039;wgTitle&#039;) + &#039;&amp;quot; &#039; +&lt;br /&gt;
				$(this).find(&#039;#categoryWorkSearch&#039;).val()&lt;br /&gt;
		});&lt;br /&gt;
		$(this).append($el);&lt;br /&gt;
	}).appendTo(&#039;#mw-pages &amp;gt; p&#039;); // .prependTo(&#039;#mw-content-text&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Prepopulating user category pages&lt;br /&gt;
var params = new URLSearchParams(location.search);&lt;br /&gt;
if (params.has(&#039;prepopulate&#039;) &amp;amp;&amp;amp; params.get(&#039;action&#039;) === &#039;edit&#039; &amp;amp;&amp;amp; !$(&#039;#wpTextbox1&#039;).val()) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var title = params.get(&#039;title&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var match = title.match(/User:[^/]*([^&amp;amp;]*)$/);&lt;br /&gt;
	var text = &#039;[[Category:User&#039; + match[1] + &#039;]]&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
    $(&#039;#wpTextbox1&#039;).val(text);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Sister project links (convert to specific page)&lt;br /&gt;
// If want these added server-side, could add as header/footer using https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Header_Footer&lt;br /&gt;
if (mw.config.get(&#039;wgNamespaceNumber&#039;) === 0) { // Namepsaces: https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension_default_namespaces&lt;br /&gt;
	var pageName = mw.config.get(&#039;wgPageName&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var encPageName = encodeURIComponent(pageName);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.media a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai.media/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.works a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai.works/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahaipedia\\.org a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahaipedia.org/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\-library\\-tags a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai-library.com/tags/&#039; + encodeURI(pageName));&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Indexes a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai-browser.org/indexes/json/?indexTerm=&#039; + encPageName.replace(/_/g, &#039;+&#039;));&lt;br /&gt;
	&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.org\\-Writings a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/search?q=&#039; + encPageName);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Wikipedia a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://en.wikipedia.org/?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.js&amp;diff=17663</id>
		<title>MediaWiki:Common.js</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.js&amp;diff=17663"/>
		<updated>2023-10-05T09:42:03Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;/* globals document, window, URLSearchParams, location, event, console, localStorage,&lt;br /&gt;
  $, mw, -- Set by MediaWiki */&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint-disable&lt;br /&gt;
  no-tabs, padded-blocks, no-multiple-empty-lines,&lt;br /&gt;
  vars-on-top&lt;br /&gt;
  -- Disabling for readability&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint-disable&lt;br /&gt;
  no-var, prefer-named-capture-group, require-unicode-regexp,&lt;br /&gt;
  object-shorthand,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/no-document-cookie,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/prefer-query-selector, unicorn/prefer-includes, unicorn/no-for-loop,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/prefer-default-parameters&lt;br /&gt;
  -- Disabling some due to older browser support/lack of ES6+ support&lt;br /&gt;
  */&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint indent: [&#039;error&#039;, &#039;tab&#039;] -- Differs from eslint-config-ash-nazg */&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
CONTENTS&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
1. Character subset menu&lt;br /&gt;
2. Collapsible headings&lt;br /&gt;
3. Collapsible lists&lt;br /&gt;
4. Toggling table of contents&lt;br /&gt;
5. Toggling headings&lt;br /&gt;
6. Search category pages&lt;br /&gt;
7. Prepopulating user category pages&lt;br /&gt;
8. Sister project links (convert to specific page)&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// MediaWiki vars (use mw.config.get() for some): https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Interface/JavaScript&lt;br /&gt;
/* Any JavaScript here will be loaded for all users on every page load. */&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;use strict&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**********************&lt;br /&gt;
*** add menu on edit page /for selecting subsets of special characters&lt;br /&gt;
*** by [[user:Pathoschild]]&lt;br /&gt;
***   - note: must match MediaWiki:Edittools&lt;br /&gt;
**********************/&lt;br /&gt;
function addCharSubsetMenu () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var specialchars = document.getElementById(&#039;specialchars&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	if (specialchars) {&lt;br /&gt;
		var menu = &#039;&amp;lt;select style=&amp;quot;display:inline&amp;quot; onChange=&amp;quot;chooseCharSubset(selectedIndex)&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Select&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Ligatures and symbols&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Accents&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Tildes&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Cedillas&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Diereses&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Circumflexes&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Macrons&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Other diacritics&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Greek&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Hebrew&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Cyrillic&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;IPA&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;/select&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		specialchars.innerHTML = menu + specialchars.innerHTML.replace(/_newline_/gm, &#039;\n&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		/* default subset - try to use a cookie some day */&lt;br /&gt;
		chooseCharSubset(0);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * Select subsection of special characters.&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {int} s&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function chooseCharSubset (s) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var l = document.getElementById(&#039;specialchars&#039;).getElementsByTagName(&#039;p&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	for (var i = 0; i &amp;lt; l.length; i++) {&lt;br /&gt;
		l[i].style.display = i === s ? &#039;inline&#039; : &#039;none&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		l[i].style.visibility = i === s ? &#039;visible&#039; : &#039;hidden&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
addCharSubsetMenu(); // addOnloadHook();&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Collapsible headings&lt;br /&gt;
var a = $(&#039;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;javascript:void(0);&amp;quot;&amp;gt;collapse&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&#039;).click(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var currentHeading = parseInt($(this).parent().parent()[0].nodeName.match(/\d$/));&lt;br /&gt;
	var sameOrHigherHeading = &#039;h&#039; + Array.from({length: 6}, function (x, i) {return i+1;}).slice(0, currentHeading).join(&#039;,h&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var method = this.textContent === &#039;collapse&#039; ? &#039;hide&#039; : &#039;show&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	$(this).parent().parent().nextUntil(sameOrHigherHeading)[method]();&lt;br /&gt;
	this.textContent = this.textContent === &#039;collapse&#039; ? &#039;show&#039; : &#039;collapse&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
});&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6&#039;).children(&#039;.mw-editsection&#039;).append(&#039; [&#039;, a, &#039;]&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// add collapsible list if an empty span is present indicating to do so&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if ($(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList&#039;).length || $(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList_collapsed&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;ul,ol&#039;).each(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		$(this).addClass(&#039;collapsibleList&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		var li = $(this).find(&#039;li:has(ul,ol)&#039;).addClass(&#039;collapsibleListOpen&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		if (!li.find(&#039;span&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
			li.prepend(&#039;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;user-select: none;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	});&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// User:Brettz9 added with some JSLint/XHTML/JSDoc clean-up, optimization/convenience changes, OL support, and beginning of work to allow pre-expansion of lists&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
MEDIAWIKI LIST NOTES&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nested DL hierarchies do not work properly with Mediawiki (see bug at http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Thread:Project:Support_desk/How_to_create_nested_definition_lists%3F )&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Resources:&lt;br /&gt;
1. http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting&lt;br /&gt;
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:List&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
CollapsibleLists.js&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An object allowing lists to dynamically expand and collapse&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Original version created by Stephen Morley - http://code.stephenmorley.org/javascript/collapsible-lists/ -&lt;br /&gt;
and released under the terms of the CC0 1.0 Universal legal code:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ideas&lt;br /&gt;
1. Remember expanded states&lt;br /&gt;
2. Make DL collapsible via its DD&lt;br /&gt;
3. Support collapsing of DL component children (DD and DT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Todo summary: (see &amp;quot;todo&amp;quot;&#039;s below)&lt;br /&gt;
1. Optimize iteration algorithms&lt;br /&gt;
2. When #1 is completed, check top-most class of list (or its parent) for `doNotRecurse` and pre-expansion options&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars -- Might expand&lt;br /&gt;
var CollapsibleLists;&lt;br /&gt;
(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	// Create the CollapsibleLists object&lt;br /&gt;
	var collapsibleLists,&lt;br /&gt;
		autoApplyWithNoGlobal = true; // Configure as to whether to auto-apply to lists on the page (without creating a global) or whether to allow manual control via a global&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Opens or closes the list elements of the given type&lt;br /&gt;
	*   within the specified node.&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} node The node containing the list elements&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] Type of list; defaults to &amp;quot;ul&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {int}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function toggle (node, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
		listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// Determine whether to open or close the lists&lt;br /&gt;
		var index, li,&lt;br /&gt;
			open = node.className.match(/(^| )collapsibleListClosed( |$)/),&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the list elements with the node&lt;br /&gt;
			lists = node.querySelectorAll(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
			listsLength = lists.length;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; listsLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Find the ancestor list item of this list&lt;br /&gt;
			li = lists[index];&lt;br /&gt;
			while (li.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== &#039;li&#039;) {&lt;br /&gt;
				li = li.parentNode;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Style the list if it is within this node&lt;br /&gt;
			if (li === node) {&lt;br /&gt;
				lists[index].style.display = (open ? &#039;block&#039; : &#039;none&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		if (listsLength) {&lt;br /&gt;
			// Remove the current class from the node&lt;br /&gt;
			node.className = node.className.replace(&lt;br /&gt;
				/(^| )collapsibleList(Open|Closed)( |$)/, &#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
			);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// If the node contains lists, set its class&lt;br /&gt;
			if (listsLength &amp;gt; 0) {&lt;br /&gt;
				node.className += &#039; collapsibleList&#039; + (open ? &#039;Open&#039; : &#039;Closed&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		return listsLength;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
 /**&lt;br /&gt;
  * @callback ClickHandler&lt;br /&gt;
  * @private&lt;br /&gt;
  * @static&lt;br /&gt;
  * @param {Event} e The click event&lt;br /&gt;
  * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
  */&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Returns a function that toggles the display status of any&lt;br /&gt;
	*   list elements within the specified node. The parameter is...&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} node The node containing the list elements&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {ClickHandler}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function createClickListener (node) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		// Return the function&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
     * @type {ClickHandler}&lt;br /&gt;
     */&lt;br /&gt;
		return function (e) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Ensure the event object is defined&lt;br /&gt;
			e = e || window.event;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Find the list item containing the target of the event&lt;br /&gt;
			var li = e.target || e.srcElement;&lt;br /&gt;
			while (li.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== &#039;li&#039;) {&lt;br /&gt;
				li = li.parentNode;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Toggle the state of the node if it was the target of the event&lt;br /&gt;
			if (li === node) {&lt;br /&gt;
				toggle(node);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		};&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Event} e The event to prevent&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function preventDefault (e) {&lt;br /&gt;
		e.preventDefault();&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function preventDefaultIE () {&lt;br /&gt;
		// eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-globals -- IE&lt;br /&gt;
		event.returnValue = false;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	 * @param {boolean} leaveExpanded&lt;br /&gt;
 	 * @private&lt;br /&gt;
 	 * @static&lt;br /&gt;
     * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	 */&lt;br /&gt;
	function applyLists (leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
		collapsibleLists.apply(false, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Makes sublists of a given list type collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} list The list element&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] The list type under which sublists should be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
  * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function applySubListsForListType (list, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
		listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// Todo: This is unnecessarily redundant and thus expensive for deeply nested lists;&lt;br /&gt;
		//			 should instead check direct children recursively&lt;br /&gt;
		var subIndex,&lt;br /&gt;
			subLists = list.getElementsByTagName(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
			subListsLength = subLists.length;&lt;br /&gt;
		for (subIndex = 0; subIndex &amp;lt; subListsLength; subIndex++) {&lt;br /&gt;
			// Tempory fix to at least avoid multiple classes&lt;br /&gt;
			if (!(/(^| )collapsibleList( |$)/).test(subLists[subIndex].className)) {&lt;br /&gt;
				subLists[subIndex].className += &#039; collapsibleList&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	collapsibleLists = {&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes all lists with the class &#039;collapsibleList&#039; collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
    * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		apply: function (doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
			this.applyForListType(doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
		},&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes lists of the given type with the class &#039;collapsibleList&#039; collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] Type of list; defaults to &amp;quot;ul&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyForListType: function (doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
			listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the lists&lt;br /&gt;
			var index, list,&lt;br /&gt;
				// Todo: This is unnecessarily redundant and thus inefficient; should instead&lt;br /&gt;
				//			 iterate over direct children&lt;br /&gt;
				lists = document.querySelectorAll(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
				listsLength = lists.length,&lt;br /&gt;
				listPattern = /(^| )collapsibleList( |$)/;&lt;br /&gt;
			for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; listsLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
				list = lists[index];&lt;br /&gt;
				// Check whether this list should be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
				if (listPattern.test(list.className) ||&lt;br /&gt;
					listPattern.test(list.parentNode.className) // For convenience when used with Mediawiki simple syntax lists (which cannot specify classes on the list)&lt;br /&gt;
				) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Make this list collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
					this.applyTo(list, true, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Check whether sub-lists should also be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
					// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow doNotRecurse specification&lt;br /&gt;
					if (!doNotRecurse) {&lt;br /&gt;
						// Add the collapsibleList class to the sub-lists&lt;br /&gt;
						applySubListsForListType(list);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
				}&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		},&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes the specified list collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {Element} node The list element&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyTo: function (node, doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the list items within this node&lt;br /&gt;
			var index,&lt;br /&gt;
				lis = node.querySelectorAll(&#039;li&#039;),&lt;br /&gt;
				lisLength = lis.length;&lt;br /&gt;
			for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; lisLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
				// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow doNotRecurse specification&lt;br /&gt;
				// Check whether this list item should be collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
				if (!doNotRecurse || node === lis[index].parentNode) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
                    var attachNode = lis[index].querySelector(&#039;span&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
                    if (!attachNode) {&lt;br /&gt;
                    	continue;&lt;br /&gt;
                    }&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Prevent text from being selected unintentionally&lt;br /&gt;
					if (attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener(&#039;mousedown&#039;, preventDefault, false);&lt;br /&gt;
					} else {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.attachEvent(&#039;onselectstart&#039;, preventDefaultIE);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Add the click listener&lt;br /&gt;
					if (attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener(&#039;click&#039;, createClickListener(lis[index]), false);&lt;br /&gt;
					} else {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.attachEvent(&#039;onclick&#039;, createClickListener(lis[index]));&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Close the lists within this list item&lt;br /&gt;
					// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow expansion via class&lt;br /&gt;
					if (!leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
						toggle(lis[index]);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
				}&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	};&lt;br /&gt;
	if (autoApplyWithNoGlobal) {&lt;br /&gt;
		/*&lt;br /&gt;
		if (window.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
			window.addEventListener(&#039;DOMContentLoaded&#039;, applyLists, false);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		else {&lt;br /&gt;
			window.attachEvent(&#039;onload&#039;, applyLists);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyLists(!$(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList_collapsed&#039;).length);&lt;br /&gt;
	} else {&lt;br /&gt;
		CollapsibleLists = collapsibleLists;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}());&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {Element} el&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {string} newText&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
function changeText (el, newText) {&lt;br /&gt;
	if (el.firstChild &amp;amp;&amp;amp; el.firstChild.nodeValue) {&lt;br /&gt;
		el.firstChild.nodeValue = newText;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
var t, toc, toggleLink;&lt;br /&gt;
try {&lt;br /&gt;
	t = document.getElementById(&#039;toc&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	if (t) { // No TOC for pages with no headings&lt;br /&gt;
		t.style.display = &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		toc = t.getElementsByTagName(&#039;ul&#039;)[0];&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink = document.getElementById(&#039;toctogglecheckbox&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		// if (tocIsHidden()) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleToc();&lt;br /&gt;
		// }&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
} catch (error) {&lt;br /&gt;
	// eslint-disable-next-line no-console -- Error surfacing&lt;br /&gt;
	console.log(&#039;erred&#039;, error);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {boolean}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function tocIsHidden () {&lt;br /&gt;
	return !toc || !toggleLink || window.getComputedStyle(toc).display !== &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function toggleToc () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var hidden = tocIsHidden();&lt;br /&gt;
	if (hidden &amp;amp;&amp;amp; document.cookie.indexOf(&#039;hidetoc=0&#039;) &amp;gt; -1) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink.click();&lt;br /&gt;
		// changeText(toggleLink, tocShowText);&lt;br /&gt;
		// toc.style.display = &#039;none&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// eslint-disable-next-line sonarjs/no-duplicated-branches -- Might expand&lt;br /&gt;
	} else if (!hidden &amp;amp;&amp;amp; document.cookie.indexOf(&#039;hidetoc=1&#039;) &amp;gt; -1) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink.click();&lt;br /&gt;
		// changeText(toggleLink, tocHideText);&lt;br /&gt;
		// toc.style.display = &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if (toggleLink) {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleLink.addEventListener(&#039;click&#039;, function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		var isHidden = tocIsHidden();&lt;br /&gt;
		document.cookie = isHidden ? &#039;hidetoc=1&#039; : &#039;hidetoc=0&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	});&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
// &amp;lt;/source&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {boolean} forceConceal&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function toggleHeadings (forceConceal) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var headings = $(&#039;#content h2:not(#mw-toc-heading), #content h3, #content h4, #content h5, #content h6&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var th = $(&#039;#toggle-headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	if (!forceConceal &amp;amp;&amp;amp; localStorage.getItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;)) {&lt;br /&gt;
		localStorage.removeItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		headings.show();&lt;br /&gt;
		th.text(&#039;Collapse headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	} else {&lt;br /&gt;
		localStorage.setItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;, &#039;1&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		headings.hide();&lt;br /&gt;
		th.text(&#039;Show headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
$(&lt;br /&gt;
	&#039;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;javascript:void(0);&amp;quot; id=&amp;quot;toggle-headings&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Collapse headings&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
).appendTo(&#039;#p-tb .vector-menu-content-list&#039;).click(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleHeadings();&lt;br /&gt;
});&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if (localStorage.getItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;)) {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleHeadings(true);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Search category pages&lt;br /&gt;
// If a category page&lt;br /&gt;
if (mw.config.get(&#039;wgNamespaceNumber&#039;) === 14 &amp;amp;&amp;amp; $(&#039;#mw-pages&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;form action=&amp;quot;/index.php&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;label&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Search category pages&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;: &amp;lt;input id=&amp;quot;categoryWorkSearch&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/label&amp;gt;&#039; +&lt;br /&gt;
		&#039;&amp;lt;input type=&amp;quot;submit&amp;quot; value=&amp;quot;go&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/form&amp;gt;&#039;).submit(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		var $el = $(&#039;&amp;lt;input type=&amp;quot;hidden&amp;quot; name=&amp;quot;search&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		$el.attr({&lt;br /&gt;
			value: &#039;incategory:&amp;quot;&#039; + mw.config.get(&#039;wgTitle&#039;) + &#039;&amp;quot; &#039; +&lt;br /&gt;
				$(this).find(&#039;#categoryWorkSearch&#039;).val()&lt;br /&gt;
		});&lt;br /&gt;
		$(this).append($el);&lt;br /&gt;
	}).appendTo(&#039;#mw-pages &amp;gt; p&#039;); // .prependTo(&#039;#mw-content-text&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Prepopulating user category pages&lt;br /&gt;
var params = new URLSearchParams(location.search);&lt;br /&gt;
if (params.has(&#039;prepopulate&#039;) &amp;amp;&amp;amp; params.get(&#039;action&#039;) === &#039;edit&#039; &amp;amp;&amp;amp; !$(&#039;#wpTextbox1&#039;).val()) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var title = params.get(&#039;title&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var match = title.match(/User:[^/]*([^&amp;amp;]*)$/);&lt;br /&gt;
	var text = &#039;[[Category:User&#039; + match[1] + &#039;]]&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
    $(&#039;#wpTextbox1&#039;).val(text);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Sister project links (convert to specific page)&lt;br /&gt;
// If want these added server-side, could add as header/footer using https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Header_Footer&lt;br /&gt;
if (mw.config.get(&#039;wgNamespaceNumber&#039;) === 0) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var pageName = mw.config.get(&#039;wgPageName&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var encPageName = encodeURIComponent(pageName);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.media a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai.media/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.works a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai.works/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahaipedia\\.org a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahaipedia.org/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\-library\\-tags a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai-library.com/tags/&#039; + encodeURI(pageName));&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Indexes a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai-browser.org/indexes/json/?indexTerm=&#039; + encPageName.replace(/_/g, &#039;+&#039;));&lt;br /&gt;
	&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.org\\-Writings a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/search?q=&#039; + encPageName);&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;#n\\-Wikipedia a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://en.wikipedia.org/?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.js&amp;diff=17662</id>
		<title>MediaWiki:Common.js</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.js&amp;diff=17662"/>
		<updated>2023-10-05T00:11:29Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: Bahai.org Writings&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;/* globals document, window, URLSearchParams, location, event, console, localStorage,&lt;br /&gt;
  $, mw, -- Set by MediaWiki */&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint-disable&lt;br /&gt;
  no-tabs, padded-blocks, no-multiple-empty-lines,&lt;br /&gt;
  vars-on-top&lt;br /&gt;
  -- Disabling for readability&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint-disable&lt;br /&gt;
  no-var, prefer-named-capture-group, require-unicode-regexp,&lt;br /&gt;
  object-shorthand,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/no-document-cookie,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/prefer-query-selector, unicorn/prefer-includes, unicorn/no-for-loop,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/prefer-default-parameters&lt;br /&gt;
  -- Disabling some due to older browser support/lack of ES6+ support&lt;br /&gt;
  */&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint indent: [&#039;error&#039;, &#039;tab&#039;] -- Differs from eslint-config-ash-nazg */&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
CONTENTS&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
1. Character subset menu&lt;br /&gt;
2. Collapsible headings&lt;br /&gt;
3. Collapsible lists&lt;br /&gt;
4. Toggling table of contents&lt;br /&gt;
5. Toggling headings&lt;br /&gt;
6. Search category pages&lt;br /&gt;
7. Prepopulating user category pages&lt;br /&gt;
8. Sister project links (convert to specific page)&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// MediaWiki vars (use mw.config.get() for some): https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Interface/JavaScript&lt;br /&gt;
/* Any JavaScript here will be loaded for all users on every page load. */&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;use strict&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**********************&lt;br /&gt;
*** add menu on edit page /for selecting subsets of special characters&lt;br /&gt;
*** by [[user:Pathoschild]]&lt;br /&gt;
***   - note: must match MediaWiki:Edittools&lt;br /&gt;
**********************/&lt;br /&gt;
function addCharSubsetMenu () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var specialchars = document.getElementById(&#039;specialchars&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	if (specialchars) {&lt;br /&gt;
		var menu = &#039;&amp;lt;select style=&amp;quot;display:inline&amp;quot; onChange=&amp;quot;chooseCharSubset(selectedIndex)&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Select&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Ligatures and symbols&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Accents&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Tildes&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Cedillas&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Diereses&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Circumflexes&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Macrons&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Other diacritics&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Greek&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Hebrew&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Cyrillic&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;IPA&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;/select&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		specialchars.innerHTML = menu + specialchars.innerHTML.replace(/_newline_/gm, &#039;\n&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		/* default subset - try to use a cookie some day */&lt;br /&gt;
		chooseCharSubset(0);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * Select subsection of special characters.&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {int} s&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function chooseCharSubset (s) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var l = document.getElementById(&#039;specialchars&#039;).getElementsByTagName(&#039;p&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	for (var i = 0; i &amp;lt; l.length; i++) {&lt;br /&gt;
		l[i].style.display = i === s ? &#039;inline&#039; : &#039;none&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		l[i].style.visibility = i === s ? &#039;visible&#039; : &#039;hidden&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
addCharSubsetMenu(); // addOnloadHook();&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Collapsible headings&lt;br /&gt;
var a = $(&#039;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;javascript:void(0);&amp;quot;&amp;gt;collapse&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&#039;).click(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var currentHeading = parseInt($(this).parent().parent()[0].nodeName.match(/\d$/));&lt;br /&gt;
	var sameOrHigherHeading = &#039;h&#039; + Array.from({length: 6}, function (x, i) {return i+1;}).slice(0, currentHeading).join(&#039;,h&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var method = this.textContent === &#039;collapse&#039; ? &#039;hide&#039; : &#039;show&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	$(this).parent().parent().nextUntil(sameOrHigherHeading)[method]();&lt;br /&gt;
	this.textContent = this.textContent === &#039;collapse&#039; ? &#039;show&#039; : &#039;collapse&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
});&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6&#039;).children(&#039;.mw-editsection&#039;).append(&#039; [&#039;, a, &#039;]&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// add collapsible list if an empty span is present indicating to do so&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if ($(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList&#039;).length || $(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList_collapsed&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;ul,ol&#039;).each(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		$(this).addClass(&#039;collapsibleList&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		var li = $(this).find(&#039;li:has(ul,ol)&#039;).addClass(&#039;collapsibleListOpen&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		if (!li.find(&#039;span&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
			li.prepend(&#039;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;user-select: none;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	});&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// User:Brettz9 added with some JSLint/XHTML/JSDoc clean-up, optimization/convenience changes, OL support, and beginning of work to allow pre-expansion of lists&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
MEDIAWIKI LIST NOTES&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nested DL hierarchies do not work properly with Mediawiki (see bug at http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Thread:Project:Support_desk/How_to_create_nested_definition_lists%3F )&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Resources:&lt;br /&gt;
1. http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting&lt;br /&gt;
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:List&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
CollapsibleLists.js&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An object allowing lists to dynamically expand and collapse&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Original version created by Stephen Morley - http://code.stephenmorley.org/javascript/collapsible-lists/ -&lt;br /&gt;
and released under the terms of the CC0 1.0 Universal legal code:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ideas&lt;br /&gt;
1. Remember expanded states&lt;br /&gt;
2. Make DL collapsible via its DD&lt;br /&gt;
3. Support collapsing of DL component children (DD and DT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Todo summary: (see &amp;quot;todo&amp;quot;&#039;s below)&lt;br /&gt;
1. Optimize iteration algorithms&lt;br /&gt;
2. When #1 is completed, check top-most class of list (or its parent) for `doNotRecurse` and pre-expansion options&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars -- Might expand&lt;br /&gt;
var CollapsibleLists;&lt;br /&gt;
(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	// Create the CollapsibleLists object&lt;br /&gt;
	var collapsibleLists,&lt;br /&gt;
		autoApplyWithNoGlobal = true; // Configure as to whether to auto-apply to lists on the page (without creating a global) or whether to allow manual control via a global&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Opens or closes the list elements of the given type&lt;br /&gt;
	*   within the specified node.&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} node The node containing the list elements&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] Type of list; defaults to &amp;quot;ul&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {int}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function toggle (node, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
		listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// Determine whether to open or close the lists&lt;br /&gt;
		var index, li,&lt;br /&gt;
			open = node.className.match(/(^| )collapsibleListClosed( |$)/),&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the list elements with the node&lt;br /&gt;
			lists = node.querySelectorAll(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
			listsLength = lists.length;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; listsLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Find the ancestor list item of this list&lt;br /&gt;
			li = lists[index];&lt;br /&gt;
			while (li.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== &#039;li&#039;) {&lt;br /&gt;
				li = li.parentNode;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Style the list if it is within this node&lt;br /&gt;
			if (li === node) {&lt;br /&gt;
				lists[index].style.display = (open ? &#039;block&#039; : &#039;none&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		if (listsLength) {&lt;br /&gt;
			// Remove the current class from the node&lt;br /&gt;
			node.className = node.className.replace(&lt;br /&gt;
				/(^| )collapsibleList(Open|Closed)( |$)/, &#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
			);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// If the node contains lists, set its class&lt;br /&gt;
			if (listsLength &amp;gt; 0) {&lt;br /&gt;
				node.className += &#039; collapsibleList&#039; + (open ? &#039;Open&#039; : &#039;Closed&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		return listsLength;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
 /**&lt;br /&gt;
  * @callback ClickHandler&lt;br /&gt;
  * @private&lt;br /&gt;
  * @static&lt;br /&gt;
  * @param {Event} e The click event&lt;br /&gt;
  * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
  */&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Returns a function that toggles the display status of any&lt;br /&gt;
	*   list elements within the specified node. The parameter is...&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} node The node containing the list elements&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {ClickHandler}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function createClickListener (node) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		// Return the function&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
     * @type {ClickHandler}&lt;br /&gt;
     */&lt;br /&gt;
		return function (e) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Ensure the event object is defined&lt;br /&gt;
			e = e || window.event;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Find the list item containing the target of the event&lt;br /&gt;
			var li = e.target || e.srcElement;&lt;br /&gt;
			while (li.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== &#039;li&#039;) {&lt;br /&gt;
				li = li.parentNode;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Toggle the state of the node if it was the target of the event&lt;br /&gt;
			if (li === node) {&lt;br /&gt;
				toggle(node);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		};&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Event} e The event to prevent&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function preventDefault (e) {&lt;br /&gt;
		e.preventDefault();&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function preventDefaultIE () {&lt;br /&gt;
		// eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-globals -- IE&lt;br /&gt;
		event.returnValue = false;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	 * @param {boolean} leaveExpanded&lt;br /&gt;
 	 * @private&lt;br /&gt;
 	 * @static&lt;br /&gt;
     * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	 */&lt;br /&gt;
	function applyLists (leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
		collapsibleLists.apply(false, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Makes sublists of a given list type collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} list The list element&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] The list type under which sublists should be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
  * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function applySubListsForListType (list, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
		listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// Todo: This is unnecessarily redundant and thus expensive for deeply nested lists;&lt;br /&gt;
		//			 should instead check direct children recursively&lt;br /&gt;
		var subIndex,&lt;br /&gt;
			subLists = list.getElementsByTagName(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
			subListsLength = subLists.length;&lt;br /&gt;
		for (subIndex = 0; subIndex &amp;lt; subListsLength; subIndex++) {&lt;br /&gt;
			// Tempory fix to at least avoid multiple classes&lt;br /&gt;
			if (!(/(^| )collapsibleList( |$)/).test(subLists[subIndex].className)) {&lt;br /&gt;
				subLists[subIndex].className += &#039; collapsibleList&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	collapsibleLists = {&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes all lists with the class &#039;collapsibleList&#039; collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
    * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		apply: function (doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
			this.applyForListType(doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
		},&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes lists of the given type with the class &#039;collapsibleList&#039; collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] Type of list; defaults to &amp;quot;ul&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyForListType: function (doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
			listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the lists&lt;br /&gt;
			var index, list,&lt;br /&gt;
				// Todo: This is unnecessarily redundant and thus inefficient; should instead&lt;br /&gt;
				//			 iterate over direct children&lt;br /&gt;
				lists = document.querySelectorAll(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
				listsLength = lists.length,&lt;br /&gt;
				listPattern = /(^| )collapsibleList( |$)/;&lt;br /&gt;
			for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; listsLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
				list = lists[index];&lt;br /&gt;
				// Check whether this list should be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
				if (listPattern.test(list.className) ||&lt;br /&gt;
					listPattern.test(list.parentNode.className) // For convenience when used with Mediawiki simple syntax lists (which cannot specify classes on the list)&lt;br /&gt;
				) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Make this list collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
					this.applyTo(list, true, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Check whether sub-lists should also be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
					// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow doNotRecurse specification&lt;br /&gt;
					if (!doNotRecurse) {&lt;br /&gt;
						// Add the collapsibleList class to the sub-lists&lt;br /&gt;
						applySubListsForListType(list);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
				}&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		},&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes the specified list collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {Element} node The list element&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyTo: function (node, doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the list items within this node&lt;br /&gt;
			var index,&lt;br /&gt;
				lis = node.querySelectorAll(&#039;li&#039;),&lt;br /&gt;
				lisLength = lis.length;&lt;br /&gt;
			for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; lisLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
				// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow doNotRecurse specification&lt;br /&gt;
				// Check whether this list item should be collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
				if (!doNotRecurse || node === lis[index].parentNode) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
                    var attachNode = lis[index].querySelector(&#039;span&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
                    if (!attachNode) {&lt;br /&gt;
                    	continue;&lt;br /&gt;
                    }&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Prevent text from being selected unintentionally&lt;br /&gt;
					if (attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener(&#039;mousedown&#039;, preventDefault, false);&lt;br /&gt;
					} else {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.attachEvent(&#039;onselectstart&#039;, preventDefaultIE);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Add the click listener&lt;br /&gt;
					if (attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener(&#039;click&#039;, createClickListener(lis[index]), false);&lt;br /&gt;
					} else {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.attachEvent(&#039;onclick&#039;, createClickListener(lis[index]));&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Close the lists within this list item&lt;br /&gt;
					// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow expansion via class&lt;br /&gt;
					if (!leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
						toggle(lis[index]);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
				}&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	};&lt;br /&gt;
	if (autoApplyWithNoGlobal) {&lt;br /&gt;
		/*&lt;br /&gt;
		if (window.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
			window.addEventListener(&#039;DOMContentLoaded&#039;, applyLists, false);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		else {&lt;br /&gt;
			window.attachEvent(&#039;onload&#039;, applyLists);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyLists(!$(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList_collapsed&#039;).length);&lt;br /&gt;
	} else {&lt;br /&gt;
		CollapsibleLists = collapsibleLists;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}());&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {Element} el&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {string} newText&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
function changeText (el, newText) {&lt;br /&gt;
	if (el.firstChild &amp;amp;&amp;amp; el.firstChild.nodeValue) {&lt;br /&gt;
		el.firstChild.nodeValue = newText;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
var t, toc, toggleLink;&lt;br /&gt;
try {&lt;br /&gt;
	t = document.getElementById(&#039;toc&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	if (t) { // No TOC for pages with no headings&lt;br /&gt;
		t.style.display = &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		toc = t.getElementsByTagName(&#039;ul&#039;)[0];&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink = document.getElementById(&#039;toctogglecheckbox&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		// if (tocIsHidden()) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleToc();&lt;br /&gt;
		// }&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
} catch (error) {&lt;br /&gt;
	// eslint-disable-next-line no-console -- Error surfacing&lt;br /&gt;
	console.log(&#039;erred&#039;, error);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {boolean}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function tocIsHidden () {&lt;br /&gt;
	return !toc || !toggleLink || window.getComputedStyle(toc).display !== &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function toggleToc () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var hidden = tocIsHidden();&lt;br /&gt;
	if (hidden &amp;amp;&amp;amp; document.cookie.indexOf(&#039;hidetoc=0&#039;) &amp;gt; -1) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink.click();&lt;br /&gt;
		// changeText(toggleLink, tocShowText);&lt;br /&gt;
		// toc.style.display = &#039;none&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// eslint-disable-next-line sonarjs/no-duplicated-branches -- Might expand&lt;br /&gt;
	} else if (!hidden &amp;amp;&amp;amp; document.cookie.indexOf(&#039;hidetoc=1&#039;) &amp;gt; -1) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink.click();&lt;br /&gt;
		// changeText(toggleLink, tocHideText);&lt;br /&gt;
		// toc.style.display = &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if (toggleLink) {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleLink.addEventListener(&#039;click&#039;, function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		var isHidden = tocIsHidden();&lt;br /&gt;
		document.cookie = isHidden ? &#039;hidetoc=1&#039; : &#039;hidetoc=0&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	});&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
// &amp;lt;/source&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {boolean} forceConceal&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function toggleHeadings (forceConceal) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var headings = $(&#039;#content h2:not(#mw-toc-heading), #content h3, #content h4, #content h5, #content h6&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var th = $(&#039;#toggle-headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	if (!forceConceal &amp;amp;&amp;amp; localStorage.getItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;)) {&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;br /&gt;
$(&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;br /&gt;
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// If a category page&lt;br /&gt;
if (mw.config.get(&#039;wgNamespaceNumber&#039;) === 14 &amp;amp;&amp;amp; $(&#039;#mw-pages&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;form action=&amp;quot;/index.php&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;label&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Search category pages&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;: &amp;lt;input id=&amp;quot;categoryWorkSearch&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/label&amp;gt;&#039; +&lt;br /&gt;
		&#039;&amp;lt;input type=&amp;quot;submit&amp;quot; value=&amp;quot;go&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/form&amp;gt;&#039;).submit(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
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			value: &#039;incategory:&amp;quot;&#039; + mw.config.get(&#039;wgTitle&#039;) + &#039;&amp;quot; &#039; +&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;br /&gt;
// Prepopulating user category pages&lt;br /&gt;
var params = new URLSearchParams(location.search);&lt;br /&gt;
if (params.has(&#039;prepopulate&#039;) &amp;amp;&amp;amp; params.get(&#039;action&#039;) === &#039;edit&#039; &amp;amp;&amp;amp; !$(&#039;#wpTextbox1&#039;).val()) {&lt;br /&gt;
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	var text = &#039;[[Category:User&#039; + match[1] + &#039;]]&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
    $(&#039;#wpTextbox1&#039;).val(text);&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;br /&gt;
// Sister project links (convert to specific page)&lt;br /&gt;
// If want these added server-side, could add as header/footer using https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Header_Footer&lt;br /&gt;
var pageName = mw.config.get(&#039;wgPageName&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
var encPageName = encodeURIComponent(pageName);&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.media a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai.media/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.works a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai.works/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Bahaipedia\\.org a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahaipedia.org/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\-library\\-tags a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai-library.com/tags/&#039; + encodeURI(pageName));&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Indexes a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai-browser.org/indexes/json/?indexTerm=&#039; + encPageName.replace(/_/g, &#039;+&#039;));&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.org\\-Writings a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/search?q=&#039; + encPageName);&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Wikipedia a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://en.wikipedia.org/?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&amp;diff=17661</id>
		<title>MediaWiki:Sidebar</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&amp;diff=17661"/>
		<updated>2023-10-05T00:10:02Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: +Bahai.org Writings&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;lt;!-- {{PAGENAME}} not working, nor ifeq with it --&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* navigation&lt;br /&gt;
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* SEARCH&lt;br /&gt;
* TOOLBOX&lt;br /&gt;
* LANGUAGES&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Memorization&amp;diff=17660</id>
		<title>Memorization</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=Memorization&amp;diff=17660"/>
		<updated>2023-10-04T05:19:30Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: structure&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;==To memorize the Writings (can be recited at devotional meetings)==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;...the Five Year Plan calls for the friends to memorize selections from the Writings. If a believer finds it difficult to memorize, he may be encouraged to make for his own use a selection of extracts, however brief, which he could reread and enjoy at his own leisure, to satisfy his inner soul.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Universal House of Justice]], &#039;&#039;[[Local Spiritual Assemblies (compilation)]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_local_spiritual_assemblies#1354b 1354 (section c10)])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===See also===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[compilation making]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Memorizing Writings and prayers can help in study of the Cause and deepening and enrichment of spiritual life==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian was truly pleased to note that you have already started reading some Bahá&#039;í books, and would specially advise you to endeavour to commit to memory certain passages from the Writings of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, and in particular, some of His prayers. This training would undoubtedly be of tremendous help to you in your future studies of the Cause, and would also serve to considerably deepen and enrich your own spiritual life at present.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter dated 10 April 1939 written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] [[to an individual believer]], &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#130 130])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==What to Memorize==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tablets===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Memorizing text of Tablets and perspicous words and statements is praiseworthy====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Memorizing the texts of the holy Tablets, and of perspicuous words and statements is highly praiseworthy. You should exert the utmost endeavour in your efforts to educate, to expound, and to instruct.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[&#039;Abdu&#039;l-Bahá]], from a newly translated Tablet of Abdu&#039;l-Bahá, &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#32 32])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“The Master used to attach much importance to the learning by heart of the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb. During His days, it was a usual work of the children of the household to learn Tablets by heart...”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[On behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], 19 October 1932, &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#108 108])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Tablets on teaching and for teaching====&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The sanctified souls should ponder and meditate in their hearts regarding the methods of teaching. From the texts of the wondrous, heavenly Scriptures they should memorize phrases and passages bearing on various instances, so that in the course of their speech they may recite divine verses whenever the occasion demandeth it, inasmuch as these holy verses are the most potent elixir, the greatest and mightiest talisman. So potent is their influence that the hearer will have no cause for vacillation. I swear by My life! This Revelation is endowed with such a power that it will act as the lodestone for all nations and kindreds of the earth. Should one pause to meditate attentively he would recognize that no place is there, nor can there be, for anyone to flee to.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh]], &#039;&#039;[[Tablets of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh]]&#039;&#039;, p. [[tb:200|200]], &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#25])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;When your hearts are wholly attracted to the one true God you will acquire divine knowledge, will become attentive to the proofs and testimonies and will commit to memory the glad-tidings concerning the Manifestations of the Beauty of the All-Merciful, as mentioned in the heavenly Scriptures. Then ye shall behold how wondrous are His confirmations and how gracious is His assistance.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[`Abdu&#039;l-Bahá]], from a newly translated Tablet of Abdu&#039;l-Bahá, &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#28])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It is very good to memorize the logical points and proofs of the Holy Books. Those proofs and evidences which establish the fact that Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh is the fulfillment of the Promises of the Holy Books. These proofs ought to be collected and memorized. As soon as someone will ask you-What are your proofs?-you may cry out at the top of your voice and say: &amp;quot;Here they are!&amp;quot;&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[`Abdu&#039;l-Bahá]], &#039;&#039;[[Star of the West]]&#039;&#039;, 3, no.11[27 Sept. 1912], 4, &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#64 64])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Those who participate in such a campaign, whether in an organizing capacity, or as workers to whose care the execution of the task itself has been committed, must, as an essential preliminary to the discharge of their duties, thoroughly familiarize themselves with the various aspects of the history and teachings of their Faith. In their efforts to achieve this purpose they must study for themselves, conscientiously and painstakingly, the literature of their Faith, delve into its teachings, assimilate its laws and principles, ponder its admonitions, tenets and purposes, commit to memory certain of its exhortations and prayers, master the essentials of its administration, and keep abreast of its current affairs and latest developments.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Advent of Divine Justice]]&#039;&#039;, p. [[adj:49|49]], &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#83 83])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“They [the Bahá’í youth] must be acquainted with those essential prerequisites of teaching as recorded in the Holy Books and Tablets.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], translated from a letter dated 9 June 1925 to the Spiritual Assembly of the East, &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#73 73])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“The friends should read the Writings and be able to quote from the Tablets when discussing subjects pertaining to the Faith.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[On behalf of Shoghi Effendi]], 9 May 1932, &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#105 105])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“Surely the ideal way of teaching is to prove our points by constant reference to the actual words of Bahá’u’lláh and the Master. This will save the Cause from being misinterpreted by individuals. It is what these divine Lights say that is truth and therefore They should be the authorities of our statements. This, however, does not mean that our freedom of expression is limited. We can always finds new ways of approach to that truth or explain how they influence our life and condition. The more deep our studies the more we can understanding the significance of the teachings. In the Cause we cannot divorce the letter from the spirit of the words. As Bahá’u’lláh says we should take the outward significance and super-impose upon it the inner. Either without the other is wrong and defective.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter dated 16 February 1932 written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] [[to an individual believer]]), &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#103 103])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===&#039;&#039;[[Hidden Words]]&#039;&#039;===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We should memorize the Hidden Words, follow the exhortations of the Incomparable Lord, and conduct ourselves in a manner which befitteth our servitude at the threshold of the One True God.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[&#039;Abdu&#039;l-Bahá]], from a newly translated Tablet of Abdu&#039;l-Bahá, &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#38 38])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Hidden Words#On the need to read.2C memorize.2C and live up to them]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===[[Prayer]]===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;There is no objection to the friends memorizing prayers; on the contrary it is excellent for them to do so.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter dated 6 September 1946 written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] [[to an individual believer]], &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#144 144])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The Guardian was truly pleased to note that you have already started reading some Bahá&#039;í books, and would specially advise you to endeavour to commit to memory certain passages from the Writings of Bahá&#039;u&#039;lláh, and in particular, some of His prayers. This training would undoubtedly be of tremendous help to you in your future studies of the Cause, and would also serve to considerably deepen and enrich your own spiritual life at present.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:(From a letter dated 10 April 1939 written [[on behalf of Shoghi Effendi]] [[to an individual believer]], &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#130 130])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Those who participate in such a campaign, whether in an organizing capacity, or as workers to whose care the execution of the task itself has been committed, must, as an essential preliminary to the discharge of their duties, thoroughly familiarize themselves with the various aspects of the history and teachings of their Faith. In their efforts to achieve this purpose they must study for themselves, conscientiously and painstakingly, the literature of their Faith, delve into its teachings, assimilate its laws and principles, ponder its admonitions, tenets and purposes, commit to memory certain of its exhortations and prayers, master the essentials of its administration, and keep abreast of its current affairs and latest developments.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:([[Shoghi Effendi]], &#039;&#039;[[Advent of Divine Justice]]&#039;&#039;, p. [[adj:49|49]], &#039;&#039;[[Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith]]&#039;&#039;, no. [https://bahai-library.com/compilation_importance_deepening#83 83])&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====See also====&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Prayers and Meditations]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Studying the original language(s) or language for self/teaching?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
See [[Persian]], [[Arabic]], [[language education]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Melodies ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
See [[recite melodiously]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===See also===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Writings by subject]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Speech]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Use of study outlines]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Time-sequence]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.js&amp;diff=17659</id>
		<title>MediaWiki:Common.js</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.js&amp;diff=17659"/>
		<updated>2023-10-04T05:04:10Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: +Wikipedia&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;/* globals document, window, URLSearchParams, location, event, console, localStorage,&lt;br /&gt;
  $, mw, -- Set by MediaWiki */&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint-disable&lt;br /&gt;
  no-tabs, padded-blocks, no-multiple-empty-lines,&lt;br /&gt;
  vars-on-top&lt;br /&gt;
  -- Disabling for readability&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint-disable&lt;br /&gt;
  no-var, prefer-named-capture-group, require-unicode-regexp,&lt;br /&gt;
  object-shorthand,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/no-document-cookie,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/prefer-query-selector, unicorn/prefer-includes, unicorn/no-for-loop,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/prefer-default-parameters&lt;br /&gt;
  -- Disabling some due to older browser support/lack of ES6+ support&lt;br /&gt;
  */&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint indent: [&#039;error&#039;, &#039;tab&#039;] -- Differs from eslint-config-ash-nazg */&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
CONTENTS&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
1. Character subset menu&lt;br /&gt;
2. Collapsible headings&lt;br /&gt;
3. Collapsible lists&lt;br /&gt;
4. Toggling table of contents&lt;br /&gt;
5. Toggling headings&lt;br /&gt;
6. Search category pages&lt;br /&gt;
7. Prepopulating user category pages&lt;br /&gt;
8. Sister project links (convert to specific page)&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// MediaWiki vars (use mw.config.get() for some): https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Interface/JavaScript&lt;br /&gt;
/* Any JavaScript here will be loaded for all users on every page load. */&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;use strict&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**********************&lt;br /&gt;
*** add menu on edit page /for selecting subsets of special characters&lt;br /&gt;
*** by [[user:Pathoschild]]&lt;br /&gt;
***   - note: must match MediaWiki:Edittools&lt;br /&gt;
**********************/&lt;br /&gt;
function addCharSubsetMenu () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var specialchars = document.getElementById(&#039;specialchars&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	if (specialchars) {&lt;br /&gt;
		var menu = &#039;&amp;lt;select style=&amp;quot;display:inline&amp;quot; onChange=&amp;quot;chooseCharSubset(selectedIndex)&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Select&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Ligatures and symbols&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Accents&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Tildes&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Cedillas&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Diereses&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Circumflexes&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Macrons&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Other diacritics&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Greek&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Hebrew&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Cyrillic&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;IPA&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;/select&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		specialchars.innerHTML = menu + specialchars.innerHTML.replace(/_newline_/gm, &#039;\n&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		/* default subset - try to use a cookie some day */&lt;br /&gt;
		chooseCharSubset(0);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * Select subsection of special characters.&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {int} s&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function chooseCharSubset (s) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var l = document.getElementById(&#039;specialchars&#039;).getElementsByTagName(&#039;p&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	for (var i = 0; i &amp;lt; l.length; i++) {&lt;br /&gt;
		l[i].style.display = i === s ? &#039;inline&#039; : &#039;none&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		l[i].style.visibility = i === s ? &#039;visible&#039; : &#039;hidden&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
addCharSubsetMenu(); // addOnloadHook();&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Collapsible headings&lt;br /&gt;
var a = $(&#039;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;javascript:void(0);&amp;quot;&amp;gt;collapse&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&#039;).click(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var currentHeading = parseInt($(this).parent().parent()[0].nodeName.match(/\d$/));&lt;br /&gt;
	var sameOrHigherHeading = &#039;h&#039; + Array.from({length: 6}, function (x, i) {return i+1;}).slice(0, currentHeading).join(&#039;,h&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var method = this.textContent === &#039;collapse&#039; ? &#039;hide&#039; : &#039;show&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	$(this).parent().parent().nextUntil(sameOrHigherHeading)[method]();&lt;br /&gt;
	this.textContent = this.textContent === &#039;collapse&#039; ? &#039;show&#039; : &#039;collapse&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
});&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6&#039;).children(&#039;.mw-editsection&#039;).append(&#039; [&#039;, a, &#039;]&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// add collapsible list if an empty span is present indicating to do so&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if ($(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList&#039;).length || $(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList_collapsed&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;ul,ol&#039;).each(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		$(this).addClass(&#039;collapsibleList&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		var li = $(this).find(&#039;li:has(ul,ol)&#039;).addClass(&#039;collapsibleListOpen&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		if (!li.find(&#039;span&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
			li.prepend(&#039;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;user-select: none;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	});&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// User:Brettz9 added with some JSLint/XHTML/JSDoc clean-up, optimization/convenience changes, OL support, and beginning of work to allow pre-expansion of lists&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
MEDIAWIKI LIST NOTES&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nested DL hierarchies do not work properly with Mediawiki (see bug at http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Thread:Project:Support_desk/How_to_create_nested_definition_lists%3F )&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Resources:&lt;br /&gt;
1. http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting&lt;br /&gt;
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:List&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
CollapsibleLists.js&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An object allowing lists to dynamically expand and collapse&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Original version created by Stephen Morley - http://code.stephenmorley.org/javascript/collapsible-lists/ -&lt;br /&gt;
and released under the terms of the CC0 1.0 Universal legal code:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ideas&lt;br /&gt;
1. Remember expanded states&lt;br /&gt;
2. Make DL collapsible via its DD&lt;br /&gt;
3. Support collapsing of DL component children (DD and DT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Todo summary: (see &amp;quot;todo&amp;quot;&#039;s below)&lt;br /&gt;
1. Optimize iteration algorithms&lt;br /&gt;
2. When #1 is completed, check top-most class of list (or its parent) for `doNotRecurse` and pre-expansion options&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars -- Might expand&lt;br /&gt;
var CollapsibleLists;&lt;br /&gt;
(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	// Create the CollapsibleLists object&lt;br /&gt;
	var collapsibleLists,&lt;br /&gt;
		autoApplyWithNoGlobal = true; // Configure as to whether to auto-apply to lists on the page (without creating a global) or whether to allow manual control via a global&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Opens or closes the list elements of the given type&lt;br /&gt;
	*   within the specified node.&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} node The node containing the list elements&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] Type of list; defaults to &amp;quot;ul&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {int}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function toggle (node, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
		listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// Determine whether to open or close the lists&lt;br /&gt;
		var index, li,&lt;br /&gt;
			open = node.className.match(/(^| )collapsibleListClosed( |$)/),&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the list elements with the node&lt;br /&gt;
			lists = node.querySelectorAll(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
			listsLength = lists.length;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; listsLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Find the ancestor list item of this list&lt;br /&gt;
			li = lists[index];&lt;br /&gt;
			while (li.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== &#039;li&#039;) {&lt;br /&gt;
				li = li.parentNode;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Style the list if it is within this node&lt;br /&gt;
			if (li === node) {&lt;br /&gt;
				lists[index].style.display = (open ? &#039;block&#039; : &#039;none&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		if (listsLength) {&lt;br /&gt;
			// Remove the current class from the node&lt;br /&gt;
			node.className = node.className.replace(&lt;br /&gt;
				/(^| )collapsibleList(Open|Closed)( |$)/, &#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
			);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// If the node contains lists, set its class&lt;br /&gt;
			if (listsLength &amp;gt; 0) {&lt;br /&gt;
				node.className += &#039; collapsibleList&#039; + (open ? &#039;Open&#039; : &#039;Closed&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		return listsLength;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
 /**&lt;br /&gt;
  * @callback ClickHandler&lt;br /&gt;
  * @private&lt;br /&gt;
  * @static&lt;br /&gt;
  * @param {Event} e The click event&lt;br /&gt;
  * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
  */&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Returns a function that toggles the display status of any&lt;br /&gt;
	*   list elements within the specified node. The parameter is...&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} node The node containing the list elements&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {ClickHandler}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function createClickListener (node) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		// Return the function&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
     * @type {ClickHandler}&lt;br /&gt;
     */&lt;br /&gt;
		return function (e) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Ensure the event object is defined&lt;br /&gt;
			e = e || window.event;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Find the list item containing the target of the event&lt;br /&gt;
			var li = e.target || e.srcElement;&lt;br /&gt;
			while (li.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== &#039;li&#039;) {&lt;br /&gt;
				li = li.parentNode;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Toggle the state of the node if it was the target of the event&lt;br /&gt;
			if (li === node) {&lt;br /&gt;
				toggle(node);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		};&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Event} e The event to prevent&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function preventDefault (e) {&lt;br /&gt;
		e.preventDefault();&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function preventDefaultIE () {&lt;br /&gt;
		// eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-globals -- IE&lt;br /&gt;
		event.returnValue = false;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	 * @param {boolean} leaveExpanded&lt;br /&gt;
 	 * @private&lt;br /&gt;
 	 * @static&lt;br /&gt;
     * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	 */&lt;br /&gt;
	function applyLists (leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
		collapsibleLists.apply(false, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Makes sublists of a given list type collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} list The list element&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] The list type under which sublists should be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
  * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function applySubListsForListType (list, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
		listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// Todo: This is unnecessarily redundant and thus expensive for deeply nested lists;&lt;br /&gt;
		//			 should instead check direct children recursively&lt;br /&gt;
		var subIndex,&lt;br /&gt;
			subLists = list.getElementsByTagName(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
			subListsLength = subLists.length;&lt;br /&gt;
		for (subIndex = 0; subIndex &amp;lt; subListsLength; subIndex++) {&lt;br /&gt;
			// Tempory fix to at least avoid multiple classes&lt;br /&gt;
			if (!(/(^| )collapsibleList( |$)/).test(subLists[subIndex].className)) {&lt;br /&gt;
				subLists[subIndex].className += &#039; collapsibleList&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	collapsibleLists = {&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes all lists with the class &#039;collapsibleList&#039; collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
    * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		apply: function (doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
			this.applyForListType(doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
		},&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes lists of the given type with the class &#039;collapsibleList&#039; collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] Type of list; defaults to &amp;quot;ul&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyForListType: function (doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
			listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the lists&lt;br /&gt;
			var index, list,&lt;br /&gt;
				// Todo: This is unnecessarily redundant and thus inefficient; should instead&lt;br /&gt;
				//			 iterate over direct children&lt;br /&gt;
				lists = document.querySelectorAll(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
				listsLength = lists.length,&lt;br /&gt;
				listPattern = /(^| )collapsibleList( |$)/;&lt;br /&gt;
			for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; listsLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
				list = lists[index];&lt;br /&gt;
				// Check whether this list should be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
				if (listPattern.test(list.className) ||&lt;br /&gt;
					listPattern.test(list.parentNode.className) // For convenience when used with Mediawiki simple syntax lists (which cannot specify classes on the list)&lt;br /&gt;
				) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Make this list collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
					this.applyTo(list, true, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Check whether sub-lists should also be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
					// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow doNotRecurse specification&lt;br /&gt;
					if (!doNotRecurse) {&lt;br /&gt;
						// Add the collapsibleList class to the sub-lists&lt;br /&gt;
						applySubListsForListType(list);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
				}&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		},&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes the specified list collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {Element} node The list element&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyTo: function (node, doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the list items within this node&lt;br /&gt;
			var index,&lt;br /&gt;
				lis = node.querySelectorAll(&#039;li&#039;),&lt;br /&gt;
				lisLength = lis.length;&lt;br /&gt;
			for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; lisLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
				// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow doNotRecurse specification&lt;br /&gt;
				// Check whether this list item should be collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
				if (!doNotRecurse || node === lis[index].parentNode) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
                    var attachNode = lis[index].querySelector(&#039;span&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
                    if (!attachNode) {&lt;br /&gt;
                    	continue;&lt;br /&gt;
                    }&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Prevent text from being selected unintentionally&lt;br /&gt;
					if (attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener(&#039;mousedown&#039;, preventDefault, false);&lt;br /&gt;
					} else {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.attachEvent(&#039;onselectstart&#039;, preventDefaultIE);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Add the click listener&lt;br /&gt;
					if (attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener(&#039;click&#039;, createClickListener(lis[index]), false);&lt;br /&gt;
					} else {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.attachEvent(&#039;onclick&#039;, createClickListener(lis[index]));&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Close the lists within this list item&lt;br /&gt;
					// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow expansion via class&lt;br /&gt;
					if (!leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
						toggle(lis[index]);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
				}&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	};&lt;br /&gt;
	if (autoApplyWithNoGlobal) {&lt;br /&gt;
		/*&lt;br /&gt;
		if (window.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
			window.addEventListener(&#039;DOMContentLoaded&#039;, applyLists, false);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		else {&lt;br /&gt;
			window.attachEvent(&#039;onload&#039;, applyLists);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyLists(!$(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList_collapsed&#039;).length);&lt;br /&gt;
	} else {&lt;br /&gt;
		CollapsibleLists = collapsibleLists;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}());&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {Element} el&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {string} newText&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
function changeText (el, newText) {&lt;br /&gt;
	if (el.firstChild &amp;amp;&amp;amp; el.firstChild.nodeValue) {&lt;br /&gt;
		el.firstChild.nodeValue = newText;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
var t, toc, toggleLink;&lt;br /&gt;
try {&lt;br /&gt;
	t = document.getElementById(&#039;toc&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	if (t) { // No TOC for pages with no headings&lt;br /&gt;
		t.style.display = &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		toc = t.getElementsByTagName(&#039;ul&#039;)[0];&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink = document.getElementById(&#039;toctogglecheckbox&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		// if (tocIsHidden()) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleToc();&lt;br /&gt;
		// }&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
} catch (error) {&lt;br /&gt;
	// eslint-disable-next-line no-console -- Error surfacing&lt;br /&gt;
	console.log(&#039;erred&#039;, error);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {boolean}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function tocIsHidden () {&lt;br /&gt;
	return !toc || !toggleLink || window.getComputedStyle(toc).display !== &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function toggleToc () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var hidden = tocIsHidden();&lt;br /&gt;
	if (hidden &amp;amp;&amp;amp; document.cookie.indexOf(&#039;hidetoc=0&#039;) &amp;gt; -1) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink.click();&lt;br /&gt;
		// changeText(toggleLink, tocShowText);&lt;br /&gt;
		// toc.style.display = &#039;none&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// eslint-disable-next-line sonarjs/no-duplicated-branches -- Might expand&lt;br /&gt;
	} else if (!hidden &amp;amp;&amp;amp; document.cookie.indexOf(&#039;hidetoc=1&#039;) &amp;gt; -1) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink.click();&lt;br /&gt;
		// changeText(toggleLink, tocHideText);&lt;br /&gt;
		// toc.style.display = &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if (toggleLink) {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleLink.addEventListener(&#039;click&#039;, function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		var isHidden = tocIsHidden();&lt;br /&gt;
		document.cookie = isHidden ? &#039;hidetoc=1&#039; : &#039;hidetoc=0&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	});&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
// &amp;lt;/source&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {boolean} forceConceal&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function toggleHeadings (forceConceal) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var headings = $(&#039;#content h2:not(#mw-toc-heading), #content h3, #content h4, #content h5, #content h6&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var th = $(&#039;#toggle-headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	if (!forceConceal &amp;amp;&amp;amp; localStorage.getItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;)) {&lt;br /&gt;
		localStorage.removeItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		headings.show();&lt;br /&gt;
		th.text(&#039;Collapse headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	} else {&lt;br /&gt;
		localStorage.setItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;, &#039;1&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		headings.hide();&lt;br /&gt;
		th.text(&#039;Show headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
$(&lt;br /&gt;
	&#039;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;javascript:void(0);&amp;quot; id=&amp;quot;toggle-headings&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Collapse headings&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
).appendTo(&#039;#p-tb .vector-menu-content-list&#039;).click(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleHeadings();&lt;br /&gt;
});&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if (localStorage.getItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;)) {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleHeadings(true);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Search category pages&lt;br /&gt;
// If a category page&lt;br /&gt;
if (mw.config.get(&#039;wgNamespaceNumber&#039;) === 14 &amp;amp;&amp;amp; $(&#039;#mw-pages&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;form action=&amp;quot;/index.php&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;label&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Search category pages&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;: &amp;lt;input id=&amp;quot;categoryWorkSearch&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/label&amp;gt;&#039; +&lt;br /&gt;
		&#039;&amp;lt;input type=&amp;quot;submit&amp;quot; value=&amp;quot;go&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/form&amp;gt;&#039;).submit(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		var $el = $(&#039;&amp;lt;input type=&amp;quot;hidden&amp;quot; name=&amp;quot;search&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		$el.attr({&lt;br /&gt;
			value: &#039;incategory:&amp;quot;&#039; + mw.config.get(&#039;wgTitle&#039;) + &#039;&amp;quot; &#039; +&lt;br /&gt;
				$(this).find(&#039;#categoryWorkSearch&#039;).val()&lt;br /&gt;
		});&lt;br /&gt;
		$(this).append($el);&lt;br /&gt;
	}).appendTo(&#039;#mw-pages &amp;gt; p&#039;); // .prependTo(&#039;#mw-content-text&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Prepopulating user category pages&lt;br /&gt;
var params = new URLSearchParams(location.search);&lt;br /&gt;
if (params.has(&#039;prepopulate&#039;) &amp;amp;&amp;amp; params.get(&#039;action&#039;) === &#039;edit&#039; &amp;amp;&amp;amp; !$(&#039;#wpTextbox1&#039;).val()) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var title = params.get(&#039;title&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var match = title.match(/User:[^/]*([^&amp;amp;]*)$/);&lt;br /&gt;
	var text = &#039;[[Category:User&#039; + match[1] + &#039;]]&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
    $(&#039;#wpTextbox1&#039;).val(text);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Sister project links (convert to specific page)&lt;br /&gt;
// If want these added server-side, could add as header/footer using https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Header_Footer&lt;br /&gt;
var pageName = mw.config.get(&#039;wgPageName&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
var encPageName = encodeURIComponent(pageName);&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.media a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai.media/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.works a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai.works/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Bahaipedia\\.org a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahaipedia.org/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\-library\\-tags a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai-library.com/tags/&#039; + encodeURI(pageName));&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Indexes a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai-browser.org/indexes/json/?indexTerm=&#039; + encPageName.replace(/_/g, &#039;+&#039;));&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Wikipedia a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://en.wikipedia.org/?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&amp;diff=17658</id>
		<title>MediaWiki:Sidebar</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&amp;diff=17658"/>
		<updated>2023-10-04T05:03:20Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;lt;!-- {{PAGENAME}} not working, nor ifeq with it --&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* navigation&lt;br /&gt;
** mainpage|mainpage-description&lt;br /&gt;
** Bahai9:About|About Bahai9&lt;br /&gt;
** recentchanges-url|recentchanges&lt;br /&gt;
** randompage-url|randompage&lt;br /&gt;
** helppage|help-mediawiki&lt;br /&gt;
* Sister projects&lt;br /&gt;
** :medias:Main Page|Bahai.media&lt;br /&gt;
** :workss:Main Page|Bahai.works&lt;br /&gt;
** :pedias:Main Page|Bahaipedia.org&lt;br /&gt;
** :bltags:|Bahai-library tags&lt;br /&gt;
** :index:|Indexes&lt;br /&gt;
* Other projects&lt;br /&gt;
** :wikipedias:|Wikipedia&lt;br /&gt;
* SEARCH&lt;br /&gt;
* TOOLBOX&lt;br /&gt;
* LANGUAGES&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&amp;diff=17657</id>
		<title>MediaWiki:Sidebar</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&amp;diff=17657"/>
		<updated>2023-10-04T05:02:51Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;lt;!-- {{PAGENAME}} not working, nor ifeq with it --&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* navigation&lt;br /&gt;
** mainpage|mainpage-description&lt;br /&gt;
** Bahai9:About|About Bahai9&lt;br /&gt;
** recentchanges-url|recentchanges&lt;br /&gt;
** randompage-url|randompage&lt;br /&gt;
** helppage|help-mediawiki&lt;br /&gt;
* Sister projects&lt;br /&gt;
** :medias:Main Page|Bahai.media&lt;br /&gt;
** :workss:Main Page|Bahai.works&lt;br /&gt;
** :pedias:Main Page|Bahaipedia.org&lt;br /&gt;
** :bltags:|Bahai-library tags&lt;br /&gt;
** :index:|Indexes&lt;br /&gt;
** ----&lt;br /&gt;
** :wikipedias:|Wikipedia&lt;br /&gt;
* SEARCH&lt;br /&gt;
* TOOLBOX&lt;br /&gt;
* LANGUAGES&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&amp;diff=17656</id>
		<title>MediaWiki:Sidebar</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&amp;diff=17656"/>
		<updated>2023-10-04T05:02:22Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;lt;!-- {{PAGENAME}} not working, nor ifeq with it --&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* navigation&lt;br /&gt;
** mainpage|mainpage-description&lt;br /&gt;
** Bahai9:About|About Bahai9&lt;br /&gt;
** recentchanges-url|recentchanges&lt;br /&gt;
** randompage-url|randompage&lt;br /&gt;
** helppage|help-mediawiki&lt;br /&gt;
* Sister projects&lt;br /&gt;
** :medias:Main Page|Bahai.media&lt;br /&gt;
** :workss:Main Page|Bahai.works&lt;br /&gt;
** :pedias:Main Page|Bahaipedia.org&lt;br /&gt;
** :bltags:|Bahai-library tags&lt;br /&gt;
** :index:|Indexes&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* :wikipedias:|Wikipedia&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* SEARCH&lt;br /&gt;
* TOOLBOX&lt;br /&gt;
* LANGUAGES&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.js&amp;diff=17655</id>
		<title>MediaWiki:Common.js</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://bahai9.com/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Common.js&amp;diff=17655"/>
		<updated>2023-10-04T04:08:30Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;WikiSysop: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;/* globals document, window, URLSearchParams, location, event, console, localStorage,&lt;br /&gt;
  $, mw, -- Set by MediaWiki */&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint-disable&lt;br /&gt;
  no-tabs, padded-blocks, no-multiple-empty-lines,&lt;br /&gt;
  vars-on-top&lt;br /&gt;
  -- Disabling for readability&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint-disable&lt;br /&gt;
  no-var, prefer-named-capture-group, require-unicode-regexp,&lt;br /&gt;
  object-shorthand,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/no-document-cookie,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/prefer-query-selector, unicorn/prefer-includes, unicorn/no-for-loop,&lt;br /&gt;
  unicorn/prefer-default-parameters&lt;br /&gt;
  -- Disabling some due to older browser support/lack of ES6+ support&lt;br /&gt;
  */&lt;br /&gt;
/* eslint indent: [&#039;error&#039;, &#039;tab&#039;] -- Differs from eslint-config-ash-nazg */&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
CONTENTS&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
1. Character subset menu&lt;br /&gt;
2. Collapsible headings&lt;br /&gt;
3. Collapsible lists&lt;br /&gt;
4. Toggling table of contents&lt;br /&gt;
5. Toggling headings&lt;br /&gt;
6. Search category pages&lt;br /&gt;
7. Prepopulating user category pages&lt;br /&gt;
8. Sister project links (convert to specific page)&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// MediaWiki vars (use mw.config.get() for some): https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Interface/JavaScript&lt;br /&gt;
/* Any JavaScript here will be loaded for all users on every page load. */&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;use strict&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**********************&lt;br /&gt;
*** add menu on edit page /for selecting subsets of special characters&lt;br /&gt;
*** by [[user:Pathoschild]]&lt;br /&gt;
***   - note: must match MediaWiki:Edittools&lt;br /&gt;
**********************/&lt;br /&gt;
function addCharSubsetMenu () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var specialchars = document.getElementById(&#039;specialchars&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	if (specialchars) {&lt;br /&gt;
		var menu = &#039;&amp;lt;select style=&amp;quot;display:inline&amp;quot; onChange=&amp;quot;chooseCharSubset(selectedIndex)&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Select&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Ligatures and symbols&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Accents&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Tildes&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Cedillas&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Diereses&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Circumflexes&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Macrons&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Other diacritics&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Greek&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Hebrew&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;Cyrillic&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;option&amp;gt;IPA&amp;lt;/option&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		menu += &#039;&amp;lt;/select&amp;gt;&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		specialchars.innerHTML = menu + specialchars.innerHTML.replace(/_newline_/gm, &#039;\n&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		/* default subset - try to use a cookie some day */&lt;br /&gt;
		chooseCharSubset(0);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * Select subsection of special characters.&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {int} s&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function chooseCharSubset (s) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var l = document.getElementById(&#039;specialchars&#039;).getElementsByTagName(&#039;p&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	for (var i = 0; i &amp;lt; l.length; i++) {&lt;br /&gt;
		l[i].style.display = i === s ? &#039;inline&#039; : &#039;none&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		l[i].style.visibility = i === s ? &#039;visible&#039; : &#039;hidden&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
addCharSubsetMenu(); // addOnloadHook();&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Collapsible headings&lt;br /&gt;
var a = $(&#039;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;javascript:void(0);&amp;quot;&amp;gt;collapse&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&#039;).click(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var currentHeading = parseInt($(this).parent().parent()[0].nodeName.match(/\d$/));&lt;br /&gt;
	var sameOrHigherHeading = &#039;h&#039; + Array.from({length: 6}, function (x, i) {return i+1;}).slice(0, currentHeading).join(&#039;,h&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var method = this.textContent === &#039;collapse&#039; ? &#039;hide&#039; : &#039;show&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	$(this).parent().parent().nextUntil(sameOrHigherHeading)[method]();&lt;br /&gt;
	this.textContent = this.textContent === &#039;collapse&#039; ? &#039;show&#039; : &#039;collapse&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
});&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6&#039;).children(&#039;.mw-editsection&#039;).append(&#039; [&#039;, a, &#039;]&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// add collapsible list if an empty span is present indicating to do so&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if ($(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList&#039;).length || $(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList_collapsed&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;ul,ol&#039;).each(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		$(this).addClass(&#039;collapsibleList&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		var li = $(this).find(&#039;li:has(ul,ol)&#039;).addClass(&#039;collapsibleListOpen&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		if (!li.find(&#039;span&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
			li.prepend(&#039;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;user-select: none;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	});&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// User:Brettz9 added with some JSLint/XHTML/JSDoc clean-up, optimization/convenience changes, OL support, and beginning of work to allow pre-expansion of lists&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
MEDIAWIKI LIST NOTES&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nested DL hierarchies do not work properly with Mediawiki (see bug at http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Thread:Project:Support_desk/How_to_create_nested_definition_lists%3F )&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Resources:&lt;br /&gt;
1. http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting&lt;br /&gt;
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:List&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
CollapsibleLists.js&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An object allowing lists to dynamically expand and collapse&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Original version created by Stephen Morley - http://code.stephenmorley.org/javascript/collapsible-lists/ -&lt;br /&gt;
and released under the terms of the CC0 1.0 Universal legal code:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ideas&lt;br /&gt;
1. Remember expanded states&lt;br /&gt;
2. Make DL collapsible via its DD&lt;br /&gt;
3. Support collapsing of DL component children (DD and DT)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Todo summary: (see &amp;quot;todo&amp;quot;&#039;s below)&lt;br /&gt;
1. Optimize iteration algorithms&lt;br /&gt;
2. When #1 is completed, check top-most class of list (or its parent) for `doNotRecurse` and pre-expansion options&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars -- Might expand&lt;br /&gt;
var CollapsibleLists;&lt;br /&gt;
(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	// Create the CollapsibleLists object&lt;br /&gt;
	var collapsibleLists,&lt;br /&gt;
		autoApplyWithNoGlobal = true; // Configure as to whether to auto-apply to lists on the page (without creating a global) or whether to allow manual control via a global&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Opens or closes the list elements of the given type&lt;br /&gt;
	*   within the specified node.&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} node The node containing the list elements&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] Type of list; defaults to &amp;quot;ul&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {int}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function toggle (node, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
		listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// Determine whether to open or close the lists&lt;br /&gt;
		var index, li,&lt;br /&gt;
			open = node.className.match(/(^| )collapsibleListClosed( |$)/),&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the list elements with the node&lt;br /&gt;
			lists = node.querySelectorAll(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
			listsLength = lists.length;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; listsLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Find the ancestor list item of this list&lt;br /&gt;
			li = lists[index];&lt;br /&gt;
			while (li.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== &#039;li&#039;) {&lt;br /&gt;
				li = li.parentNode;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Style the list if it is within this node&lt;br /&gt;
			if (li === node) {&lt;br /&gt;
				lists[index].style.display = (open ? &#039;block&#039; : &#039;none&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		if (listsLength) {&lt;br /&gt;
			// Remove the current class from the node&lt;br /&gt;
			node.className = node.className.replace(&lt;br /&gt;
				/(^| )collapsibleList(Open|Closed)( |$)/, &#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
			);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// If the node contains lists, set its class&lt;br /&gt;
			if (listsLength &amp;gt; 0) {&lt;br /&gt;
				node.className += &#039; collapsibleList&#039; + (open ? &#039;Open&#039; : &#039;Closed&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		return listsLength;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
 /**&lt;br /&gt;
  * @callback ClickHandler&lt;br /&gt;
  * @private&lt;br /&gt;
  * @static&lt;br /&gt;
  * @param {Event} e The click event&lt;br /&gt;
  * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
  */&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Returns a function that toggles the display status of any&lt;br /&gt;
	*   list elements within the specified node. The parameter is...&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} node The node containing the list elements&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {ClickHandler}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function createClickListener (node) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		// Return the function&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
     * @type {ClickHandler}&lt;br /&gt;
     */&lt;br /&gt;
		return function (e) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Ensure the event object is defined&lt;br /&gt;
			e = e || window.event;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Find the list item containing the target of the event&lt;br /&gt;
			var li = e.target || e.srcElement;&lt;br /&gt;
			while (li.nodeName.toLowerCase() !== &#039;li&#039;) {&lt;br /&gt;
				li = li.parentNode;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Toggle the state of the node if it was the target of the event&lt;br /&gt;
			if (li === node) {&lt;br /&gt;
				toggle(node);&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		};&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Event} e The event to prevent&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function preventDefault (e) {&lt;br /&gt;
		e.preventDefault();&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function preventDefaultIE () {&lt;br /&gt;
		// eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-globals -- IE&lt;br /&gt;
		event.returnValue = false;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	 * @param {boolean} leaveExpanded&lt;br /&gt;
 	 * @private&lt;br /&gt;
 	 * @static&lt;br /&gt;
     * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	 */&lt;br /&gt;
	function applyLists (leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
		collapsibleLists.apply(false, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	/**&lt;br /&gt;
	* Makes sublists of a given list type collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
	* @private&lt;br /&gt;
	* @static&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {Element} list The list element&lt;br /&gt;
	* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] The list type under which sublists should be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
  * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
	*/&lt;br /&gt;
	function applySubListsForListType (list, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
		listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// Todo: This is unnecessarily redundant and thus expensive for deeply nested lists;&lt;br /&gt;
		//			 should instead check direct children recursively&lt;br /&gt;
		var subIndex,&lt;br /&gt;
			subLists = list.getElementsByTagName(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
			subListsLength = subLists.length;&lt;br /&gt;
		for (subIndex = 0; subIndex &amp;lt; subListsLength; subIndex++) {&lt;br /&gt;
			// Tempory fix to at least avoid multiple classes&lt;br /&gt;
			if (!(/(^| )collapsibleList( |$)/).test(subLists[subIndex].className)) {&lt;br /&gt;
				subLists[subIndex].className += &#039; collapsibleList&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
	collapsibleLists = {&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes all lists with the class &#039;collapsibleList&#039; collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
    * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		apply: function (doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
			this.applyForListType(doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
		},&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes lists of the given type with the class &#039;collapsibleList&#039; collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {&#039;ul&#039;|&#039;ol&#039;} [listType] Type of list; defaults to &amp;quot;ul&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyForListType: function (doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded, listType) {&lt;br /&gt;
			listType = listType || &#039;ul,ol&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the lists&lt;br /&gt;
			var index, list,&lt;br /&gt;
				// Todo: This is unnecessarily redundant and thus inefficient; should instead&lt;br /&gt;
				//			 iterate over direct children&lt;br /&gt;
				lists = document.querySelectorAll(listType),&lt;br /&gt;
				listsLength = lists.length,&lt;br /&gt;
				listPattern = /(^| )collapsibleList( |$)/;&lt;br /&gt;
			for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; listsLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
				list = lists[index];&lt;br /&gt;
				// Check whether this list should be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
				if (listPattern.test(list.className) ||&lt;br /&gt;
					listPattern.test(list.parentNode.className) // For convenience when used with Mediawiki simple syntax lists (which cannot specify classes on the list)&lt;br /&gt;
				) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Make this list collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
					this.applyTo(list, true, leaveExpanded);&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Check whether sub-lists should also be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
					// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow doNotRecurse specification&lt;br /&gt;
					if (!doNotRecurse) {&lt;br /&gt;
						// Add the collapsibleList class to the sub-lists&lt;br /&gt;
						applySubListsForListType(list);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
				}&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		},&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
		/**&lt;br /&gt;
		* Makes the specified list collapsible.&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {Element} node The list element&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [doNotRecurse] True if sub-lists should not be made collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
		* @param {boolean} [leaveExpanded] True if list and its sublists should be left pre-expanded&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyTo: function (node, doNotRecurse, leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
			// Loop over the list items within this node&lt;br /&gt;
			var index,&lt;br /&gt;
				lis = node.querySelectorAll(&#039;li&#039;),&lt;br /&gt;
				lisLength = lis.length;&lt;br /&gt;
			for (index = 0; index &amp;lt; lisLength; index++) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
				// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow doNotRecurse specification&lt;br /&gt;
				// Check whether this list item should be collapsible&lt;br /&gt;
				if (!doNotRecurse || node === lis[index].parentNode) {&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
                    var attachNode = lis[index].querySelector(&#039;span&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
                    if (!attachNode) {&lt;br /&gt;
                    	continue;&lt;br /&gt;
                    }&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Prevent text from being selected unintentionally&lt;br /&gt;
					if (attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener(&#039;mousedown&#039;, preventDefault, false);&lt;br /&gt;
					} else {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.attachEvent(&#039;onselectstart&#039;, preventDefaultIE);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Add the click listener&lt;br /&gt;
					if (attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.addEventListener(&#039;click&#039;, createClickListener(lis[index]), false);&lt;br /&gt;
					} else {&lt;br /&gt;
						attachNode.parentNode.attachEvent(&#039;onclick&#039;, createClickListener(lis[index]));&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
					// Close the lists within this list item&lt;br /&gt;
					// Todo: When iteration algorithm is fixed, check class at top of list (or parent of list) to allow expansion via class&lt;br /&gt;
					if (!leaveExpanded) {&lt;br /&gt;
						toggle(lis[index]);&lt;br /&gt;
					}&lt;br /&gt;
				}&lt;br /&gt;
			}&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
	};&lt;br /&gt;
	if (autoApplyWithNoGlobal) {&lt;br /&gt;
		/*&lt;br /&gt;
		if (window.addEventListener) {&lt;br /&gt;
			window.addEventListener(&#039;DOMContentLoaded&#039;, applyLists, false);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		else {&lt;br /&gt;
			window.attachEvent(&#039;onload&#039;, applyLists);&lt;br /&gt;
		}&lt;br /&gt;
		*/&lt;br /&gt;
		applyLists(!$(&#039;.enable_collapsibleList_collapsed&#039;).length);&lt;br /&gt;
	} else {&lt;br /&gt;
		CollapsibleLists = collapsibleLists;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}());&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {Element} el&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {string} newText&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
/*&lt;br /&gt;
function changeText (el, newText) {&lt;br /&gt;
	if (el.firstChild &amp;amp;&amp;amp; el.firstChild.nodeValue) {&lt;br /&gt;
		el.firstChild.nodeValue = newText;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
*/&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
var t, toc, toggleLink;&lt;br /&gt;
try {&lt;br /&gt;
	t = document.getElementById(&#039;toc&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	if (t) { // No TOC for pages with no headings&lt;br /&gt;
		t.style.display = &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		toc = t.getElementsByTagName(&#039;ul&#039;)[0];&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink = document.getElementById(&#039;toctogglecheckbox&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		// if (tocIsHidden()) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleToc();&lt;br /&gt;
		// }&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
} catch (error) {&lt;br /&gt;
	// eslint-disable-next-line no-console -- Error surfacing&lt;br /&gt;
	console.log(&#039;erred&#039;, error);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {boolean}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function tocIsHidden () {&lt;br /&gt;
	return !toc || !toggleLink || window.getComputedStyle(toc).display !== &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function toggleToc () {&lt;br /&gt;
	var hidden = tocIsHidden();&lt;br /&gt;
	if (hidden &amp;amp;&amp;amp; document.cookie.indexOf(&#039;hidetoc=0&#039;) &amp;gt; -1) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink.click();&lt;br /&gt;
		// changeText(toggleLink, tocShowText);&lt;br /&gt;
		// toc.style.display = &#039;none&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
		// eslint-disable-next-line sonarjs/no-duplicated-branches -- Might expand&lt;br /&gt;
	} else if (!hidden &amp;amp;&amp;amp; document.cookie.indexOf(&#039;hidetoc=1&#039;) &amp;gt; -1) {&lt;br /&gt;
		toggleLink.click();&lt;br /&gt;
		// changeText(toggleLink, tocHideText);&lt;br /&gt;
		// toc.style.display = &#039;block&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if (toggleLink) {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleLink.addEventListener(&#039;click&#039;, function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		var isHidden = tocIsHidden();&lt;br /&gt;
		document.cookie = isHidden ? &#039;hidetoc=1&#039; : &#039;hidetoc=0&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
	});&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
// &amp;lt;/source&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
/**&lt;br /&gt;
 * @param {boolean} forceConceal&lt;br /&gt;
 * @returns {void}&lt;br /&gt;
 */&lt;br /&gt;
function toggleHeadings (forceConceal) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var headings = $(&#039;#content h2:not(#mw-toc-heading), #content h3, #content h4, #content h5, #content h6&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var th = $(&#039;#toggle-headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	if (!forceConceal &amp;amp;&amp;amp; localStorage.getItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;)) {&lt;br /&gt;
		localStorage.removeItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		headings.show();&lt;br /&gt;
		th.text(&#039;Collapse headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	} else {&lt;br /&gt;
		localStorage.setItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;, &#039;1&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		headings.hide();&lt;br /&gt;
		th.text(&#039;Show headings&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	}&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
$(&lt;br /&gt;
	&#039;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;javascript:void(0);&amp;quot; id=&amp;quot;toggle-headings&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Collapse headings&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
).appendTo(&#039;#p-tb .vector-menu-content-list&#039;).click(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleHeadings();&lt;br /&gt;
});&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
if (localStorage.getItem(&#039;b9-collapse-headings&#039;)) {&lt;br /&gt;
	toggleHeadings(true);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Search category pages&lt;br /&gt;
// If a category page&lt;br /&gt;
if (mw.config.get(&#039;wgNamespaceNumber&#039;) === 14 &amp;amp;&amp;amp; $(&#039;#mw-pages&#039;).length) {&lt;br /&gt;
	$(&#039;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;form action=&amp;quot;/index.php&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;label&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Search category pages&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;: &amp;lt;input id=&amp;quot;categoryWorkSearch&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/label&amp;gt;&#039; +&lt;br /&gt;
		&#039;&amp;lt;input type=&amp;quot;submit&amp;quot; value=&amp;quot;go&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/form&amp;gt;&#039;).submit(function () {&lt;br /&gt;
		var $el = $(&#039;&amp;lt;input type=&amp;quot;hidden&amp;quot; name=&amp;quot;search&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
		$el.attr({&lt;br /&gt;
			value: &#039;incategory:&amp;quot;&#039; + mw.config.get(&#039;wgTitle&#039;) + &#039;&amp;quot; &#039; +&lt;br /&gt;
				$(this).find(&#039;#categoryWorkSearch&#039;).val()&lt;br /&gt;
		});&lt;br /&gt;
		$(this).append($el);&lt;br /&gt;
	}).appendTo(&#039;#mw-pages &amp;gt; p&#039;); // .prependTo(&#039;#mw-content-text&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Prepopulating user category pages&lt;br /&gt;
var params = new URLSearchParams(location.search);&lt;br /&gt;
if (params.has(&#039;prepopulate&#039;) &amp;amp;&amp;amp; params.get(&#039;action&#039;) === &#039;edit&#039; &amp;amp;&amp;amp; !$(&#039;#wpTextbox1&#039;).val()) {&lt;br /&gt;
	var title = params.get(&#039;title&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
	var match = title.match(/User:[^/]*([^&amp;amp;]*)$/);&lt;br /&gt;
	var text = &#039;[[Category:User&#039; + match[1] + &#039;]]&#039;;&lt;br /&gt;
    $(&#039;#wpTextbox1&#039;).val(text);&lt;br /&gt;
}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
// Sister project links (convert to specific page)&lt;br /&gt;
// If want these added server-side, could add as header/footer using https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Header_Footer&lt;br /&gt;
var pageName = mw.config.get(&#039;wgPageName&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
var encPageName = encodeURIComponent(pageName);&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.media a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai.media/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\.works a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai.works/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Bahaipedia\\.org a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahaipedia.org/index.php?search=&#039; + encPageName + &#039;&amp;amp;title=Special%3ASearch&#039;);&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Bahai\\-library\\-tags a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai-library.com/tags/&#039; + encodeURI(pageName));&lt;br /&gt;
$(&#039;#n\\-Indexes a&#039;).prop(&#039;href&#039;, &#039;https://bahai-browser.org/indexes/json/?indexTerm=&#039; + encPageName.replace(/_/g, &#039;+&#039;));&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>WikiSysop</name></author>
	</entry>
</feed>