History - Need to study

Works to study

• Dawn-Breakers-Need to study
• God Passes By#Need to read

Study in meetings

• Need to study history in meetings

Thorough study of history prerequisite successful career service to Faith

“I strongly urge you to devote, while you are pursuing your studies, as much time as you possibly can to a thorough study of the history and teachings of our Beloved Cause. This is the prerequisite of a future successful career of service to the Bahá’í Faith in which I hope and pray you will distinguish yourself in the days to come.”

(Shoghi Effendi, Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 74)

Younger Bahá’í generation to read history in order to teach

“If the younger Bahá’í generation, in whom Shoghi Effendi has great hopes, take the pains 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.”

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Dawn of a New Day, p. 3)

Advice to young believers to deepen knowledge of history with careful and thorough study (and then practice what it inspires in community)

“His brotherly advice to you, and to all loyal and ardent young believers like you, is that you should deepen your knowledge of the history and of the tenets of the Faith, not merely by means of careful and thorough study, but also through active, whole-hearted and continue participation in all the activities, whether administrative or otherwise, of your community.”

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Youth (compilation), no. 2259)

“Much stress should be laid on the thorough study of the history and teachings of the Cause.”

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Centres of Bahá'í Learning, no. 42)

“Special stress, however, should be put on the history of the Movement...”

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Centres of Bahá'í Learning, no. 19)

“I wish to urge the necessity of concentrating, at your next summer session, on the systematic study of the early history and principles of the Faith...”

(Shoghi Effendi, Centres of Bahá'í Learning, no. 34)

A more profound study of its history among rock bottom requirements

“a more profound study of its history...remain the rock bottom requirements which alone can guarantee the opening, and hasten the advent, of that blissful era which every British Bahá’í heart so eagerly anticipates, and the glories of which can, at present, be but dimly discerned.”

(Shoghi Effendi, Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith, no. 90)