The “first obligation and the object of the constant endeavor of each” Baha’i: -> “To strive to obtain a more adequate understanding of the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s stupendous Revelation”

To strive to obtain a more adequate understanding of the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s stupendous Revelation must, it is my unalterable conviction, remain the first obligation and the object of the constant endeavor of each one of its loyal adherents. An exact and thorough comprehension of so vast a system, so sublime a revelation, so sacred a trust, is for obvious reasons beyond the reach and ken of our finite minds. We can, however, and it is our bounden duty to seek to derive fresh inspiration and added sustenance as we labor for the propagation of His Faith through a clearer apprehension of the truths it enshrines and the principles on which it is based. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah’ included in ‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)

“the incomparable figure of Bahá’u’lláh, transcendental in His majesty, … the youthful glory of the Báb, infinite in His tenderness,… the magnetic personality of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá…”

Dominating the entire range of this fascinating spectacle [1] towers the incomparable figure of Bahá’u’lláh, transcendental in His majesty, serene, awe-inspiring, unapproachably glorious. Allied, though subordinate in rank, and invested with the authority of presiding with Him over the destinies of this supreme Dispensation, there shines upon this mental picture the youthful glory of the Báb, infinite in His tenderness, irresistible in His charm, unsurpassed in His heroism, matchless in the dramatic circumstances of His short yet eventful life. And finally there emerges, though on a plane of its own and in a category entirely apart from the one occupied by the twin Figures that preceded Him, the vibrant, the magnetic personality of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, reflecting to a degree that no man, however exalted his station, can hope to rival, the glory and power with which They who are the Manifestations of God are alone endowed. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah’, written in 1934, included in ‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)

[1] The 90th anniversary of the founding of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. 

Entrance to the Shrine of Baha'u'llah, 1940

(Baha'i Media Bank)

The “wisdom of burying the dead in the earth” – an explanation by ‘Abdu’l-Baha

He is God.

The handmaid of God, Miss Barney, had asked a question as to the wisdom of burying the dead in the earth. She said, too, that scientists in Europe and America, after prolonged and wide-ranging research and debate on this subject, have concluded that according to the dictates of reason, the benefits of cremation have been fully established—and wherein, then, lies the wisdom of the Holy Religions requiring burial in the earth?

As thou art aware, this servant doth not have the time for a detailed explanation, and therefore can write only a brief reply. Where universal phenomena are concerned, no matter how long and hard the human intellect may struggle to find the right procedures or the perfect system, it can never discover the like of the divine creation and its order of transferences and journeyings within the chain of life. For the transferences, the compositions, the gatherings and scatterings of elements and of constituent parts and substances proceed in a chain that is mighty and without flaw. Observe the effective universal laws and see to what a degree they are solidly established, secure, and strong.

And just as the composition, the formation, and growth and development of the physical body have come about by degrees, so too must its decomposition and dispersal be gradual. If the disintegration be rapid, this will cause an overleaping and a slackening in the chain of transferences, and this discontinuity will impair the universal relationships within the chain of created things.

How to face challenges - advice from Hand of the Cause Dorothy Baker

Three steps may be followed to achieve the desired results. First, be quiet; meditate on the problem from all angles, and turn to God with a sense of listening. If possible, use one of the beautiful prayers of Baha'u'llah for guidance. The second step is to take hold of a definite conclusion with the full help of reason, facts, and, above all, the sense of being assisted by God. Sometimes this step comes in a clear flash; sometimes not. I have often arisen from a prayer for guidance without a sense of having achieved the answer only to find that every door opened for the right fulfilment. The third step is to proceed courageously, knowing that it is answered. Banish all fear or anxiety and walk confidently; act as if the desired results have already been accomplished. If you fail to do this, your prayer is perhaps like a beautiful child still-born and therefore of no avail to this world. 

- Dorothy Baker  (From a radio script, ‘From Copper to Gold’ by Freeman)