Some answers are “correct” in the sense that they are taken, almost word-for-word, directly from letters of the Universal House of Justice, the National Spiritual Assembly, or other institutional bodies of the Faith. However, the purpose of this “exam” is to inspire discussion and reflection, not to test knowledge, so all answers are potentially good answers.

1. A major focus of the Four Year Plan is.....

a. literacy campaigns throughout the Bahá’í world community.

b. rapid acceleration of entry by troops.

c. preparation for social and political upheaval precipitating the Lesser Peace.

2. We need to increase our knowledge and master the skills necessary:

a. to defend the faith against increasing attacks and opposition from within and outside the Faith.

b. for more effective teaching, deepening and consolidation work.

c. to build more harmonious, loving families and communities which serve as a healing and guiding force for the rest of the world.

3. We have to transform our community into a....

a. growing community

b. learning community

c. loving community

d. spiritualizing community

e. teaching community

4. What is pre-eminent among measurable achievements of the Three Year Plan?

a. dramatic, numerical expansion of membership

b. progress of the projects on Mount Carmel

c. surge of pioneering and travel-teaching leading to the establishment of twelve new National Spiritual Assemblies, including several in former East Block states.

d. the wide coverage accorded Bahá’í events and interests by the print and electronic communications media.

5. What have our administrative institutions and groups established by them done to enable the widespread study of the Faith?

a. The Baha’i International Community Office in New York cooperated with the Universal House of Justice in preparing official Baha’i statements on crucial matters of the day. The Holy Writings and authoritative texts of the Faith have, along with these newsworthy statements, been widely distributed and placed on the Internet’s World Wide Web so people all over the globe can download and study them.

b. The Teaching Center exerted influence through the Continental Counselors to establish a core literature program. A few titles essential to the propagation of the Faith and the deepening of new believers were selected, printed in large quantities and made available at reduced prices.

c. The Office of Pioneering in the Teaching Center has established several expert committees to facilitate the rapid and accurate translation of the Holy Writings. During the Four Year Plan all the most significant works of the Faith’s Central Figures will be made available in authoritative editions of all the world’s major languages.

6. Bahá’ís have attracted the favorable attention of several governments.

a. The Office of Social and Economic Development intends to extend a literacy campaign throughout the world.

b. There has been significant participation by Bahá’ís in government-sponsored programs to improve health.

c. Bahá’ís have supported and attended the major international conferences, and will continue to be a presence at global summits where believers can present the social teachings of the Faith in the light of our community’s successes in effecting the remedy prescribed by the Divine Physician.

7. The Four Year Plan aims at one major accomplishment:

a. the completion of the construction on the Arc at the World Center .

b. a significant advance in the progress of entry by troops.

c. Bahá’í influence and inspiration guiding the establishment of the Lesser Peace.

8. The goal of the Four Year Plan will be achieved through...

a. increased commitment of the believers to the institutions of Bahá’u’lláh’s convenient

b. marked progress in the activity and development of the individual believer, of the institutions, and of the local community.

c steady determination in the hearts of all believers to follow the laws and teachings established by Bahá’u’lláh.

9. How can the individual foster a sustained growth in the Bahá’í World Community?

a. 1. Participating with renewed spirit and energy in the local community.

2. Boldly bringing the message of Bahá’u’lláh to all who show receptive

hearts.

b. 1. Spiritually and mentally accepting the possibility of it,

2. Working toward embracing masses of new believers.

c. 1. Turning to prayer and meditation to cleanse their hearts

2. Becoming a point of loving light leading new believers into our communities.

10. We must make sure new believers get spiritual and administrative training and development because we will then get...

a. new participants in community life who will sustain the lifeblood of the Cause.

b. more knowledgeable, active teachers and administrators.

c. increasing competence and vision that energizes the community.

11. What can the individual do better than any institution or community?

a. bring new believers into the faith through direct personal contact

b. manifest the vitality of faith.

c. embody the high and noble character of our Faith’s teachings

12. What does success in teaching and community development require?

a. A mature and capable set of local institutions.

b. A vitality of faith manifested by individuals.

c. A loving and spiritual attitude exemplified in the actions of all believers.

SCORING:

10 to 12 correct: You can recognize the spirit and style of our Universal House of Justice and National Spiritual Assembly.

7 to 9 correct: You are familiar with the Faith and the letters composed by the UHJ and NSA, but you don’t memorize them.

4 to 6 correct: You ought to read the American Baha’i at least once and a while. It’s not just the NSA’s way to help us all puppy-train our pets.

1 to 3 correct: You could have done better than this randomly guessing. Change some of your answers so it looks like you did better than this.

The answer (b) was always the “correct” answer taken directly from the text.

Eric’s summary of the Ridván Message:

The building on the Arc is going well, and shows we Baha’is have unity of purpose.

The Teaching Center has done a good job, and there were many pioneers and travel-teachers who helped spread and consolidate the faith. We’re improving in our teaching efforts. We’ve been able to consolidate.

Indigenous believers are taking more responsibility. In small island nations we’ve captured the attention of governments, and some officials from tiny countries have come to the UHJ to consult.

Youth have contributed a lot to our successes. And they are developing their abilities to help the Faith and the rest of the world.

There was greater involvement in social and economic development programs.

Our external affairs were successful in improving our image in the world.

For the next four years we want a constant influx of new adherents, an uninterrupted evolution of Baha’i Assemblies, and a steady consolidation of the community.

The local communities, the institutions, and individual believers are the three with responsibility for the success of the Four Year Plan.

Individuals need to overcome their lack of courage and take initiative. They need to bring people into the Faith and teach the Faith.

Institutions need to learn how to consult together and lead their communities. They need to be loving shepherds of the multitudes. They have a lot of responsibility.

Communities need to be characterized by the good behavior of people in them. And there needs to be more involvement, participation, and denser networks of contact.

We should give more attention to using the arts to present our message.

The Arc will be near completion at the end of the Four Year Plan.

The world institutions (Baha’i Office of Information. Baha’i Community at the UN, Teaching Center, etc.) will be more mature and more active, although they have already been doing a remarkable job.

Moldova and Sao Tomé and Principe have new NSAs.

The world witnesses disarray and collective action. The two forces, of destruction and rebuilding are at work. Look for chances to help with the rebuilding, showing the Faith as you do so.

Our community should lend spiritual impetus to the process toward the Lesser Peace.

American believers have a special duty to teach and consolidate and develop the institutions.

Seek people everywhere, from all levels of society.

You should strive to create a Baha’i community which will offer to the entire world a vibrant model of unity in diversity. The influence of your exertions can extend well beyond the confines of North America.

Three characteristics give North America a chance for entry by troops unlike other places:

1. unparalleled strength of your local communities, particularly evident in the activity of your local Spiritual Assemblies and in the consecration of the Baha’i Youth.

2. The positive impression of the Faith which has been conveyed to generality of population and leaders of thought and influence

3. The compositions of our nations, mixed up with immigrants and natives from so many cultures and racial backgrounds, including students and refugees.

The NSA is doing stuff to help the communities and institutions and individuals:

To help institutions:

To help individuals:

To help communities:

The UHJ is doing stuff to help:

for institutions:

for individuals:

for communities:

Local Spiritual Assemblies where I live are doing what:

to help institutions?

to help the community?

to help the individuals?

The Baha’i community where I live is doing what? to help institutions?

to help the community?

to help the individuals?

What am I personally doing to help institutions?

to help the community?

to help the individuals?

EMOTIONAL AND RATIONAL REACTIONS:

Take a little phrase from the writings or a letter to use. Take a short excerpt:

“We must take steps and sustain efforts to achieve a level of expansion and consolidation to match our possibilities.”

Now write a paragraph of your emotional reaction. Or just write your emotions. Write quickly without worrying about grammar and spelling and so on. This is only for your eyes, and if you choose to share it with the group you can change it as you read it:

Emotional reaction: “I don’t even know what the possibility for expansion is, and I’m not sure how much time I have to sustain efforts. I’m not eager to put a lot of my time into some teaching scheme that makes me feel awkward and uncomfortable, and then doesn’t even attract more than one or two new persons. I hope others will take the steps and sustain the efforts. But on the other hand, I feel it’s my duty to teach, and I always enjoy teaching when a good chance comes my way. I wish there was some way I could do more of that.”

After you can write an emotional statement you should list the emotions you can identify.

Emotions in the example statement:

1. confusion or lack of direction (“I don’t even know....”)

2. fear and apprehension (I may not have time for this)

3. reluctance and repulsion (I don’t like doing some kinds of teaching activities)

4. doubt and skepticism (few people or no one will join anyway)

5. hope (for others to take action)

6. guilt (I shouldn’t be feeling this way about Teaching, it’s a spiritual duty)

7. hope and enthusiasm (I have enjoyed teaching, and there are ways of teaching I could enjoy and do well)

8. desire (I want to teach in the ways I enjoy teaching)

Look at the negative emotions. Where are they coming from. Do you think they are valid? Can you defeat them, or should they be used as a guide to avoid things that you really don’t need to do?

1. Confusion. That emotions is just telling me I haven’t thought much about this question. I’ll think about it, and then I won’t feel confused or lost.

2. fear and apprehension. The UHJ asked us to overcome this. What is it that I’m afraid of? Am I afraid people will dislike me or exclude me if I teach? Why should I be afraid of that. Am I afraid I will give up doing things I enjoy doing if I put more time into teaching? Why would that make me afraid? Am I afraid that I will make my religion look ridiculous? And so forth, until you understand the fear.

3. Reluctant and repulsion: Some teaching styles would make me, if I were a seeker, turn away from the faith. Am I afraid I’ll be asked to take part in something that might turn people away from the Faith? Well, any teaching plan will involve consultation. If I feel this way and believe it, I can bring up my doubts in consultation and my friends (who love me) will consider my feelings and thoughts on this matter. Of course, not all teaching methods are repugnant to me. There must be some way of teaching I can enjoy. If some people want to teach in a way I don’t like, I can still find another way to teach, or support them, doing something that I do like. etc.

4. I doubt people will join and that makes me unenthusiastic. Why do people not join? Why is it that sometimes people do join? Can we change teaching methods to attract more people? Can I bring up this doubt in consultation with others who are planning the teaching so we can figure out a way to solve this problem?

5. I’m hoping others will take action so I don’t have the burden of responsibility. But actually, this responsibility is between me and God, not really of me to my friends in the community. No doubt others in the community will take action without me. So my hope is certain to be realized. etc.

6. Guilt. Sometimes guilt can be constructive if it prods us into acting when we should act. On the other hand, guilt is a poor motivation. I’d rather be motivated by love. I think I’ll try to pray and mediate some more on my love and devotion so I’ll be inspired to help in some way. Then I won’t have to rely on guilt to motivate me.

7. Hope and enthusiasm for teaching in the way I enjoy teaching. This is a good emotion. I will try to experience this feeling more often as a meditate and pray about this issue. This is a feeling I should try to use in encouraging me to take action.

8. Desire to teach in a way I like to teach. This is the emotional reaction the authors of that phrase (the UHJ) probably wanted to inspire in our hearts. I wonder if others here in my Baha’i community/family feel this desire? I should work on magnifying this feeling and bring it to the surface if I really want to get involved with meeting the Four Year Plan goals.

After considering your emotional reactions and what you think about them. You can do more.

Try to put your emotional reactions into statements like this:

When I hear _______ I feel _________ because I want __________ and in fact, I will ____.

When I hear “we must sustain efforts to teach” I feel “exhausted” because I want “to rest, enjoy my own time, do other things” and in fact, I will “be asked to give time and effort to some teaching activity.”

When emotions are put into this format it’s easy to think about them and try to change or enhance your feelings. You’re identifying a cause and a desire and a perception of reality. Emotions are often based on unrealistic perceptions of reality or unconscious desires. Making desires conscious and judging the accuracy of our emotional perceptions can help us change our emotions.

For example, after composing the statement above, several observations come to mind that could help improve the emotional reaction:

• Even if I do teach, I’ll still have time to rest, enjoy my own time, and do other things, so I don’t really need to feel exhausted.

• Even if I do teach, I may do it in a way that I enjoy.

• It is possible to get enough rest and also teach. The two are not mutually exclusive.

• It is reasonable to feel exhausted sometimes in life. That is part of living life to its fullest.

• It is possible to give effort and time to teaching in a way that does not make one exhausted.

• It is possible to give effort and time to teaching in a way that matches my capacity and preferences, and I may find my own way of teaching that is as enjoyable as any other way of enjoying my own time.

Looking at a phrase with rational understanding is much easier and safer than the emotional analysis.

For example with the phrase:

“We must take steps and sustain efforts to achieve a level of expansion and consolidation to match our possibilities.”

We can make a list of questions and answers that are based on facts or fact-finding.

First, look at the meaning of the words:

What is the difference between “taking steps” and “sustaining efforts”?

What exactly are “our possibilities” for expansion and consolidation?

What does it mean that the level of expansion and consolidation should match our possibilities?

Then, think of examples that would illustrate the meaning of the words:

“Take steps” probably means something like organizing an event, or doing a particular thing.

“sustaining efforts” probably means continuing something on a regular basis. For example, giving to the fund, having regular meetings instead of just having meetings once and a while, etc.

I’m not sure what “our possibilities” really are. I’ll have to study the holy writings or Shoghi Effendi’s letters to get some insight. I think this is a topic I must bring up at the next Feast or Assembly meeting or Youth meeting for consultation.

Rational exploration of a phrase can lead to fruitful study of the Holy Texts or consultation with people in your community. These in turn help us mature as individuals and communities. It can also help our institutions.

You can play around with making lists of things after you’ve explored definitions. Brain-storming lists is a good way to exercise rational analysis of a phrase.

List ten ways we can sustain efforts to expand and consolidate.

List five possibilities for more expansion and less consolidation (a fear of many people exposed to the limitations of mass teaching campaigns), and for each possibility think of how it could be corrected so there would be enough consolidation to match the expansion in a balanced way.

Phrases and lists based on the Four Year Plan for use in further discussion or reactions:

The individual must:

1. take initiative

2. seize opportunities

3. form friendships and build relationships

4. win cooperation of others in common service

The individual must consider every possible way he can

Capture attention, maintain interest, deepen the faith.

We can draw upon:

1. Our love of Bahá’u’lláh

2. The power of the Covenant

3. The dynamics of prayer

4. The inspiration and education derived from regular reading and study of the Holy Texts

5. Transformative forces that operate upon his soul as he strive to behave in accordance with the divine laws and principles.

6. Chalices of pure light brought down to us from the Concourse on high.

What will foredoom every plan of a National Spiritual Assembly?

lack of wholehearted, continuous, and generous support of individuals.

Which weaknesses did his secretary say Shoghi Effendi wanted us to overcome? lack of courage and initiative, a feeling of inferiority.

Spiritual Assemblies must:

act as channels of divine guidance

planners of the teaching work

developers of human resources

builders of communities

loving shepherds of the multitudes

The quality of the spiritual and social life of the community

over-all sense of vitality of a community in process of development

regularity of meetings

efficiency of its functioning

growth of Bahá’í membership

We must integrate adults, youth and children in spiritual, social, educational, and administrative activities, and local plans of teaching and development.

A worldwide effort to develop human resources must be made to effect the possibilities of expansion and consolidation.

Educating large numbers of believers on the fundamental verities of the Faith.

Assignments:

The need now is to intensify our efforts in building the Bahá’í System so we will attract the confirmations of Bahá’u’lláh and thus invoke a spiritual atmosphere that will accrue to the quickening of the processes of our lending spiritual impetus to the process toward the Lessor Peace.

Make emotional and rational reactions to this statement. Bring to the next youth meeting for discussion.

Mount a campaign of teaching in which the broad membership of our community is enthusiastically, systematically and personally engaged, and in which the activation of an extensive training program will ensure the development of a mass of human resources.

Make a plan of how we could do this as a community of youth. Bring it to our next meeting.

List of things individuals should do to improve the resources available to the faith and increase membership.

List of actions we, as youth, might take in the coming year.

List of things we want to study at youth meetings or in special classes in the coming year:

List of things we need to understand. We should ask LSA to consult or bring these up at a Feast for communities to explore.

Hello,

I am a member of the Bahá’í religion. I enjoy discussing religion and telling people about my religion, but I don’t like to bother people who aren’t really interested. So, instead of calling you or knocking on your door I’m sending this letter.

My family just wants you to know that, if you’re interested, we could answer any questions you have about the Bahá’í religion or its prophet-founder Bahá’u’lláh, who we believe to be the Promised One of all the major religions. (that means we think he’s the return of Christ).

We would be happy to visit you, have you visit us, or just talk to you on the phone if you like. Or, if you prefer, we could just send you a small book and some pamphlets about the faith. Or you may prefer to attend one of the many small public events sponsored by Bahá’ís in the St. Louis area. Let us know what we can do for you on the enclosed post-card and then drop it in the mail (we’ve already paid the postage).

The Post-Card

Have computer print-out addresses

I’d like to meet you and learn something about the Bahá’í Faith.

I’d welcome a phone conversation about the Bahá’í Faith.

You may send me some literature about the Bahá’í Faith.

Please send me a schedule of your upcoming events.

I’m not interested in the Bahá’í Faith.

If you would like us to contact you by phone:

my phone number is: _____________________ .

a good time to call would be: _________________ .