Each of our introductory/deepening books follows a unique approach in presenting the Faith, yet they all share many new features:
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They go beyond simply informing the seekers. They take the readers through the valleys of transformation. The journey should make them more receptive to Bahá’u’lláh. It will inspire them to open their hearts and minds to the new Revelation.
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They include quotations from non-Bahá’í authors to create confidence and a link between the known and the unknown.
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They place special emphasis on “spirituality.” Today many people feel a desire to draw closer to God.
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They present proofs to establish the validity of the Faith. Today people are extremely skeptical. They need convincing evidence before adopting a new Faith.
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They relate the Bahá’í Revelation to the Bible, to the belief system of the readers, so that they can make a connection between what they already believe and what they need to accept.
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They present humorous stories, anecdotes, and quotes to make the seekers more interested and receptive. Think about some of the best introductory talks you have heard. Perhaps more than anything else it was humor that made them memorable. We believe the same principle holds true with introductory books. The gravest obstacle to teaching is apathy. People simply don’t care. This is the first and foremost obstacle we face. If we can get the seekers interested to read, the next goal “winning their hearts and souls” becomes much easier.
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They emphasize our freedom to choose our destiny, and our accountability before God if we fail to seek and search.
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They appeal to the readers’ self-interests, to their desire for contentment, joy, positive thinking, and self-enhancement.
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They teach seekers the attributes they need to recognize a new Redeemer.
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They put all the responsibility on the seekers. They leave no excuse for anyone to ignore the Great News.
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They have been adapted to the level of apathy found in most of the people of our age-people who do not like the discipline of accepting and practicing a new Faith. The books are a response to all those readers who say, “The Bahá’í Faith is a wonderful idea. But it is not for me!”
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They help the readers gain insight into the “psychology of acceptance and denial.” The purpose of including this information is to provide the seekers a chance to look within their souls, to engage in self-examination, so that they will understand why it may be difficult for them to recognize Bahá’u’lláh. The psychological insight they gain will make them aware of the complexity of human nature, and the awesome powers of emotions in their lives. This information appears mostly near the end of each volume.
Many people simply assume that recognizing the truth is quite simple. This pernicious assumption prevents them from paying attention to (e.g. “watching” Luke 21:36) our invitations.
The psychological study of acceptance and denial is especially helpful to those who are struggling, but do not know why they can’t see the light.
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They present Bahá’u’lláh’s message with certainty and confidence to the doubting masses and invite them to make a decision. Many people submit to the voice of authority as spoken by Bahá’u’lláh. The books make the Bahá’í Faith shine like the sun before countless candles flickering and dying in the wind.
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They encourage the seekers to continue their investigation of truth. In most of our books, we have invited the seekers to use our toll free number to ask for free copies of some of our publications, especially our books on proofs and prophecies.
Introductory books should follow this principle: if someone is drunk or in a coma, he needs a strong dosage of medicine or a rather severe shock to come to awareness. Each of the three sets of these introductory books offers a carefully measured intensity of shock! One God, Many Faiths; One Garden, Many Flowers, and its sequel Heaven’s Most Glorious Gift provide a strong dosage of shock; Choosing Your Destiny, and On Wings of Destiny provide a low dosage. To choose the ideal book for each seeker, you need to read them yourself before giving them to others. As a spiritual physician, you should decide the suitable dosage for each seeker.
We wish we could make our introductory books shorter. If we had made them shorter, they would have been only informative, not persuasive. It is difficult to inform and convince people with a small book. If our goal is simply to announce the News, a brief introductory book, a pamphlet, or a magazine will do. Information alone makes people say, “There are many groups with grand ideas. How can I know this one is true?”
Since people are extremely busy and brevity is so appealing, we plan to publish as booklets various topics presented in our introductory books and invite the seekers to examine the original source.
Most people love mysteries and they like to be challenged to resolve them. There is a “hidden design” in all of our introductory books. You may have to read them several times to discover this design. We would like to see how many readers can uncover this secret! Those who do, will receive special recognition and reward. If you have a hunch, please send us an E-mail or give us a call. By reading all of our introductory books, you will improve your chances of discovery.
When we offered prepublication copies of these books to Bahá’ís for their comments, we made a startling discovery. Many of them indicated that the books had a profound impact on their spiritual lives. The impact always comes from the Word of God. The Word is the shining mirror of light, the book we write is only a frame. The Word is a treasure of knowledge, the book we write is only a package or a display table. Unfortunately, many people fail to appreciate precious treasures unless they see them on an attractive table or within a beautiful package! What we write are only frames and packages. Several readers pointed out that the celestial treasures displayed in these introductory books gave them a greater appreciation of the Faith. It renewed their faith in Bahá’u’lláh, and made them more active in the Faith. We were delighted and honored to hear this news.
A large percentage of those who become Bahá’ís, later leave the Faith. Why? The main reason is this: they are attracted to the teachings, not to Bahá’u’lláh. It is impossible for someone who truly recognizes Bahá’u’lláh to leave Him. We must instill the love of Bahá’u’lláh and the fear of losing Him, not only in our children, but also in the seekers. The discussion of Bahá’í teachings should serve one purpose: they should strengthen the seekers’ love for Bahá’u’lláh. Every speech, every book, every meeting should serve this most glorious purpose. We have tried and hope that we have succeeded in making the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh the focus of all of our publications.
Since teaching is our “paramount duty” and “an everlasting crown” of glory and honor, we invite you to set a goal to give away Bahá’í books to many people. If you give away one book a month, the cost to you will be about $100 a year. Since some of these books have hard covers, people will be reluctant to discard them. They will move from hand to hand for decades to come. They will not disappear like pamphlets or magazines. Your investment will continue to grow and bear fresh fruits for the Kingdom perhaps even after you are gone. To conclude, an introductory book can be and should be the most exciting reading. We hope we have produced a new “frame” for the shining mirror of truth by offering you books that are not only informative and convincing, but also stimulating and exciting.