The friends must realize their individual responsibility.
Each must hold a Fireside in his or her home, once in 19 days, where new people
are invited, and where some phase of the Faith is mentioned and discussed. If
this is done with the intent of showing Bahá'í hospitality and love, then there
will be results, People will become interested in 'what' you are interested in,
and then be interested in studying. Individual firesides will bring the
knowledge of the Faith to more people, under favourable circumstances, and thus
constantly enrich its circle of friends, and finally its members. There is no
substitute for the teaching work of the individual.
- Shoghi Effendi (From letter written on
behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 6, 1957: Bahá'í News,
No. 317, July 1957; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)
