The Sacred Books are full of allusions to this new
dispensation. In the book of Iqán, Bahá'u'lláh gives the key-note and explains
some of the outstanding passages hoping that the friends will continue to study
the Sacred Books by themselves and unfold the mysteries found therein.
The people, failing to comprehend the meaning of the symbols
and the truth of the Sacred Verses, thought them to be myths and unrealizable
dreams. It is the duty of the friends who have been endowed by Bahá'u'lláh with
the power of discernment to study these Sacred Books, ponder upon their
passages and teach the disheartened people of the earth the treasures of
knowledge they enclose.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 11 March 1923 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; The Compilation of Compilations, vol.
I, The Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and Understanding of the Faith)
