Possible Study Questions for the 19 March 2025 Message

The Universal House of Justice 19 March 2025 message about family life and marriage is a treasure trove beyond compare! I’m still only scratching the surface of it but, to help me delve a little deeper, my husband and I came up with this list of tentative questions that might be helpful when studying and discussing the message.

You can find the message, in its entirety, on the Baha’i Reference Library.

The letter is divided into three sections so we’ve organized the questions accordingly. We hope you find them useful!

Paragraphs 1-4:

• What is the building block of community and the entire social order? 

• How do individuals learn to live with one another in the context of a family?

• What could a mature concept of family look like?

• What is the family a miniature of? 

• In what ways have arrangements and definitions of the family form changed over time in our particular culture/society? What were some arrangements, expectations, gender roles, etc. of family life and structure in our parents’ generation that may look different in our own? How might they look different in our children’s? 

• What must humanity now become imbued with? 

• What are some examples of undesirable tendencies that need to be weeded out of our current practices in society? 

• What might new patterns of family life look like?

• Let’s discuss all the questions posed in paragraph 4:

  
  

  “What are the characteristics of Baha’i family life and how are they distinguished from the way family life is understood in society today?

  
  

  What is the distinctive nature of Baha’i marriage and how does it foster family life?

  
  

  How do Baha’i families contribute to the process of transformation in neighbourhoods and villages, and beyond?

  
  

  What are the current pitfalls and obstacles facing Baha’i families that prevent them from achieving this aim?

  
  

  How does the framework for action of the current stage of the Divine Plan both strengthen family life and create opportunities for vibrant families to contribute to the process of community building?”

Paragraphs 5-13:

• What does a new conception of family begin with? 

• How does Baha’u’llah define marriage?

• What are the four ways Abdu’l-Baha describes a Baha’i marriage? 

• What is our twofold moral purpose? 

• What is the Baha’i marriage ceremony and how does it affect countless new relationships throughout space and time?

• What are some examples of permissive social practices that undermine marriage? How can we resolve such problems? 

• The example of the equality of women and men is given as a principle that when practiced within a marriage “the ramifications…will thus gradually extend to future generations”. What other principles or virtues could have similar ramifications if practiced in a marriage? 

• In what ways are sound relationships within a family based on justice and reciprocity?

• What are the rights and responsibilities of family members?

• How should a couple to navigate life’s spiritual, material or social challenges? 

• Are roles inflexibly fixed within a Baha’i marriage? Who is to determine the best ways to manage the family’s affairs? Who is the first educator of children?

• How can both a husband and wife ensure their spiritual, intellectual, and professional progress?

• What can parents lovingly nurture in their children? What are some examples given?

• In what way do the Baha’i Writings and the training institute provide insights and support for the cultivation of the education and development of children and families? 

• If bonds of love and unity are nurtured among siblings, which lifetime benefits could be yielded to them? 

• How does the relationship between parents and children evolve over time, as described in paragraph 11?

• The relationships of the nuclear family are embedded in “ever-wider circles of relationships”. What does this look like in your family life or community? What circles are you part of?

• How does a “sense of oneness, of love, care, trust, and solidarity that are initially cultivated in the family begin to be woven into the fabric of relationships in the community”?

• What considerations must the “wise and attentive stewardship of family finances” take into account? What is learned in response to these considerations? 

Paragraphs 14-17?

• What are some examples in our own lives where the adherence to principles, such as the equality of women and men, the oneness of humanity, the investigation of truth, the harmony of science and religion, and consultation have cultivated a new pattern of life for ourselves, our family, and our community? 

• What is an “inseparable feature of an age of transition”? 

• How do the forces of disintegration affect families?

• How do we risk becoming “mere objects to be manipulated”? 

• What will we need to learn to “weather the tumultuous storms” of our times? What could be some specific examples?

• What are some qualities of a Baha’i home? What is the role of the Baha’i home? 

• What does a coherent life of service look like in the context of family life?

• Discuss how the familial bonds of support and the spirit of sacrifice assist individuals and families to meet the demands of service within their communities.

• What makes possible greater service? How? What should not be sacrificed?

Paragraphs 18-19

• How will “the part played by Baha’i families [in releasing the society-building powers of the Faith] will be increasingly necessary and impactful in the years and decades ahead”?

• How can “all the friends have a vital contribution to make to strengthen this essential component of Baha’i life”?

• How did Abdu’l-Baha describe His home?

• How can Baha’i families and Baha’i homes “become a haven and pillar to sustain all humanity”?
  

That’s all the questions we came up with! I’d love to know if they are helpful and what others could be included? How are you studying this message? What tools are you using?

Posted by

Sonjel Vreeland

In her innermost heart, Sonjel is a stay-at-home parent and a bookworm with a maxed out library card but professionally she is a museologist with a background in English Literature. She currently lives on Prince Edward Island, an isle in the shape of a smile on the eastern Canadian coast. Sonjel is a writer who loves to listen to jazz when she's driving at night.