The Impact of the Wilmette Institute:

Three Students Reflect about What They Learned in the Online Course The Báb and Bábí History, 1844-53: Rediscovering the Dawnbreakers

Cindy Groetzinger,from Evanston, Illinois, learned about love, dedication, and sacrifice:

I have been a Bahá'í for 30 years, but reading The Dawn-Breakers has always been a goal that seem too difficult to achieve. I imagined that the graphic description of what the martyrs went through on the way to the Abhá Kingdom would be too difficult to read. But as I read this book, I realized that I have read large chunks of it already and many times. It is the in-between history that I had been missing. I have, thanks to this course, finished this book finally.

I have a greater knowledge of the many people who sacrificed for our Faith. That knowledge has moved into action as I teach others about the Faith. I now know a little better the timeline of when certain events occurred and where the major people were at the time. I have a much greater appreciation of Quddús and Mullá Husayn.

I can use the stories of the incredible love, dedication, and sacrifice to continually rededicate myself to serving the Faith.

Marshall Royse, from Seaside, Oregon, plans to use the course in his devotionals and Ruhi classes:

It [the course] reminded me of the plight of the Bábís. It is sad what they had to endure. It makes me grateful for being born when I was because I don't think I would have had the strength to endure their hardships. But, on the other hand, they were there when the Báb and Bahá'u'llah were there. To have recognized the Manifestations of God and to be present during some of their discourses must have been wondrous. Perhaps that is where the Bábís’ strength came from.

I have 2 weekly devotional meetings, and I can use some of the information to answer questions asked by seekers about the early history of the Faith. I will also be tutoring a Ruhi book 4 where I can use the information and materials that I gained.

Beth Farkas, Skokie, Illinois, plans to use information from the course to hone her storytelling skills:

My goals included: 1) reading over 75% of the material, which was accomplished; and 2) Completing a presentation (a 45-minute play). The play has been written and will be performed for our study group as well as at a Women's Retreat at the Louhelen Bahá'í School.

This study has given me a much better understanding of the culture and circumstances at the time of the Báb's appearance. Although I was aware that the culture had lost its luster and that immoral behaviors were rampant, I did not understand the details of that decadent society. Increasing my understanding has helped me better appreciate the depth of character of the early martyrs—to not only give up their lives, but to stand as examples of a new standard of conduct as well as to walk away from the opportunities for wealth and power available to them in the old order. Another question I had long wrestled with was what gave the martyrs the courage to face torture and certain death, wondering whether I would possess those same qualities if faced with those conditions. The readings and reflections have helped me understand the intimate connections the early believers had with the divine both through their direct contacts with the Manifestations, but also the Words given them, such as "O Lord of the Age," which seemed to lift them to higher levels of spiritual and physical prowess. The state of affairs at the time of Bahá'u'llah’s exile to Baghdad are also much clearer to me.

The deeper understanding of these early historical events, as well as an array of characters I am more intimately aware of, will no doubt increase and improve my abilities to share the Faith through storytelling.

My goals to strengthen my own devotion to the Faith through vigilant service and sacrifice were reinforced as result of visualizing, internalizing, and expressing stories related to the Dawnbreakers. As a spiritual descendant of those Dawnbreakers, I feel more committed to being a living sacrifice to the Cause in this day.