dissent. All heard the glad
tidings with complete acquiescence, and praise was unanimous, even
including the ministers.

The friends in Los Angeles and San Francisco are very firm in the
Covenant. If they sense the least violation on the part of anyone, they
shun him entirely; for they know that such a person is engaged in
extinguishing the lamps of faith ignited by the light of the Covenant,
thereby producing weakness and indifference in the divine Cause. For
instance, the firm ones teach a person. Then the violators go to him and
instill suspicion until he becomes lukewarm. There have been violators
here in Chicago for twenty years. What have they done? Nothing. Have they
been able to teach anybody? Have they been able to speak in churches or
address audiences elsewhere? Have they been able to make anybody firm in
the Cause? They are doing nothing except extinguishing the lamps we
ignite. The friends in San Francisco are exceedingly firm. They do not
receive violators in their homes. Recently a violator went to that city.
The Baha'i friends turned him away, saying, "You are not with us; why do
you try to come among us?" Today the most important principle of faith is
firmness in the Covenant, because firmness in the Covenant wards off
differences. Therefore, you must be firm as mountains.

After the departure of Christ many appeared who were instrumental in
creating factions, schisms and discussions. It became difficult to know
which one was following the right path. One of these disturbers was
Nestorius, a Syrian, who proclaimed that Christ was not a Prophet of God.
This created a division and sect called the Nestorians. The Catholics
declared Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, even pronouncing Him to be
Deity itself. The Protestants announced the doctrine that Christ embodied
two elements: the human and the divine. In brief, divisions were created
in the religion of God, and it was not known which was pursuing the right
pathway because there was no appointed center to whom Christ referred
everyone, no successor whose word was a gateway to the truth. If Christ
had revealed a Covenant with some soul, commanding all to cling to his
word and interpretation as correct, it would have been evident which
belief and statement was valid and true.

Inasmuch as there was no appointed explainer of the Book of Christ,
everyone made the claim to authority, saying, "This is the true pathway
and others are not." To ward off such d