The Journey
A spiritual journey is a time of deep reflection in which a person searches her or his soul. This can be a very personal time for introspection in which some a person's deepest beliefs may be challenged.
Independent Investigation of Truth
The Baha'is believe in a concept we refer to as the Independent Investigation of Truth. This means that the responsibility for seeking out the truth is placed on the individual. There are no clergy in the Baha'i religion and Baha'is are forbidden from proselytizing the faith. All Baha'is have come to their beliefs on their own. Every day Baha'is are expected to read the sacred writings and say an obligatory prayer. They are encouraged to be searching for a deeper understanding of God on their own and, while they are free to share, there are no central figures in the religion who proclaim to be closer to God than anyone else.
For all Baha'is there is an expectation that they are constantly searching for truth in the world. People who are studying the Baha'i texts in their search for truth and knowledge, but have not declared their faith in Baha'u'llah are referred to as Seekers.
Declaring
Technically speaking, becoming a Baha'i involves only a declaration that one believes the most recent messenger of God, for this age of humanity's development was Baha'u'llah. In many places, it is recommended to fill out and sign a declaration card and return this card to a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly who will forward the information on to the National Spiritual Assembly and eventually to the International House of Justice. There is no ceremony associated with the declaration and no rituals. Although the decision to sign the card may have profound spiritual significance for the new Baha'i, the declaration card is more of an administrative procedure to inform different administrative groups of a person's beliefs.
The Truth
If you think are ready to begin your own spiritual journey, please visit The Truth. You will find a number of different resources there to help you get started.
Jay's Journey
I declared as a Baha'i in June of 2006. Since that time I have endeavored to live my life in accordance with the teachings of Baha'u'llah. It was not an overnight conversion for me. Although many people do experience something of a cathartic event in their lives that pull them into the faith, I did not. My journey took many years as I slowly came to the realization of what the truth was and my understanding of spiritual matters matured.