“the sore need of bleeding humanity … for the regenerating Spirit of God”

And who can fail to realize the sore need of bleeding humanity, in its present state of uncertainty and peril, for the regenerating Spirit of God, manifested this Day so powerfully in this Divine Dispensation? Four years of unprecedented warfare and world cataclysms, followed by another four years of bitter disappointment and suffering, have stirred deeply the conscience of mankind, and opened the eyes of an unbelieving world to the Power of the Spirit that alone can cure its sicknesses, heal its wounds, and establish the long-promised reign of undisturbed prosperity and peace. (Excerpt from a letter written by Shoghi Effendi, dated March 12, 1923, to the Baha’is throughout America, Great Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Japan and Australasia; ‘Baha’i Administration’  pp. 34-43) (To read the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

Believers in France and England to send “a word of sympathy and comfort” to the friends in Germany

I have recently received a message from our beloved brethren and sisters in Germany, who, in the midst of their sufferings and trials, yearn to receive a word of sympathy and comfort from their fellow-workers in France and England. I am sure you will gladly respond to their request, and cheer them with the glad-tidings of the wonderful progress of the Cause in your land and elsewhere. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 17 February 1923 to the Baha’is of London, Manchester and Bournemouth) (To read the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The Guardian’s “revised translation of the Hidden Words” ready for circulation in America

I am enclosing also my revised translation of the Hidden Words, both Persian and Arabic, a copy of which I have sent to the friends in the United States in response to their cable, requesting me to authorise circulation of my version among the friends in America. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 17 February 1923 to the Baha’is of London, Manchester and Bournemouth) (To read the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

Insights from “some of the oldest Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá”, revealed “during the darkest days of His incarceration in the prison city of ‘Akká"

I have been reading lately some of the oldest Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and am enclosing for your perusal the translation of various selections from His soul-stirring words, revealed some twenty-five years ago, during the darkest days of His incarceration in the prison city of ‘Akká. You will realise as you read them the unshakable confidence of the Master in the future growth of the Movement, the significance of the Cause in this age, and the glorious privilege of the friends to labour for its spread in every land.  (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 17 February 1923 to the Baha’is of London, Manchester and Bournemouth) (To read the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

How to help “prove effective” the “all-conquering Spirit of Bahá’u’lláh” in this world

The all-conquering Spirit of Bahá’u’lláh cannot prove effective in this world of strife and turmoil, and cannot achieve its purpose for mankind, unless we, who are named after His Name, and who are the recipients of His Grace, endeavour, by our example, our daily life and our dealings with our fellow-men, to reveal that noble spirit of love and self-sacrifice of which the world stands in need at present. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 17 February 1923 to the Baha’is of London, Manchester and Bournemouth) (To read the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

Members of Spiritual Assemblies “must … set aside their own inclinations, personal interests, likes and dislikes ..”

“ … the members of these Assemblies must, on their part, set aside their own inclinations, personal interests, likes and dislikes, and regard only the welfare of the Cause and the well-being of the friends. This is surely the foundation which must be firmly laid in the hearts of all believers the world over, for upon this only can any constructive and permanent service be achieved, and the edifice of the Beloved’s last instructions, as revealed in His Will and Testament, be raised and established. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 17 February 1923 to the Baha’is of London, Manchester and Bournemouth) (To read the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

“.. sacred duty of all believers to have implicit confidence in, and support heartily, every decision passed by their Spiritual Assemblies”

The supreme necessity, and the urgent need of the Cause of God at present, is the unity of the friends, and their sustained and wholehearted co-operation in their task of spreading the Divine Teachings throughout the world. It is the sacred duty of all believers to have implicit confidence in, and support heartily, every decision passed by their Spiritual Assemblies, whether local or central … This is surely the foundation which must be firmly laid in the hearts of all believers the world over, for upon this only can any constructive and permanent service be achieved, and the edifice of the Beloved’s last instructions, as revealed in His Will and Testament, be raised and established.” (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 17 February 1923 to the Baha’is of London, Manchester and Bournemouth) (To read the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The Guardian’s “revised translation of the Hidden Words”

I am also enclosing my revised translation of the Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh, both Arabic and Persian, and hope to send you more of His Words and Teachings in future. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 16 February, 1923 to the Baha’is of Germany; The Light of Divine Guidance vol. I, p. 12) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i world)

German Baha’i organ – the “Sun of Truth”

I am enclosing for you all my translation of a number of selections from the Master's soul-stirring and comforting words, revealed some twenty-five years ago, and during the darkest days of his incarceration in the prison-city of 'Akká. You will I hope translate them and publish them in your Bahá'í organ the "Sun of Truth", copies of which I shall be most pleased to receive and share with my friends in the Holy Land. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 16 February, 1923 to the Baha’is of Germany; The Light of Divine Guidance vol. I, p. 12) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i world)

The Guardian relieved to receive news of the safety of German Baha’is

I have received with mixed feelings of sadness and gratitude your long expected letter, sent on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly (National Body), and written by our sincere and devoted brother Consul Schwarz. It made me feel relieved and grateful at receiving at last the news of your safety and the assurance of your unwavering determination to serve with heart and soul and to the very end the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh; and it filled me with sorrow to hear of the grievous calamity that has befallen your land and the hardships that are afflicting your country. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 16 February, 1923 to the Baha’is of Germany; The Light of Divine Guidance vol. I, p. 12) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i world)

‘Abdu’l-Baha’s promise for Germany

Let me assure you, at the outset, of the deep sympathy of the Ladies of the Household, of the friends the world over, and of myself, in your great suffering, and our unfailing prayers to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, that He may dissipate these gathering clouds of animosity and strife, and relieve your great and beloved country from its present state of uncertainty and peril.

Why fear and sorrow? Have we not the express promise of the Master, uttered after the termination of the Great War, that Germany, now humbled and weakened, will no doubt be freed from its fetters and will develop, materially and spiritually, and shall one day emerge from this sad turmoil strong, united and prosperous, ready to take her place in the great Family of the advanced nations of the world? (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 16 February, 1923 to the Baha’is of Germany; The Light of Divine Guidance v I, p. 12) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i world)

The Guardian foresees a time when the various worldwide Baha’i communities will coordinate their activities

The time is sure to come and the signs are already apparent, when the various and distant members of this great world community will find their activities co-ordinated, their purpose unified, their efforts re-inforced and the effect of their combined efforts manifest throughout the world. May the Power of Bahá’u’lláh breathe the dynamic spirit of Life into the combined and systematized efforts of the friends the world over and revive through them the body of stricken humanity and give it the peace which it yearns for and which the world cannot give. (Excerpt from a letter written by Shoghi Effendi to Baha’is of Germany, dated 19 January 1923; The Light of Divine Guidance, vol. 1, p. 12) (To read the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The “two leading Bahá’í organs in the world” in 1923: the Star of the West and the Bahá’í News

It would be a great encouragement to the friends in America and India if the German friends would through their respective assemblies subscribe to the two leading Bahá’í organs in the world, namely the Star of the West and the Bahá’í News, and contribute regularly reports of their own activities and submit for publication carefully written articles, sanctioned by the members of the National Spiritual Assembly, and bearing upon spiritual matters in general, that the East and the West may be closely linked together and the friends the world over may know of one another’s activities and services to the Cause. (Excerpt from a letter written by Shoghi Effendi to Baha’is of Germany, dated 19 January 1923; The Light of Divine Guidance, vol. 1, p. 11) (To read the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The Guardian encourages German Baha’is to create a Baha’i Newsletter

I am eagerly anxious to receive a copy of your Bahá’í organ which I trust you will be able to publish both in German and in English and which I hope will truly and fully describe the great effort which is now being made in those regions for the diffusion of the Bahá’í principles and teachings. With the introduction of an English section into your Bahá’í Magazine the number of its subscribers will I am sure greatly increase as the many friends in America, Great Britain, France, India and Egypt would be most pleased and grateful to gather from its columns the full news of the onward march of the Cause throughout Central Europe. (Excerpt from a letter written by Shoghi Effendi to Baha’is of Germany, dated 19 January 1923; The Light of Divine Guidance, vol. 1, pp. 10-11) (To read the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The Guardian's correspondence with every believer vs. groups and assemblies

Much as I desire to correspond individually with every one of you, yet I find that in view of the marvellously rapid extension of the Movement all over the world to start and maintain individual correspondence with the vast and ever-increasing number of Bahá’ís in the East and the West would entail so much time and energy on my part as to prevent me from paying adequate attention to my other duties that are so urgent and vital in these days.

I shall therefore very regretfully and reluctantly have to content myself with direct correspondence with every Bahá’í group in each locality, be it a city or hamlet, keeping in constant touch with them directly and through their respective local assemblies and co-ordinating their spiritual efforts and activities through the National Spiritual Assembly (National Body), representative of all the believers and local assemblies throughout the land.

(Excerpt from a letter written by Shoghi Effendi to Baha’is of Germany, dated 19 January 1923; The Light of Divine Guidance, vol. 1, pp 9-10) (To read the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The Guardian calls on the American believers to “to inaugurate a more strenuous, systematized and extensive campaign of service”

That all the friends may realize more fully the urgent and supreme necessity of Teaching the Cause in these days, that they may arise to inaugurate a more strenuous, systematized and extensive campaign of service -- these are the high aims he has set before himself and which he intends, with the unfailing help and wholehearted support of every believer in America, to achieve in the immediate future. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated January 16, 1923 to Baha’is of United States and Canada; Star of the West, vol. 14, April 1923; Baha’i Administration, pp. 31-32) (To read the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i world)

Jinabi-i-Fadil-i-Mazindarani “is proceeding to America with the sole purpose of promoting far and wide and with greater efficiency and vigour the all important work of Teaching.”

Our dear friend, Jinab-i-Fadil-i-Mazindarani, accompanied by his family, has gladly and gratefully responded to the kind invitation of the American friends to visit them once more and extend his helping hand to the many friends who are so faithfully labouring throughout that continent for the Cause of Baha'u'llah.

Deeply appreciative of the sentiments of warm and abiding affection which his co workers of that land have abundantly shown him in the past, fired with the zeal of service which the passing of our Beloved has kindled in every heart and hopeful of the immediate future of the Cause in those regions, he is proceeding to America with the sole purpose of promoting far and wide and with greater efficiency and vigour the all important work of Teaching.

The Indian “Baha’i News” magazine

May your endeavours in every sphere of your spiritual activities be crowned with brilliant success, that His glorious Promise regarding the future of that land may be speedily fulfilled. It is my earnest hope that " The Bahá'í News", the representative organ of the Bahá'í Community in India, may expand and develop, may widen the sphere of its correspondence, add to the number and quality of its articles in Persian as well as in English, report regularly in its columns the news of the spiritual activities of all Bahá'í centres in India and elsewhere, and in general provide for the full, correct and dignified presentation of the Cause to the general public. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated January 9, 1923 to the Baha’is of India and Burmah; Dawn of a New Day, p.1) To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

How to “inspire and stimulate the mind of the enlightened seeker”

The universal Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh if declared and propounded with wisdom and judgement, determination, selflessness and sincerity, and above all if exemplified in our lives and dealings with our fellow men, cannot fail to inspire and stimulate the mind of the enlightened seeker and win the admiration and allegiance of all mankind.

Ours then is the duty and privilege to bring to the attention of this distressed and war weary world this Message of Eternal Salvation and help to establish the Era of Peace and Brotherhood as purposed and foretold by Bahá'u'lláh. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated January 9, 1923 to the Baha’is of India and Burmah; Dawn of a New Day, p.1) To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The “Rays of this Divine Revelation shall make of India a spiritually-quickened, peaceful and united country”

True, that land seems now unhappily to be plunged in the darkness of prejudice, hate and mistrust, yet however dark the immediate prospect may appear, our confidence remains unshaken that ere long these mists shall clear away, the dawn of a New Day shall break upon that land and the Rays of this Divine Revelation shall make of India a spiritually-quickened, peaceful and united country. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated January 9, 1923 to the Baha’is of India and Burmah; Dawn of a New Day, p.1) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha'i World)

We shouldn’t allow the “complexity of the problems that are besetting humanity” to make us lose heart

As we observe the sad conditions of the world and the complexity of the problems that are besetting humanity, we may at times lose heart and grow forgetful of the promised dawn of the New Day, so repeatedly and emphatically foretold in the Sacred Writings. But we need only refer to some of the earliest writings of our beloved Master to regain that confidence which the vicissitudes of the world, however distressing, can never shake. Are not these words wherein he assures us of the onward march of the Cause -- a march which no one can resist and which is sure to lead humanity to its glorious destiny?

‘Abdu’l-Baha is “ever watching from his Station on High … guiding and strengthening his faithful lovers"

Though your number in each of these cities be small and limited, yet by virtue of that Celestial Potency bequeathed to every one of you by our departed Master, you are assured that ere long your small company shall expand and wield such power and influence as no earthly power can ever hope for or attain. Who can doubt that he is ever watching from his Station on High over his scattered fold and is guiding and strengthening his faithful lovers who toil and labour for the fulfillment of his Word and the realization of his Purpose for mankind? (Excerpt from a letter written by Shoghi Effendi to the Baha’is in a number of cities in north America, dated January 8, 1923; Star of the West, vol. 14, April 1923) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The unfading Splendour of ‘Abdu’l-Baha's Spirit

True, in this day the Light of the Covenant is hidden from mortal eyes, yet the unfading Splendour of His Spirit, freed from earthy limitations, shines more brilliantly than ever before and is sure to guide our steps if we but seek His Guidance and walk steadfastly in His Way.

May the radiance of His Inspiration illumine our hearts and the hope of Eternal Reunion be our stay and solace in these days of bereavement and service to His Cause. (Excerpt from a letter written by Shoghi Effendi to the Baha’is of Cleveland, dated, January 5, 1923; Star of the West, Vol. 13, March 1923) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The impact of the Master’s “Call”, visit and tender attention on New York City

Our departed Master, whose Call first awakened that city, who later visited it and with his own hands watered its soil, and who to his last hour bestowed his tenderest care upon it, is now, as ever before, watching from his Station on High the progress of the work which he has entrusted to you, his beloved children, ready to bless, guide and strengthen you in your efforts to achieve success for his Cause. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter to the Baha’is of New York, dated February 3, 1923; Star of the West, Vol. 14, April 1923) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

New York believers are called upon to “infuse the regenerating Spirit of Baha'u'llah into the divers communities, creeds and classes that are represented in that most cosmopolitan city of the American continent.”

It is my earnest hope and prayer that now at this decisive hour of the Cause of God the friends may with clear vision and redoubled energy endeavor to deepen still further the essential truths of the Cause in their own lives, and then extend the sphere of their activity, endeavoring at all times to infuse the regenerating Spirit of Baha'u'llah into the divers communities, creeds and classes that are represented in that most cosmopolitan city of the American continent.

From the leaflets, the circular letter and the pamphlet enclosed in the letter of your Spiritual Assembly, I can see clearly how well you have undertaken the task of acquainting the intellectual and religious circles of your city with the Divine Teachings, how admirably you have coordinated your efforts for service and how beautifully you have immortalized the memory of the Beloved's sojourn in your midst. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter to the Baha’is of New York, dated February 3, 1923; Star of the West, Vol. 14, April 1923) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The Guardian praises the spiritual qualities of the believers in New York City

All throughout the various vicissitudes which the Movement has encountered during this past year of bereavement and uncertainty, the faithful lovers of the Master in New York have, by their wisdom in teaching, the range and character of their activities, their perseverance in their labors and their unity in service, proved themselves worthy of the blessings which our beloved 'Abdu'l-Baha showered upon them during his repeated visits to their city. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter to the Baha’is of New York, dated February 3, 1923; Star of the West, Vol. 14, April 1923) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

How to “combat effectively the ills and sicknesses of this distracted world”

With hearts united, with minds purified and with a determination never to waver or surrender, let us step into the arena of service and armed with the sword of utterance and teaching combat effectively the ills and sicknesses of this distracted world.

We need not feel depressed or overwhelmed with the magnitude of the task for the mighty combatants whom the hands of the Master have raised in every part of the globe shall come to our aid and the Hosts of the Unseen shall reinforce our numbers till the Spirit of Love and Peace even as foretold in the Holy Writ of Baha'u'llah will have filled the world.

(Shoghi Effendi, extract from a letter dated December 30, 1922 to Baha’is of Philadelphia; Star of the West, vol. 14, April 1923) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

Persia was the “leading nation in the Bahá'í world” as of January 1922

I shall never fail to send you all the news I receive from different parts of the Bahá'í world that you may know of the efforts and triumphs our brethren, the loved ones of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, are achieving and will achieve after Him.

Persia, the leading nation in the Bahá'í world, today will, I am confident, through its centre, Tihran, communicate with you all, that the East and West, even as our Beloved One has so much wished it, may become even as one. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter written to the Baha’is of Japan, dated January 26, 1922; ‘Japan Will Turn Ablaze’, pp. 59) (To see the entire letter, please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

"Japan will turn ablaze! Japan is endowed with a most remarkable capacity for the spread of the Cause of God!”

Despondent and sorrowful, though I be in these darksome days, yet whenever I call to mind the hopes our departed Master so confidently reposed in the friends in that Far-Eastern land, hope revives within me and drives away the gloom of His bereavement. As His attendant and secretary for well-nigh two years after the termination of the Great War, I recall so vividly the radiant joy that transfigured His Face wherever I opened before Him your supplications as well as those of Miss Agnes Alexander. What promises He gave us all regarding the future of the Cause in that land at the close of almost every supplication I read to Him! Let me state, straightway, the most emphatic, the most inspiring of them all. These are His very words, that still keep ringing in my ears; -- "Japan will turn ablaze! Japan is endowed with a most remarkable capacity for the spread of the Cause of God! Japan, with (another country whose name He stated but bade us conceal it for the present) will take the lead in the spiritual reawakening of the peoples and nations that the world shall soon witness!" On another occasion, -- how vividly I recall it! -- as He reclined on His chair, with eyes closed with bodily fatigue, He waved His hand and uttered vigorously and cheerfully these words in the presence of His friends: -- "Here we are seated calm, quiet and inactive, but the Hand of the Unseen is ever active and triumphant in lands, even as distant as Japan."

San Francisco is “similar in its atmosphere and peaceful surroundings to the Holy Land”

It is indeed gratifying to learn how your flourishing city, so rich and splendid in its material gifts, so similar in its atmosphere and peaceful surroundings to the Holy Land, and potentially endowed with such spiritual capacity, is now taking a leading part in lending a fresh impetus to the onward march of the Movement in regions which, though distant and remote, are yet so near and dear to the Master's heart.

 May your patient efforts be crowned with signal success and may the Light of this Divine Revelation so illumine your city as to justify the high hopes which our Beloved had confidently reposed in every one of you. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated December 30, 1922 to Baha’is of San Francisco; Star of the West, Vol. 14, April 1923) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

Chicago to become “the throbbing centre of Baha’i activities throughout” America

May I assure you in this short message of mine of my sincere admiration for and firm attachment to those old and tried believers who have been engaged ever since the earliest days of the Cause in that land in the noble pursuit of spreading far and wide the Universal Teachings of Baha'u'llah.

Your city so far famed for its intimate association with the history of the rise of the Mashreq’ul-Azkar will, I trust, witness in the not distant future while this majestic Structure is being raised a swift regeneration in the spiritual lives of its inhabitants, that it may become truly the throbbing centre of Baha’i activities throughout the land.

We all look forward with eager hearts to the time when this noble Edifice, with all its various accessories completed, will become the focal centre of spiritual, humanitarian and intellectual achievements to which the friends of that city, the pioneers of such a glorious work, will have a distinct share to contribute.

(Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated December 29, 1922 to Baha’is of Chicago; Star of the West, Vol. 13, March 1923) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

How to win over people who are firm in their religious beliefs

Though its people be firmly entrenched in their religious sectarianism and strongly attached to their religious doctrines and traditions, yet who can doubt that with courage and persistence, kindliness and wisdom, the all-conquering words of Bahá'u'lláh can fail to break down all these barriers of prejudice and religious exclusiveness and conquer this longstanding stronghold of sectarian belief!

Surely the efficacy of the universal Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh as applied to the cherished and time-honoured religious traditions of the East, has been sufficiently demonstrated to justify at present our confident hopes for the future and speedy re-awakening of that land. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a message to Baha’is of Canada, dated 2, January, 1923; Messages to Canada, p. 3) (To see the entire message please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The Guardian welcomes receiving communications from the members of British NSA and the friends

I would be pleased and grateful if the members of the Spiritual Assembly would at any time inform me of their needs, wants and desires, their plans and activities, that I may through my prayers and brotherly assistance contribute, however meagrely, to the success of their glorious mission in this world.

To my extreme regret, I feel unable in view of my manifold and pressing duties, and owing to the extraordinary extension of the Movement in recent times, to correspond with the friends individually and express to them in writing what I always feel in the depth of my heart of brotherly affection and abiding gratitude for their love and sympathy for me. I shall, however, await with eager expectation their individual letters and assure them of my readiness and wish to be of any service to them in their work for the Cause.

The Guardian started “correspondence with every Baha’i local centre throughout the East” – encouraging sharing of news between East and West

I am now starting correspondence with every Bahá'í local centre throughout the East and will not fail to instruct and urge the believers everywhere to send directly through their respective spiritual local Assemblies the joyful tidings of the progress of the Cause, in the form of regular detailed reports, to the various assemblies of their spiritual brethren and sisters in the West. England, I am confident, will regularly and consistently receive, directly, and indirectly through the "Star of the West" and the "Bahá'í News" of India, a large share of such tidings from Persia, Caucasus, Turkestan, India, Turkey and Mesopotamia, North Africa and Egypt. It would be most gratifying and encouraging to all earnest workers for the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh if every now and then a report on the spiritual activities of the friends in Great Britain, as well as articles on spiritual matters, would be submitted for publication to the above-mentioned periodicals. It would, I feel very strongly, react very favourably on the Cause in England, and would serve to draw closer the ties that bind all spiritual centres together at the present time.  (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 23, December, 1922 to the Baha’is of Great Britain; Unfolding Destiny, p. 12) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

Dr. Esslemont’s book, Baha’u’llah and the New Era, gives the “finest and most effective presentation of the various aspects of the Cause to the mind of the Oriental as well as to that of the Westerner.”

I am enclosing various suggestions of Mr. Dreyfus-Barney and of Mr. Roy Wilhelm made by them at my request, during their last sojourn in the Holy Land. I submit them to Dr. Esslemont's consideration as well as to that of the Spiritual Assembly. I very deeply regret my inability to give the attention I desire to this admirable work of his, but will assuredly do all in my power to aid him in the final stages of his work. I am certain however that the book as it now stands gives the finest and most effective presentation of the various aspects of the Cause to the mind of the Oriental as well as to that of the Westerner. May it arouse a genuine and widespread interest in the Cause throughout the world. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter to the Baha’is of Britain, dated 23 December, 1922; Unfolding Destiny p. 12) (To see the entire letter please visist Messages to the Baha’i World)

The very first letter from the West that reached the Guardian after his temporary absence and return to the Holy Land

I have during the last few days been waiting eagerly for the first written messages of my Western friends, sent to me since they have learned of my return to the Holy Land. How great was the joy when dear Miss Rosenberg's letter -- the very first that reached me from the West -- was handed to me this evening, bearing the joyful news of the safety, the unity and the happiness of my British friends across the seas! I read it and re-read it with particular pleasure and felt a thrill of delight at the welcome news of the harmonious and efficient functioning of your Spiritual Assembly.

Casting the “seeds of faith and loving fellowship ... in the soil of hearts”

I have shared fully your news with those loving pilgrims and resident friends in the Holy Land whom I meet regularly in what was in the past the audience-chamber of the Master and who thirst after the tidings of the progress of the Cause in every land. They, and myself with them, will pray most fervently for every one of you that the seeds of faith and loving fellowship that you are casting in the soil of hearts may germinate and swell the ever increasing number of the valiant hosts of Bahá and enable them to attain glorious victory. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter addressed to the Baha’is of Australia, 20 December, 1922; Messages to Antipodes, p.1) (To see the entire letter, please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The “Spirit of Faith and Peace as revealed in the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh” "will" eventually “fill the world and the darkness of strife” will “be no more”

Having returned to the Holy Land with a renewed vigour and a refreshed spirit, I shall not fail with the help of the Master to do my part in enabling you to carry on further and still further the Glorious Standard of Baha to the very heart and uttermost confines of Germany and thus hasten the Day when the Spirit of Faith and Peace as revealed in the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh will fill the world and the darkness of strife be no more. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 17 December 1922 to the Baha’is of Germany; The Light of Divine Guidance v I, p. 8) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The Guardian admires the spiritual qualities and activities of German believers

The news of your most spiritual gatherings, since the Great Plan of the Master as revealed in His Testament has been unfolded to our eyes; the formation and functioning of the National Body with efficiency and harmony; the extension of your activities; the widening of your correspondence; the generous and spontaneous help you have extended us in connection with our difficulties in the Holy Land and above all the spirit of ready devotion and ever-increasing zeal which is back of it all - these are sweet thoughts that cheer the bereaved Ladies of the Holy Household and encourage here and abroad the many friends who look forward to the hour when all the Master has promised His friends in Germany will come to be fulfilled. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 17 December 1922 to the Baha’is of Germany; The Light of Divine Guidance v I, p. 7) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The Guardian explains factors that necessitated his need for a temporary absence and what “sustained and comforted” him during that time period

To have been unable, owing to sad circumstances over which I have had no control, to keep in close and constant touch with you, the beloved children of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, since His passing from this world, is to me a cause of sad surprise and deep and bitter regret. To say that ever since the Dawn of a New Day has broken upon me I have in the least felt reluctant or disinclined to enter into relationship with every one of you, or felt indifferent to a Cause which is so close and dear to your hearts, would indeed betray every sentiment of love and fellowship which animates every one of us in our servitude to His Holy Threshold. It was rather my utter exhaustion, my profound feelings of sorrow, the overwhelming sense of my own position and responsibilities and the extreme pressure of work that have caused me to maintain such a long silence and seem forgetful of those brave and valiant lovers of the Master in that land.

1922: Baha’is of Britain formed a National Council [1] – the Guardian delineates its duties

I need hardly tell you how grateful and gratified I felt when I heard the news of the actual formation of a National Council whose main object is to guide, co-ordinate and harmonise the various activities of the friends, and when I learned of its satisfactory composition, its harmonious procedure and the splendid work it is achieving.

My earnest prayer is that the blessing of the Almighty may rest upon all its deliberations, that it may be divinely guided, inspired in its work, may smooth speedily and definitely all differences that may arise, may promote the all-important work of Teaching, may widen the sphere of its correspondence and exchange of news with the distant parts of the Bahá'í world, may secure through its publications a dignified and proper presentation of the Cause to the enlightened public, and may in every other respect prove itself capable of distinct and worthy achievements. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 16 December 1922 to Baha’is in Great Britain; The Unfolding Destiny of the British Baha’i Community, pp. 10-11) (To see the entire letter, please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

[1 Dr. Esselmont and E. T. Hall were "chosen" to represent Bournemouth and Manchester respectively and they met with seven others representing "The London Groups" to form the first "All-England Bahá'í Council" which met at the London home of Mrs. Thornburgh-Cropper 6 June, 1922. Mr. G. P. Simpson was elected Chairman.]

The effect of 'Abdu'l-Baha's visit on Britain and the spiritual qualities of British believers

That in every one of you our departed Master reposed His future and truest hopes for an able and convincing presentation of the Cause to the outside world, is abundantly revealed in His spoken and written words to you, as well as in His general references to the spirit of sincerity, of tenacity and devotion that animates His friends of that land.

The fierce tests that have raged over that island in the past; the calm and determination with which they have been so bravely faced and surmounted; the seeds of loving fellowship that the Beloved in person has more than once scattered in its soil; the rise, as its result, of a few but indeed capable, reliable, devoted and experienced followers and admirers of the Cause; the splendid and in many instances unique opportunities that are yours -- these indeed are cherished thoughts for a land that illumines its past and should cheer its future. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 16 December 1922 to Baha'is in Great Britain; The Unfolding Destiny of the British Baha'i Community, p. 10) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha'i World)

At the end of his retirement period the Guardian felt “spiritually and bodily … better equipped to shoulder the responsibilities of the Cause”

Now that happily I feel myself restored to a position where I can take up with continuity and vigour the threads of my manifold duties, the bitterness of every disappointment felt, time and again, in the course of the past weary months at my feeling of unpreparedness, have been merged in the sweetness of the present hour, when I realise that spiritually and bodily I am better equipped to shoulder the responsibilities of the Cause. The thought, so often comforting and sustaining, that in the counsels of my British co-workers of that land, I shall find spontaneous and undiminished support as well as wise and experienced assistance, is surely one of those forces which will hearten me in the midst of my future labours for the Cause. (Shoghi Effendi, Excerpt from a letter dated 16 December 1922 to the Baha’is of Great Britain; The Unfolding Destiny of the British Baha'i Community, p. 10) (To see the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The Guardian completed his “hours of rest and meditation” and “renewed” his “hope and vigor”

Now that my long hours of rest and meditation are happily at an end, I turn my face with renewed hope and vigor to that vast continent the soil of which is pregnant with those seeds that our beloved Master has so tenderly and so profusely scattered in the past. Prolonged though this period has been, yet I have strongly felt ever since the New Day has dawned upon me that such a needed retirement, despite the temporary dislocations it might entail, would far outweigh in its results any immediate service I could have humbly tendered at the Threshold of Bahá'u'lláh.

I am now confident that the energies of my beloved brethren and sisters across the seas, far from being damped by my sudden disappearance from the field of service, will henceforth be fully maintained, nay redoubled in their intensity, that we may all together carry triumphantly to the uttermost corners of the world the glorious Standard of Baha. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated 16, December 1922; Baha'i Administration, p. 25; To read the entire letter please visit Messages to the Baha’i World)

The impact of the sudden passing of ‘Abdu’l-Baha on Shoghi Effendi

This servant, after that grievous event and great calamity, the ascension of His Holiness 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the Abha Kingdom, has been so stricken with grief and pain and so entangled in the troubles (created) by the enemies of the Cause of God, that I consider that my presence here, at such a time and in such an atmosphere, is not in accordance with the fulfilment of my important and sacred duties.

For this reason, unable to do otherwise, I have left for a time the affairs of the Cause both at home and abroad, under the supervision of the Holy Family and the headship of the Greatest Holy Leaf [Bahiyyih Khanum, sister of 'Abdu'l-Bahá] until, by the Grace of God, having gained health, strength, self-confidence and spiritual energy, and having taken into my hands, in accordance with my aim and desire, entirely and regularly the work of service I shall attain to my utmost spiritual hope and aspiration.

(Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a message dated May 1922; Baha’i Administration, p. 25; To see the entire message please visit Messages to the Baha'i World)

The “prime requisites” (indispensable requirements) for LSA members when taking “counsel together”

"The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrances, humility and lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and long-suffering in difficulties and servitude to His exalted Threshold. Should they be graciously aided to acquire these attributes, victory from the unseen Kingdom of Baha shall be vouchsafed to them. In this day, assemblies of consultation are of the greatest importance and a vital necessity. Obedience unto them is essential and obligatory. The members thereof must take counsel together in such wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be attained when every member expresseth with absolute freedom his own opinion and setteth forth his argument. Should any one oppose, he must on no account feel hurt for not until matters are fully discussed can the right way be revealed. The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions. If after discussion, a decision be carried unanimously, well and good; but if, the Lord forbid, differences of opinion should arise, a majority of voices must prevail." (‘Abdu’l-Baha, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in a letter dated March 5, 1922; Baha'i Administration, pp. 17-25) (To read the entire message please visit Messages to the Baha'i World)

Attitude Spiritual Assembly members (“counselors”) should maintain

In the Most Holy Book is revealed: -- "The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be established wherein shall gather counsellors to the number of Baha, and should it exceed this number it does not matter. It behooveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to regard themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly. Thus hath the Lord your God commanded you. Beware lest ye put away that which is clearly revealed in His Tablet. Fear God, O ye that perceive." (Excerpt from a letter by Shoghi Effendi, dated March 5, 1922; Baha'i Administration, pp. 17-25) (To read the entire message please visit Messages to the Baha'i World)

Prayer to be recited by Spiritual Assembly members when they “enter the council-chamber”

Addressing the members of the Spiritual Assembly in Chicago, the Master reveals the following: -- "Whenever ye enter the council-chamber, recite this prayer with a heart throbbing with the love of God and a tongue purified from all but His remembrance, that the All-powerful may graciously aid you to achieve supreme victory: -- 'O God, my God! We are servants of Thine that have turned with devotion to Thy Holy Face, that have detached ourselves from all beside Thee in this glorious Day. We have gathered in this spiritual assembly, united in our views and thoughts, with our purposes harmonized to exalt Thy Word amidst mankind. O Lord, our God! Make us the signs of Thy Divine Guidance, the Standards of Thy exalted Faith amongst men, servants to Thy mighty Covenant. O Thou our Lord Most High! Manifestations of Thy Divine Unity in Thine Abha Kingdom, and resplendent stars shining upon all regions. Lord! Aid us to become seas surging with the billows of Thy wondrous Grace, streams flowing from Thy all-glorious Heights, goodly fruits upon the Tree of Thy heavenly Cause, trees waving through the breezes of Thy Bounty in Thy celestial Vineyard. O God! Make our souls dependent upon the Verses of Thy Divine Unity, our hearts cheered with the outpourings of Thy Grace, that we may unite even as the waves of one sea and become merged together as the rays of Thine Effulgent Light; that our thoughts, our views, our feelings may become as one reality, manifesting the spirit of union throughout the world. Thou art the Gracious, the Bountiful, the Bestower, the Almighty, the Merciful, the Compassionate.'" (Excerpt from a letter by Shoghi Effendi, dated March 5, 1922; Baha'i Administration, pp. 17-25) (To read the entire message please visit Messages to the Baha'i World)

The path to follow by each believer when encountering situations in a locality that could potentially be detrimental to the interests of the Faith

Does not 'Abdu'l-Bahá wish us, as He looks down upon us with loving expectation from His glorious Station, to obliterate as much as possible all traces of censure, of conflicting discussions, of cooling remarks, of petty unnecessary observations that impede the onward march of the Cause, that damp the zeal of the firm believer and detract from the sublimity of the Bahá'í Cause in the eyes of the inquirer? In order, however, to insure fair and quick and vigorous action whenever such an evil activity is revealed and has been carefully ascertained, the best and only means would appear to be, for the careful observer, once he is assured of such an evil action, and has grown hopeless of the attitude of kindness and forbearance, to report it quietly to the Spiritual Assembly representative of the friends in that locality and submit the case to their earnest and full consideration. Should the majority of the members of that Assembly be conscientiously convinced of the case -- and this being a national issue affecting the body of the friends in America -- it should, only through the intermediary of that Assembly, be cautiously communicated to that greater body representing all the Assemblies in America, which will in its turn obtain all the available data from the local Assembly in question, study carefully the situation and reserve for itself the ultimate decision. It may, if it decides so, refer to the Holy Land for further consideration and consultation. (Extract from a letter by Shoghi Effendi, dated March 5, 1922; Baha'i Administration, pp. 17-25) (To read the entire message please visit Messages to the Baha'i World)

Qualities of North American believers that ‘Abdu’l-Baha admired …

“… the untiring activity of the friends, the complete subordination of their material interests to those of the Cause, the remarkable spread of the Movement in their midst and their staunch firmness in the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh. It is these encouraging reflections of the Master about His loved ones in America and the tests intellectual rather than physical which He said He would send to them to purify them and make ever brighter than before -- it is these comments and promises of His that make of the Movement in that land such a potential force in the world today. The Beloved Master's cable to the friends in that region is a clear indication of the presence of those counteracting forces that may usher in those storms of tests that the Master Himself has said will ultimately be for the good of the Cause in that land. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a message dated January 21st, 1922 in ‘Baha'i Administration’, p. 12) (To read the entire message please visit Messages to the Baha'i World)

Qualities to strive for while arising to serve ‘Abdu’l-Baha

Unity amongst the friends, selflessness in our labors in His [‘Abdu’l-Baha’s] Path, detachment from all worldly things, the greatest prudence and caution in every step we take, earnest endeavor to carry out only what is His Holy Will and Pleasure, the constant awareness of His Presence and of the example of His Life, the absolute shunning of whomsoever we feel to be an enemy of the Cause ... these, and foremost among them is the need for unity, appear to me as our most vital duties, should we dedicate our lives for His service. Should we in this spirit arise to serve Him, what surer and greater promise have we than the one His Glorious Father, Bahá'u'lláh, gives us in His Most Holy Book: -- "Verily, We behold you from Our Realm of Effulgent Glory, and shall graciously aid whosoever ariseth for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Celestial Concourse and a company of Our chosen angels." (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a message dated January 21st, 1922 in ‘Baha'i Administration’, p. 12) (To read the entire message please visit Messages to the Baha'i World)

The Guardian explains that ‘Abdu’l-Baha had “sure and clear knowledge that His end was nigh ..”

How well I remember when, more than two years ago, the Beloved Master turning to a distinguished visitor of His, who was seated by Him in His garden, suddenly broke the silence and said: -- "My work is now done upon this plane; it is time for me to pass on to the other world." Did He not in more than one occasion state clearly and emphatically: -- "Were ye to know what will come to pass after me, surely would ye pray that my end be hastened"? In a Tablet sent to Persia when the storm raised years ago by that Committee of Investigation was fiercely raging around Him, when the days of His incarceration were at their blackest, He reveals the following: -- "Now in this world of being, the Hand of Divine Power hath firmly laid the foundations of this all-highest Bounty and this wondrous Gift. Gradually whatsoever is latent in the innermost of this Holy Cycle shall appear and be made manifest, for now is but the beginning of its growth and the dayspring of the revelation of its Signs. Ere the close of this Century and of this Age, it shall be made clear and manifest how wondrous was that Springtide and how heavenly was that Gift!"
With such assuring Utterances and the unmistakable evidences of His sure and clear knowledge that His end was nigh …. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a message dated January 21st, 1922 in ‘Baha'i Administration’, p. 12) (To read the entire message please visit Messages to the Baha'i World Community -- by Shoghi Effendi)