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Bahá'í Administration
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Pages 52-57
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Letter of November 26, 1923.
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1 |
To the members of the American National Spiritual Assembly.
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Friends and fellow-workers in the Vineyard of God!
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After a long and unbroken silence, it gives me the greatest joy
to be enabled to correspond again with my dearly-beloved co-workers
of the National Spiritual Assembly.
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Your three letters, dated June 8th, July 10th and October 12th,
have been safely received, and to each I have given my earnest and
fullest attention. Their perusal which reflects only a certain amount
of your activities together with the study of the enclosed communications
and circulars and of the detailed and admirable report of the
proceedings of the Annual Convention have all served to heighten
my admiration for the thoroughness, the ability, and the devotion
with which you are conducting the affairs of the Cause of God in
that land.
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5 |
How often I have wished and yearned to be nearer to the field
of your activities and thus be able to keep in a more constant and
closer touch with every detail of the manifold and all-important
services you render. I cherish the hope that erelong the facilities
in the means of communication and transport will serve to draw
us still nearer to one another, and fulfill, though partially, this
long-desired wish.
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6 |
I have been made happy and grateful to learn from your first
letter that "throughout the sessions (of the last Convention) the
atmosphere was one of great detachment and spirituality combined
with practical vision and purpose." I am deeply convinced that if
the Annual Convention of the friends in America, as well as the
National Spiritual Assembly, desire to become potent instruments
for the speedy realization of the Beloved's fondest hopes for the
future of that country, they should endeavor, first and foremost, to
exemplify, in an increasing degree, to all Bahá'ís and to the world
at large the high ideals of fellowship and service which Bahá'u'lláh
and the beloved Master repeatedly set before them. They can claim
the admiration, the support and eventually the allegiance of their
fellow-countrymen only by their strict regard for the dignity, the
welfare, and the unity of the Cause of God, by their zeal, their
disinterestedness, and constancy in the service of mankind, and by
demonstrating, through their words and deeds, the need and practicability
of the lofty principles which the Movement has proclaimed
to the world.
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7 |
The efforts you have displayed, and the considerable success
you have achieved in consolidating the forces of the Movement in
the United States and Canada have been a source of inspiration to
every one of us, and, I am certain, will spur the friends throughout
the East to combined and sympathetic activity for the promotion of
the Cause.
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8 |
My fervent prayer at the three Holy Shrines is that the bountiful
Lord may bless His American friends who constitute the vanguard
of His host in the Western world, and prosper them in their
material affairs and pursuits, that the Cause which stands today in
sore need of material help and assistance may advance, rapidly and
unhindered, towards the fulfillment of its destiny.
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9 |
With regard to the Bahá'í Fund, recently established amongst
the friends, I trust that the matter now stands clear to every one
throughout the country. As I have previously intimated, although
individual friends and local Assemblies are absolutely free to specify
the object and purpose of their donations to the National Spiritual
Assembly, yet, in my opinion, I regard it of the utmost vital importance
that individuals, as well as local Assemblies, throughout
the land should, in view of the paramount importance of National
Teaching and as an evidence of their absolute confidence in their
national representatives, endeavor, however small at first, to contribute
freely towards the upkeep and the increase of the National
Bahá'í Fund, so that the members of the National Assembly may
at their full discretion expend it for whatever they deem urgent
and necessary.
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10 |
Concerning the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, I shall always recall with
pride and gratitude the self-sacrifice of the American friends and,
in particular the devoted services of our dear Bahá'í sister, Mrs.
True, and our beloved brethren, Dr. Bagdadi, Mr. Remey and
Mr. Bourgeois, whose persistent efforts and devoted services are in
the eyes of all friends highly praiseworthy. I would feel indeed
disheartened were the friends to think for a moment, that its work
should fall into abeyance, nay, rather they should do all in their
power (and I trust their fellow-brethren and sisters throughout the
East may share in their stupendous efforts) to provide for the
steady and uninterrupted progress of the work, until the day may
come when this sublime Edifice, raised in its majestic splendor in
the very heart of the continent, may be yet another evidence of the
triumph and vitality of the Cause.
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11 |
Your reference to the friends in Akron, Ohio, and their harmonious
participation in the proceedings of the Convention have
rejoiced my heart, for it has removed another obstacle in the way of
the rapid and vigorous development of the Cause in those regions.
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12 |
The beneficent services and unremitting labors of that selfless
and able teacher of the Cause of God, Jináb-i-Fádil-i-Mazandarání,
the details of whose travels and activities I have followed with deep
interest, have been to me a constant source of hope and real encouragement,
and my hope is that the seeds he has so wisely sown
may with your support yield in the not distant future an abundant
harvest.
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13 |
I was delighted to hear of the progressive activities of that
dearly-beloved spot, Green Acre, upon which the Master has bestowed
His tender care and loving-kindness, and of which we are
all hopeful that it may become, while the work of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár
is in progress, the focal center of the devotional, humanitarian,
social and spiritual activities of the Cause. The sacrifice
of the time, energy and money made by our dearly beloved friends,
Mr. and Mrs. Randall, Mr. and Mrs. Schopflocher, and those who
have helped them in their task, I shall never forget, and will fervently
pray on their behalf that our Beloved may fulfill their heart's
desire. I feel that no interference with its present organization
should be attempted, as it enjoys in its present condition unique
opportunities for the diffusion of the Bahá'í spirit and the promotion
of the Word of God.
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14 |
I am glad to report that the situation of the houses in Baghdád
is free from immediate danger, though the issue has not yet been
definitely determined. I wish in this respect to express my high
admiration and deep gratitude for the promptness, caution, and care
with which you, and particularly Mrs. Parsons and Mr. Mills, have
approached and handled this delicate question. I shall inform you
of any future developments in this matter.
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15 |
With regard to the Star of the West, I have been impressed by
the beauty and force of the various articles contributed to the Journal
by Mr. Horace Holley and Mr. Stanwood Cobb, and would indeed
welcome with genuine satisfaction an even more active participation
on their part in the editorial section of the Bahá'í Magazine.
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16 |
I have addressed a few days ago a cable to the secretary of the
National Spiritual Assembly, requesting the friends to exercise
restraint and caution in the use and distribution of the record of
the Master's voice. In my view, it should be used only on special
occasions and be listened to with the utmost reverence. The dignity
of the Cause, I am sure, would suffer from too wide and indiscriminate
use of one of the most precious relics of our departed
Master.
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17 |
Regarding the short film of the Master, for which, as well as
for the record of His voice, I am deeply indebted to the selfless
efforts and services of my dear brother, Mr. Roy C. Wilhelm, it
would be undoubtedly better to combine it with other films representing
various scenes in the history of the Cause, taken in countries
visited by the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá. As this would
take considerable time and preparation and would entail much expense
I wonder whether it would be an expense and burden to you
to forward only to the Holy Land one copy of the actual film, as
it would impart untold happiness and consolation to the bereaved
ladies of the Holy Household.
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18 |
I am gratified to peruse the able and masterly work of my dear
fellow-worker, Mr. Horace Holley, a work
[1]
which I have no doubt
will by virtue of its subject matter, its comprehensiveness and
uniqueness arouse widespread and genuine interest in the Movement.
I am looking forward eagerly to similar productions by the pen of
such able and gifted servants of Bahá'u'lláh.
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19 |
I am enclosing for all the friends recent translations of those
highly significant utterances of Bahá'u'lláh, revealed some fifty years
ago, and pregnant with His divine wisdom. His ringing call to
humanity in its hour of peril sounds prophetic in these days of
utter gloom.
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20 |
I am forwarding also a copy of the transliterated Oriental terms
with few corrections of minor type errors. I am confident that the
friends will not feel their energy and patience taxed by a scrupulous
adherence to what is an authoritative and universal, though arbitrary
code for the spelling of Oriental terms.
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21 |
The diligent efforts exerted by the various committees of the
National Spiritual Assembly, those for National Teaching, for the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, the Star of the West, the National Library, for
the reviewing and publication of Bahá'í literature, for education, for
the National Archives and the Race Amity Conventions, have
cheered and heartened me in the discharge of my manifold duties,
and constitute in themselves a convincing evidence and inspiring
example to the Bahá'í world of the efficient spiritual administration
of the affairs of the Bahá'í world.
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22 |
As to the spiritual activities of the "Children of the Kingdom"
in America, my hope and prayer is that they may grow to become
efficient servants of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh. Their devotion and
self-sacrifice, their readiness to help the cause of the Bahá'í Temple,
their activity in connection with the Bahá'í Magazine are all unmistakable
signs of the glorious future of the Cause in that land. May
the care and loving-kindness of the Heavenly Father guide them,
protect them and aid them in their future mission in life.
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23 |
The Greatest Holy Leaf, the Holy Mother, and the other ladies
of the Holy Household wish to join me, one and all, in expressing
to every one of you their deep thankfulness and their highest appreciation
for the efficient and admirable manner with which you
are coordinating the dynamic forces of the Cause, and conducting
its affairs throughout America.
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24 |
The sum of 100 English pounds which you have offered to the
Cause through me, I must acknowledge with deep appreciation and
gratitude, and wish to inform you that a part of it has been directly
expended for the furthering of the interests of the Cause throughout
the world, and the rest for the embellishment of the Well-Beloved's
Shrine on Mount Carmel.
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25 |
With deep gratitude, and hoping to hear from you, singly and
collectively, I am your true brother,
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26 |
SHOGHI.
Haifa, Palestine.
November 26, 1923.
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Notes
1. [Bahá'í Scriptures, New York, 1923; replaced by Bahá'í World Faith, 1943.]
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