Messages from Shoghi Effendi
to the
North American Bahá’ís
1932–1946

© Bahá’í International Community

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The Passing of Abu’l-Qásim Khurásání

26 February 1932

PROFOUND SORROW PREOCCUPATIONS OCCASIONED BY UNEXPECTED PASSING OF ABU’L-QÁSIM CUSTODIAN INTERNATIONAL ARCHIVES AND CARETAKER GARDENS BÁB’S HOLY SHRINE CAUSING UNAVOIDABLE DELAY PREPARATION MANUSCRIPT “BAHÁ’Í WORLD.” URGE EMPHASIZE IN “BAHÁ’Í NEWS” HIS MARVELOUS SELF-ABNEGATION AND TRUSTWORTHINESS AS OUTSTANDING QUALITIES OF A REMARKABLE CHARACTER. WRITING.

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Nabíl’s Narrative

20 June 1932

FEEL IMPELLED APPEAL ENTIRE BODY AMERICAN BELIEVERS HENCEFORTH REGARD NABÍL’S SOUL-STIRRING NARRATIVE AS ESSENTIAL ADJUNCT TO RECONSTRUCTED TEACHING PROGRAM, AS UNCHALLENGEABLE TEXTBOOK IN THEIR SUMMER SCHOOLS, AS SOURCE OF INSPIRATION IN ALL LITERARY ARTISTIC PURSUITS, AS AN INVALUABLE COMPANION IN TIMES OF LEISURE, AS INDISPENSABLE PRELIMINARY TO FUTURE PILGRIMAGE BAHÁ’U’LLÁH’S NATIVE LAND AND AS UNFAILING INSTRUMENT TO ALLAY DISTRESS AND RESIST ATTACKS OF CRITICAL DISILLUSIONED HUMANITY.

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Immortal Spirit

15 July 1932

GREATEST HOLY LEAF’S IMMORTAL SPIRIT WINGED ITS FLIGHT GREAT BEYOND COUNTLESS LOVERS HER SAINTLY LIFE IN EAST AND WEST SEIZED WITH PANGS OF ANGUISH, PLUNGED IN UNUTTERABLE SORROW. HUMANITY SHALL ERE LONG RECOGNIZE ITS IRREPARABLE LOSS. OUR BELOVED FAITH, WELL-NIGH CRUSHED BY DEVASTATING BLOW OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ’S UNEXPECTED ASCENSION, NOW LAMENTS PASSING LAST REMNANT OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH ITS MOST EXALTED MEMBER. HOLY FAMILY CRUELLY DIVESTED ITS MOST PRECIOUS MOST GREAT ADORNING. I, FOR MY PART, BEWAIL SUDDEN REMOVAL MY SOLE EARTHLY SUSTAINER THE JOY AND SOLACE OF MY LIFE. HER SACRED REMAINS WILL REPOSE VICINITY HOLY SHRINES. SO GRIEVOUS A BEREAVEMENT NECESSITATES SUSPENSION FOR NINE MONTHS THROUGHOUT BAHÁ’Í WORLD EVERY MANNER RELIGIOUS FESTIVITY. INFORM LOCAL ASSEMBLIES AND GROUPS HOLD BEFITTING MANNER MEMORIAL GATHERINGS EXTOL A LIFE SO LADEN SACRED EXPERIENCES, SO RICH IMPERISHABLE MEMORIES. ADVISE HOLDING ADDITIONAL COMMEMORATION SERVICE OF STRICTLY DEVOTIONAL CHARACTER AUDITORIUM MASHRIQU’L-ADHKÁR.

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Evidences of Sympathy

1 August 1932

PRAY ASSURE AMERICAN BELIEVERS BEHALF HOLY FAMILY MYSELF ABIDING APPRECIATION NUMEROUS EVIDENCES THEIR VALUED SYMPATHY. OUR SORROW-LADEN HEARTS MUCH RELIEVED FILLED WITH GRATITUDE. OUT OF PANGS OF ANGUISH WHICH BEREAVED AMERICA EXPERIENCED IN HER SUDDEN SEPARATION FROM ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ ADMINISTRATION GOD’S INVINCIBLE FAITH WAS BORN. MIGHT NOT HER PRESENT GRIEF AT LOSS BAHÁ’U’LLÁH’S PRECIOUS DAUGHTER RELEASE SUCH FORCES AS WILL ENSURE SPEEDY COMPLETION MASHRIQU’L-ADHKÁR — ADMINISTRATION’S MIGHTY BULWARK SYMBOL OF ITS STRENGTH AND HARBINGER ITS PROMISED GLORY?

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United Will, Concerted Action

27 October 1932

I am deeply conscious of the many obstacles that stand in the path of the American believers in their stupendous endeavor to attain their goal — a goal on which our dearly beloved Greatest Holy Leaf had set her fondest hopes. I cannot, however, overlook, much as I sympathize with them in their financial tribulation and anxieties, the mysterious power which resides in the united will and concerted action of all the members of that self-sacrificing community — a community which, since the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, has lent an impetus to the advancement of the Cause out of all proportion to its numerical strength, its youthfulness, and experience of the powers latent in this sacred Faith. What an untold wealth of blessings will flow out of a renewed, an irrevocable resolution, representing the combined will of the steadfast lovers of the Cause of God in that land, to carry out, in its entirety, during the few remaining months, a Plan on which so much that is vital to its worldwide interests depends! The American believers, the stouthearted supporters of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, have already given too many evidences of their preponderating influence in the direction of its affairs to allow the slightest disappointment to mar the radiance of their past achievements. Their will to succeed must eventually triumph.

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Champion-Builders of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh

16 February 1933

REPEATED EVIDENCES AMERICAN BELIEVERS’ SLEEPLESS VIGILANCE COURAGEOUS LOYALTY EXEMPLARY SELF-SACRIFICE ESTABLISHED THEM IN EVERY BAHÁ’Í HEART AS CHAMPION-BUILDERS WORLD ORDER BAHÁ’U’LLÁH. FOUNDER OF OUR FAITH WELL PLEASED TOKENS THEIR WISE STEWARDSHIP ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ PROUD OF THEIR VALOR GREATEST HOLY LEAF RADIANT WITH JOY AT THEIR FIDELITY.

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Non-Participation in Political Affairs

16 March 1933

The handling of this delicate and vital problem regarding non-participation by Bahá’ís of East and West in political affairs calls for the utmost circumspection, tact, patience and vigilance on the part of those whose function and privilege is to guard, promote and administer the activities of a worldwide ever-advancing Cause. The misgivings and apprehensions of individual Bahá’ís should be allayed and eventually completely dispelled. Any misconception of the sane and genuine patriotism that animates every Bahá’í heart, if it ever obscures or perplexes the minds of responsible government officials, should be instantly and courageously dissipated. Any deliberate misrepresentation, by the enemies of the Cause of God, of the aims, the tenets and methods of the administrators of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh should be vigorously faced and its fallacy pitilessly exposed. The Cause, to which we belong, stands on the threshold of an era of unprecedented expansion. Its problems are many, divers and challenging. Our methods and ways of approach must likewise be characterized by unusual sagacity, consummate skill and wisdom. He will surely never fail us in meeting the needs of a critical hour.

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Personalities Subordinated

11 April 1933

I greatly value the Tablets addressed to Sarah Farmer and I thank you for having sent them to me. Will you kindly send me a few more copies of the Study Guide to Nabíl’s narrative and of the reprint of the Declaration of Trust, copies of both of which I wish to distribute among those who are deeply interested. Your letters of March 31 and 30th, written on behalf of the assembly have just reached me. Concerning the removal of believers I feel that such a vitally important matter should be given the most serious consideration and preferably be referred to the National Assembly for further consideration and final decision. We should be slow to accept and reluctant to remove. I fully approve and wholeheartedly and unreservedly uphold the principle to which you refer that personalities should not be made centers around which the community may revolve, but that they should be subordinated under all conditions and however great their merits to the properly constituted Assemblies. You and your co-workers can never overestimate or overemphasize this cardinal principle of Bahá’í Administration.

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Momentous Convention

Message to 1933 Convention

1 June 1933

ENTIRE BAHÁ’Í WORLD STIRRED WITH EXPECTATION WITNESS RESULTS AMERICAN BELIEVERS’ MOMENTOUS CONVENTION. ON ITS PROCEEDINGS HANG ISSUES OF INCALCULABLE BENEFIT WORLDWIDE FAITH BAHÁ’U’LLÁH. TO ITS DELEGATES GIVEN GREAT OPPORTUNITY RELEASE FORCES WHICH WILL USHER IN ERA WHOSE SPLENDOR MUST OUTSHINE HEROIC AGE OUR BELOVED CAUSE. SUPREME CONCOURSE WAITING FOR THEM TO SEIZE IT.

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An Eminent Rank

28 October 1933

KEITH’S PRECIOUS LIFE OFFERED UP SACRIFICE BELOVED CAUSE IN BAHÁ’U’LLÁH’S NATIVE LAND. ON PERSIAN SOIL FOR PERSIA’S SAKE SHE ENCOUNTERED CHALLENGED AND FOUGHT FORCES OF DARKNESS WITH HIGH DISTINCTION, INDOMITABLE WILL, UNSWERVING EXEMPLARY LOYALTY. MASS OF HER HELPLESS PERSIAN BRETHREN MOURN SUDDEN LOSS THEIR VALIANT EMANCIPATOR. AMERICAN BELIEVERS GRATEFUL AND PROUD MEMORY THEIR FIRST AND DISTINGUISHED MARTYR. SORROW-STRICKEN I LAMENT EARTHLY SEPARATION INVALUABLE COLLABORATOR UNFAILING COUNSELOR ESTEEMED AND FAITHFUL FRIEND. URGE LOCAL ASSEMBLIES BEFITTINGLY ORGANIZE MEMORIAL GATHERINGS IN MEMORY ONE WHOSE INTERNATIONAL SERVICES ENTITLE HER EMINENT RANK AMONG HANDS OF CAUSE OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH.

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Hour of Victory at Hand

17 November 1933

BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITIES EAST AND WEST ACCLAIM WITH ONE VOICE STUPENDOUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS LATEST MANIFESTATION OF AMERICA’S SUPERB SUSTAINED SELF-SACRIFICE. SUPREME CONCOURSE ECHO PRAISES THOSE WHOSE SHINING DEEDS ARE SHEDDING ON BAHÁ’Í NAME A GREAT IMPERISHABLE LUSTER. MY HEART SWELLS WITH ADMIRATION GRATITUDE AS I CONTEMPLATE INCREASING EVIDENCES AMERICAN BELIEVERS’ WELL-DESERVED STEADILY ADVANCING FAME. HOUR OF VICTORY IS AT HAND. AMERICA’S INVINCIBLE HEROISM MUST AND WILL ACHIEVE IT.