Chapter 8

The immortal Lua, mother-teacher of the American Baha'i Community, herald of the dawn of the Day of the Covenant, has been ceremoniously and reverently transferred by Egyptian brethren representing the local Baha'i communities to the immediate vicinity of the grave of far-famed Abu'l-Fadl in the newly established Baha'i cemetery in Cairo. The Isma'iliyyih believers together with Assembly delegates of Egypt have held an inaugural ceremony at the second Baha'i cemetery allocated by the Egyptian authorities. The sacred rights of the persecuted, expelled community, repeatedly denied legitimate burial, are now vindicated. The progressive emancipation of the Faith of Baha'u'llah from the traditional shackles of religious orthodoxy is increasingly evident and humbly, gratefully recognized by followers of the Faith the world over.

Cablegram January 7, 1943

THE UNFINISHED TASKS

The recent response of the American friends to my appeal for pioneers to go forth and settle in virgin territories and places where the need is greatest has raised a load from my heart, and mightily reinforced the hopes and expectations which their past achievements have aroused within me. We stand at the threshold of the last year of the first Baha'i century. The unfinished tasks, however much they have been reduced, are still formidable. The Temple is as yet unfinished. The initiation of a nation-wide publicity campaign, intelligently directed and energetically pursued, utilizing to the full the advantages gained in recent years in so many fields of Baha'i activity still remains to be undertaken. Measures for a befitting celebration of the Centennial anniversary of the Faith must be carefully considered and duly executed. The aims and purposes of our beloved Cause, the achievements of its heroes, martyrs, teachers, pioneers and administrators, the unity of its followers, the character of the institutions they have reared, should, one and all, be ably presented, widely broadcast, carefully explained in publications, through the radio and the press. There is no time to lose. A great responsibility rests on the elected representatives of the most envied community in the Baha'i world, whose advantages are unique, whose capacities are incomparable, whose vision, courage, tenacity, resolution and loyalty are exemplary; which has amply demonstrated its worthiness to be the recipient of the countless favors showered upon it by 'Abdu'l-Baha and of the specific bounty conferred upon the rulers and presidents of the continent of which it is a part by no one less than Baha'u'llah Himself, in His Most Holy Book. To His "Apostles," as testified by the Center of His Covenant, I direct my fervent plea that they establish, beyond the shadow of a doubt, in these concluding months of the first Baha'i century, their indisputable right to be designated by so exalted a title, and vindicate their ability to execute the mission with which that title has invested them.

January 8, 1943

COMPLETION OF TEMPLE EXTERIOR

Heart aglow with pride, love, gratitude for superb achievement of completion of exterior of the House of Worship, Mother Temple of the West. Baha'u'llah's high behest, enshrined in His Most Holy Book, has been brilliantly executed. The thirty-five year old enterprise, initiated on same day that the Bab's sacred remains were transferred to Mount Carmel, has been triumphantly consummated. The unique Edifice, singled out for consecration by the hands of 'Abdu'l-Baha, has been nobly reared. The Greatest Holy Leaf's last ardent wish has been befittingly fulfilled. The Concourse on high is jubilant. Myself bow head in joyous, reverent recognition of prodigious accomplishment which deserves to rank among the outstanding enterprises launched in the Heroic Age and the most signal victory won since the inception of the Formative Period of the Baha'i Dispensation.

Cablegram January 18, 1943

HIS SERVICES UNFORGETTABLE

Assure relatives of Mathew Kaszab of my heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy for the loss of this heroic pioneer. His services are unforgettable and abundantly rewarded. Loving prayers.

Cablegram January 18, 1943

ALL-AMERICA CENTENNIAL CONVENTION

Message to 1943 Convention

I desire to announce to the elected representatives of the valiant, blessed, triumphant American Baha'i Community assembled beneath the dome of the recently completed Mother Temple of the West on the occasion of the Convention inaugurating the hundredth year of the first Baha'i Century, the

momentous decision to convene, in May, 1944, an All-America Centennial Convention comprising delegates to be separately elected by each State and Province in the North American continent, and to which every Republic of Latin America may send one representative. All groups, all isolated believers, as well as all local communities already possessing Assemblies, will henceforth share in the election of Convention delegates. The multiplication of Baha'i Centers and the remarkable increase in the number of groups and isolated believers, prompt my decision. The historic occasion of next year's festivities, commemorating alike the Hundredth Anniversary of the birth of the Faith of Baha'u'llah and the Fiftieth Anniversary of its establishment in the Western Hemisphere, and celebrating the completion of the exterior ornamentation of the first House of Worship in the Western World, imperatively demand it. Details of the project have already been mailed. I congratulate the best-loved American believers, I share their joy and wish them God-speed, confident of still greater victories as they forge ahead in the course of the second Baha'i Century along the path leading them to their high destiny. I hope to forward, in time for the solemn thanksgiving service to be held in the auditorium of the Temple on the evening of May twenty-second, at the hour of His epoch-making Declaration, a sacred portrait of the Bab, the only copy ever sent out from the Holy Land, to be unveiled at the dedication ceremony and to repose for all time, together with Baha'u'llah's blessed hair, beneath the dome of the Holy Edifice within the heart of the North American continent.

April 14, 1943

FOUNDATION STONE LAID BY THE CENTER OF THE COVENANT

The completion of the exterior ornamentation of the Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar in Wilmette, the most hallowed Temple ever to be erected by the followers of Baha'u'llah, and the crowning glory of the first Baha'i century, is an event of unique and transcendental significance. Neither the first Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar of the Baha'i world, reared in the city of I_sh_qabad, nor any House of Worship to be raised in succeeding centuries, can claim to possess the vast, the immeasurable potentialities with which this Mother Temple of the West, established in the very heart of so enviable a continent, and whose foundation stone has been laid by the hand of the Center of the Covenant Himself, has been endowed. Conceived forty years ago by that little band of far-sighted and resolute disciples of 'Abdu'l-Baha, members of the first Baha'i community established in the Western Hemisphere; blessed and fostered by a vigilant Master Who directed its course from the hour of its inception to the last days of His life; supported by the spontaneous contributions of Baha'is poured in from the five continents of the globe, this noble, this mighty, this magnificent enterprise deserves to rank among the immortal epics that have adorned the annals of the Apostolic Age of the Faith of Baha'u'llah.

The debt of gratitude owed by the entire Baha'i world to its champion-builders is indeed immeasurable. The admiration which this brilliant exploit has evoked in the breasts of countless followers of the Faith in East and West knows no bounds. The creative energies its completion must unleash are incalculable. The role it is destined to play in hastening the emergence of the world order of Baha'u'llah, now stirring in the womb of this travailing age, cannot as yet be fathomed. We stand too close to so majestic, so lofty, so radiant, so symbolic a monument raised so heroically to the glory of the Most Great Name, at so critical a stage in human history, and at so significant a spot in a continent so richly endowed, to be able to visualize the future glories which the consummation of this institution, this harbinger of an as yet unborn civilization, must in the fulness of time disclose to the eyes of all mankind.

That so laborious, so meritorious an undertaking has been completed a year before its appointed time is a further cause for rejoicing and gratitude, and an added testimony to the vision, the resourcefulness, and enterprising spirit of the American believers.

No need, however, to dwell at length on their past achievements, remarkable and exemplary though they have been, nor is this the time to expatiate on the superb spirit that has characterized their stewardship in the service of the Faith of Baha'u'llah. Tasks of extreme urgency, of great magnitude, of the utmost significance await them in this concluding year of the first Baha'i century, and at this hour of great peril, of stress and trial for all mankind. The sacred--the pressing, the inescapable teaching responsibilities assumed under the Seven Year Plan must be resolutely faced as befits those whose record has shed so brilliant a light on the annals of the first Baha'i century. The consolidation of each and every nucleus, formed so painstakingly in every republic of Central and South America, the formation of a Baha'i Assembly in every virgin State and Province in the North American Continent, call for undivided attention, for further heroism, for a concerted, a persistent, a herculean effort on the part of the stalwart builders of that bounteous Edifice which posterity will recognize as the greatest shrine in the Western world.

Nor must the elaborate preparations in connection with the forthcoming celebration of the centenary of our glorious Faith be overlooked or neglected, if we would befittingly consummate this first, this most fecund, century of the Baha'i era. An unprecedented, a carefully conceived, efficiently co-ordinated, nation-wide campaign, aiming at the proclamation of the Message of Baha'u'llah, through speeches, articles in the press, and radio broadcasts, should be promptly initiated and vigorously prosecuted. The universality of the Faith, its aims and purposes, episodes in its dramatic history, testimonials to its transforming power, and the character and distinguishing features of its World Order should be emphasized and explained to the general public, and particularly to eminent friends and leaders sympathetic to its cause, who should be approached and invited to participate in the celebrations. Lectures, conferences, banquets, special publications should, to whatever extent is practicable and according to the resources at the disposal of the believers, proclaim the character of this joyous Festival. An all-American Convention, at which representatives of Baha'i centers in every Republic in Central and South America will be invited to participate, and to which, for the first time, all isolated believers, all groups, and all communities already possessing local Spiritual Assemblies will have the right to appoint delegates and to share in the election of the National Spiritual Assembly, will, moreover, have to be held to commemorate this epoch-making event. A dedication ceremony, in consonance with the solemnity of the occasion, and held beneath the dome of the Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar, on the very day and at the very hour of the Bab's historic Declaration, followed by a public session, consecrated to the memory of both the Bab and 'Abdu'l-Baha, should constitute the leading features of this historic Convention.

For it should be borne in mind that in the year 1944 we celebrate not only the termination of the first century of the Baha'i Era, but also the centenary of the birth of the Baha'i Dispensation, of the inception of the Baha'i cycle, and the birth of 'Abdu'l-Baha, and commemorate as well the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Baha'i Faith in the Western world.

No effort, nor any sacrifice can be deemed too great to insure the decisive, the brilliant success of the celebrations which this historic year, of such manifold significance, must witness. He Who in the past has, in diverse ways and on so many occasions, graciously and unfailingly guided, blessed and sustained the members of this privileged community will, no doubt, continue to aid and inspire them to carry to a victorious conclusion the unfinished tasks which still confront them, and will enable them to crown their labors in a manner that will befit their high destiny.

March 28, 1943

BAHA'I COMMUNITIES OF EAST AND WEST

Successive reports, proclaiming the American believers' brilliant feat, the completion of the exterior ornamentation of the Temple, their historic exploits in the spiritual conquest of every Republic of Latin America, as well as their impending victory to be won through the establishment of the structural basis of the Baha'i administrative order in the Virgin States and Provinces of North America, are thrilling the Eastern communities of the Baha'i world with delight, with admiration and with wonder.

Ninety-five Persian families, emulating the example of the American trail-blazers of the Faith of Baha'u'llah, have recently forsaken their homes and followed in the footsteps of pioneers already departed from Persia yesterday evening to hoist its banner in the adjoining territories of Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Sulamaniyyih, Hijaz and Bahrein Island.

Local Assemblies have been founded in Kashmir Valley in the extreme north and in Madras Presidency in the extreme south, as well as in Haydarabad, the leading stronghold of Muslim orthodoxy in India.

The National Baha'i Administrative Headquarters of the Egyptian believers are nearing completion. A similar institution is in process of establishment in India's capital city, Delhi. A Guest House, adjunct to the newly built Administrative Headquarters of the Baha'is of 'Iraq, has been constructed.

Baha'i communities of East and West are arising in the fourth year of the devastating conflict in the full strength of their undisruptable solidarity, resolved to write, through immortal deeds, further glorious pages in the last Chapter of the first Baha'i Century.

I appeal to the standard-bearers of Baha'u'llah's ever-advancing army to safeguard the spiritual prizes already won and maintain every outpost of the Faith established in the southern hemisphere. I entreat them to exert still more magnificent efforts to discharge befittingly the one remaining responsibility in the North American continent.

I am praying for the achievement of a resounding total victory in all the Americas, thereby sealing the triumph of the first stage in the Divine Plan for whose execution the entire machinery of the Administrative Order was for no less than sixteen years patiently and laboriously erected.

May 27, 1943

THE CROWNING CRUSADE

The American believers' seven year enterprise consecrated to the service of the Faith of Baha'u'llah, deriving direct inspiration from 'Abdu'l-Baha's Divine Plan, launched on the eve of the world catastrophic conflict, recognized as the greatest collective undertaking in the annals of the first Baha'i Century, is rapidly culminating. Their sister communities of Persia, British Isles, Egypt, 'Iraq, India, Syria, Australia and New Zealand marvel at the scale of the prodigious labors of the American Baha'i community, gratefully rejoice at the accumulating evidences of its incomparable victories and are galvanized into action, inspired to emulate its example. The multiplication of Baha'i centers in recent years in both East and West, the erection of administrative headquarters, the purchase of historic sites, the settlement of virgin areas, the migration into neighboring territories are all directly attributable to the potent impulse communicated through the superb action initiated and executed by the American adherents of the Faith of Baha'u'llah. The initial stages of the momentous plan have been brilliantly executed. The most formidable obstacles impeding its progress have been courageously faced and progressively swept away. Its first fruits, exemplified by the completion of the exterior ornamentation of the Temple and the formation of a nucleus of the Faith in every Republic of Latin America, have been triumphantly gathered. The pivotal year marking the turning point of its fortunes has been immortalized by the unparalleled exploit of the formation of twenty-eight Assemblies in the States and Provinces of the North American continent. The range of its unfinished tasks is swiftly diminishing. Total victory is within sight but the six remaining virgin areas of Alaska, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, South Carolina, North Dakota and South Dakota, as well as the inadequately reinforced Republics of Nicaragua, San Domingo, Paraguay, Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru still demand the concentrated and sustained attention of the National representatives of the American Baha'i community, the speedy assistance of the National Teaching and Inter-America Committees, and the systematic support of all subsidiary agencies both regional and local. The goal cities and the far-off Republics are calling for fresh recruits to complete the pioneer roll of honor. Veteran believers, however brilliant their record, neophytes, however limited their experience, are alike summoned as the final hour approaches to rush forth in a last supreme effort to bridge the remaining gaps in the spiritual front extending the entire length of the Western Hemisphere. I am ardently supplicating fresh outpourings of the sustaining grace of the Lord of Hosts to enable His stalwart warriors befittingly to consummate the crowning crusade of the first century of the Baha'i Era.

August 2, 1943

PREPARATIONS FOR THE CENTENARY

The latest evidences of the magnificent success that has marked the activities of the members of the American Baha'i community have been such as to excite the brightest hopes for the victorious consummation of the collective undertaking they have so courageously launched and have so vigorously prosecuted in recent years. As the first Baha'i Century approaches its end, the magnitude and quality of their achievements acquire added significance and shed increasing luster on its annals. The proceedings of the recently held annual Convention; the formation of twenty-eight Assemblies in the course of the year that has just elapsed; the splendid progress achieved in the Latin-American field of Baha'i activity; the superb spirit evinced by the pioneers holding their lonely posts in widely scattered areas throughout the Americas; the exemplary attitude shown by the entire body of the faithful towards the machinations of those who have so sedulously striven to disrupt the Faith and pervert its purpose--these have, to a marked degree, intensified the admiration of the Baha'i communities for those who are contributing so outstanding a share to the enlargement of the limits, and the enhancement of the prestige, of the Faith of Baha'u'llah. The preparations which the American believers are undertaking for the celebration of the Centenary of the Faith must be such as to crown with immortal glory the fifty-year long record of their stewardship in the service of that Faith. Such a celebration must, in its scope and magnificence, fully compensate for the disabilities which hinder so many Baha'i communities in Europe and elsewhere, and even in Baha'u'llah's native land, from paying a befitting tribute to their beloved Faith at so glorious an hour in its history. The few remaining months of this century must witness a concentration of effort, a scale of achievement, a spirit of heroism that will outshine even the most daring exploits that have already immortalized the Seven Year Plan and covered with glory its valiant prosecutors. The plea I addressed to them, at this late hour, will, I am sure, meet with a response no less remarkable than their past reactions to the appeals I have felt impelled to make to them ever since the inception of the Plan. He Who, at every stage of their collective enterprise, has so abundantly blessed them, will, no doubt, continue to vouchsafe the blessings until the seal of unqualified victory is set upon their epoch-making task.

August 8, 1943

THE BELOVED FAITH IS SURGING FORWARD

My heart is overflowing with joyous gratitude at the magnificent advance made in numerous spheres of Baha'i activity. The formation of an Assembly in the few remaining areas of the North American continent, the consolidation of the foundation of the newly-established Assemblies, and the preservation of the status of the Baha'i centers in all Republics of Latin America, imperatively demand vigilant care, concentrated attention and further self-sacrifice from the vanguard of the valiant army of Baha'u'llah. The beloved Faith is surging forward on all fronts. Its undefeatable, stalwart supporters, both teachers and administrators, are steeling themselves for noble tasks, braving acute dangers, sweeping away formidable obstacles, capturing new heights, founding mighty institutions, winning fresh recruits and confounding the schemes of insidious enemies. The American Baha'i community must, and will at whatever cost, despite the pressure of events and the desolating war, maintain among its sister communities the exalted standard of stewardship incontestably set during the concluding years of the first Baha'i Century. The confident spirit, unfaltering resolution animating its members, their tenacious valor, elevated loyalty, nobleness of spirit and mighty prowess, will, ere the expiry of the century, crown with complete victory the monumental enterprises undertaken during the course of the fifty years of its existence.

October 5, 1943

A STILL MORE COMPELLING DISPLAY