Chapter 34

He fully realises the difficulties which have attended your work there, and which makes your victory all the more praiseworthy and precious. He urges you to now courageously persevere in your work and ensure that Cardiff has, by next April, a stable membership from which to call on for the Spiritual Assembly's maintenance.

You may be sure that he will assist you with his prayers, and pray that each and every one of you may be protected and assisted in your devoted services to the Faith.

With warm greetings,

[From the Guardian:]

Dear and valued co-workers,

The formation of the first Baha'i Spiritual Assembly in Wales is an event of great historical significance. I congratulate you on this splendid achievement which, I trust, will be a prelude to still greater victories in the service of our glorious Faith. I will supplicate on your behalf, the blessings of Baha'u'llah, that your work may prosper, your plans bear abundant fruit, and your hopes realised for the propagation of the Faith and the establishment of its nascent institutions.

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

Letter of 15 February 1950

15 February 1950

The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Cardiff

Dear Baha'i Friends,

Your letter of January 20th has been received, and our beloved Guardian was simply delighted to get the Welsh pamphlet, he wants twenty-five copies of it sent to him for distribution amongst various Baha'i libraries here, and for our surplus stock. This booklet in their own language will do much to convince sincere Welsh truth-seekers of the respect and consideration with which we Baha'is approach all minorities, also of our devout desire to share with such a talented race the glory of Baha'u'llah's message.

He hopes there will be many new Welsh believers in the coming years, and he assures you all of his loving prayers for the success of your devoted efforts.

With Baha'i love,

[From the Guardian:]

Dear and valued co-workers,

I was so pleased and grateful to receive your welcome letter, and the first fruit of your services and high endeavours for the promotion of our beloved Faith.

I feel proud of the spirit that animates you, and will supplicate the Beloved to bless, and sustain and guide you, and enable you to extend continually the range of your achievements. Persevere, and rest assured.

Your true brother, Shoghi

Letter of 16 September 1955

16 September 1955

Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Cardiff

Dear Baha'i Sister:

Your letter of July 18th with enclosure has been received by the beloved Guardian, and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.

He is delighted with the way the work is progressing in Cardiff, and that there are now nine believers living there.

He particularly values the instant decision made during the Convention, and consequent action taken, by Dr. Miller in leaving an excellent medical practice in Liverpool, to settle in Cardiff, with all it entailed of sacrifice in being separated from his wife, and in being obliged to accept a junior post in a hospital at Cardiff. It is qualities such as these, which the pioneer carries to his new post, which attract a reinforcing power from on High, and enable him to create in the hearts of those who meet him a longing to have what he possesses, and ignite in these new hearts the flame of the love of Baha'u'llah.

The Guardian feels sure his non-Baha'i wife will likewise receive a blessing for her part in this sacrifice, which helped to make this move possible.

He is deeply appreciative of the Welsh translation; and is confident it will prove to be of great assistance in the promotion of the Teachings in Wales.

With warm Baha'i greetings,

[From the Guardian:]

May the Spirit of Baha'u'llah guide you and your fellow-members, and enable you, in the days to come, to reinforce the foundation that has been laid, and to extend the range of your highly meritorious exertions and accomplishments,

Your true brother, Shoghi

Letter of 30 January 1957

30 January 1957

Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Cardiff

Dear Baha'i Brother:

Your letter of December 29th was received, and the beloved Guardian was very happy indeed to hear that the week-end school had been a success.

He is delighted to see that the Faith is progressing in Wales, and he feels sure that the Welsh people will not only respond to the Message if given opportunity, but contribute to the Faith a distinctive share of their own, when they arise in its service.

He hopes that there will indeed be Welsh Summer Schools in the future.

Assuring you of his loving prayers, With warmest greetings,

[From the Guardian:]

May the Almighty bless, guide, and sustain you and your dear co-workers in your constant and highly meritorious activities, remove every obstacle from your path, and enable you to enrich the record of your deeply appreciated services to His Faith and its institutions.

Your true brother, Shoghi

Letter of 27 August 1947

27 August 1947

To the believers who were present in Dublin at the 19 Day Feast of Kamal

Dear Baha'i Friends,

Our beloved Guardian was very happy to receive your message and to see that the Cause is now gaining a firm footing in Eire.

He is particularly happy to welcome Mrs. Coleman into the Faith as the first new Baha'i in Dublin, and he hopes that ere long you will be able to establish the first historic spiritual Assembly in that city.

The Irish are tenacious in their religious beliefs, and once convinced of the truth and significance of our glorious Faith should make ardent and devoted Baha'is.

He assures you all of his loving prayers for the success of your devoted labours.

With warmest greetings,

[From the Guardian:]

Dear and valued co-workers,

Your joint message rejoiced my heart. I cherish great hopes for the future of the work so splendidly initiated in that historic island. I will pray from the depths of my heart for the extension and consolidation of your meritorious activities to which I attach the utmost importance. Persevere in your glorious task, and rest assured that the Beloved, Who is watching over you, will bless your high endeavours and fulfil your dearest hopes.

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

Letter of 16 October 1948

16 October 1948

The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Dublin, Eire

Dear Baha'i Friends,

Our beloved Guardian was very delighted to receive your communication of April 21st, written to him from your newly elected body.

He was particularly pleased to read the signatures of three members of the Townshend family, as Mr. Townshend and his wife have truly sacrificed in order to stand forward as declared and active Baha'is and assist in the formation of this historic Assembly.

The task facing you is great, but very exhilarating. Eire lies before you, your territory, of which you are the Mother Assembly, and however difficult your conquest may be, it is a challenging and wonderful service you are called upon to render.

The Irish people, with their deep religious instinct, although they may be at first difficult to convert, once convinced of the truth, will make staunch believers and will, he hopes, convey this Faith, with all its promise and healing power, to other countries in the course of time.

He assures you his prayers are with you, for your progress and your success in every field of Baha'i service.

With loving greetings,

P.S. The delay in answering your letter was due to the long time it took to reach Haifa.

[From the Guardian:]

Dear and valued co-workers,

The work achieved in Dublin during the last few months, culminating in the formation of the first Spiritual Assembly in Ireland, is indeed highly praiseworthy. Such a consummation is an event that will adorn the annals of the Faith, and is in itself a prelude to still greater victories in the days to come. I truly feel proud of the British and Irish believers who have collaborated so devotedly and strenuously, and won so conspicuous a victory. I will fervently supplicate on their behalf, and will await eagerly the news of the progress of their historic achievements.

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

Letter of 27 January 1957

27 January 1957

The Baha'i Group, Eccles

Dear Baha'i Friends:

Your letter of January 2nd was received, through the kindness of Mr. Gregory, and the beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.

He will certainly pray in the Holy Shrines that you may succeed in attaining your objective; but, even should you fail to establish a spiritual assembly by April, you must not feel discouraged, because it is much more important to have a solid foundation in the beginning than to meet a date line--welcome as the assembly would be!

He admires very much the spirit animating you, and hopes that a flourishing community will develop there.

With warm Baha'i greetings,

[From the Guardian:]

May the Beloved bless your efforts, guide your steps, aid you to extend the scope of your activities, and win great victories in the service of His glorious Faith,

Your true brother, Shoghi

Letter of 22 September 1948

22 September 1948

The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Edinburgh

Dear Baha'i Friends,

Our beloved Guardian was very happy indeed to receive your letter to him dated April 21st--which has taken a long time to reach him, as you can see--and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.

The formation of the first Assembly of the Faith in Scotland is a great and promising achievement. He has a profound admiration for the characteristics of the Scots; their deep religious feelings, their frank, open and friendly nature, their tenacity and abilities will enable them to greatly enrich the Faith in the British Isles, and, he hopes, later in the pioneer fields abroad.

He trusts that your Assembly, and especially those members of it who are natives of Scotland, will soon succeed in attracting many more serious minded truth-seekers to the Faith there. Now Edinburgh has become the mother Assembly of Scotland, and must, by its example, set the pace, and assist in the development of all future Scottish Baha'i Assemblies.

He assures you all he will pray for your success, for your unity, and that Baha'u'llah may guide you all in administering the affairs of His Cause in that city.

He was particularly interested to hear that one of the new believers had met 'Abdu'l-Baha on His visit to Edinburgh many years ago.

With loving greetings,

[From the Guardian:]

Dear and valued co-workers,

Your welcome message brought deep joy to my heart and filled me with gratitude for this latest evidence of the all-conquering power of Baha'u'llah, as well as for the magnificent efforts exerted by British believers in that historic and ancient city. I will, I assure you, pray from the depths of my heart for your success, the increase of your numbers, the multiplication of your activities, and the consolidation of your achievements. Persevere in your meritorious endeavours, and rest assured that the Beloved will watch over you and crown your high endeavours with signal success.

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

Letter of 9 April 1949

9 April 1949

The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Edinburgh

Dear Baha'i Friends:

As our beloved Guardian is at present very pressed for time in connection with the tremendous amount of work the building of the Shrine entails at this juncture, I am answering your loving Naw-Ruz Message very briefly on his behalf.

You may be sure the work in Edinburgh is very dear to his heart and he will continue to pray for its advancement, and for each and every one of you, in the Holy Shrines.

With warmest greetings,

[From the Guardian:]

May the Almighty bless, continually and abundantly, your high endeavours, aid you to add to your numbers, deepen your understanding of the essentials of His Faith, extend the range of your activities, consolidate your achievements, and win great and memorable victories for its institutions,

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

Letter of 9 September 1950

9 September 1950

To the Glasgow Baha'is

Dear Baha'i Friends:

Your letter dated 5.7.50 has been received, and the beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer it on his behalf.

The progress being made in spreading the Faith in Scotland pleases him immensely, and he feels the Cause will find many exemplary and wonderful servants among the Scotch people. They may be slow to be convinced, but once they embrace a thing they do so with full conviction and great determination to serve their belief.

He will pray that your assembly may confirm many new souls, and thus gradually free the devoted pioneers, who went there to teach, for services in new and maybe distant fields.

You may be sure he deeply appreciates all you have done. With loving greetings,

[From the Guardian:]

Dear co-workers,

I was so pleased and grateful to receive your most welcome message, and I profoundly appreciate the noble sentiments you have expressed. I wish to assure you that I will pray for your success from the depths of my heart, that the Beloved may guide your steps, bless your high endeavours, and enable you to lend a tremendous impetus to the spread of the Faith in Scotland.

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

Letter of 14 March 1954

14 March 1954

Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Leeds

Dear Baha'i Brother:

Your letter of February 20th has been received by the beloved Guardian, and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.

The Guardian was very happy to learn of your coming County Teaching Conference. He has been very happy over the large number of pioneers who have arisen in the British Isles and have gone to new territories, both in the British Isles and in foreign lands, and he considers this a fine record.

He hopes your deliberations will produce a still greater effort on the part of all the friends to implant more deeply and scatter more widely the seeds of the Faith, which are so greatly needed everywhere.

The Guardian assures you of his loving prayers for the abundant success of your endeavours.

With warm Baha'i greetings,

[From the Guardian:]

May the Beloved bless, guide and sustain you, and enable you to promote the vital interests of His Faith,

Your true brother, Shoghi

Letter of 5 September 1950

5 September 1950

Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Liverpool

Dear Baha'i Friends,

Your letter dated May 7 was received, and our beloved Guardian rejoiced over the news of the formation of your Assembly. He would have answered you sooner had he not been so overpowered with not only the work connected with the arcade of the Shrine's completion, but also anxiety caused by the long and serious illness of Mr. Maxwell, its architect.

He trusts your Assembly will enlarge its community during this year, and thus strengthen its foundations and ensure its future activities.

The victory won in the British Isles filled his heart with pride, and encourages him to believe a brilliant future lies ahead of the community there.

With warmest greetings,

[From the Guardian:]

Dear co-workers:

Your most welcome message cheered my heart, and I wish to assure you in person of my sincere and profound admiration for the spirit that animates you in your activities, as well as of my ardent prayers for you, that the Beloved may guide and sustain you always, and enable you to win great and memorable victories for His Faith and its infant institutions.

Your true brother, Shoghi

Letter of 24 January 1952

24 January 1952

To the believers who were present at the Feast of Sul?an in London Centre, January 1952

Dear Baha'i Friends:

The beloved Guardian was very happy to see that so many of you had gathered together and united in sending your love to him, with the first believer to come from England since the door of pilgrimage has been open.

He will remember you all in his loving prayers in the Shrines, and urges you to devote as much of your time individually as possible to the promotion of the goals of your present Plan.

With warmest Baha'i greetings,

[From the Guardian:]

May the Almighty guide and sustain you in your high endeavours, bless and protect you always, aid you to extend the range of your valued activities, and win memorable victories in the service of His glorious Faith,

Your true brother, Shoghi

Letter of 25 January 1929

25 January 1929

Manchester Spiritual Assembly My Dear Friend,

I am directed by our Guardian to thank you for your welcome letter of January 11th.

He has been very pleased to learn of the more rapid progress of the Cause in Manchester and of a greater measure of unity among the friends. He is glad that Mr. Hall is taking this initiative and he sincerely trusts that you will all persevere in your endeavours, will keep dear the necessity for harmony and unity and thus make your group a progressive, enthusiastic and worthy Baha'i centre in England. He appreciated your efforts and that of all friends in Manchester. He wishes you please to convey to them an expression of his heartfelt love and good wishes.

With best regards, Sincerely in His Service,

[From the Guardian:]

My Dear co-worker,

I am delighted with the news you give me. The friends in Manchester occupy a warm and abiding place in my heart. The fragrant memory of my visit to them is still fresh and vivid in my mind. I will continue to supplicate at the Beloved's Shrine for each one of them the Almighty's richest blessings, that they may be guided and strengthened to render in the days to come inestimable services to the sacred Threshold.

With my best wishes to your dear relatives,

Your true brother, Shoghi

Letter of 20 July 1932

20 July 1932

Manchester Spiritual Assembly

Dear Baha'i Sister,

Shoghi Effendi was greatly pleased to receive your kind letter of June 24th, 1932, and he has requested me to address you these few lines expressing his heartfelt appreciation of the precious and most valuable steps taken by our Manchester friends towards a greater extension and consolidation of the Cause.

The Guardian was specially glad to hear that you have established a new Baha'i Centre and he fervently hopes that as a result of this new move the interests of the Faith will be promoted and its teachings will succeed in confirming some new souls.

The precious efforts so continuously exerted by our Manchester Baha'is and particularly by our beloved Mr. Hall and Mr. Sugar will undoubtedly yield their fruits in a not very distant future. But the friends should persevere in their task and not let any obstacle, however great, hinder their onward march. In these days of sufferings and hardships, patience and hope are indispensable for the success of any idea or plan.

In closing may I assure you of our Guardian's best wishes and ask you to extend to all our Manchester Baha'is the expression of his heartfelt thanks and appreciation.

Yours in His Service,

[From the Guardian:]

May the Beloved bless your high and unsparing efforts, enable you to extend the scope of your activities, and consolidate the foundations of the Faith in that great city.

Your true brother, Shoghi

Letter of 28 July 1950

28 July 1950

The Manchester Spiritual Assembly

Dear Baha'i Friends,

Your letter has been received, dated June 6th, and our beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.

He feels that the questions of ... could be answered by a better understanding of the teachings--however, for the sake of his sincere services to the Faith, he will answer them here:

(1) Christ received the kiss of Judas, in fact He said one of His disciples would betray Him. It is not a question of these Holy Souls seeing the future, but of what, in Their wisdom, They deem it necessary to accept in the Path of sacrifice. If we are going to question the wisdom of the Prophets we can question God's Wisdom too, and the advisability of the whole system we live in.

(2) Nabil's suicide was not insanity but love. He loved Baha'u'llah too much to go on in a world that no longer held Him.

(3) The "sacrifice" of goats has nothing to do with the Faith. Baha'u'llah was surrounded by Muslim admirers and friends, and they merely followed the custom of their people on such an occasion, when many hundreds gathered to console His bereaved family.

(4) We cannot, not knowing the factors Baha'u'llah weighed in His own mind, judge of the wisdom of His withdrawal to Kurdistan. But, studying His life and teachings, we should see in it an act of wisdom, and not superficially measure Him by our standards.

(5) Love is certainly the attribute we associate par excellence with our Maker. But has He no justice and does not justice fall on the back of the evil doer as a scourge?

(6) This question seems to imply a lack of understanding of love. There is very little Divine love in the world to-day, but a great deal of intellectual reasoning, which is an entirely different thing, and springs from the mind and not the heart. The Martyrs--most of them died because of their love for the Bab, for Baha'u'llah, and through Them for God. The veil between the inner and outer world was very thin, and to tear it, and be free to be near the Beloved, was very sweet. But it takes love, not reason to understand these things. We must also remember the Martyrs were called upon to deny their faith or die, as men of principle they preferred to die.

(7) Baha'u'llah's claims are much greater because humanity is more mature and can afford to hear them. But He draws on the same Source that was accessible to all the Prophets, it is we who can now receive more.

(8) The Guardian feels ... should study more deeply the teachings, and meditate on what he studies. We liken God to the Sun, which gives us all our life. So the Spirit of God reaches us through the Souls of the Manifestations. We must learn to commune with Their Souls, and this is what the Martyrs seemed to have done, and what brought them such ecstacy of joy that life became nothing. This is the true mysticism, and the secret, inner meaning of life which humanity has at present, drifted so far from.

The Guardian will pray that this dear friend may deepen his understanding and arise and become a wonderful teacher of the Faith.

He will also pray for the progress of the work in Manchester and the success of your devoted labours.

With Baha'i love,

[From the Guardian:]

May the Almighty bless your efforts, guide and sustain you in your activities, and enable you to promote effectively the best interests of His Faith.

Your true brother, Shoghi

Letter of 19 January 1950

19 January 1950

Northampton Baha'i Community

Dear Baha'i Friends:

Our beloved Guardian thanks you not only for the good news you conveyed to him in your letter of January 6th, but for the spirit which prompted you to share it with him.

He admires greatly the services of your community and the unity amongst you, which no doubt is largely responsible for your success.

He will join his prayers to yours for the success of the labours of your two latest pioneering members.

With Baha'i love,

[From the Guardian:]

Dear co-workers,

I feel truly proud of your notable services, and I wish to assure you of my profound appreciation of your labours, of my loving prayers for the progress of your meritorious activities, and the realisation of every hope you cherish in the service of our beloved Faith and of its nascent institutions.

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

Letter of 30 September 1949

30 September 1949

The Baha'is of Norwich

Dear Baha'i Friends,

Your letter of August 2nd has been received and our beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.

He was very pleased to see that you are girding up your loins to do your utmost for the Plan in the critical months that lie ahead.