May the Beloved bless your efforts, guide you in your devoted labours, aid you to increase your numbers, multiply your inst.i.tutions, consolidate your accomplishments, and fulfil every desire you cherish for the promotion of His Faith,

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

LETTER OF 18 FEBRUARY 1947

18 February 1947

Regarding the time to hold the 19 Day Feasts: any time most convenient for all the believers is permissible, as long as it is between sunset and sunset of the calendar day on which the feast falls, as our Baha'i days begin and end at sunset. The feasts are really for the believers only, but if a non-Baha'i happens to come, we should not ask him to leave and hurt the person's feelings.

LETTER OF 22 FEBRUARY 1947

22 February 1947

The Baha'is of Plochingen

Dear Baha'i Friends:

Your loving greeting sent to our beloved Guardian on Nov. 11th, 1946, reached him, and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.

He was very happy to see the names of so many friends gathered in Plochingen, and feels sure that your efforts to spread the Message of Baha'u'llah there are meeting with success. Now is the time to teach and to lead the hungry souls of mankind to the heavenly banquet of this Mighty Revelation.

He a.s.sures you one and all of his most loving prayers for the success of your services to the Faith...

[From the Guardian:]

May the Beloved bless your efforts, guide your steps, remove all obstacles from your path, and enable you to promote, effectively and at all times, the vital interests of His Faith and its inst.i.tutions,

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

LETTER OF 30 MARCH 1947

30 March 1947

Baha'i Gemeinde Plochingen-Goppingen

Dear Baha'i Friends:

Your joint letter to our beloved Guardian, dated Jan. 19th, and announcing the formation of your joint a.s.sembly, reached him, and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf and congratulate you on this great step forward you have taken.

He hopes that in the near future your numbers will grow sufficiently to enable you to form two separate Spiritual a.s.semblies, and he a.s.sures you all that he will pray in the Holy Shrines that this objective may speedily be achieved.

Your services, in these days of toil and trouble for your native land, are of the utmost importance and upon them depends the future course of events in its spiritual unfoldment...

[From the Guardian:]

May the Beloved of our hearts bless, guide and sustain you in your devoted endeavours and continued services to His Cause, aid you to extend the range of your activities, and enable you to win mighty victories for His Faith,

Your true brother, Shoghi March 1947

Baha'u'llah has given His wonderful teachings and His New World Order to all men; it is up to each individual to accept this Divine Message and promote its healing laws and principles for himself. No one can decide for you what you must do. Your own heart must tell you that your place is serving this struggling new Faith in the days when it is still, for the most part, unrecognized by the ma.s.ses. In the future, when it has won more adherents, and its true stature becomes obvious to all, it will not require the courage to sponsor it which it does today!

We must always remember that the administrative Order is a means to an end, an instrument to co-ordinate and unify the efforts of the Baha'is. It is still imperfectly understood by them, but very great progress has been made already. Now, through this administration, it is becoming possible to at last bring the knowledge of Baha'u'llah's teachings to the ma.s.ses, and this is a field you could render great services in. Your fire, your love for your fellow men, are qualities much needed in our work, and Shoghi Effendi hopes you will feel the urge to plunge yourself into the service of this glorious Cause.

In Germany there is such a demand for the teachings that the German Baha'is, exhausted from the war and hampered by restrictions on travel, etc., find it almost impossible to meet the call on their teaching abilities. They are a very devoted, well organized Community, but could surely use all the extra help they can get. If you could see your way clear to go to Germany and aid them in the teaching work, it would be rendering that suffering land a great spiritual service.

LETTER OF 1 APRIL 1947

1 April 1947

The Germans, and the German Baha'is, have suffered terribly during these long years of war and suppression of all freedom and spiritual life; now, it seems, from reports reaching him, there is a revival of the spirit, and the people are longing for a plan, a way out of this moral chaos and darkness, a belief to hold to. This is therefore the time for the Baha'is to teach the Cause as never before, especially to the young people, and spread the glad tidings that a solution to the world's problems exists!

The German National Spiritual a.s.sembly of the Baha'is is now doing all it can to get more Baha'i books printed; it also has many new and important translations of our books already made, and we hope very soon these will be printed and distributed.

I am enclosing a little booklet which will give you an idea of how great the progress and spread of the Cause has been, and daily it is growing all over the world.

Shoghi Effendi hopes some-day, when Palestine is calmer, that you will be able to visit here.

LETTER OF 4 APRIL 1947

4 April 1947

He fully realizes the great handicaps you are all labouring under, and admires the wonderful spirit of devotion to the Cause of G.o.d which keeps you going. You must never feel discouraged, but persevere in your labours, knowing Baha'u'llah will bless them.