He was happy to learn of the spirit of active service which animates the friends in that city, and of the practical way you are approaching the teaching work.

Through love and unity among the believers, and the wise and persistent efforts of all the Baha'is, great results should be forthcoming.

He will certainly pray for the progress of the Faith there, and for the enrollment of a number of newly-declared believers by next Ridvan.

With warm Baha'i greetings,

[From the Guardian:]

May the Beloved of our hearts, guide, bless and sustain you, remove every obstacle from your path, and graciously a.s.sist you to extend the range of your highly valued activities and consolidate your historic achievements,

Your true brother, Shoghi

Letter of 14 May 1957

14 May 1957

Spiritual a.s.sembly of the Baha'is of Reading

Dear Baha'i Friends:

Your letter of May 8th has been received, and the beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.

He was delighted to receive the news of your activities, and feels that Reading can be cited as a truly exemplary community in every way. He hopes you will maintain this enviable position as the years go by.

He will certainly pray that your teaching efforts may be richly blessed, and that you may not only continue to make Baha'is, but to export them, as you have done in the case of Edinburgh.

With warm Baha'i greetings,

[From the Guardian:]

May the Almighty bless your highly valued activities, guide every step you take, remove every obstacle from your path, and graciously a.s.sist you to win great victories in the service of His Faith in the days to come,

Your true brother, Shoghi

EXCERPTS FROM LETTERS TO INDIVIDUALS

Over three hundred letters to individuals residing in the British Isles have been studied and pa.s.sages selected which are of permanent value.

These excerpts were taken from the letters of no more than twenty believers of whom only seven corresponded regularly with the Guardian.

They have been arranged chronologically; for details of the subject matter the reader must turn to the Index.

Almost all these pa.s.sages are answers given by the Guardian to questions asked in personal letters to him. It is possible therefore to catch a glimpse of the changing problems facing the Baha'i community and these frequently reflected conditions in the country as a whole. This is particularly significant in the years immediately following the Second World War for as the Guardian, in a letter written on his behalf by his secretary, wrote of the British believers,

"... he feels the greatest sympathy for them, and considers that when their present achievements are a.s.sessed in the future, people will give them a double measure of praise for having done so much when they were least fit to do it."

Letter of 28 September 1925

28 September 1925

[From the Guardian]

...I wish you, my dearest friend, to make once again a supreme effort to come to a full understanding with the friends outside.... Extend to them your generous and helping hand, approach them with a spirit of selflessness and cordiality and the result, I am confident will be indeed marvellous. My heart rejoices at the news of the growth of harmony among the friends and I feel paralysed in my work when I hear to the contrary. I am impressing on the friends in ... the absolute necessity of cultivating understanding and friendliness and consolidating the foundation of the National a.s.sembly. For upon these National a.s.semblies will the Edifice of the Universal House of Justice be raised.

Letter of 28 October 1925

28 October 1925

Shoghi Effendi is much interested to hear of your literary work. He fully agrees with you that different people must be approached in different ways and that valuable work for the Baha'i Cause can be done within the Christian Churches by promoting the "Christianity of Christ". 'Abdu'l-Baha said that when people become true Christians, they will find themselves Baha'is. One or two of the best Baha'is I know were very earnest, sincere, devoted Christians and accepted the Baha'i teachings with very little difficulty and without any intervening period of religious scepticism, as an amplification and fulfilment of the teachings and prophesyings of Christ and the prophets.

Letter of 28 December 1925

28 December 1925

He is very sorry that such undesirable things are every now and then cropping up in ... and discouraging you in your work, keeping you from devoting all your spare time in teaching the Cause and spreading its principles. He does not wish you, however, to lose heart from such things.

As the Cause grows its difficulties will increase and its problems will become more numerous. The friends, especially the older ones, should therefore try and stand unmoved by them. In fact the more their difficulties will increase the more they have to take courage and try to solve them. The Master has often said that sorrows are like furrows, the deeper they go the more productive the land becomes. If this problem of ... should be settled other problems will arise. Are the friends to become discouraged or are they to follow the footsteps of the Master and consider them more as chances to show their tenacity of belief and spirit of sacrifice? In short, Shoghi Effendi wishes you to keep on teaching the principles of the Cause no matter what problems may arise.

[From the Guardian:]

...Let not anxieties and disappointments overwhelm you or oppress your generous and sensitive heart. Turn to Him in prayer and remember that I am joining you in your supplications for guidance and strength. Be patient in tribulation and never relax in your efforts to promote the Divine Teachings.

Letter of 28 March 1926