1. n.d.. Tablas del Plan Divino, Las. Abdu'l-Bahá. Spanish translation of Tablets of the Divine Plan. Writings.
2. 2025-07. Bahá'í Sacred Writings. Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í World Centre, comp. . A comprehensive collection of selections from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and the Writings and utterances of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, representing the range of the Bahá’í teachings. Writings.
3. 2023-11-28. Reflections on the First Century of the Formative Age. Universal House of Justice. Overview of the Faith's developments and activities during the previous century, including the Guardianship, global expansion, community building and development, participation in societal discourse, and construction of the Bahá'í World Centre. UHJ-letters.
4. 2021. Unfoldment of the Divine Plan. Author unknown. Visual overview of the Bahá'í Cycle, the Bahá'í Era, the three Ages, the three Epochs, and all of the Plans. Visual.
5. 2018-11-26. Remembering 'Abdu'l-Baha's Call for Unity, a Century after World War I. Bahá'í World News Service. Collection of newspaper articles and photographs of Abdu'l-Bahá, on the general theme of unity in the face of war. Articles.
6. 2018-11. Inseparability and Complementarity of the Book and the Universal House of Justice, The. Sana Rezai. Direct references the House of Justice makes to the words of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, as illustrated through the 26 November 2018 message. Essays.
7. 2017. Biblical References in Tablets of the Divine Plan. JoAnn M. Borovicka. Knowledge of the Bible is now at an all-time low; a study of the contexts of four biblical references found in Tablets of the Divine Plan, to demonstrate the value that biblical literacy brings to the study and implementation of these Tablets. Articles.
8. 2017. Themes of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablets of The Divine Plan Illustrated by Scriptural References to the Bible and the Qur'án. Lameh Fananapazir. The Tablets of the Divine Plan, as well as Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament and the Tablet of Carmel, are three “Charters” for promotion of the Cause of God, which can also heal the problems facing humanity in its crisis of faith. Articles.
9. 2016-05-20. Reflections, at the Centenary of the Tablets of the Divine Plan. Paul Lample. Lengthy discussions on who we are and what we're doing, morality in a the contemporary world, processes of integration and disintegration, and the Faith's future growth, helping place the work of the 2016-2021 Five-Year Plan in historical context. Talks.
10. 2012. Greenland Promise, The. Harry Liedtke. Commentary on the misunderstood prediction of Abdu'l-Bahá that Greenland would one day become green again. Essays.
11. 2004-2014. Powerpoints for Deepening. Duane Troxel. 26 presentations in Powerpoint format, on a variety of topics covering Bahá'í history, Central Figures, teachings, and relationship with Islam. Presentations.
12. 2004. Majestic Process, The: Cycles, Eras, Epochs and Stages. John Conkling, comp. A one page chart developed as a class handout on the "Majestic Process," the Ages and Epochs of the Faith. Visual.
13. 2000. Chart of the Eras and Epochs of Bahá'í History. A. Bolhuis. Diagram of the periods of Bahá'í history. Available in English and Russian. Visual.
14. 1999. Memoirs of Frances Bradford Jones Edelstein. Frances Bradford Jones Edelstein. Memoirs of the first pioneer to Famagusta (as requested by Shoghi Effendi to pioneer from the City of the Covenant to the City of the Arch-Breaker of the Covenant), and pilgrim to Haifa in December 1953. First written June 1985, completed April 1999. Biographies.
15. 1996. Epochs of the Formative Age. Universal House of Justice, Research Department. On dating and defining the three major evolutionary "Ages" of Bahá'í history, and the five "epochs" within our current Age. UHJ-letters.
16. 1993. Tablets of the Divine Plan. Abdu'l-Bahá. 14 letters written by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to Baháʼís in the United States and Canada between March 1916 and March 1917 on the goal of establishing the Bahá'í religion throughout the world. Writings.
17. 1986-10-28. Letter to the NSA of the Bahá'ís of Canada. Rúhíyyih Khánum. Letter summarizing a recent trip to Canada and experiences visiting Indian reservations; Bahá'ís must find new ways to approach and respect native culture and spirituality in order to attract them to the Faith; the Peigan Pipe Ceremony. Letters.
18. 1981. Places named by `Abdu'l-Bahá in the Tablets of the Divine Plan. John Walbridge, comp. Map of the regions of North America named in Tablets of the Divine Plan, likely based on a 1912 geography book. Maps.
19. 1974/1977/1993. Forewords and Preface to Tablets of the Divine Plan. Horace Holley, Amin Banani, Geoffrey W. Marks. Preface to the 1974 edition by Horace Holley; foreword to 1977 edition by Amin Banani; forewords to 1993 edition by Geoffrey W. Marks and by the publisher. Essays.
20. 1936. America's Spiritual Mission: Teaching Tablets Revealed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the American Bahá'ís during 1916 and 1917. Abdu'l-Bahá. Early version of Tablets of the Divine Plan, Writings on the goal of establishing the Bahá'í Faith throughout the continent. Writings.
21. 1919. Tablets, Instructions and Words of Explanation: For the Assemblies and Meetings of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada. Ahmad Sohrab, Abdu'l-Bahá. First publication of the entire Tablets of the Divine Plan "presented in talks given by Sohrab at the 11th annual Mashrekol-Azkar Convention, Bahá'í Congress, and Feast of El-Rizwan," April 26-30 1919. Writings.
22. 1912. Maps of the regions of North America. Ralph Stockman Tarr, Frank Morton McMurry, John Conkling, comp. . Maps of the five regions of North America as published in an American geography book in 1912 and known to have been read by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Haifa/'Akka while writing Tablets of the Divine Plan. Maps.
23. 1900. Message from Acca. Anton Haddad. A lengthy report of Abdu'l-Bahá's teachings to the Bahá'ís in America. Can be seen as a precursor to Tablets of the Divine Plan. Pilgrims.

1. 1916-03-26 —
   `Abdu'l-Bahá revealed eight of the Tablets of the Divine Plan. [AB420; BBD219 BBRSM157; SBBH132-3; TDPX; Message 29 December 2015]
   • For the order and place of their revelation see AB420-2 and TDP.
   • For a description of their content see AB422-3.
   • Shoghi Effendi characterizes them as a `mandate' and a `supreme charter for teaching'. [GPB255; TDPVII]
   • The Tablets can be found at bahai.org/library:
   • 1st (Page 1) Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Northeastern States. Revealed on March 26, 1916, in 'Abdu'l‑Bahá's room at the house in Bahjí, addressed to the Bahá'ís of nine Northeastern States of the United States: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
     This Tablet was sent to Hooper Harris, 101 West 88th Street, New York, NY. [SoW Vol 7 Issue 12 16 October 1916 pg112]
   • 2nd (Page 2) Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Southern States. Revealed on March 27, 1916, in the garden adjacent to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, addressed to the Bahá'ís of sixteen Southern States of the United States: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
     This Tablet was sent to Joseph Hannen, P O Box 1319 Washington, DC. [SoW Vol 7 Issue 12 16 October 1916 pg112]
   • 3rd (Page 3) Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Central States. Revealed on March 29, 1916, outside the house in Bahjí, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of twelve Central States of the United States: Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.
     This Tablet was sent to Dr Zia Bagdadi, 1549 Ogden Avenue, Chicago, IL. [SoW Vol 7 Issue 12 16 October 1916 pg112]
   • 4th (Page 4) Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Western States. Revealed on April 1, 1916, in 'Abdu'l‑Bahá's room at the house in Bahjí, addressed to the Bahá'ís of eleven Western States of the United States: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, California, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
     This Tablet was sent to Helen S Goodall, 2550 Buchanan Street, San Francisco, CA. [SoW Vol 7 Issue 12 16 October 1916 pg112
   • 5th (Page 5) Tablet to the Bahá'ís of Canada and Greenland. Revealed on April 5, 1916, in the garden adjacent to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of Canada—Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Mackenzie, Keewatin, Ungava, Franklin Islands—and Greenland.
     This Tablet was sent to May Maxwell, 716 Pine Avenue, Montreal, QC Canada. [SoW Vol 7 Issue 12 16 October 1916 pg112]
   • 6th (Page 6) Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada. Revealed on April 8, 1916, in the garden outside the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada.
   • 7th (Page 8) Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada. Revealed on April 11, 1916, in 'Abdu'l‑Bahá's room at the house in Bahjí, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada.
   • 8th (Page 11) Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada. Revealed on April 19, 1916, in 'Abdu'l‑Bahá's room at the house in Bahjí; on April 20, in the pilgrims' quarters of the house in Bahjí; on April 22, in the garden adjacent to the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada.
   • See the story of the Geography Book used for the Tablets of the Divine Plan. It was called World Geography: One Volume Edition by Ralph Stockman Tarr and Frank Morton McMurry.
2. 1916-09-08 —
   The first five Tablets of the Tablets of the Divine Plan were published in Star of the West. [BBD219; SoW Vol 8 No 10 8 September 1916p87-91]
   • For editorial comment see SoW Vol 8 No 10 8 September 1916p86
   • After this, communication was cut off with the Holy Land. [BBD219]
3. 1916-10-00 — The North American Bahá'í community began a teaching campaign aiming to teach the Faith in the many states named in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, and Montreal was designated the centre of the Northern Territory of the Campaign, which was assigned the responsibility of teaching the Faith in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Mackenzie, Keewatin, Ungava, Franklin Island, and Greenland .[SoW Vol 7 No 12 16 October 1916 p112]
4. 1917-02-02 —
   `Abdu'l-Bahá revealed six Tablets of the Divine Plan. [AB422; BBD219, Message 29 December 2015]
   • As there was no communication with America at that time, the Tablets were stored in a vault under the Shrine of the Báb. [BBD219]
   • The Tablets can be found at TDP on the pages indicated:
   • 9th (Page 14)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Northeastern States. Revealed on February 2, 1917, in Ismá'íl Áqá's room at the house of 'Abdu'l‑Bahá in Haifa, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the nine Northeastern States of the United States: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
   • 10th (Page 16)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Southern States. Revealed on February 3, 1917, in Haifa in Ismá'íl Áqá's room, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the sixteen Southern States of the United States: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
   • 11th (Page 18)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Central States. Revealed on February 8, 1917, in Bahá'u'lláh's room at the house of Abbúd in 'Akká, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the twelve Central States of the United States: Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.
   • 12th (Page 20)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Western States. Revealed on February 15, 1917, in Bahá'u'lláh's room at the house of Abbúd in 'Akká, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the eleven Western States of the United States: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, California, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
   • 13th (Page 21)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of Canada and Greenland. Revealed on February 21, 1917, in Bahá'u'lláh's room at the house of Abbúd in 'Akká, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of Canada—Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Mackenzie, Keewatin, Ungava, Franklin Islands—and Greenland.
   • 14th (Page 23)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada. Revealed on March 8, 1917, in the summerhouse (Ismá'íl Áqá's room) at 'Abdu'l‑Bahá's house in Haifa, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada.
5. 1918-12-23 — Ahmad Sohrab left the Holy Land to take the Tablets of the Divine Pan to America. [AB434]
6. 1919-04-26 —
   The 14 Tablets of the Divine Plan were unveiled in a dramatic ceremony at the Hotel McAlpin in New York, during the `Convention of the Covenant'. The Tablets had been brought to America by Ahmad Sohrab at the request of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [ABNYP172Note24, BBD219; PP437; SBBH1:134; SBBH2:135; SBR86; AB434; TDPXI]
   • For details of the convention programme, Tablets and talks given see SW10, 4:54-72; SW10, 5:83-94; SW10, 6:99-103, 111-12 SW10, 7:122-7, 138; SW10, 10:197-203; and SW10, 12:2279.
   • Mary Maxwell (Rúhíyyih Khánum) was among the young people who unveil the Tablets. [PP437]
   • Hyde and Clara Dunn and Martha Root responded immediately to the appeal, the Dunns went to Australia where they open 700 towns to the Faith, and Martha Root embarked on the first of her journeys which are to extend over 20 years. [GPB308; MR88]
   • See also CT138-9.
   • Agnes Parsons arrived from her pilgrimage just before the close of the convention and was able to convey the instructions from `Abdu'l-Bahá to arrange a Convention for `the unity of the coloured and white races'. [BW5:413; SBR87]
   • The book Unveiling of the Divine Plan includes nine talks given by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab to the National Convention.
   • Shoghi Effendi calls the Tablets of the Divine Plan a charter for the propagation and the establishment of the Administrative Order. It has also been called a charter for the teaching of the Faith. [MBW84; LOG1628]
   • For the significance of the Tablets of the Divine Plan see 'Abdu'l-Bahá Champion of Universal Peace by Hoda Mahmoudi and Janet Khan.
7. 1920-01-27 — The passing of Joseph H. Hannen, (b. January 27, 1920, Allegheny, Pennsylvania) Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá a week after he was knocked down by a truck in Washington, DC. [Washington Evening Star 29 Jan 1920]

   It was Joseph Hannen who served as a note-taker for many of the talks of 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His tour in the United States. A number of the entries in Promulgation of Universal Peace have been accredited to him. [The Washington Times 28 January, 1928]

   'Abdu'l-Bahá sent the first Tablet of the Divine Plan to the southern states in care of Joseph. He and his wife Pauline taught the Faith to African Americans; among those they taught were Louis Gregory and Mrs. Pocahontas Pope. [Bahá'í Chronicles, Alain Locke: Faith and Philosophy pp 38-39 by Christopher Buck, Kalimat Press]

   He was buried with his wife, Pauline Amalie Knobloch Hannen (b. 29 August, 1874 d. 4 October, 1939) in Prospect Hill Cemetery, in Washington, DC. iiiii

8. 1937-04-21 —
   The First Seven Year Plan (1937-1944) was launched in North America. [BBD180; BBRSM158; BW7:17–18; MA9, 11-12, 87]
   • The Guardian's Seven Year Plan for the American Bahá'ís
   • For the role of individuals, local spiritual assemblies and the National Spiritual Assembly see MA11–12.
   • The Plan called for:
     • the completion of the exterior of the Wilmette Temple. BW7:17–18; PP385]
     • the establishment of a local spiritual assembly in each state and province of the United States and Canada. [PP385]
     • the establishment of a centre in each of the republics of Latin America. [PP385; The Spiritual Conquest of the Planet (Supplement)p2]

       This date, the inception of the First Seven Year Plan of the North American Bahá'í community, marked the opening of the First Epoch of the Divine Plan. This epoch concluded with the successful completion of the Ten Year Crusade in 1963. [Epochs of the Formative Age by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice]

9. 1964-04-21 —
   The Nine Year Plan (1964-1973) was launched. [BBRSM159; VV1; WG22–7]
   • The NIne Year Plan was first mentioned by the Universal House of Justice in its message of 7 May 1963 to all National Conventions. In its message of October 1963, addressed to "The Followers of Bahá'u'lláh throughout the World", the Universal House of Justice first informed the friends that the new Plan would extend over a period of nine years.
   • This marked the beginning of the second epoch of Abdu'l-Bahá's Divine Plan which ended in 2021 with the close of the Fifth Five Year Plan. [AWH178; Epochs of the Formative Age by Research Department of the Universal House of Justice]
   • See the letter from the Universal House of Justice addressed to all 69 national/regional assemblies with details of the plan entitled The Launching of the Nine Year Plan. [BW14:104-123]
   • To see the goals of the plan sorted geographically see Goals of the Nine Year Plan.
   • For a listing of collaboration projects fo the plan see Collaboration Projects of the Nine Year Plan.

10. 1998-11-23 — The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States announced the results of the elections for their first Regional Councils. Four were elected in the regions corresponding to those mentioned in The Tablets of the Divine Plan. [Results of the First Regional Bahá'í Council Election]
11. 2021-04-20 —
    The end of the Five Year Plan marked the conclusion of a series of plans that began in 1996 with the Four Year Plan (1996-2000) and the call to establish a series of Training Institutes. Next came the Twelve Month Plan (2000-2001) followed by four Five Year Plans, 2001-2006,2006-2011, 2011-2016 and finally, the Fourth Five Year Plan (2016-2021). For a synopsis of the progress of the Faith during this period see the Ridván Message.

    Achievements of the last Five Year Plan (2016-2021)

    • Two Bicentenaries were commemorated, the anniversary of the birth of Bahá'u'lláh on the 21st and the 22nd of October in 2017 and the birth of the Báb on the 29th and 30th of October in 2019.
    • The last continental House of Worship was completed in Santiago in 2016.
    • Other Houses of Worship were completed, Battambang (National)(2017), Villa Rica Cauca (Local) (2018), Port Moresby(National) (2016), Matunda Soy (Local) (2019), and Tanna (Local) (2019).
    • Designs for Houses of Worship in Bihar Sharif and Kinshasa were completed in 2020.
    • Some 300,000 core activities were sustained, a rise from 100,000 at the beginning of the Plan. Participation had risen above 2,000,000 (3 fold).
    • There were some 329 national and regional training institutes in operation.
    • By this time 750,000 people had completed Book 1. The number of courses completed by individuals was at 2,000,000, a rise of over 1/3 in 5 years.
    • Clusters where there were Intensive Programs of Growth was at 4,000 (hindered by the global health crisis).
    • Those Clusters where the third Milestone was passed was at 200 in 40 counties at the beginning of the Plan has risen to 1,000 in 100 countries. There were over 30 clusters where the number of core activities exceeded 1,000, in places, several thousand involving the participation of more than 20,000 people in a single cluster.
    • Evidence of the society-building power of the Faith was becoming more and more evident. In some instances there has been a movement of populations where age-old hostilities were being left behind. A significant advance in the process of entry by troops has been achieved.
    • There has been an "undreamed capacity to learn, to grow, and to serve humanity.

      This date marked the beginning of the Third Epoch of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Divine Plan. [Message 30 December 2021]

1. 1916-10-00 — The North American Bahá'í community began a teaching campaign aiming to teach the Faith in the many states named in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, and Montreal was designated the centre of the Northern Territory of the Campaign, which was assigned the responsibility of teaching the Faith in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Mackenzie, Keewatin, Ungava, Franklin Island, and Greenland .[SoW Vol 7 No 12 16 October 1916 p112]

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