Messages to the Antipodes: Communications from Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá'í Communities of Australasia

1932

 

4 January 1932 [Adelaide Assembly]

Fitzner, Box 90 B Adelaide.

CABLE BAHAI CENTRES AUSTRALASIA MAIL HAIFA GROUP PHOTOGRAPHS FOR BAHAI WORLD

27 January 1932 [Keith Ransom-Kehler]

Dear Keith:

Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated Dec. 27th 1931 written from Sydney & to express his deep appreciation for the wonderful work you are doing. So many of the friends have written of your trip & told us how very successful you have been. Your first concern should be not only to make the teachings broadcast, but also to get individual persons accept the message and actually enter the ranks of the believers. Both of these are important. Public talks make the precepts of the Cause permeate the life of the people at large, & individual contact will induce them to come & help carry the work further.

Concerning the economic teachings of the Cause: Mr. Lunt & Mr. Holley have each contributed a long & interesting article on that subject for the coming issue of the Bahá'í World which will be published in few months. I am sure you will find much material in them. Even though the Cause has much on the economic life of society, such as progressive income tax, a high death duty & consultation in industry between capital & labour; yet what it has on the international question is far more important and interesting, especially in the light of present world problems.

Shoghi Effendi has, after giving much thought to the words of Bahá'u'lláh & the Master concerning World Unity, written a general letter to the Western friends explaining how the Unity of Mankind is not merely a spirit of brotherhood but an organic unity towards which the forces now operating in the world are leading us. In that letter you will find much material for your talks. It is being published in America in the form of a pamphlet.

Shoghi Effendi was very glad to hear of your work with the Maoris. He sincerely hopes that some real good will be achieved. He has been encouraging the New Zealand friends to translate Dr. Esslemont's book into their language. May be when that will be done some real work will be started.

Shoghi Effendi hopes that in India you will render a great service to the friends. They are rather quiet and they need a good stimulus.

Assuring you of his best wishes & prayers & hoping to see you soon I remain,

Yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan

Dear & precious co-worker:

Your magnificent services have brought immeasurable joy to my heart. You have achieved a work that will endure, ennoble & enrich the annals of God's immortal Faith. The seeds you have sown in the Far East, which you are now sowing in India & which you will sow in the near future in Europe will germinate & testify to the potency of your Faith, the power of your eloquence, the brilliance of your mind and the range & depth of your thought. I would urge you to visit, if convenient & practicable, the Bahá'ís of Burma. A delay of two or three weeks, as a result of a visit to Rangoon & Mandalay, where the Bahá'ís would be only too glad to meet & hear you, would be thoroughly justified. You might be able to arrange it on your arrival at Calcutta after consultation with the friends. I am devising a plan for a fruitful & vital teaching work on your part in Egypt & Europe. May the Beloved bless & sustain your mighty efforts.

Your true brother, Shoghi

2 March 1932 [Annie Miller, Perth]

Dear Mrs. Miller,

Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated Feb.4th 1932. Even though your number is small yet the photograph would show that the spirit has been carried to a country so distant from the place of its origination. These centers may seem unimportant but in reality will become focal-points from which the light of guidance will radiate.

Present troubles & difficulties & the dissatisfaction that is prevailing throughout the world, are bound ultimately to awaken man, stir him spiritually, & turn his steps God-ward. At that juncture the importance of these centers will be appreciated. Now, people come one by one, but then it will be in scores & large groups. You should never be disappointed but exert all your efforts in spreading the Cause & establishing properly elected Assemblies.

In closing may I assure you & the members of your family as well as the other friends there, of Shoghi Effendi's prayers & best wishes.

Yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan

With the assurance of my deepest appreciation of your devoted services

to the Cause, & of my fervent & loving prayers for your success & spiritual advancement,

Your true brother, Shoghi

8 March 1932 [Annie Miller, Perth]

Dear Mrs. Miller:

Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated Feb. 14th, 1932. He does appreciate the difficulty of having a group photograph at a short notice, & what you have succeeded to send is undoubtedly the best that could be done under the circumstances. Perhaps you could keep in mind and have a really good one for the next issue of the Bahá'í World which will appear in two years. By then you would, we hope, have a larger number of Bahá'ís in Victoria Park.

Shoghi Effendi was very glad to learn that you met Mrs. Dewing on her way from Haifa. Even though their stay with us was very short, we did enjoy it tremendously. We sincerely hope that her experiences visiting the different Assemblies in her trip around the world will be an asset to the work in Australia & New Zealand. This is especially true of her son who stayed for a while in America & saw how their young people work in serving the Cause.

In closing may I extend to you Shoghi Effendi's greetings & assure you of his prayers & best wishes. Yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan

May the Almighty bestow upon you & your devoted co-workers His richest blessings, enable you to widen the range of your activities, consolidate the basis of your work and fulfil your heart's cherished desire. I will continue to pray for you all from the depths of my heart,

Your true brother, Shoghi

14 March 1932

Stevenson, 3 Cowie Road, Parnell, Auckland

.

INFORM BERTRAM DEWING ENSURE PROMPT TRANSLATION ESSLEMONTS BOOK MAORI

17 March 1932 [Annie Miller, Perth]

Dear Mrs. Miller:

Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated February 20th 1932. He was very glad to know that Mr. Dewing could land & visit you for few hours, & tell you some of his experiences both here in Haifa and also during his stay in America. Shoghi Effendi has great hopes in what he will do for the Cause for his heart & soul are in the work.

It should have been surely a delightful gathering with him & Mr and Mrs. Dunn. We wish we had people, truly Bahá'í in spirit, who would travel from one city to another, meet the friends, cheer their hearts & stimulate them to further activity. They would be rendering such a service, even though they make no speeches & actually teach no one, for the keeping up of the hopefulness & spirit of the friends is an important enough job.

Perhaps by the time you receive this letter Mrs. Dunn would be in Haifa or on the way. It is surely a pity that Mr. Dunn also could not take the trip. Shoghi Effendi would have enjoyed meeting both of these souls who have brought the message to Australia.

Assuring you & the members of your family of Shoghi Effendi's prayers and best wishes, I remain, Yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan

May the Almighty sustain you in your arduous task, assist you to surmount the many obstacles that hinder the progress of your work, & enable you to fulfil your heart's cherished desire.

Your true brother, Shoghi

The cards have just arrived in perfect condition, & I wish to assure you of my deepest appreciation of your splendid gift, Shoghi

18 April 1932

Dear Mr. Hyde Dunn,

Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter & to extend to you his loving greetings & best wishes. Mrs Dunn is now with us staying in the Pilgrim House. Shoghi Effendi sincerely wishes that you were here with us enjoying the privilege of visiting the blessed Shrines with Mrs Dunn. Perhaps some time in the future this will come to pass for it is sure that this is a longing you have always had & deeply cherished.

Mrs Ransom-Kehler was unable to join Mrs Dunn in Bombay and come together to Haifa. The plans they made for her in India were more than she could complete during the short period she had allotted to that vast country & Shoghi Effendi advised her to prolong her stay by at least a month. We sincerely hope she has succeeded to achieve there as much as in some of the principal cities in Australia. She is surely a very competent teacher of the Cause, familiar with its spirit & teachings & quite competent to attract others.

Shoghi Effendi hopes that in Australia the friends will try to keep burning the lamp she kindled. They needed someone to come & stimulate them a little & she surely achieved that task, but it is very necessary that this enthusiasm should not be left to subside & cool down. You, who are their father should see to it. In his moments of prayer & meditation at the Shrines Shoghi Effendi will think of you & ask God to guide and assist you - you as well as the other friends in Australia. Please extend his loving greetings to all of them.

Yours ever sincerely Ruhi Afnan

Dear and gracious co-worker,

It was such a pleasure to hear from you & to learn from Mrs Dunn the news of your continued & self-sacrificing endeavours for our beloved Cause. How greatly we miss you in these days when our dearly beloved sister, your precious wife and distinguished collaborator is with us in the vicinity of the Holy Shrines. I have urged her to stress in her letters to you the necessity of your taking the utmost care of yourself, that your precious health may not suffer from the constant strain which your strenuous & high endeavours involve. You are most welcome to visit the Holy Land as soon as you find it feasible, for we all long to meet you face to face & congratulate you in person upon the magnificent services you have rendered to the Cause.

Your true & grateful brother, Shoghi

19 April 1932 [Adelaide Assembly]

Mr. J.J. Dobbins

Dear Bahá'í friend:

Shoghi Effendi wishes to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated March 19th 1932, written on behalf of the Spiritual Assembly of Adelaide, regarding the publication of the Herald of the South. Mr. B. Dewing wrote in person to Shoghi Effendi and proposed to have it published for sometime in Montreal in Canada as a sign of gratitude for the help Mrs. Maxwell is going to render to it financially. In answer to him Shoghi directed me to write & stress the importance of having it published in Australia. That periodical belongs to that continent & should remain there as the organ of the friends residing in those regions. Should Mrs. Maxwell or any other person desire to support it, they should not condition their assistance upon such a transfer. And Shoghi Effendi does not believe that they do expect such a thing for it is contrary to the interests of the Cause. If they have the means they would support it even though it be primarily an Australian activity. The sphere of our benevolence should not be limited by geographical boundaries.

As to whether the Herald of the South should be published in Australia or New Zealand, Shoghi Effendi would prefer to have this question settled by the friends there. He naturally trusts that in whichever of the two countries it should be published the friends of both Australia and New Zealand would participate in the work & consider it as the organ of all those groups. They should be able to co-operate & have on the committee members from both countries. Mr. Dewing has the work very near to his heart & Shoghi Effendi hopes he will play an important part in its publication. It is always with co-operation & consultation that the interests of the Cause can be furthered.

Please convey Shoghi Effendi's greetings to all the friends. He will pray for them all & ask God to guide them in their services to His Faith.

Yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan

May the Beloved guide & bless your efforts & enable you, in collaboration with your valued co-workers, to widen the scope of your activities, and consolidate the foundations of the Bahá'í institutions in that remote corner of the world.

Your true brother, Shoghi

8 June 1932

Nestles, Dunn, Perth W.A.

DUNN ARRIVING JUNE 28 ORSOVA

25 June 1932 [Hyde Dunn]

Dear Bahá'í Friend,

Shoghi Effendi has received your kind letter of May 29th 1932 and he has directed me to extend to you his loving appreciation of your valuable services to the Cause.

Concerning the Bahá'í meetings Shoghi Effendi feels that they should be devoted to the discussion & full study of the Bahá'í teachings & problems & that subjects which have no direct bearing to the Cause should be avoided as they do not serve to deepen our knowledge of the Cause. Special emphasis, however, should be laid upon the relations of the Bahá'í principles & teachings to our present world problems with the purpose of pointing out the Bahá'í solution to the social, economic, political & religious evils of the time.

In regard to the five steps that should be taken for the discussion & solution of all matters pertaining to the Faith, the Guardian wishes me to assure you that he has already discussed about them with Mrs Dunn during her last visit to Haifa - Mrs Dunn's pilgrimage has been a source of inspiration to all the friends here & Shoghi Effendi is confident that when she will come back home her experiences will serve to quicken the hearts & awaken the zeal of our Australian believers.

With the Guardian's best wishes for yourself & for the rest of the friends in Sydney.

Yours sincerely, H. Rabbani

Dear & gracious co-worker,

I hope & pray that you may in the not distant future undertake the longed for pilgrimage to the Holy Land, for I am eager to meet you face to face & to visit with you the Holy Shrines. Whatever the future may have in store for us, we should persevere under all circumstances and never allow any form of depression to cloud our vision of the future glory of the Cause of God. May the Almighty sustain & bless your high & self sacrificing endeavours.

Your true and affectionate brother, Shoghi

10 July 1932 [Sydney Assembly]

My Dear Spiritual Sister,

It was with a deep sense of joy and appreciation that Shoghi Effendi received your communication of May 20th, 1932 and he has charged me to extend to you his heartfelt thanks.

The new list of the Sydney Bahá'ís greatly rejoiced his heart as it clearly showed the progress of the Cause in Australia and the zeal & loyalty of the believers there. He sincerely hopes that, as a result of Mrs. Keith's travels, the friends will unitedly strive to spread the Message & will not let any obstacle, of whatever nature, hinder their onward march. The devotion and the sincerity with which our Australian brethren have thus far served the Cause is highly praiseworthy, and the Guardian trusts that this same spirit will continue to animate all their spiritual activities.

Shoghi Effendi cherishes the brightest hopes for the future of the Cause in Sydney and he fervently hopes that the newly elected members of your Spiritual Assembly will prove equal to their task by striving with all the means at their disposal to teach the Cause both through publicity and through public lectures, to create as much as they can that spirit of unity & cooperation among the believers without which no progress is possible. Now that the friends are provided with a Reading Room they should all avail themselves of this opportunity & try to deepen their knowledge of the Cause & extend the field of their correspondence to all the important Bahá'í centres both in the East and the West.

In closing may I ask you to extend to all our Sydney Bahá'ís & especially to Mrs. & Mr. Bolton, who have newly embraced the Cause, the loving greetings of the Guardian. In his moments of meditation and prayer he will remember them all and ask the Almighty to bless their unceasing efforts for the greater spread of His Message.

Yours in His Service, H. Rabbani

With the assurance of my fervent prayers for the extension & consolidation of your valued activities in the service of our beloved Cause,

Your true brother, Shoghi

14 July 1932 [Bahá'ís of Australia and New Zealand]

GREATEST HOLY LEAF ASCENDED ABHA KINGDOM OUR GRIEF IMMENSE OUR LOSS IRREPARABLE INFORM LOCAL ASSEMBLIES COMMEMORATE BEFITTINGLY SACRED EXPERIENCE SO RICH SO SUBLIME SO EVENTFUL A LIFE MAGNITUDE OF OUR SORROW DEMANDS COMPLETE SUSPENSION FOR 9 MONTHS THROUGHOUT BAHAI WORLD EVERY FORM RELIGIOUS FESTIVITY HER MORTAL REMAINS LAID VICINITY HOLY SHRINES

27 July 1932 [Auckland Assembly]

DEEPEST LOVING APPRECIATION

2 August 1932

Mrs Mariette Bolton, Box 1042, Wellington, New Zealand.

Dear Mrs. Bolton,

Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated April 5th. 1932.

He was very glad to learn that Mr. Bolton and yourself have found in the spirit and teachings of Bahá'u'lláh your highest hopes and ideals. He hopes that you will become more and more deeply rooted in the Faith as you pursue your studies and become thoroughly familiar with the literature of the Cause. The message of Bahá'u'lláh like the revelation of previous prophets of God - and perhaps even more - is a store-house of wisdom and learning. The deeper we go in them, the more marvellous we find its treasures to be.

After such a deep study Shoghi Effendi trusts you will follow the example of your spiritual parents Mr. & Mrs. Dunn and Mrs. Ransom-Kehler, and become active teachers of the Faith. It is a sacred duty you bear towards your fellow-men that, should you come to the source of a truth, you should inform your friends and give them also the chance of realizing their highest hopes and ideals.

The world is passing through great tribulations. Millions of people are left destitute with almost no ray of hope to maintain their courage. The key to the whole situation is entrusted to our humble care, for we bear the message of God to the world for we are already shown the way to salvation. Should we remain idle or become neglectful of our duties, then what would become of the perishing society?

In his moments of prayer Shoghi Effendi will remember you and Mr. Bolton and ask for both of you, divine guidance and help. In case you will, in your travels, come anywhere near to Haifa, he will be very glad to receive you and entertain you in the Bahá'í pilgrim house where Mrs. Dunn is staying at present.

Please extend Shoghi Effendi's greetings to all the friends in Sydney. He sincerely hopes that their number will daily increase and become the source of inspiration and hope and guidance to all the people of that continent.

With best wishes, Yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan

With the assurance of my loving and fervent prayers at the Holy Shrines for your welfare and spiritual advancement and for the success of your endeavours for the spread of our beloved Faith.

Your true brother, Shoghi

20 August 1932 [Clara Dunn]

Dear Bahá'í Sister,

I am directed by Shoghi Effendi to thank you for your letter of June 20th, 1932 and to express his loving appreciation of your continued services to the Cause.

He was particularly glad to learn that you have recovered from your illness and that you are again able to promote the interests of the Faith in Australia.

Your visit to the friends in Perth, Sydney & Adelaide will, undoubtedly, be of a great help towards a closer & deeper cooperation among the friends, & will serve to create a spirit of unity that is so much needed in these days.

In this terrible hour when the Bahá'ís all over the world are mourning the loss of our departed Greatest Holy Leaf, our Guardian's sole comfort is to see the friends working harmoniously together & paving the way for the speedy progress of the Cause.

His aching heart is overflowing with grief. But he is fully confident that our beloved Khanum's immortal spirit is continually showering its blessings upon that little band of faithful & toiling believers.

May the memory of her saintly life continue to inspire our souls, quicken our hearts & keep us ever constant & active in the Faith.

Yours in His Service, H. Rabbani

My dear & precious sister:

The memory of your visit is still fresh in my mind & I trust that the day may not be far distant when Mr. Dunn will be able to undertake a similar pilgrimage to the land of his heart's desire. The services which both of you have rendered, & are still rendering, to the Faith, are engraved upon the tablet of my heart. Nothing can efface their trace or dim their memory. I will continue to pray for both of you & for your dear collaborators in your promising country. Rest assured,

Your true brother, Shoghi

30 August 1932

The Bahá'ís of Perth, c/o Annie O. Miller, 73 Berwick Street, Victoria Park, West Australia.

Beloved co-workers in the Faith,

Your message of sympathy dated July 24th, 1932 written through your secretary Annie O. Miller was received and brought immense joy & satisfaction to Shoghi Effendi's sorrow-stricken heart. He wishes me to thank you all from the very depth of his heart and give you the assurance of his lively appreciation of your precious efforts towards the extension of the Cause in Australia.

Though overflowing with grief yet the news of your unceasing labours served to confirm his hopes, and to give him the assurance that the friends are as ever burning with the desire to spread the Message.

The new Bahá'í group that you have succeeded in establishing in Perth is, indeed, very significant and may prove to be a valuable asset to the future of the Cause in Australia.

Assuring you all of Shoghi Effendi's best wishes and of his continued prayers for the advancement & success of your work.

Yours in His Service, H. Rabbani.

My dear co-workers:

I wish to thank your secretary for the letter she addressed me on your behalf as well as for her personal letter to me, both of which are eloquent testimonies to the reality of your faith & the depth of your devotion. I will pray for you all from the depths of my aching heart & will supplicate for you Divine consolation, strength & guidance. Rest assured.

Your true brother, Shoghi

7 September 1932

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SHOULD IMMEDIATELY ON BEHALF BAHAIS CABLE HIS HIGHNESS TIMURTASH COURT MINISTER EXPRESSING THEIR ABIDING GRATITUDE REMOVAL BAN ON ENTRY BAHAI LITERATURE INTO PERSIA EMPHASISING STRONG ATTACHMENT TO BAHAULLAHS NATIVE LAND LOYALTY TO HIS MAJESTY DEVOTION TO BEST INTERESTS HIS EMPIRE DETERMINATION ENHANCE ITS PRESTIGE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

4 October 1932

To the Believers of Australia.

Dear Bahá'í Friends:

Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated August 25th 1932 & to express his deep appreciation for your kind words of sympathy.

The loss of the Greatest Holy Leaf will be bitterly felt by all those friends who had the pleasure & privilege to meet her. She always kept such a wonderful atmosphere of joy & hope around her that was bound to influence those that were present & help them to go out into the world with added zeal & determination to consecrate all in the path of God.

The only consolation of Shoghi Effendi is in the knowledge that she has been delivered from earthly worries & physical weakness & that she is now in the presence of Bahá'u'lláh, her Father & Lord enjoying the infinite blessings of His eternal Kingdom.

In closing may I express Shoghi Effendi's loving greetings to all the friends of Australia & assure them all of his prayers & best wishes for the progress of their Cause.

With best wishes, Yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan

With the assurance of my deepfelt appreciation of the noble sentiments expressed in your message, & of my fervent & loving prayers for your spiritual advancement & the removal of your difficulties.

Your true brother, Shoghi

8 October 1932

To Adelaide Spiritual Assembly Adelaide.

Dear Bahá'í Brothers & Sisters:

Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated August 25th 1932 & to extend his deep appreciation for your kind words of sympathy. This loss is a thing that will be bitterly felt by every Bahá'í throughout the world, because she used to be a source of inspiration to every one of them. Mere coming into her presence & thinking of the trials and difficulties she had to pass through in her life, was sufficient to create in us new hope & arouse us to stronger determination to promote the Cause she suffered for.

Assuring you all of Shoghi Effendi's loving greetings & best wishes.

Yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan.

May the Almighty bless, cheer & comfort you, and graciously assist you to reflect the beauty, & the radiance of our beloved Khanum's saintly life, & enable you to perpetuate her glorious memory.

Your true & grateful brother, Shoghi.

9 November 1932

Mrs. S.W. Bolton, 7410 12th. Street, Detroit Mich. U.S.A.

Dear Bahá'í Sister,

The Guardian wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated October 19. He was glad to hear that you have decided to settle for a while in Detroit and lend your valuable assistance to the Bahá'ís there. He is certain that you will help them to spread the Faith and to prepare the people to receive the Message.

Shoghi Effendi deeply appreciates the eminent share that you and your husband are having in the services of the Cause; he has a profound and great confidence in your laborious endeavour, and values your assistance to the important task that he has been charged to fulfil by the Master.

Indeed it would have been for you such a joy to meet the Greatest Holy Leaf during her earthly life, but the Guardian does not wish you to feel depressed about it; this beloved soul will from the Heaven of her Almighty Father guide you to serve the Cause which has been so dear to her. Shoghi Effendi values your sincere sympathy in this irreparable loss; he hopes that we all will follow the example of her saintly life.

The Guardian prays that the three little dear children that you are now so devotedly bringing up in the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh will in future, serve in turn the Cause in which they have been so well reared. He will remember you in his prayers at the Holy Threshold of Bahá'u'lláh and will ask the blessing of the Master for this dear united Bahá'í Family.

Please convey the Guardian's Bahá'í greetings to Mr. Bolton.

Yours in His Name, Mehranguiz Rabbani.

Dear co-workers:

Your letter rejoiced my heart. I do not wish you to allow any disappointment, however severe, to cause you to relax in your devoted efforts to promote the Word of God. For your dear children I will pray from the depth of my heart, and will supplicate for your husband the blessings of our departed Master. May he bless richly your family and enable its members to render distinguished services to His Faith.

Your true brother, Shoghi

12 November 1932

The members of Sydney Bahá'í Assembly

Dear Bahá'í Friends -

Your letter dated May 12th, that you have sent through the kindness of Mrs. Bolton, was welcomed by the Guardian; he has charged me to acknowledge it & to extend to you his abiding gratitude for all the services that you are rendering towards the advancement of the Faith.

The Guardian was delighted to learn, that at last, through your admirable endeavours a Bahá'í meeting room has been established in Sydney; your successful report of the first opening meeting, has indeed, rejoiced the heart of Shoghi Effendi, who is looking so eagerly to receive the news of the progress of the Faith. He is fully aware that the Friends are laboriously at task, spreading the teachings of our Beloved Master & trying their best to serve such an eminent Cause.

Indeed our Bahá'í sister Keith is rendering wonderful services for the advancement of the Faith. Her visit to Haifa has gladdened Shoghi Effendi, who has urged her to travel for awhile in Persia. She is now on her teaching tour in Baha'u'llah's native land, rendering remarkable services, giving the Sacred Message to the eminent Persian leaders.

The Guardian deeply appreciates the efforts that the Bahá'ís of Sydney are displaying for the establishment of the Cause of God over their country, & the fulfilment of 'Abdu'l-Bahás fondest hope: to bring the world under Bahá'u'lláh's banner. He will pray from the depth of his heart for the success of your efforts, & will supplicate at the Holy Shrines, that the light of Divine Guidance may illumine your path & enable you to kindle in the hearts of the people, the flame of Truth. He has great confidence in your valuable enterprise, & values your earnestness to assist him in such a mighty task.

With the assurance of the Guardian's prayers,

Your Bahá'í sister, Mehrangíz Rabbani

Dear co-workers:

I wish to add a few words in person in order to assure you of my keen & abiding appreciation of your devoted endeavours for the promotion of the word of God & the consolidation of the institutions of His Faith. May He guide your steps, cheer your hearts, & enable you to hasten the triumph of His Cause, Shoghi

 

27 December 1932

The Bahá'í Assembly c/o Hilda Brooks, Sec. Adelaide, South Australia.

Beloved co-workers in the Faith,

Your most beautiful message of Nov. 29th, 1932, written through Miss Hilda Brooks, your Secretary, was received and the news of the projected formation of a National Spiritual Assembly in Australia gladdened the heart of our Guardian. He sincerely hopes that, through the whole-hearted cooperation of our Australian believers, this plan will soon materialize and will serve to coordinate the efforts of the various Spiritual Assemblies in that continent. The time has come, the Guardian believes, that the friends should organise themselves into a solidly-united administrative body and in this way increase the efficiency and the success of their teaching work.

In closing may I assure you all of his fervent prayers on your behalf and of his warmest thanks for all that you have done for the further consolidation of the interests of the Cause in your land.

Yours very sincerely, H. Rabbani

Dear co-workers,

It is for the Local Assemblies in Australia & New Zealand to take counsel together and deliberate whether it is feasible to ensure the formation & successful functioning of the National Assembly in that continent. I would be delighted to hear of its formation if the necessary precautions are taken before hand, so as to make sure that the elected members can meet regularly, can direct effectively the national committees as well as the Local Assemblies & groups under their jurisdiction, establish a National Fund, hold annual Bahá'í Conventions and coordinate the various branches of Bahá'í activity with efficiency, harmony & vigour. Shoghi.



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