Hope is welling up in my anxious, overburdened heart that the North
American Baha'i Community may yet emerge triumphant over the prevailing
crisis, demonstrate its capacity to preserve its hard-won prizes and
redeem its pledges through a further display of its qualities of
unconquerable faith, unbreakable solidarity, dauntless valor and heroic
self-sacrifice, and vindicate its right to primacy in the world community
of the followers of Baha'u'llah. High water mark is still unattained
notwithstanding the mounting tide of enthusiastic response displayed by an
aroused community. Dangerous passage now forded in this eleventh-hour
campaign. I am fervently praying that further intensification of effort,
sustained, coordinated, consecrated and unanimously exerted, will sweep
its members on crest of the wave to total victory. I feel assured that
cumulative efforts of participants in emergency campaign launched by
entire community will increasingly attract the promised inflowing grace of
the holy Author of its destinies, will demonstrate afresh its worthiness
of the paternal care of its divine Founder, will win added commendation
from its sister communities of the Eastern Hemisphere, deepen the
admiration and inspire the emulation of its daughter communities in Latin
America and the European continent, and strengthen the attachment and
reinforce the brotherly affection of its Guardian.
[February 13, 1948]