HOUSE OF JUSTICE
10: Letters and Cables to Miss Agnes B. Alexander, 1923-1957
"The beloved Guardian continually sent reinforcements to me in his
precious letters which were the joy and strength of my heart," Miss
Alexander wrote.
Aside from her own inner conviction, the main source of positive guidance
and direction, during her early years in the Orient were Shoghi Effendi's
letters.
Of the first personal letter she received from the Guardian (December 2,
1923) she wrote, "The words penned by his hand at the end of the letter so
affected me that for several days my heart was filled with joy and
inspiration, and a realization came to me of the power with which God had
endowed him."
Following are excerpts from some of the many letters written to Miss
Alexander by the Guardian, or on his behalf, which give insights, not only
into her role as a "distinguished pioneer", but also into her relationship
with the Japanese, among whom she lived for so many years and whom she
loved so dearly.
My dear sister in God,
Your letter to our very dear Shoghi Effendi was most encouraging and
created in him new hopes for the spread of 'Abdu'l-Baha's great and noble
Message after the painful calamity in Japan(23). It was indeed a miracle
that amid a city all shaken to pieces and burned to ashes by the wild
flames, the Lord should have kept you so safe and unscathed. We can never
doubt that this is a direct proof of the mighty task which the Lord has
wanted you to take up and fulfill in that far away East. Shoghi Effendi
has always looked forward with great expectations at the progress of the
Cause in Japan to which he attaches very great importance.
The Japanese are really progressive people and such vital teachings which
comprise the principles of the Baha'i religion are sure to seize their
attention and arouse a deep interest in them. Your presence in Japan was
always a means of comfort to Shoghi Effendi's heart because he fully
realized the zeal and ardour with which you had taken up your work there
and although Japan might now miss you, he is sure that wherever you are
you will strive to your utmost in spreading far and near this Message of
Peace to humanity. Furthermore he hopes that you will not give up
altogether your interest in that promising country, but as long as you are
away you will keep your tender plants all fresh and green with stimulating
messages to them. These are Shoghi Effendi's earnest hopes...
(signed by Soheil Afnan)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
With loving greetings and prayers for the success of my dearly-loved
sister, Miss A. Alexander.
Shoghi
(December 2, 1923)
[Letter of January 27, 1924]
In October 1923 Miss Alexander and her sister went to Beijing, stopping on
their way in Seoul, Korea. In China they joined Miss Martha Root and had
an exceedingly fruitful time. After about a three month visit Miss
Alexander left to go to her home in Hawaii. After she reached Hawaii she
received a letter from the Guardian.
My dear Baha'i sister,
Your letter to Shoghi Effendi was very gladly received and he was most
delighted to hear of your activities in the wonderful country of China...
It is very unfortunate that you are forced to leave for the time being
your work in (Japan) but Shoghi Effendi earnestly hopes that you will soon
return and take up your blessed task.
(signed by Soheil Afnan)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
My dear and esteemed Baha'i sister,
Your glorious services in those remote regions of the earth are never to
be forgotten. I ever pray on your behalf and wish you to remember the
sacred interests of the Cause in far-away Japan as you are that radiant
herald who has raised the Call of Salvation in its very heart and to whom
it owes a great debt of gratitude. Fujita is with us happy, active, and
extremely helpful. His presence is such a help and support to me in my
work. I never, never forget you.
Shoghi
(January 27, 1924)
[Letter of July 16, 1927]
My dear Baha'i sister,
Our dear Guardian has instructed me to acknowledge the receipt of your
welcomed letter dated June 3, 1927. He is delighted to hear of your
intended visit to Japan where he hopes and prays you will receive your
full share of confirmations from the Abha Kingdom.
He cherishes great hopes for your future contributions to the progress of
the Cause in that far away and promising country. He wishes you to write
to him frequently of the progress of your activities and of those whom you
will interest in the Teachings of Baha'u'llah.
He would specially request you to prolong your stay in Japan as the soil
is exceedingly fertile and the workers are so few in number. The hosts of
the Supreme Concourse will surely aid you and assist you in your endeavor
to spread the Faith which the world needs so vitally today.
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and precious sister:
Do not feel disheartened if you meet at first with trials and obstacles in
His Path. I will pray for their removal and will supplicate for you Divine
Guidance and strength. Your reward is indeed great and glorious in the
world to come for all your endeavors and exemplary services to the sacred
Threshold.
Shoghi
(July 16, 1927)
[Letter of October 12, 1927]
My dear and precious co-worker:
I cannot exaggerate the importance, nay the urgent necessity of your
return to Japan. Your place there is vacant, and the opportunities are
varied and brilliant. The few friends there have to be nursed and assisted
to renew their activity and consolidate their work. I will pray that you
will be guided by our dear Master who loved you so dearly and wanted you
so keenly to train and guide the rising generation in Japan into the light
of this Divine Revelation.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(October 12, 1927)
[Letter of October 22, 1927]
My dear and precious co-worker:
Though immersed in an ocean of activities and cares, I find always the
time to think of you and express to you in writing my sentiments of love
and appreciation of all you are doing for our beloved Cause. I trust the
way to Japan may open soon, and that you may resume in that important
field, the work so dear to your heart.
Your true brother, Shoghi
Please assure dear Mrs. Augur of my tenderest brotherly sympathy in her
affliction.(24) The services of her dear husband are engraved upon my
heart. I will pray for him from the bottom of my heart at the Beloved's
Shrine.
Shoghi
(October 22, 1927)
[Letter of October 31, 1927]
My dear and precious sister:
I am glad that the date of your voyage to Japan is at last settled and I
hope and trust that you will be enabled to consolidate the great work you
have initiated in Japan. My prayers will accompany you wherever you go,
and I ask you to assure the loved ones in Japan of my continued prayers
for their progress and spiritual advancement.
Shoghi
(October 31, 1927)
[Letter of December 30, 1927]
My dear co-worker:
What a relief to learn that you are at last on your way to Japan where I
trust and pray you may witness the growth of the Cause so dear to our
hearts. I will pray that your efforts may meet with the fullest success
and that you may be enabled to establish a powerful centre in the heart of
that promising country.
Shoghi
(December 30, 1927)
[Letter of March 13, 1928]
My dear and precious co-worker:
I rejoice to learn of the resumption of your most valuable and pioneer
work in Japan, and I wish to assure you again and in person of my
continued and fervent prayers at the Holy Shrines for your success in
spreading and consolidating the Cause in that land. I urge you to make a
special effort to organize the believers there into a local Baha'i
Spiritual Assembly as a nucleus round which will gather and flourish the
future Baha'i community in Japan. I trust that the Beloved may guide your
steps and bless your efforts in this connection. Awaiting eagerly your
good news.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(March 13, 1928)
[Letter of March 29, 1928]
My dear Baha'i sister,
Our Guardian has received with extreme pleasure your letter of February
nineteenth from Tokyo.
He is so glad to know that you are finally there and actively busy in a
work to which he pays the greatest importance. Being pioneer work it is
bound to be slow, but he hopes that it will soon pass beyond the pioneer
stage and that Baha'i Assemblies and groups composed of full fledged and
confirmed Baha'is will replace your isolated individuals with whom you now
communicate.
(signed by Soheil Afnan)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
My dear co-worker:
Please assure the dear friends in Tokyo of my brotherly affection, and
sincere and continued prayers for the success of their efforts in the
service of our beloved Cause. May the Beloved aid you to assist them and
guide them in their task, and strengthen you in your efforts to
consolidate the work that has been started in that land.
Your well-wisher, Shoghi
(March 29, 1928)
[Letter of May 20, 1928]
He (the Guardian) was very pleased to receive the encouraging news that
(your letter) contained and to learn that an article had already appeared
on the subject of the Cause in the press. Perhaps you will make an effort
that similar articles may appear in other papers so as to attract the
attention of the reading and thinking public. Of course your ultimate
goal, Shoghi Effendi is sure, is nothing less than the establishment of a
capable, devoted and progressive Baha'i center there.
(signed by Soheil Afnan)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
My dear and valued Baha'i sister:
I wish to assure you in person of my eagerness to hear from you regularly,
frequently and in detail, of my continued prayers for you, and of my sense
of pride and satisfaction in view of your devoted and pioneer services in
that promising country. Though trials, tests, anxieties and cares beset
your path, yet you should never falter in your faith and hope that
eventually, through you and those who after you will tread your path, the
sovereignty of Baha'u'llah will be firmly established in that land and
your heart's desire will in the end be fulfilled.
Your true and affectionate brother, Shoghi
(May 20, 1928)
[Letter of November 14, 1928]
My dear and precious co-worker:
It always gives him (the Guardian) great pleasure to hear of the progress
of the Cause in distant lands and he prays for those who are undertaking
the task with great zeal and unfailing sacrifice. The activities of such
devoted souls will surely leave ever-lasting traces on the history of man.
The pioneer work is always the most difficult and entails the greatest
sacrifice. Be thankful to God for having chosen you to undertake such a
task. The Master always looked to the Eastern countries as a ready field
of service and promised a great harvest to one who would sow the seed.
(signed by Soheil Afnan)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
My dear and precious co-worker:
Your letter has served to reveal once again the undying spirit of devotion
that animates you in the service of the Cause. My prayers will be offered
again for you at His Holy Shrine that you may be assisted to establish
permanently a Baha'i Spiritual Assembly in that land, and help that centre
to get in close and constant touch with Assemblies both in the East and
West.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(November 14, 1928)
[Letter of December 21, 1928]
My dear and valued co-worker:
Your letters have gladdened my heart and fortified me in my task. I will
continue to supplicate for you at His Shrine, that He may graciously
assist you to make of those who are merely interested, active supporters
of the Faith, recognizing fully the significance and station of
Baha'u'llah, and who will form a nucleus of believers who will carry on
the work, loyally and effectively after you and in your absence. This is
my fervent prayer for you.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(December 21, 1928)
[Letter of April 19, 1929]
Your perseverance and constancy in the service of the Cause in Japan, your
effort to sow the seed among the educated and enlightened people and at
the same time to carry the comforting and inspiring teachings of the Faith
to the poor and blind, all these are the causes of deep satisfaction and
pleasure to the heart of the Guardian.
(signed by Soheil Afnan)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
With the assurance of my keen appreciation of your devoted and constant
efforts and of my fervent and continued prayers in your behalf at the Holy
Shrines.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(April 19, 1929)
[Letter of January 5, 1930]
He (the Guardian) hopes that you will leave a wonderful group of Baha'is
in that land. Once they come to appreciate the futility of mere material
progress and come to desire a spiritual impetus they will see that the
source of all inspiration in this day is Baha'u'llah and His teachings.
(January 5, 1930)
[Letter of April 18, 1930]
My dear co-worker:
Your separate messages have rejoiced my heart. I will pray for each one of
you that the Beloved may bless you, guide you and strengthen you to render
notable services to the cause of world brotherhood and peace. I deeply
value your expressed sentiments and reciprocate your expressions of
brotherly love.
Praying for your spiritual advancement,
Shoghi
(April 18, 1930)
[Letter of October 8, 1931]
He (the Guardian) sincerely hopes that the translation of Dr. Esslemont's
book will proceed at a rapid pace, because no real advance can be made in
the teaching work without proper literature, and this book is undoubtedly
the most comprehensive exposition of the Teachings yet written. The
language should, however, be worthy of the theme otherwise it would not
make the necessary appeal to the educated classes.
Shoghi Effendi was very pleased to hear that Keith (Ransom-Kehler) has
achieved some success in Japan. The explicit promise of Baha'u'llah is
that God's spirit will assist all those who, with a sincere and detached
heart, arise to spread the teachings. There is no reason for astonishment
therefore if the teachers of the Cause find success in their work. May
God's spirit continue to sustain them.
(signed by Ruhi Afnan)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and valued co-worker:
I am eagerly awaiting the news of the publication in Japanese of that
prized book which Dr. Esslemont has so wonderfully laboured to produce.
When received it will adorn the newly-restored mansion of Baha'u'llah
adjoining His Shrine at Bahji. May the Beloved sustain and bless your
magnificent efforts.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(October 8, 1931)
[Letter of January 25, 1932]
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated
December 29, 1931 bearing the sad news of the death of Mr. Susumu
Aibara(25) . It is surely a great loss to have a young man of his ability
and standing leave the group. Our sole comfort should be in this that he
is at present in a higher spiritual realm enjoying a blissful being far
beyond our powers to appreciate. Shoghi Effendi hopes that the members of
his family will view his passing in that light and appease their sorrows.
Please convey to them all Shoghi Effendi's sympathies.
(January 25, 1932)
[Letter of February 11, 1933]
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to ... inform you of the safe arrival of the one
hundred copies of Dr. Esslemont's book that you sent him. The book surely
looks beautiful and is fully befitting the message it conveys.
The Guardian hopes that now that this task is completed the friends in
Japan will make a stupendous effort to spread it throughout the country
and get it to the attention of those seeking souls who are yearning to
find some source of spiritual light and help to which they can turn for
guidance and salvation.
With such a comprehensive book at hand ready for distribution, the Faith
of Baha'u'llah should spread in no time. The friends should become
conscious of this, and, uniting their efforts, arise in an unprecedented
form to spread the Teachings.
(signed by Ruhi Afnan)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and much-prized co-worker:
With feelings of intense delight and gratitude, I have sent, this very
afternoon the books you have sent me to the library of the Mansion of
Baha'u'llah at Bahji. They will be placed by myself side by side with the
fourteen different printed versions of "The New Era", and will be a
constant reminder of your perseverance, your magnificent efforts, your
exemplary devotion to the Cause of God. It is a historic service that you
have rendered to the Abha Threshold. I urge you to send one copy to each
of the most important Baha'i centers in East and West. Its effect, I feel,
will be remarkable.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(February 11, 1933)
[Letter of June 8, 1933]
He (the Guardian) has directed me to thank you on his behalf and to assure
you of his abiding appreciation of your unforgettable services to the
Cause in Japan.
He was very glad to learn that you have decided to leave for Honolulu as
he firmly believes that such a visit will give you a chance to rest and
will enable you, on your return to Japan, to better serve the Cause. There
should always be a limit to self-sacrifice.
(signed by H. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and valued co-worker:
I immensely appreciate your outstanding services in those far-away
islands, and I will pray that you may be assisted to resume in the not
distant future your manifold and valued activities in the service of our
beloved Faith. Your name will forever remain associated with the rise of
the Faith and its establishment in Japan, and the record of your incessant
and splendid endeavors will shed on its annals a lustre that time can
never dim.
Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi
(June 8, 1933)
[Letter of November 1, 1934]
The gratifying news of your projected trip to Japan has particularly
strengthened (the Guardian's) hopes for the future expansion of your
labours in that country. He trusts that on your return to that land you
will find the friends more eager and ready than ever to carry on the
teaching work which ever since your departure to the States seems to have
been progressing slowly.
The Guardian will fervently pray for the success of your teaching trip,
and he hopes that its results will be such as to encourage you to prolong
your stay in Japan until a strong, active and well-united community of
believers has been duly established. Your patient, sustained and selfless
efforts in this connection, he is convinced, are bound to produce
satisfactory and abiding results.
(signed by H. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dearly beloved co-worker:
I wish to add a few words in person in order to reaffirm my deep sense of
gratitude to you for all that you have achieved and for your determination
to carry on the work that you have so many years so splendidly initiated.
I trust and pray that you may be fully guided and assisted to fulfill your
heart's dearest wish.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(November 1, 1934)
[Letter of April 17, 1935]
Shoghi Effendi also cherishes bright hopes for your future work in Japan,
where, he trusts, you will this time succeed in laying foundations for the
establishment of new centers and groups in a not too distant future. He is
fervently entreating Baha'u'llah to that end, and is confident that
through His confirmations and guidance your work will be blessed, enriched
and sustained.
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
May the Beloved, whose Cause you have promoted with such unswerving
loyalty and devotion, continue to bless your manifold activities, and aid
you to consolidate the foundations of His Cause in that promising country.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(April 17, 1935)
[Letter of July 6, 1935]
He (the Guardian) sincerely hopes that this trip to Japan will be quite
successful, and that the results achieved will be most encouraging and
stimulating to you, and will serve to bring to speedy and successful
realization 'Abdu'l-Baha's deeply cherished hopes concerning the future of
the Cause in these far-Eastern countries. The ground, of course, is not
yet quite prepared. There is still a tremendous amount of publicity that
has to be done before anything solid and enduring can be attained. But the
peoples, if not in the large industrial centers, at least in the villages
and country, are, as the Master has often remarked, spiritually-minded and
eager to absorb a message as sound and as inspiring as that which the
Cause offers.
(signed by H. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
May the Beloved of our hearts whose Cause you have served and are still
serving with such zeal, devotion and constancy, reward you a thousandfold
for your ceaseless services, your high endeavors and historic
accomplishments for the furtherance of His glorious Faith.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(July 6, 1935)
[Letter of September 23, 1935]
Regarding Mr. and Mrs. Torii, he (the Guardian) is immensely grieved to
learn of the passing away of their son Akira(26), and wishes you,
therefore, to convey to them his heartfelt condolences and sympathy for
this cruel and unexpected loss they have sustained. Will you also assure
them of his prayers for the soul of their departed son, that it may
develop and receive its full share of Divine blessings in the next world.
The Guardian has been very pleased to learn of Mr. Torii's desire to put
the Japanese translation of the "New Era" into Braille for use of his
blind friends. He would urge you to encourage him to complete the work as
soon as possible, as it may prove of considerable help to the spread of
the Teachings throughout Japan.
(signed by H. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and valued co-worker:
Your past and present services are engraved upon my heart. The Beloved is
well-pleased with your constancy, your zeal and exemplary devotion. I am
proud of the spirit that so powerfully animates you in His service. I will
continue to pray for your success from the bottom of my heart. Rest
assured and persevere.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(September 23, 1935)
[Letter of November 3, 1935]
Beloved Baha'i sister,
Shoghi Effendi was very happy to receive your letter of October 2, and
wishes me to congratulate you on having succeeded in getting the enclosed
article on the Cause published in one of the leading Japanese newspapers.
He trusts that this important piece of publicity work will serve to
attract the attention of a few competent and spiritually-minded people to
the Teachings and thus gradually open the way for the wider penetration of
the Message throughout Japan.
(signed by H. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and valued co-worker:
Do not feel discouraged if the work you are doing for His Cause does not
bear rich and immediate fruit. The seeds you are so patiently and
devotedly sowing will assuredly germinate, and future generations will
reap an abundant harvest. The Master is watching over and blessing your
historic services. Rest assured.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(November 3, 1935)
[Letter of May 11, 1936]
He (the Guardian) is truly pleased to learn of the many contacts you have
succeeded in forming with distinguished people and especially with young
Japanese students... (He) feels also deeply appreciative of Dr.
Masujima's(27) kind offer in presenting his library for the use of the
Baha'is. He hopes and fervently prays that this eminent friend of the
Cause may become one day a confirmed and devoted believer and that through
his services the Faith may rapidly spread throughout Japan.
(signed by H. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
May the Beloved bless you and keep you, reward you abundantly for your
manifold services, and enable you to extend the scope of your meritorious
activities.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(May 11, 1936)
[Letter of November 3, 1936]
Regarding your wish to visit the Holy Shrines, he (the Guardian) fully
approves of it and wishes me to extend to you a most hearty welcome.
(signed by H. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Dear and valued co-worker:
Your previous letters of May 21 and June 29 have also reached me, and I
deeply appreciate the sentiments they convey. The strike and disturbances
in Palestine have at last ceased and the obstacles to your pilgrimage have
been removed. I would be so pleased to meet you face to face at this Holy
Spot.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(November 3, 1936)
[Letter of November 19, 1936]
The Guardian wishes me to heartily congratulate you for the success of
your efforts in connection with the publication of this new (Japanese)
Braille edition of "Baha'u'llah and the New Era", which undoubtedly
constitutes a most valuable addition to the literature of the Cause for
the blind. I wish to also ask you to transmit the Guardian's grateful
appreciation and thanks to Mr. Torii for his painstaking labours for the
preparation of this new Braille publication on the Cause.
(signed by H. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Wishing you success from all my heart, your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
(November 19, 1936)
[Letter of January 24, 1937]
On behalf of the Guardian ... (I) wish to assure you again of his abiding
appreciation of the splendid activities in which you are so laboriously
and so devotedly engaged for the spread and establishment of the Cause in
Japan. Do not feel discouraged at the meagerness of the results you now
obtain. The Master's promises regarding the share you are destined to
contribute towards the spread of the Faith in the Far East will sooner or
later be completely realized. No matter how dark the present may appear,
you should feel nevertheless confident that the distant future is
immeasurably bright. Strive, therefore, with a joyful radiant and
confident heart to hasten the fulfillment of 'Abdu'l-Baha's glorious
promises. Your reward is unimaginably great, and the success that awaits
your labours certain.
Regarding your visit to Fujita's mother(28), the Guardian feels rejoiced
and thankful for all the kindness and assistance you have so lovingly
extended to her, and would certainly approve of your wish to continue
helping her in every way you can...
(signed by H. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
With the assurance of my deepfelt and abiding appreciation of your
wholehearted and touching response to my request(29), and wishing you
success and happiness from the depths of my heart.
Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi
(January 24, 1937)
[Letter of June 3, 1946]
Miss Alexander left Japan in 1937. She made her pilgrimage to Haifa and
rejoiced in being in the presence of the Guardian. After that she traveled
to various places and ended up in her ancestral home in Hawaii. At the
Guardian's urging she returned to Japan in 1950. Below are some of the
letters from the Guardian sent to her home in Hawaii and then to Japan
upon her return.
He (the Guardian) was ... glad to know you have put the soldier Baha'is in
Korea and Japan in contact with the friends in those places, and hopes and
prays this will lead to the rebirth of the Cause out there.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
May the Beloved bless, sustain, and guide you, at all times and under all
conditions, aid you to add fresh laurels to the crown you have won in the
service of His Faith, and fulfill your heart's desire for its promotion.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(June 3, 1946)
[Letter of July 23, 1946]
It is wonderful to know the Japanese believers are alive and devoted and
he (the Guardian) hopes you will do all you can to assist them and
stimulate their activities.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(July 23, 1946)
[Letter of June 28, 1947]
He (the Guardian) was very happy indeed to receive the good news of the
devotion of the Japanese friends to the Faith, and he feels that the
greatest service you can render the Cause is to do everything in your
power to encourage and help them. Your letters, the news you give them,
and the books you may be able gradually to forward will teach them and
keep them up to date in the development of the Cause and its activities.
He does not feel a so-called Baha'i School is a wise undertaking for Mr.
I..; the great need at present is to teach, and he hopes in your letters
you will impress this upon him, and the other Baha'is there and assure
them of his loving prayers on their behalf.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(June 28, 1947)
[Letter of May 31, 1949]
He (the Guardian) thinks it would be excellent if you could return to
Japan and meet with your old co-workers there, and assist the new Baha'is
in their work. Your long and deep association with this country, which at
last has begun to put forth flowers in the Baha'i world community, would
be befittingly crowned by this service, and he hopes the way will open for
you to go there as soon as possible.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(May 31, 1949)
[Letter of October 6, 1950]
He (the Guardian) is so happy to have you at last in Japan, and feels your
presence there will be of great help and inspiration to the Japanese
friends.
They seem dear and devoted souls, and he rejoices to see that, after all
these years, and the long period of patient toil you spent there in the
past, the tree of the Faith has struck deep roots, and the fruits are
beginning to appear at last.
He feels you, and dear Fujita too, should devote particular attention to
deepening the friends in the Covenant, which is the ark of safety for
every believer.
(signed by "Ruhiyyih")
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
May the Almighty sustain, guide and bless you always, give you all the
strength you need to enrich the splendid record of your past services in
Japan, and enable you continually to extend the range of your meritorious
accomplishments.
Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi
(October 6, 1950)
[Letter of November 15, 1951]
He (the Guardian) urges you never to feel discouraged but to go on
showering your love on the friends (in Japan) and helping them to a deeper
understanding of the Covenant.
The Guardian was pleased to hear Mr. Torii is arranging for the Hidden
Words in Braille. Please thank him and assure him of the Guardian's loving
prayers.
(signed by "Ruhiyyih")
(November 15, 1951)
[Letter of May 22, 1952]
The Guardian was most happy to learn of the many teaching opportunities
which have been coming to you in that land, where you have labored so
tirelessly and so lovingly, and assures you of his prayers for you and for
those whom you are attracting to the Faith of Baha'u'llah.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(May 22, 1952)
[Letter of September 29, 1952]
The Guardian greatly values your continuous sacrificial services in behalf
of the Faith, particularly in Japan. He prays for the success of the
efforts of the friends in Japan, that the Cause may spread rapidly in that
country. He will particularly pray for the success of your work in Kyoto.
He is hopeful that your contact with the Esperantists in Japan will bring
many of them into the Faith.
(signed by Leroy Ioas)
(September 29, 1952)
[Letter of August 15, 1953]
The Guardian is indeed deeply grateful for your ceaseless services in the
Cause of God, and was very happy to learn from you of the progress of the
work in Japan.
He urges you by all means to make your plans to attend the International
Teaching Conference to be held in New Delhi in October. You should then
return to Japan, as he feels that this is the time for you to resume your
work in that country.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
May the Beloved bless, guide and sustain you always, reward you abundantly
for your long record of historic services, and enable you to enrich it in
the days to come.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(August 15, 1953)
[Letter of May 3, 1954]
The Guardian has been greatly pleased with the manner in which the Faith
has been spreading in Japan. He sincerely hopes that during the second
year of the Crusade it will spread even more rapidly, and to more centers.
The future of the Faith in Japan is very great. It now depends upon the
Baha'is to teach, to develop the Faith in a city and then move on to a new
area. If this is continued diligently, it will bring the light of guidance
to all parts of Japan in a very short time.
(signed by Leroy Ioas)
(May 3, 1954)
[Letter of May 5, 1954]
He (the Guardian) was very happy to hear of the progress of the work in
Japan; and he greatly appreciates the fact that you have returned once
more to that country, so dear to your heart, and where the Master was so
eager for you to serve.
He wishes to assure you that he will pray for Mr. Mori(30), and that
before he passes from this world, his spirit may be illumined, and he may
come to accept Baha'u'llah.
The Guardian was also very pleased to hear that the Momtazis have given
their home as a Baha'i hall and Hazira, and hopes that this will open the
way for the foundation of a firm Spiritual Assembly in the city.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(May 5, 1954)
[Letter of May 27, 1954]
He (the Guardian) was glad to hear Mr. Mori died a firm Baha'i and that
his funeral was in itself a service to the Faith. He will pray for his
soul, and for his dear family.
(signed by "Ruhiyyih")
(May 27, 1954)
[Letter of May 27, 1954]
He (the Guardian) hopes that, in your capacity as a member of the
Auxiliary Board of the Hands in Asia, that you will be able to create ever
greater unity and enthusiasm amongst the Japanese friends, and the other
believers in Japan.
(signed by "Ruhiyyih")
(May 27, 1954)
[Letter of March 1, 1955]
The progress of the Faith in Japan is a source of great joy to the
Guardian. It is truly making rapid strides among these keen-minded and
receptive people.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(March 1, 1955)
[Cable sent March 29, 1957]
Gladly announce your elevation rank Hand of Cause. Praying further
enrichment record historic services, Shoghi, Haifa
(cable sent March 29, 1957)
[Letter of April 14, 1957]
He (the Guardian) is confident that you will discharge your duties as a
Hand with the same characteristics of loyalty and devotion, and in the
same spirit of service, that you have always shown in your Baha'i life,
and which has entitled you to this great honor.
It will no doubt be a source of encouragement to the believers that they
now have two Hands of the Cause, one in the South and one in the North
Pacific; and, in view of the remarkable spread of the Faith throughout
that whole region, your services will be of much help in stimulating and
reassuring the friends, and encouraging them to arise and constantly
extend the outposts of the Faith.
He will remember you in the Holy Shrines, and pray that you may be
strengthened, guided and blessed in this new form of service to the Cause
you love so dearly.
(signed by R. Rabbani)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
May the Almighty, Whose Cause you have served so long, so nobly and so
devotedly, shower His manifold blessings upon you, and aid you, now that
you occupy so lofty a position in the ranks of the followers of His Faith,
to enrich the record of your distinguished and truly historic services to
its institutions.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(April 14, 1957)
[Cable sent January 4, 1971]
At the time of the passing of Hand of the Cause Miss Alexander, the
Universal House of Justice sent the following cable to the Baha'i world:
Profoundly grieve passing illumined soul Hand Cause Agnes Alexander long
standing pillar Cause Far East. First bring Faith Hawaiian Islands. Her
long dedicated exemplary life service devotion Cause God anticipated by
Center Covenant selecting her share May Maxwell imperishable honor mention
Tablets Divine Plan. Her unrestrained unceasing pursuit teaching obedience
command Baha'u'llah exhortations Master guidance beloved Guardian. Shining
example all followers Faith. Her passing severs one more link heroic age.
Assure family friends ardent prayers holiest Shrine progress radiant
soul...
Universal House (of) Justice
(Cable sent January 4, 1971)
[Photograph with the following caption:]
Miss Alexander and Sheridan Sims at the old Baha'i Center in Tokyo in
1960. The Haziratu'l-Quds was demolished and a new one built on the same
property in 1982.
11: Letters and Cable to the Baha'is of Japan in the Early Days, 1922-1931
[Letter of January 26, 1922]
My well-beloved brethren and sisters in 'Abdu'l-Baha:--
Despondent and sorrowful, though I be in these darksome days, yet whenever
I call to mind the hopes our departed Master so confidently reposed in the
friends in that Far-Eastern land, hope revives within me and drives away
the gloom of His bereavement. As His attendant and secretary for well-nigh
two years after the termination of the Great War, I recall so vividly the
radiant joy that transfigured His Face wherever I opened before Him your
supplications as well as those of Miss Agnes Alexander. What promises He
gave us all regarding the future of the Cause in that land at the close of
almost every supplication I read to Him! Let me state, straightway, the
most emphatic, the most inspiring of them all. These are His very words,
that still keep ringing in my ears;--"Japan will turn ablaze! Japan is
endowed with a most remarkable capacity for the spread of the Cause of
God! Japan, with (another country whose name He stated but bade us conceal
it for the present) will take the lead in the spiritual reawakening of the
peoples and nations that the world shall soon witness!" On another
occasion,--how vividly I recall it!--as He reclined on His chair, with eyes
closed with bodily fatigue, He waved His hand and uttered vigorously and
cheerfully these words in the presence of His friends:--"Here we are seated
calm, quiet and inactive, but the Hand of the Unseen is ever active and
triumphant in lands, even as distant as Japan."
My dear and steadfast friends! Now if ever is the time for you and for us
to show, by our unity, service, steadfastness and courage, the spirit that
the Master has throughout His lifetime so laboriously, so persistently
kindled in our hearts. Now is the time for us to prove ourselves worthy of
His love for us, His trust in us and His hopes for us. Japan, He said,
will turn ablaze. Let us not, in any way, whatsoever, retard the
realization of His promise. Nay, let us hasten, through our service,
cooperation and efforts the advent of this glorious day.
The bereaved Ladies of the Holy Household, receive with comfort and
refreshing gladness any news that may come to them from that wonderful and
distant land. They all know what the Master has graciously spoken about
the future of the Cause in that land. They all expect from it a rapid
transformation, a spiritual transformation even more sudden and startling
than its material progress and advancement, for the Power of God can
achieve wonders still greater than those the brilliant minds of the
Japanese can achieve. This they firmly believe, for more than once, the
Master has spoken of the spiritual potentialities hidden in the nature of
these capable people. They all await with eagerness the joyful-tidings
that your letters to them shall bear in future.
We all wish so much to know more about you, about your little rising
Baha'i community, your number, your meetings, your activities, your
difficulties, your plans, your distribution all over Japan and the
neighbouring islands. We shall all pray for you most fervently and in a
special manner at all the three Hallowed Shrines and beseech the Master,
under whose wings we are all, to guide you, to sustain you in your work
for Him.
I shall never fail to send you all the news I receive from different parts
of the Baha'i world that you may know of the efforts and triumphs our
brethren, the loved ones of 'Abdu'l-Baha, are achieving and will achieve
after Him.
Persia, the leading nation in the Baha'i world, today will, I am
confident, through its centre, Tihran, communicate with you all, that the
East and West, even as our Beloved One has so much wished it, may become
even as one.
The letter our dear sister, Miss Agnes Alexander, had written to Mr.
Fujita, gave us such a joy and was read at the sorrowful gathering of His
friends, in the very room He used to receive His friends and meet them
every night.
Ever awaiting your joyful news,
I am, your devoted brother in His love and service,
Shoghi
(January 26, 1922)
[Cable dated December 15, 1922]
To the believers in Japan care Agnes Alexander. Refreshed and reassured I
now stretch to you across the distant seas my hand of brotherly
cooperation in the Cause of Baha.
Shoghi
(cable dated December 15, 1922)
[Letter of December 17, 1922]
Dear friends, the chosen ones of 'Abdu'l-Baha in that Far Eastern land!
Having brought to an end my long hours of retirement and meditation, one
of my first thoughts upon my return to these hallowed surroundings has
been to inquire after the well-being and spiritual happiness of my
far-away fellow-workers who toil and labour in those remote regions of the
earth for the blessed Cause of Baha'u'llah. How great was my joy when I
learned that you were well safe and happy, content and determined,
untiring in your labours and hopeful of the future!
That my sudden withdrawal from the field of active service would leave you
undeterred in your activities, would never damp your tender hopes nor
shake your resolution to stand firmly for the Cause, I never doubted as I
knew well the indelible marks of loyalty and steadfastness which the words
of our beloved Master have wrought in your lives. I am equally certain
that now when we join hands again in carrying the Cause of God a stage yet
further, your assistance wholehearted as ever before will give it a fresh
impetus that will lead to the establishment of throbbing centres of
spiritual activity in those outlying regions of the world.
Japan, a land so richly endowed, so alert and progressive, so quick in its
grasp of realities of life, is now the recipient of a Divine Bestowal,
greater, richer and more enduring than any material gift she has ever
enjoyed in modern times. What blissful thought to remember that you are
the chosen ones that shall establish the Kingdom of God in that land; that
you are the pioneers of a Work that will endure and supersede all the
other achievements, however meritorious and brilliant, of your
fellow-countrymen for Japan.
I pray that your vision of the vast opportunities that are yours may never
be dimmed; that your efforts to realize that vision may never slacken and
that the gracious aid of Baha'u'llah may never be withheld from you all
through your sacred mission in this world.
And now in conclusion, let us not forget those ringing words of the
Beloved, uttered with such force and emphasis:--"The Fire of the Love of
God shall assuredly set Japan afire!" and let us arise, now at this
moment, with increased and renewed confidence in His Sayings that we may
assure and hasten the advent of so glorious an era in the history of that
ancient land.
With my best wishes to every one of you
I am your brother and fellow-worker,
Shoghi
(December 17, 1922)
[Letter of May 10, 1923]
The beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful in Japan: Susumu
Aibara, E. Tanakamuru, Y.S. Lo, K.C. Ling, N. Yawata, Y. Ishigumo, H.C.
Waung, M. Hataya, E. Noguchi, F. Takahashi, Ida Finch, Agnes Alexander, K.
Sawada, Kenjiro Ono, Tokujiro Torii.
Dearest brethren and sisters in Baha'u'llah!
The most welcome letter of our dearly beloved Baha'i sister, Miss Agnes
Alexander, imparting the glad news of the progress of her glorious
services in Japan has rejoiced my heart, and has served to strengthen my
hope and confidence in the future glories of that far eastern land.
The Ladies of the Holy Household are highly gratified and comforted to
learn of your untiring labours in His Vineyard, of the success that has
attended your efforts, of the perseverance and ardour with which you
conduct your teaching work in those distant regions of the earth.
'Abdu'l-Baha is with you always and your success is assured!
May the visit of our beloved sister, Miss Martha Root, to your shores
stimulate widespread interest in the Cause throughout Japan, China and the
Pacific Islands, and consolidate the foundation of the Edifice of the
Cause in those far-eastern regions. I shall ever pray at the Three Holy
Thresholds that the seeds now scattered bear abundant fruit and the
promise of our beloved Master be speedily fulfilled.
I shall remember in my prayers Mr. and Mrs. Sam Baldwin and their
children, as well as Mrs. and Miss Cramer, and wish them from all my heart
signal success in their noble endeavours to promote far and wide the
Heavenly Teachings.
It is my earnest hope that the friends in Japan will from now on write me
frequent and detailed letters, setting forth the account of their various
spiritual activities and giving me the plans for their future services to
the Cause of Baha'u'llah.
Our devoted brother, Mr. Fujita, is well and happy in the Holy Land, and
together with the Ladies of the Household and myself is engaged in the
service of the various pilgrims that visit in these days this sacred Spot.
He is faithfully and actively carrying on the work which he has started so
whole-heartedly during the Master's last years on earth.
I trust that the letters addressed to you by the newly-constituted
Spiritual Assembly in Haifa have contributed their share in informing you
more fully of the onward and irresistible march of the Movement throughout
the world.
Awaiting your joyful letters,
I am your brother and fellow-worker,
Shoghi
(May 10, 1923)
[Letter of May 22, 1923]
To Miss Alexander
Shoghi Effendi has very kindly instructed me to acknowledge receipt of the
letter dated April 9th by the following dearly loved friends in the great
Cause of El Abha in Tokyo, K. Sawada, H. Tanaka, Ida Finch, Ei Noguchi, Y.
S. Ling, K. S. Ling, Yoshio Nakamura, Fumi Sato, Yuri Takao, B. Enomoto.
The few expressions of devotion by each one of them on one sheet of paper
speak out for themselves of the unity and love that exists between the
Baha'i friends of Tokyo and express in a most vivid form the Baha'i spirit
and teachings which indeed above all stand out for unity and love amongst
mankind.
Shoghi Effendi is deeply impressed by the letters, and earnestly hopes to
see the Baha'is of Japan from whom he will anxiously expect to hear,
increase their efforts and spread out the Baha'i teachings all over Japan
for the good of mankind.
I hope our dear sister Miss Martha Root has safely arrived and that by the
grace of the Almighty her stay will be productive of great results.
(May 22, 1923)
[Letter of October 22, 1925]
To Mr. Susumu Aibara
My dear brother in God!
Your welcome letter has rejoiced my heart. I am sending you some Baha'i
literature which I trust will guide and assist you in your work. I shall
be delighted to hear from you directly and regularly and please rest
assured of my deep interest in your work and of my fervent prayers for the
success of your labours.
Your brother and well-wisher,
Shoghi
(October 22, 1925)
[Letter of January 12, 1930]
To the Baha'is of Tokyo
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge receipt of your joint letter
enclosed in Miss Alexander's note. Shoghi Effendi hopes that through the
combined efforts of the Baha'is of Tokyo, the Cause will establish a
strong center in that city and then begin and radiate its spiritual light
to neighboring localities. Now that Miss Root is with you, you should
endeavor to awaken new competent souls and then when she is gone strive to
ground them firmly in the teachings.
(signed by Ruhi Afnan)
(January 12, 1930)
[Letter of December 24, 1930]
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
Assuring you of my fervent prayers for you all at the Shrine of
Baha'u'llah.
Your true brother, Shoghi
To Miss Agnes Alexander, Miss Martha Root, Mrs. Antoinette Naganuma, Miss
Elizabeth Dawe
He (the Guardian) was very happy to hear of your very nice and interesting
gathering when Miss Martha Root was there. He sincerely hopes that her
short stay will bear wonderful fruits and be the cause of guidance to many
souls. Such persons who travel from one country to another, meeting the
friends and exchanging thoughts with them, achieve a great part in
strengthening the link between the new friends in different parts of the
world. They give a new spirit and impart courage and perseverance to those
who feel disappointed and overwhelmed by the greatness of the task laid
before them.
(signed by Ruhi Afnan)
(December 24, 1930)
[Letter of March 5, 1931]
To Mr. Tokujiro Torii
I am directed by Shoghi Effendi to write and express his great pleasure
over the receipt of your kind and happy letter of January 2.
He was very happy to hear from you, to learn that you are well and
increasingly enthusiastic about the Baha'i Faith. He prays from the bottom
of his heart that the Almighty may help and strengthen you to render
valuable services to the Cause of Baha'u'llah and also to assist the cause
of the blind which is in itself a great Baha'i service.
He deeply regrets that you are handicapped by your early loss of eyesight,
but a spiritual light illuminates and guides you and through it, he hopes
you will become a channel to His Grace.
It is unfortunate that despite the eager and persistent endeavors of our
devoted sister Miss Agnes Alexander, no permanent and thriving centre has
yet been established in Japan. But he trusts that soon a special endeavor
will be made to establish an active group who will be able to translate
the Writings of Baha'u'llah and make them known to the people of Japan.
With the assurance of Shoghi Effendi's affection and prayers for you, also
to Miss Alexander, and of his hope that you will someday come to Haifa.
(signed by Soheil Afnan)
(in the Guardian's handwriting)
With the assurance of my fervent prayers at the Shrine of Baha'u'llah for
your happiness, your success and spiritual advancement.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(March 5, 1931)
[Letter of June 20, 1931]
Our Guardian has been overjoyed to hear of your gathering at the library
of Dr. Masujima and to receive your very kind messages written on that
occasion.
Both the Master and Shoghi Effendi have always cherished great hopes for
the Baha'i Faith in Japan. They have felt that only through the broad
spiritual outlook which the Faith provides can the Japanese people
introduce true spiritual enlightenment in their fast developing
civilization. Hence Shoghi Effendi's great pleasure to hear from you and
learn of your increasing interest in and enthusiasm for the Cause.
(signed by Soheil Afnan)
(June 20, 1931)
[Letter of January 9, 1932]
Dear and valued co-workers:
Your message has imparted an indefinable joy to my heart and cheered me in
my arduous task. Persevere in your efforts for the spread of our beloved
Faith, and rest assured that my prayers will continue to be offered in
your behalf. I cherish the brightest hopes for the extension of your
deeply valued activities and will supplicate the Almighty to bless and
sustain your high endeavors.
Your true brother, Shoghi
(January 9, 1932)
12: Letters and Cables to Administrative Institutions
[Letter of April 1957]
To the First National Convention of the Baha'is of North East Asia--1957
To the Delegates and Visitors assembled at the Convention of the Baha'is
of North-East Asia.
With feelings of exultation, joy, and pride I hail the convocation of this
history-making Convention of the Baha'is of North-East Asia, paving the
way for the emergence of a Regional Spiritual Assembly with an area of
jurisdiction embracing Japan, Korea, Formosa, Macao, Hong Kong, Hainan
Island and Sakhalin Island.
This auspicious event, which posterity will regard as the culmination of a
process initiated, half a century ago, in the capital city of Japan, under
the watchful care and through the direct inspiration of the Centre of the
Covenant of Baha'u'llah, marks the opening of the second chapter in the
history of the evolution of His Faith in the North Pacific area. Such a
consummation cannot fail to lend a tremendous impetus to its onward march
in the entire Pacific Ocean, a march which will now, no doubt, be greatly
accelerated by the simultaneous emergence of the Regional Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of South-East Asia and of the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of New Zealand.
I particularly welcome the establishment of this highly important
institution in the capital city of Japan, as it affords a splendid
opportunity for the diffusion of the Lights of the Faith, and the erection
of the structure of its Administrative Order, among a people representing
the overwhelming majority of the yellow race, living in the islands of the
Pacific Ocean, and in a country regarded as one of the strongholds of the
Buddhist Faith.
I feel a warm tribute should be paid, on this historic occasion, to the
members of the American Baha'i Community, as well as to their elected
national representatives, who have, for so long and so devotedly, promoted
the interests of the Faith in that country, and, in recent years in its
neighbouring islands.
I call upon the Regional Spiritual Assembly now being formed to signalize
its birth through the initiation of a subsidiary Six-Year Plan, designed
to swell the number of the adherents of the Faith throughout the area of
its jurisdiction; to multiply the groups, the isolated centers and the
local spiritual assemblies; to incorporate all firmly grounded local
spiritual assemblies; to obtain recognition from the civil authorities for
the Baha'i Marriage Certificate, as well as the Baha'i Holy Days; to
inaugurate a national Baha'i Fund; to consolidate the work initiated in
the newly opened territories; to lend an impetus to the translation, the
publication, and dissemination of Baha'i Literature in divers languages;
to establish Summer Schools, and Baha'i burial grounds; to propagate the
Faith throughout the smaller islands of Japan; and to acquire a plot to
serve as the site of the first Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar of North-East Asia.
May the blessings of Baha'u'llah be showered, in an ever-increasing
measure, on those newly emerged Communities now holding aloft, so
steadfastly and so valiantly, the banner of His Faith, and may the outcome
of their collective efforts illuminate its annals, and contribute to a
notable degree to the consolidation of the institutions of the Baha'i
embryonic World Order now being erected throughout the length and breadth
of so vast, so turbulent, and yet so promising, an area of the globe.
Shoghi
(April 1957)
[Photograph with the following caption:]
The first National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of North East Asia
elected in 1957. Sitting: Mr. Noureddin Momtazi, Miss Agnes Alexander,
Mrs. Barbara Sims, Mr. Hiroyasu Takano. Standing: Mr. Ataullah Moghbel,
Mr. Michitoshi Zenimoto, Mr. Philip Marangella, Mr. Yadollah Rafaat, and
Mr. William Maxwell.
[Cable of April 29, 1957]
Shoghi Effendi's cable to the first Convention of North East Asia:
Deeply appreciate message welcome dedication delegates tasks ahead
fervently supplicating richest blessings. Deepest love,
Shoghi
(April 29, 1957)
TO NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES
To the National Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia--1957
[Cable dated May 2, 1957]
The Guardian's first cable to the new National Spiritual Assembly:
Fervently supplicating befitting discharge sacred manifold
responsibilities. Deepest love,
Shoghi
(cable dated May 2, 1957)
[Letter of May 20, 1957]
Our beloved Guardian has instructed me to write you on his behalf and
inform you that the Hand of the Cause Mr. Varqa, will shortly be
forwarding to your assembly the equivalent of five hundred English Pounds,
as the Guardian's contribution to your newly established National Fund.
He hopes that, in the formulation of your plans, particular attention will
be given to the all-important teaching work, the foundation of all the
activities of the Faith and the most urgent task facing the friends in
this critical period the world is passing through.
You may be sure he will pray for your success. (signed by R. Rabbani)
(May 20, 1957)
[Letter of July 15, 1957]
He (the Guardian) has read with much interest the reports of the
Convention recently held in Tokyo.
The formation of this new Regional Assembly, whose area of operation is so
vast and situated in such an important part of the globe, has been a
source of great joy to the Guardian. He was also very happy to see that
your Assembly has represented on it members of the three great races of
mankind, a living demonstration of the fundamental teaching of our Holy
Faith, and one which cannot but attract the interest of the public. The
fact that so many believers attended the first historic convention, from
practically all the territories your Assembly represents, was also most
encouraging, and augurs well for your future work.
The work, so faithfully carried on, by both the American and Persian
pioneers, has borne its first fruit. The long and loyal service of dear
Agnes Alexander, who so faithfully carried out the beloved Master's wishes
and served the spiritual interests of Japan for decades, has been richly
crowned. Even the death of the devoted pioneer, Mr. Anthony Seto, has
added a blessing to the work in that region, for he served in spite of
failing health and remained at his post to be laid at rest in a distant
land, his very dust testifying to the greatness of the love and the nature
of the ideals Baha'u'llah inspires in His servants(31) .
It has been a great source of joy to the Guardian to see the marked
increase of native Baha'is throughout that area, particularly in Japan,
Korea and Formosa. However devoted the pioneers may be to these distant
countries of their adoption, their relation to them cannot but be a
transient one, especially in view of the disturbed state of the world and
gloomy clouds that hang over its political horizons. They may suddenly be
forced to go home; therefore, the native Baha'is, in particular, must
seize this opportunity and arise too, themselves, in their own countries,
pioneer to new cities and towns, new islands and as yet unopened
territories, so that they may, with the help of their Baha'i brethren from
overseas, lay a firm and enduring foundation, and commence the great task
of building up the Administrative Order, which is itself the foundation of
the future World Order.
Special attention must be given during this crucial year to consolidating
the precious goals already won, to creating new Spiritual Assemblies, to
increasing the groups and the isolated centers.
Your Assembly must be very careful not to overload the Baha'is with rules
and regulations, circulars and directions. The purpose of the
administration at this time is to blow on the fire newly kindled in the
hearts of these people who have accepted the Faith, to create in them the
desire and capacity to teach, to facilitate the pioneer and teaching work,
and help deepen the knowledge and understanding of the friends. The
beloved Guardian issues this word of warning, as long experience has shown
that it is a tendency on the part of all N.S.A.s to over-administer. In
their enthusiasm they forget that they only have a handful of
inexperienced souls to guide, and attempt to deal with their work as if
they had a large population to regulate! This then stifles the spirit of
the friends and the teaching work suffers.
He hopes that special attention will be given to the translation of more
literature into the languages in use throughout that area and its
publication. Likewise, Summer Schools should be multiplied as they enable
the friends to gain in knowledge, and, through taking part in the course,
increase their ability as Baha'i teachers.