A new version of the Bahá’í Reference Library is now available. This ‘old version’ of the Bahá’í Reference Library will be replaced at a later date.
The new version of the Bahá’i Reference Library can be accessed here »
A new version of the Bahá’í Reference Library is now available. This ‘old version’ of the Bahá’í Reference Library will be replaced at a later date.
The new version of the Bahá’i Reference Library can be accessed here »
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The Work is Still Formidable |
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The multiplicity of the vital issues that have of late confronted
me at the World Centre of the Faith, the opening of the
door of pilgrimage, and the unexpected problems which, by
their urgency, have required my immediate and close attention
have, to my extreme regret, prevented me from acknowledging,
as promptly as I would have wished the communications
which various Baha’i National Assemblies have
addressed me in recent months. I have followed, however,
with admiration and keen interest the progress of the activities
initiated under the 19-Month Plan by the valiant
Baha’i Communities of India, Pakistan and Burma. The
generous, unceasing contributions made by them for the
completion of the Bab’s holy Sepulchre proclaim, in unmistakable
terms, their devotion to the Cause for which He laid
down so heroically His life. The expansion of the activities
initiated by the high-minded and resolute pioneers in Ceylon,
Indonesia, Siam, Malaya and Sarawak indeed merit the
highest praise. The efforts exerted for the multiplication of
the institutions of the Faith and their consolidation both in
the subcontinent of India and beyond its confines augur well
for the future of the Plan, the third of its kind embarked
upon by the followers of the Faith of Baha’u’llah, who are
destined to play a predominant part in the unfoldment of
His World Order throughout the territories of South East
Asia. The steady endeavours made for the translation, publication
and dissemination of the literature of the Faith by
your Assembly have greatly enriched and ennobled the
record of the services you have rendered it in recent years.
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Great as have been the victories already won in its service,
the work that still remains to be accomplished under this
same Plan during the fleeting months that lie ahead is still
formidable, and demands unrelaxing vigilance, heroic self-sacrifice,
and inflexible resolve on the part of not only the
elected representatives of these communities but of all their
members as well. The uninterrupted and rapid multiplication
of Baha’i administrative centres; the conversion of groups
into assemblies; the development of isolated centers into
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groups; a marked increase in the number of incorporated
Local Assemblies; the early completion of the highly important
task assumed in connexion with the translation and
publication of the New Era in the remaining languages already
selected for that purpose; the despatch, without further
delay, of no more than one pioneer for the present to Nepal
and Indo-China, as well as to Zanzibar and Madagascar, in
pursuance of the Plan initiated in both Africa and South
East Asia; the maintenance, at any cost, of the present status
of the newly formed assemblies; the concentration of effort
for the promotion of unity and cooperation among the divers
elements that constitute the warp and woof of these communities—these stand out as the predominating obligations
facing the entire body of the followers of the Faith in the
subcontinent of India and its neighbouring territories.
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Nor must the privileged members of these communities, and
particularly their elected representatives, neglect, for a moment,
the paramount duty, of preparing, by every means at
their disposal, for the historic and in some respects, the
most vital, Conference to be held in the course of the Holy
Year which the entire Baha’i world will soon befittingly
celebrate. As the Convenor of such a fate-laden Conference,
whose task is to facilitate the execution of the most far-reaching,
the most challenging, and the most dramatic of all the
enterprises destined to be launched by the followers of the
Faith throughout the whole planet, your Assembly assumes
a responsibility at once immense, soul-stirring and inescapable.
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In providing adequate facilities for the accommodation of
the Hands of the Cause and of the official representatives of
no less than eight National Spiritual Assemblies and of the
large number of visitors who will participate in its proceedings;
in ensuring wide publicity through the press and radio
for such a unique gathering; in exerting their utmost for the
maintenance of harmony and for full consultation on the
weighty issues that will face its attendants; in fostering the
spirit of heroic adventure and noble resolve on the part of
the members of the communities that are to act as hosts to
the honoured participants of such an epoch-making assemblage,
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which will, God willing, enable them to play a notable
role in the Crusade destined to embrace the continents of
Asia and Australasia and of the Pacific Islands—in all these
the members of your Assembly, supported by the rank and
file of the faithful, must display a determination, a valour and
consecration that will excite the admiration of the entire
Baha’i world.
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The work that calls for unswerving fidelity, urgent attention
and continuous vigilance, during the swiftly passing months
ahead, is immense, truly sacred and infinitely meritorious.
The consummation of the Plan already initiated would constitute
the best preparation for the assumption of the
still greater functions, and the discharge of still weightier
responsibilities, that await the patiently labouring,
the steadfast, the loyal and devoted followers of the Most
Great Name in India, Pakistan and Burma. That they
may victoriously discharge their present responsibilities,
that they may befittingly embark on the glorious Mission
that lies ahead of them, that they may distinguish themselves
through their collective contribution to the success of the
World Crusade soon to be inaugurated by the followers of
Baha’u’llah in both the East and the West, is the object
of my constant prayer and one of the most cherished desires
of my heart.
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