Letters from the Guardian to Australia and New Zealand

The Guardian has received your letter dated May 8th, and has carefully read and considered its contents. He wishes me to thank you for it, and specially to convey to you, as well as to the other members of your N.S.A., his hearty congratulations over the success that has attended your national elections this year. He hopes and prays that as years go by your Assembly will increasingly grow in unity and strength, and will demonstrate its capacity to cope with the manifold problems and difficulties with which it will be inevitably confronted as it forges ahead in its slow though steady progress towards the firmer establishment of Bahá’u’lláh’s World Order throughout Australia and New-Zealand.

With regard to your question as to the advisability of disclosing to an individual believer the contents of the N.S.A.’s correspondence. The Guardian thinks that although this cannot be considered as constituting an obligation which a believer can impose upon the national body, yet, it would seem highly advisable that the N.S.A. should give a sympathetic consideration to any such request made to it by a believer. This, he feels, would avoid giving the impression that the assembly is working in an atmosphere of complete secrecy, and that it is motivated by dictatorial motives. The final decision in such matters; however, is entirely left to the discretion of the N.S.A. The basic principle that should always be remembered is that the N.S.A. cannot be required to reveal to any outsider all the details concerning its work. It may choose to do so if it wishes, but nobody has the right to enforce upon it any such action: This is, of course the purely legal side of the question. But a purely legalistic attitude in matters affecting the Cause, particularly now that the Faith is still in a state of infancy, is not only inadequate but fraught with unforeseen dangers and difficulties. The individuals and assemblies must learn to cooperate and to cooperate intelligently, if they desire to adequately discharge their duties and obligations towards the Faith. And no such cooperation is possible without mutual confidence and trust.

With loving greetings from the Guardian to you and to the members of the N.S.A. and with the assurance of his prayers on behalf of you all,

I cannot refrain from expressing in person my deep sense of gratitude and indebtedness to the beloved co-workers in that land for their splendid achievements in both the teaching and administrative spheres of Bahá’í activity. I feel truly proud of your accomplishments. I will continue to supplicate for every one of you the Beloved’s imperishable blessings.