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Messages to Canada

  • Author:

  • Shoghi Effendi

  • Source:
  • Bahá’í Canada Publications
  • Pages:
  • 276
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Pages 19-20

Letter of 12 April 1927

12 April 1927

To an individual believer

Dear Bahá’í Brother,
Shoghi Effendi thanks you very much for your letter to him dated March 20th 1927.
He rejoices to hear that through the influence of your devout and Christian parents and family your life has been guided by the Hand of God, until you have now received and accepted the message of God in this Day and the inspired teachings of the Bahá’í revelation.
You are indeed most blessed through receiving at this time in your life, when you are entering upon the full responsibilities and duties of manhood—these sacred teachings and principles—which should be an inspiration to you to put forth your utmost efforts to draw other souls into this radiant light.
As you realize, these principles can only be rendered attractive when they are exemplified by a life lived wholly in accordance with these heavenly counsels. Then they will have their full effect. Many years ago, when as a young believer I asked of the beloved ‘Abdu’l-Bahá instructions as to the method of teaching and attracting souls to the Light—He replied in a beautiful Tablet describing the life of detachment, purity, and dedication to the service of God, which should be lived by the one who was desirous of teaching. And now, in this time of grave difficulties and trials which surround all the peoples of the world, our first duty is to teach, and gain adherents for our Bahá’í Faith and the life-giving precepts and principles given to us by Bahá’u’lláh, and the beloved Master ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá once said to me that we should use the Hidden Words as a mirror—comparing our actions and thoughts with what is there revealed—and if they did not match, so to speak, and fully reflect these Divine Counsels—then we must change our actions and conduct until they were in perfect harmony and agreement with these heavenly exhortations.

With all Bahá’í greetings, and wishing you every success in your endeavours,

Your sincere fellow-worker in this great Service,

Ethel J. Rosenberg

[From the Guardian:]

My dear spiritual brother:

Your letter has brought joy to my heart. I will pray for you from the bottom of my heart that the Beloved may pour upon you His richest blessings, guide your steps, sustain your faith, deepen your understanding, and remove every obstacle from your way. I urge you to study the Teachings and particularly ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Some Answered Questions and Dr. Esslemont’s Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, two of the outstanding books in our Bahá’í Literature. I hope to meet you some day in Haifa in the Beloved’s home.

Your well-wisher,

Shoghi