Picture: The Guardian's grave set in the peaceful surroundings of the New Southgate Cemetery, London. p. 30 Picture: Examples of Shoghi Effendi's handwriting in the early days of his Guardianship, from letters dated 6 January 1924 and 9 December 1923 (slightly reduced size) p. 142 picture: First and last pages of the first letter received by the National Spiritual Assembly in which the secretarial part was written by Amatu'l-Bah‡ Rœh’yyih Kh‡num (reduced size) p. 286 picture: Examples of receipt cards given to the British Bah‡'’ community by Shoghi Effendi p. 318 picture: Part of a letter in Shoghi Effendi's handwriting from the later days of his Guardianship (reduced size) [Ed. - Otherwise, the picture captions are the same as in the List of Illustrations]

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It is with a profound feeling of humble, inexpressible gratitude and untold joy that I write these few linesÐgratitude for the loving care particularly bestowed by the Guardian of the Bah‡'’ Faith on the Bah‡'’s of the British Isles to guide them along their destined road and to evoke from them the effort which would set them on the path to their high destiny, joy for the loyal response by a community, very small in numbers, to the guidance of him, who was the 'Sign of God on Earth'.
These letters and cables of Shoghi Effendi tell their own story. No words can better relate the story of the creative impulse received and the heroic endeavour made by the British Bah‡'’ community than the words of the beloved Guardian himself.
Those of us, who read, at the conclusion of the Six Year Plan, the following cables of Shoghi Effendi, can not forget to our dying day the thrill of life that they contained, the exhilaration that they

"OVERJOYED DEEPLY GRATEFUL IMMENSELY PROUD SIGNAL VICTORY ACHIEVED BAHç'ê COMMUNITY BRITISH ISLES SHEDDING LUSTRE OPENING YEARS SECOND BAHç'ê CENTURY. . . ."

"HEARTILY CONGRATULATE NATIONAL ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES TRIUMPHANT COMMUNITY INDEFATIGABLE NATIONAL TEACHING COMMITTEE ALL SUBSIDIARY AGENCIES PARTICULARLY SELF-SACRIFICING PIONEERS WHO SO OUTSTANDINGLY CONTRIBUTED SIGNAL VICTORY REVERBERATING BAHç'ê WORLD."

H.M. Balyuzi
London, April 1979

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PREFACE

The period covered by these letters and cables is unique in more ways than one. It covers the first thirty-six years of the Formative Age of the Faith of Bah‡'u'll‡h, an Age inaugurated by the accession of Shoghi Effendi to the Guardianship of that Faith. It is a period which has witnessed, in human society, the greatest upheavals, the most destructive war, the most widespread disruption of any comparable period in human history. It has witnessed the rise and establishment of the Administrative Order of Bah‡'u'll‡h throughout the earth.
What an appalling prospect faced the young Guardian in 1921 as he came face to face with his destiny. The unimaginably powerful forces released through more than seventy-five years of almost continuous Divine Revelation were now to be conserved by him and directed to their appointed taskÐthe spiritual regeneration of the entire human race. His sole instrument was a small, widely-scattered community, wholly unconscious of the social implications of its faith, largely unorganised, untrained in collective action, containing within itself all the historic elements of strife, unaware even of the fundamental verities of its religion.
These messages record how the Guardian nurtured and educated one of the national elements in that primitive Bah‡'’ community, showering it with love and encouragement, training it, raising its vision beyond the confines of its own place and time, forging it into an instrument of spiritual receptivity and action and eventually fusing it into the single, world-wide brotherhood of the embryonic World Commonwealth of Bah‡'u'll‡h.
The Guardian himself, as well as the Guardianship, are seen in perspective through these successive messages. The "youthful branch", "blest, tender", is seen in the early days, eagerly responsive, with all the ardour of "his radiant nature", to any and every effort made for the service of the Cause. As the heroic tasks of his life develop, as he unfolds to the believers the sublime vision of Bah‡'u'll‡h's Kingdom, the majesty of his station and of his person becomes more apparent until it is seen by all that "he is the blest and sacred bough that hath branched out from the Twin Holy Trees. Well is

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it with him that seeketh the shelter of his shade that shadoweth all mankind."
The Bah‡'’ community of the British Isles, the fortunate recipient of these messages, can only express its gratitude, its joy, its pride in the love and confidence showered upon it by its "true brother", by pursuing relentlessly the "long, steep and thorny",but glorious path assigned to it. Its beloved Guardian, even in death, conferred upon this country the incalculable privilege of receiving his mortal remains and becoming the custodian of his resting place.
To those of us who have lived through the stirring times when these messages were received they have caused an uplifting of the spirit and a divine joy. To the generations of the future they will be a never-ending source of inspiration, guidance and incitement to service.

David Hofman

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It is almost impossible adequately to acknowledge all the work which has gone into this publication. Many believers, over a long period of time, have made important contributions.
Our gratitude must first be expressed to David Hofman, who devoted many valuable hours in 1962-1963 making the original collection. Marion Hofman later proof-read the copy, looked out much additional material and made invaluable suggestions for the other workers during the great number of hours she lovingly gave to the task. As the years slipped by and as the work of the Cause increased, busy people spent an enormous amount of time correcting and searching. These included such National Spiritual Assembly members as Elizabeth Chapman, Richard Backwell, Owen Battrick, Joe Jameson and Adib Taherzadeh. Betty Reed, whose copious notes indicate a rnost thorough examination of each of the paragraphs which formed the first collection, actually saw it through to a page-proof stage. Here it rested for some years as it was realised that more material might be found for there were some important gaps in the record. It was also felt that although the British Bah‡'’ community, and indeed the Bah‡'’s of the world, had a right to, and were eagerly awaiting these messages, it was better to make further searches and present them finally with footnotes and brief biographical notes as a more complete work.
In October, 1972 Philip Hainsworth was released from some of his other national commitments to carry out the search, prepare the footnotes and biographies, and produce the book ready for the printer. It was found that much material had been overlooked or left out and although it is possible that in the future a few more letters may come to light, all the sources available to the National Spiritual Assembly have been utilised. We now believe that there are no gaps of major significance and we place on record our deep appreciation for all those who have made this book possible. Above all we acknowledge with the utmost humility our debt to Shoghi Effendi, that Sign of God on earth, whose words are now preserved for posterity, whose

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guidance and encouragement led the British Bah‡'’ community on the "highroad of its destiny" and to whose sacred memory this compilation is dedicated.

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bah‡'’s
of the United Kingdom 1979

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CONTENTS

Foreword	Hasan M. Balyuzi	Page vii
Preface	David Hofman	ix
Acknowledgements	National Spiritual Assembly of the Bah‡'’s of the United Kingdom	xi
Introduction	Philip Hainsworth	xv
The seeds are tended (1922-1944)		1
"Their first collective enterprise" The Six Year Plan (1944-1950)		167
"The threshold of a new and glorious epoch" The Africa Plan (1950-1953)		243
"World-wide mission entrusted British Bah‡'’ community": The British r™le in the Ten Year Crusade (1953-1957)		295
Letters to local Spiritual Assemblies		389
Excerpts from letters to individuals		419
Biographical Notes		465
Indexes		491

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The Guardian's resting place
Shoghi Effendi. A photograph taken two years before the commencement of his ministry	14
Examples of Shoghi Effendi's handwriting in 1923, 1924	30
Typical receipts given by Shoghi Effendi	46
First letter to the British Isles written by Amatu'l-Bah‡ Ruh’yyih Kh‡num as the Guardian's secretary	142
Examples of receipt cards given by Shoghi Effendi	286
The Guardian. The last photograph of Shoghi Effendi taken a few months before he passed away	302
Shoghi Effendi's handwriting from the later days of his Guardianship	318