20 October 1949
National Youth Committee of the Bahá’ís of Germany and Austria
Dear Bahá’í Brother:
Your letter of September 3, with enclosed report of the Bahá’í Youth Summer School, was received, and the beloved Guardian thanks you for it.
He read with interest the report of the activities of the Youth, and was particularly pleased to see that Dr. Grossmann had given a course on the Covenant. The Youth must ponder deeply over the significance and implications of the Covenants of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, for these form the hub of the Bahá’í wheel, so to speak, the point of unity and strength for all the believers all over the world. Without these Covenants the Divine Protection of God over this new world Faith would not exist. Obedience to these Covenants is the stronghold of all the Bahá’ís, everywhere.
The Youth must grasp this fundamental truth, for this will strengthen them in their service to the Cause, as nothing else can or will.
Another thing he wants the young people to do is to set an example in obedience to the Administration, and to rise above the tendency, alas, so pronounced in some of the friends, to consider personalities instead of principles. This Cause is based on spiritual laws, and we must consider these, and obey them, and not lose time in thinking about the individual person’s peculiarities, or opinions...
[From the Guardian:]
May the Beloved bless, sustain and guide you, to enable you, to acquire a fuller understanding of the implications of God’s Covenant in this day, and contribute effectively to its clarification and its comprehension by the believers.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
22 October 1949
To the Spiritual Assembly of Bergstrasse
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Your letter dated March 27, has been received by our beloved Guardian, as well as the report of the activities of your Assembly, and he thanks you for sending him this information.
He, likewise, wishes to thank Mr. Adolf Lorey for his letter to him of July 30, enclosing a newspaper clipping concerning Sohrab.
He feels your Assembly, wisely and lovingly, must guide the friends to a firmer grasp of both the independent nature of our glorious Faith and the need to study and uphold its Administrative Order.
To continue to be a member of the church places a Bahá’í in an insincere position—for we believe the Christ has come again, in Bahá’u’lláh, and that all His promises have been gloriously fulfilled. No church would tolerate one of its members believing such a thing, for the church is still blindly waiting the second coming. Therefore it is obvious why the Bahá’ís must leave the church, they are not leaving Christ, but rather rallying to His support in the new day of His coming.
Also, he feels your Assembly should obey and work with the National Assembly in the greatest love and harmony. The past must be forgotten, and all the believers concentrate, unitedly on the spread of the Faith and strengthening its administration.
He will pray for you all, and for the success of your work. With Bahá’í love
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty, Whose Faith you are serving with zeal, constancy and devotion, bless you and your dear collaborators, remove all obstacles from your path, and enable you to win great and memorable victories for His Faith and its institutions,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
22 October 1949
It is the privilege of youth not to commit the same mistakes all over again of the older generations, and he hopes the German youth will rise above personalities, adhere to the principles of the Cause and its administration, be examples of firmness in the Covenant, and thus carry the Faith forward in Germany on a higher plane of development.
30 October 1949
As the Guardian already wrote the N.G.R., he feels that most of the trouble which recently arose in the German community was due to the fact that the believers everywhere did not seem to know how to function administratively—almost everything they did was irregular and this caused added confusion, more wounded feelings, and confused the entire situation. He trusts that by now the whole situation has been straightened out and that the N.G.R. and the assemblies will work strongly and unitedly for the fulfilment of their Plan.
He was very glad that dear doctor Grossmann could attend the Brussels Conference. All the believers there were so happy to have a German brother with them! Also, he has received reports of the excellent teaching work on the Covenant that your dear husband is doing. This is very important, especially at this time when Ahmad Sohrab is trying to again become active in Germany.
The German friends must learn to put the teachings above personalities and stop taking sides. This is a sign of immaturity and this old and beloved community cannot afford to linger in childhood, but must become a strong adult community of united, alert and active believers....
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
I am deeply grateful to you for your constant and splendid services to our beloved Faith. These services and achievements will, no doubt, attract the blessings of Bahá’u’lláh. Rest assured that the Beloved is well pleased with your accomplishments, and will increasingly bless your high endeavours. May every obstacle be removed from your path and the dearest wish of your heart fulfilled.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
12 November (1949?)
The Guardian is in receipt of your letter of October 26th, and feels very much pleased at the news of the completion of the German translation of “The Seven Valleys”. He wishes me to congratulate you most heartily for this great service you have been able to render the Cause, and which no doubt will serve to enrich the record of the manifold contributions you have, during the last few years, so brilliantly made towards the spread of the Faith throughout Germany. He is praying to Bahá’u’lláh that He may continue to guide and inspire you, and assist you in accomplishing still more outstanding works for the Cause in your country.
Regarding the publication of the manuscript, he sees no objection that it should be undertaken by a non-Bahá’í publisher, inasmuch as it will then have a greater appeal to the general public. But, of course, in this as well as in all other local matters of this kind you should first seek the approval of the N.S.A. As to the expenses of printing the work, they should be preferably furnished by the national fund.
The Guardian is also very much pleased to learn of the new publications which the N.S.A. is planning to issue very soon. The printing of the lectures delivered at the last Esslingen Summer School in a book form is, no doubt, highly useful. It is hoped that the funds required in this connection, as well as for other important publications, will be generously contributed by both the individual believers, and the local groups and assemblies.
With reference to the publication of the “Kitáb-i-Íqán” into Esperanto, the Guardian also hopes that some action will be taken in this matter by the N.S.A. But obviously the printing of this, and other non-German works, should be subordinated to the publication of Bahá’í literature in German....
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
I am so eager to learn that your health is fully restored, for I believe your services are a most valuable asset to the Faith you serve in these troublous days. I welcome your efficient and unrelaxing cooperation, in spite of the obstacles which face you, in so many fields of Bahá’í activity. I am confident that as a result of your strenuous endeavours the administrative institutions in your land will be further consolidated and extended and the cause of teaching receive an added impetus.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
18 December 1949
Bahá’í Youth Committee of Germany and Austria
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Your letter of November 12 has been received by our Guardian, and he has instructed me to answer it on his behalf.
He will certainly pray for the success of your very important branch of the Bahá’í work in Germany and Austria.
We, as students of religion and history, cannot but expect that when God’s Greatest Revelation, (up until this time,) reaches the world, it will cause terrific repercussions in the lives of men. This is what we are witnessing all about us today, and although we, and others, suffer from the state of society, we cannot but derive inspiration from the fact that this very chaos is a testimony to the strength and potency of the Divine Remedy brought by Bahá’u’lláh....
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty Whose Cause you are serving in such a vital sphere of Bahá’í activity, guide, bless and sustain you, remove the formidable obstacles that stand in your path, and enable you to win great and memorable victories for its institutions,
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
28 March 1950
He will certainly pray for dear Mrs ... and her son who so tragically took his life.
When a child is old enough to declare his intention of being a Bahá’í he is also old enough to leave the church. The Guardian does not see any harm in what you did; the parents accepted that Bahá’í writings should be read at the funeral.
Please give the Guardian’s loving greetings to all the Munich believers, and assure them of his prayers on their behalf. Urge them to persevere in their teaching efforts.
30 September 1950
The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Berlin
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Your letters of 16 July, signed by the friends, and 21 July, signed by the secretary, and your photograph were received by our beloved Guardian, and he was very happy to hear from you, and to learn dear Mrs. Ashton had visited you.
He often thinks of you, and it rejoices his heart to see you are faithfully serving the Faith, and that you have a Spiritual Assembly, in spite of the many difficulties you have passed through in Berlin.
He assures you he will ardently pray for your welfare, protection, and the success of your Bahá’í work.
In these days the most important thing of all is to teach the Faith to the people, for the world’s salvation can only be found in the Plan of Bahá’u’lláh....
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
I was so pleased to receive your letter, and I greatly value the sentiments you have expressed. You are often in my thoughts and prayers, and I will continue to supplicate the Beloved to protect and sustain you, remove all obstacles from your path, and enable you to achieve your heart’s desire in His service,
Your true and grateful brother
Shoghi
2 October 1950
To those present at Youth Summer School, August 3, 1950, c/o National Bahá’í Youth Committee of the Bahá’ís of Germany and Austria
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
The letter dated August 3, and signed by those attending the Youth Summer-School, was received by our beloved Guardian, as well as the photo of Burg Breuberg, and he was delighted to see so many youth had attended from Germany and different countries.
He urges you all to concentrate on teaching the Faith to the young people, who must be surely bewildered by the state of the present day world, and who are so in need of guidance and supranational goal towards which they can strive with heart and soul.
We know that only the remedy of the “Divine Physician” can solve the problems facing humanity and we work day and night to give the message of Bahá’u’lláh to the masses....
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
I was deeply touched by your welcome message, and I wish to express my deepfelt appreciation of the sentiments you have expressed. I greatly value your labours, and I feel confident that the Beloved, whose Cause you serve so devotedly, will guide and sustain you in your high endeavours. Persevere and rest assured that the work you are achieving will bear rich fruit in the days to come.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
6 October 1950
...our beloved Guardian wishes me to assure you he will certainly pray for your success in teaching in Magdeburg. He deeply values your devotion to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
[From the Guardian:]
Assuring you of my loving prayers for your protection, welfare and the success of every effort you exert for the promotion of our beloved Faith,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
26 October 1950
He hopes the German believers, led by their N.S.A., are now united and active, and exerting their utmost to spread the Faith and support its institutions financially and morally.
26 October 1950
Your suggestion regarding a book for the general public is a good one. The question is not only have we Bahá’ís competent to present this subject in a way which would catch the attention of the public, but also even if such a book existed would it achieve its end? We have, unfortunately, not very many capable Bahá’í writers, and the condition of confusion in the world is such that it seems doubtful if such a work would arrest the attention of distracted mankind.
However, we need more and better Bahá’í books, and he suggests you present your idea to the German, British and American N.S.A.’s.
10 February 1951
The Hamburg situation he trusts is now greatly improved. The believers there must learn to function according to the Administration. When they do this, ninety percent of their problems will be solved.
Regarding your questions concerning the Gleanings:
1st. CXL up until CXLI refers to Muḥammad-‘Alí. The following pages do not.
2nd. The Guardian does not remember to whom Chapter CXLIII refers. He gathered the quotations for the Gleanings from innumerable individual tablets and writings, and did not keep a record of all of them; and has not at present time to go back over this material and find out. He does not consider it important to whom it refers.
3rd. On Page 312, the words “I feign would hope” are merely a very elevated style of English for saying “I hope”. This tablet has nothing to do with Muḥammad-‘Alí.
The Guardian asks you to please convey his love to all the members of your dear family, as well as to dear Mrs. Benke.
He very much appreciates the translation you have made of the Gleanings, and hopes that it will soon be in the hands of all the believers, as it is an extremely important volume for acquiring a deeper understanding of the Faith, and greatly enriches the literature available in the German language.
10 February 1951
He feels that you should not ask the believers not to elect you to the Spiritual Assembly during the coming year. However, you might ask your fellow-members not to elect you as Chairman or as an officer of the Spiritual Assembly, if you are reelected to that body. This will lighten your work, and enable you, if you do not feel well enough, to omit attending some of the meetings; but your presence on the Assembly, if elected to it, the Guardian feels is important, because of your long experience in the Faith and your loyalty and tact....
Your long and devoted services to the Faith are very deeply valued; and he feels you have every reason to be happy as you look about you and see the great progress made in Germany, and the fact that the believers there are more loyal, more active and more numerous than ever before.
5 April 1951
To the Believers who were present on World Youth Day held at Heidelberg.
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Your message of March 25th has been received by our beloved Guardian; and he was most happy to know that so many of the Bahá’ís were present on this occasion.
He urges you all to concentrate your time and energies on spreading the Cause, and not to become distracted by the extremely confused condition of the world and the acuteness of the problems facing humanity.
There is only one answer to these problems, and that is the Message of Bahá’u’lláh; and we, His followers, are the ones who alone can carry this Message to our fellow-men before it is too late.
You may be sure he will remember you all in his prayers in the Holy Shrines, and supplicate for the rapid expansion of the Cause in Germany and the consolidation of its administrative institutions....
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty bless, guide and sustain you always, remove every obstacle from your path, and enable you to promote, at all times, the vital interests of its nascent institutions,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
22 April 1951
Bahá’í Youth Committee of Germany and Austria
He hopes that the German youth, in spite of the fact that they now have Persian co-workers in their midst, will consider that the work in Germany is their responsibility, primarily, and not the responsibility of foreign students, whether they be Persians, Americans, or from any other nation.
Each country must create its own active corps of servants; and it is only right and proper that the German youth should do the lion’s share of their work, and not permit other people to do it for them. He feels that the German Bahá’í young people have made great progress during the last few years, and prays that they may continue to do so; and he urges you all to concentrate your efforts on this important branch of Bahá’í activity; namely, consolidating and strengthening the activities of the young men and women enrolled in the Cause of God in that country.
31 May 1951
He sees no objection to ... going to Persia for a visit. It would be a happy experience for him to meet with the believers there. However, he feels you should bear in mind that administrative experience and practice is not the strong point in the East; on the contrary, the Bahá’í Administration has, as far as being grasped by the average Bahá’í goes, made far greater progress in the West, particularly America.
What can be learned from our Oriental brethren is reverence, self-sacrifice, unquestioning obedience and complete devotion to the Cause. These are wonderful traits, and ones which the West must emulate. In exchange we can offer them our sense of principle and efficiency and capacity for action.
19 September 1951
To the Bahá’ís who were gathered at Dilsberg, August 22, 1951
The beloved Guardian was very happy to see so many of the young friends had gathered to study the Faith, and associate with each other in Bahá’í fellowship.
He feels sure these experiences are building up among you a greater sense of dedication and uniting your hearts in the service of Bahá’u’lláh.
He urges you all to exemplify in your personal lives the teachings, as well as to study them, and to also learn well the principles of the Administrative Order.
[From the Guardian:]
May the Beloved of our hearts guide and bless you, remove every obstacle from your path, and aid you to contribute increasingly to the consolidation of the institutions of His Faith,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
30 October 1951
Through the National Assembly the beloved Guardian heard of your serious illness and your sufferings, and he wishes me to assure you of his loving sympathy and of his ardent prayers for your relief.
Life afflicts us with very severe trials sometimes, but we must always remember that when we accept patiently the will of God He compensates us in other ways. With faith and love we must be patient, and He will surely reward us.
The Guardian is also praying for your children, that they may grow up to rejoice your heart and be wonderful Bahá’ís.
6 December 1951
To the Bahá’í Youth Who were gathered at Maulbronn October 28, 1951.
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
The beloved Guardian appreciated receiving your message, and was happy to see that so many of you had met to consult together about ways and means of spreading the Divine Message in Germany.
He assures you he will pray that your efforts will be blessed; and he urges you, as far as possible, to disperse to centers in Germany where there are either no Bahá’ís, or there is a weak group and your presence would strengthen it to establish a new center.
20 January 1952
To the Bahá’ís who were present at the Winter Youth Meeting December 28, 1951.
He was very happy to see that it was possible for so many to attend this Youth Meeting; and he trusts that the study of the Teachings together, and the spiritual interchange of thought among you on that occasion will cause you to devote your lives even more single-mindedly to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh and its requirements; and that you will each inspire the friends in your homes to further study, a closer unity and increased activity.
14 March 1952
...he urges you to devote as much of your time as possible to the actual teaching work rather than writing on technical or theoretical subjects, especially in relation to the Faith, because the Bahá’í attitude in detail regarding such questions as sociology and economics must be formulated in the course of time and cannot possibly be elaborated on at this point. To do so would be premature. This does not mean that you should not make the best possible use of the manuscript you sent him, but he would not advise you to devote much time to a similar work in the immediate future.
12 April 1952
To the Bahá’í Youth of Germany Who were present on Annual World Youth Day.
He hopes that each one who was present carried away with him a new strength and resolve to do all in his power to teach, and attract new souls to the Cause of God.
7 May 1952
The Bahá’í Community of Heidelberg.
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Your letter of April 26th reached the beloved Guardian, and he appreciated very much the kind sentiments you expressed. I also appreciated them very deeply.
He will pray in the Holy Shrines that your work in Heidelberg may be blessed, and that you will be able to promulgate the Faith in that area, especially amongst the student body....
[From the Guardian:]
Assuring you of my deep appreciation of the sentiments you expressed, and of my loving prayers for your success in the service of our beloved Faith,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
23 May 1952
To the Bahá’ís gathered in Frankfurt for Ridván, 1952
Dear Bahá’í Friends:
The beloved Guardian has received your loving greeting of April 27th, which he deeply appreciates, and which he has instructed me to acknowledge on his behalf.
He trusts that from this Convention the friends have carried back to their homes a renewed spirit of dedication, in order to enable them to carry forward the teaching work, now in their own land, and later on, beyond its borders.
In the Intercontinental Teaching Conference to be held in Stockholm in the summer of 1953, the German believers will have their part to play, and will have their goal allotted to them for the ten-year period beginning in 1953. Therefore, they must endeavor to realize the great importance of this Conference, and bend every effort towards its most complete success....
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty bless abundantly your noble endeavours, guide and sustain you always, remove every obstacle from your path, and enable you to win great and memorable victories in the service of His glorious Faith,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
25 May 1952
He is happy to hear you are in Ṭihrán, and determined to help the friends directly with their teaching work, as this is the most important field of all.
You should follow their advice, and consult with them in all matters, as the situation there is very precarious, and any indiscretion could have serious repercussions on the affairs of the friends.
30 August 1952
To the Bahá’í Youth who attended the first and second week of the Annual Youth Summer School at Heppenheim.
He was happy to see you are so active, because very great things lie ahead of the Bahá’í Youth, in particular during the next ten years; when you see what the task of Germany must be, (the details of which he will be revealing at the time of the Stockholm Conference), you will understand how great is the need for your services during the next decade.
The future has always belonged to youth, and now more than ever before, in order to ensure the fulfilment of Bahá’u’lláh’s plans for this planet, the youth must labour and pioneer.
Now is the time, therefore, to consecrate yourselves and prepare yourselves for the work that lies ahead of you, and of all the young Bahá’ís the world-over. You must study both the teaching and the Administration, in order to be ready and qualified—qualified with both knowledge and shining personal characters...
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty guide your steps, aid and sustain you always, and enable you to contribute effectively to the progress of our beloved Faith and the consolidation of its nascent institutions.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
29 November 1952
To the Bahá’í Youth gathered at Heilbronn-Neckar, on October 26th.
The Guardian is made very happy by the spirit of the friends in Germany, as this spirit will attract to you the help of Bahá’u’lláh, as you go forward together to accomplish the tremendous goals set for Germany in your own country and in other lands, during the coming World Crusade.
13 March 1953
...this will be just a brief note to thank you for your loving message to him of March 6th, which was received through the kindness of dear Ben Levy.
He assures the Esslingen friends of his prayers in the holy Shrine, for the abundant success of their teaching efforts, and particularly for the anniversary of the visit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Esslingen.
The Guardian feels sure Ben will inspire you all with the account of his pilgrimage, on his return.
13 May 1953
The Bahá’í Youth of Germany who were gathered in Titisee, January 1, for Winterschool Session.
He urges each one of you, when the details covering the Ten Year Crusade are released, to give this subject careful study, so that you may, during the entire period of this World Crusade, serve the Cause efficiently and devotedly in the place and in the manner in which you are best fitted to do so.
16 March 1953
Mr. Ben Levy has safely delivered the Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá which you forwarded to the Holy Land, and the Guardian has read them, and will place them in the International Archives. It is indeed a miracle that you were able to protect these precious things during the long and dangerous years of the war, and the German Bahá’ís must be very grateful to you for doing so. The Guardian was happy to hear that photographs have been made of them and kept in Germany.
He also remembers your visit to Haifa; and your long and faithful services to our beloved Cause are most deeply appreciated. He feels sure that you and your family will continue to assist in spreading the Message in Germany, and in consolidating the foundations of the Faith, and will pray for the success of your efforts.
16 March 1953
The Guardian does not feel that now is the time for the Hands to give up their normal sphere of activity, and prepare themselves to be free to travel and teach all the time. In most cases, this would be quite impossible financially, especially for people who, like yourself, have the responsibility of families to look after. No doubt, as the Cause grows in numbers, and has greater resources, it will be possible to assist the Hands to carry out definite teaching missions; but for the present, we must stretch our limited resources, and accomplish the most essential tasks first. He was very pleased to hear that you will be present at the Stockholm Conference.
The tasks of the Auxiliary Boards will be under the direction of the Hands in their area, and in cooperation with the administrative bodies existing, to strengthen the teaching work. They will not have administrative functions, but will no doubt be able to help stimulate weak centers, groups and assemblies through their visits.
A Covenant-breaker, as you know, is one who disobeys and turns away from the Center of the Covenant. Until such time as they repent of this sincerely, and express their willingness to work under the Center of the Covenant, their status must be considered the same. However, such matters should be discussed and decided upon within the National Spiritual Assembly itself.