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Read Ebook: High Endeavours: Messages to Alaska by Shoghi Effendi
Font size: Background color: Text color: Add to tbrJar First Page Next PageEbook has 898 lines and 23612 words, and 18 pagesEXCERPTS FROM TABLETS OF THE DIVINE PLAN "I desire for you eternal success and prosperity and beg perfect..." To the Assemblies and Meetings of the believers of God and the maidservants of the Merciful in the United States and Canada. Upon them be Bah?'u'll?h El' Abh? He is God! O ye blessed souls: I desire for you eternal success and prosperity and beg perfect confirmation for each one in the divine world. My hope for you is that each one may shine forth like unto the morning star from the horizon of the world and in this garden of God become a blessed tree, producing everlasting fruits and results. Therefore I direct you to that which is conducive to your heavenly confirmation and illumination in the Kingdom of God! It is this: Alaska is a vast country; although one of the maidservants of the Merciful has hastened to those parts, serving as a librarian in the Public Library, and according to her ability is not failing in teaching the Cause, yet the call of the Kingdom of God is not yet raised through that spacious territory. His Holiness Christ says: Travel ye to the East and to the West of the world and summon the people to the Kingdom of God. Hence the mercy of God must encompass all humanity. Therefore do ye not think it permissible to leave that region deprived of the breezes of the Morn of Guidance. Consequently, strive as far as ye are able to send to those parts fluent speakers, who are detached from aught else save God, attracted with the fragrances of God, and sanctified and purified from all desires and temptations. Their sustenance and food must consist of the teachings of God. First they must themselves live in accordance with those principles, then guide the people. Perchance, God willing, the lights of the most great guidance may illumine that country and the breezes of the rose garden of the love of God may perfume the nostrils of the inhabitants of Alaska. Should ye become confirmed in thus rendering such a service, rest ye assured that ye shall crown your heads with the diadem of everlasting sovereignty and at the threshold of oneness you will become the favored and accepted servants. SUPPLICATION O Thou Incomparable God! O Thou Lord of the Kingdom! These souls are Thy heavenly army. Assist them and with the cohorts of the Supreme Concourse, make them victorious; so that each one of them may become like unto a regiment and conquer these countries through the love of God and the illumination of divine teachings. O God! Be Thou their supporter and their helper, and in the wilderness, the mountain, the valley, the forests, the prairies and the seas, be Thou their confidant--so that they may cry out through the power of the Kingdom and the breath of the Holy Spirit! Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty and the Omnipotent and Thou art the Wise, the Hearing, and the Seeing. --'Abdu'l-Bah? PART I Letters to Individuals, 1939-1943. These were written prior to the formation of the first Local Spiritual Assembly and reflect the early development of the Faith in Alaska. March 12, 1939 March 12, 1939 Dear Bah?'? Friend, The Guardian has received your most welcome and inspiring message of the 19th February, and is inexpressibly delighted to know that you have spontaneously offered your services for pioneer teaching in Alaska. He can well imagine the feelings of immeasurable satisfaction and unbounded gratitude with which both the N.S.A. and the National Teaching Committee must have welcomed your determination to teach and establish the Faith in that far-off and hitherto unexplored territory, and he wishes me to express also his own appreciation and gratitude for this remarkable step which you have, notwithstanding the well-nigh insuperable obstacles in your way, been inspired to take to carry the Message to that distant land. The spirit of heroic self-sacrifice, and of unflinching resolve that has prompted you to undertake so noble and sacred a mission, and make such a warm and immediate response to his recent teaching call addressed to the American believers cannot but fill all hearts with admiration and praise, and evoke the memory of those acts of unrivalled heroism, of selfless and unstinted devotion that have characterized the lives of the immortal heroes of the Apostolic age of our beloved Faith. Though labouring in an age and under circumstances wholly different from those in which those early pioneers of the Cause have been privileged to labour, yet it is that selfsame spirit of entire self-forgetfulness, of whole-hearted and unwavering loyalty, and of absolute consecration that is now, in this Formative period, inspiring you, and all our dear American Bah?'? pioneers, to forsake their all and undergo such privations and suffering in order to speed up and ensure the triumph of the Cause of God. Rest assured that the Guardian will incessantly and most fervently supplicate on your behalf, that the invisible hosts of the Kingdom may continually reinforce and guide your efforts, and enable you to attain this assuredly high and noble goal you have set yourself to attain in service to Bah?'u'll?h and His Cause. In the hope that this letter will find you well, happy and well on the way of the realization of your plans, and with most cordial greetings, Yours ever in His Service, H. Rabbani Dear and prized co-worker: I am thrilled by the news you give me. How proud I feel of the spirit that so powerfully animates you. My prayers will, I assure you, accompany you on your great and historic adventure. Persevere no matter how great the obstacles in your way. Future generations will glorify your deed and emulate your example. The Concourse on high acclaims your resolve and will richly bless your endeavours. Be happy and confident. Your true brother, Shoghi February 12th, 1940 February 12th, 1940 Dear Bah?'? Sister, The Guardian has received your most welcome message of December 31st, and feels truly delighted to know of your recent confirmation in the Faith, and of the pioneer work you are now undertaking in Alaska, in collaboration with our beloved sister Miss Honor Kempton. He is indeed grateful to you for having offered to teach and establish the Cause in that far off land, and feels confident that through the promised confirmations of Bah?'u'll?h and your own persistent efforts you will eventually succeed in completely attaining your goal. The various measures you have already taken with the view of giving widespread publicity to the Teachings have been noted with deep interest and appreciation by the Guardian who indeed trusts that they will result in attracting to the Cause people of capacity and understanding. He would urge you and also dear Miss Kempton to persevere, and through your joint exertions endeavour to pave the way for the formation of a local assembly in Alaska. Rest assured his prayers will be specially offered on behalf of you both, that you may receive ever-increasing strength, capacity and guidance to carry out your high teaching mission to complete success. With the renewed expression of his abiding gratitude for your devoted services, and with loving greetings, Yours very sincerely, R. Rabbani Dear and valued co-worker: Your letter cheered and heartened me in the conduct of my arduous duties and responsibilities. I rejoice to learn of your high endeavours in that distant field, and I will specially pray with increasing fervour for your protection and success. How great your privilege, how laborious your task, how noble your mission! Do not feel disheartened. Persevere and be confident always. Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi February 13th, 1940 February 13th, 1940 Dear Bah?'? Sister, The Guardian has received your most welcome communication of the 31st December, and his heart was greatly cheered and refreshed by the perusal of its contents, and at the evidences of the slow yet steady progress of your teaching work in Alaska. The very illuminating report you had given him covering the general social and religious conditions prevailing in that land clearly reveals the nature and extent of the obstacles which you have to face and surmount in the prosecution of your teaching task. But surely for such valiant and steadfast pioneers like you there is no difficulty, however seemingly insurmountable, which cannot be effectively overcome, as Bah?'u'll?h is assuredly guiding and reinforcing your labours through the unseen hosts of His Kingdom. The Guardian was particularly encouraged to know of the contact you have established with the editor of the "Alaskan," and of his very generous offer to publish in his paper various materials on the Teachings. His hope is that this will prove a most effective medium for the spread of the Cause, and will bring in a large number of earnest inquirers. Also the Guardian cherishes very bright hopes regarding the bookshop which you have opened in Anchorage, which he trusts will serve to attract widespread attention to the Faith. Renewing to you his abiding and heartfelt gratitude for your invaluable teaching services, and assuring you again of his continued prayers for the confirmation of your efforts, and also for your own welfare and protection in these dark and gloomy days, Yours in His Service, H. Rabbani Dear and valued co-worker: Your most welcome report brought immense joy to my heart. With feelings of increasing pride, admiration and gratitude I follow your activities and pray continually for your success. Do not relax in your efforts. The Concourse on high is watching over you and the Blessed Beauty will reinforce and guide you. Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page |
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