Seventy years ago 'Abdu'l-Baha visited Montreal, hallowing
it forever. The visit of the beloved Master to America, the laying by Him of
the cornerstone of the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of the West and the revelation
by Him five years later of the Tablets of the Divine Plan, which invest its
chief executors and their allies with spiritual primacy, constitute successive
stages in the gradual disclosure of a mission whose seeds can be found in the
Báb's address to the people of the West, urging them to aid God's Holy Cause.
This mission was given specific direction through Baha'u'llah's summons to the
rulers of America, calling on them to heal the injuries of the oppressed and,
with the "rod of the commandments" of their Lord, to bring their
corrective influence to bear upon the injustices perpetrated by the tyrannical
and the ungodly. 'Abdu'l-Baha revealed in clearer details than those given by
either the Báb or Baha'u'llah the nature and scope of that glorious mission. In
His eternal Tablets unveiling America's spiritual destiny the Master wrote,
"The continent of America is, in the eyes of the one true God, the land wherein
the splendours of His light shall be revealed, where the mysteries of His Faith
shall be unveiled, where the righteous will abide and the free assemble.
Therefore, every section thereof is blessed ..." and, referring to Canada,
He asserted that its future "is very great, and the events connected with
it infinitely glorious." Even more specifically, He expressed the
"hope that in the future Montreal may become so stirred, that the melody
of the Kingdom may travel to all parts of the world from that Dominion and the
breaths of the Holy Spirit may spread from that centre to the East and the West
of America."
After the passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha and under the guidance of
the Guardian the Baha'is of the world witnessed with awe and admiration the
North American community arising as one man to champion the Administrative
Order taking shape on their own soil, to embark upon the first collective
teaching plan in the annals of the Faith, to lead the entire Baha'i world in
intercontinental teaching campaigns, to demonstrate with devotion their
exemplary firmness in the Covenant, to extend their support and protection and
relief to the oppressed followers of Baha'u'llah throughout the East and
particularly in His native land, and to send forth valiant pioneers and travelling
teachers to every continent of the globe.
These marvellous and noble exertions, calling for the expenditure of
resources almost beyond their means, paved the way for the achievement of
glorious victories which synchronized with a series of world convulsions, signs
of universal commotion and travail, and with repeated crises within the Faith.
And in this day, while the blood of the martyrs of Persia is once again
watering the roots of the Cause of God and when the international outlook is
impenetrably and ominously dark, the Baha'is of North America are in the van of
the embattled legions of the Cause.
Less than a score of years remain until the end of this
century which the Master called "the century of light," and He
clearly foresaw that ere its termination an advanced stage would have been
reached in the striving towards the political, racial, and religious unity of
the peoples of the world, unfolding new horizons in scientific accomplishments,
universal undertakings and world solidarity. The calls of the Master and the
Guardian plainly summon the Baha'is of the Americas to prodigies of
proclamation, of teaching and of service. The American melting pot of peoples
needs the unifying power of the new Faith of God to achieve its fusion. The
representative character of the Baha'i community should therefore be reinforced
through the attraction, conversion and support of an ever-growing number of new
believers from the diverse elements constituting the population of that vast
mainland and particularly from among Indians and Eskimos about whose future the
Master wrote in such glowing terms. In the glorious freedom which enables you
to proclaim, to teach and confirm, to educate and deepen yourselves and others
in the verities of the Faith, you have precious opportunities of service denied
to many of your fellow believers elsewhere. If your blessed communities are to
lead the world spiritually, as the Master envisaged, then the Faith must strike
deeper roots in your hearts, the spirit of its teachings must be exemplified in
ever greater measure in your lives, and God's Holy Cause must be taught and
proclaimed with ever greater intensity. In His immortal Tablets addressed to
the Baha'is of North America 'Abdu'l-Baha assures each one of you that
"whosoever arises in this day to diffuse the divine fragrances, the
cohorts of the Kingdom of God shall confirm him ..."
You are met in this Conference to review the progress of the
Seven Year Plan, to be confirmed, galvanized and sent into action. It is not
enough for the North American believers to stand at the forefront of the Baha'i
world; the scope of their exertions must be steadily widened. In the words of
'Abdu'l-Baha, "The range of your future achievements still remains
undisclosed. I fervently hope that in the near future the whole earth may be
stirred and shaken by the results of your achievements." "Exert
yourselves; your mission is unspeakably glorious. Should success crown your
enterprise, America will assuredly evolve into a centre from which waves of
spiritual power will emanate ..."
The valiant countries of North America should in the second half of the
Seven Year Plan ensure that an ever-swelling number of pioneers and travelling
teachers will arise and travel to and settle in countries which need their support,
however inhospitable the local conditions may be, ceaselessly endeavouring to
contribute to the expansion of the teaching work and the strengthening of the
foundations of the communities they are called upon to assist. They should, moreover, continue their defence
of the downtrodden, open their doors to their Baha'i brethren who are seeking
refuge in their lands, provide technological expertise to communities which
need it, and supply an uninterrupted flow of resources to support the
ever-increasing international projects of the Faith.
In their respective home-fronts the Baha'is of North America
should intensify the drive to attract the masses to God's Holy Cause, to
provide the means for their integration into the work of the Faith, and should
become standard-bearers of an embryonic Baha'i society which is destined to
gradually emerge under the influence of the integrating and civilizing forces
emanating from the Source of God's Revelation. Such noble objectives cannot be
fully achieved unless and until local communities become those collective
centres of unity ordained in our Writings, and every individual earnestly
strives to support the structure and ensure the stability of the Administrative
Edifice of the Faith.
How fitting that this Conference, and the one held for
Baha'i children on a scale unprecedented in North America, should commemorate
the fiftieth anniversary of the passing of Bahiyyih Khanum, the Greatest Holy
Leaf, whose love for the North American believers and whose admiration for
their heroism were so deep and so sustained and whose natural fondness for
children was so characteristic of Baha'u'llah.
May each of you emulate her unswerving devotion and loyalty to the
Covenant of God and her perseverance in the path of His love. We shall mark the first day of your Conference,
together with the one being held concurrently in Canberra, with prayers at the
Holy Shrines that all may "be assisted in ... service and, like unto
brilliant stars, shine in these regions with the light of ... guidance."
With loving Baha'i greetings,
The Universal House of Justice
(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)
(‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)