English Revised and Amplified Edition
November 1995
First Printing
All rights reserved.
© Artemus Lamb 1995
San Salvador EL SALVADOR
Printed by
M L VanOrman Enterprises
1405 Killarney Drive
West Linn OR 97068
United States of America
Likewise, the continent of America is, in the eyes of the
one true God, the land wherein the splendors of His light shall be revealed,
where the mysteries of His Faith shall be unveiled, where the righteous will
abide and the free assemble.
(Tablets of the Divine Plan, pg 62)
The American continent gives signs and evidences of very great advancement;
its future is even more promising, for its influence and illumination are
far-reaching, and it will lead all nations spiritually.
(Promulgation of Universal Peace, pg 104)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface 4
Chapter
I The Tablets of the Divine Plan: 1916 to 1917 6
II The First Seven Year Plan: 1937 to 1944
The Birth and Launching of the Plan 9
The All-America Convention: May 17-24, 1944 13
III The Interval Between The First and Second Seven
Year Plan: 1944 to 1946
My Departure for Chile 15
IV The Second Seven Year Plan: 1946 to 1953
Birth and Launching of the Plan 20
Formation of two International Committees:
CEBMA & CEPSA 22
First International Events in Latin America 22
Transfer to Costa Rica 25
Birth of Two National Spiritual (Regional) Assemblies:
Central and South America 26
Development of the National Spiritual Assembly of
Central America 27
Growth of the Faith in Costa Rica 30
V The Ten Year World Crusade: 1953 to 1963
The Birth and Launching of the Plan 31
The Institutions of the Learned 34
Transfer to El Salvador 36
A New Phase: Teaching in Rural Areas 38
Our Transfer to Guatemala 39
New Development of the Institution of the Rulers 44
The Most Great Jubilee 45
Epilogue 47
Appendix
First Pioneers, Believers and Assemblies
in Each Country 50
Pioneer Goals of the Ten Year World Crusade for
Central and South America 53
Reference 54
PREFACE
For some time, Bahá'ís from both the U.S.A. and Latin
America have been urging me to write about the beginnings of the
Bahá'í Faith in Latin America and my experiences in the whole
process. I resisted the idea, at first, because it seemed more urgent to
devote time and energy to present activities, instead of the past. However, I
began to realize that most present Bahá'ís knew little about how
everything had happened, and little had been written about it. Numerous
reports and statistics exist in English, especially in
Bahá'í
World and
Bahá'í News, but no over-all account of the progressive
important events, and practically nothing in Spanish, to my knowledge, except
reports recently made by National Assemblies of their own country. And every
day this information would be harder to remember and obtain.
It appears that of present living pioneers or ex-pioneers to these countries, I
had lived here the longest, and that someone who had actually taken part in the
process, could be better able to collect the information, and perhaps, just as
important, describe and recreate the atmosphere surrounding the actual
happenings. Suddenly events beyond my control forced me into relative
inactivity, so, after many prayers, I decided that it was my responsibility. I
must say that it has been of enormous pleasure and that I, myself, have learned
a great deal.
The original book was in Spanish, published by EBILA in 1989, under the title
of
Remembranzas-Los Comienzos de la Fe Bahá'í en America
Latina. It was written specifically for the benefit of Latin American
Bahá'ís with material that seemed best suited to them. Later, at
the suggestion of the Continental Board of Counselors, I translated it into
English for the use of English-speaking pioneers; however, it has not been
published, and really was not very suitable for them. This present effort
contains all the historical material of the original book, but most of the
deepening material has been eliminated, the Preface and Epilogue greatly
changed, and new anecdotes and personal experiences added.
The objective never was to write a detailed history, country by country, and
with many statistics, but rather to highlight the principal events from the
beginning through the Ten Year World Crusade, plus anecdotes, personal
experiences and impressions, in order to portray, albeit in a limited and
humble way, more vividly, the picture. Obviously, it has not been possible, I
am sorry to say, to relate the individual victories of the pioneers and the new
Latin American believers. Hopefully, others will do this. My personal
experiences in South America are mostly limited to the period of 1944-1949,
when I was pioneering in Chile, but surely others will relate, and perhaps are
already doing so, more details of that fascinating land.
My own involvement in Latin America during the First Seven Year Plan was only
emotional and spiritual. I was in touch with some of the first pioneers, and,
although before entering the Faith I had spent three summers in Europe and had
made a seven-months trip around the world and knew practically nothing of Latin
America, soon after becoming a Bahá'í, I began to feel strongly
that my destiny was there. I entered the Faith in 1939 in Los Angeles,
California, then moved to Beverly Hills with others to form the first Local
Spiritual Assembly there; in 1941 to Salt Lake City, Utah, and in 1942 to
Denver, Colorado, at the request of the National Teaching Committee, to restore
the lost Local Spiritual Assembly. I had offered to go to Latin America, but
the National Spiritual Assembly requested me to wait until the end of the First
Seven Year Plan, to work in the Western States where, still in many of them,
there were very few Bahá'ís. I was studying Spanish all this
time in preparation; and, incidentally, my first teacher was the official
translator of the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City.
My heart strongly impels me to render grateful tribute to my beloved wife, Dee,
not only in this enterprise, but also in all Bahá'í activities in
which I have had a part since our marriage. No doubt it is difficult for any
Bahá'í to fully estimate the degree of spiritual support and
help, both directly and through prayer, of his or her spouse in respect to any
successes one may have attained.
I also wish to express my sincere gratitude to Eunice Braun for editing the
original English manuscript and providing some very useful data and
guidance.
Artemus Lamb
I
THE TABLETS OF THE DIVINE PLAN
1916 to 1917
What was the original moving force and generating impulse behind the
establishment of the Bahá'í Faith in Latin America? To
appreciate this, it is essential to go back to the years 1916-1917, to the
Tablets of the Divine Plan revealed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. These
Tablets, or letters, were directed to the Bahá'ís of the
United States and Canada, conferring on them the sacred mission of taking the
Message of Bahá'u'lláh to all parts of the world, including the
countries of Latin America and the Antilles. Subsequently, the Guardian,
Shoghi Effendi, pointed out that these
Tablets constitute the Magna
Carta -- a charter for the spiritual conquest of the globe.
It is interesting for us in the West to know that the first of these
Tablets to be addressed jointly to the Bahá'ís of the
United States and Canada, April 8, 1916, concerned the opening of all the
countries of the Americas to the Faith. It begins with these words:
To the Assemblies and Meetings of the believers of God
and the maid-servants of the Merciful in the United States and Canada. Upon
them be Bahá'u'lláh El-Abha.
He is God! 0 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 of you 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.
Then followed the naming of the various countries with special emphasis on
certain peoples and areas as follows:
... the Republic of Mexico is very important. The
majority of the inhabitants of that country are devoted Catholics. They are
totally unaware of the reality of the Bible, the Gospel and the new divine
teachings. They do not know that the basis of the religions of God is one and
that the Holy Manifestations are like unto the Sun of Truth, rising from the
different dawning-places. These souls are submerged in the sea of dogmas. If
one breath of life be blown over them, great results will issue therefrom. But
it is better for those who intend to go to Mexico to teach, to be familiar with
the Spanish language. ...
Attach great importance to the indigenous population of America. For these
souls may be likened unto the ancient inhabitants of the Arabian peninsula,
who, prior to the Mission of Muhammad, were like unto savages. When the Light
of Muhammad shone forth in their midst, however, they became so radiant as to
illumine the world. Likewise, these Indians, should they be educated and
guided, there can be no doubt that they will become so illumined as to
enlighten the whole world. ...
All the above countries have importance, but especially the Republic of
Panama, wherein the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans come together through the
Panama Canal. It is a center for travel and passage from America to other
continents of the world, and in the future it will gain most great importance.
...
Likewise the city of Bahìa, situated on the eastern shore of Brazil.
Because it is some time that it has become known by this name, its efficacy
will be most potent.
The
Tablet terminates with these words:
Now is the time for you to divest yourselves of the
garment of attachment to the world that perisheth, to be wholly severed from
the physical world, become heavenly angels, and travel to these countries. I
declare by Him, besides Whom there is none other God, that each one of you will
become an Israfil of Life, and will blow the Breath of Life into souls of
others.
Upon you be greeting and praise! (1)
The
Tablets of the Divine Plan were revealed during 1916-17,
fourteen in all. Five of the earliest
Tablets were received in America,
after which communication with the Holy Land was severed. At the end of World
War I, the remaining
Tablets were dispatched to America and all were
unveiled at a ceremony held at Hotel McAlpin in New York City on April 26-30,
1919.
II
THE FIRST SEVEN YEAR PLAN
1937 to 1944
The Birth and Launching of the Plan
The
Tablets of the Divine Plan remained almost inoperative with respect
to Latin America for some twenty years. 'Abdu'l-Bahá left this world in
1921. Following this, the Bahá'ís of the United States and
Canada were submerged in the expansion of the Faith, and the development of its
Institutions in their own countries, under the guidance of Shoghi Effendi.
Later the Guardian explained that this development constituted an indispensable
preliminary step for the subsequent launching of systematic plans that would
set in motion the Divine Plan of the Master.
A few heroic souls arose to take the Divine Message to Latin America for the
first time. The intrepid Martha Root, "that archetype of Bahá'í
itinerant teachers," in the words of Shoghi Effendi, visited the important
cities of South America in 1919, making many valuable contacts for the Faith.
Leonora Holsapple Armstrong settled in Brazil in 1921. Mrs. Loulie Mathews,
accompanied by her husband, made an extensive teaching trip to South America in
1935 at the suggestion of the Guardian and also visited Yucatan, Mexico, where
she met a number of people interested in learning about the Faith. Mr. and
Mrs. Stuart French also visited South America. Several teachers from the
United States made teaching trips to Mexico even before 1916, including Mr. and
Mrs. Frankland, Mark Tobey and Roy Wilhelm. Others went as a direct response
to the unveiling of the Divine plan, such as Beatrice Irwin and Orcella
Rexford. The dynamic teacher, Frances Stewart, traveled and gave lectures in
many Central and South American countries, attracting a number of new contacts.
A few North American Bahá'ís were already living in parts of
Latin America: the Dodge family in Peru, and Mrs. Krug in Saó Paulo,
Brazil. Although these isolated actions were only drops in the vast ocean,
they were undoubtedly of more importance spiritually than we can imagine.
Then the Divine Clock marked the hour for the Divine Plan of the Master to be
converted into reality. It began with the Guardian's cable of May 1 to the
1936 Annual Convention of the United States and Canada.
"Appeal to assembled delegates ponder historic appeal
voiced by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Tablets of the Divine
Plan.. Urge earnest deliberation with incoming National Assembly to
insure its complete fulfillment. First century of Bahá'í Era
drawing to a close. Humanity entering outer fringes most perilous stage its
existence. Opportunities of present hour unimaginably precious. Would to God
every State within American Republic and every Republic in American continent
might ere termination of this glorious century embrace the light of the Faith
of Bahá'u'lláh and establish structural basis of His World Order.
(2)
This call fell like a bombshell upon the assembled delegates and visitors. One
eyewitness stated:
The Convention was electrified. The American
Bahá'ís were at first dazed and then galvanized into action by
the sweeping demands of the message. To most of the people in the United
States, the countries of South and Central America ... were unknown, romantic
lands much more distant than the continent of Europe. Teaching in the United
States and Canada seemed already to tax to the utmost our spiritual energies.
How then could we succeed in establishing the Cause in every republic of the
southern continent? (3)
But the "hour" had arrived! The Guardian cabled on May 19 for permanent
pioneers to be established in all the countries of Latin America and the
Antilles. The National Spiritual Assembly appointed the Inter-America
Committee to take charge of preparations. Subsequently, Shoghi Effendi cabled
the North American Convention of 1937, advising them to prolong their
deliberations to permit the delegates and the National Assembly to consult on a
"feasible Seven Year Plan" that would also include the completion of the outer
structure of the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois:
the Mother Temple of the West. The First Seven Year Plan was launched!
In order to appreciate the magnitude of this Divine summons and its impact on
the Bahá'ís, one must realize something of the conditions both
within and outside the Faith in Latin America in that epoch. The concept of
"pioneering," accepted universally today in the Bahá'í world as
an integral aspect of Bahá'í life, was then completely new. Air
transportation was little developed. Travelers usually went to Europe by boat
and knew very little about travel and living conditions in Latin America. The
thought of leaving one's home, work, family and friends to go to an unknown
country with a different culture, language and customs, often without even
knowing how one was going to earn a living, was not only new, but positively
alarming.
Some valiant souls ventured out on teaching trips, though not yet ready to
commit themselves as permanent pioneers. It was the Guardian, then as always,
who came to the rescue with his long letter published as a book:
The Advent
of Divine Justice, which he directed to "The beloved of God and the
handmaids of the Merciful throughout the United States and Canada." In this
inspiring work, as timely today as it was then, Shoghi Effendi emphasized: "It
should not, for one moment, be forgotten that Central and South America embrace
no less than twenty independent nations, constituting approximately one third
of the entire number of the world's sovereign states, and are destined to play
an increasingly important part in the shaping of the world's future destiny."
(4)
This was followed by a stirring call for the immediate departure of
pioneers:
Let some, at this very moment, gird up the loins of their
endeavor, flee their native towns, cities, and states, forsake their country,
and, "putting their whole trust in God as the best provision for their
journey," set their faces, and direct their steps towards those distant climes,
those virgin fields, those unsurrendered cities, and bend their energies to
capture the citadels of men's hearts -- hearts, which, as
Bahá'u'lláh has written, "the hosts of Revelation and of
utterance can subdue." (5)
The first contingent of pioneers departed in 1939 to establish themselves in
different parts of Latin America and the Antilles, "putting all their trust in
God as the best provision for their journey," as in the promise of
Bahá'u'lláh: "They that have forsaken their country for the
purpose of teaching Our Cause -- these shall the Faithful Spirit strengthen
through its power. A company of Our chosen angels shall go forth with them, as
bidden by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise." (6)
The spiritual conquest of the Americas had begun!
Some interesting statistics: the first pioneers* in all the Latin American
countries were single persons, except for Cuba, and the great majority were
women. The only ones still living are John Eichenaur, Gayle Woolson and Cora
Oliver, all living in the U.S.A.
______________
* See the Appendix for a list of these Pioneers.
There is, in my view, a great difference in being a pioneer today in comparison
with the period of the First and even Second Seven Year Plan. For one thing,
in those days, the pioneer was often the only Bahá'í in a city or
town, and, at the very beginning, in the entire country. There were no
administrative bodies, and often no other Bahá'ís or even
non-Bahá'ís, with whom to consult and receive encouragement and
guidance, except for the Inter-America Committee and the Guardian, both far
away. Generally, one had to make one's own decisions, resolve one's own
problems and those of others, and fight one's own spiritual battles with
whatever spiritual recourses one possessed. Many of the pioneers had very
limited financial resources and had to live very sacrificially. Means of
transportation and general living conditions were still quite elemental. On
one hand, it constituted a cause of great tests and naturally there were those
who could not pass them and returned to their homes. On the other hand , it
was a great blessing, for it obligated a pioneer to dig more deeply into his or
her own soul, pray more, develop more capacity and, above all, draw closer to
Bahá'u'lláh and confide fully in Him. Personally, I will be
eternally grateful for those days.
The other face of the coin is that the first pioneers were considered as
special persons, viewed by the majority of Bahá'ís, and others as
well, with sincere admiration for having had the courage, the faith and
devotion to leave the security and comfort of their native country to go to an
unknown place in the path of God. I remember, as a new Bahá'í,
the great spiritual impact that I felt when I went with others to the dock in
Los Angeles to meet Louise Caswell, one of the first pioneers to go out, now
returning on her first visit back to the United States from her post in Panama.
For many of us, she was the first pioneer from whom we heard, directly from her
own lips, an account of her experiences in a foreign land: how she had begun
her work, how she had found her first contact, who was the first
Bahá'í, etc. How different from today!
Some fruits of the labors of the First Seven Year Plan were: the formation of
Local Spiritual Assemblies in fourteen of the Republics of Latin America; the
formation of Bahá'í Groups in the remaining Republics. Shoghi
Effendi was elated over these victories, referring to them as "the marvelous
progress achieved as a result of the operation of the first Seven Year
Plan...." (7)
The first Local Spiritual Assembly in Latin America was formed in Mexico City
in 1938. Mrs. Frances Stewart had spent some time teaching there in 1937, and
had made contact with a group that believed that a new Manifestation was about
to appear or was already here. The entire group became Bahá'ís
and formed the first Assembly. Their "leader" was invited to the Annual
Convention in the U.S.A. in 1940, if I remember correctly, and addressed the
Convention, but later dropped out of the Faith. Bahìa, Brazil and
Buenos Aires, Argentina, elected the first Local Assemblies in South America in
1940. San José, Costa Rica was the first Local Spiritual Assembly to
incorporate.*
All-America Convention: May 17-24, 1944
As a crowning point of the First Seven Year Plan, the Guardian announced to the
Annual Convention in the United States of 1943, "the momentous decision to
convene, in May, 1944, an All-America Centennial Convention comprising
delegates to be separately elected by each State and Province in the North
American continent, and to which every Republic of Latin America may send one
representative." (8)
Those of us who had the bounty of attending the events connected with the
commemoration of the Centenary of the Declaration of the Bab, as well as the
All-American Convention which followed it, will never forget the truly awesome
spirit of humility, gratitude, joy and unity felt there. On the night of the
22nd of May, we congregated under the dome of the Temple and listened as the
prophetic words of the Báb to Mullá Husayn were read: "This
night, this very hour will, in the days to come, be celebrated as one of the
greatest and most significant of all the Festivals." I recall vividly even
now, on looking around at the Bahá'ís of different races,
nationalities, cultures and backgrounds, the sudden and profound sensation that
we were really all "one soul in many bodies," that there were neither names or
individual personalities -- rather only one transcendental, glorious, universal
Spirit.
Among the Latin American representatives attending the Convention were:
Edelberto Torres, Guatemala; Josefina Rodriquez, Colombia; Raul Contreras,
Costa Rica; Eugenio Gines, Cuba; William Mitchel, Jamaica; Carlos Vergara,
Mexico; Blanca Mejia, Nicaragua; Manuel Berges, Dominican Republic; Eduardo
Gonzalez, Ecuador; Alfred Osborne, Panama; Esteban Canales, Chile.
Dreams have not ordinarily played a part in my life. However, one night during
these stirring events, I had a dream that seemed so significant that I am
including it here. As I interpret the dream, it describes symbolically and
spiritually the critical battle of every human being in this earthly life.
I dreamed that leading up to each of the nine doors of the House of Worship was
an inclined rail, which was vibrating violently. On each rail were persons
struggling to climb up and enter the Temple. Some fell off almost immediately,
others were ascending with great difficulty. Some had entered the Temple, a
few of whom were helping weaker souls to ascend.
______________
* See the Appendix for a list of the first Assembly in each
country.
Because of difficulties with visas and transportation, a number of the
Latin American representatives could not attend the Centennial Convention, so
the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States invited them to a special
conference held in Wilmette, July 9-15. According to those who attended, it
was a highly moving experience with many diverse activities. It included
visits to the Temple in Wilmette, interviews with the National Assembly, a
visit to the city of Milwaukee at the invitation of the Bahá'í
community there, and many other invitations from Bahá'ís in the
Chicago area.
Those attending were: Salvador Tormo, Argentina; Clara Luz Montalvo, El
Salvador; Isabel Tirada de Barrada, Peru; Dr. Manuel D. Berges, Dominican
Republic; Angela Ochoa Velasquez, Honduras; Roque Centurion Miranda, Paraguay;
Raymond Betts, Peru; Dr. Fernando Nova, Brazil; also Esteban Canales and
Eduardo Gonzalez, who had remained in the U.S.
III
THE INTERVAL BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND SEVEN YEAR PLAN
1944 to 1946
My Departure for Chile
After the completion of the First Seven Year Plan, there followed a two-year
respite, pending the inauguration of the new Plan. In reality the work
continued. Initial victories needed consolidation; Bahá'í
literature was gradually translated and published in Spanish and Portuguese;
new localities were opened; new pioneers went forth and some others returned
home. It was at this time that I left the United States to pioneer in Latin
America.
The Guardian had been sending letters and at least one cable to the National
Spiritual Assembly of the United States, urging the sending of a pioneer to
establish the Faith in Punta Arenas, Chile, at the tip of South America, as
being the southernmost city, not only of the American Continent, but of the
world. Marcia Stewart, the first pioneer to Chile, had visited Punta Arenas
and written to me about it, and subsequently advised the Guardian and the
U.S.A. National Assembly that the post was more suitable for a man. I was free
at the moment with no particular obligations so, at the Inter-American
Convention, I offered to go to Punta Arenas. What follows is related because of
the interesting and rather mysterious spiritual points involved.
The Inter-America Committee joyfully accepted my offer, but a few days later I
received a letter from the National Assembly saying that there were some
serious problems in Ecuador and they wanted me to go there and then,
maybe, go to Punta Arenas. I was stunned. What to do? My offer was to
fill the special goal of the Guardian and I felt deeply in my heart that was
what I was destined to do. After agonizing, praying and meditating for some
days, I decided, in order for my mission to be successful, I must do what was
right spiritually: obey the National Assembly, and leave all in the Hands of
God.
My plan was to go forever, taking with me only my immediate needs and disposing
of all else. It was during the Second World War, difficult to get a passport,
and impossible to obtain air passage. Many assured me it could not be done,
but I was convinced that being a special goal of the Guardian, somehow it would
be possible. Through a cousin in Washington D.C., I procured a passport, then
by chance (?) I saw an advertisement in a Los Angeles newspaper, (I was then
living in Salt Lake City) that an Argentine boat, the Mar de la Plata, was
making its last trip to Los Angeles and back. I rushed to Los Angeles, bought
my ticket, and shortly was on my way.
On the third day, we arrived at Acapulco, Mexico, where we were to spend the
day. I went ashore and, on returning at noon, saw that the beach was lined
with hundreds of people. I asked someone what was happening and he pointed to
the Mar de la Plata, which was in flames and sank some hours later with all my
worldly belongings. What a strange feeling! Alone in a strange country, no
possessions except the clothes I was wearing, my passport and a few travelers'
cheques, not even a prayer book, no means of transportation or plans. My first
reaction was that Bahá'u'lláh did not consider me worthy of this
sacred mission.
Eventually, the steamship company got me a hotel room, with a Catholic priest
as my roommate, and after some desperate prayers, I realized that it was only a
test of my sincerity and determination.
The next day we were all sent to Mexico City by auto to await the final
decision of the steamship company. The American Embassy told me that I could
sleep on the floor of the apartment of an employee, which I gratefully
accepted. It turned out that the employee kept a pet fox, which was not
accustomed to visitors, and snarled at me every time I made a move. Eventually
the Company returned to us the money for our tickets, but nothing for our lost
possessions, and abandoned us. The American Embassy now told me, that due to
the emergency, they would grant me a priority to fly to any place in South
America. I cabled the Inter-America Committee recommending that I take
advantage of this golden opportunity and fly directly to Santiago, Chile,
by-passing Ecuador. They approved. I bought enough clothes to cover me and
resumed my journey. Interestingly, after the first shock of losing all my
THINGS, I felt a freedom and relief at not having to worry about and take care
of a lot of material THINGS.
The airplane was a 2-motor DC-3 and took five days, stopping every night. I
immediately fell in love with Santiago and the people and kept delaying
departure for Punta Arenas, which was still some two weeks journey by boat. I
found the Chileans extremely friendly, hospitable, intelligent, open-minded,
energetic and of a relatively high cultural level. I noticed that even in
walking along the street the people were reading, not just comic books, etc.,
but often historic and philosophical works. Also, they were very cosmopolitan,
with much European influence. A small Bahá'í community existed
in Santiago with a functioning Local Assembly consisting of the North American
pioneer, a French archaeologist, an Englishman (member of the Chilean Air
Corps) and his Irish wife, and five Chileans.
Early one morning, in a state between sleep and wakefulness, I felt the
Guardian was asking me why I was not in Punta Arenas. I arose early, rushed
downtown, and got passage for Punta Arenas in two days. The trip for the first
few days is by open sea, then by inland water ways, sometimes so narrow that
the boat could barely pass through, fog, icebergs and glaciers, one spot called
the
Grave Yard, where the hulls of numerous former vessels can be seen.
The last five days, no sign of human life, except one tiny group of huts
inhabited by aborigines, and where the passengers throw to them coats, sweaters
and other bits of clothing. One feels literally that one is reaching and going
off the end of the earth. We arrived October 2, 1944.
I had been writing the Guardian during these months, but he had not answered,
which was unusual. I now advised him of my arrival at Punta Arenas, and
immediately he answered, first in the words of his secretary: "He waited to get
news of your work in Chile and Punta Arenas before replying to your previous
letters..." Then in his own handwriting: "I am delighted that you have at last
reached your goal and are wholeheartedly engaged in your noble pioneer work in
that far distant land. You are, I assure you, often in my thoughts and
prayers...." Then a special postscript: "He is sorry you lost your
THINGS."*
How to interpret these rather mysterious events? My own feeling is that it was
correct to put my own feeling aside, obey the National Spiritual Assembly, and
put all in the Hands of God. Also, that the Guardian knew all along what was
taking place and that I was going to arrive at my goal to fulfill his wishes,
and it was his prayers that got me there. Perhaps in the next world I will
really know? At least I got to my goal!
Marcia Steward was still in Punta Arenas and it was decided, with the approval
of the Guardian, that she would return to Santiago, and a young Chilean
Bahá'í, Esteban Canales, would come to help me, as my Spanish was
still not fluent. Punta Arenas was also quite cosmopolitan, albeit still a bit
primitive. Some Spanish families, a good number of British, a colony of
Yugoslavs who were descendants of the survivors of a Yugoslav ship-wreck, an
American Vice-Consul and a few other diplomats, temporarily a geophysical team
from the U.S.A. in search of oil, and native Chileans. Punta Arenas, located
on the Straits of Magellan, across from Tierra del Fuego, had been a former
Chilean penal colony.
______________
* Capital letters are the author's.
Teaching the Faith was not easy. Most of the population was there for material
reasons. Neither the climate, the town nor the countryside were attractive,
food was scarce, and entertainment totally lacking, except for one motion
picture theater and two radio stations. After consultation and prayer, we
decided to use radio as the people were almost always in their homes at night.
We composed a weekly program entitled: "The City of Certitude," in which
Esteban Canales and four friends, including the Director of the radio station,
took part. The program soon became famous, with every one waiting to find out
the meaning of the title, which was not divulged for many weeks.
At Naw Ruz, we sent a cable of greeting to the Guardian. On April 4, 1945,
came a reply, which included the following words through his secretary: "You
can be sure that his prayers will sustain you in your efforts to establish an
Assembly there in April of this year." I thought Esteban was going to have a
heart attack. There were still no Bahá'ís there except for
ourselves, and we had not even thought of the possibility of an Assembly at
Ridván. I tried to assure Esteban that when the Guardian said he was
praying for something, all we had to do was make the necessary efforts.
However, he remained very disturbed, and kept repeating: "But Artemus, it's
impossible!"
Seven days later, we invited all our eight contacts, including the four
participants in the radio program, to explain to them the situation, and ask
who would like to become Bahá'ís. All eight accepted. The
Guardian had his Assembly.
This time I thought for sure that Esteban was going to have a heart attack from
joy, and now he kept repeating, "but Artemus, you told me." We cabled the
Guardian and immediately received the following reply, "Loving appreciation.
Greeting. Admiration. Delight. Gratitude. Fervent prayers. Shoghi
Rabbani..."
The new Assembly began to function. Weekly "fireside" meetings were held,
radio was continued, and all was going well. Then fell the blow. Five of the
Assembly members departed on the same boat to return to their home towns of
Santiago, Valparaiso and Valdivia. Through frantic prayers and teaching
efforts, new souls were attracted, and the Assembly reinstated.
An incident occurred, not of real importance, but of interest, demonstrating
the true feeling of many persons outside of the Faith. The Hotel Cosmos, where
I was living, celebrated New Year's Eve with a very popular dinner-dance. As a
means, almost any means, of maintaining contact with people, I reserved a table
of eight for the party. To my surprise, the U.S. Vice Consul and the First
Secretary of the British Legation asked if they and their wives could sit at my
table so that they would not have to drink so much. As another means of
contact, I had joined the British Club as a guest member. A pool tournament
was held and it happened I had a pool table when young and I won the
tournament. The prize was a bottle of Scotch whiskey which I returned to the
Club, explaining that the Bahá'ís do not drink, and asking them
to sell it and give the money to charity. These are not usual means for
teaching the Faith, but I was not breaking any laws of the Faith, rather
showing the difference, in a tactful manner, of Bahá'í conduct,
and, in those first years in a strange country, the pioneer had to employ much
ingenuity and initiative in devising means of meeting people and making friends
in all circles. Many people have asked me, how can I stand to go to such and
similar events without drinking? In all honesty, they are so boring that I
sincerely sympathize with those who have nothing better to do. The U.S. Vice
Consul, though he did not become a Bahá'í, at least then, called
me his spiritual adviser and asked for my spiritual advice on certain problems,
and also gave a dinner for a visiting Bahá'í from the States.
Teaching the Faith takes many different directions.
IV
THE SECOND SEVEN YEAR PLAN
1946 to 1953
Birth and Launching of the Plan
During the two-year "rest", after the termination of the First Seven Year Plan,
the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies had been increased from fourteen to
thirty-seven, of which three had obtained legal incorporation; and the number
of localities in which Bahá'ís resided had been increased to
almost a hundred. All this was due to the united efforts of the North American
pioneers and the new Latin American believers.
The Guardian cabled the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States on
February 25, 1946, for a "large, representative attendance at approaching
Convention owing to momentous, historic decisions to be disclosed...." (9)
Then, at Ridván 1946, the Guardian's message announcing the Second Seven
Year Plan was read at the Convention.
Following are some excerpts:
The two-year respite, well-earned after the expenditure
of such a colossal effort, covering such a tremendous range, during so dark a
period, is now ended. The prosecutors of the Plan who in the course of six
war-ridden years achieved such prodigies of service in the Western Hemisphere
from Alaska to Magellanes are now collectively summoned to assume in the course
of the peaceful years ahead still weightier responsibilities for the opening
decade of the Second Century. The time is ripe, events are pressing. Hosts on
high are sounding the signal for inauguration of second Seven Year Plan
designed to culminate first Centennial of the year Nine marking the mystic
birth of Bahá'u'lláh's prophetic mission in
Siyah-Chal at Tihran.
A two-fold responsibility urgently calls the vanguard of the dawn-breakers
of Bahá'u'lláh's Order, torch-bearers of world civilization,
executors of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's mandate, to arise and simultaneously bring
to fruition the tasks already undertaken and launch fresh enterprises beyond
the borders of the Western Hemisphere.
The four principal objectives of the Plan outlined by the Guardian were:
1. ... consolidation of victories already won throughout
the Americas, involving multiplication of Bahá'í centers, bolder
proclamation of the Faith to the masses.
2. ... completion of the interior ornamentation of the holiest House of
Worship in the Bahá'í world....
3. ... formation of three national Assemblies, pillars of the Universal
House of Justice, in the Dominion of Canada, Central and South America.
4. ... initiation of systematic teaching activity in war-torn, spiritually
famished European continent.... (10)
June 5, 1947, Shoghi Effendi released his historic message filled with
encouragement and guidance. It was entitled "The Challenging Requirements of
the Present Hour" and was directed to "The executors of the Divine Plan in the
United States of America and the Dominion of Canada; their collaborators and
companions throughout Central and South America; and their representatives in
the continent of Europe." (11)
This comprehensive document of more than thirty published pages, delineated
among other things, the enormous work to be done in the Americas and Europe,
along with clear instructions on how to accomplish it. At the same time, the
Guardian emphasized the special destiny of the American Continent, and of the
United States and Canada, in particular. The following passages are of special
interest to the Bahá'ís of Latin America:
In the far-flung Latin American field, where the first
fruits of the Divine Plan, operating beyond the confines of the North American
continent, have already been garnered in such abundance, the Latin American
Bahá'í communities, from the Mexican border to the extremity of
Chile, should bestir themselves for the collective, the historic and gigantic
tasks that await them, and which must culminate, ere the expiration of the
present Plan, in the formation of two national spiritual assemblies for Central
and South America.(12)
No community since the inception of the hundred-year-old faith of
Bahá'u'lláh, not even the community of the Most Great Name in the
North American Continent, can boast of an evolution as rapid, a consolidation
as sound, a multiplication of centers as swift, as those that marked the birth
and rise of the community of His followers in Latin America.
(13)
Formation of Two International Committees: CEBMA and CEPSA
In June, 1947, I transferred to Santiago with the approval of the Guardian, to
be closer to the center of activities. The need for an international
administrative body in South America to initiate and coordinate projects
between countries became urgent. At this time, Shoghi Effendi called for the
formation of two international teaching committees, one for South America and
one for Central America: CEPSA and CEBMA, respectively.
The first members of CEPSA were: Walter Hammond, Rosy Vodanovic, Esteben
Canales, Betty Rowe, and Artemus Lamb, all of Chile. The members of CEBMA
were: Natalia Chavez, Honduras; Marcia Steward, Honduras; Oscar Castro, Costa
Rica; Carlos Vergara, Mexico; Antonio Mora. CEPSA was centered in Santiago,
Chile, and CEMBA in San José, Costa Rica. According to
Bahá'í World Vol. XI: "To Artemus Lamb in the South, and Mrs.
Marcia Steward in Central America was assigned the delicate and exacting task
of helping these new committees to truly function."
Though the activities of these committees were limited due to the distances
between countries, the scarcity of funds and the absence of National Spiritual
Assemblies to help with organization, financing and execution of projects, it
was nevertheless the beginning of international activities under the
jurisdiction of an administrative body within the South and Central American
territories.
Inter-regional teachers and special consultants were named to assist the new
committees -- for Central America: Natalia Chavez, Sheila Rice-Wray and Sr.
Octavio Illescas; for South America: Gayle Woolson, Gwenne Sholtis and Shirley
Warde.
First International Events in Latin America
The All-American Teaching Conference, celebrated in Panama City, August 20-25,
1946, marked the first such events in this new development. It was sponsored
by Mrs. Loulie Mathews, founder of the International Bahá'í
School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, together with the Inter-America
Committee, and aided by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Panama City.
Bahá'ís attending this historic event represented ten Latin
American countries, the pioneers, plus Mrs. Mathews and Mrs. Amelia Collins of
the United States.
The first South American Bahá'í Congress was held in Buenos
Aires, Argentina, November, 1946. Among those attending were: Centurion
Miranda and Josephine Pla of Paraguay, Yvonne de Cuellar of Bolivia: Gambeta
Roldan of Uruguay, Salvador Tormo of Argentina, Raul Villagran and Artemus Lamb
of Chile, Valeria Nichols of the United States, and many others whose names
have not been possible to verify.
A congress was also held in Mexico City in January, 1948, followed by the first
international school sessions. Mrs. Mathews addressed the Congress on behalf
of the Inter-America Committee and attended the sessions of the school.
The second South American Bahá'í Congress was celebrated in
Santiago, Chile, in January, 1948, followed by a summer school. This
outstanding event was organized and executed by CEPSA with the help of the
Local Spiritual Assembly of Santiago. It was a resounding success, marked by
an atmosphere of unity, love and service to Bahá'u'lláh. A
private home was rented for the occasion, complete with furniture, bedding,
dishes, and servants. Those attending included -- Argentina: Athos Costas,
official delegate, and Oscar Aguirre; Brazil: Margot Worley, official
delegate, Gaby Glieg and Dina Franca; Bolivia: Yvonne de Cuellar, official
delegate; Peru: Mercedes Sanchez, official delegate; Uruguay: Gambeta Roldan,
official delegate; Chile: Carlos Bulling, official delegate and Walter
Hammond, Hugo Arteagabeitia, Esteben Canales, Artemus Lamb, Alejandro Reid,
Rosy Vodanovic, and Betty Rowe.
The public events connected with the Congress, carried out with much success
and excellent attendance, included: an inaugural reception in the Hotel de
France; a public meeting in the Salon of Conferences of the leading newspaper,
El Mercurio; and a closing session in the Salon of Conferences of the
University of Chile. Also, an excursion was made to the seaports of Vina del
Mar and Valparaiso.
Noticias Bahá'ís Sudamericanas
commented on this event: "In reality, both the Congress and the Summer School
offered a visible proof of the notable progress and growth reached by the Faith
of Bahá'u'lláh in South America during the past year, a growth
not appreciated until this Congress."
The beloved Guardian, always closely in touch, sent the following cables on
January 22, 1948:
Advise Congress concentrate effective means insure
extension consolidation foundations forthcoming National Assembly. Urge
redouble efforts teaching activities, stimulate pioneer work initiated native
believers. Praying signal success. Deepest love. Shoghi.
Insure assistants congress loving prayers deepest appreciation eternal
gratitude elevated spirit that animates you. Shoghi.
Just before the Congress in Buenos Aires, I made an unforgettable visit to
Asunción, Paraguay, and was charmed with the friendly, warm, hospitable
and spiritually-minded people. Centurion Miranda, a devoted and active
Bahá'í and well-known actor, for whom all media doors were wide
open, took me to all the radios and newspapers for well-publicized
interviews.
An interesting sequel to the Congress in Buenos Aires: one attendant was a new
Bahá'í from the isolated mountain village of Mogotes, Columbia.
He had become a Bahá'í by correspondence, and had enrolled a
number of others from there, but no outside Bahá'í had visited
Mogotes, so it was decided that I should make a trip there. I flew to Bogota,
then to Bucaramanga, and from there had to hire a car, as there was no public
transportation. The Bahá'ís took me to a room they had rented
for me, then we held a meeting. The next morning, I went out for a walk and
everywhere I went, I was followed by a stream of curious children. I really
felt like the Pied Piper! At that time (1947), it seems that no North
American, and even very few strangers, had ever visited Mogotes. The next
night, the Bahá'ís had arranged a public meeting to inform the
"big ones" about the Faith. The attention was impressive and they told me
later the "big ones" had liked it very much. To my surprise, the part they
liked best, was the Bahá'í teaching on the Oneness of Mankind,
which I had only included thinking that a talk on the Faith without it is not
complete, but that these very isolated people would not appreciate it.
The following incident is an example of the amazing receptivity and initiative
of the people of Chile. A non-Bahá'í friend in Santiago, on
visiting Punta Arenas had become so impressed by the sincerity of the
Bahá'ís that he procured for us an interview with an outstanding
and popular weekly newspaper. The ensuing article, entitled "The New World
Order of Bahá'u'lláh," was outstanding. To our astonishment and
joy, we received 55 letters from different parts of the country expressing deep
interest and begging more information. A number of new Bahá'ís,
groups and Assemblies resulted from this article.
The Faith grew fast: Valdivia, Temuco, Mulchén, Arica, Antafogasta,
Valparaiso, Viña del Mar, Concepción. The beloved Guardian
wrote: "Your heart must rejoice over the work in Chile. He feels Chile may
prove a winner and carry off the palm by establishing the first National
Assembly in Latin America."
Transfer to Costa Rica
In 1949, I returned to the U.S.A. to look in Washington D.C. for employment in
Latin America with some international agency to better my economic situation.
Unexpectedly, I received the following cable from the Guardian: "Fervently
praying renewal invaluable service Latin America. Loving appreciation. Shoghi
Rabbani." Then a letter including the following sentence through his
secretary: "He feels that by all means you should make every effort to get a
job in Latin America, as your service there is not only very valuable, but
infinitely of more value than elsewhere." Then some time later: "You are
doing good work in Washington and he feels when the time comes, the door will
open again for Latin America. Meanwhile continue serving there."
My efforts in Washington proved ineffective. Later I learned that I had been
recommended for an important post, but two employees of the State Department in
Chile had black-balled me, because of my Bahá'í activities there.
Some drastic step had to be taken, but what? One night, as I ascended the
stairs of the Bahá'í Center, there confronted me on the wall, in
what seemed letters a foot high, the words of Bahá'u'lláh
starting the sentence: "Should any man, in this Day, arise and with complete
detachment...." The Guardian had already approved my going to Costa Rica, so
off I went and almost immediately obtained a good job with the North American
Costa Rican Cultural Center. This was December, 1950. In retrospect, I see
clearly that the government job would not have been suitable for a
Bahá'í pioneer.
These personal details are included to show how, in those early days, our
beloved Guardian was with us at every moment, encouraging, guiding and making
possible the seemingly impossible.
A number of the first contacts and Bahá'ís in Latin America had
commenced metaphysical, philosophical or spiritualistic studies in their desire
to get away from the traditional and orthodox systems. Many became devoted and
active Bahá'ís, but others, on penetrating more deeply the
Bahá'í Teachings, could not accept the true Station of
Bahá'u'lláh and dropped away. Notwithstanding, these souls
played a necessary part in breaking the ice of tradition and orthodoxy, and
surely will receive their just recompense.
For the election of the Local Assembly of San José at Ridván,
1951, among the first to arrive were six young Bahá'ís of
Theosophical background. When I started to explain the election procedure,
they stopped me and said they had already decided who were to be the new
members of the Assembly. I tried to explain tactfully that a universal
procedure existed for Bahá'í elections, but they refused to
listen, saying that they were leaving and would only return when their ideas
were accepted. Sadly, they never returned.
We had some difficulties getting a quorum for the meetings of the new Assembly.
Louise Caswell had transferred to Costa Rica from Panama, and usually she, two
Costa Rican Bahá'ís and I could come together, so as a means of
keeping the activities going, we would take actions, then I would visit the
other members and obtain their vote. These were, of course, merely growing
pains of a new global System.
Birth of Two National (Regional) Spiritual Assemblies: Central and South
America
The moment so anxiously awaited had now arrived. The announcement by Shoghi
Effendi of two international conventions to be held at Ridván, 1951, one
in Panama City and the other in Lima, Peru, for the purpose of electing the two
National Spiritual Assemblies, in reality regional assemblies. The territory
of the first assembly was Mexico, Central America and the Antilles. The second
was for South America. The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States as
spiritual mother, in cooperation with CEBMA and CEPSA and the Local Assemblies
of Panama City and Lima took charge of all arrangements, including the election
of delegates from all of the countries involved.
As I had moved to Costa Rica in December, 1950, I had the privilege of
attending the Panama Convention as a delegate. I will never forget the
multiple impressions and reactions that I felt there. First, a great joy and
excitement enveloped me at seeing such a congregation of Bahá'ís
from many races and cultures, gathered for such an historic occasion. At the
same time, my all too "human" and limited self caused me to experience some
doubts. "I know," I thought, "that the Guardian is infallible; nevertheless,
is not this action a bit premature? Where can nine Bahá'ís be
found who are capable of directing and managing the affairs of a region so vast
comprising such diverse and scattered peoples?" Then came the first meeting of
the new Assembly with Mrs. Dorothy Baker as a representative of the U.S.
National Assembly. Now I saw nine persons, not one with previous experience on
a National Spiritual Assembly, but all anxious and capable at least of
initiating the work. Throughout future years, step by step, this Divine
Institution would develop.
As a new Bahá'í, I had been deeply impressed by the explanation
of the Hand of the Cause, George Townshend, in his book,
The Promise of All
Ages, wherein he states that according to the Divine laws of creation,
every living organism -- plant, animal, human being or even an astral body --
begins its life as a simple seed, gradually growing and unfolding the latent
capacity within itself until, step by step, it arrives at the stage of
maturity. As the Master, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, said concerning the building of
the House of Worship in America: "Make a beginning and all will come
right!"
Members of the two new Assemblies were:
Central America: Raquel
Francois de Constante of Panama, Cora Oliver of Panama, Louise Caswell of
Honduras, Dr. David Escalante of El Salvador, Zeynada Jurado of Mexico, Natalia
Chavez of Honduras, Elena Marsella of Dominican Republic, James Facey of
Panama, and Artemus Lamb of Costa Rica;
South America: Edmund Miessler
of Brazil, Margot Worley of Brazil, Eve Nicklin of Peru, Gayle Woolson of
Columbia, Esteban Canales of Paraguay, Mercedes Sanchez of Peru, Dr. Alexander
Reid of Chile, Rangvald Taetz of Uruguay, and Manuel Vera of Peru. The next
two years were devoted to the development of the new Assemblies: the
appointment of committees; the establishment of two offices -- one in the City
of Panama, the other in Lima, Peru; the establishment of two Funds; and the
initiation of the multiple new activities now awaiting their efforts.
Development of the National Spiritual Assembly of Central America
The National Assembly of Central America decided to hold its meetings every
three months in different parts of the territory, with its annual convention
scheduled in different countries, also. At first, we felt like babes in the
woods, trying to decide which were the most urgent and important tasks.
Always, we had the help and guidance of the representatives of the National
Assembly of the United States, Mrs. Dorothy Baker and Horace Holley, and
especially our beloved Guardian who, like a loving, patient and wise father,
was at all times apprised of our activities and problems, encouraging and
counseling us and, when necessary, correcting us, with his letters and
cables.
I maintain a file of copies of fifty letters from Shoghi Effendi written
between the years 1949 to 1957, directed to the National Assembly and the
Annual Convention of Central America and to other special gatherings and
individuals in the area. On July 11, 1951, he imparted guidance to the new
National Assembly concerning the first step we should take:
He feels that your Assembly must now, at the very
beginning of your work, devote its energy primarily to laying a solid and
abiding foundation for the future. What does this imply? First and foremost
establishing harmony, love and understanding amongst the Bahá'ís
under its jurisdiction. When the friends are united in the love of God, all
problems, differences of race, nationality, origins are dissolved in the
crucible of Bahá'í brotherhood.
The following year, in our anxiety to hasten the functioning of the Local
Assemblies, our chairman traveled through the territory to instruct the
officers of the Local assemblies on their respective duties. Immediately,
there came a loving warning from the Guardian that this was premature and it
would be better to teach Bahá'í administration in this area in a
more "palatable" manner.
Another early counsel, June 19, 1953, referred to our News Bulletin, which
followed basically the form of
Bahá'í News of the United
States. His advice through his secretary was:
The Guardian encourages the various National Assemblies
to show initiative and originality in minor matters, while adhering to
uniformity in major matters. He therefore feels your Assembly is capable of
developing its own News Letter, along the lines best suited to the needs of the
various countries under your jurisdiction.
On other occasions, the Guardian emphasized "diversity in secondary matters,
and uniformity in fundamental matters," differentiating between "matters of
procedure and matters of administrative principles," emphasizing diversity in
the former and uniformity in the latter. Secondary matters can be adapted to
the environment, but we must never change basic administrative principles or
act contrary to them in our desire to teach Administration in a more
"palatable" manner.
An interesting incident occurred in a country with a political crisis. The
Assembly was meeting late one night in a hotel room. Suddenly, the door burst
open and two men sprang into the room with pistols raised, saying: "Hands up!"
It turned out that someone had reported a meeting of conspirators and the
intruders were members of the Secret Police. We were able to convince them of
our innocence and they departed with Bahá'í pamphlets in their
pockets.
I received a very useful lesson from the Guardian when I had the bounty, in
1953, of making my pilgrimage to the World Center -- a lesson I hope I will
never forget. I was seated directly opposite the Guardian during supper. One
night, he spoke of his cables, which he had sent to our Assembly or to the
Bahá'í world. He quoted one by one from some of these cables
with their respective dates. Each time, directing his attention directly to
me, he asked: "You remember, don't you?" Of course, I did not remember all
those cables, but when I returned to Costa Rica, I studied each cable that
arrived from the Guardian to the point of practically memorizing each word. We
still do not appreciate sufficiently, I believe, the priceless bounty of having
the infallible guidance, first of the Guardian, and now from the Universal
House of Justice, in this "day that shall not be followed by night."
While in Haifa, another incident took place demonstrating once more the
constant and powerful spiritual influence of the Guardian. From Haifa, I was
going to Los Angeles, California, to treat a serious family problem which,
seemingly, would force me to leave my pioneering activities indefinitely, to my
deep sadness. As we were taking leave of the Guardian, he turned to me and
unexpectedly asked me about my plans. Completely surprised by the question, as
he had not asked the other pilgrims about their plans, and I had not informed
him of my problem, I found myself answering that I was returning to Costa Rica.
The Guardian rubbed his hands with evident pleasure and said: "Splendid.
Magnificent. Splendid. Magnificent." On arrival two days later at the
airport in Los Angeles, the problem was resolved in a completely unforeseen
manner, and a week later I returned to Costa Rica. As the beloved Hand of the
Cause, Mr. Khadem, used to say: "The Guardian knows everything!"
Many of the members of the new National Spiritual Assembly, were usually rather
new in the Faith and so, naturally, still with ideas and habits of the old
world order. Two examples, not of real importance, but typical, come to
mind.
The Chairman presented to the Assembly a new cable from the Guardian, and
expressed very clearly his opinion concerning it. A consultation followed in
which the majority had a different opinion which the Chairman immediately
accepted. One member with experience in other organizations in which the
chairman or president always makes the final decision, could not get over his
surprise at the sincere acceptance of the Bahá'í Chairman of a
different opinion.
In a different meeting in which the consultation was on what budget should be
requested of the World Center for the coming year, a new member, a very
successful business executive, stated that we should, of course, ask for twice
as much as we wanted, and was not really convinced when it was explained that
the relations between Bahá'í Institutions were on a basis of
honesty and trust.
A very agreeable Latin American flavor was enjoyed for several years by the
presence on the Assembly of Cuban poet, Alberto Cabrera, who tried to bring a
new poem to each meeting.
Growth of the Faith in Costa Rica
Immediately, after the Convention in Panama, Ruth Moffet, an outstanding
Bahá'í teacher and lecturer from the United States, came to Costa
Rica and gave a series of lectures in San José, in the Tala Inn, where
the Nicaraguan owners were friends of the Bahá'ís. During the
seminar, Ruth fell and broke her arm, but steadfastly refused to rest even for
one day. The seminar was highly successful and resulted in numerous new
Bahá'ís.
Louise Caswell left for Honduras, then new pioneers arrived: Alan Pringle from
Canada in 1952 to Escazú; Dora Worth and Mollie Young, mother of the
writer, in 1954 to Alajuela; Valeria Lamb Nichols and her husband, Hayden, to
Escazú; Emma Lawrence to Limón; all from the U.S.A. Then Rosu
Vodanovic, one of the first Bahá'ís in Punta Arenas, Chile,
replaced Mrs. Young in Alajuela, and Esteban Canales, also from Chile, went to
San José. The Faith spread rapidly in Limón, Escazú,
Alajuela, Heredia, Golfito, the Bribri area in Talamanca, and also Quepos,
where a group of refugees from Nicaragua had settled.
The National (Regional) Spiritual Assembly held one of its early Annual
Conventions in San José. Reservations were made for the Delegates in a
Pensión, and it was carefully explained to the owner, that they were
coming from all parts of Central America and the Caribbean Islands. "The first
to arrive was Mathew Bullock, a very distinguished Bahá'í from
Boston -- but he was Black. The owner informed me forcefully that he could not
stay there. I reminded him that he knew that the Delegates were coming from
many different countries, but he became very aggressive, shouting: "Do you
want peace or war?" So we had to rush to make other arrangements. To add a
note: the owner was not Costa Rican.
In December, 1954, the First International Summer School for all the area of
Mexico, Central America and the Antilles, was held in Escazú, under the
auspices of the new Regional Spiritual Assembly. Those attending included:
Sheila Rice-Wray of Rep. Dominicana, Louise Nelson of Honduras, Juan Alberto
Cabrera of Cuba, Randolph Fitz Henley of Jamaica, Marjorie Stee and Amanda Mena
of El Salvador, and from Costa Rica: Jenny Taylor, Dora Worth, Valeria
Nichols, Ruth Fendell, Antonio Monje, Esteban Canales, Fernando Umaya and
Señora, and Artemus Lamb.
V
THE TEN YEAR WORLD CRUSADE
1953 to 1963
The Birth and Launching of the Plan
October, 1952, marked the beginning of the Centenary Year of the Birth of the
Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh in the prison of Siyah-Chal. On
November 30, 1951, Shoghi Effendi convoked four International Teaching
Conferences, as part of the celebration of this "Holy Year." The first of
these was scheduled for Kampala, Uganda (Africa), February 12-18, 1953; the
second to be held in Chicago, Illinois (U.S.A.) at Ridván; the third in
Stockholm, Sweden, July 21-26; and the fourth in New Delhi, India, October
7-15. Then, on October 8, 1951, Shoghi Effendi electrified the
Bahá'í world by announcing the launching at Ridván, 1953,
of the Ten Year World Crusade, utilizing the forthcoming conferences as
rallying points to set the vast processes in motion. Following is an extract
from this dramatic call:
Feel hour propitious to proclaim to the entire
Bahá'í world the projected launching on the occasion of the
convocation of the approaching Intercontinental Conferences on the four
continents of the globe the fate-laden, soul-stirring, decade-long,
world-embracing Spiritual Crusade involving the simultaneous initiation of
twelve national Ten Year Plans and the concerted participation of all National
Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá'í world aiming at the immediate
extension of Bahá'u'lláh's spiritual dominion as well as the
eventual establishment of the structure of His administrative order in all
remaining Sovereign States, Principal Dependencies comprising Principalities,
Sultanates, Emirates, Shaykhdoms, Protectorates, Trust Territories, and Crown
Colonies scattered over the surface of the entire planet. The entire body of
the avowed supporters of Bahá'u'lláh's all-conquering Faith are
now summoned to achieve in a single decade feats eclipsing in totality the
achievements which in the course of eleven preceding decades illumined the
annals of Bahá'í pioneering. (14)
The All-America Conference held in Chicago and Wilmette, April 29 to May 5,
1953, designated by the Guardian as "the most distinguished of the four
Intercontinental Teaching Conferences" (15) was attended by twelve Hands of the
Cause, including Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih
Khánum, as representative of the Guardian, and by approximately
2400 Bahá'ís from thirty-three countries, including nineteen
Latin American Republics. It was in this Conference that Rúhiyyih
Khánum recounted that the Guardian had said that
Bahá'ís should go to foreign lands and "leave their bones." As a
result, a number of elderly people did just that, including my dear Mother at
the age of 85.
The Guardian made the following challenging call to this Conference:
It is incumbent upon the members of the American
Bahá'í Community, the chief executors of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's
Divine Plan, the members of the Canadian Bahá'í Community acting
as their allies, the members of the Latin American Bahá'í
Communities in their capacity as associates in the execution of this Plan, to
brace themselves and initiate, in addition to the responsibilities they have
assumed, and will assume, in other continents of the globe, an intercontinental
campaign designed to carry a stage further the glorious work already
inaugurated throughout the Western Hemisphere. (16)
This great Crusade was the first global Plan, not only encompassing the whole
world, but also involving the entire Bahá'í world community in
its operation. Here is how the Guardian himself describes the essence of the
Crusade:
Let there be no mistake. The avowed, the primary aim of
this Spiritual Crusade is none other than the conquest of the citadels of
men's hearts. The theater of its operations is the entire planet. Its
duration a whole decade. Its commencement synchronizes with the centenary of
the birth of Bahá'u'lláh's Mission. (17)
Each one of the twelve National Spiritual Assemblies entrusted with the
execution of the Plan, was given its own goals, including the new National
Spiritual Assemblies of Central America and South America, which now took their
rightful place in the Bahá'í world, alongside their sister
Assemblies in other parts of the world.
Among the goals for Latin America were: the purchase of property for future
construction of the first Ma
shriqu'l-A
dhkár in Panama; the
formation of a National Spiritual Assembly in each of the twenty Latin American
Republics, under the aegis of the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of the United States, in collaboration with the two
existing National Spiritual Assemblies of Latin America.
The magnitude and diversity of the goals for Central America seemed
unimaginably difficult for our humble capabilities. One of our goals was to
send pioneers to three places in Asia: Gilbert and Ellis Islands, the Marshall
Islands, and Tuamotu Archipelago, and the Guardian stipulated that the pioneers
for the virgin areas must leave for their posts during the first year of the
Crusade. At the time, we did not know where these three places were located,
much less able to identify Bahá'ís ready and capable of settling
there. As so often happens with us mortals, we do not comprehend the
invincible power of the Cause of God. The posts
were filled: the
Tuamotu Archipelago by Jean Savin from Paris, France (I do not remember how he
got in touch with us); Gilbert and Ellis Islands by the Secretary of our
National Assembly, Elena Marsella Fernie and her new husband, Roy; and a little
later, the Marshall Islands by Marcia Steward (Atwater), who had transferred
from Chile to Honduras.
Another goal that gave us concern was that of acquiring in each Republic a site
for a future Ma
shriqu'l-A
dhkár, a national endowment and a
national Hazíratu'l-Quds. We had only eight thousand dollars at our
disposition; one thousand each for the endowment and for the Temple site, and
six thousand for the National Center. The endowment was relatively simple,
because it consisted of a property anywhere in the country as an investment in
real estate. The Temple site must be in or near the capital and, although
difficult, did not seem an impossible goal. However, the national
Hazírat'l-Quds was to be a building in the capital, adequate for the
national office and, temporarily, for the Local Spiritual Assembly. Finding an
appropriate place was far from easy -- nevertheless, the goals were won in all
the countries, although at times it was clearly apparent it was only through
Divine aid. The most fascinating case was as follows:
The Hand of the Cause of God, Dorothy Baker, in her role as liaison between the
National Assembly of the United States and the National Assembly of Central
America, Mexico and the Antilles, had spent a good deal of time in Central
America and had many intimate friends among the Bahá'ís. After
her passing in January, 1954, a number of Bahá'í in these
countries had deeply moving dreams about her. Shortly after this, our Assembly
sent me to Honduras to look for a suitable National Center. Upon arriving in
Tegucigalpa, the capital, a Bahá'í came to my hotel to see me.
She had formerly been very active in the Faith but was now inactive. She
greeted me and emotionally informed me that Dorothy had come to her recently in
a dream and told her that Artemus Lamb was coming soon to Honduras on an
important mission and she should help me. Through her help we found a suitable
Center.
The Institutions of the Learned
Prior to the election of the Universal House of Justice, no Hands of the Cause
lived in Central or South America. After the appointment by the Guardian of
the first contingent of Hands in 1951, the Hands living in North America looked
after Latin America.
When the Universal House of Justice was elected in 1963, they initiated a
process of assigning different areas of the five continents to the various
Hands of the Cause. Zikrullah Khadem transferred his residence to the United
States and took charge of serving Central America, Mexico and the Antilles.
Jalal Khazeh settled in Brazil, where he remained until 1968. In 1964, Dr. Ugo
Giachery settled in La Jolla, California, taking over from Mr. Khadem Central
America, Mexico and the Antilles. All of Latin America received the bounty of
visits of numerous Hands from other parts of the world, especially on the
occasion of the formation of the National Spiritual Assemblies in each country
in 1961: Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih
Khánum,
Dorothy Baker, Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir, Horace Holley, Herman
Grossman, William Sears, Collis Featherstone, Abu'l-Qasim Faizi, Enoch Olinga,
Paul Haney, Ali-Muhammad Varqá, and John Robarts.
What loving memories we harbor of the privilege of being in the presence of
these souls -- so selfless, loving, wise, sanctified, and, at the same time, so
humble and human. How many spiritual victories, both individual and of the
Faith are owing to the counsels, the wisdom and loving support of the Hands of
the Cause. Some precious anecdotes come to mind:
When we were living in Guatemala, Collis Featherstone paid an official visit.
The same day, William Sears arrived unexpectedly and told us that he was
exhausted and wanted to remain incognito. There was a public meeting that
night at which Mr. Featherstone was to speak. Shortly before starting, Mr.
Sears appeared, saying that he could not stay away. The master of ceremonies
told us later, that the spiritual power was so great, owing to the presence of
two Hands of the Cause, that he could hardly function. After the meeting, as
some of us were going in the elevator to Mr. Sears' room in the hotel, one of
the passengers repeated the number of each floor. Mr. Sears, with his
irrepressible sense of humor, said: We're going to make him National
Treasurer. He knows how to count.
On Mr. Khadem's first visit to Central America, he visited the Indian village
of Chichicastenango, Guatemala, where a Bahá'í Institute had been
established, and where he visited some of the new Bahá'ís.
Later, one of them, an outstanding leader of the region, said quite emotionally
that he just liked to look at Mr. Khadem's beautiful face.
An unforgettable visit was that of Mr. Faizi, during which an international
conference was held in El Salvador. Still today, when I think of his deeply
moving talk on the moth and the all-consuming Flame of the Candle, and ending
with the entrance of the believer (the moth) in the Siyah-Chal and the Presence
of Bahá'u'lláh, so realistically portrayed by a sweep of the hand
of Mr. Faizi, I am actually moved to tears again, as most of us were that
night. During that same visit, Louise Caswell, Edith Mclaren and I had a
conversation with him on the fascinating, and mysterious subject of fate,
predestination and free-will. Some one asked him if we were there because of
free-will or fate. After some thought, his answer was: "probably a
combination of both."
The following two incidents took place after our transfer to Yucatan, Mexico,
in September, 1964, which is beyond the scope of this book, but I cannot
refrain from including them here.
The first occurred in Yucatan, Mexico. Hand of the Cause Dr. Muhájir
came to the Martha Root Institute, in Muna, where we were living. Hardly had he
arrived, when he asked my wife, Dee, to record some Bahá'í songs
to take with him on a trip he, a Mayan Bahá'í, Celestino Sima,
and I were to take the next day to the neighboring Territory of Quintana Roo.
On arriving at our first goal, we had to park the car on the highway and walk
about 5 kilometers through the jungle to a Mayan village. After the meeting,
Dr. Muhájir stayed in the school to spend the night, and Don Celestino
and I took our hammocks to an empty hut on a nearby hill. We had agreed to
leave at six o'clock the next morning to traverse the jungle in the daylight.
About 3:30 a.m., I was awakened by some music, a feminine voice singing
Bahá'í songs. I could not at first think where I was. Then I
thought: "but, that is Dee's voice. Where am I?" Then the voice of Dr.
Muhájir: "Mr. Lamb. We're leaving." Then I realized that he had used
the recorded cassette to awaken us. Of course, we left. Fortunately, there
was a moon!
As to the second, I cannot leave this theme without referring especially to Dr.
Giachery, who spent so many years in this area. At an annual convention in
Mexico, Dr. Giachery gave a very moving talk on "love." When he finished,
Roberto Canul, a Mayan Bahá'í, who had been the first of his race
to serve as home-front pioneer to Quintana Roo, became so touched that he went
forward, tears streaming down his face, to embrace Dr. Giachery. Roberto was
quite short, and Dr. Giachery was quite tall, so that Roberto's arms encircled
Dr. Giachery's waist, and there he remained while others shook Dr. Giachery's
hand or embraced him, above the head of Roberto.
As to the Auxiliary Boards, in 1954, the Hands of the Cause of each of the five
continents appointed an Auxiliary Board of nine members for Propagation. The
resident member for the Central American area was Esteban Canales, then in
Costa Rica, and for South America, Margot Worley of Brazil, and Gayle Woolson,
then living in Colombia. The following, all from the U.S.A., were named
"members for the U.S.A. and Interamerican members:" Katherine McLaughlin,
William de Forge, Sarah Pereira, Florence Mayberry, and Margery McCormick.
Transfer to El Salvador
In March, 1956, the Regional Assembly sent me to El Salvador to establish an
Assembly in Santa Ana, the second city of the country. There was then only one
Local Assembly, in the Capital, San Salvador. With the indefatigable aid of
Mercedes (Menchi) Vides, one of the only two Bahá'ís in Santa
Ana, the Assembly was elected. It seemed the Assembly would not function
without special help, and the two pioneers in San Salvador -- Margaret Mills
and Marjorie Stee -- were busy with their own problems, so I returned to Costa
Rica to liquidate my small importing business, and returned in June to Santa
Ana to settle.
I established an English Academy as the best way of earning a living and still
have free time to teach the Faith. It was so successful that I needed help, so
I cabled the Western Hemisphere Teaching Committee for a young couple with a
university degree to come and live with me and work in the Academy. Just such
a couple, newly-married and wondering what to do with their lives -- Quentin
(Tim) and Jeanne Farrand -- were available. They arrived Sept 14, on the eve
of Independence Day, which is celebrated with much fervor. The next morning,
at dawn, the celebrations started -- church bells, cannons, rockets, soldiers
marching -- and about 7 a.m., the Farrands emerged from their room, rather
pallid and agitated, saying, "It's a revolution, isn't it?" They are still in
El Salvador.
The director of one of the radio stations came one day to ask me if I would
give a weekly program with the title of
Rainbow of Peace. The following
Sunday, the first talk was broadcast. Dear Menchi Vides gathered her friends
and neighbors in front of her house to hear it. The main theme was the urgent
need for the abolition of all religious prejudice and the acceptance of the
basic oneness of the different world religions, as one of the most important
steps toward world peace. Two days later, the director of the radio station
came to tell me that the Church had ordered the cancellation of the program.
Next, the Church published and widely distributed a pamphlet entitled
The
Enemies of God and Humanity, directed against the Bahá'ís,
Evangelical sects, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and, as I recall, several other
groups. Interestingly, the Bahá'ís were named the most,
appearing on practically every page: "Bahá'í",
"Bahá'u'lláh", or "'Abdu'l-Bahá."
When we teach children, we never know really how much they understand and
remember. We would often be astonished. The following little incident
demonstrates the vital importance of teaching even the most little ones. In
our weekly children's class, we were studying anecdotes from the life of
'Abdu'l-Bahá.. One day, there was a picture in the newspaper of the
Pope riding in a carriage and, according to the caption, with gold ornamented
shoes. At the next class, the daughter of Menche Vides, about 5 years of age,
asked why the Pope had gold shoes, and when 'Abdu'l-Bahá was in the
United States, he had given his trousers to a poor man? "Out of the mouth of
babes...."
Margaret Mills transferred to Sonsonate, Marcia Steward came from Honduras, and
teaching was started in other towns, including Ahuachapan where the Farrands
transferred. In May, 1958, Dora (Dee) Worth came to Santa Ana and in August,
we were married. About 75 friends were invited to the wedding and reception,
and around 150 came, curious to see what a Bahá'í wedding was
like. After the reception, several men, like in Punta Arenas, expressed their
relief at not having to drink. In December, the Second International Summer
School was held in Hotel del Lago, on the shore of beautiful Lago de
Coatepeque. Visitors from other countries included: Harold Neff, Louise
Caswell and Edith McLaren from Guatemala; George Haley and Robert Ancker from
Honduras; Pablo Perez from Cuba, pioneering then in Nicaragua; and George Gabb
and Cora Oliver from Belize.
The English Academy was flourishing, but suddenly the students began dropping
away. We paid no attention at first, but more and more disappeared and with no
explanation. Finally, I asked one student what was happening. She replied
that they thought we knew, that the priests were warning the people to stay
away from the Academy, that they were facing excommunication if they studied
with us. She said even one priest in his sermons, is asking the people if they
prefer going to Heaven speaking Spanish, or to Hell speaking English? We
weathered the storm, but with a much reduced number of students.
While in Santa Ana, there occurred another demonstration of the all-pervading
spiritual influence of the Guardian. I became seriously ill with a mysterious
fever and seemingly was not recovering. Marcia Steward came for supper one
night and, perceiving my condition, put in my hand a lock of hair of the
Guardian, which she carried. Almost immediately, I felt in my hand an energy
or force, which then traveled up my arm and finally through my entire body.
Less than an hour later, I got up and joined the others for supper, and within
a few days, I was completely recovered.
A New Phase: Teaching in Rural Areas
The majority of the first Bahá'ís enrolled in the Faith
had come from the cities, usually the capital of the country. The pioneers
almost automatically settled in the capital city, because of its being the most
known and offering the most material advantages; also, in Latin America, the
capital of each country is the center and axis of political, commercial,
intellectual, cultural and even religious life.
It was still possible, even in the capital cities, to find a number of persons
who were open intellectually and spiritually and to make contact with them.
Generally, one could enter a city and easily obtain an interview with the
director of the principle newspaper and radio station, obtain free publicity,
and even secure the names and addresses of people with a spiritual interest. A
number of the first contacts were made and Bahá'ís found in this
way.
With the passage of the years, it has been interesting, but distressing, to
witness how the environment of the cities has been changing, becoming visibly
more and more closed, materialistic and commercialized, and, as a consequence,
making it more difficult to teach the Faith. Obviously, a change of tactics
was in order -- and that is what occurred.
In "The Challenging Requirements of the Present Hour" (published in
Citadel
of Faith), the Guardian pleaded for special attention at this
juncture (1947) to be paid to the "various Indian tribes, the aboriginal
inhabitants of the Latin Republics," quoting the prophetic words of
'Abdu'l-Bahá concerning them in the
Tablets of the Divine Plan.
During the following years, he reminded us at various times of the importance
of teaching the "original inhabitants of the Americas." Nevertheless, not very
much had been accomplished in this respect, at least in Central America and
Mexico.
During the first years of the World Crusade, reports of the conversions in
Africa began to come through -- first a hundred new believers, then two
hundred, three hundred. In that period, when conversions were usually
individually one by one, the entrance into the Faith of hundreds was something
totally new: mass conversion. Then news began to arrive of the conversion of
large numbers of the precious "campesinos" in Bolivia, and the Guardian began
to increase his insistence on teaching the indigenous groups. For example, on
May 26, 1957, he sent a letter through his secretary to the new National
Spiritual Assemblies of Latin America, referring to the
Tablets of the
Divine Plan of the Master with respect to the indigenous inhabitants of the
Americas. He wrote in part: "He feels that we cannot delay longer in our
response to the pleas of the Master, because the conditions in the world
require the fulfillment of His request." This letter was followed by three
more to the National Spiritual Assembly of Central America, the last
communications received from him, treating exclusively the same theme.
Why are we always so slow in obeying?
Thus a new phase in the development of the Faith was initiated. The teachers
began to go to the villages and the country, and the pioneers settled more and
more outside of the large cities. I recall clearly the strong impact this had
on us. My wife and I concentrated our efforts in searching out everything we
could find on how to teach the rural and indigenous people, especially the
talks of the Hand of the Cause, Dr. Muhájir, for we had heard that he
was especially accomplished in this field. The reality was that we, like the
majority of the Bahá'ís, had no experience in this type of
activity and did not know how to begin. Soon we discovered that it was much
easier to teach outside of the large cities and the enrollment of new
Bahá'ís was more rapid. Then, doubts began to form: "Many of
the new Bahá'ís are inactive and really do not understand the
Faith." "Why form Spiritual Assemblies that do not function?" Etc.
The Hand of the Cause, Rúhiyyih
Khánum gave two
exceedingly interesting answers to these questions in a conference in Panama.
Regarding the first question, she presented her analogy of the "cream" and
"milk." To obtain cream, you need to have much milk -- that is, to have a
number of capable, active, knowledgeable Bahá'ís, you need to
have a large number of Bahá'ís. The corollary is, that since it
is generally impossible to intensely deepen all the "milk," it is indispensable
to select and carefully train the "cream," so that they, in turn, can help to
deepen the "milk."
With respect to Local Assemblies that do not function, she explained that she
had asked the Guardian about it and he had answered there is a mystery in it --
that the very act of forming a new Spiritual Assembly, the foundation of the
New World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, has a spiritual impact that is
difficult for us to appreciate. Nevertheless, we should make every possible
effort to help the Assemblies to function.
Our Transfer to Guatemala
In 1959, due to circumstances beyond our control, we were obliged, suddenly and
unexpectedly, to leave El Salvador, so we transferred to the neighboring
country of Guatemala. We established ourselves in the National Bahá'i
Center in Guatemala City and got teaching jobs in a bilingual private school.
It was decided, as an experiment, to hold a special public meeting in the
Bahá'í Center once a month, to which a non-Bahá'í
would be invited to give the talk, always, of course, on an appropriate topic,
and which turned out to be highly successful. One of the guest speakers was a
Jewish rabbi who was also Director of a private Israelite school. On starting
his talk he said, quite emotionally and with tears in his eyes, that he had
been in Guatemala twelve years and this was the first time that any one had
asked him to talk about his religion. Another speaker was a well-known lawyer,
who was head of the Esperanto Society of Guatemala and who brought his entire
group with him. Through these meetings, many persons otherwise inaccessible,
learned of the Faith and became sincere friends (and some
Bahá'ís) and we Bahá'ís received an interesting
education. Generally, the speaker brought others with him or her.
The soul of Guatemala is the indigenous population, which is still the
majority, but reaching them was not easy. For one thing, they are divided into
some 23 groups, each with its own dialect and often its own typical vestment,
and many of the adults, especially the women, speak but little Spanish. In
addition, they have been continually discriminated against and persecuted, and,
as a result, are very cautious and distrustful of all "ladinos" and foreigners.
As a means of starting more contact with them, a Bahá'í Institute
had been recently established in the well-known indigenous village of
Chichicastenango, in the charge of Jenny Taylor from Costa Rica, and Alberto
Landau from Panama, who had come to supervise the construction of the
buildings. The purpose was to provide free elementary medical help, give
children's classes and other cultural activities.
Some months after our arrival, the Guatemalan Indigenous Institute invited
representatives of similar institutions and indigenous groups from all the
Americas to a Congress. Dee and I had made friends with the Director of the
Institute and were invited to attend as representatives of the
Bahá'í Faith, the only religion to be represented. The first
day, we met the Assistant Director, José Trinidad Gramajo, and gave him
the book,
The Renewal of Civilización. The next morning, he
greeted us and said accusingly: "I read that book almost all night, and you
have changed my entire way of thinking!" He soon became an outstanding
Bahá'í.. During the Congress, many speeches were given and
papers read, the majority quite intellectual, complicated and abstract, much
analysis, but very few practical suggestions. When it came the turn of the
representative of the Kuna Tribe, from the San Blas Islands of Panama, his
opening words were: "Gentlemen. Here I am. I am your problem. What are you
going to do with me?"
The Kunas are a very interesting people. They still maintain their own social
organization, headed by a "sahela" ("chief") and practically govern themselves,
although they are part of the Republic of Panama. On a visit to the island of
Ustupo, the seat of government for all the San Blas Islands, we were walking
one night by their government building where a large number of people were
meeting, and we heard the sahela chanting in a very solemn and rather haunting
manner. It seems that one of the responsibilities of the sahela is to inform
and teach his people, in this manner, the ancient traditions and laws of their
people. It was most impressive. I also remember that we slept in hammocks,
not like the wide ones in Yucatán and some other places where one can
sleep diagonally, but so narrow that I was afraid to move the whole night for
fear of falling out. There are many Kuna Bahá'ís. A great deal
of the first teaching was done by Alan and Ruth Pringle.
At the beginning, there were, to my knowledge, no pioneers from Irán, at
least in Central America, and it was my understanding that the Guardian had
said it was still premature. In 1960, as I recall, the Hands of the Cause in
the Holy Hand informed us that a medical doctor from Irán wished to come
to Guatemala, and would we please try to get the necessary residency and
working papers for him. In Central America all persons from the Middle East
were classified as "Turks" and it was very difficult to get even tourist visas
for them, much less residency and working papers. Very complicated
arrangements had to be made even for the visit of a few days of any Hand of the
Cause from Irán. We said many prayers, and through the invaluable help
of an influential lawyer friend, procured the necessary documents, and Dr. (his
name has escaped me) came to Guatemala. Many of these countries have a special
Board of Doctors, which decides if a foreign doctor can practice or not, and
the Board denied this permission, so our dear Iranian friend could not stay.
However, this shows again the importance of having influential
non-Bahá'í friends.
Guatemala was traversing a critical political period, and the government had
declared several times a curfew and martial law, which forbade a meeting of
more than four people without a permit. As a firm policy, we insisted upon a
sincere and faithful obedience of all these laws and to keep the authorities
informed of our activities. Some time later, a man entered the Center and
asked us many questions. We suspected he was not an ordinary seeker, so I went
to the head of the Secret Police, whom we knew slightly. He was very friendly
and assured me that we had always conformed to the laws and kept the
authorities informed of our activities, and that he would see that we were not
bothered. How wise are our Teachings on being faithful and obedient to the
government and not to meddle in political affairs!
Two interesting and amusing incidents occurred in the town of Retaluhue, where
an Assembly was to be formed. The plan was for Louise Caswell to start
proceedings and to organize two public lectures for me for the following
week-end. For the first, on "The Spiritual Resolution of the Economic
Problem," she hired the theatre for Saturday afternoon. To my surprise, the
theatre was practically filled, so afterward I asked Louise what she had done
to get so many people. She answered that in the invitations she had added a
sub-title: "Come to the theatre and have Mr. Lamb resolve your economic
problems." I fear that no one's immediate economic problems got solved that
day. The meeting that night was in a residential section in a hall the sides
of which, as often is the case in tropical areas, were enclosed only with
screening. Time came to open the talk, but there was no public inside, but we
could sense people outside. We waited awhile, then I said to Louise: "We are
going ahead with the meeting, just as if there were people here." She
presented me, and I gave the talk. It was a strange experience, but at the
end, three young ladies entered and two of them soon entered the Faith. As the
old saying goes: "There is more than one way to skin a cat." We must be
flexible.
On another trip to Retaluhue, we were visiting a new Bahá'í and
his family. An Evangelical pastor entered and, almost immediately, took out
his Bible and rapidly read a number of passages, without uttering a word of his
own. I remarked, as tactfully as possible, that it was very interesting, but
what, in his own words, did these passages mean? He seemed quite annoyed and
left.
In January, 1962, we moved to Cobán, in the rather isolated Department
of Alta Verapaz. This area was filled with Indian villages, but there were no
Bahá'ís. We decided to establish a dry cleaning business with
the dual purpose of increasing our modest income and avoiding the appearance of
being missionaries. A non-Bahá'í friend in the Capital helped us
plan our equipment and permitted me to learn "spotting" in his plant, an
engineer Evangelical friend in Cobán gave us technical advice, and
Rafael Garcia, well-known Bahá'í from El Salvador, came for a few
days to help us get started.
We started to study Ketchi, the dialect spoken there. Then, through the father
of a young Bahá'í in the Capital, who was a sort of unofficial
"cacique" in the region of Tactic, about 20 kilometers from Cobán, we
established personal contact with a large group of leading "indigenas," who
unfortunately spoke Pocomchi. We felt incapable of learning simultaneously two
dialects, so we gave up our study of Ketchi. We invited them for lunch at our
house in Cobán, and as we had learned that their favorite food was
tortillas with salt, frijoles, and coffee, also with salt, that is what we gave
them, so they would feel at home. They were delighted and told us: "Now you
can come to visit us, for you eat the same things we do."
This contact flourished. They called a meeting in Chimolón, to acquaint
others with the Faith, about 75 men and women, the women huddled apart in the
corner. At the finish, they served food in our honor in the form of hunks of
cold pork fat, I think uncooked. We knew we could not refuse it, and saying
the Greatest Name, managed to keep it down, but were quite ill for several
days. A group of them were accustomed to come weekly to Cobán on
business and we reserved an empty room in our house for them. An
all-indigenous Assembly was established in Chimolón and new believers in
other villages, including Tactic, Tamahú and Pasmolón, where the
school teacher and his wife entered the Faith. Interestingly enough, the
"cacique" who helped us so sincerely and efficiently never entered the Faith.
This seems to happen quite often, however we need influential friends at this
stage, as we have been told, and it is highly important to make them.
Undoubtedly, they will receive their just recompense. Speaking personally,
many victories undoubtedly would not have been possible without the aid of such
non-Bahá'í friends.
In Cobán, activities started also. We started calling on a small list
of persons given to us by a friend in the Capital, including Professor Oscar
Sierra, former Director of the Instituto del Norte and member of Congress, and
he and his family became the first Bahá'ís. Don Oscar had, of
course, many influential friends. Being a deeply sincere and wise person, he
asked me, while still investigating the Faith, if I thought he would lose these
friends, if he became a Bahá'í.. I told him, yes, I thought he
would lose some of them, but he would make many new and better friends. He
became very thoughtful, and a few weeks later, entered the Faith with his
family.
The Local Assembly of Cobán was elected, and with the aid of the new
Bahá'ís, teaching was carried on in the Ketchi villages around
Cobán, including Chamelco, San Cristobal and San Pedro de
Carchá.. Don Oscar had a weekly regional newspaper, which became an
organ of publicity for the Faith.
Another example of the importance of teaching the children: the eight year old
son of a Bahá'í family attended, with a little friend, an
Evangelical meeting. The preacher kept insisting, as is the custom, that
Christ was the only Saviour of all times. Finally, the boy said rather
disdainfully to his friend: that man is ignorant -- he has never heard of
Progressive Revelation.
An incident, both amusing but also, for me at least, touching, occurred which I
wish to share, although it is of a personal nature. For a time, I had been
feeling uneasy and restless. I had almost always been in the midst of
activities, not just local, but national and international, and I was now
feeling that I was not of sufficient service to the Faith. Then (this was
spring of 1963), my wife went to the London World Congress, and I was left
alone and feeling quite miserable and very sorry for myself. Suddenly, a
telegram arrived. It was from Hand of the Cause, Mr. Khadem, who was now in
the U.S. and whose territory included Central America, and the telegram was
appointing me Auxiliary Board member for Panama, Central America, Mexico and
the Antilles. My problems were solved! I laid down on my bed to think. I
happened to glance up at the picture of 'Abdu'l-Bahá on the wall, (the
"smiling" picture and my favorite) and
He winked at me. This is not
imagination. It happened, as if He were telling me: "Look at you. All that
worry and unhappiness. And for what?" I have had other extremely moving, and
sometimes also amusing, experiences with that picture, as other
Bahá'ís undoubtedly have had. Did He not tell us that He would
always be with us? Unfortunately, He is not always smiling at me.
A sad aftermath. In 1964 the Hand of the Cause, Dr. Giachery, who was now in
charge of Mexico, Central America and the Antilles, asked me if we would like
to transfer to Yucatán, Mexico, to organize the teaching work there, as
the Mayans were proving to be extremely receptive. We decided the work would
go faster there and left Cobán. We learned later, that a high
government official of Tamahú had called dear Pedrito, the first
Bahá'í of Chimolón and whose house was their Center, to
his office, and told him that because of becoming a Bahá'í,
soldiers would come to his house some day, tie his hands behind his back, and
take him to the prison in the Capital. Fortunately, this threat was never
carried out, but the teaching work did not continue going forward.
New Development of the Institution of the Rulers
Another important step in the development of the administrative institutions
took place at Ridván of 1957, with the convocation of four simultaneous
conventions to elect four new National Spiritual Assemblies, to replace the two
existing ones, of Mexico, Central America, the Antilles, and South America. A
Hand of the Cause of God was present at each convention, as the personal
representative of the Guardian, bringing his message that called for four
subsidiary Six Year Plans. A representative of the National Spiritual Assembly
of the United States acted as a chairman of the conventions, until the
permanent convention officials were elected. The conventions were as
follows:
- Mexico and the Republics of Central America, in Panama
City.
- The Greater Antilles, in Kingston, Jamaica.
- The Republics of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela, in
Lima, Peru.
- The Republics of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia
in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Then, the long awaited step of the convocation of nineteen national
conventions, each to elect an independent National Spiritual Assembly, was
taken at Ridván, 1961. A Hand of the Cause in the Holy Land and a
representative of one of the four former National Spiritual Assemblies
participated in each convention. The new National Assemblies were:
- Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica,
Honduras and Panama (Mexico and Central America).
- Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia,
Brazil, Venezuela, and Ecuador (South America).
- Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Haiti (Antilles).
- Alaska (North America)
Countries not ready yet, were elected later, sometimes in conjunction with
neighboring countries.
I cannot refrain from relating another example of the ever present sense of
humor of Hand of the Cause, William Sears. At the above Convention in El
Salvador, at which Mr. Sears attended as representative of the Hands of the
Cause in the Holy Land, I also attended as representative of the Regional
Assembly of Central America. We were staying in the Hotel Astor, in San
Salvador, which had a long corridor leading to our rooms. The day had been a
long one and Bill was tired, and as we were walking down the corridor that
night to our rooms, I got quite a bit ahead of him. "Slow down a little,
Artemus," he said, "you are going to win this heat in any event."
Incidentally, the Guardian permitted El Salvador to elect its National
Spiritual Assembly with only three Local Spiritual Assemblies: San Salvador,
Santa Ana, and Ahuachapán. Now, it is one of the strongest countries in
Central America.
The Most Great Jubilee
The World Spiritual Crusade, conceived and inaugurated by the Guardian,
terminated at Ridván, 1963. Although Shoghi Effendi had left this world
at the midway point, the Bahá'ís of the world, under the guidance
and direction of the Hands of the Cause of God, the "Chief Stewards" of
Bahá'u'lláh's embryonic World Commonwealth, carried out, with
constant determination and devotion, the goals established by the Guardian,
bringing the Crusade to a glorious and total victory.
As we all know, the first International Convention was held in Haifa, on April
21, 1963, for the historic election of the Universal House of Justice. This
was followed by the historic first Bahá'í World Congress in
London, attended by some 7000 Bahá'ís from all parts of the
globe, including many from Latin America, and opened by the following message
of the Universal House of Justice:
On this glorious occasion, the celebration of the Most
Great Jubilee, we raise our grateful thanks to Bahá'u'lláh for
all His bounties showered upon the friends throughout the world. This historic
moment marks at one and the same time the fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy*,
the hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of the Promised One of all ages,
the termination of the first epoch of the Divine Plan of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
designed to establish the Faith of God in all the world, and the successful
conclusion of our beloved Guardian's world encircling Crusade....
(18)
______________
*Referring to "the spread of the Faith over the face of the earth." (19)
EPILOGUE
In reviewing, retrospectively, the principal events and my own experiences
connected with the beginnings and evolution of the Faith in Latin America,
several points, partially perceived before, now become much clearer. Following
are noted the outstanding ones:
1. Undoubtedly it is impossible for us mortals to appreciate and describe
adequately the role of the Guardian in the whole process: the conceiving of
the Plans, inspiring the pioneers to arise and leave, the guidance of the
executors of the Plans, his continuous, loving guidance and encouragement of
the first pioneers and administrative institutions. Often, we had no one else
from whom to receive guidance and we always received it. Undoubtedly, many
pioneers would not have stayed at their posts, or even left their homes,
without his constant, loving encouragement and urging. When the administrative
institutions were formed, particularly the Regional (National) Assemblies, they
would have been lost in confusion without the Guardian's continual letters and
cables. There is no adequate way to describe his mysterious and all-pervading
influence.
In my own case, I was always conscious of the Guardian's loving guidance and
encouragement, but I only realize now, after reviewing the events of those
years, the true magnitude of his influence on my own decisions and actions. If
I have dwelt in this book on these experiences, it has been because the picture
would not be complete otherwise.
2. The importance and indispensability of the Bahá'í
Administrative Institutions to canalize, coordinate and consolidate the efforts
of the pioneers and new believers, plus the emphasis which the Guardian
continually placed upon them, constantly referring to the Administrative Order
as the "structural basis of His World Order," "the institutions of the
Administrative Order," etc. On launching the First Seven Year Plan, he
explained that it had been necessary to delay carrying out the Divine Plan to
permit the evolution of the administrative institutions -- "the agencies for
the proper and systematic execution of the Divine Plan." It became so clear
during those first years, how it would have been completely impossible for a
relatively small band of volunteers, with limited financial resources, still
rather preliminary knowledge of the Faith, and little or no training for the
task, to come to strange lands, win many converts and establish permanent
Bahá'í Communities, without the Administrative Order and its
Institutions through which to work. As the Guardian so eloquently expressed
it: "The moment had now arrived for that undying, world-vitalizing Spirit that
was born in
Shiraz, that had been rekindled in Tihran, that had been
fanned into flame in Ba
ghdad and Adrianople, that had been carried to
the West, and was now illuminating the fringes of five continents, to incarnate
itself in institutions designed to canalize its outspreading energies and
stimulate its growth." (20) And to think that this is happening, and will
continue to happen; all over the world, ending finally with the establishment
of God's Kingdom!
3. The importance of making influential friends, including in governmental
circles, if possible. This is especially important in countries in which the
Faith is not well-known yet. They can open many otherwise closed doors,
introduce you to new people, and help with protection in emergencies. They may
not become Bahá'ís now, or ever. When the Faith becomes stronger
and well-known, it will be easier for these people to cross the strong class
barriers existing in many countries and openly enter the Faith.
4. Pioneering: "the prince of all goodly deeds and the ornament of every
goodly act." (21) Notwithstanding the vital importance of the Administrative
Order and its Institutions and the all-inclusive and all-pervading role of the
beloved Guardian, unless individuals, no matter how humble and inexperienced,
had not arisen and come to these countries, very little would have happened.
As the Universal of Justice pointed out, in their letter of October 1, 1969, to
the Continental Boards of Counsellors and National Spiritual Assemblies:
"Authority and direction flow from Assemblies, while the power to carry out the
tasks resides primarily with the entire body of believers." It is reported
that the Guardian remarked on several occasions: "If I had the instruments,
what couldn't I do!" All of us are those instruments, if we make ourselves
available.
Of course, there are tests, sacrifices, "culture-shock," sometimes having to
learn a new language, but life anywhere on earth has its difficulties, and, as
Bahá'ís, we understand that spiritual growth is impossible
without some suffering. As the beloved Guardian said: "We should not,
however, forget that an essential characteristic of this world is hardship and
tribulation, and that it is by overcoming them that we achieve our moral and
spiritual development." (22) What more glorious way of suffering and
sacrificing a little, than helping directly in establishing the foundations of
the Kingdom of God on earth! A universal law of creation is that we are all
different flowers in the Garden of Humanity, and for the work of the world, and
of the Faith, this is necessary. Every Bahá'í cannot be, and
should not be, a foreign pioneer and might not be happy or successful in that
field of service. On the other hand, for many pioneers, including this humble
servant, "normal" life becomes dull and unsatisfying compared to pioneer life.
For one thing, the active pioneer feels, and is, much closer to and a more
integral part of, the total life and activities of the Faith, and usually has
the opportunity to learn and fulfill new roles often not available at home.
Also, although this is not and should not be the "supreme objective," the
chance and challenge of entering a new culture, making new friends, and
adjusting to and making good in the new home. Perhaps it can be summed up by
saying that one feels more alive, more useful and more directly responsible for
the Faith.
Really, it all depends on the basic motive of the pioneer.
Bahá'u'lláh promised the help of "a company of Our chosen angels"
and wonderful "blessings" for "those that have forsaken their country for the
purpose of teaching Our Cause," but He added: "Whoso ariseth to teach Our
Cause, must detach himself from all earthly things, and regard, at all times,
the triumph of Our Faith as his supreme objective." (23) If one stands firm
and active, and always with "the triumph of Our Cause" as his or her "supreme
objective," all difficulties are overcome, indescribable spiritual blessings
come, and, perhaps more important than anything else, the inner satisfaction of
having, no matter how humbly, stayed to the end and done one's best.
5. In the Guardian's historic message, "The Challenging Requirements of the
Present Hour, dated June 5, 1947, he directed a dramatic challenge to "the
eager, the warmhearted, the spiritually-minded members of the Latin American
communities," of which probably most present Latin American
Bahá'ís, and pioneers, have no knowledge, and surely should have.
It is as follows:
...to this privileged, this youngest, this dynamic and
highly promising member of the organic Bahá'í World Community, I
feel moved, before I dismiss this aspect of my theme, to direct this general
appeal to rise to the heights of the glorious opportunity which destiny is
unfolding before its members. Theirs is the opportunity, if they but seize it,
to adorn the opening pages of the annals of the second Bahá'í
century with a tale of deeds approaching in valor those with which their
Persian brethren have illuminated the opening years of the first, and
comparable with the exploits more recently achieved by their North American
fellow-believers and which have shed such luster on the closing decade of that
same century. (24)
APPENDIX
FIRST PIONEERS, BELIEVERS AND ASSEMBLIES IN EACH COUNTRY
(There are included here only the first resident teachers and pioneers, not the
short but important visits of traveling teachers.)
Mexico and Central America
Mexico
1937 -- First believer: Sra. Maria del Refugio Ochoa (Mexico D.F.)
1935-44 -- Series of travel and resident teachers and pioneers
1938 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: Mexico D.F.
Guatemala
1939-40 -- First pioneer: Gerard Sluter
1945 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: Guatemala City
El Salvador
1939 -- First believer: Sr. Luis 0. Perez (San Salvador)
1939 -- First pioneer: John Eichenauer
1942 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: San Salvador
Honduras
1939-40 -- First believer: Sra. Angela Ochoa Velazquez (Tegucigalpa)
1939 -- First pioneer: Antonio Rocca
1942 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: Tegucigalpa
Nicaragua
1940 -- First believer: Srta. Blanca Mejia (Managua)
1939 -- First pioneer: Mathew Kazab
1946 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: Managua
Costa Rica
1940 -- First pioneer: Gayle Woolson and Amalia Ford
1941 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: San José
Panama
1939 -- First believer: Joseph Wantauk (Balboa, Canal Zone)
1939 -- First pioneer: Mrs. Louise Caswell and Mrs. Cora Oliver
1945 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: Panama City
The Antilles
Cuba
1940 -- First believer: Sr. Perfecto Toledo (La Habaña)
1940 -- First pioneer: Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Marangella
1942 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: La Habaña
Dominican Republic
1939-42 -- First believer: Sra. Maria Teresa Marten de Lopez
1938 -- First pioneer: Margaret Lentz
1945 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: Ciudad Trujillo
Puerto Rico
1940 -- First Pioneer: Rouhiyyah Jones and Katherine Didier
1943 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: San Juan
South America
Venezuela
1938 -- First pioneer: Priscilla Rhodes
1945 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: Caracas
Colombia
1940 -- First pioneer: Gerard Sluter
1943 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: Bogotá
Ecuador
1940 -- First pioneer: John Stearns
1943 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: Quito
Peru
1941 -- First pioneer: Eve Nicklin
1944 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: Lima
Bolivia
1940 -- First believer: Madame Yvonne de Cuellar
1940 -- First pioneer: Eleanor Smith Adler
1940 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: La Paz
Chile
1940 -- First Pioneer: Marcia Steward Atwater
1941 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: Santiago
Argentina
1937-40 -- Series of travel teachers
1940 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: Buenos Aires
Uruguay
1940 -- First pioneer: Wilfrid Barton
1842 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: Montevideo
Paraguay
1940 -- First Pioneer: Elizabeth Cheney
1944 -- Formation of first Local Assembly
Brazil
1921 -- First pioneer: Leonora Holsapple Armstrong
1940 -- Formation of first Local Assembly: Bahia
PIONEER "VIRGIN AREA" GOALS OF THE TEN YEAR WORLD CRUSADE FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTH
AMERICA
CENTRAL AMERICA:
Baháma Is.
|
Mr.
and Mrs. Gerald Curwing (b2)
|
|
Mr.
and Mrs.A. Mathusen (b2)
|
Belize
|
Cora
Oliver (a1), Shirley Warde (a1)
|
Dutch
Antilles
|
Mathew
Bullock (b1)
|
|
John
& Margery Kellberg (b2)
|
Margarita
Is.
|
Katherine
Meyer (a1)
|
Gilbert
& Ellice Is.
|
Roy
& Elena Fernie (a2)
|
Marshall
Is.
|
Marcia
Steward Atwater (a1)
|
Tuamotu
Archipelago
|
Jean
Savin (France) (d1)
|
SOUTH AMERICA
British Guiana
|
Malcolm
King (a1)
|
Chiloe
Is.
|
Sra.
Z. de Palacio (c1)
|
Dutch
Guiana
|
Robert
& Elinor Wolf (b2)
|
French
Guiana
|
Eberhard
Friedland (b1)
|
Galapagos
Is.
|
Gayle
Woolson (a1)
|
Juan
Fernando Is.
|
Mr.
& Mrs. Salvador Tormo (c2)
|
Leeward
Is.
|
Ben
& Gladys Weeden (b1)
|
|
Mr.
& Mrs. Charles Dayton (b2)
|
|
David
Schreiber (b1)
|
|
Ede
Renmder (b1)
|
Windward
Is.
|
Esther
Evans (b1),
|
|
Lilian
Middleniad (b1)
|
Cook
Is.
|
Edith
Danielson (b1)
|
|
Dulcie
Dive (Australia)(d1)
|
Total Knights of Bahá'u'lláh: 32. Origin: (a) 8 foreign
pioneers already serving in Latin America, (b) 19 from the U.S.A., (c) 3 Latin
American Bahá'ís, (d) 2 from other countries.
REFERENCES
1. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan: Revealed by
'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í, Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Ill.,
1993, 8 April 1916 Tablet.
2. Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America. 1932-1946, Bahá'í
Publishing Committee, Wilmette, Ill., 1947, p. 6.
3. Garreta Busey, from article entitled "Uniting the Americas," published in
The Bahá'í World, Vol. IX. 1940-1944, Bahá'í
Publishing Committee, Wilmette, Ill., 1945, p. 187.
4. Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, Bahá'í
Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Ill., 1971, p. 49.
5. Ibid., p. 49-50.
6. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette,
Ill., 1976, CLVII.
7. Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith: Messages to America, 1947-1957,
Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Ill., 1980, p. 13.
8. Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America. 1932-1946, p. 60.
9. Ibid., p. 86.
10. Ibid., p 87-88.
11. Shoghi Effendi, "The Challenging Requirements of the Present Hour,"
published in Citadel of Faith: Messaages to America, 1947-1957,
Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Ill., 1965, p 4.
12. Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith: Messages to America, 1947-1957,
1980, p. 12.
13. Ibid., p. 13.
14. Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Bahá'í World,
1950-1957, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Ill., 1971, p.
41.
15. Ibid., p. 142.
16. Ibid., p. 144.
17. Ibid., p. 152-153.
18. Universal House of Justice, Wellspring of Guidance: Messages
1963-1968, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Ill., 1970, p.
1.
19. Shoghi Effendi, Lights of Guidance, National Spiritual Assembly of
the Bahá'ís of India, 1988, No. 1414.
20. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, Bahá'í Publishing
Trust, Wilmette, Ill., 1987, p.324.
21. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings of the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette,
Ill., 1976, CLVII.
22. Shoghi Effendi, Living the Life, National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of India, 1972, p. 4.
23. Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings of the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh, CLVII.
24. Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, p. 19.
