Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Joanna M. Tahzib-Thomas, Empowering Words, Hong Kong: Juxta Publishing Co., 2012, bahai-library.com.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

ȹɉɄɬȐɑȨȽȝ\Ʉɑȇɕ

([WUDFWVIURPWKH/HWWHUVDQG
0HVVDJHVRI6KRJKL(IIHQGL)RU
,QVSLUDWLRQ*XLGDQFHDQG9LVLRQ



&RPSLOHGE\
-RDQQD07DK]LE7KRPDV
Empowering Words
Empowering Words
Extracts from the Letters and Messages
of Shoghi Effendi for Inspiration,
Guidance and Vision
&RS\ULJKW-X[WD3XEOLVKLQJ/LPLWHG

,6%1




7KLVERRNKDVEHHQSURGXFHGZLWKWKHFRQVHQWRIWKHRULJLQDODXWKRUVRUULJKWV
KROGHUV$XWKRUVRUULJKWVKROGHUVUHWDLQIXOOULJKWVWRWKHLUZRUNV5HTXHVWVWR
UHSURGXFHWKHFRQWHQWVRIWKLVZRUNFDQEHGLUHFWHGWRWKHLQGLYLGXDODXWKRUV
RUULJKWVKROGHUVGLUHFWO\RUWR-X[WD3XEOLVKLQJ/LPLWHG5HSURGXFWLRQRIWKLV
ERRNLQLWVFXUUHQWIRUPLVJRYHUQHGE\WKH-X[WD3XEOLVKLQJ%RRNVIRUWKH
:RUOGOLFHQVHRXWOLQHGEHORZ

7KLVERRNLVUHOHDVHGDVSDUWRI-X[WD3XEOLVKLQJáV%RRNVIRUWKH:RUOG
SURJUDPZKLFKDLPVWRSURYLGHWKHZLGHVWSRVVLEOHDFFHVVWRTXDOLW\
%DKiátLQVSLUHGOLWHUDWXUHWRUHDGHUVDURXQGWKHZRUOG8VHRIWKLVERRN
LVJRYHUQHGE\WKH-X[WD3XEOLVKLQJ%RRNVIRUWKH:RUOGOLFHQVH

7KLVERRNLVDYDLODEOHLQSULQWHGDQGHOHFWURQLFIRUPV

7KLVERRNPD\EHIUHHO\UHGLVWULEXWHGLQHOHFWURQLFIRUPVRORQJDV
WKHIROORZLQJFRQGLWLRQVDUHPHW

 D7KHFRQWHQWVRIWKHÀOHDUHQRWDOWHUHG
 E7KLVFRS\ULJKWQRWLFHUHPDLQVLQWDFW
 F1RFKDUJHVDUHPDGHRUPRQLHVFROOHFWHGIRUUHGLVWULEXWLRQ

7KHHOHFWURQLFYHUVLRQPD\EHSULQWHGRUWKHSULQWHGYHUVLRQPD\
EHSKRWRFRSLHGDQGWKHUHVXOWLQJFRSLHVXVHGLQQRQERXQGIRUPDW
IRUQRQFRPPHUFLDOXVHIRUWKHIROORZLQJSXUSRVHV

 D3HUVRQDOXVH
 E$FDGHPLFRUHGXFDWLRQDOXVH

:KHQUHSURGXFHGLQWKLVZD\LQSULQWHGIRUPIRUDFDGHPLFRUHGXFD
WLRQDOXVHFKDUJHVPD\EHPDGHWRUHFRYHUDFWXDOUHSURGXFWLRQDQG
GLVWULEXWLRQFRVWVEXWQRDGGLWLRQDOPRQLHVPD\EHFROOHFWHG

7KLVERRNPD\EHUHSXEOLVKHGUHJLRQDOO\RUORFDOO\ZLWKRXWUR\DOW\
E\SXEOLVKHUVZKRHQWHULQWRDUHOHYDQWPLFURSXEOLVKLQJDJUHHPHQW
ZLWK-X[WD3XEOLVKLQJ/LPLWHG3XEOLVKHUVVKRXOGFRQWDFW-X[WD
3XEOLVKLQJ/LPLWHGLQZULWLQJWRHQTXLUHDERXWWKH-X[WD3XEOLVKLQJ
PLFURSXEOLVKLQJDJUHHPHQW:LWKRXWHQWHULQJLQWRDPLFURSXEOLVKLQJ
DJUHHPHQWWKLVERRNFDQQRWEHUHSXEOLVKHGE\RWKHUSXEOLVKHUV

$Q\RWKHUUHSURGXFWLRQRUUHGLVWULEXWLRQLQDQ\IRUPDWLVIRUELGGHQZLWKRXW
WKHH[SUHVVHGZULWWHQFRQVHQWRI-X[WD3XEOLVKLQJ/LPLWHG
Had we a thousand lives to live, we could never fully repay Shoghi
Effendi with enough love and gratitude for the beauty, inspiration and
perfection of his literary work.
Ugo Giachery, Shoghi Effendi: Recollections, p. 42
Photograph by Nayyirih G. de Koning-Tahzib

In loving memory of
Hand of the Cause of God
Ugo Giachery
and
Lovingly dedicated to
my husband Nosrat.
Through listening to Dr. Giachery speak about Shoghi Effendi and
his writings, my great love for Shoghi Effendi and his writings was
born and was deepened.
Shoghi Effendi (3 March 1896 – 4 November 1957)
Behold he is this blest and sacred bough that has branched out from the
twin holy trees. Well is it with him that seeketh the shelter of his shade
that shadoweth all mankind.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Contents
Preface............................................................................................ 17

Acknowledgements......................................................................... 21

Short Biography of Shoghi Effendi ................................................. 23

Understanding Shoghi Effendi’s Work ............................................ 25

Playing Our Part ............................................................................ 29
1. Bury Our Cares and Teach the Cause .......................................30
2. Our Mission Is Most Urgent ....................................................31
3. Keep Our Vision Clear.............................................................32
4. Live the Life of a True Bahá’í ....................................................33
5. The Responsibilities It Is Our Privilege to Shoulder ..................36
6. Remodel Our Lives ..................................................................38
7. Work Towards Universal Redemption ......................................39
8. Consciousness of World Citizenship.........................................40
9. Direct Our Immediate and Anxious Attention .........................42
10. The Requirements of the Present Hour ..................................44
11. The Blessings That Will Be Conferred ....................................45
12. What We Have to Manifest ....................................................46
13. The Vital, Ever-Present Need of Deepening in the Faith .........48
14. Momentous Possibilities .........................................................50
15. Contribute to Spiritualization and Material Progress ..............52
16. Set an Example.......................................................................53
17. Seize Every Opportunity ........................................................54
18. Distinguish Ourselves by Deeds of Heroism...........................55
19. All Must Arise ........................................................................56
Our Path of Service ........................................................................ 59
20. The Foundation That Must Be Firmly Laid in Our Hearts .....60
21. Effectiveness in Serving ..........................................................62
22. What We Need to Demonstrate to Our Fellow-Countrymen .63
23. How to Ensure Success...........................................................65
24. The Object of Our Constant Endeavor ..................................66
25. To Teach the Cause Is the Ultimate Purpose ...........................67
26. Be Lovers of Mankind ............................................................68
27. Concentrate Our Energies on the Teaching Work ..................70
28. Empower the Bahá’í Youth .....................................................71
29. Be Ambassadors of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh ........................72
30. Extend Our Range of Activities ..............................................74
31. The Magnet That Will Attract the Promised Blessings ............75
32. We Owe a Debt of Gratitude That No One Can Describe .....77
33. What Must Have Precedence over All Other Considerations ..79
34. The Universal Recognition of the Cause .................................81
35. We Must Distinguish Our Record of Stewardship ..................83
36. The Spiritual Potentialities That Will Empower Us.................84
37. Let Us Place Our Share on the Altar of Sacrifice .....................85
38. Our Concerted Exertions Must Be Adequate in Range and Quality .86
Coping with Tests and Difficulties................................................89
39. Severe Mental Tests Will Sweep over the West ........................90
40. The Plight of Mankind ...........................................................91
41. Problems Will Gradually Be Solved ........................................93
42. Be Undismayed ......................................................................94
43. The Promise ...........................................................................95
44. Pursue the Present Plan ..........................................................97
45. Be Not Afraid of Any Criticism..............................................98
46. No Sacrifice Can Be Regarded As Too Great ........................100
47. Face the Trials of the Present Hour .......................................101
48. Adversity Prepares the Hearts of Men ...................................103
49. Arise Without Fear ...............................................................104
50. So Much Depends Upon Us ................................................105
51. Trials and Disappointments May Tax Our Patience ..............107
52. We Must Encounter Critical Stages with Unswerving Resolution 109
53. So Much Hangs on the Fortunes of the Present Plan ............110
54. The Birth of the World Order ..............................................112
55. We Are Never to Hesitate .....................................................113
56. The Tribulations Suffered by Their Co-Religionists...............115
57. Our Faith Must Be Indomitable ...........................................116
The Course of Change .................................................................. 121
58. Looking Towards the Future.................................................122
59. If We Fail To Play Our Part ..................................................123
60. The Significance of Our Undertaking ...................................125
61. The Goal of a New World Order ..........................................127
62. The Bedrock on Which This Administrative Order Is Founded 129
63. Evidences of a Splendid Power .............................................131
64. A New Stage in Concentrated Teaching Activity ..................133
65. The Leaven that Must Leaven the Lump ..............................135
66. Undreamt of Opportunities Offered ....................................137
67. The One Refuge ...................................................................138
68. We are Destined to Achieve Memorable Victories ................140
69. Great Work To Be Undertaken in the Future........................141
70. The Champion-Builders of Bahá’u’lláh’s Embryonic Order ...143
71. Torch-Bearers of the Light of Divine Guidance ....................145
72. Reap the Full Harvest ..........................................................147
73. Carry on the Torch ..............................................................148
74. A Still More Convincing Demonstration of Spirit ................150
75. A Dedication Reminiscent of the Pledges of the Dawn-Breakers .152
76. Not To Be Deflected for a Moment ......................................153
Abbreviations ............................................................................... 157

Bibliography................................................................................. 159
Preface
T host of letters and messages that Shoghi Effendi wrote to various
parts of the Bahá’í World during his thirty-six years as Guardian of the
Bahá’í Faith inspired, praised, advised and guided the Bahá’ís in their
endeavors. His words, written in eloquent, excellent language, so rich
in beauty of style, empowered the Bahá’ís to carry out their mission
with confidence, courage and perseverance. “Empowerment is about
engaging both the hearts and minds of people so that they can take
the opportunities made available to them for increased responsibility.”1
Without his constant support and encouragement, the believers would
never have been able to accomplish what they did.
This compilation features extracts that have been selected from
a great variety of letters and messages which Shoghi Effendi wrote
to various parts of the globe. The extracts highlight how his words
empowered the Bahá’ís to carry out and accomplish what was being
asked of them with increased capacity, vision and enthusiasm. They
also assist those who have not read Shoghi Effendi’s writings at any
great length to become more familiar with his writings and pen. The
extracts illustrate how enlightening the words of Shoghi Effendi are in
giving us a greater understanding of world events, clarifying the goal
of humanity, the significance of the mission entrusted to the Bahá’ís,
the destiny of certain Bahá’í communities and an increased awareness
of the role each individual plays in bringing about what is destined for
this age.
The compilation is divided into four sections relevant to our daily
lives as Bahá’ís and our services to the Faith: Playing Our Part, Our
Path of Service, Coping with Tests and Difficulties and The Course of
Change. The extracts are arranged chronologically. Actions or events
that took place when Shoghi Effendi wrote the extract are indicated
at the beginning of the extract.² Each section has nineteen extracts.
At the end of each extract the reader will find a glossary of difficult
words. These definitions are geared to the text to the best ability of the
author of the book, and do not necessarily give a full explanation of all
possibilities of the words.

1. Michael Armstrong, How To Be An Even Better Manager, p. 139.
2. The events are taken from A Basic Bahá’í Chronology, (Glenn Cameron with Wendi
Momen, George Ronald Publisher). Permission was given by George Ronald,
Publisher
 | Empowering Words

Even though the extracts are taken from his letters addressed to
different National Spiritual Assemblies, Bahá’í communities and
individual believers throughout the world, the guiding principles are
universal and can be applied to anyone anytime anywhere.
This compilation is also a tool, which, if referred to in times of
need, can get us “back on track” by nourishing our minds and souls
to more profoundly understand and cope with the changes taking
place in the world, in the Faith, in our Bahá’í communities and in our
individual lives.
It is my hope that this compilation will serve as an encouragement
and incentive to pursue a prolonged, systematic study of Shoghi
Effendi’s writings, especially for the junior youth and the youth. As
the Universal House of Justice wrote in their telex dated 4 August 1987
to the participants of the Youth Conference in Manchester, United
Kingdom:
Essential that youth through prolonged systematic study writings
beloved guardian acquire profound understanding operation of
forces of decline and growth creating universal ferment in world
today and leading mankind forward to glorious destiny.

Joanna M. Tahzib-Thomas
Photograph by Nayyirih G. de Koning-Tahzib
Acknowledgements
I  to express my deepest gratitude to Mr. `Ali Nakhjávání for his
invaluable advice and encouragement. I also want to thank Mr. Robert
Weinberg, Mr. Pieter Bas Ruiter and Mr. Jan Folkema for their excellent
suggestions. My heartfelt thanks to my daughters: Bahia Tahzib-Lie for
her helpful advice and corrections and Nayyirih de Koning-Tahzib for
her beautiful photographs. My warmest thanks to Ms. Ruth Borah for
her excellent copy-editing and Mrs. Annette Poort and Mr. Herman
Poort for reviewing the book and their valuable suggestions. And many
thanks to my brother-in-law, Mr. Massoud Tahzib, for his great help in
rendering the compilation in book form.
My appreciative thanks to Dr. Wendi Momen for her kind
permission to quote from A Basic Bahá’í Dictionary as well as to use
information from A Basic Bahá’í Chronology by Glenn Cameron with
Wendi Momen. My warm thanks also to George Ronald, Publisher, for
their allowing me to quote from Shoghi Effendi: Recollections by Ugo
Giachery. And lastly, my everlasting gratitude to my husband Nosrat,
for his constant encouragement, patience and support.

Joanna M. Tahzib-Thomas
Photograph by Nayyirih G. de Koning-Tahzib
Short Biography of Shoghi Effendi3
T Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, born on 1 March 1897 in ‘Akká, was
the son of Díyá’íyyih Khánum, the eldest daughter of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
and Mírzá Hádí Shírazí, a relative of the Báb. He was educated at the
American University at Beirut and Balliol College, Oxford.
While at Oxford, Shoghi Effendi was informed of the passing of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and hurried back to Haifa, where he learned that he had
been appointed Guardian of the Cause of God in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will
and Testament:
After the passing away of this wronged one, it is incumbent upon the
Aghsán, the Afnán of the Sacred Lote-Tree, the Hands of the Cause
of God and the loved ones of the Abhá Beauty to turn unto Shoghi
Effendi … as he is the sign of God, the chosen branch, the guardian
of the Cause of God … He is the expounder of the words of God …
Unable to bear his grief over the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and
crushed by the weight of the responsibilities so unexpectedly thrust
upon him, Shoghi Effendi retired for some time from Haifa leaving
Bahíyyih Khánum in charge. After about a year he returned to take
up his office. He married Mary Maxwell, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih
Khánum, in 1937.
Among the achievements of his ministry, the following stand out
as the most notable: the establishment of the Administrative Order
of the Bahá’í Faith (both its elected bodies and the appointed side of
the administration); the spread of the Faith to all parts of the globe
in a series of organized Plans; the elaboration of many aspects of the
Faith and the guidance of the world Bahá’í community through the
writing of numerous letters; the defence of the Faith from the actions
of the Covenant-breakers; the translation of numerous passages from
the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh; the writing of books such as God Passes By
and the translation of Nabíl’s Narrative; the acquisition of land and the
planning and supervision of the laying out of the Bahá’í gardens in the
Haifa-‘Akká area; the supervision of the building of the Shrine of the
Báb and the International Archives Building.
Shoghi Effendi passed away on 5 November 1957 while in London
and is buried in the New Southgate Cemetery there.4

3. Taken from A Basic Bahá’í Dictionary, pp. 208–9 [endnote 16 ommitted].
4. Permission given by George Ronald, Publisher, and Wendi Momen, Author/
Writer.
Understanding Shoghi
Effendi’s Work
Hand of the Cause, Ugo Giachery, wrote the following in his book
Shoghi Effendi: Recollections which greatly aids us in understanding
Shoghi Effendi’s work:
T  able to understand Shoghi Effendi’s work, one must realize
what animated him to accomplish the titanic task he did. The laws of
genetics will perhaps prove that, as the great-grandson of Baha’u’llah,
he had inherited many virtues and noble characteristics which made
possible his grasp of far greater powers than are available to the average
human being, as well as a discernment and spiritual penetration seldom
encountered in the most brilliant writer or statesman.
But the true animating forces which permeated all his writings can
be placed in three classes. The first was his great vision. With all his
passion and zeal he projected himself into the far, far distant future,
visualizing the blessings which the World Order of Baha’u’llah would
bring to mankind. Often we saw his dear face illumined by the glow
of an inner consuming fire, reflecting the glory of this Order, while
with a gentle and convincing voice he would tell of the five-hundred-
thousand-year Cycle over which Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation would extend
its shield and supremacy.
The second force was his unfaltering conviction of the ultimate
triumph of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Shoghi Effendi’s life was not an
easy one, but not even for an infinitesimal instant did he ever hesitate
or delay. ‘If I should be influenced by the chaotic condition which
exists in the world,’ he said one evening at the dinner-table, ‘I would
remain passive and accomplish nothing.’ It was at the crucial time of
the post-war period when nearly all countries of the world were in
want of statesmanship. this unbounded conviction made him a tower
of strength, a haven of refuge, and provided him with the power to
accomplish things which by human standards would be considered
extremely difficult, even impossible.
The third animating force was his faith in the accomplishments of
the Bahá’ís throughout the world. This was one of the most real and
precious sources of power to him, almost a talisman, something to be
found only in the Bahá’í Faith. Shoghi Effendi was a part of the great
body of believers; he was like the lymph in the human body. He was
well aware that the co-operation of the believers was essential to the
 | Empowering Words

unfoldment of Bahá’u’lláh’s divine plan for mankind. Verbally and in
his written messages he strongly conveyed his acknowledgement of this
active partnership of the believers in whatever he did. It was deeply
moving to hear him say: ‘We have accomplished this’; ‘We shall do
that’.

Ugo Giachery, Shoghi Effendi: Recollections,pp. 31-32
(George Ronald)
Photograph by Nayyirih G. de Koning-Tahzib
Playing Our Part
Put your shoulder to the wheel.
Aesop, Hercules and the Wagoner
Greek slave & fable author (620 BC - 560 BC)

E one of us has something unique we can contribute to the Faith.
We often wonder how and what we can do to serve the Faith. In
searching for just what we can contribute we need to weigh the various
aspects involved and what the Faith needs at this particular time.
This section offers just those guidelines that give a solid basis to
whatever we are going to do or are doing at the moment.
 | Empowering Words

1. Bury Our Cares and Teach the Cause
I F 1923, the keys to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh were returned
to Shoghi Effendi; he wrote to the Bahá’ís in America, Great Britain,
Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Japan and Australasia about Bahá’í
administration, outlining the process for annual elections of assemblies
and called for the establishment of local and national funds. In the
same month he wrote this:
But let us be on our guard - so the Master continually reminds us
from His Station on high - lest too much concern in that which
is secondary in importance, and too long a preoccupation with the
details of our affairs and activities, make us neglectful of the most
essential, the most urgent of all our obligations, namely, to bury our
cares and teach the Cause, delivering far and wide this Message of
Salvation to a sorely-stricken world.
(12 March 1923, BA 42)

Bury our cares To put problems out of our mind; to blot out
Salvation Being saved from danger, loss or harm
Sorely-stricken Extemely troubled
Empowering Words | 

2. Our Mission Is Most Urgent
I , shortly after Shoghi Effendi returned from Switzerland, the
first Local Spiritual Assembly in Australia was formed in Melbourne.
Shoghi Effendi wrote to the Bahá’ís of Australia and New Zealand:
Let us pray to God that in these days of world encircling gloom, when
the dark forces of nature, of hate, rebellion, anarchy and reaction
are threatening the very stability of human society, when the most
precious fruits of civilization are undergoing severe and unparalleled
tests, we may all realize, more profoundly than ever, that though
but a mere handful amidst the seething masses of the world, are in
this day the chosen instruments of God’s Grace, that our Mission is
most urgent and vital to the fate of humanity and, fortified by these
sentiments, arise to achieve God’s holy purpose for mankind.
(2 December 1923, LAN 3)

Gloom An atmosphere of despair, despondency or
misery
Anarchy A situation in which there is a total lack of
organization or control
Severe Difficult to do or endure
Unparalleled Not equaled, matched or paralleled in kind or
quality
Profoundly Showing great perception, understanding or
knowledge
Mere The smallest
Seething To be violently agitated or disturbed
Grace Generosity of spirit
Vital Extremely important and necessary; dispensable
to the survival or continuing effectiveness of
something
Fate A consequence or final result
Fortified Strengthened or encouraged
Sentiments Underlying feelings
 | Empowering Words

3. Keep Our Vision Clear
I , shortly after Shoghi Effendi returned to the Holy Land after
an absence of some six months, he wrote to the English National
Spiritual Assembly:
If we all choose to tread faithfully His path, surely the day is not far
distant when our beloved Cause will have emerged from the inevitable
obscurity of a young and struggling Faith into the broad daylight of
universal recognition. This is our duty, our first obligation. Therein
lies the secret of the success of the Cause we love so well. Therein
lies the hope, the salvation of mankind. Are we fully conscious of
our responsibilities? Do we realise the urgency, the sacredness, the
immensity, the glory of our task?
I entreat you, dear friends, to continue, nay, to redouble your efforts,
to keep your vision clear, your hopes undimmed, your determination
unshaken, so that the power of God within us may fill the world with
all its glory.
(24 November 1924, UD 35-36)

Tread Walk
Emerged Become known
Inevitable Unavoidable
Obscurity A state of being unknown or inconspicuous
Immensity Unable to be measured; enormous
Unshaken Steadfast and unwavering
Empowering Words | 

4. Live the Life of a True Bahá’í
I N 1924, the Supreme Court of Iraq decided against the
Bahá’ís in the dispute over the House of Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdad. Shoghi
Effendi wrote to the English National Spiritual Assembly:
We have but to turn our eyes to the world without to realise the
fierceness and the magnitude of the forces of darkness that are
struggling with the dawning light of the Abhá Revelation. Nations,
though exhausted and disillusioned, have seemingly begun to cherish
anew the spirit of revenge, of domination, and strife. Peoples,
convulsed by economic upheavals, are slowly drifting into two great
opposing camps with all their menace of social chaos, class hatreds,
and world-wide ruin. Races, alienated more than ever before, are filled
with mistrust, humiliation and fear, and seem to prepare themselves
for a fresh and fateful encounter. Creeds and religions, caught in this
whirlpool of conflict and passion, appear to gaze with impotence and
despair at this spectacle of increasing turmoil.
Such is the plight of mankind three years after the passing of
Him from Whose lips fell unceasingly the sure message of a fast-
approaching Divine salvation. Are we by our thoughts, our words,
our deeds, whether individually or collectively, preparing the way?
Are we hastening the advent of the Day He so often foretold?
None can deny that the flame of faith and love which His mighty
hand kindled in many hearts has, despite our bereavement,
continued to burn as brightly and steadily as ever before. Who
can question that His loved ones, both in the East and the West,
notwithstanding the insidious strivings of the enemies of the Cause,
have displayed a spirit of unshakable loyalty worthy of the highest
praise? What greater perseverance and fortitude than that which His
tried and trusted friends have shown in the face of untold calamities,
intolerable oppression, and incredible restrictions? Such staunchness
of faith, such an unsullied love, such magnificent loyalty, such heroic
constancy, such noble courage, however unprecedented and laudable
in themselves, cannot alone lead us to the final and complete triumph
of such a great Cause. Not until the dynamic love we cherish for Him
is sufficiently reflected in its power and purity in all our dealings
with our fellowmen, however remotely connected and humble in
origin, can we hope to exalt in the eyes of a self-seeking world the
genuineness of the all-conquering love of God. Not until we live
ourselves the life of a true Bahá’í can we hope to demonstrate the
creative and transforming potency of the Faith we profess. Nothing
but the abundance of our actions, nothing but the purity of our lives
and the integrity of our character, can in the last resort establish our
 | Empowering Words

claim that the Bahá’í spirit is in this day the sole agency that can
translate a long cherished ideal into an enduring achievement.
(24 November 1924, UD 33-34)

Without Outside ourselves; outside our direct
surroundings
Fierceness Characterized by the violence or intensity of the
forces, activity or participants involved
Magnitude Greatness of size, volume or extent
Disillusioned Disappointed by destroyed illusion
Cherish To value something highly, for example, as a
right, freedom or privilege
Convulsed To cause extreme disruption or disturbance in
something
Menace Something that is a constant source of trouble
and annoyance
Alienated To make somebody feel that he or she does not
belong to or share in something, or is isolated
from it
Gaze A long, steady look or stare
Impotence The lack of strength or power to do anything
Despair A profound feeling that there is no hope
Spectacle Some strange or remarkable sight, an unusual
display
Turmoil A state of great confusion, commotion or
disturbance
Plight A difficult or dangerous situation, especially a sad
or desperate predicament
Unceasingly Not stopping; continuous
Salvation The saving of somebody or something from
harm, destruction, difficulty o failure
Kindled To make something glow, or to become bright
Despite Notwithstanding or regardless of something
Bereavement To deprive somebody of a beloved erson or a
treasured thing, especially through death
Notwithstanding In spite of
Insidious Slowly and subtly harmful or destructive
Fortitud Strength and endurance in a difficult or painful
situation
Untold Too great or numerous to be properly described
or counted
Intolerable So bad, difficult or painful that it cannot be
endured
Empowering Words | 

Staunchness Showing loyalty, dependability and enthusiasm
Unsullied Not spoiled or tarnished
Magnificent Exceptionally good of its kind; excellent
Unprecedented Having no earlier parallel or equivalent
Laudable Admirable and worthy of praise
Cherish To feel great love or care for somebody
Sufficiently As much as is needed
Profess To acknowledge something publicly
Abundance A great or plentiful amount of something
Integrity The quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering
to high moral principles or professional standards
Claim A statement that something is the case
Sole Only; single
Agency The action, medium, or means by which
something is accomplished
Enduring Lasting
 | Empowering Words

5. The Responsibilities It Is Our Privilege to Shoulder
T months after Shoghi Effendi’s translation of Nabil’s Narrative
entitled ‘The Dawnbreakers’ was published in 1932, he wrote to the
Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada:
Who, contemplating the helplessness, the fears and miseries of
humanity in this day, can any longer question the necessity for a fresh
revelation of the quickening power of God’s redemptive love and
guidance? Who, witnessing on one hand the stupendous advance
achieved in the realm of human knowledge, of power, of skill and
inventiveness, and viewing on the other the unprecedented character
of the sufferings that afflict, and the dangers that beset, present-day
society, can be so blind as to doubt that the hour has at last struck
for the advent of a new Revelation, for a re-statement of the Divine
Purpose, and for the consequent revival of those spiritual forces that
have, at fixed intervals, rehabilitated the fortunes of human society?
Does not the very operation of the world-unifying forces that are
at work in this age necessitate that He Who is the Bearer of the
Message of God in this day should not only reaffirm that self-same
exalted standard of individual conduct inculcated by the Prophets
gone before Him, but embody in His appeal, to all governments
and peoples, the essentials of that social code, that Divine Economy,
which must guide humanity’s concerted efforts in establishing that
all-embracing federation which is to signalize the advent of the
Kingdom of God on this earth?
May we not, therefore, recognizing as we do the necessity for such
a revelation of God’s redeeming power, meditate upon the supreme
grandeur of the System unfolded by the hand of Bahá’u’lláh in
this day? May we not pause, pressed though we be by the daily
preoccupations which the ever-widening range of the administrative
activities of His Faith must involve, to reflect upon the sanctity of the
responsibilities it is our privilege to shoulder?
(21 March 1932, WOB 60-61)

Stupendous Great in extent or degree
Beset Trouble continually
Rehabilitated Restored to a good condition, state or way of
living
Inculcated Fixed firmly in someone’s mind through forceful
repetition
Embody To gather and organize a number of things into a
whole
Empowering Words | 

Concerted Achieved or performed together
Supreme Highest in degree; ultimate
Grandeur The quality of being great and very impressive
Sanctity Considered holy or sacred; entitled to respect
and reverence
 | Empowering Words

6. Remodel Our Lives
I , less than a month after Shoghi Effendi gave Queen Marie of
Romania the gift of a Tablet in the handwriting of Bahá’u’lláh, he wrote
to the Bahá’ís of the West:
The onrushing forces so miraculously released through the agency
of two independent and swiftly successive Manifestations are now
under our very eyes and through the care of the chosen stewards of
a far-flung Faith being gradually mustered and disciplined. They are
slowly crystallizing into institutions that will come to be regarded
as the hall-mark and glory of the age we are called upon to establish
and by our deeds immortalize. For upon our present-day efforts,
and above all upon the extent to which we strive to remodel our
lives after the pattern of sublime heroism associated with those gone
before us, must depend the efficacy of the instruments we now
fashion - instruments that must erect the structure of that blissful
Commonwealth which must signalize the Golden Age of our Faith.
(8 February 1934, WOB 98)

Onrushing Rushing forward or onward
Successive Following one another
Stewards Those who actively direct affairs
Far-flung Widely distributed; wide-ranging
Mustered Gathered together for a particular reason
Crystallizing Taking a definite form
Hall-mark A distinguishing characteristic, trait or feature
Immortalize To make eternal
Extent The degree to which something applies
Strive To try hard to achieve or get something
Sublime Of the highest moral or spiritual value
Efficacy The ability to produce the necessary or desired
results
Fashion To give form or shape to something
Blissful Characterized by perfect happiness
Commonwealth A nation or state governed by the people
Signalize To make something conspicuous or remarkable
Empowering Words | 

7. Work Towards Universal Redemption
J a half year after Queen Marie of Romania died, Shoghi Effendi
penned these words in 1938 to the Bahá’ís of the United States and
Canada:
So sad and moving a spectacle, bewildering as it must be to every
observer unaware of the purposes, the prophecies, and promises of
Bahá’u’lláh, far from casting dismay into the hearts of His followers,
or paralyzing their efforts, cannot but deepen their faith, and excite
their enthusiastic eagerness to arise and display, in the vast field traced
for them by the pen of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, their capacity to play their part
in the work of universal redemption proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh.
(25 December 1938, ADJ 39-40)

Spectacle Some strange or remarkable sight, an unusual
display
Casting Causing to fall into a certain state
Dismay A complete loss of courage in the face of trouble
Redemption Improving something that has declined into a
poor state
 | Empowering Words

8. Consciousness of World Citizenship
I , four months before World War II began with Britain and
France declaring war on Germany after Germany invaded Poland,
Shoghi Effendi wrote to the Bahá’ís of North America:
Far be it from me to underrate the gigantic proportions of their task,
nor do I for one moment overlook the urgency and gravity of the
times in which they are laboring. Nor do I wish to minimize the
hazards and trials that surround or lie ahead of them. The grandeur
of their task is indeed commensurate with the mortal perils by which
their generation is hemmed in.
As the dusk creeps over a steadily sinking society the radiant outlines
of their redemptive mission become sharper every day. The present
world unrest, symptom of a world-wide malady, their world religion
has already affirmed must needs culminate in that world catastrophe
out of which the consciousness of world citizenship will be born,
a consciousness that can alone provide an adequate basis for the
organization of world unity, on which a lasting world peace must
necessarily depend, the peace itself inaugurating in turn that world
civilization which will mark the coming of age of the entire human
race.
Fortified by such reflections, the American believers, in whichever
section of the Western Hemisphere they find themselves laboring,
whether at home or abroad, and however dire and distressing the
processes involved in the disintegration of the structure of present-
day civilization, will, I feel convinced, prove themselves, through
their lives and deeds, worthy of that priceless heritage which it is their
undoubted privilege to proclaim, preserve and perpetuate.
(22 May 1939, MA 45)

Underrate To judge the value, degree or worth of someone
or something to be less than it really is
Gravity The seriousness of something considered in terms
of its unfavorable consequences
Hazards Possible sources of danger
Grandeur The quality of being great or grand, and very
impressive
Commensurate Of the same size or extent
Mortal Marked by great intensity or severity
Hemmed in Surrounded and enclosed
Dusk Partial or almost complete darkness
Creeps To appear, approach or develop gradually
Empowering Words | 

Outlines A preliminary account of a project
Redemptive: Saving someone or something from error or evil
Malady Sickness; an unwholesome condition that
equires a remedy
Culminate Reach a climax; come to completion
Catastrophe An occurrence causing widespread destruction
and distress
Inaugurating To initiate something or put it into operation,
especially in a formal or official manner
Coming of age Reaching an advanced stage of development
Fortified Strengthened; encouraged
Reflections Careful thought, especially the process of
reconsidering previous actions, events or
decisions
Dire Characterized by severe, serious or desperate
circumstances
Distressing Causing someone to feel extremely upset
Processes A series of actions directed toward a specific aim
Disintegration The loss of unity, cohesion, or integrity
Structure A system or organization made up of interrelated
parts functioning as a whole
Perpetuate To make something continue, usually for a very
long time
 | Empowering Words

9. Direct Our Immediate and Anxious Attention
I , Shoghi Effendi ordered from Italy twin monuments similar
in style to that of the Greatest Holy Leaf and sought permission from
the British authorities to reinter the remains of Navváb and the Purest
Branch on Mount Carmel near those of Bahiyyíh Khanum and the
Holy Mother. He wrote to the American Bahá’í community in the
summer:
… It is to the fierce struggle, the imperious duties, the distinctive
contributions which the present generation of Bahá’ís are summoned
to undertake and render that I feel we should, at this hour, direct our
immediate and anxious attention. Though powerless to avert the
impending contest the followers of Bahá’u’lláh can, by the spirit they
evince and the efforts they exert help to circumscribe its range, shorten
its duration, allay its hardships, proclaim its salutary consequences,
and demonstrate its necessary and vital role in the shaping of human
destiny. Theirs is the duty to hold, aloft and undimmed, the torch of
Divine guidance, as the shades of night descend upon, and ultimately
envelop the entire human race. Theirs is the function, amidst its
tumults, perils and agonies, to witness to the vision, and proclaim the
approach, of that re-created society, that Christ-promised Kingdom,
that World Order whose generative impulse is the spirit of none
other than Bahá’u’lláh Himself, whose dominion is the entire planet,
whose watchword is unity, whose animating power is the force of
Justice, whose directive purpose is the reign of righteousness and
truth, and whose supreme glory is the complete, the undisturbed
and everlasting felicity of the whole of human kind. By the sublimity
and serenity of their faith, by the steadiness and clarity of their vision,
the incorruptibility of their character, the rigor of their discipline, the
sanctity of their morals, and the unique example of their community
life, they can and indeed must in a world polluted with its incurable
corruptions, paralyzed by its haunting fears, torn by its devastating
hatreds, and languishing under the weight of its appalling miseries
demonstrate the validity of their claim to be regarded as the sole
repository of that grace upon whose operation must depend the
complete deliverance, the fundamental reorganization and the
supreme felicity of all mankind.
(28 July 1939, MA 50)

Fierce Violent or intense
Imperious Urgent; pressing
Distinctive Individually characteristic; different from others
Summoned Called upon for specific action
Empowering Words | 

Render Provide or give
Avert To prevent something from occurring
Impending About to happen
Evince To show a feeling or a quality clearly
Exert Apply or bring to bear
Circumscribe To limit something
Allay To reduce the intensity of; relieve
Salutary Of value or benefit to somebody or something
Aloft Upwards, high up, or in a higher position
Animating Arousing somebody or something into activity
Felicity Great happiness; bliss
Sublimity Excellence; being particularly impressive
Clarity Clearness in what somebody is thinking
Incorruptibility Incapable of being morally corrupted, especially
incapable of being bribed or motivated by selfish
interests
Rigor Forcefulness or extremely strict obedience to
rules
Sanctity The condition of being considered sacred or holy,
and therefore entitled to respect and reverence
Haunting Evoking strong emotion, specially a sense of
sadness, that persists for a long time
Devastating Causing severe or widespread damage
Languishing Existing in miserable or disheartening
conditions, often as a result of being deprived of
independence, freedom or attention
Appalling Shocking and very bad
Validity Based on truth or reason; able to be accepted
Sole Only; single
Repository Entrusted with something special
Fundamental Basic or central
Supreme Highest in degree
 | Empowering Words

10. The Requirements of the Present Hour
I , when Shaykh Kázim was martyred, Ridá Shah abdicated
and Muhammad-Ridá Shah acceded to the throne of Iran. Soon after,
Shoghi Effendi wrote to the National Spiritual Assembly of India:
… The vastness of the field, the smallness of your numbers, the
indifference of the masses, must neither discourage nor appal
you. You should at all times fix your gaze on the promise of
Bahá’u’lláh, put your whole trust in His creative Word, recall the
past and manifold evidences of His all-encompassing and resistless
power and arise to become worthy and exemplary recipients of His
all-sustaining grace and blessings. I appeal to every Indian and
Burmese believer, however modest his position, however limited his
knowledge, however restricted his means, to rise to the height of this
great opportunity which if missed will not recur again. To disperse,
to settle, to teach by word and deed, to persevere and sacrifice are the
requirements of the present hour. May the Almighty, Whose Cause
you are labouring to advance, endow you and your fellow-workers
with all the wisdom, the strength, and guidance that you need to
acquit yourselves worthily of this task.
(29 June 1941, DND 90-91)

Vastness Very great in size, amount, extent, number or
degree
Appal Dismay or shock
Gaze A steady, fixed look with unwavering attention
Manifold Many and various
Restricted Limited
Recur Occur again
Acquit Behave or perform in a specified way
Empowering Words | 

11. The Blessings That Will Be Conferred
I , the United Nations Committee on Palestine requested a
statement on the relationship between the Bahá’í Faith and the Bahá’í
attitude to any future changes in the status of the country. Shoghi
Effendi replied, setting out the non-political character of the Bahá’í
Faith and explaining that Palestine is both the administrative and the
spiritual headquarters of the religion. Several months later he wrote to
the British National Assembly:
The gigantic task, now being so energetically and successfully carried
out by the consecrated and firmly knit British Bahá’í community,
constitutes a glorious landmark in recent Bahá’í history, and will,
when viewed in proper perspective, deserve to be regarded as one
of the most outstanding enterprises launched by the followers of
Bahá’u’lláh in the opening years of the second Bahá’í century. Alike
in its magnitude and significance, this momentous undertaking is
unprecedented in the annals of the Faith in the British Isles, and
deserves to rank as one of the most compelling evidences of the
creative power of its Author, marking the rise and establishment of
His institutions on the European continent. It is yet too early to
assess the potentialities of this present Plan and those destined to
follow it, or estimate their future benefits. The blessings they will
confer, as the forces latent within them are progressively revealed,
on the people dwelling within those Islands, and subsequently, as
their sphere is enlarged and their implications are fully disclosed,
on the diversified peoples and races inhabiting the widely scattered
dependencies of a far-flung empire, in both the East and the West,
are unimaginably glorious.
(24 October 1947, UD 208)

Consecrated Dedicated to a sacred purpose
Firmly knit Securely united
Constitutes Creates or establishes something formally
Landmark Important new development
Rank To give a particular order or status to something
Compelling Attracting strong interest and attention
Latent Present, but not evident or active
Implications Consequences; influences
 | Empowering Words

12. What We Have to Manifest
I , when the owners of a house near the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh fled
and the house became government property, Shoghi Effendi restored
the house and made it into a pilgrim house. In the same year, he wrote
to the American Bahá’í Community:
May He Who called them into being and raised them up, Who
fostered them in their infancy, Who extended to them the blessing of
His personal support in their years of childhood, Who bequeathed
to them the distinguishing heritage of His Plan, Whose Will and
Testament initiated them, during the period of their adolescence,
in the processes of a divinely appointed Administrative Order, Who
enabled them to attain maturity through the inauguration of the
first stage in the execution of His Plan, Who conferred upon them
the privilege of spiritual parenthood at the close of the initial phase
in the operation of that same Plan, continue through the further
unfoldment of the second stage in its evolution to guide their steps
along the path leading to the assumption of functions proclaiming
the attainment of full spiritual manhood, and enable them eventually,
through the long and slow processes of evolution and in conformity
with the future requirements of a continually evolving Plan, to
manifest before the eyes of the members of their sister communities,
their countrymen and the whole world, and in all their plenitude,
the potentialities inherent within them, and which in the fullness
of time, must reflect in its perfected form, the glories of the mission
constituting their birthright.
(8 November 1948, CF 63)

Fostered Promoted the growth or development of
Bequeathed Handed something down to future generations,
for example, knowledge or practice,
Distinguishing Special; different
Heritage Property that is passed down
Initiated Instructed in the principles of something new
Enabled Provided somebody with the resources, authority
or opportunity to do something
Attain To achieve a goal or desired state, usually with
effort
Inauguration The act of bringing something into service or
putting it into operation
Conferred To give, to grant
Assumption Taking something upon yourself
Conformity Following a standard
Empowering Words | 

Manifest To show something clearly
Plenitude An abundance or plentiful supply of something
Inherent Existing as a natural or basic part of something
Fullness The quality of being full or complete
Constituting Amounting to, or having the status of a
particular thing
Birthright A right or privilege to which a person is entitled
by birth
 | Empowering Words

13. The Vital, Ever-Present Need of Deepening in the Faith
T name ‘Bahá’í International Community’ was first used in March
1948 to refer to the eight existing National Spiritual Assemblies. They
were recognized collectively as a non-governmental organization which
took part in its first United Nations conference in May, on human
rights. Later that year, Shoghi Effendi wrote to the National Spiritual
Assembly of Australia and New Zealand:
As the processes impelling a rapidly evolving Order on the highroad
of its destiny multiply and gather momentum, attention should be
increasingly directed to the vital need of ensuring, by every means
possible, the deepening of the Faith, the understanding and the
spiritual life of the individuals who, as the privileged members
of this community, are called upon to participate in this glorious
unfoldment, and are lending their assistance to this historic
evolution. A profound study of the Faith which they have espoused,
its history, its spiritual as well as administrative principles; a thorough
understanding of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh and of the Will of
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, a deeper realization of the implications of the claims
advanced by the Founders of the Faith; strict adherence to the laws
and principles which they have established; a greater dedication to
the fundamentals and verities enshrined in their teachings - these
constitute, I feel convinced, the urgent need of the members of this
rapidly expanding community. For upon this spiritual foundation
must depend the solidity of the institutions which they are now so
painstakingly erecting. Every outward thrust into new fields, every
multiplication of Bahá’í institutions, must be paralleled by a deeper
thrust of the roots which sustain the spiritual life of the community
and ensure its sound development. From this vital, this ever-present
need, attention must at no time be diverted; nor must it be, under
any circumstances, neglected, or subordinated to the no less vital and
urgent task of ensuring the outer expansion of Bahá’í administrative
institutions. That this community, so alive, so devoted, so strikingly
and rapidly developing, may maintain a proper balance between
these two essential aspects of its development, and march forward
with rapid strides and along sound lines toward the goal of the Plan it
has adopted, is the ardent hope of my heart and my constant prayer.
(30 December 1948, LAN 75-76)

Impelling Starting or keeping something or somebody
moving in a particular direction
Highroad The easiest or most direct way to somewhere
Ensuring Making sure that something will happen
Empowering Words | 

Espoused Adopted or supported something as a belief or
cause
Implications The effects that an action or decision will have on
something else in the future
Adherence Holding firmly to a belief, idea or opinion
Enshrined Cherished as sacred
Constitute To make up the whole or a particular part of
something
Solidity Being solid and reliable
Painstakingly Carefully and with attention to detail
Thrust A forceful movement or push
Sustain To make something continue to exist; support
Ensure To make sure that something will happen or be
available
Diverted Distracted; turned aside from a course of action
Subordinated Treating something as less important and
allowing something else to take priority
Strikingly Attracting attention, especially in an impressive
or unusual way
 | Empowering Words

14. Momentous Possibilities
I , during the month when the second European Teaching
Conference was held in Brussels, Belgium, Shoghi Effendi wrote to the
National Assembly of Australia and New Zealand:
The task undertaken is immense, fraught with momentous
possibilities, highly delicate in nature, and bound to have far-
reaching repercussions, not only in the West, and particularly in
the continent of Europe, where the institutions of Bahá’u’lláh’s
Administrative Order are emerging with such rapidity and showing
such promise, but on the continent of Asia, where the overwhelming
majority of the followers of the Most Great Name, have endured
such grievous afflictions, and are faced with grave peril, and are
battling so heroically against the forces of darkness with which they
are encompassed. The nature of the work in which this wide-awake,
untrammelled unprejudiced, freedom-loving community, is so
energetically engaged, cannot, therefore, be regarded as a purely local
and isolated enterprise, but is vitally linked with the fortunes of a
world-encircling Order, functioning mysteriously in both the Eastern
and Western Hemispheres, highly organized in its administrative
machinery, sensitive in its mechanism, far-flung in its ramifications,
challenging in its features, revolutionizing in its implications, and
destined to seek increasingly, as it expands and develops, the good-
will and assistance of the civil authorities in every continent of the
globe.
(22 August 1949, LAN 79-80)

Fraught Full of or charged with a particular element
Repercussions Widespread, indirect or unforeseen effects of an
act, action or event
Emerging Starting to appear, arise, occur or develop
Endured Experienced exertion, pain or hardship without
giving up
Grievous Very bad or severe
Afflictions Conditions of great physical or mental distress
Grave Likely to produce great harm or danger
Peril Danger, exposure to risk of harm
Encompassed Surrounded, enveloped or encircled
Untrammelled Not restricted or restrained
Enterprise A project or undertaking that is especially
difficult, complicated or risky
Vitally Of the utmost importance; essentially
Fortunes The success or failure of a person or enterprise
Empowering Words | 

Far-flung Widespread
Ramifications The possible results of an action
Challenging Difficult, in a way that tests your ability or
determination
Features Important elements of something
Revolutionizing Causing a radical change in something such as a
method or approach
Implications Important and extensive effects
 | Empowering Words

15. Contribute to Spiritualization and Material Progress
I , after Shoghi Effendi announced the establishment of the
International Bahá’í Council (a forerunner to the Universal House of
Justice) with its seat in the Western Pilgrim House, and also one day
before he announced the completion of the restoration of the House of
`Abbúd, he wrote to the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada:
May this community, the leaven placed by the hands of Providence
in the midst of a people belonging to a nation, likewise young
dynamic, richly endowed with material resources, and assured of a
great material prosperity by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, play its part not only in
lending a notable impetus to the world-wide propagation of the Faith
it has espoused, but contribute, as its resources multiply and as it
gains in stature, to the spiritualization and material progress of the
nation of which it forms so vital a part.
(1 March 1951, MC 23)

Leaven An element or agent that works to lighten or
modify a whole (like yeast in bread)
Providence God, perceived as a caring force guiding
humankind
Lending Giving a particular quality or character to
something
Notable Significant, interesting or unusual enough to
deserve attention or to be recorded
Impetus The energy or motivation to accomplish or
undertake something
Empowering Words | 

16. Set an Example
I , Shoghi Effendi appointed the second contingent of Hands
of the Cause of God; described the plans for a marble colonnade to
encircle the Shrine of the Báb as an intermediate step to building a
superstructure for the Shrine; sent his ideas to Italy for scale drawings
and a cost estimate; and also announced the enlargement of the
International Bahá’í Council to eight members. It was in this year that
he wrote to the German National Spiritual Assembly:
Time is running out. The work they have to accomplish is immense,
exacting, thrilling and inescapable. The hosts of the Concourse on
high will surely lead them onward and assure them a resounding
victory, if they but keep their vision undimmed, if they refuse to faint
or falter, if they persevere and remain faithful to both the spiritual
and the administrative principles inculcated by their Faith.
That they may discharge nobly their trust, that they may emerge
triumphant from the first stage of their collective and historic
undertaking, that they may set an undying example to their brethren
in East and West, of Bahá’í solidarity, of tenacity of purpose, of
single-minded devotion, of unrelaxing vigilance, of assiduous labour,
of harmonious cooperation, of audacity, and of absolute dedication
to the aims and purposes of their Faith, is the object of my special,
my loving and constant prayers at the threshold of the Shrine of
Bahá’u’lláh.
(30 May 1952, LDG Vol. I, 186)

Resounding Clear and unmistakable
Inculcated Instilled; taught by frequent instruction
Tenacity Very determined
Vigilance Alert watchfulness
Assiduous Something done with constant and careful
attention
Audacity Willing to take bold risks: daring
 | Empowering Words

17. Seize Every Opportunity
H  the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New
Zealand in 1952 shortly before he inaugurated The Holy Year, when
he also announced his decision to launch “the fate-laden, soul-stirring,
decade-long world-embracing Spiritual Crusade” in the coming year
and he called upon the Hands of the Cause to appoint during Ridván
1954 five Auxiliary Boards to act as their adjuncts or deputies to work
with the National Spiritual Assemblies to execute the projected national
plans:
This community, now standing on the threshold of an era of
unprecedented expansion, and gazing towards the glorious future
that awaits it, must seize the priceless opportunities which these fast-
fleeting months offer it, and must not allow for a moment its vision
to be dimmed, its resolution to flag, its attention to be distracted or
its faith in its ultimate destiny to waver.
With a heart full of hope, and with an affection and fervour which
every forward step in the progress of its strenuous labours serves to
intensify, I will supplicate at the threshold of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh
to enable His stalwart followers championing His Cause in those
far-away lands to achieve a resounding success in the task they have
pledged themselves to fulfil.
(Shoghi Effendi, June 3, 1952, appended to a letter written on his
behalf to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New
Zealand, published in “Letters from the Guardian to Australia and
New Zealand”, p. 106)

Unprecedented Never done or known before
Resolution A firm decision to do something
Waver To become unsure
Fervour Extreme intensity of emotion or belief
Strenuous Requiring great effort
Stalwart Dependable and loyal
Resounding Clear and unmistakable
Empowering Words | 

18. Distinguish Ourselves by Deeds of Heroism
I A 1953, Shoghi Effendi, during a moving ceremony, placed
a silver box containing a fragment of plaster from the ceiling of the
Báb’s cell in Máh-Kú under a tile in the golden dome of the Shrine
of the Báb. That year he also announced plans to build a House of
Worship in Frankfurt, and sent this message to the Hands of the
Cause, members of the National Spiritual Assemblies, the pioneers, the
resident believers and visitors attending the European Intercontinental
Teaching Conference in Stockholm, Sweden, in July:
May all the privileged participators, enlisting under the banner of
Bahá’u’lláh for the promotion of so pre-eminent and meritorious
a Cause, be they from the Eastern or Western hemisphere, of
either sex, white or coloured, young or old, neophyte or veteran,
whether serving in their capacity as expounders of the teachings,
or administrators, of His Faith, as settlers or itinerant teachers,
distinguish themselves by such deeds of heroism as will rival, nay
outshine, the feats accomplished nineteen hundred years ago by that
little band of God-intoxicated disciples who, fearlessly preaching the
Gospel of a newly-arisen Messiah, contributed so decisively to the
illumination, the regeneration and the advancement of the entire
European continent.
(21 July 1953, UD 320)

Enlisting Becoming actively involved in an effort
Banner A guiding principle or cause
Pre-eminent Highly distinguished or outstanding
Neophyte A recent convert to a religion
Expounders Those who give an explanation of the meaning
and implications of a written text
Itinerant Traveling from place to place
Outshine To surpass somebody or something else,
especially in terms of excellence or quality
Feats Remarkable acts or achievements involving
courage, skill or strength
Intoxicated Intensely excited
 | Empowering Words

19. All Must Arise
I , three months before Shoghi Effendi wrote to the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Benelux Countries, he announced the
appointments of the third contingent of Hands of the Cause of God:
Enoch Olinga, William Sears, John Robarts, Hasan Balyuzi, John
Ferraby, Collis Featherstone, Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir and Abdu’l-Qásim
Faizi and designated the Hands of the Cause the “Chief Stewards of
Bahá’u’lláh’s embryonic World commonwealth”; four months later
Shoghi Effendi passed away in London:
… No sacrifice can be deemed too great, no labour too arduous.
For the purpose of achieving its goals all must arise, whether young
or old, however limited their resources or experience, to contribute
their share to the consummation of this collective task. A concerted
effort, unexampled in its range and intensity, must needs be exerted
to augment, to an unprecedented degree, the number of the avowed
and active supporters of the Faith in each of these three countries,
whose people stand in such dire need of its life-giving principles and
ideals as well as its divinely appointed institutions. Simultaneously,
effective measures must be undertaken, by the elected representatives
of these communities, as well as by the rank and file of the believers,
to multiply rapidly the number of isolated centres, groups and local
assemblies, constituting the bedrock on which a divinely conceived
order must rest.
(5 July 1957, DC 151)

Deemed Considered to be
Arduous Difficult and tiring
Consummation Fulfilment; completion
Concerted Achieved or performed together
Augment Increase
Avowed Openly declared
Dire Desperately urgent
Simultaneously At the same time
Photograph by Nayyirih G. de Koning-Tahzib
Our Path of Service
Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole
staircase.
W does it mean to serve the Faith? How should we view our service
to the Faith? How can we become more effective? How important is
what we do? And how much time should we give to serving the Faith?
These kinds of questions are important to address.
This section sheds light on service and its many aspects.
 | Empowering Words

20. The Foundation That Must Be
Firmly Laid in Our Hearts
D 1923, Amelia Collins contributed the funds necessary to
complete the Western Pilgrim House. In the same month that Shoghi
Effendi sent his early translation of the “Hidden Words” to America, he
wrote to the Bahá’ís throughout London, Manchester and Bournemouth
care of the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles:
The supreme necessity, and the urgent need of the Cause of God
at present, is the unity of the friends, and their sustained and
wholehearted co-operation in their task of spreading the Divine
Teachings throughout the world. It is the sacred duty of all believers
to have implicit confidence in, and support heartily, every decision
passed by their Spiritual Assemblies, whether local or central; and the
members of these Assemblies must, on their part, set aside their own
inclinations, personal interests, likes and dislikes, and regard only
the welfare of the Cause and the well-being of the friends. This is
surely the foundation which must be firmly laid in the hearts of all
believers the world over, for upon this only can any constructive and
permanent service be achieved, and the edifice of the Beloved’s last
instructions, as revealed in His Will and Testament, be raised and
established.
The all-conquering Spirit of Bahá’u’lláh cannot prove effective in
this world of strife and turmoil, and cannot achieve its purpose for
mankind, unless we, who are named after His Name, and who are
the recipients of His Grace, endeavour, by our example, our daily life
and our dealings with our fellow-men, to reveal that noble spirit of
love and self-sacrifice of which the world stands in need at present.
(1 February 1923, UD 13-14)

Supreme Greater than or superior to any other, especially
above all others in power, authority, rank, status
or skill
Sustained Kept up; prolonged
Implicit Not affected by any uncertainty or doubt;
unquestioning
Heartily In a full and complete way
Inclinations Preferences or tendencies; feelings that make a
person want to do one thing instead of another
Welfare Prosperity; success
Well-being The state of being happy, healthy or prosperous
Edifice An elaborate structure
Empowering Words | 

All-conquering Victorious; overcoming obstacles or opposition
Strife Bitter and sometimes violent conflict, struggle or
rivalry
Turmoil A state of great confusion, commotion or
disturbance
 | Empowering Words

21. Effectiveness in Serving
I  in May, Queen Marie of Romania wrote three articles as a
testimonial to the Bahá’í Faith for a syndicated series entitled “Queen’s
Counsel” which appeared in over 200 newspapers in the United States
and Canada. Shoghi Effendi wrote this to an individual:
I strongly urge you to devote, while you are pursuing your studies, as
much time as you possibly can to a thorough study of the history and
Teachings of our Beloved Cause. This is the prerequisite of a future
successful career of service to the Bahá’í Faith in which I hope and
pray you will distinguish yourself in the days to come.
(18 May 1926, CC Vol. II, 416)

Prerequisite An object, quality, or condition that is required
in order for something else to happen
Empowering Words | 

22. What We Need to Demonstrate to Our Fellow-
Countrymen
I , the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and
Canada drew up and published a “Declaration of Trust” and “By-
laws of the National Spiritual Assembly”. Shoghi Effendi described it
as the Bahá’í “national constitution” heralding “the formation of the
constitution of the future Bahá’í World Community”. It was also in this
year that Shoghi Effendi translated the “Hidden Words” and wrote to
the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada:
Not by merely imitating the excesses and laxity of the extravagant
age they live in; not by the idle neglect of the sacred responsibilities
it is their privilege to shoulder; not by the silent compromise of the
principles dearly cherished by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; not by their fear of
unpopularity or their dread of censure can they hope to rouse society
from its spiritual lethargy, and serve as a model to a civilization
the foundations of which the corrosion of prejudice has well-nigh
undermined. By the sublimity of their principles, the warmth of
their love, the spotless purity of their character, and the depth of
their devoutness and piety, let them demonstrate to their fellow-
countrymen the ennobling reality of a power that shall weld a
disrupted world.
We can prove ourselves worthy of our Cause only if in our individual
conduct and corporate life we sedulously imitate the example of our
beloved Master, Whom the terrors of tyranny, the storms of incessant
abuse, the oppressiveness of humiliation, never caused to deviate a
hair’s breadth from the revealed Law of Bahá’u’lláh.
Such is the path of servitude, such is the way of holiness He chose
to tread to the very end of His life. Nothing short of the strictest
adherence to His glorious example can safely steer our course amid
the pitfalls of this perilous age, and lead us on to fulfill our high
destiny.
(2 April 1927, BA 131-132)

Rouse To stir somebody into action or make them
become more active
Lethargy Lack of energy, activity or enthusiasm
Piety A strong, respectful belief in God and strict
observance of religious principles in everyday life
Weld To form a union or a close association
 | Empowering Words

Disrupted Destroyed the order or orderly progression of
something
Sedulously Carried out with great care, concentration and
commitment
Empowering Words | 

23. How to Ensure Success
D March of 1930, when Queen Marie of Romania’s visit to the
Bahá’í Shrines was thwarted, Shoghi Effendi wrote to the Bahá’ís of the
West the following:
How pressing and sacred the responsibility that now weighs upon
those who are already acquainted with these teachings! How glorious
the task of those who are called upon to vindicate their truth, and
demonstrate their practicability to an unbelieving world! Nothing
short of an immovable conviction in their divine origin, and their
uniqueness in the annals of religion; nothing short of an unwavering
purpose to execute and apply them to the administrative machinery
of the Cause, can be sufficient to establish their reality, and insure
their success. How vast is the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh! How
great the magnitude of His blessings showered upon humanity in
this day! And yet, how poor, how inadequate our conception of
their significance and glory! This generation stands too close to so
colossal a Revelation to appreciate, in their full measure, the infinite
possibilities of His Faith, the unprecedented character of His Cause,
and the mysterious dispensations of His Providence.
(21 March 1930, WOB 24)

Pressing Needing to be attended to without delay
Vindicate Confirm, defend, uphold
Nothing short There is no other course of action open to
somebody
Unwavering Steady and firm in purpose
Machinery An interconnected series of parts or processes
that works like a mechanical system to produce a
result
Vast Enormous; very great in size, number or amount
Magnitude Greatness of size
Blessings God’s help
Shower A large flow of something; an outpouring
Colossal Unusually large
Appreciate Value very highly
Full measure Highest degree or largest extent
Infinite Not measurable
Unprecedented Having no earlier parallel or equivalent
Dispensations Divine ordering of affairs and events of the world
Providence Divine direction; the care, guardianship and
control exercised by God
 | Empowering Words

24. The Object of Our Constant Endeavor
I J of 1934, Shoghi Effendi gave a gift of a Tablet in the
handwriting of Bahá’u’lláh to Queen Marie of Romania. A month later
he wrote to the Bahá’ís of the West:
To strive to obtain a more adequate understanding of the significance
of Bahá’u’lláh’s stupendous Revelation must, it is my unalterable
conviction, remain the first obligation and the object of the constant
endeavor of each one of its loyal adherents. An exact and thorough
comprehension of so vast a system, so sublime a revelation, so sacred
a trust, is for obvious reasons beyond the reach and ken of our finite
minds. We can, however, and it is our bounden duty to seek to
derive fresh inspiration and added sustenance as we labor for the
propagation of His Faith through a clearer apprehension of the truths
it enshrines and the principles on which it is based.
(8 February 1934, WOB 100)

Strive To try hard to achieve or get something
Obtain To get possession of something, especially
by making an effort or having the necessary
qualifications
Significance The quality of having importance or being
regarded as having great meaning
Stupendous Impressively large, excellent or great in extent or
degree
Unalterable Permanent
Conviction Firmly held belief
Adherents Supporters
Comprehension The grasping of the meaning of something
Sublime So awe-inspiringly beautiful as to seem almost
heavenly
Trust A situation in which things are placed in the
care of somebody who is expected to behave
responsibly and honorably
Reach and ken Understanding; perception
Bounden Morally binding; obligatory
Derive To obtain or get something from a source
Sustenance Nourishment that supports life
Apprehension The power or ability to grasp the importance,
significance or meaning of something
Enshrines Cherishes as sacred; encloses
Empowering Words | 

25. To Teach the Cause Is the Ultimate Purpose
I  the government of Iran took several measures against the
Bahá’ís throughout the country; towards the end of that year, Shoghi
Effendi wrote this to an individual:
I am so glad to note a decided improvement in the administrative
conduct of Bahá’í affairs in India, and I trust and pray that the
teaching work will as a result receive a fresh and unprecedented
impetus. To teach the Cause is the ultimate purpose and the supreme
objective of all Bahá’í institutions. These are but means to an end.
May the Beloved grant you strength to enhance the splendid work
you have already achieved.
(3 November 1934, DND 189-190)

Unprecedented Having no earlier example or equivalent
Impetus The energy or motivation to accomplish or
undertake something
Grant Allow something as favor
Enhance To improve or add to the strength, worth, beauty
or other desirable quality of something
Splendid Impressive because of quality or size
 | Empowering Words

26. Be Lovers of Mankind
I , a month before Shoghi Effendi wrote this to the Bahá’ís of the
West, Martha Root met with Queen Marie of Romania for the eighth
and last time:
The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh has assimilated, by virtue of its creative, its
regulative and ennobling energies, the varied races, nationalities,
creeds and classes that have sought its shadow, and have pledged
unswerving fealty to its cause. It has changed the hearts of its
adherents, burned away their prejudices, stilled their passions,
exalted their conceptions, ennobled their motives, coordinated
their efforts, and transformed their outlook. While preserving their
patriotism and safeguarding their lesser loyalties, it has made them
lovers of mankind, and the determined upholders of its best and
truest interests. While maintaining intact their belief in the Divine
origin of their respective religions, it has enabled them to visualize
the underlying purpose of these religions, to discover their merits,
to recognize their sequence, their interdependence, their wholeness
and unity, and to acknowledge the bond that vitally links them to
itself. This universal, this transcending love which the followers of
the Bahá’í Faith feel for their fellow-men, of whatever race, creed,
class or nation, is neither mysterious nor can it be said to have been
artificially stimulated. It is both spontaneous and genuine. They
whose hearts are warmed by the energizing influence of God’s creative
love cherish His creatures for His sake, and recognize in every human
face a sign of His reflected glory.
Of such men and women it may be truly said that to them “every
foreign land is a fatherland, and every fatherland a foreign land.”
For their citizenship, it must be remembered, is in the Kingdom of
Bahá’u’lláh. Though willing to share to the utmost the temporal
benefits and the fleeting joys which this earthly life can confer,
though eager to participate in whatever activity that conduces to the
richness, the happiness and peace of that life, they can, at no time,
forget that it constitutes no more than a transient, a very brief stage
of their existence, that they who live it are but pilgrims and wayfarers
whose goal is the Celestial City, and whose home the Country of
never-failing joy and brightness.
(11 March 1936, WOB 197-198)

Assimilated Integrate somebody into a larger group, so that
differences are minimized or eliminated, or
become integrated in this way
Unswerving Firm and unchanging in intent or purpose
Empowering Words | 

Fealty Loyalty or allegiance shown to someone
Adherents Supporters
Intact Not having any missing parts
Temporal Lasting only for a time; passing
 | Empowering Words

27. Concentrate Our Energies
on the Teaching Work
T months before Shoghi Effendi wrote this letter in 1938 to the
National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles, the first Bahá’í of
the British Isles, Mary Virginia Thornburgh Cropper, passed away in
Kensington, London, and one month later Munírih Khanum, the Holy
Mother, wife of `Abdu’l-Bahá, passed away. Shoghi Effendi interred her
body just west of the Shrine of Bahíyyih Khanum and erected a simple
monument over her grave.
I greatly welcome the determination of the English believers to
concentrate their energies on the teaching work, and I pray from all
my heart for the success of their high endeavours in this all-important
field of Bahá’í service. Individuals as well as local Assemblies must
arise and co-operate and persevere and refuse to allow any obstacle,
however formidable, to dim their hopes or to deflect them from the
course they have so spontaneously chosen to pursue. Kindly assure
them of my constant prayers for their success.
(17 May 1938, UD 120)

Formidable Difficult to deal with or overcome
Deflect Direct attention away
Empowering Words | 

28. Empower the Bahá’í Youth
A  end of 1938, just a few months before World War II began with
Britain and France declaring war on Germany after Germany invaded
Poland, Shoghi Effendi addressed the Bahá’í youth of the United States
and Canada:
To the Bahá’í youth of America, moreover, I feel a word should be
addressed in particular, as I survey the possibilities which a campaign
of such gigantic proportions has to offer to the eager and enterprising
spirit that so powerfully animates them in the service of the Cause of
Bahá’u’lláh. Though lacking in experience and faced with insufficient
resources, yet the adventurous spirit which they possess, and the vigor,
the alertness, and optimism they have thus far so consistently shown,
qualify them to play an active part in arousing the interest, and in
securing the allegiance, of their fellow youth in those countries. No
greater demonstration can be given to the peoples of both continents
of the youthful vitality and the vibrant power animating the life, and
the institutions of the nascent Faith of Bahá’u’lláh than an intelligent,
persistent, and effective participation of the Bahá’í youth, of every
race, nationality, and class, in both the teaching and administrative
spheres of Bahá’í activity. Through such a participation the critics and
enemies of the Faith, watching with varying degrees of skepticism and
resentment, the evolutionary processes of the Cause of God and its
institutions, can best be convinced of the indubitable truth that such
a Cause is intensely alive, is sound to its very core, and its destinies
in safe keeping. I hope, and indeed pray, that such a participation
may not only redound to the glory, the power, and the prestige of
the Faith, but may also react so powerfully on the spiritual lives, and
galvanize to such an extent the energies of the youthful members of
the Bahá’í community, as to empower them to display, in a fuller
measure, their inherent capacities, and to unfold a further stage in
their spiritual evolution under the shadow of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
(25 December 1938, ADJ 58)

Animates Rouses or inspires somebody to take action
Insufficient Not enough
Nascent Emerging; coming into existence
Persistent Continuing despite problems
Skepticism Doubting attitude
Resentment Ill feeling
Indubitable Not to be doubted
Redound Contribute; have an effect
Galvanize Arouse to awareness or action (see also next quote)
 | Empowering Words

29. Be Ambassadors of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh
J two months before Martha Root, “foremost Hand raised by
Bahá’u’lláh”, died in Honolulu in September 1939, Shoghi Effendi
wrote this to the American National Spiritual Assembly:
Let the privileged few, the ambassadors of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh,
bear in mind His words as they go forth on their errands of service
to His Cause. “It behoveth whosoever willeth to journey for the sake
of God, and whose intention is to proclaim His Word and quicken
the dead, to bathe himself with the waters of detachment, and to
adorn his temple with the ornaments of resignation and submission.
Let trust in God be his shield, and reliance on God his provision,
and the fear of God his raiment. Let patience be his helper, and
praise-worthy conduct his succorer, and goodly deeds his army. Then
will the concourse on high sustain him. Then will the denizens of
the Kingdom of Names march forth with him, and the banners of
Divine guidance and inspiration be unfurled on his right hand and
before him.”
Faced with such a challenge, a community that has scaled thus far
such peaks of enduring achievements can neither falter nor recoil.
Confident in its destiny, reliant on its God-given power, fortified
by the consciousness of its past victories, galvanized into action at
the sight of a slowly disrupting civilization, it will - I can have no
doubt - continue to fulfil unflinchingly the immediate requirements
of its task, assured that with every step it takes and with each stage
it traverses, a fresh revelation of Divine light and strength will guide
and propel it forward until it consummates, in the fulness of time
and in the plenitude of its power, the Plan inseparably bound up with
its shining destiny.
(4 July 1939, MA 48)

Resignation Accepting something with patience, especially
with tolerance when it is unpleasant or
unwelcome
Submission The condition of being submissive, humble or
compliant
Succorer Something providing help or relief to somebody
in a difficult situation
Denizens Residents
Unfurled Be rolled out or spread
Scaled Climbed up something, especially a steep incline
Enduring Persisting or surviving in the face of difficulties
Falter To become unsure and hesitant
Empowering Words | 

Recoil To move back suddenly and violently, e.g. after
an impact
Fortified Made stronger
Galvanized To react as if stimulated by an electric shock (see
also last quote)
Disrupting Destroying the order or orderly progression of
something
Unflinchingly Unhesitatingly; strongly
Traverses Crosses; passes through something
Consummates Achieves or fulfills something
In the fulness
of time After a period of time that must pass before
something happens
Plenitude The condition of being full, ample or complete
Inseparably So closely linked as to be impossible to consider
separately
 | Empowering Words

30. Extend Our Range of Activities
I , the House of the Báb in Shiraz was attacked and damaged by
fire and Lidia Zamenhof was killed in the gas chambers at Treblinka. At
this time, Shoghi Effendi wrote to the British Isles:
The steady progress and extension of Bahá’í activities in the British
Isles is, no doubt, the direct consequence of the unswerving loyalty,
the high courage, the incorruptible spirit and the exemplary devotion
and steadfastness of the British believers, who have, simply and
strikingly, demonstrated the quality of their faith and the soundness
of their institutions in these days of unprecedented commotion, stress
and peril. I feel proud of their record of service and of the evidence
of their noble faith. The Beloved watches over them from the Abhá
Kingdom. The Concourse on High extols their achievements and
will reinforce their endeavours. They should confidently, gratefully,
joyously and unitedly redouble their efforts, extend the range of their
activities, rededicate themselves to their historic task and anticipate a
renewed outpouring of Bahá’u’lláh’s promised blessings and favours.
(20 June 1942, UD 153)

Unswerving Firm and unchanging in intent or purpose
Incorruptible Incapable of being morally corrupted, especially
incapable of being bribed or motivated by selfish
or base interests
Strikingly Impressively
Soundness Based on good sense; free from moral defects
Extols Praises somebody or something with great
enthusiasm and admiration
Empowering Words | 

31. The Magnet That Will Attract
the Promised Blessings
L in 1942, when Shoghi Effendi asked Sutherland Maxwell to
design the superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb, he wrote to the
National Spiritual Assembly of India:
The pioneer activities in which the friends in India are so steadfastly,
so energetically and so devotedly engaged, in spite of the perils, the
uncertainties and the stress of the present hour, are a marvellous
evidence of the indomitable spirit that animates them in the service
of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. Perseverance is the magnet that will, in
these days, attract the promised blessings of the Almighty Author of
our beloved Faith. Unity and harmony constitute the basis on which
the structure of these activities can securely rest. Self-sacrifice, audacity,
undeviating adherence to the essentials of the Faith, will reinforce that
structure and accelerate its rise. That the dear friends in India are
increasingly demonstrating the quality and depth of their faith and the
character and range of their accomplishments is a source of intense
satisfaction to me, and I will continue to supplicate our Beloved to
guide their steps, cheer their hearts, illumine their understanding, and
fulfil their highest and noblest aspirations. He indeed is well pleased
with the record of their past services, and will, if they redouble their
efforts, enable them to achieve a signal victory.
(27 June 1942, DND 99)

Marvellous Something that inspires awe, amazement or
admiration
Indomitable Brave, determined, incapable of being overcome
Animates Arouses someone into activity or motion
Perseverance Steady and continued action, usually over a
long period and especially despite difficulties or
setbacks
Constitute Make up the whole or a particular part of
something
Audacity Daring or willingness to challenge assumptions
or conventions; tackling something difficult or
dangerous
Undeviating Not turning or changing, especially remaining
constant or true to somebody or something
Adherence To hold firmly to a belief, idea or opinion
 | Empowering Words

Reinforce To make something stronger by providing
additional external support or internal stiffening
for it
Accelerate To cause to develop more quickly
Empowering Words | 

32. We Owe a Debt of Gratitude
That No One Can Describe
I , one month before the Centenary of the Declaration of the
Báb when Shoghi Effendi unveiled the model of the Shrine of the
Báb in Haifa, he wrote these moving words to the American Bahá’í
community:
To the band of pioneers, whether settlers or itinerant teachers, who
have forsaken their homes, who have scattered far and wide, who
have willingly sacrificed their comfort, their health and even their
lives for the prosecution of this Plan; to the several committees and
their auxiliary agencies that have been entrusted with special and
direct responsibility for its efficient and orderly development and
who have discharged their high responsibilities with exemplary vigor,
courage and fidelity; to the national representatives of the community
itself, who have vigilantly and tirelessly supervised, directed and
coordinated the unfolding processes of this vast undertaking ever
since its inception; to all those who, though not in the forefront
of battle, have through their financial assistance and through the
instrumentality of their deputies, contributed to the expansion and
consolidation of the Plan, I myself, as well as the entire Bahá’í world,
owe a debt of gratitude that no one can measure or describe. To the
sacrifices they have made, to the courage they have so consistently
shown, to the fidelity they have so remarkably displayed, to the
resourcefulness, the discipline, the constancy and devotion they
have so abundantly demonstrated, future generations viewing the
magnitude of their labors in their proper perspective, will no doubt
pay adequate tribute - a tribute no less ardent and well-deserved than
the recognition extended by the present-day builders of the World
Order of Bahá’u’lláh to the Dawn-Breakers, whose shining deeds
have signalized the birth of the Heroic Age of His Faith.
(15 April 1944, MA 104-105)

Itinerant Traveling from place to place
Forsaken Given up, renounced or sacrificed something
that gives pleasure
Prosecution Carrying out of an activity until the very end
Discharged Completed a duty, responsibility or promise
successfully
Vigor Intensity or forcefulness in the way something is
done
Fidelity Loyalty to an allegiance, promise or vow
 | Empowering Words

Vigilantly With alert watchfulness, especially to guard
against danger, difficulties or errors
Inception The beginning of something
Instrumentality Serving as a crucial means, agent or tool
Deputies Somebody fully authorized or appointed to act
on behalf of somebody else
Consistently Able to maintain a particular standard; reliably
Abundantly Providing a more than plentiful supply of
something
Magnitude Greatness of size, volume or extent
Ardent Feeling great passion, or felt very passionately
Empowering Words | 

33. What Must Have Precedence over
All Other Considerations
I , the war in Europe ended in May. The war in Japan ended in
September, a month after Shoghi Effendi wrote this to Australia and
New Zealand, and the United Nations was formally established in
October:
It is my fervent hope and prayer that the members of the Bahá’í
communities of Australia and New Zealand, will, now that the
machinery of the Administrative Order of their Faith has been
erected, redouble their efforts to proclaim, with one voice and in a
most effective manner, those vital and healing principles for which
the great mass of their war-weary and much tested countrymen are
hungering. This supreme issue must have precedence over all other
considerations, must be given immediate and anxious attention,
must be faced courageously and continually, and be regarded by
individual believers as well as their elected representatives as the
supreme objective of the manifold administrative institutions they
have reared and are still labouring to establish. Complete harmony,
mutual understanding, unity of purpose, coordination of efforts,
prayerful consideration of, and mature deliberation on, all the
aspects and requirements of this great and sacred objective can alone
ensure its triumphant consummation during these years of stress and
peril through which mankind is passing. May the national elected
representatives of both communities set a superb example to their
fellow-workers throughout that far-off continent, and enable them
to win memorable victories in the service of their glorious Faith and
its God-given institutions.
(8 August 1945, LAN 58-59)

Supreme Greater than or superior to any other, especially
above all others in power, authority, rank and
status
Precedence Priority; the right or need to be dealt with before
somebody or something else
Anxious Wanting to do something very much
Manifold Many and various
Reared Brought to maturity or self- sufficiency, usually
through nurturing
Ensure To make something certain
 | Empowering Words

Consummation The bringing of something to a satisfying
conclusion; the final satisfying completion or
achievement of something
Superb Excellent
Memorable Worth remembering
Empowering Words | 

34. The Universal Recognition of the Cause
D 1946, the restoration of the House of Bahá’u’lláh in Tihrán
was completed; the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and
Austria was established in April; during the same month Shoghi Effendi
instructed Sutherland Maxwell to set plans in motion for the first stages
of the building of the superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb; the
Second Seven Year Plan of the United States and Canada was launched,
marking the beginning of the second epoch of the Formative Age. Later
this year Shoghi Effendi wrote to the British Isles:
The evidences of intensified activity and of notable progress on the
part of the English believers in recent months have rejoiced my heart
and deepened my feelings of admiration and gratitude for the manner
in which they are discharging, individually and collectively, their
high responsibilities. I long to hear of the steady progress of their
Plan, and will continue to pray for the removal of every obstacle in
their path. However considerable their recent achievements, they are
still in the initial stage of their great unfolding mission, and are not
even capable as yet of visualizing the possibilities or of estimating the
consequences of their present-day labors. The consummation of their
present task will mark the opening of a new era in the development
of their community and will signalize the inauguration of a great
epoch in the history of the Faith in their land—an epoch that must
witness the universal recognition of their Cause and the proclamation
of its truths, its claims and tenets, to the masses of their countrymen
throughout the British Isles. The Plan they are now prosecuting will
provide the machinery and establish the basic structure that will enable
them to arouse the people, among all sections of the population, and
aid them, systematically and gradually, to recognise Bahá’u’lláh, and
support the nascent institutions of this World Order. Now it is their
duty to lay an unassailable foundation for the great work that is to be
undertaken in the future. There is no time to lose. Theirs is a priceless
opportunity and a great privilege. They must neither vacillate nor
falter. They must determinedly persevere until their immediate and
distant goals have been attained.
(12 October 1946, UD 191-192)

Notable Significant, interesting or unusual enough to
deserve attention or to be recorded
Prosecuting Continuing to do something, usually until it is
finished or accomplished
Nascent In the process of emerging, being born or
starting to develop
 | Empowering Words

Unassailable So sound or well established that it cannot be
challenged or overtaken
Vacillate To be indecisive or irresolute, changing between
one opinion and another
Falter To become unsure and hesitant
Empowering Words | 

35. We Must Distinguish Our Record of Stewardship
I , a month before the Centenary of the Martyrdom of the Báb
was commemorated, Shoghi Effendi expressed this to the National
Spiritual Assembly of Canada:
That this community will never relax in its high endeavours, that
the vision of its glorious mission will not be suffered to be dimmed,
that obstacles, however formidable, will neither dampen its zeal or
deflect it from its purpose, is my confident hope and earnest prayer.
He Who watches over its destinies, from Whose pen testimonies so
significant and soul thrilling have flowed, will no doubt continue to
direct its steps, to shower upon it His loving bounties, to surround it
with His constant care, and to enable it to scale loftier heights on its
ascent towards the summit of its destiny.
With a heart brimful with gratitude for all that this community has
so far achieved, and throbbing with hope for the future exploits that
will distinguish its record of stewardship to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh,
I pray that by its acts, this community will prove itself worthy of the
trust confided to its care, and the station to which it has been called.
(23 June 1950, MC 18)

Formidable Difficult to deal with or overcome
Dampen Make less strong or intense
Zeal Great energy or enthusiasm for a cause or
objective
Deflect Direct attention away
Scale Climb up or over (something high and steep)
Loftier More exalted and refined
Ascent To rise to a higher point, level, degree
Summit Highest point
Brimful Ready to overflow
Throbbing Beating rapidly and forcefully
Exploits Acts or deeds, especially brilliant or heroic ones
Stewardship Someone’s stewardship of something is the way
in which that person controls or organizes it
 | Empowering Words

36. The Spiritual Potentialities
That Will Empower Us
I  significant year 1951, Shoghi Effendi received the original
manuscript of the Kitáb-i-Iqán in the handwriting of ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá with some marginal additions by Bahá’u’lláh, and placed it in
the International Bahá’í Archives; in January, he announced the
establishment of the International Bahá’í Council; and on the same day
that he wrote this to the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany, he
announced the completion of the restoration of the House of ‘Abbúd:
The record of service stretching behind them is indeed highly
inspiring. The vision of future victories at home and in distant
fields now unfolding before them is even more glorious and highly
challenging. The more they consecrate themselves to their present
tasks, the more faithfully and promptly they fulfil the requirements
of the Plan to which they stand committed, the sooner will they
acquire the spiritual potentialities that will empower them to qualify
for the successful conduct and the ultimate consummation of so
colossal an enterprise destined to shed so great and imperishable a
lustre on both their community and nation.
That they may be vouchsafed by Providence all the strength and
guidance they require for the attainment of their immediate goal, that
they may prove themselves worthy of receiving a still greater measure
of celestial strength and Divine sustenance for the achievement of their
ultimate objective is the dearest wish of my heart and constant prayer.
(2 March 1951, LDG Vol. I, 172)

Consecrate: Dedicate to a sacred purpose
Potentialities Capacities for growth and development
Empower To give somebody a greater sense of confidence
or self-esteem
Colossal Very great or impressive
Enterprise A new, often risky, venture that involves
confidence and initiative
Imperishable Not forgotten or ignored over time
Lustre Glory or distinction
Vouchsafed Given, granted or allowed
Providence God’s guidance
Attainment The achievement of the goals that somebody has set
Celestial Heavenly
Sustenance Something that gives support, endurance or strength
Empowering Words | 

37. Let Us Place Our Share
on the Altar of Sacrifice
I J 1954 Dorothy Baker, Hand of the Cause of God, died in
a plane crash in the Mediterranean Sea near the island of Elba. When
Marion Jack died the same year in Sofia, Bulgaria,Shoghi Effendi called
her ‘a shining example’ to pioneers of present and future generations of
East and West and wrote to the American Bahá’ís:
It is therefore imperative for the individual American believer,
and particularly for the affluent, the independent, the comfort-
loving and those obsessed by material pursuits, to step forward,
and dedicate their resources, their time, their very lives to a Cause
of such transcendence that no human eye can even dimly perceive
its glory. Let them resolve, instantly and unhesitatingly, to place,
each according to his circumstances, his share on the altar of Bahá’í
sacrifice, lest, on a sudden, unforeseen calamities rob them of a
considerable portion of the earthly things they have amassed.
Now if ever is the time to tread the path which the dawn-breakers of a
previous age have so magnificently trodden. Now is the time to carry
out, in the spirit and in the letter, the fervent wish so pathetically
voiced by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who longed, as attested in the Tablets of the
Divine Plan, to “travel though on foot and in the utmost poverty”
and raise “in cities, villages, mountains, deserts and oceans” “the call
of Yá-Bahá’u’l-Abhá!”
(28 July 1954, CF 131-132)

Imperative Absolutely necessary or unavoidable
Affluent Having an abundance of material wealth
Pursuits An occupation, career, interests
Transcendence Supremity; going beyond known limits
Resolve To come to a firm decision
Considerable A great deal or amount
Amassed Having brought together a large quantity of
things over time
Fervent Exhibiting or marked by great intensity of feeling
Pathetically Marked by sorrow or melancholy
Attested Affirmed to be true or genuine
 | Empowering Words

38. Our Concerted Exertions Must Be
Adequate in Range and Quality
I , one month after Shoghi Effendi added protection of the
Cause to the duties of the Hands of the Cause, he wrote to the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Benelux Countries:
That they may prove themselves worthy of their high calling; that
they may rise to such heights as to excite the unqualified admiration
of their brethren not only in the European continent but throughout
both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres; that they may, through
the range and quality of their concerted exertions, draw forth a
measure of Divine bounty adequate to meet the pressing needs and
manifold requirements of their glorious Mission, is my ardent and
constant prayer for them all as I lay my head on the threshold of His
Most Holy Shrine.
(5 July 1957, DC 152)

Unqualified Absolute
Concerted Planned or accomplished together
Manifold Many and various
Ardent Passionate
Photograph by Nayyirih G. de Koning-Tahzib
Coping with Tests and Difficulties
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in
which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to
yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing
that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
Eleanor Roosevelt
US diplomat & reformer (1884 - 1962)

W  be faced with many tests and difficulties while we are serving
the Faith. How to cope with and surmount these trying times is often
very difficult, and they can be hard to bear. We find in Shoghi Effendi’s
letters advice and admonitions on how to overcome what comes in our
path and be resilient.
 | Empowering Words

39. Severe Mental Tests Will Sweep over the West
I , Amelia Collins contributed the funds necessary to complete
the Western Pilgrim House; Shoghi Effendi sent his early translation of
the ”Hidden Words” to America; the keys to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh
were returned to Shoghi Effendi; and Shoghi Effendi wrote to Bahá’ís
in America, Great Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Japan
and Australasia about Bahá’í administration, outlining the process for
annual elections of assemblies and calling for the establishment of local
and national funds. It was in this year that Shoghi Effendi returned to
Haifa from Switzerland one month before he wrote this to the Bahá’ís
of Australia and New Zealand:
… How often we seem to forget the clear and repeated warnings of
our beloved Master, who in particular during the concluding years of
his mission on earth, laid stress on the severe mental tests that would
inevitably sweep over his loved ones of the West ... tests that would
purge, purify and prepare them for their noble mission in life.
And as to the world’s evil plight, we need but recall the writings and
sayings of Bahá’u’lláh, who, more than fifty years ago, declared in terms
prophetic the prime cause of the ills and sufferings of mankind, and set
forth their true and divine remedy. “Should the lamp of Religion be
hidden”, He declared, “chaos and confusion will ensue.” How admirably
fitting and applicable are these words to the present state of mankind!
Ours then is the duty and privilege to labour, by day, by night,
amidst the storm and stress of these troublous days, that we may
quicken the zeal of our fellow-man, rekindle their hopes, stimulate
their interests, open their eyes to the true Faith of God and enlist
their active support in the carrying out of our common task for the
peace and regeneration of the world.
(2 December 1923, LAN 1-2)

Purge Make somebody pure and free from guilt, sin or
defilement
Plight A difficult or dangerous situation, especially a sad
or desperate predicament
Amidst In the middle of: surrounded by
Quicken To stimulate something such as interest or enthusiasm
Zeal Energetic and unflagging enthusiasm, especially
for a cause or idea
Rekindle To revive or renew something such as a feeling
or interest
Empowering Words | 

40. The Plight of Mankind
I , Shoghi Effendi wrote this message to the Bahá’ís throughout
America in between his return to Haifa and another departure for six months:
The plight of mankind, the condition and circumstances under
which we live and labor are truly disheartening, and the darkness of
prejudice and ill-will enough to chill the stoutest heart. Disillusion
and dismay are invading the hearts of peoples and nations, and the
hope and vision of a united and regenerated humanity is growing
dimmer and dimmer every day. Time-honored institutions,
cherished ideals, and sacred traditions are suffering in these days of
bewildering change, from the effects of the gravest onslaught, and
the precious fruit of centuries of patient and earnest labor is faced
with peril. Passions, supposed to have been curbed and subdued,
are now burning fiercer than ever before, and the voice of peace and
good-will seems drowned amid unceasing convulsions and turmoil.
What, let us ask ourselves, should be our attitude as we stand under
the all-seeing eye of our vigilant Master, gazing at a sad spectacle so
utterly remote from the spirit which He breathed into the world? Are
we to follow in the wake of the wayward and the despairing? Are we
to allow our vision of so unique, so enduring, so precious a Cause
to be clouded by the stain and dust of worldly happenings, which,
no matter how glittering and far-reaching in their immediate effects,
are but the fleeting shadows of an imperfect world? Are we to be
carried away by the flood of hollow and conflicting ideas, or are we
to stand, unsubdued and unblemished, upon the everlasting rock of
God’s Divine Instructions? Shall we not equip ourselves with a clear
and full understanding of their purpose and implications for the age
we live in, and with an unconquerable resolve arise to utilize them,
intelligently and with scrupulous fidelity, for the enlightenment and
the promotion of the good of all mankind?
Humanity, torn with dissension and burning with hate, is crying at this
hour for a fuller measure of that love which is born of God, that love
which in the last resort will prove the one solvent of its incalculable
difficulties and problems. Is it not incumbent upon us, whose hearts
are aglow with love for Him, to make still greater effort, to manifest
that love in all its purity and power in our dealings with our fellow-
men? May our love of our beloved Master, so ardent, so disinterested
in all its aspects, find its true expression in love for our fellow-brethren
and sisters in the faith as well as for all mankind. I assure you, dear
friends, that progress in such matters as these is limitless and infinite,
and that upon the extent of our achievements along this line will
ultimately depend the success of our mission in life.
(23 February 1924, BA 61-62)
 | Empowering Words

Plight A difficult or dangerous situation
Disheartening Making somebody lose hope or enthusiasm
Stoutest Possessing great courage and determination
Disillusion Disappointment from discovering that
something is not as good as one believed it to be
Dismay A sudden loss of courage or confidence
Regenerated Newborn
Time-honored Respected or continued because of having been
the custom for a long time
Cherished Valued highly, especially something such as a
right, freedom or privilege
Gravest Involving serious consequences such as danger or harm
Onslaught A powerful attack or force that overwhelms
somebody or something
Earnest Serious
Peril Danger
Curbed Controlled or limited, especiallly something that
is not desirable
Subdued Quieted, or brought under control
Unceasing Never stopping
Convulsions Uncontrollable shaking
Turmoil Confused disturbance
Vigilant Always being careful to notice things, especially
possible danger
Gazing Looking at something or someone for a long
time, intently and with fixed attention
Spectacle Some strange or remarkable sight, an unusual
display
Utterly In an extreme or complete way
Remote Far away
Wake If something happens in the wake of something
else, it happens after it and often because of it
Wayward Undisciplined or self-willed; headstrong, willful
or rebellious
Despairing Feeling or showing loss of hope
Scrupulous Diligent and thorough
Fidelity Continuing faithfulness to a person, cause or belief
Dissension Disagreement or difference of opinion, especially
when leading to open conflict
Solvent Something that dissolves or can dissolve; also,
something that solves or explains
Incumbent Necessary as a result of a duty, responsibility or
obligation
Empowering Words | 

41. Problems Will Gradually Be Solved
I , the 50 Bahá’ís imprisoned in Adana, Turkey, were released.
One month later, Shoghi Effendi wrote to Louise Drake Wright, a
travel teacher to the Netherlands:
The problems which confront the believers at the present time,
whether social, spiritual, economic or administrative will be gradually
solved as the number and the resources of the friends multiply and
their capacity for service and for the application of Bahá’í principles
develops. They should be patient, confident and active in utilizing
every possible opportunity that presents itself within the limits now
necessarily imposed upon them. May the Almighty aid them to fulfil
their highest hopes.
(11 March 1933, DC 24)

Utilizing Making use of something
Imposed Forced to be accepted, undertaken or complied with
 | Empowering Words

42. Be Undismayed
I A of 1938, Munírih Khánum, the Holy Mother, wife of `Abdu’l-
Bahá, died. Shoghi Effendi interred her body just west of the Shrine of
Bahíyyíh Khánum and erected a simple monument over her grave. In
July, Queen Marie of Romania died. In that month, Shoghi Effendi
wrote to the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada:
… Whereas every apparent trial with which the able unfathomable
wisdom of the Almighty deems it necessary to afflict His chosen
community serves only to demonstrate afresh its essential solidarity
and to consolidate its inward strength, each of the successive crises
in the fortunes of a decadent age exposes more convincingly than
the one preceding it the corrosive influences that are fast sapping the
vitality and undermining the basis of its declining institutions.
For such demonstrations of the interpositions of an ever-watchful
Providence they who stand identified with the Community of the
Most Great Name must feel eternally grateful. From every fresh
token of His unfailing blessing on the one hand, and of His visitation
on the other, they cannot but derive immense hope and courage.
Alert to seize every opportunity which the revolutions of the wheel
of destiny within their Faith offers them, and undismayed by the
prospect of spasmodic convulsions that must sooner or later fatally
affect those who have refused to embrace its light, they, and those
who will labor after them, must press forward until the processes
now set in motion will have each spent its force and contributed its
share towards the birth of the Order now stirring in the womb of a
travailing age.
(25 December 1938, ADJ 1-2)

Unfathomable Impossible to measure or understand
Deems Considers to be
Afflict Cause distress
Corrosive Gradually destructive
Sapping Draining; weakening
Interposition Coming between things to exert authority
Spasmodic Irregular; intermittent
Empowering Words | 

43. The Promise
I , persecution of the Bahá’ís of Iran continued throughout
the country. Bahá’ís marrying without a Muslim ceremony were
investigated, including several hundred in Tihrán alone. Most were
imprisoned pending trial and were imprisoned for six to eight months
afterwards and fined. Shoghi Effendi wrote this moving passage to the
United States and Canada:
Though the task be long and arduous, yet the prize which the
All-Bountiful Bestower has chosen to confer upon you is of such
preciousness that neither tongue nor pen can befittingly appraise it.
Though the goal towards which you are now so strenuously striving
be distant, and as yet undisclosed to men’s eyes, yet its promise lies
firmly embedded in the authoritative and unalterable utterances
of Bahá’u’lláh. Though the course He has traced for you seems,
at times, lost in the threatening shadows with which a stricken
humanity is now enveloped, yet the unfailing light He has caused
to shine continually upon you is of such brightness that no earthly
dusk can ever eclipse its splendor. Though small in numbers, and
circumscribed as yet in your experiences, powers, and resources,
yet the Force which energizes your mission is limitless in its range
and incalculable in its potency. Though the enemies which every
acceleration in the progress of your mission must raise up be fierce,
numerous, and unrelenting, yet the invisible Hosts which, if you
persevere, must, as promised, rush forth to your aid, will, in the
end, enable you to vanquish their hopes and annihilate their forces.
Though the ultimate blessings that must crown the consummation of
your mission be undoubted, and the Divine promises given you firm
and irrevocable, yet the measure of the goodly reward which every
one of you is to reap must depend on the extent to which your daily
exertions will have contributed to the expansion of that mission and
the hastening of its triumph.
(25 December 1938, ADJ 13)

Arduous Difficult and trying
Confer To give an honor
Strenuously Requiring physical effort, energy, stamina or
strength
Embedded Set or fixed firmly and deeply
Unalterable Not able to be changed
Traced Laid out; planned
Enveloped Enclosed or enfolded completely as if with a
covering
 | Empowering Words

Dusk The period of the day after the sun has gone
below the horizon but before the sky has become
dark
Eclipse To block the light falling on something, or cast a
shadow on it
Circumscribed To be limited
Unrelenting Unyielding or unswerving in determination or
resolve
Vanquish To defeat an opponent
Annihilate To destroy something completely, especially so
that it ceases to exist
Irrevocable Impossible to revoke, undo or change
Reap To obtain something, especially as a consequence
of previous effort or action
Empowering Words | 

44. Pursue the Present Plan
S Effendi outlined further the processes involved:
… Who knows but that these few remaining, fast-fleeting years,
may not be pregnant with events of unimaginable magnitude, with
ordeals more severe than any that humanity has as yet experienced,
with conflicts more devastating than any which have preceded them.
Dangers, however sinister, must, at no time, dim the radiance of their
new-born faith. Strife and confusion, however bewildering, must
never befog their vision. Tribulations, however afflictive, must never
shatter their resolve. Denunciations, however clamorous, must never
sap their loyalty. Upheavals, however cataclysmic, must never deflect
their course. The present Plan, embodying the budding hopes of
a departed Master, must be pursued, relentlessly pursued, whatever
may befall them in the future, however distracting the crises that
may agitate their country or the world. Far from yielding in their
resolve, far from growing oblivious of their task, they should, at
no time, however much buffeted by circumstances, forget that the
synchronization of such world-shaking crises with the progressive
unfoldment and fruition of their divinely appointed task is itself the
work of Providence, the design of an inscrutable Wisdom, and the
purpose of an all-compelling Will, a Will that directs and controls,
in its own mysterious way, both the fortunes of the Faith and the
destinies of men. Such simultaneous processes of rise and of fall,
of integration and of disintegration, of order and chaos, with their
continuous and reciprocal reactions on each other, are but aspects
of a greater Plan, one and indivisible, whose Source is God, whose
author is Bahá’u’lláh, the theater of whose operations is the entire
planet, and whose ultimate objectives are the unity of the human race
and the peace of all mankind.
(25 December 1938, ADJ 60-61)

Magnitude Greatness of extent or importance
Devastating Damaging; very upsetting
Sinister Suggesting evil
Clamorous Making loud demands or complaints
Cataclysmic Causing great destruction
Relentlessly Ceaselessly and intensely
Oblivious Forgetful
Buffeted Struck repeatedly and violently; battered
Synchronization Happening together
Inscrutable Hard to interpret
Reciprocal Felt by both sides of a situation
 | Empowering Words

45. Be Not Afraid of Any Criticism
S Effendi gives insight on how to cope during difficult times:
Let not, however, the invincible army of Bahá’u’lláh, who in the West,
and at one of its potential storm centers is to fight, in His name and
for His sake, one of its fiercest and most glorious battles, be afraid of
any criticism that might be directed against it. Let it not be deterred
by any condemnation with which the tongue of the slanderer may
seek to debase its motives. Let it not recoil before the threatening
advance of the forces of fanaticism, of orthodoxy, of corruption, and
of prejudice that may be leagued against it. The voice of criticism
is a voice that indirectly reinforces the proclamation of its Cause.
Unpopularity but serves to throw into greater relief the contrast
between it and its adversaries, while ostracism is itself the magnetic
power that must eventually win over to its camp the most vociferous
and inveterate amongst its foes. Already in the land where the greatest
battles of the Faith have been fought, and its most rapacious enemies
have lived, the march of events, the slow yet steady infiltration of its
ideals, and the fulfillment of its prophecies, have resulted not only
in disarming and in transforming the character of some of its most
redoubtable enemies, but also in securing their firm and unreserved
allegiance to its Founders. So complete a transformation, so startling
a reversal of attitude, can only be effected if that chosen vehicle which
is designed to carry the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to the hungry, the
restless, and unshepherded multitudes is itself thoroughly cleansed
from the defilements which it seeks to remove.
(25 December 1938, ADJ 42-43)

Invincible Unconquerable, indestructible
Deterred Prevented from acting, as by fear or doubt
Condemnation Stating that somebody is some way wrong or
unacceptable
Slanderer Someone who makes false and malicious
statements
Debase To reduce somebody in status, significance, or
moral worth
Recoil To shrink back, as in fear or repugnance
Ostracism Banishing or excluding somebody from society
or from a particular group, either formally or
informally
Vociferous Shouting in a noisy and determined way
Inveterate Firmly established and of long standing
Empowering Words | 

Rapacious Engaging in violent pillaging and likely to harm
or destroy things
Redoubtable Having personal qualities worthy of respect or
fear
Defilements Things that pollute, corrupt, or damage a
reputation
 | Empowering Words

46. No Sacrifice Can Be Regarded As Too Great
I M of 1940, Shoghi Effendi and Rúhíyyih Khanum left Haifa for
Italy en route to London. After obtaining a visa for Britain in Rome,
they left for England via France. A few days later the Italians entered
the war against the Allies. In June they left Paris for England one day
before the city was occupied by the Nazis. In July they left England for
South Africa. This was the only route open back to Palestine, as Italy’s
entrance into the war had closed the Mediterranean to Allied ships. The
trip across Africa took them to Stanleyville, Congo, Juba in the Sudan;
down the Nile to Khartoum and back to Palestine through Cairo. Less
than two weeks before they were back in Haifa, Shoghi Effendi wrote
this to The National Assembly of India:
I wish to reassure you in person of my fervent and continued prayers
for the protection, the success and the spiritual advancement of
the community of the Indian and Burmese believers who, under
your direction, and stimulated by the initiative and example, of
their national elected representatives, are arising, in these days of
widespread confusion, turmoil and danger, to carry out the Plan they
are pledged to fulfill. No sacrifice can be regarded as too great for
the attainment of so great and splendid an objective. They should
persevere in their task, undaunted by the rising tide of calamity and
despair which afflicts the world, and which is mysteriously paving the
way for its unification and ultimate redemption. May the Beloved
guide every step you take, and bless every endeavour you exert in
His path.
(14 December 1940, DND 87-88)

Undaunted Courageously resolute, especially in the face of
danger or difficulty; not discouraged
Paving Creating the circumstances to enable (something)
to happen
Ultimate Coming or attained at the end of a series of
stages, and often constituting the completion of
something
Redemption A thing that saves someone from error or evil
Exert To attempt to have a powerful effect on a
situation
Empowering Words | 

47. Face the Trials of the Present Hour
I  nine Bahá’ís were arrested in Sangsar, Khurásán, Iran, and
banished to other towns for closing their shops on Bahá’í holy days; and
John Henry Dunn, Hand of the Cause of God, died in Sydney. It was
in that year that Shoghi Effendi wrote this to the American believers:
As opposition to the Faith, from whatever source it may spring,
whatever form it may assume, however violent its outbursts, is
admittedly the motive-power that galvanizes on the one hand, the
souls of its valiant defenders, and taps for them, on the other, fresh
springs of that Divine and inexhaustible Energy, we who are called
upon to represent, defend and promote its interests, should, far
from regarding any manifestation of hostility as an evidence of the
weakening of the pillars of the Faith, acclaim it as both a God-sent
gift and a God-sent opportunity which, if we remain undaunted,
we can utilize for the furtherance of His Faith and the routing and
complete elimination of its adversaries.
The Heroic Age of the Faith, born in anguish, nursed in adversity,
and terminating in trials as woeful as those that greeted its birth,
has been succeeded by that Formative Period which is to witness the
gradual crystallization of those creative energies which the Faith has
released, and the consequent emergence of that World Order for
which those forces were made to operate.
Fierce and relentless will be the opposition which this crystallization
and emergence must provoke. The alarm it must and will awaken,
the envy it will certainly arouse, the misrepresentations to which it
will remorselessly be subjected, the setbacks it must, sooner or later,
sustain, the commotions to which it must eventually give rise, the
fruits it must in the end garner, the blessings it must inevitably
bestow and the glorious, the Golden Age, it must irresistibly usher in,
are just beginning to be faintly perceived, and will, as the old order
crumbles beneath the weight of so stupendous a Revelation, become
increasingly apparent and arresting.
Not ours to attempt to survey the distant scene; ours rather the
duty to face the trials of the present hour, to ponder its meaning,
to discharge its obligations, to meet its challenge and utilize the
opportunity it offers to the fullest extent of our ability and power.
(12 August 1941, MA 79)
 | Empowering Words

Undaunted Not afraid or stopped by the prospect of defeat,
loss or failure
Routing A severe and humiliating defeat
Anguish Extreme anxiety or emotional torment
Woeful Bringing or causing great distress or sorrow
Relentless Ceaseless and intense
Remorselessly Continuing without lessening in strength or
intensity
Garner To earn or acquire something by effort
Usher in To guide, to lead
Ponder Think about seriously before making a
conclusion
Empowering Words | 

48. Adversity Prepares the Hearts of Men
T months befoe Shoghi Effendi wrote the following to the National
Spiritual Assembly of India in December 1941, Ridá Sháh in Iran
abdicated and Muhammad-Ridá Sháh acceded to the throne:
The news conveyed by your latest communication has rejoiced my
heart. The manner in which the friends have arisen to promote the
teaching work throughout their country merits the highest praise. By
their enthusiasm, their self-abnegation, the determination and vigour
they display, they have lent a fresh impetus to the onward march of
the Faith and the expansion of its institutions and the multiplication
of its administrative centres. The perils of the present hour, the
repercussions of this tremendous world ordeal on their native land,
must, in no wise, alarm or discourage them. Their purpose must
never be deflected, their enthusiasm never dimmed, their vision never
obscured, their exertions never discontinued. Adversity prepares the
hearts of men, and paves the way for a wholehearted and general
acceptance of the tenets and claims of our beloved Faith. Challenged
by the obstacles in their path, encouraged by work already initiated,
assured of the Divine Promise of Bahá’u’lláh, let them forge ahead
until their goal is attained.
My prayers will ever surround them.
(27 December 1941, DND 95-96)

Self-abnegation The setting aside of self-interest for the sake of
others or for a belief or principle
Paves Prepares a smooth easy way
Tenets Beliefs, convictions, teachings
Forge To advance gradually but steadily
 | Empowering Words

49. Arise Without Fear
S months after Shoghi Effendi’s book God Passes By was published
in 1945, he wrote to the American Bahá’í Community:
There is no time to lose. The hour is ripe for the proclamation,
without fear, without reserve, and without hesitation, and on a scale
never as yet undertaken, of the One Message that can alone extricate
humanity from the morass into which it is steadily sinking, and from
which they who claim to be the followers of the Most Great Name
can and will eventually rescue it. The sooner they who labor for
the recognition and triumph of His Faith in the new world arise
to carry out these inescapable duties, the sooner will the hopes, the
aims and objectives of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as enshrined in His own Plan,
be translated from the realm of vision to the plane of actuality and
manifest the full force of the potentialities with which they have been
endued.
(29 March 1945, MA 118)

Extricate To release somebody or something with difficulty
from a physical constraint or an unpleasant or
complicated situation
Morass A frustrating, confusing or unmanageable
situation that makes any kind of progress
extremely slow
Enshrined Preserved or cherished as sacred
Realm An area or domain, e.g. of thought or knowledge
Empowering Words | 

50. So Much Depends Upon Us
I  the restoration of the House of Bahá’u’lláh in Tihrán was
completed; in April Shoghi Effendi instructed Sutherland Maxwell to set
plans in motion for the first stages of the building of the superstructure
of the Shrine of the Báb; the Second Seven Year Plan of the United
States and Canada was launched, marking the beginning of the second
epoch of the Formative Age. Shoghi Effendi wrote this to the American
Bahá’ís:
It is not for us, at this crucial hour, to delve into the future, to speculate
on the possibilities of the Plan and its orientation, to conjecture on
its impact on the unfoldment of an embryonic World Order, or to
dwell on the glories and triumphs which it may hold in store, or to
seek to delineate the mysterious course which a God given Mission,
impelled by forces beyond our power to predict or appraise, may
pursue. To try to obtain a clear view of the shape of things to come
would be premature inasmuch as the glittering prizes to be won are
directly dependent on the measure of success which the combined
efforts that are now being exerted must yield. Ours is the duty to fix
our gaze with undeviating attention on the duties and responsibilities
confronting us at this present hour, to concentrate our resources,
both material and spiritual, on the tasks that lie immediately ahead,
to insure that no time is wasted, that no opportunity is missed, that
no obligation is evaded, that no task is half-heartedly performed, that
no decision is procrastinated. The task summoning us to a challenge,
unprecedented in its gravity and force, is too vast and sacred, the
time too short, the hour too perilous, the workers too few, the call
too insistent, the resources too inadequate, for us to allow these
precious and fleeting hours to slip from our grasp, and to suffer the
prizes within our reach to be endangered or forfeited. So much
depends upon us, so pregnant with possibilities is the present stage
in the evolution of the Plan, that great and small, individuals, groups
and Assemblies, white and colored, young and old, neophytes and
veterans, settlers, pioneers, itinerant teachers and administrators, as
isolated believers, as organizers of groups, and as contributors to the
formation of local or national Assemblies, as builders of the Temple,
as laborers on the home teaching front, or in Latin America, or in the
new transatlantic field of service - all, without exception and in every
sphere of activity, however modest, restricted, or inconspicuous,
must participate and labor, assiduously and continually, until every
ounce of our energy is spent, until, tired but blissful, our promised
harvest is brought in, and our pledge to our Beloved fully redeemed.
(15 June 1946, MA 143-144)
 | Empowering Words

Delve into To investigate or research something thoroughly
in order to obtain information
Conjecture To make judgments or opinions on the basis of
incomplete or inconclusive information; to guess
Delineate To describe or explain something in detail
Appraise To evaluate the worth, significance or status of
something
Undeviating Not turning or changing; remaining constant or
true to something
Gravity The seriousness of something considered in terms
of its unfavorable consequences
Forfeited To be deprived of, to be lost
Neophytes Beginners
Itinerant Traveling from place to place
Inconspicuous Not obvious
Assiduously Showing persistent and hard working effort in
doing something
Empowering Words | 

51. Trials and Disappointments May Tax Our Patience
S months after the launching of the Second Seven Year Plan
of the United States and Canada, Shoghi Effendi wrote this to the
American Bahá’í Community:
The sterner the task, the graver the responsibilities, the wider the field
of exertion, the more persistently must the privileged members of
this enviable community strive, and the loftier must be the height to
which they should aspire, in the course of their God-given mission,
and throughout every stage in the irresistible and divinely guided
evolution of their community life.
Setbacks may well surprise them; trials and disappointments may
tax their patience and resourcefulness; the forces of darkness, either
from within or from without, may seek to dampen their ardor, to
disrupt their unity and break their spirit; pitfalls may surround the
little band that must act as a vanguard to the host which must, in
the years to come, spiritually raise up the sorely ravaged continent of
Europe. None of these, however fierce, sinister or unyielding they
may appear, must be allowed to deflect the protagonists of a God-
impelled Plan, from the course which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has chosen for
them, and which the agencies of a firmly established, laboriously
erected, Administrative Order, are now enabling them to effectively
pursue.
That they may press forward with undiminished fervor, with
undimmed vision, with unfaltering steps, with indivisible unity, with
unflinching determination until the shining goal is attained is my
constant prayer, my ardent hope, and the dearest wish of my heart.
(20 July 1946, MA 146-147)

Sterner More rigid, strict and uncompromising
Graver Requiring serious thought; more momentous
Enviable So desirable that other people feel envy
Loftier Of a higher rank or status
Aspire To seek to attain a goal
Setbacks Things that reverse or delay your progress
Tax To strain or make a heavy demand
Ardor Strong feeling; enthusiasm; devotion
Disrupt To break apart
Pitfalls Potential and usually unanticipated disasters or
difficulties
Vanguard Leading position or people
Ravaged Badly damaged; devastated
 | Empowering Words

Sinister Suggesting or threatening evil
Deflect Direct attention away
Protagonists Supporters
Undiminished Not reduced or lessened
Fervor Extremely passionate enthusiasm
Unflinching Strong and unhesitating
Empowering Words | 

52. We Must Encounter Critical Stages
with Unswerving Resolution
T Haziratu’l-Quds of Tihrán was completed; the National Spiritual
Assembly of India and Burma was established; the National Spiritual
Assembly of the United States and Canada was accredited by the
United Nations as a non-governmental organization in the beginning
half of 1947 before Shoghi Effendi wrote this appendage to the National
Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles:
A staggering responsibility rests on the shoulders of those who have
been called upon to assist in the operation of the initial stages of
this heroic colossal enterprise, and to participate in the privilege of
directing its course, and nursing its infant strength. Setbacks and
reverses are inevitable as this mighty Plan progresses and expands.
Critical stages in its unfoldment must be encountered with unswerving
resolution and confident hope. Whatever hardships and sacrifices its
future prosecution may involve must be borne with courage, pride
and thankfulness. To insure its speedy advancement every issue must
be subordinated to its vital requirements, and every individual effort
co-ordinated with the agencies designed for its execution.
(24 October 1947, UD 208)

Staggering Causing great astonishment or dismay;
overwhelming
Colossal Very great or impressive
Reverses Changes to the opposite direction, position or
condition
Unswerving Firm and unchanging in intent or purpose
Resolution Being resolved to do something; firm
determination
Subordinated Made secondary in importance
 | Empowering Words

53. So Much Hangs on the Fortunes
of the Present Plan
,1 7+( year 1949, when construction began on the superstructure
of the Shrine of the Báb, Shoghi Effendi wrote this to the National
Spiritual Assembly of India:
The sands are indeed running out. The task that remains to be
accomplished is indeed colossal. The distractions, temptations,
and pitfalls that might interfere with its consummation are many
and varied. The resources however spiritual and material still at the
disposal of the members of these communities, are still adequate, if
they but resolve to utilize them, to the needs of the present hour. The
blessings from on high, ready to be showered upon them, are more
than adequate to ensure their complete and total victory. So much
hangs on the fortunes of the present Plan! So much must necessarily
depend on the manner and the spirit in which they discharge their
terrific responsibilities, during the few fleeting months still allotted
them ere the expiry of the Plan! I entreat them, with all the fervour
of my soul, not to allow this golden opportunity to slip from their
grasp. They have, in the past, proved themselves capable, in times of
crisis, of overleaping the most formidable barriers, and of wresting
victory from the jaws of impending defeat. Theirs is the opportunity,
now if ever, to demonstrate a similar resolution, a no less spectacular
outburst of enthusiasm, an even nobler heroism and self-sacrifice
than they have ever shown in the past.
Then, and only then, will the next stage in the evolution of their
common destiny be unveiled to their eyes. Then, and only then, will
the call summoning them to press forward to yet another landmark
in their history be sounded. Then, and only then, will a still fuller
measure of heavenly prizes be laid up for them in reward for their
inestimable and arduous services in the treasuries of the Abhá
Kingdom by Him who alone knows how to re-ignite His faithful
servants.
(9 April 1949, DND 135-136)

Colossal Unusually or impressively large
Pitfalls Potential and usually unanticipated disasters or
difficulties
Consummation Completion; fulfillment of a goal
Ensure To make sure that something will happen
Fleeting Passing or fading quickly
Empowering Words | 

Allotted Distributed to somebody as a share of what is
available or what has to be done
Ere Before
Expiry End, especially of a contract or agreement
Wresting Taking something such as control or power from
somebody in the face of opposition or resistance
Impending About to happen
Arduous Requiring hard work or continuous strenuous
effort
 | Empowering Words

54. The Birth of the World Order
J a few weeks after the second European Teaching Conference was
held in Brussels, Shoghi Effendi wrote this to the Bahá’ís of Australia
and New Zealand:
Obstacles, varied and numerous, will no doubt arise to impede the
onward march of this community. Reverses may temporarily dim
the radiance of its mission. The forces of religious orthodoxy may
well, at a future date, be leagued against it. The exponents of theories
and doctrines fundamentally opposed to its religious tenets and social
principles may challenge its infant strength with persistence and
severity. The Administrative Order - the Ark destined to preserve
its integrity and carry it to safety - must without delay, without
exception, claim the attention of the members of this community,
its ideals must be continually cherished in their hearts, its purposes
studied and kept constantly before their eyes, its requirements
wholeheartedly met, its laws scrupulously upheld, its institutions
unstintingly supported, its glorious mission noised abroad, and its
spirit made the sole motivating purpose of their lives.
Then and only then, will this community, so young, so vibrant with
life, so rich in promise, so dedicated to its task, be in a position to
discharge adequately its weighty responsibilities, to reap the full
harvest it has sown, acquire still greater potentialities for the conduct
of subsequent stages in the crusade on which it has embarked, and
contribute, to a degree unsuspected as yet by its members, its full
share to the World-wide establishment of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh,
the emancipation of its Oriental followers, the recognition of its
independence, the birth of its World Order and the emergence of
that world civilization which that Order is destined to create.
(22 August 1949, LAN 80-81)

Impede To interfere with the movement, progress or
development of something
Scrupulously Having moral integrity; acting in strict regard for
what is considered right or proper
Unstintingly Without restriction or holding back
Noised Abroad Made generally known
Empowering Words | 

55. We Are Never to Hesitate
D 1952, Shoghi Effendi appointed the second contingent of
Hands of the Cause of God and described their two-fold function:
propagation of the Faith and preservation of its unity. He also described
plans for the marble colonnade to encircle the Shrine of the Báb as an
intermediate step to building a superstructure for the Shrine and sent
his ideas to Italy for scale drawings and a price estimate; he announced
the enlargement of the International Bahá’í Council to eight members;
and he named the southern door of the Báb’s tomb after Sutherland
Maxwell, Hand of the Cause of God, who died in Montreal, in memory
of his services. The case that had been brought against Shoghi Effendi
by the Covenant-breakers in connection with the demolition of a house
adjoining the Shrine and Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí was removed
from the civil courts by the government of Israel. Midway in 1952, he
wrote the Bahá’í world this message:
No matter how long the period that separates them from ultimate
victory; however arduous the task; however formidable the exertions
demanded of them; however dark the days which mankind,
perplexed and sorely-tried, must, in its hour of travail, traverse;
however severe the tests with which they who are to redeem its
fortunes will be confronted; however afflictive the darts which their
present enemies, as well as those whom Providence, will, through
His mysterious dispensations raise up from within or from without,
may rain upon them, however grievous the ordeal of temporary
separation from the heart and nerve-center of their Faith which future
unforeseeable disturbances may impose upon them, I adjure them,
by the precious blood that flowed in such great profusion, by the lives
of the unnumbered saints and heroes who were immolated, by the
supreme, the glorious sacrifice of the Prophet-Herald of our Faith,
by the tribulations which its Founder, Himself, willingly underwent,
so that His Cause might live, His Order might redeem a shattered
world and its glory might suffuse the entire planet - I adjure them,
as this solemn hour draws nigh, to resolve never to flinch, never to
hesitate, never to relax, until each and every objective in the Plans to
be proclaimed, at a later date, has been fully consummated.
(30 June 1952 MBW 38-39)

Arduous Requiring hard work or continuous strenuous
effort
Formidable Difficult to deal with or overcome
Exertions Strenuous physical exercise or effort
 | Empowering Words

Sorely-tried Made to undergo extreme trials or distress
Travail Painful effort; anguish
Traverse Pass through
Severe Difficult to do or endure
Redeem To help to overcome something which causes
harm
Afflictive Causing severe mental or physical distress to
somebody
Providence God, conceived as the power sustaining and
guiding human destiny
Dispensations Particular arrangements or provisions, especially
of providence or nature
Grievous Very severe or serious
Ordeal A severe trial or experience
Impose To establish or bring about as if by force
Adjure To make an earnest appeal to somebody
Profusion A large quantity of something
Immolated Offered in sacrifice; killed
Supreme Greatest in importance and significance; ultimate
Shattered Broken into pieces; seriously damaged
Suffuse To spread through or over something completely
Solemn Deeply serious
Resolve Make a decision
Flinch To avoid thinking about something, confronting
something, or doing something
Consummated Completed or fulfilled, especially something long
desired
Empowering Words | 

56. The Tribulations Suffered
by Their Co-Religionists
I  same month that Shoghi Effendi wrote the following letter to the
British Isles, appeals were made by National Spiritual Assemblies around
the world through the Bahá’í International Community to the UN
Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold to ask the Iranian government to
halt the attacks on the Bahá’is. This marks the first time that the Faith
was able to defend itself with its newly-born administrative agencies.
An “Aid the Persecuted Fund” was established:
The efforts of the members of this community must indeed be
redoubled, nay trebled, as they view with afflicted hearts the tragic
trend of events transpiring with such dramatic and sudden swiftness
in Bahá’u’lláh’s native land. The tribulations suffered, over so wide
a field, by so many of their co-religionists, under circumstances so
appalling and harrowing in their nature, at the hands of redoubtable,
pitiless, barbarous adversaries, should spur them on to still greater
endeavours in a land blessed with freedom of religion and tolerance,
and occupying so conspicuous a position among its sister nations.
Theirs is an opportunity which they must instantly grasp. Theirs is a
responsibility which they cannot escape. Theirs is the duty to offset,
by the quality of their achievements, the dire losses which are now
being sustained in the cradle of the Faith. That they may in every field
and at all times discharge their heavy responsibilities is my constant
prayer and dearest hope.
(5 August 1955 UD 355)

Afflicted Severely distressed, enough to cause persistent
suffering or anguish
Transpiring Happening
Appalling Dreadful and shocking
Harrowing Causing feelings of fear, horror or distress
Redoubtable Formidable; arousing fear or awe
Spur on To incite or stimulate to action, e.g. because of
the hope of a reward or the fear of punishment
Conspicuous Attracting attention through being unusual or
remarkable
Offset To counterbalance or compensate for something
Dire Characterized by severe, serious or desperate
circumstances
 | Empowering Words

57. Our Faith Must Be Indomitable
A Shoghi Effendi announced in April of 1957 that the Faith
had been established in 251 countries, that there were more than a
thousand local spiritual assemblies, that Bahá’ís lived in more than
4,200 localities and that every territory mentioned in the Tablets of
the Divine Plan had been opened to the Faith and Bahá’í literature had
been translated into 230 languages, he wrote in June to the National
Assembly of Alaska:
The task now facing this highly promising, spiritually dynamic
community, at the hour of its emergence as an independent member
of the embryonic World Bahá’í Commonwealth, is truly formidable;
the responsibilities which it valiantly shoulders, at this crucial hour
in its evolution are sacred, heavy, manifold and inescapable. The
tests and trials which it must, sooner or later, experience in the course
of its unfoldment and consolidation will severely challenge its spirit
and resources. The path which it must tread ere the full evidence
of its latent capacities are manifested will be long, tortuous and
stony. The indomitable faith which now so powerfully animates its
members, however, will, beyond the shadow of a doubt, enable them
to overcome whatever obstacles may confront them in the future,
and ensure the ultimate attainment of their high destiny.
(30 June 1957, HE 37)

Emergence The act or process of coming out, appearing or
coming about
Embryonic In an initial or rudimentary stage of development
Commonwealth An association of countries that have joined
together for their common good
Formidable Difficult to deal with or overcome
Valiantly Courageously
Shoulders Takes on the responsibility for something,
especially something unpleasant or worrying
Inescapable Impossible to avoid
Ere Before
Latent Present or existing, but in an underdeveloped or
unexpressed form
Tortuous Marked by repeated twists, bends or turns
Indomitable Brave, determined and impossible to defeat or
frighten
Animates Inspires to take action or to have strong feelings
Empowering Words | 

Confront To be met face to face by something that must be
overcome
Ensure To make sure that something will happen
Ultimate Coming or expected at the very end
Attainment The achievement of the goals that somebody has
set
Destiny The inner purpose of a life that can be discovered
and realized
Photograph by Nayyirih G. de Koning-Tahzib
The Course of Change
You must be the change you want to see in the world
Mahatma Gandhi

There are three constants in life… change, choice and principles.
Stephen R. Covey, American Speaker /Trainer
Author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”

L is constantly changing, and the needs and times of the various Plans
of the Faith change and evolve. We need to follow in the mainstream of
the Faith and be aware of what is being asked of us at a particular time.
By doing this we will be protected from negativism and remain full
of hope and conviction that even though the course of worldly events
seems hopeless, God’s ultimate Plan for humankind will be achieved if
we arise and do all we can to help bring this about.
 | Empowering Words

58. Looking Towards the Future
S Effendi returned in September 1924 to the Holy Land after
an absence of some six months when he wrote this to the Bahá’ís
throughout the Continent of America:
And now as I look into the future, I hope to see the friends at all
times, in every land, and of every shade of thought and character,
voluntarily and joyously rallying round their local and in particular
their national centers of activity, upholding and promoting their
interests with complete unanimity and contentment, with perfect
understanding, genuine enthusiasm, and sustained vigor. This indeed
is the one joy and yearning of my life, for it is the fountainhead
from which all future blessings will flow, the broad foundation upon
which the security of the Divine Edifice must ultimately rest. May
we not hope that now at last the dawn of a brighter day is breaking
upon our beloved Cause?
(24 September 1924, BA 67)

Rallying Coming together in order to provide support or
make a shared effort
Fountainhead The primary source
Edifice An elaborate, complicated structure of ideas
Empowering Words | 

59. If We Fail To Play Our Part
A Shoghi Effendi returned to the Holy Land after an absence of
some six months, he wrote to the Bahá’ís of America:
Humanity, through suffering and turmoil, is swiftly moving on
towards its destiny; if we be loiterers, if we fail to play our part surely
others will be called upon to take up our task as ministers to the
crying needs of this afflicted world.
Not by the force of numbers, not by the mere exposition of a set of
new and noble principles, not by an organized campaign of teaching
- no matter how worldwide and elaborate in its character - not even
by the staunchness of our faith or the exaltation of our enthusiasm,
can we ultimately hope to vindicate in the eyes of a critical and
sceptical age the supreme claim of the Abha Revelation. One thing
and only one thing will unfailingly and alone secure the undoubted
triumph of this sacred Cause, namely, the extent to which our own
inner life and private character mirror forth in their manifold aspects
the splendor of those eternal principles proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh.
(24 September 924, BA 66)

Turmoil A state of great confusion, commotion or
disturbance
Swiftly Very quickly
Destiny A predetermined and inevitable series of events
beyond human control
Loiterers People who do something in a slow lazy way,
often stopping to rest
Afflicted Experiencing severe mental or physical distress
Mere Just what is specified and nothing more
Exposition Detailed description or discussion
Elaborate Planned or organized with thoroughness and
careful attention to detail
Staunchness Showing loyalty, dependability and enthusiasm
Exaltation A feeling of intense or excessive happiness or
exhilaration
Enthusiasm Passionate interest in or eagerness to do
something
Ultimately In the end, as the culmination of a process or
event
Vindicate To justify or prove the worth of something
Sceptical Showing doubt
 | Empowering Words

Supreme Greater than any that have gone before, or the
greatest possible
Claim A statement of something as a fact, saying it is
true
Secure To bring about; make something happen
Extent The degree to which something applies
Mirror forth Reflect like in a mirror; show as an example
Manifold Having many parts, forms or applications
Aspects Particular views or points of view
Splendor Magnificence, impressiveness or brilliance
Empowering Words | 

60. The Significance of Our Undertaking
T intended pilgrimage of Queen Marie of Romania to the Bahá’í
Shrines was thwarted during March 1938 when Shoghi Effendi wrote
to the Bahá’ís of the West:
Feeble though our Faith may now appear in the eyes of men, who
either denounce it as an offshoot of Islam, or contemptuously ignore
it as one more of those obscure sects that abound in the West, this
priceless gem of Divine Revelation, now still in its embryonic state,
shall evolve within the shell of His law, and shall forge ahead, undivided
and unimpaired, till it embraces the whole of mankind. Only those
who have already recognized the supreme station of Bahá’u’lláh, only
those whose hearts have been touched by His love, and have become
familiar with the potency of His spirit, can adequately appreciate the
value of this Divine Economy - His inestimable gift to mankind.
Leaders of religion, exponents of political theories, governors of
human institutions, who at present are witnessing with perplexity
and dismay the bankruptcy of their ideas, and the disintegration of
their handiwork, would do well to turn their gaze to the Revelation
of Bahá’u’lláh, and to meditate upon the World Order which, lying
enshrined in His teachings, is slowly and imperceptibly rising amid
the welter and chaos of present-day civilization. They need have
no doubt or anxiety regarding the nature, the origin or validity of
the institutions which the adherents of the Faith are building up
throughout the world. For these lie embedded in the teachings
themselves, unadulterated and unobscured by unwarrantable
inferences, or unauthorized interpretations of His Word.
(21 March 1930, WOB 23-24)

Denounce To criticize something publicly
Offshoot Something that has grown out of something else
Contemptuously Demonstrating a strong dislike or utter lack of
respect
Obscure Unimportant or unknown
Abound To be present in large numbers or quantities
Unimpaired Not badly affected by anything unpleasant or
dangerous that happens
Perplexity A state of feeling confused or puzzled
Imperceptibly So slightly or gradually that it is hard to notice
Welter Confused condition
Unadulterated Pure
Unobscured Clear; not hidden
 | Empowering Words

Unwarrantable Unable to be justified; inexcusable
Inferences Conclusions drawn from evidence or reasoning
Empowering Words | 

61. The Goal of a New World Order
W Shoghi Effendi wrote these World Order letters to fellow believers
in the Faith in November of 1931, the New York Bahá’í community
drafted the by-laws of a Bahá’í local assembly. These became the pattern
for all local Bahá’í constitutions throughout the world.
Humanity, whether viewed in the light of man’s individual conduct
or in the existing relationships between organized communities and
nations, has, alas, strayed too far and suffered too great a decline
to be redeemed through the unaided efforts of the best among
its recognized rulers and statesmen - however disinterested their
motives, however concerted their action, however unsparing in their
zeal and devotion to its cause. No scheme which the calculations
of the highest statesmanship may yet devise; no doctrine which
the most distinguished exponents of economic theory may hope to
advance; no principle which the most ardent of moralists may strive
to inculcate, can provide, in the last resort, adequate foundations
upon which the future of a distracted world can be built. No
appeal for mutual tolerance which the worldly-wise might raise,
however compelling and insistent, can calm its passions or help
restore its vigor. Nor would any general scheme of mere organized
international cooperation, in whatever sphere of human activity,
however ingenious in conception, or extensive in scope, succeed
in removing the root cause of the evil that has so rudely upset the
equilibrium of present-day society. Not even, I venture to assert,
would the very act of devising the machinery required for the political
and economic unification of the world - a principle that has been
increasingly advocated in recent times - provide in itself the antidote
against the poison that is steadily undermining the vigor of organized
peoples and nations. What else, might we not confidently affirm,
but the unreserved acceptance of the Divine Program enunciated,
with such simplicity and force as far back as sixty years ago, by
Bahá’u’lláh, embodying in its essentials God’s divinely appointed
scheme for the unification of mankind in this age, coupled with
an indomitable conviction in the unfailing efficacy of each and all
of its provisions, is eventually capable of withstanding the forces of
internal disintegration which, if unchecked, must needs continue to
eat into the vitals of a despairing society. It is towards this goal - the
goal of a new World Order, Divine in origin, all-embracing in scope,
equitable in principle, challenging in its features - that a harassed
humanity must strive.
(29 November 1931, WOB 33-34)
 | Empowering Words

Strayed Wandered away from the right path
Unsparing Giving generously or liberally
Devise Invent, make up or put together
Exponents Supporters or promoters of an idea
Ardent Feeling or showing great enthusiasm or eagerness
Inculcate To fix something firmly in somebody’s mind
through frequent, forceful repetition
Ingenious Clever, original and effective
Venture To be so bold as to; to dare
Antidote A substance that counteracts poison
Embodying Making things into an organized system or
whole
Indomitable Brave, determined and impossible to defeat or
frighten
Efficacy The power of producing an effect; effectiveness
Vitals The parts necessary for functioning, as of a
system
Equitable Fair
Harassed Anxious, annoyed and tired
Empowering Words | 

62. The Bedrock on Which This
Administrative Order Is Founded
I  year of 1934, a month before Shoghi Effendi wrote this to
the Bahá’ís of the West, he gave Queen Marie of Romania the gift of a
Tablet in the handwriting of Bahá’ú’lláh:
Let no one, while this System is still in its infancy, misconceive its
character, belittle its significance or misrepresent its purpose. The
bedrock on which this Administrative Order is founded is God’s
immutable Purpose for mankind in this day. The Source from which
it derives its inspiration is no one less than Bahá’u’lláh Himself. Its
shield and defender are the embattled hosts of the Abhá Kingdom.
Its seed is the blood of no less than twenty thousand martyrs who
have offered up their lives that it may be born and flourish. The axis
round which its institutions revolve are the authentic provisions of
the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Its guiding principles are
the truths which He Who is the unerring Interpreter of the teachings
of our Faith has so clearly enunciated in His public addresses
throughout the West. The laws that govern its operation and limit
its functions are those which have been expressly ordained in the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas. The seat round which its spiritual, its humanitarian
and administrative activities will cluster are the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár
and its Dependencies. The pillars that sustain its authority and
buttress its structure are the twin institutions of the Guardianship
and of the Universal House of Justice. The central, the underlying
aim which animates it is the establishment of the New World
Order as adumbrated by Bahá’u’lláh. The methods it employs, the
standard it inculcates, incline it to neither East nor West, neither
Jew nor Gentile, neither rich nor poor, neither white nor colored.
Its watchword is the unification of the human race; its standard the
“Most Great Peace”; its consummation the advent of that golden
millennium - the Day when the kingdoms of this world shall have
become the Kingdom of God Himself, the Kingdom of Bahá’u’lláh.
(8 February 1934, WOB 156-157)

Misconceive Fail to understand
Belittle Reduce or dismiss the importanc or quality of
something
Bedrock The foundation; underlying facts and principles
Immutable Unchanging or unchangeable
Derives Gets; receives
Embattled Under attack
Hosts A very large number of people
 | Empowering Words

Flourish Be healthy or grow well
Axis The line around which objects rotate
Provisions Things that have been given
Unerring Accurate; making no mistakes
Enunciated Stated precisely and systematically
Ordained Formally commanded
Buttress Give support to
Animates Gives life to; inspires to action
Adumbrated Disclosed partially or guardedly; shown in
outline
Inculcates Fixes firmly in one’s mind
Empowering Words | 

63. Evidences of a Splendid Power
S Effendi wrote this letter to the Bahá’ís of the West in the year
1934, when the world situation was worsening and the government in
Iran took several measures against the Bahá’ís throughout the country:
nineteen Bahá’í schools were closed; Bahá’í meetings were forbidden in
many towns; 3 Bahá’í centres were closed; some Bahá’í military were
stripped of their rank and imprisoned; Bahá’ís in many places were
harassed over the filling-in of marriage certificates, census forms and
other legal documents, and despite all this the first National Spiritual
Assembly of Iran was elected.
The vitality which the organic institutions of this great, this ever-
expanding Order so strongly exhibit; the obstacles which the high
courage, the undaunted resolution of its administrators have already
surmounted; the fire of an unquenchable enthusiasm that glows with
undiminished fervor in the hearts of its itinerant teachers; the heights
of self-sacrifice which its champion-builders are now attaining; the
breadth of vision, the confident hope, the creative joy, the inward
peace, the uncompromising integrity, the exemplary discipline, the
unyielding unity and solidarity which its stalwart defenders manifest;
the degree to which its moving Spirit has shown itself capable of
assimilating the diversified elements within its pale, of cleansing them
of all forms of prejudice and of fusing them with its own structure -
these are evidences of a power which a disillusioned and sadly shaken
society can ill afford to ignore.
Compare these splendid manifestations of the spirit animating
this vibrant body of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh with the cries and
agony, the follies and vanities, the bitterness and prejudices, the
wickedness and divisions of an ailing and chaotic world. Witness
the fear that torments its leaders and paralyzes the action of its blind
and bewildered statesmen. How fierce the hatreds, how false the
ambitions, how petty the pursuits, how deep-rooted the suspicions
of its peoples! How disquieting the lawlessness, the corruption, the
unbelief that are eating into the vitals of a tottering civilization!
Might not this process of steady deterioration which is insidiously
invading so many departments of human activity and thought be
regarded as a necessary accompaniment to the rise of this almighty Arm
of Bahá’u’lláh? Might we not look upon the momentous happenings
which, in the course of the past twenty years, have so deeply agitated
every continent of the earth, as ominous signs simultaneously
proclaiming the agonies of a disintegrating civilization and the birth
 | Empowering Words

pangs of that World Order - that Ark of human salvation - that must
needs arise upon its ruins?
(8 February 1934, WOB 155)

Ever-expanding Increasing continuously in size and scope
Undaunted Not afraid or deterred by the
prospect of defeat, loss or failure
Resolution Firm determination to do something
Surmounted Dealt with successfully, as with a difficulty
Unquenchable Impossible to suppress or destroy
Undiminished Not reduced or lessened
Fervor Intense emotion; passion Itinerant
Traveling from place to place
Uncompromising Having beliefs that are fixed and do not change,
especially when faced with opposition
Integrity The quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering
to high moral principles
Unyielding Not giving in to persuasion, pressure or force
Stalwart defenders Faithful, dependable and hard-working
supporters
Pale A region within enclosed boundaries
Petty Of little importance
Insidiously Slowly and subtly harmful or destructive
Ominous Menacing; threatening
Empowering Words | 

64. A New Stage in Concentrated Teaching Activity
S before Martha Root met with Queen Marie of Romania in
1936 for the eighth and last time, Shoghi Effendi penned these words
to the American Bahá’ís:
This new stage in the gradual unfoldment of the Formative Period of
our Faith into which we have just entered - the phase of concentrated
teaching activity - synchronizes with a period of deepening gloom,
of universal impotence, of ever-increasing destitution and wide-
spread disillusionment in the fortunes of a declining age. This is
truly providential and its significance and the opportunities it
offers us should be fully apprehended and utilized. Now that the
administrative organs of a firmly established Faith are vigorously
and harmoniously functioning, and now that the Symbol (i.e., the
House of Worship) of its invincible might is lending unprecedented
impetus to its spread, an effort unexampled in its scope and sustained
vitality is urgently required so that the moving spirit of its Founder
may permeate and transform the lives of the countless multitudes
that hunger for its teachings. That the beloved friends in America,
who have carried triumphantly the banner of His Cause through the
initial stages of its development, will in a still greater measure prove
themselves capable of meeting the challenge of the present hour, I,
for one, can never doubt. Of the evidences of their inexhaustible
vitality I am sufficiently and continually conscious. My fervent plea
will not, I feel certain, remain unanswered. For them I shall continue
to pray from all my heart.
(10 January 1936, MA 18)

Gloom A feeling or atmosphere of despair, despondency
or misery
Impotence Powerlessness
Destitution Extreme poverty
Declining Decreasing in number, amount, value or quality
Providential Happening exactly when needed but without
being planned
Apprehended To grasp the importance, significance or meaning
of something
Utilized Make use of
Vigorously Displaying or using great energy
Invincible Unbeatable
Lending Giving a particular quality of character to
something
Unprecedented Having no earlier parallel or equivalent
 | Empowering Words

Impetus A driving force Scope Breadth, or opportunity
to function
Permeate Spread throughout
Empowering Words | 

65. The Leaven that Must Leaven the Lump
W a few months after the passing of Muníríh Khánum, the
Holy Mother, on 30 April 1938 and several weeks before Queen Marie
of Romania passed away on 25 July 1938, Shoghi Effendi wrote this to
the Bahá’ís of North America:
Pregnant indeed are the years looming ahead of us all. The twin
processes of internal disintegration and external chaos are being
accelerated and every day are inexorably moving towards a climax.
The rumblings that must precede the eruption of those forces that
must cause “the limbs of humanity to quake” can already be heard.
“The time of the end,” “the latter years,” as foretold in the Scriptures,
are at long last upon us. The Pen of Bahá’u’lláh, the voice of ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá, have time and again, insistently and in terms unmistakable,
warned an unheeding humanity of impending disaster. The
Community of the Most Great Name, the leaven that must leaven
the lump, the chosen remnant that must survive the rolling up of
the old, discredited, tottering order, and assist in the unfoldment of
a new one in its stead, is standing ready, alert, clear-visioned, and
resolute. The American believers, standard-bearers of this world-wide
community and torch-bearers of an as yet unborn civilization, have
girt up their loins, unfurled their banners and stepped into the arena
of service. Their Plan has been formulated. Their forces are mobilized.
They are steadfastly marching towards their goal. The hosts of the
Abhá Kingdom are rushing forth, as promised, to direct their steps
and reinforce their power. Through their initial victories they have
provided the impulse that must now surge and, with relentless force
sweep over their sister-communities and eventually overpower the
entire human race. The generality of mankind, blind and enslaved,
is wholly unaware of the healing power with which this community
has been endowed, nor can it as yet suspect the role which this same
community is destined to play in its redemption.
Fierce and manifold will be the assaults with which governments,
races, classes and religions, jealous of its rising prestige and fearful
of its consolidating strength, will seek to silence its voice and sap its
foundations. Unmoved by the relative obscurity that surrounds it at
the present time, and undaunted by the forces that will be arrayed
against it in the future, this community, I cannot but feel confident,
will, no matter how afflictive the agonies of a travailing age, pursue
its destiny, undeflected in its course, undimmed in its serenity,
unyielding in its resolve, unshaken in its convictions.
(5 July 1938, MA 33)
 | Empowering Words

Looming Something about to happen that seems
threatening
Inexorably Impossible to stop
Rumblings First indications
Unheeding Not paying attention Impending Threatening to
happen
Leaven 1. Something that lightens things, like yeast. 2.
To modify or lighten
Remnant A small part of something that remains after the
rest has gone
Tottering Unstable or on the point of collapse
Stead In place of another
Resolute Characterized by determination
Standard-bearers Leaders
Torch-bearers Sources of enlightenment
Girt up their loins Prepared and strengthened themselves to do
something difficult and challenging
Unfurled Spread out Rushing forth Moving forward
quickly
Surge Increase suddenly
Relentless Ceaseless and intense
Sweep Move with speed and force
Endowed Having been given a particular quality or feature
Suspect Believe to be probable or possible
Redemption A thing that saves someone from error or evil
Fierce Violent or intense
Assaults Violent physical or verbal attacks
Sap Drain of strength or power
Undaunted Not afraid or deterred by the prospect of defeat,
loss or failure
Arrayed To set out a large number or wide range of
people
Travailing Working hard or with pain
Undeflected Not turning aside, especially from a straight
course or fixed direction
Empowering Words | 

66. Undreamt of Opportunities Offered
I  Bahá’ís in the Soviet Union were persecuted by the authorities;
five hundred Bahá’í men were imprisoned in Turkistan; many Iranian
Bahá’ís living in various cities of the Soviet Union were arrested; some
were sent to Siberia, others to Pavladar in northern Kazakhstan and
others to Iran; six hundred refugee Bahá’ís – women, girls, children
and a few old men – went to Iran, mostly to Mashhad; the Bahá’í
Temple in `Ishqábád was confiscated and turned into an art gallery;
the Bahá’í schools were ordered closed and Spiritual Assemblies and all
administrative institutions in the Caucasus were dissolved. At this time
Shoghi Effendi wrote the following to the United States and Canada:
The field is indeed so immense, the period so critical, the Cause so
great, the workers so few, the time so short, the privilege so priceless,
that no follower of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, worthy to bear His name,
can afford a moment’s hesitation. That God-born Force, irresistible
in its sweeping power, incalculable in its potency, unpredictable
in its course, mysterious in its workings, and awe-inspiring in its
manifestations - a Force which, as the Báb has written, “vibrates
within the innermost being of all created things,” and which,
according to Bahá’u’lláh, has through its “vibrating influence,” “upset
the equilibrium of the world and revolutionized its ordered life” - such
a Force, acting even as a two-edged sword, is, under our very eyes,
sundering, on the one hand, the age-old ties which for centuries have
held together the fabric of civilized society, and is unloosing, on the
other, the bonds that still fetter the infant and as yet unemancipated
Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. The undreamt-of opportunities offered through
the operation of this Force - the American believers must now rise,
and fully and courageously exploit them. “The holy realities of the
Concourse on high,” writes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “yearn, in this day, in the
Most Exalted Paradise, to return unto this world, so that they may
be aided to render some service to the threshold of the Abha Beauty,
and arise to demonstrate their servitude to His sacred Threshold.”
(25 December 1938, ADJ 39)

Sweeping On a large scale
Sundering Separating something into parts, especially by
force
Fetter Restrict the freedom of; restrain and confine
Exploit Use something for benefit
 | Empowering Words

67. The One Refuge
I  John Henry Hyde Dunn, Hand of the Cause of God, died
in Sydney in February. In May of the same year, Yvonne Cuellar, a
Frenchwoman, became the first Bahá’í to pioneer to Bolivia; Shoghi
Effendi called her the ‘Mother of Bolivia’. And it was in March of that
year that Shoghi Effendi wrote this to the Bahá’ís of the West:
We are indeed living in an age which, if we would correctly appraise
it, should be regarded as one which is witnessing a dual phenomenon.
The first signalizes the death pangs of an order, effete and godless, that
has stubbornly refused, despite the signs and portents of a century-
old Revelation, to attune its processes to the precepts and ideals
which that Heaven-sent Faith proffered it. The second proclaims the
birth pangs of an Order, divine and redemptive, that will inevitably
supplant the former, and within Whose administrative structure
an embryonic civilization, incomparable and world-embracing, is
imperceptibly maturing. The one is being rolled up, and is crashing
in oppression, bloodshed, and ruin. The other opens up vistas of a
justice, a unity, a peace, a culture, such as no age has ever seen. The
former has spent its force, demonstrated its falsity and barrenness,
lost irretrievably its opportunity, and is hurrying to its doom. The
latter, virile and unconquerable, is plucking asunder its chains, and
is vindicating its title to be the one refuge within which a sore-tried
humanity, purged from its dross, can attain its destiny.
(28 March 1941, PDC 16)

Appraise To form or give an opinion of something’s
quality
Effete Characterized by decadence, triviality or self-
indulgence
Portents Indications that something, often something
unpleasant, is going to happen
Precepts Rules, instructions or principles that guide
someone’s actions, especially those that guide
moral behavior
Proffered Held something out so it could be accepted
Supplant Replace
Imperceptibly Very slightly or gradually
Irretrievably Impossible to get back or recover
Virile Showing energy, power and forcefulness
Plucking Taking something away quickly
Asunder Into different parts or pieces
Empowering Words | 

Vindicating Defending or maintaining the recognition of
something, such as a cause or one’s rights
Purged Purified; freed from undesirable aspects
Dross Worthless matter
 | Empowering Words

68. We are Destined to Achieve Memorable Victories
I , the restoration of the House of Bahá’u’lláh in Tihrán was
completed; Shoghi Effendi instructed Sutherland Maxwell to set plans
in motion for the first stages of the building of the superstructure of the
Shrine of the Báb; and the Second Seven Year Plan of the United States
and Canada was launched. In April, the National Spiritual Assembly
of Germany and Austria was established, and one month later, Shoghi
Effendi appended this letter to the new National Assembly:
My heart rejoiced and my soul was refreshed at the receipt of your
most welcome message, signed by so great a number of ardent and
youthful co-workers in a land so rich in promise, so blessed by our
Beloved, and so severely tried by the vicissitudes of war. You are,
I assure you, often in my thoughts and prayers, and I cherish the
brightest hopes for your future work. You are, I feel confident,
destined to achieve memorable victories, both in your native land
and on the continent of Europe, and you should diligently and
unitedly prepare yourselves for this glorious task. Persevere, redouble
your efforts, and rest assured that the Beloved will bless and sustain
you always.
(4 May 1946, LDG Vol. I 106)

Ardent Feeling or showing great enthusiasm or eagerness
Vicissitudes Unexpected changes, especially in somebody’s
fortunes
Diligently Showing persistent and hard-working effort in
doing something
Sustain Support and encourange; keep in existence
Empowering Words | 

69. Great Work To Be Undertaken in the Future
D the same year, 1946, that the National Spiritual Assembly of
Germany and Austria was established, the restoration of the House of
Bahá’u’lláh in Tihrán was completed, and Shoghi Effendi wrote to the
National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles:
The evidences of intensified activity and of notable progress on the
part of the English believers in recent months have rejoiced my heart
and deepened my feelings of admiration and gratitude for the manner
in which they are discharging, individually and collectively, their high
responsibilities. I long to hear of the steady progress of their Plan, and
will continue to pray for the removal of every obstacle in their path.
However considerable their recent achievements, they are still in the
initial stage of their great unfolding mission, and are not even capable
as yet of visualising the possibilities or of estimating the consequences
of their present-day labours. The consummation of their present
task will mark the opening of a new era in the development of their
community and will signalise the inauguration of a great epoch in
the history of the Faith in their land--an epoch that must witness the
universal recognition of their Cause and the proclamation of its truths,
its claims and tenets, to the masses of their countrymen throughout
the British Isles. The Plan they are now prosecuting will provide the
machinery and establish the basic structure that will enable them
to arouse the people, among all sections of the population, and aid
them, systematically and gradually, to recognise Bahá’u’lláh, and
support the nascent institutions of this World Order. Now it is their
duty to lay an unassailable foundation for the great work that is to be
undertaken in the future. There is no time to lose. Theirs is a priceless
opportunity and a great privilege. They must neither vacillate nor
falter. They must determinedly persevere until their immediate and
distant goals have been attained.
(12 October 1946, UD 191-192)

Notable Significant or great enough to deserve attention
or to be recorded
Discharging Carrying out a duty, responsibility or promise
Signalise Make remarkable or conspicuous
Inauguration The beginning of a new period, style or activity
Epoch A period of history, especially one in which there
are new advances and great change
Tenets Doctrines or principles
Prosecuting Carrying out until completion; following to the
end
 | Empowering Words

Nascent Just beginning to develop; emerging
Unassailable So sound or well established that it cannot be
challenged or denied
Vacillate To swing indecisively in choice of opinions or
actions
Falter To be unsteady in purpose or action; stumble
Persevere To persist steadily in an action or belief, usually
over a long period and especially despite roblems
or difficulties
Empowering Words | 

70. The Champion-Builders of
Bahá’u’lláh’s Embryonic Order
I  spring of 1947, the National Spiritual Assembly of the United
States and Canada was accredited by the United Nations as a non-
governmental organization. Shoghi Effendi wrote this to the Bahá’ís of
the West:
Invested, among its sister communities in East and West, with the
primacy conferred upon it by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan; armed with
the mandatory provisions of His momentous Tablets; equipped with
the agencies of a quarter-century-old Administrative Order, whose
fabric it has reared and consolidated; encouraged by the marvelous
success achieved by its daughter communities throughout the
Americas, a success which has sealed the triumph of the first stage of
that Plan; launched on a campaign of vaster dimensions, of superior
merit, of weightier potentialities, than any it has hitherto initiated, a
campaign destined to multiply its spiritual progeny in distant lands
and amidst divers races, the community of the Most Great Name in
the North American continent must arise, as it has never before in its
history, and demonstrate anew its capacity to perform such deeds as
are worthy of its high calling. Its members, the executors of ‘Abdu’l-
Bahá’s Plan, the champion-builders of Bahá’u’lláh’s embryonic Order,
the torchbearers of a world-girdling civilization, must, in the years
immediately ahead, bestir themselves, and, as bidden by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
“increase” their exertions “a thousandfold,” lay bare further vistas in
the “range” of their “future achievements” and of their “unspeakably
glorious” mission, and hasten the day when, as prophesied by Him,
their community will “find itself securely established upon the throne
of an everlasting dominion,” when “the whole earth” will be stirred
and shaken by the results of its “achievements” and “resound with
the praises of majesty and greatness,” when America will “evolve into
a center from which waves of spiritual power will emanate, and the
throne of the Kingdom of God will, in the plenitude of its majesty
and glory, be firmly established.”
(5 June 1947, CF 30-31)

Invested Provided with a particular quality or
characteristic
Primacy Being first or foremost
Conferred Given an honor or title
Mandatory Needing to be done, followed or complied with,
usually because of an official requirement
 | Empowering Words

Momentous Extremely important or crucial, especially in the
effect on the future course of events
Fabric The fundamental structure or makeup of
something
Hitherto Up to the present time or the time in question
Progeny Offspring or descendants
Girdling Something that surrounds or encircles something
else
Bestir Become active; start doing something
Vistas Mental pictures covering a long succession of
events in the past or the future
Empowering Words | 

71. Torch-Bearers of the Light of Divine Guidance
I S 1947, George Townshend, at the age of 71 years,
resigned his position with the Church of Ireland. He was the first
ordained priest of a Christian Protestant church to renounce his Orders
and to become a fully accredited member of the Bahá’í community. A
month later, Shoghi Effendi appended this to the National Spiritual
Assembly of Germany and Austria:
The spirit which the entire body of the German believers have
displayed, despite the hardships and trials which they have
heroically endured, and are still enduring, is a magnificent example
to their fellow-workers in both the East and the West, a source of
great inspiration to me, and a magnet that will powerfully attract
the blessings of the Almighty. My thoughts, though I myself am
immersed in an ocean of work and preoccupations, often turn in
loving admiration and gratitude to those who, for more than a
decade, have in the face of constant peril, held fast to the Faith of
God, who have survived the greatest ordeal that has ever afflicted
the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in the West, and who are now forging ahead,
united, resolved and consecrated, in the path leading to still greater
victories.
… The path you are treading is hard and stony and beset with many
pitfalls. The tasks you are called upon to discharge are varied, complex,
urgent and gigantic. The resources at your disposal are meagre. The
hour, however, for raising the call of Bahá’u’lláh is propitious. The
hearts of your countrymen, prepared by bewilderment and suffering,
are ready to respond to His message. You stand at the threshold of
a new and glorious era in the evolution of His Faith in that land.
The opportunities of the present hour are priceless and may never
recur again. Time is pressing. The eyes of your fellow-workers in
both Hemispheres are fixed upon you. Our beloved Master who
showered, through His visit and His messages to you, so much love
and encouragement and so many blessings, is watching over you
from on high, ready to sustain your efforts and lead you on to victory.
That you may rise to still greater heights of heroism, that you may
discharge befittingly your sacred responsibilities, that you may adorn
the annals of your Faith with still greater evidences of your devotion,
courage and perseverance, that you may achieve your high destiny as
the torch-bearers of the light of Divine Guidance to the neighbouring
countries in that continent, is the object of my fervent prayers at the
holy shrines, and the dearest wish of my heart.
(24 October 1947, LDG Vol. I 129-131)
 | Empowering Words

Peril Danger
Forging Moving ahead with effort
Resolved Determined in purpose
Consecrated Dedicated to a particular purpose
Beset Attacked from all sides
Pitfalls Potential disasters
Meagre Unsatisfactorily small
Propitious Favorable and likely to lead to success
Sustain Support
Empowering Words | 

72. Reap the Full Harvest
C began on the superstructure of the Shrine of the
Báb in this year, 1949, and in August the second European Teaching
Conference was held in Brussels when Shoghi Effendi wrote to the
National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand:
… Obstacles, varied and numerous, will no doubt arise to impede the
onward march of this community. Reverses may temporarily dim the
radiance of its mission. The forces of religious orthodoxy may well,
at a future date, be leagued against it. The exponents of theories and
doctrines fundamentally opposed to its religious tenets and social
principles may challenge its infant strength with persistence and
severity. The Administrative Order - the Ark destined to preserve
its integrity and carry it to safety - must without delay, without
exception, claim the attention of the members of this community,
its ideals must be continually cherished in their hearts, its purposes
studied and kept constantly before their eyes, its requirements
wholeheartedly met, its laws scrupulously upheld, its institutions
unstintingly supported, its glorious mission noised abroad, and its
spirit made the sole motivating purpose of their lives.
Then and only then, will this community, so young, so vibrant with
life, so rich in promise, so dedicated to its task, be in a position to
discharge adequately its weighty responsibilities, to reap the full
harvest it has sown, acquire still greater potentialities for the conduct
of subsequent stages in the crusade on which it has embarked, and
contribute, to a degree unsuspected as yet by its members, its full
share to the World-wide establishment of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh,
the emancipation of its Oriental followers, the recognition of its
independence, the birth of its World Order and the emergence of
that world civilization which that Order is destined to create.
(22 August 1949, LAN 79-81)

Impede To interfere with the movement, progress or
development of something
Leagued Joined together
Tenets Doctrines or principles
Persistence Steadfast holding to a purpose
Scrupulously Showing careful regard for what is morally right
Unstintingly Generously
 | Empowering Words

73. Carry on the Torch
I  year 1949, construction began on the superstructure of the
Shrine of the Báb; the second European Teaching Conference was
held in Brussels; and Shoghi Effendi wrote this letter to the National
Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles:
The Bahá’í world, in its entirety, is struck with amazement at the
quality of the work performed, at the extent and number of the
victories achieved by this community. Its sister-community in the
great Republic of the West, already laden with many and splendid
trophies gathered in distant fields and over a long period of time
cannot regard this resurgence of the Bahá’í spirit, this manifestation
of Bahá’í solidarity, these ennobling evidences of Bahá’í achievement,
amidst so conservative a people, within so short a time, under such
trying circumstances, and by so small a band of workers, except with
feelings compounded of envy, of admiration and respect. Its sister-
communities throughout the East, venerable by reason of their age,
and the sacrifices they have made, and fully aware of the long period
of incubation this community has undergone, recall, with feelings
of delight, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s prediction, forecasting the germination, at
their appointed time, of the potent seeds His loving hands have sown
in the course of His twice-repeated visit to that Island, and marvel at
the rapidity with which its soil is now manifesting the potentialities
with which it has been endowed. He Who blessed it with His
footsteps, Who called into being, and fostered the growth of, the
community labouring in that Island, hails, from His station on high,
the exploits which immortalise the small band of His present-day
consecrated and resolute followers, who are carrying on the torch
which He Himself had entrusted to their immediate predecessors.
Bahá’u’lláh Himself lauds the conspicuous victories being won in His
Name, in the dawning years of the Second Bahá’í Century, at the
very heart and centre of the greatest Empire the world has ever seen,
whose Sovereign Monarch He Himself had addressed and whose
deeds He, with His Own pen, had commended.
(9 April 1949, UD 226-227)

Resurgence The act or process of rising again or becoming
stronger again
Compounded Mixed; combined to make a whole
Venerable Worthy of respect
Incubation Gradual development
Germination Sprouting and growing
Potent Strong, effective and powerful
Empowering Words | 

Endowed Given a quality or ability
Hails Praises or approves a person, action or
accomplishment
Exploits Interesting or daring actions or achievements
Immortalise Make someone’s memory live on
Consecrated Dedicated to a particular purpose
Resolute Having determination
Entrusted Given somebody responsibility for something
Lauds Praises; glorifies
Conspicuous Easy to notice; obvious
Commended To praise somebody or something in a formal
way
 | Empowering Words

74. A Still More Convincing
Demonstration of Spirit
I , Shoghi Effendi acquired the title to the Pilgrim House at
Bahji from the Israeli government as part of the exchange for the Bahá’í
properties at Ein Gev; he also bought the ruined house known as the
Master’s Tea House. In April he announced that the Bahá’í Faith was
established in 247 countries, in 3,700 localities and that there were more
than 900 local spiritual assemblies, of which 168 were incorporated;
Bahá’í literature had been translated into 190 languages. Three months
later he wrote to the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and
Austria:
The stalwart German Bahá’í Community, ranking among the oldest
and certainly one of the most eminent, communities in Europe;
firmly implanted in the heart of that continent; constituting
one of the leading strongholds of the Faith within its confines;
reassured, time and again, through the glowing promises given it, in
unmistakable language, by the Centre of the Covenant, in the early
years of that community’s existence; blessed so abundantly through
His memorable visit to its homeland; hardened and chastened in
the school of adversity; emerging triumphant over those adversaries
that sought so ineffectively to arrest its march, dim its hopes, and
disrupt its foundations; fully equipped through more than three
decades of Bahá’í administrative experience - such a community finds
itself, at this historic hour, fully and hopefully launched upon an
enterprise which, if successfully carried out, will enable it to bring to
a conclusion a chapter of the utmost significance in the evolution of
the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in that land.
Aware of its manifold responsibilities, determined to fulfill the
dearest hopes cherished for it by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, conscious of its
inherent strength, and encouraged by its multiple and heartwarming
accomplishments, this community, in conjunction with its younger
sister, must redouble its efforts to scale loftier heights, to plumb
greater depths of dedication, to evince a still nobler heroism, and
to heighten, by its accomplishments, and, above all, by a still more
convincing demonstration of the spirit animating its members, the
feelings of admiration which I myself, as well as the believers in other
lands, hold them, in consequence of their mighty endeavours and
unforgettable exploits in the service, and for the Cause, of Bahá’u’lláh.
May His Spirit ever shine upon, and warm, their hearts. May His
precepts ever guide their footsteps, and may His unfailing grace,
vouchsafed from the realms on high, be poured forth upon them in
Empowering Words | 

such abundance as to enable them to achieve, in the years immediately
ahead, total and complete victory.
(21 June 1956, LDG Vol. I 269-270)

Stalwart Sturdy and strong
Eminent Superior in position, fame or achievement
Constituting Making up the whole or a particular part of
something
Strongholds Places of strong support for a cause
Confines The boundaries or limits restricting something
Abundantly Richly; fully
Chastened Corrected by punishment or suffering
Emerging Starting to appear, arise, occur or develop
Disrupt To destroy the order or orderly progression of
something
Inherent Part of the very nature of something and
therefore permanently characteristic of it or
necessarily involved in it
Conjunction The act of joining or combining two or more
things
Plumb To examine closely or deeply; probe
Evince To show a feeling or quality clearly
Animating Giving life to; inspiring to action
Exploits Brilliant or heroic achievements
Precepts Rules or principles that guide somebody’s
actions, especially ones that guide moral behavior
Vouchsafed Granted as a privilege or special favor
 | Empowering Words

75. A Dedication Reminiscent of the
Pledges of the Dawn-Breakers
I A 1957, Shoghi Effendi announced that the Faith had been
established in 251 countries, that there were more than a thousand local
spiritual assemblies, that Bahá’ís lived in more than 4,200 localities,
that every territory mentioned in the Tablets of the Divine Plan had
been opened to the Faith and that Bahá’í literature had been translated
into 230 languages. The Treasury Department of Israel had issued an
expropriation order for the remaining property held by Covenant-
breakers at Bahjí, mainly the dilapidated building north of the mansion.
In the same month he wrote to all Bahá’ís:
I appeal, as I close this review of the superb feats already
accomplished, in the course of so many campaigns, by the heroic
band of the warriors of Bahá’u’lláh, battling in His Name and by
His aid for the purification, the unification and the spiritualization
of a morally and spiritually bankrupt society, now hovering on the
brink of self-destruction, for a renewed dedication, at this critical
hour in the fortunes of mankind, on the part of the entire company
of my spiritual brethren in every continent of the globe, to the high
ideals of the Cause they have espoused, as well as to the immediate
accomplishment of the goals of the Crusade on which they have
embarked, be they in active service or not, of either sex, young as well
as old, rich or poor, whether veteran or newly enrolled - a dedication
reminiscent of the pledges which the Dawn-breakers of an earlier
Apostolic Age, assembled in conference at Badasht, and faced with
issues of a different but equally challenging nature, willingly and
solemnly made for the prosecution of the collective task with which
they were confronted.
(April 1957 MBW 120)

Feats Remarkable acts or achievements involving
courage, skill or strength
Espoused Adopted or supported something like a belief or
cause
Reminiscent Suggesting memories of the past
Solemnly Deeply and sincerely
Prosecution The carrying out of an activity or occupation
Empowering Words | 

76. Not To Be Deflected for a Moment
I , one month before Shoghi Effendi wrote this to the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Benelux Countries, the Covenant-breakers
completely abandoned Bahjí; and two months after he wrote this, he
announced ‘the complete evacuation of the remnant of Covenant-
breakers and the transfer of all their belongings from the precincts of
the Most Holy Shrine’:
I fully share the joy and exultation that has filled the hearts of the
valiant promoters of the Faith throughout the Benelux countries at
this latest and most remarkable evidence of the onward march of their
beloved Faith in so important an area of the European continent.
This memorable milestone (the historic formation of three new
Regional Assemblies for Europe) in the evolution of the institutions
of Bahá’u’lláh’s embryonic Order, now firmly established in each of
the sovereign states of Holland, of Belgium and of Luxembourg,
augurs well for its future unfoldment and ultimate fruition in those
countries.
The efforts, so nobly exerted in the past by the band of pioneers,
resident believers and itinerant teachers in each of these states, must,
in consequence of the auspicious opening of a new phase in the
establishment of this Divine Order, be multiplied a hundredfold,
and the standard of consecration and of service to His Cause must
be raised to still greater heights. No obstacle, however formidable, no
test or trial however severe, should deflect them for a moment from
the task they have pledged themselves to fulfil.
(5 July 1957, DC 150-151)

Exultation Extreme happiness or rejoicing
Valiant Brave and steadfast
Milestone Important event
Embryonic Being in the earliest stages of development
Augurs Indicates what will happen
Auspicious Promising well for future
Consecration Dedication
Formidable Difficult to deal with or overcome
Severe Extremely unpleasant
Deflect Cause to turn aside
Photograph by Nayyirih G. de Koning-Tahzib
Abbreviations
BA Bahá’í Administration
CC Compilation of Compilations
CF Citadel of Faith
DC Dear Co-worker
DND Dawn of a New Day
GPB God Passes By
HE High Endeavors Messages to Alaska
LAN Letters from the Guardian to Australia and New
Zealand
LDG The Light of Divine Guidance
MA Messages to America Selected Letters and
Cablegrams Addressed to the Bahá’ís of North
America, 1932-1946
MBW Messages to the Bahá’í World, 1950-1957
MC Messages to Canada
MSI Messages of Shoghi Effendi to the Indian
Subcontinent
PDC The Promised Day is Come
UD Unfolding Destiny
WOB The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh
Bibliography
A Basic Bahá’í Chronology, Glenn Cameron with Wendi Momen. George
Ronald, Oxford, 1996.
Bahá’í Administration: Selected Messages, 1922-1932. Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, 1968.
Citadel of Faith: Messages to America, 1947-1957. Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, 1965.
Dawn of a New Day: Messages to India, 1923-1957. New Delhi: Bahá’í
Publishing Trust, undated.
Dear Co-worker: Messages from Shoghi Effendi to the Benelux countries.Leuven,
Belgium: Brilliant Books, 2009.
High Endeavors: Messages to Alaska. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís
of Alaska, 1976.
Letters from the Guardian to Australia and New Zealand, 1923-1957. National
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Australia Incorporated, 1971.
Messages to America: Selected Letters and Cablegrams Addressed to the Bahá’ís
of North America, 1932-1946. Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust,
1947.
Messages to Canada. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada,
1965.
Messages to the Bahá’í World, 1950-1957. Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing
Trust, 1958.
The Advent of Divine Justice. Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1963.
The Light of Divine Guidance: The Messages from the Guardian of the Bahá’í
Faith to the Bahá’ís of Germany and Austria. National Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá’ís of Germany, Bahá’í-Verlag BmbH, 1982.
The Promised Day is Come. Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1951.
The Unfolding Destiny of the British Bahá’í Community: The Messages from the
Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith to the Bahá’í Community of the British Isles.
London: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1981.
The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh: Selected Letters. Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing
Trust, 1955.

Выберите второй текст для параллельного чтения — перевод или любой другой текст.