# Pilgrims' Notes, Status of

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-18 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Jonah Winters, Pilgrims' Notes, Status of, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> Pilgrims' Notes, Status of
> 
> Jonah Winters
> 
> 1998
> 
> "Pilgrims' Notes"
> are records of individuals' meetings with the Central Figures of the
> Bahá'í Faith and usually the recorded speech of the Central Figures. These Pilgrims' Notes are
> unofficial records of what visitors to the Holy Land recall was said and
> done by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, but cannot be considered as their
> authentic words: the authors might have misheard or miswritten a
> statement; they might not have been knowledgeable about the Bahá'í Faith
> and might have introduced their own misunderstandings into the notes; and
> these online notes are taken from widely circulated second-, third-, and
> sometimes fourth-generation hand-typed copies. These need to be checked
> against originals where they may exist and when they are found, for every
> copyist can and usually does introduce new errors.
> 
> As explained
> by the Universal House of Justice, no policy other than the exercise
> of wisdom currently governs the appearance of such notes on the
> internet. A brief
> Compilation on Pilgrims' Notes can also be
> consulted. Other pilgrims' notes can also be found in some of the older
> Notable Talks and some historical documents.
> 
> As
> these records can rarely be authenticated, they are considered to be
> less reliable than the carefully-transcribed and preserved writings of the Central Figures, and are to be used
> with caution. An example of how manuscripts can differ can be seen in the parallel edition of Alice Dudey's notes. Only the Sacred Writings of the Bahá'í Faith thus far published in
> English, most of which are
> online, represent the authentic teachings of the Faith.
> At the same time, these notes do contain much interesting information
> which, when properly weighed against authentic teachings, can be quite
> useful. The motive for presenting these notes online is perhaps best
> summarized in the following quotation from a letter written on behalf of
> Shoghi Effendi: "While these notes taken down by the pilgrims do not
> constitute as official pronouncements made by the Guardian, and therefore
> should not be imposed on the friends, those who wish to share them with
> the members of the Community should, under no circumstances, be prevented
> from doing so. Though not strictly official, and in some instances
> inaccurate and misleading, these notes, as experience has shown, can be of
> tremendous help, guidance and inspiration to many individual believers,
> and their value as such should therefore be readily admitted."
> (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, April 28, 1939. See also the
> full online compilation.)
> 
> Many of the earlier Pilgrims' Notes posted here 1997-2005 were typed and proofread largely through the collaborative
> efforts of Robert Stauffer, Thellie Lovejoy, Vaughn Sheline, and John B. Cornell. ( - J. Winters)
> 
> METADATA
> 
> Views26882 views since posted 1998; last edit 2024-12-28 16:21 UTC;
> 
> previous at archive.org.../status_pilgrims_notes;
> URLs changed in 2010, see archive.org.../bahai-library.org
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> Shortlink: bahai-library.com/2267
> Citation: ris/2267
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> — *Pilgrims' Notes, Status of (Used by permission of the curator)*