# Pilgrim's Notes about Shoghi Effendi

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-19 — 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: Ramona Brown, Pilgrim's Notes about Shoghi Effendi, Wilmette, IL: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1980, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> Pilgrim's Notes about Shoghi Effendi
> 
> Ramona Brown
> published in Memories of 'Abdu'l-Bahá: Recollections of the Early Days of the Bahá'ís of California pp. 111-118
> 
> Wilmette, IL: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1980
> 
> Biographical sketch on jacket cover:
> 
> Ramona Allen Brown was born in Boulder Creek, California, on August 10,
> 1889, the only daughter of Dr. Woodson and Frances Orr Allen. In 1904 she
> heard about the Bahá'í Faith, which she embraced
> immediately. 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit to California in 1912 only
> deepened her commitment to her Faith. Except for a short trip to Hawaii,
> Mrs. Brown remained in California, raising her family and teaching the
> Bahá'í Faith — until 1954. In that year she made a
> pilgrimage to the World Center of the Bahá'í Faith, then
> settled in Majorca and later in Austria. In 1963 poor health forced her to
> return to California, where she lived in La Jolla until her death on
> February 23, 1975, at the age of eighty-six. To the end of her life she
> continued to share her memories of the beloved 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
> 
> [page 111]
> Coda
> 
> In 1946 my husband, Arthur Brown, and I moved into a new home in
> Oakland. Shortly afterwards Agnes Alexander spoke at our first meeting,
> and on that day Arthur and I dedicated our home to the service of
> Bahá'u'lláh. Many Bahá'í activities took
> place in our home; friends enjoyed the meetings where Ella Cooper, Mark
> Tobey, Marziah Gail, Bahia Gulick, Loulie Mathews, and many others spoke.
> It was from this home, after the passing of Arthur, that my daughter
> [Barbara], my granddaughter ["Bobbin"], and I attended the dedication of the
> Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette in 1953. After this I
> went to the International Conference in Stockholm, Sweden, and visited
> the Bahá'ís of Oslo and Copenhagen for several months
> before returning to my home in Oakland in December. My desire was to
> arrange my affairs quickly and go pioneering. However, to my surprise and
> joy, I received an invitation to make my pilgrimage in May, and I deferred
> my other plans.
> 
> It was early afternoon on May 10, 1954, when I arrived in Haifa. As my
> taxi approached the Eastern Pilgrim House, suddenly through the treetops I
> caught a glimpse of the golden dome of the Shrine of the Báb.
> Never will I forget the exhilaration of that moment! After my first
> outburst of joy, I was silent. Other fleeting views of the Shrine appeared,
> but I was too overcome to utter a sound. Arriving at the Western Pilgrim
> House where we were to stay, I was greeted by Jessie Revell, who told me
> that she would accompany me to the house of 'Abdu'l-
> 
> [page 112]
> 
> Bahá where I had been invited to have tea with
> Rúhíyyih Khánum. As I walked up the steps, I
> was thrilled by the thought that the Master had for years climbed these
> same steps, and I entered the large main room where He had so often
> received His guests. As Rúhíyyih Khánum
> came toward me with outstretched arms and lovingly embraced me, I could
> feel the very presence of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Later I was able to spend
> some time alone in prayer and meditation at the side of the iron bed in the
> modest room nearby where the Master had slept and passed away in
> 1921.
> 
> Soon it was the dinner hour at the Western Pilgrim House, and my dream of
> being in the presence of our beloved Guardian was coming true. Shoghi
> Effendi and Rúhíyyih Khánum had already
> entered the dining room. I stood with the group of friends outside the
> dining room waiting for others to go in. They said to me, "Go on in. Go in!"
> But I hesitated. Then I was gently pushed by Milly Collins into the room.
> There I saw him —"The sign of God," the "priceless pearl!"[1] My heart stood
> still. I could not speak or move until he came toward me smiling and took
> my hand, saying, "Welcome, Mrs. Brown. We are very happy to see you and
> have you with us. Please sit here"; he indicated a chair opposite him at
> the dinner table. The warmth of his greeting and his gentle courtesy made
> me feel comfortable and happy. I sensed his quiet, deep, spiritual
> strength. Shoghi Effendi asked me about my daughter. He looked a long
> time at the pictures of my family, and I gave him the message each one
> had sent him his greetings and a special message, which I relayed to him.
> He said, "Tell your son that I hope his wishes to serve and help will be
> gratified." Looking again at the photographs, the Guardian said that he
> would pray in the Holy Shrines for my family.
> 
> Then in a gentle and loving manner he inquired about the believers in
> California and spoke of some of the early Bahá'ís whom I
> had known — Helen Goodall, Ella Cooper, Phoebe Hearst, and Lua Getsinger.
> Often as we
> 
> [page 113]
> 
> sat with Shoghi Effendi he seemed to know what was in our hearts, for he
> answered questions that were in my own heart but which I had not
> asked.
> 
> In the morning of the second day at Bahjí I went with Mary and
> Alan Elston, two pioneers from Africa, and [the gardener] Sala to pray in
> the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh. To enter the Shrine one passes
> through a beautiful, small, wrought iron gate and steps on a short path of
> white pebbles leading to the handsome bronze door of the Shrine. On
> either side of the path is a pillar. I put my hand on the ledge of the pillar
> to steady myself as I removed my shoes before entering the Shrine, and my
> hand fell upon three glorious white carnations! I was surprised and
> exclaimed over them because I had not seen any carnations in the gardens.
> I was deeply touched when Sala said, "Shoghi Effendi put them there
> yesterday when he visited the Shrine, and I am sure he meant them for
> you!" When Sala said this, I wondered whether Shoghi Effendi knew that
> carnations have a special significance to me and are very dear to my heart.
> I remembered that Zikr'u'lláh Khadem, a Hand of the Cause of God,
> had once said to me, "The beloved Guardian knows the heart of each one of
> us."
> 
> Each evening at dinner Shoghi Effendi wore a light tan camel's hair
> overcoat, a white shirt, and a black tie. His complexion was a soft tan and
> his large brown eyes expressed his every emotion. From under his black
> fez, on each side, a few white hairs were mingled with the black. He was
> not a large man, but his presence filled the room. When the Guardian spoke
> of the accomplishments of the Bahá'ís the world over, he
> never included himself. He was a humble, gentle person and generally
> spoke in a soft voice; but when he explained the Administration, he spoke
> with a firm tone and great authority. When he was not speaking in a
> serious vein, he often made us laugh as he related some funny incident or
> experience that he or someone else had had, and then his eyes twinkled as
> he laughed. Nothing made Shoghi Effendi happier than news of the unity
> among the believers. During dinner he often
> 
> [page 114]
> 
> spoke of what was occurring in many parts of the world. some evenings he
> would stay after dinner was over and tell us of good news he had received
> or explain some special Teaching.
> 
> Each evening after the Guardian had left the dining room,
> Rúhíyyih Khánum and we three pilgrims
> would visit in the sitting room, and she would tell us of some special
> news or incident that had made Shoghi Effendi very happy. After she left,
> we would recall the words of the Guardian and later compare our notes.
> One evening Shoghi Effendi said, "Please share your notes that you have
> taken here with the friends when you return home." This I have tried to do
> ever since, and following are some of the important and interesting things
> which he said to us while we were his guests in Haifa:
> 
> Bahá'ís must have a new way of life. They need to be
> different from other people. They must be distinguished. The more
> distinguished, the more they will attract people. The greater the
> distinction, the greater the attraction. They must read the Tablets of
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá, study the text of the Teachings. It is not enough to
> be good and kind and to lead a religious life today; it does not count for
> much unless one accepts the Manifestation of God, if one has heard of Him;
> it is almost wasted. One must accept the Manifestation in His day. If one
> has not heard of Bahá'u'lláh, they are not to be blame; the
> blame lies with the Bahá'ís. If the Bahá'ís
> fail to teach the Faith, the people who do not hear of the Faith are not to
> blame. The blame lies with the Bahá'ís.
> 
> All men are not of the same capacity. To serve to full capacity is
> meritorious with God. God judges men by how they use their capacity.
> 
> Every city, every town, and every village will have a
> [Bahá'í] Temple and a House of Justice in the
> future.
> 
> [page 115]
> 
> There are three processes in teaching: the first is to attract
> the people; the second is to convert the people; and the third is to be
> consecrated. There must be attraction, conversion, and consecration. The
> teachers must not be unwise. There are three Charters to be used: (1) the
> Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, or the Divine Plan; (2) the Will and
> Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá with the plan for world administration;
> and (3) the Tablet of Carmel, the Charter for the development for the
> World Center of the Faith.[2] the Tablet of Carmel is the symbol of the
> House of Justice. The Ark is the symbol of the Administrative body. The
> higher cave of Elijah is the real one where Bahá'u'lláh
> revealed the Tablet of Carmel in such a loud voice that the priests heard
> it.
> 
> It is essential that the youth of today study deeply the Faith as they will
> usher in the Most Great Peace. The Lesser Peace will be established
> within this century. The Most Great Peace in the next century. The Global
> Crusade will establish the Bahá'í Faith the world over but
> will not have a direct influence in establishing the United States of the
> World. The first period will be that of suffering and cleansing; the second
> period will be that of unification; and the third, the establishment of the
> Bahá'í World Faith. After the International State is
> established and wars cease, the money now being expended for destruction
> and war will be used for education and science, and a method will be
> discovered for interplanetary communication, even interplanetary
> conferences. The time will come when people can cross the entire nation
> in one hour and eventually beyond the continent into interplanetary travel.
> The cycle of six thousand years of city building has come to an end, and
> now we will have a new pattern starting with villages, etc. Material
> civilization is becoming like the ancient city of Babylon, and it must be
> destroyed.
> 
> The young people must disperse far away, the old
> 
> [page 116]
> 
> ones to outlying places; they must settle goal cities. Sell
> your property and pioneer!...The young people of America should go out into
> the country on farms and work with their hands and produce food for their
> families.
> 
> Americans are exposed to great dangers. Today the power of America is in
> the hands of the masses.[3] There is a terrific power in the press, and the
> people are swayed by it. The United States, on a national scale, sets the
> pattern for an international pattern... There will be a world civil war
> followed by the establishment of a world state; all the nations will be
> part of it and will have to conform to it. This war has already started in
> Korea. Mankind cannot be purified and cleansed without suffering... It is
> positively dangerous to live in cities. The cities are doomed. They will
> evaporate... The Bahá'ís must disperse from the cities...why
> do they not disperse? If they do not respond and disperse, they will suffer
> spiritually, materially, and physically...In America the destruction will be
> great!... They must disperse for their own protection. the cities are
> doomed: New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles. They must flee
> from the United States because America will become the storm center of
> the future.... Buy property in Central Africa! Those with independent
> means must pack up and go.... Those with spirit must pack up and go....
> There must be a mass response... I can warn them, but I cannot make them
> go.... The Cause will triumph in spite of the actions and inactivity of the
> believers. If one country falls down, another will make up for it. The
> Bahá'ís have been given the method. Now they must have
> the spirit. It is hopeless for capable teachers in the cities (the people
> will not listen).... The friends are calculating too much, and there is too
> much emphasis on nonessentials.
> 
> People are flocking to churches through fear. Ameri-
> 
> [page 117]
> 
> cans must have a totally new way of life, become a race of
> wholly devoted souls, devoted to God and His ways. They must get to a
> simpler way of life. The standards of America must be lowered, have
> fewer luxuries.... Americans do not have enough belief in God, not enough
> detachment. They must be more spiritual, disencumber themselves from
> things, have Bahá'í standards, not American standards.
> Americans are too materialistic, too mechanized, too attached to family,
> health, and death. There must be less materialism, less intellectualism,
> and more spirit... America is the most disturbed nation, politically, on
> earth... There is too much organization in America and too little spirit.
> 
> Joseph smith was a seer, not a Prophet of God, neither major nor minor
> Prophet. He had a high standard... but the Bahá'ís have a
> higher standard coupled with God's power that comes direct from God. for
> this age.
> 
> We must encourage the marriage of blacks and
> whites...Bahá'u'lláh was sent to bring about world unity,
> and world unity is the cornerstone of the Faith of
> Bahá'u'lláh.
> 
> It is not enough to go pioneering; one must start immediately teaching the
> Faith... For pioneers to leave their posts means the next to arrive will
> have to go through the difficulties all over again, and it will be twice as
> difficult for them... As soon as the community is strong enough, one should
> leave and pioneer elsewhere.
> 
> The new race will be wholly devoted souls.
> 
> [page 118]
> 
> As the hours passed in the presence of Shoghi Effendi, I became more and
> more aware of his tremendous vision of the Faith and of his one aim to
> establish good will and peace throughout the world. He was modest about
> his efficiency, but one could not ignore it. He lovingly encouraged the
> friends in every country. Rúhíyyih Khánum
> said that gossip did not influence the Guardian. No one received any
> special things for serving the Cause; whether they did it well or poorly,
> the principle was the same.
> 
> Before departing at the end of my pilgrimage, I asked Shoghi Effendi if
> there were any service I could render him. He said, "Please visit the
> Bahá'í pioneers on the islands in the Mediterranean and give
> them my love, sheer them up, and beg them to remain at their posts; for if
> they leave, those who come to replace them will find it much more
> difficult. Share with them the spirit of the Holy Places here, particularly
> that of the Sacred Shrines, and tell them of the latest developments of the
> Ten Year Crusade."
> 
> According to the Guardian's wishes, I traveled among the Mediterranean
> Islands and visited the pioneers in many places. Wherever Shoghi Effendi
> asked me to go, I felt secure under his protection and shelter and had no
> anxiety although I traveled alone through these foreign lands, amid
> strange surroundings, and spoke only English.
> 
> 1. 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-
> Bahá (Wilmette, Ill: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1944),
> pp. 11, 3.
> 
> 2. See Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, rev. ed. (Wilmette, Ill:
> Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1974), p. 194 and
> Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh Revealed
> after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, comp. Research Department of the
> Universal House of Justice, trans. Habib Taherzadeh and Committee at
> Bahá'í World Centre (Haifa: Bahá'í World
> Centre, 1978), pp. 3-5. —Ed.
> 
> 3. See Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 218
> 
> METADATA
> 
> Views22866 views since posted 1998; last edit 2025-09-30 15:47 UTC;
> 
> previous at archive.org.../brown_memories_abdul-baha;
> URLs changed in 2010, see archive.org.../bahai-library.org
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> — *Pilgrim's Notes about Shoghi Effendi (Used by permission of the curator)*