‘Abdu’l-Baha explains what prevented the “inhabitants of America” from being “attracted to the Kingdom of God” prior to 1911

If the friends and the maid-servants of the Merciful long for the visit of 'Abdu'l-Baha, they must immediately remove from their midst differences of opinion and be engaged in the practice of infinite love and unity . . . If ye are yearning for my meeting, and if in reality ye are seeking my visit, ye must close the doors of difference and open the gates of affection, love and friendship . . .Verily, verily, I say unto you, were it not for this difference amongst you, the inhabitants of America. . . would have, by now, been attracted to the Kingdom of God . . . Is it meet that you sacrifice this most glorious Bounty for worthless imaginations? (‘Abdu’l-Baha, excerpt from a Tablet addressed to the American believers in 1911; ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Their Midst’, p. 6, by Earl Redman; Star of the West, vol.2, no. 4, May 17, 1911)