The
matter of Teaching, its direction, its ways and means, its extension, its
consolidation, essential as they are to the interests of the Cause, constitute
by no means the only issue which should receive the full
attention of these Assemblies. A careful study of Bahá’u’lláh’s and
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablets will reveal that other duties, no less vital to the
interests of the Cause, devolve upon the elected representatives of the friends
in every locality.
It
is incumbent upon them to be vigilant and cautious, discreet and watchful, and
protect at all times the Temple of the Cause from the dart of the
mischief-maker and the onslaught of the enemy.
They
must endeavor to promote amity and concord amongst the friends, efface every
lingering trace of distrust, coolness and estrangement from every heart, and
secure in its stead an active and whole-hearted cooperation for the service of
the Cause.
They
must do their utmost to extend at all times the helping hand to the poor, the
sick, the disabled, the orphan, the widow, irrespective of color, caste and
creed.
They
must promote by every means in their power the material as well as the
spiritual enlightenment of youth, the means for the education of children,
institute, whenever possible, Bahá’í educational institutions, organize and
supervise their work and provide the best means for their progress and
development.
They
must make an effort to maintain official, regular, and frequent correspondence
with the various Bahá’í centers throughout the world, report to them their
activities, and share the glad-tidings they receive with all their
fellow-workers in the Cause.
They
must encourage and stimulate by every means at their command, through
subscription, reports and articles, the development of the various Bahá’í
magazines, such as the “Star of the West” and the “Magazine of the Children of
the Kingdom” in the United States of America, the “Bahá’í News” of India, the
“Sun of the East” (Khurshid-i Khavar) in Turkestan, the “Star of the East” in Japan,
the “Sun of Truth” in Germany.
They
must undertake the arrangement of the regular meetings of the friends, the
feasts and the anniversaries, as well as the special gatherings designed to
serve and promote the social, intellectual and spiritual interests of their
fellow-men.
They
must supervise in these days when the Cause is still in its infancy all Bahá’í
publications and translations, and provide in general for a dignified and
accurate presentation of all Bahá’í literature and its distribution to the
general public.
These rank among the most outstanding
obligations of the members of every Spiritual Assembly. In whatsoever locality
the Cause has sufficiently expanded, and in order to insure efficiency and
avoid confusion, each of these manifold functions will have to be referred to a
special Committee, responsible to that Assembly, elected by it from among the
friends in that locality, and upon whose work the Assembly will have to
exercise constant and general supervision.
(Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a
letter dated March 12, 1923, to the Baha’is throughout America, Great Britain,
Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Japan and Australasia; ‘Baha’i
Administration’
