God." Caution and prudence, however, must be observed even as recorded in
the Book. The veil must in no wise be suddenly rent asunder. The Glory of
Glories rest upon you.

O ye the faithful loved ones of 'Abdu'l-Baha! It is incumbent upon you to
take the greatest care of Shoghi Effendi, the twig that hath branched from
the fruit given forth by the two hallowed and Divine Lote-Trees, that no
dust of despondency and sorrow may stain his radiant nature, that day by
day he may wax greater in happiness, in joy and spirituality, and may grow
to become even as a fruitful tree.

For he is, after 'Abdu'l-Baha, the guardian of the Cause of God, the
Afnan, the Hands (pillars) of the Cause and the beloved of the Lord must
obey him and turn unto him. He that obeyeth him not, hath not obeyed God;
he that turneth away from him, hath turned away from God and he that
denieth him, hath denied the True One. Beware lest anyone falsely
interpret these words, and like unto them that have broken the Covenant
after the Day of Ascension (of Baha'u'llah) advance a pretext, raise the
standard of revolt, wax stubborn and open wide the door of false
interpretation. To none is given the right to put forth his own opinion or
express his particular convictions. All must seek guidance and turn unto
the Center of the Cause and the House of Justice. And he that turneth unto
whatsoever else is indeed in grievous error.

The Glory of Glories rest upon you!

PART TWO: LETTERS FROM SHOGHI EFFENDI
GUARDIAN OF THE BAHA'I CAUSE
JANUARY 21, 1922-JULY 17, 1932

Letter of January 21st, 1922.

Dearly beloved brethren and sisters in 'Abdu'l-Baha:

At this early hour when the morning light is just breaking upon the Holy
Land, whilst the gloom of the dear Master's bereavement is still hanging
thick upon the hearts, I feel as if my soul turns in yearning love and
full of hope to that great company of His loved ones across the seas, who
now share with us all the agonies of His separation.

It is idle for me to emphasize how much the sorrowful ladies of the Holy
Household look forward to the work that lies before the friends in the
American continent, who in the past have rendered so glorious a service to
His Cause and will now, faithful to His special love for them, carry on
their mission still more gloriously than ever before. True, the shock has
been too terrible and sudden for us all to recover from in so short a
time, but whenever we recall