regrettably impossible to express in written messages to every friend what
we constantly feel in our hearts, and pray for when visiting His sacred
Shrine.

At this grave and momentous period through which the Cause of God in
conformity with the Divine Wisdom is passing, it is the sacred duty of
every one of us to endeavor to realize the full significance of this Hour
of Transition, and then to make a supreme resolve to arise steadfastly for
the fulfilment of our sacred obligations.

The Mission of the Cause

Great as is the love and paternal care which our beloved Master is
extending to us from on High, and unique as is the Spirit that animates
today His servants in the world, yet a great deal will depend upon the
character and efforts of His loved ones on whom now rests the
responsibility of carrying on His work gloriously after Him. How great is
the need at this moment when the promised outpourings of His grace are
ready to be extended to every soul, for us all to form a broad vision of
the mission of the Cause to mankind, and to do all in our power to spread
it throughout the world! The eyes of the world, now that the sublime
Personality of the Master has been removed from this visible plane, are
turned with eager anticipation to us who are named after His name, and on
whom rests primarily the responsibility to keep burning the torch that He
has lit in this world. How keenly I feel at this challenging hour in the
history of the Cause the need for a firm and definite determination to
subordinate all our personal likings, our local interests, to the
interests and requirements of the Cause of God! Now is the time to set
aside, nay, to forget altogether, minor considerations regarding our
internal relationships, and to present a solid united front to the world
animated by no other desire but to serve and propagate His Cause.

It is my firm conviction which I now express with all sincerity and
candor, that the dignity and unity of the Cause urgently
demands--particularly throughout the American continent--that the friends
should in their words and conduct emphasize and give absolute prominence
to the constructive dynamic principles of Baha'u'llah, rather than attach
undue importance to His negative Teachings. With hearts cleansed from the
least trace of suspicion and filled with hope and faith in what the spirit
of love can achieve, we must one and all endeavor at this moment to forget
past impressions, and wi