demarcation must be more
and more distinct at this critical point in the fortunes of humanity, and
the Baha'is must courageously stand forth, upholding the laws of
Baha'u'llah and supporting the Administrative Order openly.

LETTER OF 2 FEBRUARY 1957

2 February 1957

The Baha'i Group of Salzburg

He is happy, to hear that the Baha'i friends from Budapest are safely
installed in the United States, and that they are going to make an effort
to settle in a way that will serve the work on the Home Front.

It was too bad that you lost some of the members of your much-prized
Community there, just when you are trying to build up a Spiritual
Assembly, but the Guardian hopes you will soon replace them with new
believers recruited from the local population, in other words, permanent
ones!

He attaches great importance to the creation of an Assembly in Salzburg
and will pray that you may be successful in the teaching work there....

[From the Guardian:]

May the Almighty bless, abundantly and continually, your high endeavours,
guide every step you take, and enable you to lay a firm foundation for our
beloved Faith in that city,

Your true brother,
Shoghi

LETTER OF 17 MARCH 1957(54)

17 March 1957

He fully appreciates that you are not strong enough to act as National
Secretary and at the same time fulfil your functions as a member of the
Auxiliary Board, and he therefore approves of your asking the National
Assembly, if you are reelected on it this year, to not make you the
Secretary. He does not think however that you should resign from the
National Assembly if you are elected to it.

LETTER OF 25 MARCH 1957(55)

25 March 1957

Regarding the matters raised in your letter, as he wrote you before, he
does not feel in this stage in the development of the Faith and the
Institution of the Hands, that the Hands should request to not be elected
on National Bodies, or resign from them. However, there is no reason why
they cannot ask their fellow-members, if they are elected, to leave them
free of the heavier administrative offices, so that they can do more in
their function as Hands. There is no reason why there should not be a
frank discussion of these problems before the National Assembly itself
votes for its Officers.

The National Assembly is not obliged to follow the wish of the Hands.(56)
It is also not the Body empowered to tell the Hands what to do; they can
make suggestions