elled to direct my incessant plea in
particular to the followers of the Faith in the United States and Canada
to arise and play their part, while there is yet time, and not to allow
their earnest strivings to be swamped and superseded by the
self-sacrificing heroism of the multitude of their brethren in Persia.
Again I feel the urge to remind you one and all of the necessity of
keeping ever in mind this fundamental verity that the efficacy of the
spiritual forces centering in, and radiating from, the first
Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar in the West will in a great measure depend upon the
extent to which we, the pioneer workers in that land will with clear
vision, unquenchable faith, and inflexible determination, resolve to
voluntarily abnegate temporal advantages in our support of so meritorious
an endeavour. The higher the degree of our renunciation and
self-sacrifice, the wider the range of the contributing believers, the
more apparent will become the vitalising forces that are to emanate from
this unique and sacred Edifice; and the greater, in consequence, the
stimulating effect it will exert upon the propagation of the Faith in the
days to come. Not by the abundance of our donations, not even by the
spontaneity of our efforts, but rather by the degree of self-abnegation
which our contributions will entail, can we effectively promote the speedy
realisation of 'Abdu'l-Baha's cherished desire. How great our
responsibility, how immense our task, how priceless the advantages that we
can reap!

I cannot refrain, however, from giving expression to my gratification and
appreciation of the substantial and continued support already accorded,
and in particular during the past year by the believers in the United
States and Canada, under the wise and judicious direction of their elected
national representatives, to the Plan of Unified Action, whose declared
purpose is to insure, ere the present Baha'i year comes to a close, the
raising of the funds required for the building of the first Unit of the
Ma_sh_riqu'l-A_dh_kar. The vigilance and fidelity with which the National
Assembly of the United States and Canada has observed its pledge in
connection with the limitation of the current administrative expenses of
the Cause, and the zeal and ready response manifested by local Assemblies
and individual believers to curtail their local and personal expenditures
in order to concentrate on the Temple Fund, are worthy of the highest
praise, and wi