Archive for May, 2009

A group of Bahá’ís in Moscow, Russia about 1926.  Courtesy of Médiathèque Baha’ie Francophone http://www.bahai-biblio.org

 

Of these spiritual prerequisites of success, which constitute  the bedrock on which the security of all teaching plans, Temple projects, and financial schemes, must ultimately rest, the following stand out as preeminent and vital….

A rectitude of conduct, an abiding sense of undeviating justice, unobscured by the demoralizing influences which a corruption-ridden political life so strikingly manifests; a chaste, pure, and holy life, unsullied and unclouded by the indecencies, the vices, the false standards, which an inherently deficient moral code tolerates, perpetuates, and fosters; a fraternity freed from that cancerous growth of racial prejudice, which is eating into the vitals of an already debilitated society — these are the ideals which the American believers must, from now on, individually and through concerted action, strive to promote, in both their private and public lives, ideals which are the chief propelling forces that can most effectively accelerate the march of their institutions, plans, and enterprises, that can guard the honor and integrity of their Faith, and subdue any obstacles that may confront it in the future.

This rectitude of conduct, with its implications of justice, equity, truthfulness, honesty, fair-mindedness, reliability, and trustworthiness, must distinguish every phase of the life of the Bahá’í community. “The companions of God,” Bahá’u’lláh Himself has declared, “are, in this day, the lump that must leaven the peoples of the world. They must show forth such trustworthiness, such truthfulness and perseverance, such deeds and character that all mankind may profit by their example.” “I swear by Him Who is the Most Great Ocean!” He again affirms, “Within the very breath of such souls as are pure and sanctified far-reaching potentialities are hidden. So great are these potentialities that they exercise their influence upon all created things.” “He is the true servant of God,” He, in another passage has written, “who, in this day, were he to pass through cities of silver and gold, would not deign to look upon them, and whose heart would remain pure and undefiled from whatever things can be seen in this world, be they its goods or its treasures. I swear by the Sun of Truth! The breath of such a man is endowed with potency, and his words with attraction.” …

“O army of God!” writes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “Through the protection and help vouchsafed by the Blessed Beauty — may my life be a sacrifice to His loved ones — ye must conduct yourselves in  such a manner that ye may stand out distinguished and brilliant as the sun among other souls. Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say: ‘This man is unquestionably a Bahá’í, for his manners, his behavior, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the attributes of the Bahá’ís.’ Not until ye attain this station can ye be said to have been faithful to the Covenant and Testament of God.” “The most vital duty, in this day,” He, moreover, has written, “is to purify your characters, to correct your manners, and improve your conduct. The beloved of the Merciful must show forth such character and conduct among His creatures, that the fragrance of their holiness may be shed upon the whole world, and may quicken the dead, inasmuch as the purpose of the Manifestation of God and the dawning of the limitless lights of the Invisible is to educate the souls of men, and refine the character of every living man….” “Truthfulness,” He asserts, “is the foundation of all human virtues. Without truthfulness progress and success, in all the worlds of God, are impossible for any soul. When this holy attribute is established in man, all the divine qualities will also be acquired.”

Such a rectitude of conduct must manifest itself, with ever-increasing potency, in every verdict which the elected representatives of the Bahá’í community, in whatever capacity they may find themselves, may be called upon to pronounce. It must be constantly reflected in the business dealings of all its members, in their domestic lives, in all manner of employment, and in any service they may, in the future, render their government or people. It must be exemplified in the conduct of all Bahá’í electors, when exercising their sacred rights and functions. It must characterize the attitude of every loyal believer towards nonacceptance of political posts, nonidentification with political parties, nonparticipation in political controversies, and nonmembership in political organizations and ecclesiastical institutions. It must reveal itself in the uncompromising adherence of all, whether  young or old, to the clearly enunciated and fundamental principles laid down by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His addresses, and to the laws and ordinances revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in His Most Holy Book. It must be demonstrated in the impartiality of every defender of the Faith against its enemies, in his fair-mindedness in recognizing any merits that enemy may possess, and in his honesty in discharging any obligations he may have towards him. It must constitute the brightest ornament of the life, the pursuits, the exertions, and the utterances of every Bahá’í teacher, whether laboring at home or abroad, whether in the front ranks of the teaching force, or occupying a less active and responsible position.

 Shoghi Effendi in The Advent of Divine Justice

 

Want to buy this book? Go to http://www.bahaibookstore.com/.

 

Photo courtesy of International Bahá’í Library Collections. http://library.bahai.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the early decades of the Faith of the Báb and then of Bahá’u’lláh, the primary courage and sacrifice demanded of the believers was the courage to face the threat of physical harm, including death. Many of the early converts to the Faith were fully aware that their conversion could mean their death, yet, once convinced of the truth of Bahá’u’lláh’s stupendous claim to be the Promised One of all the religions of God, they did not fail to risk their wealth and lives for their Lord.  They became souls ignited by the spirit of God, soaring in the illimitable realms of the spirit, rather than people whose focus was the transitory things of this brief physical life.

Mirza Abu’l-Fadl, however, demonstrated another type of courage and sacrifice. Before his conversion, he was a Muslim who lived in Cairo as a renowned and erudite scholar of Islam. He was a man highly respected and whose advice was often sought. And, not surprisingly, he had acquired a very high opinion of himself as one who, with his knowledge and accomplishments, could best others in argument and explain things to those less intellectually able than himself.  Mirza Abu’l-Fadl was steeped in the kind of knowledge that can act as a veil to obscure spiritual truth, as Bahá’ulláh tells us:

Know verily that Knowledge is of two kinds: Divine and Satanic. The one welleth out from the fountain of divine inspiration; the other is but a reflection of vain and obscure thoughts. The source of the former is God Himself; the motive-force of the latter the whisperings of selfish desire. The one is guided by the principle: “Fear ye God; God will teach you;” the other is but a confirmation of the truth: “Knowledge is the most grievous veil between man and his Creator.” The former bringeth forth the fruit of patience, of longing desire, of true understanding, and love; whilst the latter can yield naught but arrogance, vainglory and conceit.                        Bahá’u’lláh, The Kitáb-i-Iqán

Mirza Abu’l-Fadl had the remarkable courage to tear aside these veils of knowledge, at the price of great emotional pain and turmoil, and to persist in his investigation of the Faith, with great scepticism, until at last, after much prayer and soul-searching, he realized in his heart the truth of Bahá’u’lláh’s claims.  Then he attained true knowledge:

The first Tajalli [Effulgence] which hath dawned from the Day-Star of Truth is the knowledge of God — exalted be His glory. And the knowledge of the King of everlasting days can in no wise be attained save by recognizing Him Who is the Bearer of the Most Great Name. He is, in truth, the Speaker on Sinai Who is now seated upon the throne of Revelation. He is the Hidden Mystery and the Treasured Symbol. All the former and latter Books of God are adorned with His praise and extol His glory. Through Him the standard of knowledge hath been planted in the world and the ensign of the oneness of God hath been unfurled amidst all peoples.

 Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh

Armed with this true knowledge, he then, for the remainder of his life, used his great intellectual gifts in the service of his Lord and became one of the humblest and most self-effacing persons that one could ever meet. He became one the greatest scholars of the Bahá’í Faith and was highly admired by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, whom he served during their lifetimes.  

This remarkable story is told by Adib Taherzadeh in The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, Vol. III.  Here is an excerpt that recounts Mirza Abu’l-Fadl’s story of his realization of the truth:

One night I was roused from my slumber and I began to   
admonish myself in these words: ‘It is about one year that
you have been associating and arguing with these Bahá’ís.
These men are illiterate and uneducated, yet they have
asserted their ascendancy over you every time, they have
adduced proofs and demonstrated the validity of their
Cause. Although you consider yourself to be a learned man
and a researcher in the Holy Books, commentaries and
traditions, yet you know that these men are much more
resourceful than you are. It is as if they are inspired and
assisted by God, and the Holy Spirit speaks through them.
You have also been a witness to their exalted character and
heavenly virtues. Why then should you interpret their
words as the breathings of the evil whisperer? You
remember how enchanted you were when you read the
story of the ‘Show of Sultan Salim’ in the Lawh-i-Ra’ís!
How you were attracted by the eloquence and sublimity of
those words! Now, you ought to read and investigate the
writings of the one who claims to be the revealer of the
Word of God with the eye of justice and fairness. If this
Cause be untrue, the first to contend it is God. Therefore, its
survival is impossible…

I arose, performed my ablutions and said prayers. I then
took the Tablet of Bahá’u’lláh [Lawh-i-Ra’ís] which,
although it had been in my possession for a long time, I had
not been moved to read. I opened it, turned tearfully and
with devotion to God, and began to read it. It was then that I
heard the voice of God… calling me through the
mouthpiece of this Manifestation, ‘Am I not your Lord?’
To that call reaching me from the Beauty of the All-Glorious,
I responded with all my heart, ‘Thou art, thou
art! I believed.

I passed from the state of idle fancies and vain imaginings
into that of certitude… I became highly attracted to the
Word of God and carried away by its power. I felt such love
and devotion towards the Dayspring of Divine Revelation
[Bahá’u’lláh] and experienced such joy and ecstasy in myself
that I cannot ever describe it. Words cannot express the   
heights of spirituality to which I had been transformed… I
knew that if I served these souls who had become the cause
of my guidance to the end of my days, and if I laid down my
Life in their path, I should never be able to repay them for
giving me eternal salvation and spiritual life…

Want to buy this book? Go to http://www.grbooks.com/ or http://www.bahaibookstore.com/.

 

 

 

 

The first Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Terceira Island, Azores, April 1958. Photo from The Bahá’í World 1954 – 1963.

 

Seated left to right are Lois Nolen, Fran Plummer, Josie Wallace, and Ethel Kerns. Standing left to right are Charles Sperling, Jack Kerns, Don Plummer, Nelson Wallace and Richard Nolen. Charles Sperling later lived in Lakewood, Washington (Pierce County).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard and Lois Nolen

Knights of Bahá’u’lláh

 

          Lois A. Nolen (born on 23 July 1917) and her husband, Richard H. Nolen, became Bahá’ís in 1949 in Lansing, Michigan after studying with Kenneth and Roberta Christian.

 

In 1953 the Nolens pioneered to the Azores, arriving with their three children, Jean, Cynthia and John, on 8 October 1955.  For this service they were named by the beloved Guardian Knights of Bahá’u’lláh.  After a period of struggle, Mr. Nolen eventually found employment as a draftsman, first for a U.S. contractor, and then for the U.S. government at Lajes Air Force base on Terceira Island, where the first Local Spiritual Assembly was formed at Ridván 1958.  Lois Nolen, having been trained for general office work, also worked between 1954 and 1959 as supply clerk with the U.S. Corps of Engineers at Lajes Field.

 

Mr. Nolen diligently applied himself to a study of the Portuguese language in order to equip himself to teach the Faith.  Two more children, Christopher and Sylvia, were born to them before Mr. Nolen’s failing health forced their return to Tacoma, Washington in 1962.  Mr. Nolen died on 5 May 1964.

 

Throughout most of her Bahá’í life, Lois Nolen served on Local Spiritual Assemblies, at least half of that time as either corresponding or recording secretary.  She also served for two years on the Western Washington School Committee under the aegis of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States.

 

From 1966 until 1971, in Tacoma, Washington, Lois was in sole charge of the office of Northwest Processing Company.

 

       Between 1971 and August 1973, Lois Nolen and her two youngest children, Christopher and Sylvia, pioneered in Belize, Central America.  Here, she served as corresponding secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly from April, 1972 until August 1973 when the family returned to the United States.  In 1973 she was privileged to attend the International Convention in Haifa as a delegate from Belize.

 

Upon returning to Tacoma, Lois worked as a procurement clerk at McChord Airforce Base until she came to the World Centre in March 1981.  In the Holy Land she served for a brief time in the Department of Finance before transferring to the Pilgrimage Department.  She left the World Centre in September 1985 to return to the United States.  Her time in the service of the Universal House of Justice was enhanced by the presence of two of her children, Cynthia Walcott O’Shea, and Christopher Nolen, who served at the World Centre for varying periods of time.

 

(Compiled by Roger White, 17 July 1986, from information in World Centre files and from “In Memoriam”, Richard H. Nolen, ‘The Bahá’í World’, vol.  XIV)

 

 

History of the Bahá’í Faith in the Azores

Prepared for Ridván 116 (1959)

 

 

    In 1953 our beloved guardian, Shoghi Effendi, gave to the Bahá’í world the Ten Year Plan. This plan for the period, beginning in 1953 and to end in 1963, was to be a world crusade to spread the message of Bahá’u’lláh to those countries and islands where no mention of the Blessed Beauty, the Lord of the Age, had been made.  Our greatly loved Guardian asked for the Bahá’ís to leave their homes and move to these virgin territories.

 

The name our Beloved Guardian gave to those who answered his call, was the Knights of Bahá’u’lláh.  At this time, hundreds of Bahá’ís from all over the world and from all walks of Life, packed up and moved to those areas the Guardian deemed most necessary to further the Cause of God in this newly ordained Springtime.

   

    Two of these Knights to answer the Guardian’s call were Mr. Richard Nolen and his wife Lois, of Lansing, Michigan.  They, together with their three children – Jean (aged twelve), Cynthia (aged seven), and John (aged five), volunteered to go to a virgin territory.

   

The American N.S.A. suggested the Azores Islands because the temperate climate would be easier for the children.  They knew little of the Islands except that they were Portuguese and had a mild climate.  Application was made for passports, and the Nolens sold their house and furniture, reducing their possessions to what could be carried in suitcases, plus eight packing crates.

 

By September 1953 they were ready to leave Lansing for New York City. At New York they boarded the Portuguese cargo ship “Ribiera Grande” bound for the Azores Islands.  On October 8, 1953 the ship arrived at the harbor of Angra do Heroismo on Terceira Island.  For several weeks the family stayed at the Hotel Atlantico near the docks, while Mr. Nolen looked for work.  He found it was just about impossible to find employment on the Portuguese economy. The Nolen family experienced very trying difficulties while seeking employment, and it was only their possessing a strong faith in the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh that enabled them to stay at their post.  Finally, through the will of God, Mr. Nolen was employed as draftsman with the Prime contractor, Snare Irons and Reynolds, at the American Air Force Base at Lajes Field Azores, on the other side of the Island.  Soon after this they moved to a rented home in the town of Praia da Victoria, located about two miles from the Base.

 

The Portuguese language proved slow to learn and difficult, and the progress in teaching the Faith at first was very difficult.  Meantime, they employed a Portuguese maid while Mrs. Nolen worked at the American Corps of Engineers, and in time they regained financial stability.

 

   For the next 3 years the Nolens introduced the Faith to many Portuguese and Americans without making any confirmations. Finally, after four years the first confirmations were made: they were S/Sgt. Nelson Wallace and his wife Josie, and Mr. Jack Kerns and his wife Ethel. They became Bahá’ís in January 1957.  The Wallaces are from York, Pennsylvania, while the Kerns are from Wilbraham, Mass.  From May 1955 to January 1957 the presence at Lajes Air Field of Airman William Rushing.Of Flint Michigan, was a welcome aid and comfort, and brightened the Nineteen-Day Feasts.

 

     With this group as a nucleus, the spirit of the faith grew to include Sgt. Charlie Sperling of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who became a Bahá’í in July 1957. Shortly thereafter, A/2c Donald Plummer and his wife, Francine, of Berlin, New Hampshire.

 

      S/Sgt. Wallace and S/Sgt. Sperling, then became co-teachers of the first Bahá’í Sunday School on Terceira Island, attended by Nelson Wallace Jr., Jane and Susan Kerns, and Cynthia and John Nolen. Sunday school was held each Sunday at one of the homes of the children. Classes included a study of the kingdoms, such as animal, vegetable, mineral, the Kingdom of Man and the Kingdom of God, then a study of the nine revealed religions, topped off by the study of the Faith.

 

          Since there were nine adult Bahá’ís on Terceira Island, on Ridvan, April 21, 1958 they automatically became the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Azores.  In secret ballot, Mr. Nolen was elected Chairman S/Sgt. Wallace Vice-Chairman, Mrs. Kerns Treasurer, and Mrs. Nolen Secretary.  At this time committees were formed, volunteers for the different committees were: Teaching Commitee, S/Sgt. Wallace, Mr. Kerns, and S/Sgt. Sperling – they in turn elected S/Sgt. Wallace Chairman. The Feast Committee, a committee of one, was Mrs. Plummer.  The Archives Committe volunteeres were Mr. Kerns and Sgt. Sperling – as there only two members, no chairman was elected.  A photograph of the L.S.A. was sent to the Bahá’í News in Willmette Illinois. It appeared in the September issue (No. 331, p.119), Bahá’í year 115 (1958).

 

            In August 1958, M/Sgt. Lawrence Reynolds from Washington, D.C., and stationed at the base, declared and became a Bahá’í, thus bringing the roll call of members to ten, creating a community which the L.S.A. reported to at each Nineteen Day Feast.

 

At this time there were just a few Portuguese Nationals studying the Faith.Two of these were Mr. Edmundo Cabral and Mr. Emberto Goncalves, of Praia da Victoria.  Mr. Cabral became interested in the Faith through his contact with the Kerns, while Mr. Goncalves became interested through his contact with the Nolens.  For several months studies were held at the home of the Nolens, and finally after five years of work and prayer by those two beloved Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, the Nolens’ ceaseless work and prayers bore fruit, for on the lst of December 1958, both Mr.Goncalves and Mr. Cabral declared their belief in the Bahá’í Faith. And on the 6th of December they signed their Bahá’í Declaration cards and were accepted by the L.S.A. of Terceira, becoming the first Portuguese believers of the Azores Islands.  Future generations shall always remember and be extremely grateful to those four souls, the pioneers, the Nolens, who sacrificed so much in bringing the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh to the Azores Islands, and those two searching souls, Emberto Goncalves and Edmundo Cabral and the first Portuguese to accept Bahá’u’lláh. Although this is the end of this report for the Archives for the year (Bahá’í year 115 and part of 116) it is really the beginning.

 

Prepared by Archives Committee members:

Emberto Goncalves

Jack Kerns

S/Sgt. C.R. Sperling

Edmundo Cabral

 

 

Lois and Richard Nolen are buried beside one another in Pierce County, Washington.

 

          

                                        

In the early hours of the morning of 29 May, Bahá’ís throughout the world commemorate the passing of Bahá’u’lláh. The Founder of the Bahá’í Faith died in the Holy Land in 1892 at the Mansion of Bahji in Acre. His Shrine near there is the holiest place on earth for Bahá’ís. The commemoration, which is observed at 3 a.m., involves the reading of prayers and scripture. (Photo: The Mansion of Bahji.) Photo by Kamran Granfar. 

Reproduced with permission of the Baháí International Community  http://media.bahai.org

 

 

Already nine months before His ascension Bahá’u’lláh, as attested by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, had voiced His desire to depart from this world. From that time onward it became increasingly evident, from the tone of His remarks to those who attained His presence, that the close of His earthly life was approaching, though He refrained from mentioning it openly to any one. On the night preceding the eleventh of Shavval 1309 A.H. (May 8, 1892) He contracted a slight fever which, though it mounted the following day, soon after subsided. He continued to grant interviews to certain of the friends and pilgrims, but it soon became evident that He was not well. His fever returned in a more acute form than before, His general condition grew steadily worse, complications ensued which at last culminated in His ascension, at the hour of dawn, on the 2nd of Dhi’l-Qa’dih 1309 A.H. (May 29, 1892), eight hours after sunset, in the 75th year of His age. His spirit, at long last released from the toils of a life crowded with tribulations, had winged its flight to His “other dominions,” dominions “whereon the eyes of the people of names have never fallen,” and to which the “Luminous Maid,” “clad in white,” had bidden Him hasten, as described by Himself in the Lawh-i-Ru’ya (Tablet of the Vision), revealed nineteen years previously, on the anniversary of the birth of His Forerunner.  

 

Six days before He passed away He summoned to His presence, as He lay in bed leaning against one of His sons, the entire company of believers, including several pilgrims, who had assembled in the Mansion, for what proved to be their last audience with Him. “I am well pleased with you all,” He gently and affectionately addressed the weeping crowd that gathered about Him. “Ye have rendered many services, and been very assiduous in your labors. Ye have come here every morning and every evening. May God assist you to remain united. May He aid you to exalt the Cause of the Lord of being.” To the women, including members of His own family, gathered at His bedside, He addressed similar words of encouragement, definitely assuring them that in a document entrusted by Him to the Most Great Branch He had commended them all to His care.

 

The news of His ascension was instantly communicated to Sultan Abdu’l-Hamid in a telegram which began with the words “the Sun of Baha has set” and in which the monarch was advised of the intention of interring the sacred remains within the precincts of the Mansion, an arrangement to which he readily assented. Bahá’u’lláh was accordingly laid to rest in the northernmost room of the house which served as a dwelling-place for His son-in-law, the most northerly of the three houses lying to the west of, and adjacent to, the Mansion. His interment took place shortly after sunset, on the very day of His ascension.

 

From God Passes By, by Shoghi Effendi

 

 

 

 

 

The House of ‘Abbúd in ‘Akká (Acre), Israel

Reproduced with permission of the Bahá’í International Community http://media.bahai.org

 

 

 To Him Muhammad, the Apostle of God, had alluded in His Book as the “Great Announcement,” and declared His Day to be the Day whereon “God” will “come down” “overshadowed with clouds,” the Day whereon “thy Lord shall come and the angels rank on rank,” and “The Spirit shall arise and the angels shall be ranged in order.” His advent He, in that Book, in a surih said to have been termed by Him “the heart of the Qur’án,” had foreshadowed as that of the “third” Messenger, sent down to “strengthen” the two who preceded Him. To His Day He, in the pages of that same Book, had paid a glowing tribute, glorifying it as the “Great Day,” the “Last Day,” the “Day of God,” the “Day of Judgment,” the “Day of Reckoning,” the “Day of Mutual Deceit,” the “Day of Severing,” the “Day of Sighing,” the “Day of Meeting,” the Day “when the Decree shall be accomplished,” the Day whereon the second “Trumpet blast” will be sounded, the “Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the world,” and “all shall come to Him in humble guise,” the Day when “thou shalt see the mountains, which thou thinkest so firm, pass away with the passing of a cloud,” the Day “wherein account shall be taken,” “the approaching Day, when men’s hearts shall rise up, choking them, into their throats,” the Day when “all that are in the heavens and all that are on the earth shall be terror-stricken, save him whom God pleaseth to deliver,” the Day whereon “every suckling woman shall forsake her sucking babe, and every woman that hath a burden in her womb shall cast her burden,” the Day “when the earth shall shine with the light of her Lord, and the Book shall be set, and the Prophets shall be brought up, and the witnesses; and judgment shall be given between them with equity; and none shall be wronged.”

 

From God Passes By, by Shoghi Effendi

 

Path to the entrance of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh     

Reproduced with permission of the Bahá’í International Community http://media.bahai.org

 

To Him Jesus Christ had referred as the “Prince of this world,” as the “Comforter” Who will “reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment,” as the “Spirit of Truth” Who “will guide you into all truth,” Who “shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak,” as the “Lord of the Vineyard,” and as the “Son of Man” Who “shall come in the glory of His Father” “in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory,” with “all the holy angels” about Him, and “all nations” gathered before His throne. To Him the Author of the Apocalypse had alluded as the “Glory of God,” as “Alpha and Omega,” “the Beginning and the End,” “the First and the Last.” Identifying His Revelation with  the “third woe,” he, moreover, had extolled His Law as “a new heaven and a new earth,” as the “Tabernacle of God,” as the “Holy City,” as the “New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” To His Day Jesus Christ Himself had referred as “the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory.” To the hour of His advent St. Paul had alluded as the hour of the “last trump,” the “trump of God,” whilst St. Peter had spoken of it as the “Day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.” His Day he, furthermore, had described as “the times of refreshing,” “the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy Prophets since the world began.”

 

From God Passes By, by Shoghi Effendi