###### Shoghi Effendi / Hands of the Cause of God # **The Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land on *The Chicago Manifesto*** #### Letter addressed *To the Hands of the Cause of God Throughout the World* ###### Published in *The Ministry of the Custodians 1957–1963*, pp. 99–100. ##### **June 12, 1958** *** Beloved Fellow-Hands: The response evoked by the message we were able, by the grace of Baha'u'llah, and thanks to the copious notes made by our beloved Guardian in anticipation of this annual Ridvan communication, to send out to the twenty-seven Conventions was most heartening, and we feel sure the enclosed copies of cables received in reply from the Annual Conventions will bring you great joy also. They have shown us how complete is the protection and help being vouchsafed by our Beloved, whose spirit is surely reinforcing our efforts to discharge befittingly the sacred trust laid upon us by him. Since our last letter to you of March 21, the tasks and problems engaging the attention of the Hands here have been many and varied. Generally speaking all the news has been good news, with the exception of one question which has weighed very heavily on our minds and hearts and which we wish to share with you. You will remember we pointed out that from communications and reports received here it was becoming obvious that there was a tendency for different interpretations of our present situation and prognostications of the future to be made. As most of you no doubt are aware, the American Hands issued, in conjunction with the American National Spiritual Assembly, a statement entitled “A New Baha’i Era” in order to meet the many questions being raised by the believers and to assist them in focusing their attention on the future work of the Crusade. We feel you should know that this statement was read at forty conferences in the United States, and that copies were mailed to all National Spiritual Assemblies who were daughter Assemblies or allies of the American National Spiritual Assembly under the work of successive phases of the Divine Plan. This meant copies were received in Africa, Latin America and Europe. The Custodians had no foreknowledge of this statement, and felt it touched on points of such far reaching importance that it should have come, if a statement of this nature were to be issued at all, from the World Centre and not have been issued on a regional basis. We also felt a number of things should never have been said that were included, though by and large, the whole statement is very sound. We therefore cabled requesting that it be withdrawn from circulation and not appear in “Baha’i News”. The American Hands and National Spiritual Assembly immediately complied with this request and have since, in a most loving and understanding manner, expressed their agreement with us. Unfortunately, however, the statement has been widely published in Latin America. We have received letters, because of this statement, and because of the nature of the questions it attempted to answer, from the United States, the Canadian, the Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela and the Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay National Spiritual Assemblies, asking the Custodians to state something clearly for the friends on the question so much discussed, namely, the future of the Guardianship. We have also received a number of reports from Europe, Asia, and the Western Hemisphere indicating that some of our dear fellow-Hands — no doubt under the pressure of emotion, and taken unawares by sudden questions asked of them — have made conflicting statements about the future of the Guardianship, at total variance with the thoughts published above the signature of the American Hands, and exceeding our own statements in the Proclamation, which we agreed to adhere to unitedly. We need not point out to you, who share with us the terrible and sacred responsibility of maintaining intact this unified Faith the Guardian left behind him, the great dangers involved in any expression of diversified opinions amongst ourselves on so important a subject.  Believing, ourselves, that as we decided in Bahji the less said on this subject the better, we have until now strictly refrained from going into the subject at all in any communications to Assemblies or individuals sent from Haifa. However, there is, as you will see from the enclosed excerpts from a letter from our fellow-Hand, William Sears, just received here a few days ago (he has been recently in the United States, Africa and Europe), a real danger of two schools of thought crystallizing on this all important matter. We therefore feel we can and must once again direct the friends’ attention to the words of the Proclamation we issued, in order that these questions may be put aside by the friends and their full energies concentrated upon fulfilling the goals of the Ten Year Plan. In meeting this problem, the body of the Hands of the Cause must exercise the greatest care to avoid the very pitfall against which we must warn the friends — that of interpretation of the Sacred Writings. What we can, and must, do is to direct the attention of the friends to the Sacred Text of the Master’s *Will* itself, and remind them once again, and in even stronger terms than before, of the basic facts mentioned in the *Proclamation.* Therefore, in view of this situation which has now arisen, and the fact that the prestige of the body of the Hands as such and the Custodians who serve on their behalf at the World Centre may be seriously weakened by our taking no action at this time and ignoring the pressing requests of various National Spiritual Assemblies for something which they can circulate among the believers, we have prepared the enclosed brief message in reply to the National Spiritual Assemblies who have written to us. We are not sending this message to all National Spiritual Assemblies, as this may be unnecessary, but leave it to your discretion, as Hands responsible for the work in different continents, to share this same message with the various National Spiritual Assemblies in your area if the need arises, or if you think it desirable to do so in any case. The shelter to which the sorrow-stricken followers of Bahá'u'lláh turn in these days of anguish is the Hands of the Cause. It therefore behoves each one of us to guide the friends in the path laid out by our Beloved. Let us not give them our own deductions, but endeavour to pour into their hearts his spirit and his love, and strive to give them the necessary spiritual strength to carry the World Crusade to a victorious conclusion. We, the chosen Hands of our Guardian, must convey a warm and loving spirit of oneness to the friends, and constantly urge them to achieve ever greater heights of consecrated service. Whenever we visit the Holy Shrines, we supplicate for the help and guidance which alone will enable all of us to discharge our sacred responsibilities, and we ask you to all please pray for us daily as on your behalf and in your name we carry very heavy burdens here. In the service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE FAITH IN THE HOLY LAND *** `Posted: 10 September 2025`