To all National
Spiritual Assemblies
Beloved friends,
The time has now
come in the progress of the Nine Year Plan when the Bahá'í world must devote a
greater effort towards the development of the Faith at its World Centre.
Nearly all the
accessible unsettled territories of the Plan have now been settled, bases have
been established throughout the world for the future expansion of the Faith; a
programme of progressive consolidation is being pursued hand-in-hand with
continued expansion; plans for the construction of the Panama Temple are well
advanced; the Haziratu'l-Quds, Temple sites and endowments called for in the
Plan are being steadily acquired; by the end of the next Ridvan period 81 out
of the 108 National Spiritual Assemblies called for by 1973 will have been
established; and the opening of the period of the proclamation of the Faith is
fast approaching.
Since the Universal
House of Justice came into being in 1963, its primary concern at the World
Centre of the Faith has been with the basic, minimum essentials of undertaking
repairs to the Holy Places; establishing its administrative offices;
reorganizing the accommodation of pilgrims; gathering its staff, developing a
suitable housing programme for the Hands of the Cause and their families, the
members of the House of Justice and their families, and all other believers
serving at the World Centre; formulating plans for the expansion of the Gardens
and taking the first steps in their initiation; collating the Sacred Texts and
the letters of Shoghi Effendi and indexing them; and fostering relations with
the Government of the State of Israel and with the United Nations.
