| ←Foreward | Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986 A Note from the Compiler |
List of Abbreviations→ |
[Page xxxiii]Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963–1986: The Third Epoch of the Formative Age brings under one cover 456 letters, cables, telexes, and electronic mail messages from the Universal House of Justice to Bahá’í institutions, to Bahá’ís gathered at special events, to individuals, or—in one case—to the peoples of the world.
A volume long overdue, it enlarges upon and replaces two earlier compilations of messages: Wellspring of Guidance: Messages, 1963–1968, published in 1969, and Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1968–1973, published in 1976. In preparing the new volume several factors where considered. First was the need to make available the messages contained in the first two compilations and to add thirty-six messages from the 1963 through 1973 period that had not been included. Second was the need to publish messages received after 1973. Thus it was decided to publish a new volume that would encompass and expand upon the first two books.
The time frame of the new volume became clear in January 1986 when the Universal House of justice announced the closing of the Third Epoch (1963–1986) and the inception of the Fourth Epoch, signaled by new developments in the maturation of the institutions of the Faith. Hence Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963–1986 enables the reader to survey the full sweep of the Third Epoch, beginning with the first message issued by the Universal House of Justice after its establishment in 1963 and ending with the annual Riḍván message of 1986. The messages record the progress of the Faith through the Nine, Five, and Seven Year Plans, chronicling extraordinary advances in proclamation, expansion, and consolidation. They reach a climax in the last two years of the Seven Year Plan with the Faith’s emergence from obscurity, the release of a statement on peace addressed to the peoples of the world, and the inception of the Fourth Epoch of the Formative Age. These and countless other achievements stand in marked contrast to the contemporaneous persecution of the Bahá’ís of Iran, throwing into sharp relief the interplay between crisis and victory. The dynamic interaction between these two forces is a chief characteristic of the unfoldment of the Bahá’í Faith and a prominent theme in this volume.
Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963–1986 includes numerous features that have been introduced for the reader’s convenience. A table of epochs of the Heroic and Formative Ages of the Bahá’í Faith and a list of [Page xxxiv]significant milestones, anniversaries, and events in the Third Epoch offer a brief overview of recent Bahá’í history. Each message has been given a heading and assigned a number, and the paragraphs or other divisions of text within the messages have been numbered to facilitate reference. An extensive index is included, its locators corresponding to the numbering system used in the text. Subheadings have been added to many longer messages; spellings have been Americanized; and, for consistency, dates have been given in a day-month year format. Addressees, salutations, and complimentary closings have been retained, except for a few cases in which confidentiality required their omission. Because the compilation of messages covers almost a quarter of a century, footnotes have been added to explain historical details, allusions, technical terms, sources of most quotations, cross references to other messages on the same topic, and references to further details in the glossary or in other books. To help keep the notes as brief as possible, the titles of many Bahá’í books were abbreviated. A list of abbreviations and the titles they stand for appears at the front of the book. A glossary has been included to give background information and define technical Bahá’í terms. A bibliography provides information about books and compilations referred to in the text and footnotes.
No changes have been made to the texts of the messages without explicit permission from the Universal House of Justice. Extracts from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that are quoted in the messages have been checked against authenticated sources and authorized translations and have been updated accordingly where appropriate. Noticeable changes in the translations of such extracts are footnoted. The dates of certain cables may differ slightly from those of the same cables published elsewhere because cables of general interest that were addressed to a specific National Spiritual Assembly were usually conveyed to other National Spiritual Assemblies by mail a few days later. In such cases the date of the original cable is used.
Occasionally the reader will encounter references to enclosures or attachments, such as compilations and lists of pioneer assignments given to National Spiritual Assemblies. Such enclosures have been omitted because of space limitations. Most of the compilations have already been published, and, wherever possible, a reference to the published work is given.
We would like to express our deepest appreciation to the Universal House of Justice for its assistance in making available many messages that were previously unpublished and particularly for its direction in all phases of the production of this volume. Thanks are due to Ivor Stoakley, Diane Taherzadeh, and Lewis Walker for their assistance with footnotes and glossary entries; to John Walbridge for helpful comments on the glossary; to Dr. Manuchihr Derakhshani for assistance with Persian and Arabic transliterations; to Dr. Betty[Page xxxv] J. Fisher and Terry J. Cassiday of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust whose insights, scholarship, hard work, and close attention to detail have been invaluable; and to my wife, Amy, for her unwavering encouragement and support. We hope this book will prove to be a useful and convenient source of guidance and inspiration for both individuals and institutions the world over as they strive to serve the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh and carry the healing balm of His teachings to all humanity.
- GEOFFRY W. MARKS
