EPOCHS AND PLANS OF THE 
FORMATIVE AGE



This subject is a vast subject and whether or not I 
will succeed in about an hour or so you will know.  
When I was reading through the vast amount of 
writings available from our beloved Guardian I 
realized that today I would be able to just scratch the 
surface of this subject, there is so much it is simply 
unbelievable.

In many instances I will just read part of a quote 
from the beloved Guardian and I will also give you 
the references and I'm sure by taking notes you will 
be able to study these yourself.

What really encouraged and motivated me to talk 
about this subject of the Epochs and the Plans of the 
Age we are in, the Formative Age, is part of the 3rd 
paragraph in the Ridvan 2001 message of the 
Universal House of Justice:

"Despite its brevity, the Twelve Month 
Plan (this plan we just ended and UHJ called 
this 1 year plan 'A bridge between times', 
Ridván 2000) had an importance beyond 
the objectives specifically assigned.  The 
plan was a dynamic link between a highly 
eventful epoch in Bahá'í history and the 
immensely promising prospects of a new 
one, for which its achievements have so 
well prepared the community.  It has been 
etched in our annals, too, for the enduring 
effects of the Faith's activities at the end of 
the twentieth century — a century that 
deserves to be reflected upon by any 
Bahá'í who wishes to understand the 
tumultuous forces that influenced the life 
of the planet and the processes of the 
Cause itself at a crucial time in humanity's 
social and spiritual evolution."  

Then they talk about this publication Century 
of Light which will aid us in understanding 
this past century.

 I have divided this presentation into 5 sections:

1.	Major and Minor plans of God
2.	Epochs and Plans
3.	The Ten Year Crusade
4.	The Process of Lesser Peace
5.	Human Resources development using Training 
Institutes.

Before we begin, friends, I wanted to tell you much 
of we know about the Bahá'í Faith we owe it to the 
beloved Guardian.  The example that I'm sure you 
have heard about, but it does not hurt to repeat, is 
that all the Writings we have from the Heroic Age of 
our Faith are like a big jigsaw puzzle.  If we don't 
put them together we will never get the complete 
picture of the Faith.  It was Shoghi Effendi who put 
this puzzle together for us and gave it as a gift to 
humanity.  

During Heroic Age, and indeed several years into the 
Formative Age, no one had heard about Plans or 
Administrative Order and so on.  

Shoghi Effendi wrote more than 36,000 letters and 
messages in Persian, Arabic and English.  As long as 
the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh would last the 
Institution of Guardianship is going to be there and it 
is through Shoghi Effendi's writings.  Universal 
House of Justice would always refer to them when 
they are making any kind decision on any matter.

So, I will refer to beloved Guardian's writings and 
read passages from them.

MAJOR AND MINOR PLAN OF GOD

When we study the writings of Shoghi Effendi we 
notice that in more than one occasion he has referred 
to Major Plan of God and the Minor Plan of God.  
The Major Plan, also known as Great Plan of God, he 
says, is the work of Providence, the design of an 
inscrutable wisdom, it is an expression of the Will of 
God that's directing and controlling in a mysterious 
way the fortunes of humanity.  So, it is being 
mysteriously directed by Him along.  I will read you 
a celebrated passage from the Guardian on this 
subject in ADJ:

"Such simultaneous processes of rise and 
fall, of integration and disintegration, of 
order and chaos, with their continuous and 
reciprocal reactions on each other, are but 
aspects of a greater Plan, one and 
indivisible, whose Source is God, whose 
author is Bahá'u'lláh, the theatre of whose 
operations is the entire planet, and whose 
ultimate objectives are the unity of the 
human race and the peace of all mankind." 
(Advent of Divine Justice, p. 61)

Again referring to these two Plans, describing the 
Major Plan, he gives the example of a chess game 
and he says the pawns on this board of chess are 
being moved by the Hands of Bahá'u'lláh:

"This marvelous demonstration of His 
invincible power, this latest move in His 
Own Major Plan, using both the mighty 
and lowly as pawns in His world-shaping 
game, for the fulfillment of His immediate 
purpose and the eventual establishment of 
His Kingdom on earth."  
(Citadel of Faith, p. 139-140)

The Minor Plan is what we are engaged in.  All the 
various Plans we had that were first introduced by 
the Guardian like first 7 Year Plan, second 7 Year 
Plan, Ten Year Crusade and the plans we have 
received from the Universal House of Justice since 
its inception in 1963 are all part of the Minor Plan of 
God.

Now, the two Plans sometimes don't go together.  
Sometimes the Major Plan of God interferes in a very 
serious way with the Minor Plan.  We have no 
choice; we just accept and bow to that.  An example 
of it is what happened in 1979 in Iran which was a 
direct interference of God's Plan in our Minor Plan.  

There is a very moving message from Shoghi Effendi 
just two years after the launching of 10 Year 
Crusade, it's a long message, and it was sent 5 days 
after a short message he sent to the American Bahá'ís 
to send an appeal to President Eisenhower after 
hacking to pieces of seven Bahá'ís in the city of 
Yazd, in Iran.  

I'll give the reference its August 20 1955 (in Citadel 
of Faith).  

He talks about persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran and 
raising of a House of Worship in Africa, which was 
one of the goals of the 10 year plan to erect a House 
of Worship in Tehran but because of circumstances it 
was decided to build one in Kampala.  He talks about 
unprecedented publicity as the result of these crises 
in Iran and so on, I won't read you the whole 
message, but here is an interesting part:

"For though the newly launched World 
Spiritual Crusade, constituting at best only 
the Minor Plan in the execution of the 
Almighty's design for the redemption of 
mankind — has as a result of this turmoil, 
paralyzing temporarily the vast majority 
of the organized followers of Bahá'u'lláh 
within His birthplace, suffered a severe 
setback — yet the over-all Plan of God, 
moving mysteriously and in contrast to the 
orderly and well known processes of a 
clearly devised Plan (referring to 10 Year 
Crusade), has received an impetus the force 
of which only posterity can adequately 
assess."
	(Citadel of Faith, p. 140)


EPOCHS AND PLANS

Epochs and Plans that we are being given are within 
the Faith and before I get to them I wanted to 
mention that in relation to outside world there are 
seven stages which the Faith must pass and it has 
already passed through some:

1.	Obscurity.

This has several levels by itself.  For example, 
during the times of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh the 
Faith was gradually becoming known to man.  
Statistically this is how the Faith grow during 
each ministry:

The Báb:  2 countries  
Bahá'u'lláh:  15 countries
'Abdu'l-Bahá:  35 countries
Shoghi Effendi: 178 countries (in one year, the 
Holy Year 52-53, the Faith spread to 50 
additional countries)

In 1986, for example, the Faith came out of 
obscurity in many parts of the world.

This stage has local, national and international 
levels of obscurity.

2.	Active Repression.

Iran, for example, immediately came out of 
obscurity and entered this level and it is still in 
this level.  America, on the other hand, came out 
of obscurity and directly entered 4th stage, which 
I will get to it.

3.	Emancipation.

This is separation from other religions.  When in 
1925 the University of Al-Azhar, in Egypt, which 
is the foremost learning center in the Islamic 
world, announced that the Bahá'í Faith is 
independent from Islam, it emancipated the Faith.  

4.	Independence

In the view of Shoghi Effendi stages 3 and 4 are 
very close together.  Again, when Al-Azhar 
announced the Emancipation of the Faith, it did 
not give it independence, which means it did not 
allow the Bahá'ís to have their own rights and 
privileges, like marriage certificate and so on.  

One thing to keep in mind is that persecution or 
Active Repression can happen at any stage.  So if 
we have Independence in the U.S. it does not 
mean we won't have repression against us.

5.	State Religion

No where in the world the Faith has entered this 
stage.  

This means that the religion of a country becomes 
the Bahá'í Faith.  For example if the State 
religion of Egypt is Islam at this time, it would be 
the Bahá'í Faith.  It does not mean that all the 
decisions of the government would be Bahá'í 
decisions and would be based on Bahá'u'lláh's 
teachings but it will not be against the laws of the 
Faith.

As an example lets say the State Religion of U.S. 
is the Bahá'í Faith.  No one would be allowed to 
import wine or other alcoholic drink from lets say 
France which its state religion has not become the 
Bahá'í Faith 

6.	Bahá'í State

This means that all the decisions of the 
government, from minor decisions to major ones, 
would be in accordance to the teachings.  It is at 
that time, in my opinion, that our National 
Spiritual Assembly would be the ruler of the 
country and it would be called House of Justice.

7.	Bahá'í Commonwealth

This is when many Bahá'í States are established.  
This is the beginning of the Golden Age.

To give the reference, this is in page 12 of the ADJ 
and this is how beautifully Shoghi Effendi puts it:

He talks about future possibilities like 
buildings of Houses of Worships, codification 
of the laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, deliverance 
of the Faith from the shackles of religious 
orthodoxy, etc., until he gets to this point:  
"to enable a sore-tired Faith to pass 
through the successive stages of 
unmitigated OBSCURITY, of ACTIVE 
REPRESSION, and of complete 
EMANCIPATION, leading in turn to its 
being acknowledged as an 
INDEPENDENT Faith, enjoying the status 
of full equality with its sister religions, to 
be followed by its establishment and 
recognition as a STATE RELIGION, 
which in turn must give way to its 
assumption of the rights and prerogatives 
associated with the BAHÁ'Í STATE, 
functioning in the plenitude of its powers, a 
stage which must ultimately culminate in 
the emergence of the world-wide BAHÁ'Í 
COMMONWEALTH, animated wholly by 
the spirit, and operating solely in direct 
conformity with the laws and principles of 
Bahá'u'lláh."  (Advent of Divine Justice, p. 
12)

Now, back to Plans and Epochs. 

Shoghi Effendi devoted the first 16 years of his 
Guardianship, 1921-1937, to teaching the principles 
of Bahá'í administration to the friends in the East and 
West.

In the beginning, around 1922 soon after the 
Guardian returned from Europe, there was this idea 
of establishment of the Universal House of Justice, 
and in fact there were those who impressed upon the 
beloved Guardian and asked him to speed up this 
process.  This was the sign of weakness in the 
Covenant in those Bahá'ís and their concerned about 
the Guardian's ability to lead the Faith.

But soon it was realized that there was no basis for 
establishment of the Universal House of Justice 
because there was no NSA and very few LSAs, 
mainly in Persia and America, and these of course 
are the pillars that support the Universal House of 
Justice. 

The initial steps that Shoghi Effendi took were that in 
April 1922 he asked the Bahá'í communities in 
Germany and Britain to form LSAs and arrange for 
the election of the NSA in each country.  He also 
asked the Americans to transform the body known as 
"Executive Board" into a "Legislative Institution".

So, to summarize these are the actions that Shoghi 
Effendi took in order to teach the principles of 
administrative order to Bahá'ís all over the world:

•He taught them how to build spiritual assemblies, 
how to serve on them and how to reinforce and 
consolidate their foundations.
•In the course of innumerable letters, in English and 
Persian, he explained the significant of 
Administrative Order, the role of the institutions of 
the Faith in Bahá'í communities, and their future 
emergence as the framework of the new World Order 
of Bahá'u'lláh.
•He taught them the manner of the elections of 
assemblies.
•How to elect delegates to the National Conventions 
and their responsibilities in electing the NSA
•The relationship which must bind the local and 
national bodies.
•How to manage the Bahá'í Fund and so on.

What are some of the events and achievements of 
that 16 years?

• Verdict of the highest ecclesiastical court in Egypt, 
Al-Azhar, on 10 May 1925, declaring that the Faith 
is heretical in character and wholly incompatible 
with Islam.
Shoghi Effendi declared this to be a victory because 
the faith was to be independent or emancipated.

• Travels of Martha Root, several times around the 
world.  This resulted in Queen Marie of Romania 
acknowledging the truth of Bahá'u'lláh's mission.

• The House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad was seized 
by Shi'ah community there.  This took great deal of 
Shoghi Effendi's time.  A petition was sent to the 
Council of the League of Nations and after many 
deliberations a resolution upholding the claim of the 
Bahá'í community to that House was issued, 
however the government of Iraq did not implemented 
it and up to today we do not have that House.

• The enlargement of Bahá'í endowments and 
properties in the Holy Land, Persia and the U.S.

•The acquisition of historic sites connected with the 
Faith in Persia.

• The formation of Bahá'í International Archives.

• Implementation of the ordinance of the Nineteen 
Day Feast as enjoined by Bahá'u'lláh.  This is 
interesting because although the 19-Day Feast was 
well known in Persia since the time of the Báb, yet 
the believers used to hold it not on a regular basis, in 
fact they used to hold Feasts very frequently.  Shoghi 
Effendi encouraged the regular observance of 19-Day 
Feast, explained its significance and thought the 
friends its main features of devotional, administrative 
and social parts. 		





Now, What are Epochs?

This is how dictionary explains it: A particular 
period in history, one considered remarkable and 
noteworthy.

In the Faith, I have found the following three types of 
Epochs:

EPOCHS OF THE DEVELOPMENTS ON 
MOUNT CARMEL.

This one is an "evolutionary process" as Shoghi 
Effendi puts it, initiated by Bahá'u'lláh Himself.  
When Bahá'u'lláh stood on Mount Carmel in 1890 
and pointed to the spot where the remains of the Báb 
are to be laid, he started that Epoch.  That 1st Epoch 
lasted until 1953 when the superstructure of the 
Shrine of the Báb ended. 

In October 1953 message of Shoghi Effendi as the 
conclusion of the Holy Year he sent this message:

"The Five Year Old, three-quarter million 
dollar enterprise, constituting the final 
stage in the initial epoch of the 
evolutionary process initiated over 60 
years ego by the Founder of the Faith, in 
the heart of the Mountain of God, is 
consummated."  (Messages to the Bahá'í 
World, October 1953)

Second Epoch of Development on Mount Carmel 
began by the purchase of land for future Mashriqu'l-
Adkar on Mount Carmel by a $100,000.00 donation 
from Hand of the Cause of God Amelia Collins.

We are yet to see when this epoch will end, meaning 
the 2nd Epoch.  Would it be when the Bahá'í 
International Library is built?  It's up to the 
Universal House of Justice.

EPOCHS OF THE TABLETS OF THE DIVING 
PLAN

Shoghi Effendi stated that the process of teaching the 
Faith would also go through different Epochs.  The 
1st Epoch of the Tablets of the Divine Plan began in 
1937 with the first American Seven-Year Plan and 
ended with the launching of the Ten-Year Crusade in 
1953 when the 2nd Epoch began.

These 14 Tablets of the Diving Plan were revealed 
by Abdul-Baha during WWI and it constitutes the 
Charter for Teaching the Faith throughout the world.

We are still in this 2nd Epoch.  When the Universal 
House of Justice perceives that the teaching work has 
assumed new dimensions, it may usher in a new 
epoch of the Tablets of the Diving Plan.


EPOCHS OF THE FORMATIVE AGE

This is the Epoch that we are most familiar with and 
we have just entered the 5th Epoch in the year 2001.

1st Epoch:

The main feature of the 1st Epoch was the 
development of the Administrative Order by the 
Guardian, it also included the 1st Seven Year Plan of 
the American Bahá'ís.  

From His writings we realize that this epoch ended 
between 1944-1946, a rest period between the 1st and 
2nd Seven-Year Plans.  Shoghi Effendi writes the 
main features:

"The 1st Epoch witnessed the birth and the 
primary stages in the erection of the 
framework of the Administrative Order of 
the Faith — the nucleus and pattern of its 
World Order — according to the precepts 
laid down in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and 
Testament, as well as the launching of the 
initial phase of the world-encompassing 
Plan (Seven Year Plan).
He 
further 
explains 
that a 
two-fold 
process 
characte
rized 
this 1st 
epoch:  
1. 
Consoli
dation 
of the 
adminis
trative 
structur
e of the 
Faith.   
2. 
Extensi
on of 
the 
range if 
its 
instituti
ons. 
(Citadel 
of Faith, 
p.5)

By the way, before 1921 the Faith was established in 
38 countries, in this 1st epoch, 1921-1946, the faith 
was spread to 78 countries.

2nd Epoch

This Epoch began when the Guardian gave the North 
American Bahá'í community the 2nd Seven Year 
Plan.  This is what he wrote in June 1947:

"The epoch we have now entered is 
destined to impart a great impetus to this 
historic, this two-fold process.  It must 
witness, on the one hand, the 
consummation of a laboriously constructed 
Administrative Order, and, on the other, 
the unfoldment of successive stages in the 
development of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Plan 
beyond the confines of the Western 
Hemisphere and of the continent of 
Europe."  (Citadel of Faith, p. 6)

So in this 2nd epoch we had the 2nd Seven-Year Plan, 
a Holy Year (which I will explain later), and the 10-
Year Crusade, which ended in the election of the 
Universal House of Justice.  

There were parallel plans during the 1st but mostly 
during the 2nd Seven-Year Plan for other countries.  
Shoghi Effendi wanted other communities to also get 
used to having plans.  They were:

Six Year Plan for Britain.
Five Year Plan in Germany and Austria
Nineteen month Plan
Two Year Plan
Three Year Plan
Forty-Five Month Plan
Four and a Half Year Plan and so on.

There initially was going to be a 3rd Seven-Year Plan, 
but Shoghi Effendi changed it and announced the 
Ten-Year Crusade.  (In Citadel of Faith, p. 104, 
Shoghi Effendi talks about the scopes of that 3rd 
Seven-Year Plan)

During this epoch we also had the appointment of the 
Hands of the Cause of God and Auxiliary Board 
institution came into existence.

Now I wanted to talk a little in detail about this 10-
Year Crusade but let me briefly tell you about the 3rd 
and 4th and 5th epochs we have witnessed.

3rd Epoch

Emergence of the Faith from obscurity in many parts 
of the world by the end of this Epoch. 
Institution of the Continental Board of Counselors 
was established 
First International Teaching Centre members were 
appointed.
Seat of the Universal House of Justice was built.

4th Epoch

Up to 1986 each National Spiritual Assembly would 
receive their plans from the Universal House of 
Justice.  After 1986 the Universal House of Justice 
outlines general aims and characteristics of each plan 
and leaves specific goal settings to each National 
Spiritual Assembly.
"The institution of Counselors reached a new 
stage in its maturation."
Second Bahá'í World Congress was held in New 
York.
The Kitáb-i-Aqdas was translated completely into 
English.
Establishment of Regional Bahá'í Councils in 
selected countries.
"Change in culture of Bahá'í Community as 
Training Institutes emerged."
Construction projects on Mount Carmel approached 
their completion.

5th Epoch

"A feature of the Fifth Epoch will be the…raising 
up of national Houses of Worship."
(By the way in the second message to the 
Intercontinental Conference in Wilmette in 1953 
Shoghi Effendi mentions the House of Worship in 
Santiago, Chile, I will refer to it later on when we 
talk about 10 Year Crusade )
"Development of the functions of the institutions 
occupying the new edifices on the Arc."
"The institution of Counselors reached a new 
stage in its maturation."
"Change in culture of Bahá'í Community as 
Training Institutes emerged."
Construction projects on Mount Carmel approached 
their completion.
"The internal processes of institutional 
consolidation and the external processes towards 
world unity became more fully synchronized."

An important point to remember is that these Epochs 
are not fulfillment of some statistics, you can think of 
them as different limbs that an embryo develops 
while in the womb.

TEN YEAR CRUSADE

This Ten-Year Crusade is very fascinating and 
indeed interesting.

It is a subject which engaged the Bahá'í world 
towards the end of the ministry of Shoghi Effendi.  

The word Crusade was used by Shoghi Effendi as far 
back as 1939 (according to a research done by the 
Research Department in 1992.)

He used the word Crusade because as you know has 
historical connotation, in connection with the 
military expeditions of the European Christian 
missionaries who came to the Holy Land in order to 
liberate Jerusalem from Muslim rule. 

He used it to denote a teaching plan and 1st one of 
course was the first Seven Year Plan and of course 2 
years later he began to use the word Crusade instead 
of Plan.

In his Persian writings he used the word Jihad, Holy 
War.

Because of his continuous use of this word the Ten 
Year Plan became more known as Ten Year Crusade.

He even referred to pioneers as Crusaders.

Shoghi Effendi did not give any intimation about this 
Crusade in earlier years of his Guardianship.  It was 
not until he started bringing outstanding believers to 
the Holy Land to serve in International Bahá'í 
Council (1951) or as Hands of the Cause of God that 
he started referring to something very great that was 
about to happen.

These letters I'm referring to are between 1951 and 
1953.  Remember that 1951 was 6 years before 
Shoghi Effendi passed away.

The first dawn of this idea of the 10 Year Crusade is 
in a letter dated 25 February 1951 to the British 
NSA, first intimation:

"On the success of this enterprise (what he is 
referring to here is the Two Year Plan for Africa 
which was given to the British NSA with the 
cooperation of National Spiritual Assemblies of 
Persian, U.S. and Egypt to conquer the countries 
south of the Sahara.  This was the first Inter-
Assembly cooperation in the Bahá'í World, paving 
the way for the launching of the Ten Year Crusade) 
unprecedented in its scope, unique in its character 
and immense in its spiritual potentialities (he is 
talking about the Two Year Plan), must depend the 
initiation, at a later period in the Formative Age 
of the Faith, of undertakings embracing within 
their range all National Assemblies (this was the 
first hint) functioning throughout the Bahá'í 
World, undertakings constituting in themselves a 
prelude to the launching of world-wide 
enterprises destined to be embarked upon, in 
future epochs of that same Age, by the Universal 
House of Justice, that will symbolize the unity and 
coordinate and unify the activities of these 
National Assemblies."

He gives us foreshadowing of two stages:  One a 
period where there would be undertakings involving 
all NSAs, which was the Ten Year Plan, following 
that there would be "throughout epochs of the 
Formative Age enterprises which will be embarked 
upon by the Universal House of Justice."

You can imagine how puzzled the Bahá'í were at that 
time that why these enterprises will be embarked 
upon by the UHJ and not under the guidance of the 
Guardian?  There were a lot questions and 
discussions in the minds of the Bahá'ís.

This African Plan, by the way, resulted in spectacular 
advance for the Faith in that continent, several 
countries in Africa opened to the Faith and many 
became Bahá'ís.

Then, 9 months later, on 30 November 1951, came 
this moving message from the Guardian.  Now, it is 
interesting that he mentions the term Holy Year 
which was a brand new term for Bahá'ís, only a 
week before this date in a letter to American 
believers he mentioned for the first time the term 
Holy Year.

So in this message he is announcing that we are 
going to have a Holy Year, October 1952 to October 
1953.  Here is how he announces it:

"Centennial festivities of Year Nine continuing 
throughout Holy Year commencing October 1952 
must include:  (Before I read you what it must be 
included in that single year let me explain what he 
means by the Year Nine.  You see, year Nine is 
reference to the Báb's prophecy that in the year 9, 
meaning 9 years after 1844, the Promised One will 
come.  The Intimation or that mystic experience 
Bahá'u'lláh had occurred in the mid-point 
imprisonment of Bahá'u'lláh in Siyah Chal of 
Tihran.  Please refer to full explanation of the Year 
Nine in Citadel of Faith. Page 101.)  The formal 
dedication for public worship of Mother Temple 
of West in hear North American continent, and 
possible termination superstructure of Báb's 
Sepulcher in Holy Land, the convocation of four 
intercontinental Bahá'í Teaching Conferences to 
be held successively in course historic Year on 
continents of Africa, America, Europe, Asia." 
(Messages to the Bahá'í World, p. 17)

This was the first time that Bahá'ís were hearing 
another new term, Intercontinental Conferences.  Up 
to then there were National Conferences, but in this 
message Shoghi Effendi tells them that for the first 
time we are going to have Intercontinental 
Conferences.

You can imagine how excited the Bahá'ís were to 
hear these terms.

In the same message he wrote:  "Forthcoming 
celebrations must be signalized through 
inauguration long anticipated intercontinental 
stage in administrative evolution of Faith marking 
its gradual development through successive 
phases of local, regional, national, international 
Bahá'í activity.  Initiation this highly significant 
measure further cementing Bahá'í National 
Assemblies in five continents of globe will be 
acclaimed by posterity as counterpart to 
consolidation Faith at its World Center through 
recent formation International Bahá'í Council in 
Holy Land."  

These conferences were as follows:   (In each one 
there were representatives of Shoghi Effendi, all in 
that Holy Year, before the launching of Ten Year 
Crusade)

1st:  It was convened by British NSA in Kampala, 
Uganda.  (Early Spring)
2nd:  It was convened by U.S. NSA in Wilmette.  
(During Ridvan)
       Shoghi Effendi said in this one all North, Central 
and South American countries will be invited.
3rd:  It was convened by American European 
Teaching Committee in Stockholm,
       Sweden.  (in Summer)
4th:  It was convened by NSA of India in New Delhi 
(in Autumn)

(These conferences are mentioned in more detail in 
Nov 30, 1951 Cablegram, Messages to the Bahá'í 
World, p. 17)

Then in a cablegram dated March 8, 1952, he had 
Triple Announcement.  Last of these 3 were that the 
Eleven NSAs will soon be joined by 12th NSA (this 
was just before Ridván 1952) and that was the Italo-
Swiss NSA.  

In that Cablegram he wrote:

"Appeal to the American Bahá'í community, 
particularly the Bahá'í s residing in Italy and 
Switzerland, to exert their utmost to insure in the 
course of the coming year the multiplication of 
Spiritual Assemblies in both countries, thereby 
broadening the basis of the projected pillar of the 
future Universal house of Justice…(you see 
another hint that the House of justice is near).  Then 
he goes on to say:
Anticipate entrusting to the youngest among the 
twelve National Assemblies of the Bahá'í World a 
specific plan enabling it, in conjunction with its 
sister National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá'í 
World, to promote in the course of TEN YEARS 
(First mentioning of the Ten Year Crusade) 
separating the second from the Most Great 
Jubilee the Global Crusade designed to hoist the 
standard of Bahá'u'lláh in the remaining states, 
dependencies and islands of the whole planet."  
(Messages to the Bahá'í World, p. 23)

Next one was in June 30, 1952.  In it he praises the 
American Bahá'í community for various work that 
they were doing, especially with regards to the House 
of Worship, he wrote something that truly shook the 
Bahá'í World:  (by the way this is a very long 
message and this part I'm reading for you is towards 
the end)

"No matter how long the period that separates 
them from the ultimate victory; however arduous 
the test; however formidable the exertions 
demanded of them…  However afflictive the darts 
which their present enemies, as well as those 
whom Providence, will, through His mysterious 
dispensations raise up from within or from 
without (See, this is a reference to Major Plan of 
God); however grievous the ordeal of temporary 
separation from the heart and nerve-center of 
their Faith which future unforeseeable 
disturbances may impose upon them,  I adjure 
them, by the precious blood that flowed in such 
great profusion, by the lives of the unnumbered 
saints and heroes who were immolated, by the 
supreme, the glorious sacrifice of the Prophet-
Herald of our Faith, by the tribulations which its 
Founder, Himself, willingly underwent, so that 
His Cause might live, His Order might redeem a 
shattered world and its glory might suffuse the 
entire planet—I adjure them as this solemn hour 
draws nigh, to resolve never to flinch, never to 
hesitate, never to relax, until each and every 
objective in the Plans to be proclaimed, at a later 
date, has been fully consummated.  Your true 
brother, Shoghi.  (Messages to the Bahá'í World, p. 
39)

This shook the Bahá'í world.  The friends knew that 
we are going to have plans and all 12 NSAs are 
going be involved and there would be victories, but 
also there was going to be some rough times ahead of 
us.

In 8 Oct, 1952 he officially announced the summary 
and objectives of the Ten Year Crusade:

"Feel hour propitious to proclaim to the entire 
Bahá'í World the projected launching on the 
occasion of the convocation of the approaching 
Intercontinental Conferences on the four 
continents of the globe the fate-laden, soul-
stirring, decade-long, world-embracing Spiritual 
Crusade involving the simultaneous initiation of 
twelve national Ten Year Plans and the concerted 
participation of all National Spiritual Assemblies 
of the Bahá'í World aiming at the immediate 
extension of Bahá'ú'lláh's spiritual dominion as 
well as the eventual establishment of the structure 
of His administrative order in all remaining 
Sovereign States, Principal Dependencies 
comprising Principalities, Sultanates, Emirates, 
Shaykhdoms, Protectorates, Trust Territories, 
and Crown Colonies (Again, imagine how excited 
the Bahá'ís were reading these wonderful messages) 
scattered over the surface of the entire planet.  
The entire body of the avowed supporters of 
Bahá'u'lláh's all-conquering Faith are now 
summoned to achieve in a single decade feats 
eclipsing in totality the achievements which in the 
course of the eleven preceding decades 
illuminated the annals of Bahá'í pioneering."  
(Messages to the Bahá'í World, p. 41)

Then he goes on and writes the four-fold objectives 
of the Ten Year Crusade, which he wrote:  Marks 
the third and last phase of the initial epoch of the 
evolution of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Diving Plan.

One interesting thing to note during all these 
messages that Shoghi Effendi was sending to the 
Bahá'í world is this short Cablegram (August 19, 
1953) in which he synchronizes the last conference in 
New Delhi with completion of the Shrine of the Báb:

"Transmit to the National Assemblies of the 
Bahá'í world the joyous news that the placing of 
gilded tiles over the entire surface of the dome of 
the Báb's Sepulcher has been terminated.  (he 
continues talking about various works that were done 
and then he writes):  Feel assured consummation of 
the sixty year old enterprise (this is from the time 
the Báb was martyred until His remains were brought 
to the Holy Land and laid to rest by 'Abdu'l-Bahá) 
will synchronize with the holding of the 
forthcoming New Delhi Inter-Continental 
Teaching Conference, sealing the triumphant 
world-wide festivities of the Holy Year 
commemorating the centenary of the birth of the 
mission of Bahá'u'lláh."
(Messages to the Bahá'í World, p. 50) 

And of course before the Ten Year Crusade officially 
began he wrote in great details all the goals and 
objectives of the Ten Year Plan.

These objective are printed in Bahá'í World Volume 
XII (12), Page 256.

Shoghi Effendi passed away at mid-point of the 
Crusade.  He sent numerous messages constantly 
updating all the achievement, 1st year, 2nd year, and 
so on, with many message in between.

SEVEN STAGES OF THE SPIRITUAL 
EVOLUTION OF HUMANITY

The reason I wanted to mention and read about Ten 
Year Crusade is because of this message of Shoghi 
Effendi:

It was the 2nd message he sent to the Inter-
continental conference in Wilmette which was read 
by Ruhiyyih Khanum on his behalf.  It is long 
message.  

Towards the end of the message he talks about this 
majestic process of spiritual evolution of humanity.  
He divides this process into 10 parts:

1.	All the prophets of God who came before the 
Báb.  That was the first part.  He wrote:  "The 
first part of this process was the slow and 
steady growth of this tree of divine revelation, 
successively putting forth its branches, shoots 
and off-shoots, and revealing its leaves, buds 
and blossoms, as a direct consequence of the 
light and warmth imparted to it by a series of 
progressive dispensations associated with 
Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad 
and other Prophets, and by the vernal showers 
of countless martyrs in their path.
2.	The second part of this process was the fruition 
of this tree, "that belongeth neither to the East 
nor to the West," when the Báb appeared as 
the prefect fruit and declared His mission in 
the Year Sixty in the city of Shiraz.
3.	The third part was grinding of this sacred seed, 
of infinite preciousness and potency, in the 
mill of adversity, causing it to yield its oil, six 
years later, in the city of Tabriz. (Martyrdom of 
the Báb)
4.	The fourth part was the ignition of this oil by 
the hand of Providence in the depths and 
amidst the darkness of the Siyah-Chal of 
Tihran a hundred years ego.  
5.	The fifth, was the clothing of that flickering 
light, which had scarcely penetrated the 
adjoining territory of Iraq, in the lamp of 
revelation, after an eclipse lasting no less than 
ten years, in the city of Baghdad. (this was the 
Ten years Bahá'u'lláh was in Baghdad, between 
His Intimation and Declaration)
6.	The sixth, was the spread of the radiance of that 
light, shining with added brilliancy in its 
crystal globe in Adrianople, and later on it the 
fortress town of Akka, to thirteen countries in 
the Asiatic and African continents.
7.	The seventh, (this one is ministry of 'Abdu'l-
Bahá) was the projection, from the Most Great 
Prison, in the course of the ministry of the 
Center of the Covenant, across the seas and 
the shedding of its illumination upon twenty 
severing states and dependencies in the 
American, the European, and Australian 
continents.
8.	The eighth part of that process was the diffusion 
of that same light in the course of the first, and 
the opening years of the second, epoch of the 
Formative Age of the Faith, over ninety-four 
sovereign states, dependencies and islands of 
the planet, as a result of the prosecution of a 
series of national plans, initiated by eleven 
national spiritual assemblies throughout the 
Bahá'í world, (Notice he does not mention 
Guardianship and yet he did all the initiations and 
guidances )…
9.	The ninth part of this process—the stage we are 
now entering—is the further diffusion of that 
same light over one hundred and thirty one 
additional territories and islands in both the 
Eastern and Western hemispheres, through 
the operation of a decade-long world spiritual 
crusade whose termination will, God willing, 
coincide with the Most Great Jubilee 
commemorating the centenary of the 
declaration of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad.
10.	And finally the tenth part (I won't read it but its 
everything we are doing till end of this 
dispensation, believe it or not).  But he mentions 
in successive epochs of both the Formative and 
Golden Age of the Faith.  So we have these 
epochs with us for a very very long time.








THE PROCESS OF LESSER 
PEACE

Please refer to a Memorandum dated April 19, 2001 
from the Research Department which clearly 
explains the Process of Lesser Peace.

HUMAN RESOURCES 
DEVELOPMENT USING 
TRAINING INSTITUTES.

I have this hand out about the major messages from 
the Universal House of Justice about Training 
Institutes.  I have highlighted the words Training 
Institutes and Systematic:



EXTRACTS ON SOME OF THE 
MESSAGES FROM THE UNIVERSAL 
HOUSE OF JUSTICE ON
TRAINING INSTITUES


Ridván 153

To effect the possibilities of expansion and 
consolidation implied by entry by troops, a 
determined, worldwide effort to develop human 
resources must be made. The endeavour of 
individuals to conduct study classes in their homes, 
the sponsorship by the institutions of occasional 
courses of instruction, and the informal activities of 
the community, though important, are not adequate 
for the education and training of a rapidly expanding 
community. It is therefore of paramount importance 
that systematic attention be given to devising 
methods for educating large numbers of believers in 
the fundamental verities of the Faith and for training 
and assisting them to serve the Cause as their God-
given talents allow. There should be no delay in 
establishing permanent institutes designed to 
provide well-organized, formally conducted 
programs of training on a regular schedule. Access 
of the institute to physical facilities will of course be 
necessary, but it may not require a building of its 
own…

As the term "institute" has assumed various 
uses in the Bahá'í community, a word of clarification 
is needed. The next four years will represent an 
extraordinary period in the history of our Faith, a 
turning point of epochal magnitude. What the friends 
throughout the world are now being asked to do is to 
commit themselves, their material resources, their 
abilities and their time to the development of a 
network of training institutes on a scale never 
before attempted. These centres of Bahá'í learning 
will have as their goal one very practical outcome, 
namely, the raising up of large numbers of believers 
who are trained to foster and facilitate the process of 
entry by troops with efficiency and love.

"Centre your energies in the propagation of 
the Faith of God," Bahá'ú'lláh thus instructs His 
servants, adding, "Whoso is worthy of so high a 
calling, let him arise and promote it. Whoso is 
unable, it is his duty to appoint him who will, in his 
stead, proclaim this Revelation...." Just as one 
deputizes another to teach in one's stead by covering 
the expenses of a pioneer or travelling teacher, one 
can deputize a teacher serving an institute, who is, of 
course, a teacher of teachers. To do so, one may 
make contributions to the Continental Bahá'í Fund, 
as well as to the Local, National and International 
Funds, earmarked for this purpose…

Ridván 153 message of The Universal 
House of Justice to the "Followers of 
Bahá'ú'lláh in North America: 
Alaska, Canada, Greenland and the 
United States"

In your pursuit of the provisions of the Four 
Year Plan on national, regional and local levels, in 
conformity with the detailed plans to be formulated 
in weeks ahead, you should constantly bear in mind 
the one central aim of the Plan: advancing the 
process of entry by troops.  There can be no doubt 
that this process, propelled by mysterious spiritual 
forces beyond the ken of the skeptic, will in due 
course quicken the souls of a multitude from every 
background in North America and dramatically 
increase the numerical strength of your 
communities…

Training institutes and other centres of 
learning are an indispensable element of a sustained 
endeavour to advance this process, and to ensure that 
the essential deepening of new believers is not 
neglected, that they develop the necessary skills to 
effectively teach the Faith, and that an opportunity is 
provided for all Bahá'ís, new and veteran, to embark 
on a systematic study of the fundamental verities of 
the Revelation of Bahá'ú'lláh.  We look to your 
communities to make an energetic response to the 
call for such institutes, and to develop a wide variety 
of approaches fitted to the needs of the diverse 
components of your population…

Ridván 155

Three developments brighten our 
expectations.  One is in the solid results
being produced wherever training institutes are in 
operation. Tens of thousands of
individuals have over the last two years completed at 
least one institute course. 
The immediate effects upon them have been a greatly 
strengthened faith, a more
conscious spiritual identity, and a deepened 
commitment to Bahá'í  service.  The
second pertains to the notable improvement in the 
conditions affecting the
establishment and renewal of Local Spiritual 
Assemblies.  The decision to form
these institutions only on the first day of Ridván, and 
to do so principally at
the initiative of the communities to which they 
belong, was put into effect in
1997.  While there was an immediate but not 
unexpected drop in the number of Local
Assemblies worldwide, the decrease was not very 
large; in fact, increases were
recorded in some countries.  This outcome indicates 
that the process of maturation
of these divinely ordained institutions is on course.  
The third is that a new
confidence in teaching is stirring the friends, yielding 
impressive results in
various regions.  The potential for a steady and ever-
expanding influx of new
believers has always been great, and we are able to 
say with assurance that the
capacity to actualize it is methodically being 
developed more than ever before
with the prosecution of the current Plan…

Ridván 156

The Cause of Bahá'ú'lláh marches on 
resistlessly, quickened by the increasing application 
of an approach to the development and use of human 
resources that is systematic.  The further creation of 
national and regional training institutes, now 
numbering 344, has pressed this development 
forward, with the result that, apart from North 
America and Iran where numerous courses have been 
given, some 70,000 individuals have already 
completed at least one institute course.  All of this is 
contributing to a growing body of confirmed, active 
supporters of the Cause.  The untold potential of this 
progression is illustrated in such reports as the one 
received from Chad, where in an area served by an 
institute more than 1000 people embraced the Faith 
through the individual efforts of those who had 
received training.  Understanding of the necessity for 
systematization in the development of human 
resources is everywhere taking hold…

Letter of Universal House of Justice, 
26 November 1999

The accomplishments during this period are 
encouraging indeed.  An impressive network of 
training institutes on a scale but dimly imagined at 
the start of the Plan has been established throughout 
the world.  These nascent centres of learning have 
made significant strides in developing formal 
programs and in putting into place effective systems 
for the delivery of courses.  Reports indicate that the 
number of believers benefiting directly from training 
courses has climbed to nearly 100,000.  Without 
question, the capacity of the worldwide community 
to develop its human resources has been distinctly 
enhanced…

The effects of this systematic approach to 
human resource development are making themselves 
felt in the lives of three protagonists of the plan—the 
individual believer, the institutions, and the local 
community.  There has been an upsurge in teaching 
activities undertaken at the initiative of the 
individual.  Spiritual Assemblies, Councils, and 
committees have grown in their ability to guide the 
believers in their individual and collective endeavors.  
And community life has flourished, even in localities 
long dormant, as new patterns of thought and 
behaviour have emerged…

Ridván 157

The quantitative difference resulted mainly 
from a more critical qualitative difference. The 
culture of the Bahá'í community experienced a 
change.  This change is noticeable in the expanded 
capability, the methodical pattern of functioning and 
the consequent depth of confidence of the three 
constituent participants in the Plan—the individual, 
the institutions and the local community. That is so 
because the friends concerned themselves more 
consistently with deepening their knowledge of the 
divine Teachings and learned much—and this more 
systematically than before—about how to
apply them to promulgating the Cause, to managing 
their individual and collective activities, and to 
working with their neighbours. In a word, they 
entered into a learning mode from which purposeful 
action was pursued. The chief propellant of this 
change was the system of training institutes 
established throughout the world with great 
rapidity—an accomplishment which, in the field of 
expansion and consolidation, qualifies as the single 
greatest legacy of the Four-Year Plan…

	In the increased capacity of individuals to 
teach the Faith, as shown in the thrust of individual 
initiatives; in the improved ability of Spiritual 
Assemblies, Councils and committees to guide the 
endeavours of the friends; in the introduction of new 
patterns of thought and action which influenced the 
collective behaviour of the local community—in all 
such respects the system of training institutes 
demonstrated its indispensability as an engine of the 
process of entry by troops.  By extending their 
operation through local study circles, many institutes 
magnified their capacity to cover wide regions with 
their programmes…

January 9, 2001 letter of the 
Universal House of Justice 
To the Conference of the 
Continental Boards of Counsellors

A searching analysis of the Four Year Plan recently 
prepared for us by the International Teaching Centre 
demonstrates that the training institute is effective 
not only in enhancing the powers of the individual, 
but also in vitalizing communities and institutions.  
The continued development of training institutes in 
the diverse countries and territories of the world, 
then, must be a central feature of the new Plan…

Ridván 158

…Abroad in our world community there is a 
heightened awareness of the value of process, the 
necessity of planning and the virtue of systematic 
action in fostering growth and in developing the 
human resources by which expansion can be 
sustained and consolidation assured.  The coherence 
of understanding about these prerequisites of 
progress cannot be overvalued, nor can the 
importance of perpetuating them through well-
ordered training be overestimated…

In augmenting major effects of the previous Four 
Year Plan that brought into being more than 300 
training institutes, the Twelve Month Plan achieved 
its purpose.  It gathered significance through the 
notable responses of institutions and individuals to 
the call for a greater focus on the spiritual nurturing 
of children and the involvement of junior youth in 
Bahá'í community life.  The training of teachers of 
children's classes and the inclusion of junior youth in 
the institute process have become a regular part of 
Bahá'í activity in a number of countries...


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