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18 March 1930
Dear Father & Mother Dunn
I am directed by Shoghi Effendi to thank you so much for your kind letter of Feb. 19th sent through our dear friend Mr. Bertram Dewing.
He was pleased to hear from you and he is grateful for your loving solicitude in connection with his recent illness.
He is happily quite well now and again busy at his work, as is the Greatest Holy Leaf who was also seriously unwell lately but who although still very weak, is feeling much better.
It gave Shoghi Effendi great pleasure to know that the work in Australia is progressing and that more & more new people join to share our faith and our labours. He prays earnestly that before long the Bahá'ís of Australia and New Zealand may contribute increasingly in service to the Bahá'í Faith and may establish progressive and enthusiastic centres throughout the whole Continent. We might be very far away from you, but often if not always friends both in the East and West think or talk and love to meet their fellow-workers across the seas & needless to say they never forget the glorious share you can claim.
Mr Dewing is still with us and it is such a pleasure to have him. Let us hope some day you too will come.
With the assurances of Shoghi Effendi's affection & prayers and with loving greetings to the friends there. Sincerely yours, Soheil Afnan
My dear co-workers,
A letter from you always imparts joy & strength to my heart. You are the heroic and glorious pioneers of His Cause in this Day. Your name, countless lips shall utter with veneration & praise in the days to come. Your memory is immortal. Your services are graven upon my heart. I will continue to pray for both of you as well as for your dear, spiritual children throughout Australasia. Be happy always.
Your true brother, Shoghi
14
August 1930
Dear
Mr. Dunn:
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter dated June 22nd 1930. Concerning the condition of the
Cause in Australia, the constant endeavour of the friends should
be to spread the Cause. Once new members begin to come in, they
will inspire the friends with more courage & hope & make
them forget their petty differences. Shoghi Effendi will
sincerely pray for you & hopes that God will guide you to
ultimate success.
Concerning the different translations of the words. It is
surely the original text that should never be changed. The
translations will continue to vary as more & better
translations are made. Shoghi Effendi does not consider even his
own translations as final, how much more translations made in the
early days of the Cause in the West when no competent translators
existed.
Concerning the two prayers in the last edition of the prayerbook.
You had better write about it to the National Assembly in America.
Quite a number of objections were already made & I am sure
they will be glad to receive any you have for corrections to be
made to future editions.
Most of the prayers and Tablets published in the West have to be revised by some board of translators. But when that will be, no one knows. Meanwhile the friends have to be satisfied with what they can obtain.
Concerning the New History Society. Though it is run by some Bahá'ís, yet the N.S.A. has announced - & Shoghi Effendi has approved their action - that they have no relation with the Cause. Because the Society persists in its refusal to abide by the decisions of the N.S.A. it
does not deserve the help of the Bahá'ís. It is not the first case of Bahá'ís going at a tangent from the proscribed teachings of the Master. Our attitude should be impartiality rather than hostility. Shoghi Effendi hopes & prays that those who are responsible for this society will be sorry for their attitude and will come back under the banner of the movement.
In closing may I assure you & Mrs. Dunn of Shoghi Effendi's loving greetings. He will remember you and all the other Australian friends in his prayers and ask for you divine guidance and conformation.
Yours ever sincerely, Ruhi Afnan
With
the assurance of my fervent & continued prayers for your
good-health, your happiness, your success & spiritual
advancement,
Your true brother, Shoghi
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