Fourteen Newly-published Excerpts from Shoghi Effendi

Baha'is cherish the guidance that was given to us by the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, Shoghi Effendi. Looking over again Forces of Our Time, The Dynamics of Light and Darkness, by Hooper C. Dunbar, a book that I have read and reread, it occurred to me that some members of the worldwide Baha'i community may not be aware that, among the many quotations from the Guardian included in Mr. Dunbar's book, some of them are shared there with the public for the first time.

So here they are, in the sequence that they are interspersed, along with many others, in that book:

• "No true and faithful Baha'i should in this day remain idle or seek what would give him comfort or even inner satisfaction. We should be constantly assailing the forces of darkness that have enveloped the earth and hasten the dawn of the new day foretold by Baha'u'llah."
  
  [From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual, 19 April 1933.]
  
  
  
•  "Strive therefore with heart and soul to drink deep from the spirit of self-sacrifice which the pioneers of the Cause have so gloriously displayed, and equip yourselves fully to fight the good fight against the dark forces that have encompassed the world."
  
  [From a letter of Shoghi Effendi, 30 December 1923.]
  
  
• "We need never be disappointed with the smallness of our numbers or be discouraged at the reluctance of the majority of the people to accept the Teachings, but rather we must endeavour all the more, confident that Truth shall ultimately prevail, and that the dark forces of the world shall in time be vanquished."
  
  [From a letter of Shoghi Effendi, 26 February 1926.]
  
  
• "Shoghi Effendi's earnest hope and plea is, therefore, that we who have been chosen to act as the dawn-breakers of a new era may not sit idly and leave the world enveloped in its social and spiritual darkness; that we may arise, and, lifting high the torch of guidance, bring light and hope to the heart of a perishing humanity."
  
  [From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 29 March 1932.]
  
  
• "...the rapid progress of the Faith means the hastening of the final victory of goodness over the dark forces of evil that are at present threatening the world."
  
  [From a letter of Shoghi Effendi, 7 April 1933.]
  
  
• "May the Beloved speedily and completely release you from the dark forces which have assailed you and enable you to triumph over all obstacles and thus serve effectively His Faith."
  
  [From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 22 July 1933.]
  
  
• "He wishes you to persevere in your efforts and not be disheartened by the forces of darkness assailing you on every side. By the power of action and prayer, he feels certain, you will be able to overcome them all."
  
  [From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual, 16 February 1934.]
  
  
• "He wishes me to urge you not to feel disturbed by the dreams you have had, but rather to make every effort to resist and overcome the forces of darkness that assail your mind."
  
  [From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual, 7 July 1938.]
  
  
• "The Guardian too will specially and earnestly pray on your behalf, that your heart may be comforted and cheered, and may be set free from the forces of darkness that so strongly assail it."
  
  [From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual, 26 October 1938.]
  
  
• "The assurance that in this gloomy hour when the whole world is being shaken by the forces of darkness, and humanity at large is beginning to experience the fire of that ordeal foretold by Baha'u'llah, the friends are more than ever closely united with him in true bonds of spiritual fellowship is indeed the source of deepest comfort to him..."
  
  [From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual, 22 October 1939.]
  
  
• "You should never allow the many dark thoughts and dark forces in the world today to weigh on your mind or depress you. The world is very black at present, and humanity in a very degraded condition spiritually. We must accept this fact, but not allow it to influence us. Our life is in the Cause of God, and we draw our strength from it, and the world of the Cause is the world of light."
  
  [From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual, 24 July 1943.]
  
  
• "There are dark forces in the world today of despair and hatred and suspicion; the believers must, as the Master said, turn their backs on these and their faces to Him, confident of His help and protection."
  
  [From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual, 9 August 1944.]

• "The dark forces in the world, of disbelief and materialism, seem to certainly be engulfing humanity more and more--but of course, to our eyes, guided by the light of Baha'u'llah, it signifies the speeding up of a process of deterioration which alone can pave the way for the emergence of the new world He has ordained."
  
  [From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to individuals, 20 April 1948.]
  
  
• "We have been told over and over again in the Teachings that the forces of darkness attack Baha'is; and it is these forces which are seeking to disrupt your national body.
  
  [From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual, 11 February,1952