1

_He is God!_

O ye friends and the maidservants of the Merciful, the chosen ones of the
Kingdom:

2 The Blessed state of California bears the utmost similarity to the Holy
Land, that is, the country of Palestine. The air is of the utmost
temperance, the plain very spacious, and the fruits of Palestine are seen
in that state in the utmost of freshness and delicacy. When 'Abdu'l-Baha
was traveling and journeying through those states, he found himself in
Palestine, for from every standpoint there was a perfect likeness between
this region and that state. Even the shores of the Pacific Ocean, in some
instances, show perfect resemblance to the shores of the Holy Land--even
the flora of the Holy Land have grown on those shores--the study of which
had led to much speculation and wonder.

3 Likewise, in the state of California and other Western states, wonderful
scenes of the world of nature, which bewilder the minds of men, are
manifest. Lofty mountains, deep canyons, great and majestic waterfalls,
and giant trees are witnessed on all sides, while its soil is in the
utmost fertility and richness. That blessed state is similar to the Holy
Land and that region and that country like unto a delectable paradise, is
in many ways identical with Palestine. Now just as there are natural
resemblances, heavenly resemblances must also be acquired.

4 The lights of the divine traces are manifest in Palestine. The majority
of the Israelitish Prophets raised the call of the Kingdom of God in this
holy ground. Having spread the spiritual teachings, the nostrils of the
spiritually-minded ones became fragrant, the eyes of the illumined souls
became brightened, the ears were thrilled through this song, the hearts
obtained eternal life from the soul-refreshing breeze of the Kingdom of
God and gained supreme illumination from the splendor of the Sun of
Reality. Then from this region the light was spread to Europe, America,
Asia, Africa and Australia.

5 Now California and the other Western States must earn an ideal
similarity with the Holy Land, and from that state and that region the
breaths of the Holy Spirit be diffused to all parts of America and Europe,
that the call of the Kingdom of God may exhilarate and rejoice all the
ears, the divine principles bestow a new life, the different parties may
become one party, the divergent ideas may disappear and revolve around one
unique center, the East and the