od will preside--the opening of
so auspicious a year must be signalized by a solemn renewal of dedication,
on the part of all who are participating in this colossal, world-girdling
enterprise, and indeed by the entire company of those who profess the
Faith of Baha'u'llah--a dedication which, as the year pursues its course,
will be reflected in acts the brilliance of which will eclipse the shining
exploits achieved since the inception of the Crusade, and, indeed, since
the commencement of the Formative Age of the Baha'i Dispensation.

The preeminent task of teaching the Faith to the multitudes who
consciously or unconsciously thirst after the healing Word of God in this
day--a task so dear to the heart of 'Abdu'l-Baha; at once so sacred, so
fundamental, and so urgent; primarily involving and challenging every
single individual; the bed-rock on which the solidity and the stability of
the multiplying institutions of a rising Order must rest--such a task must,
in the course of this year, be accorded priority over every other Baha'i
activity.

"If they arise to teach My Cause," Baha'u'llah Himself, revealing the
secret of success for the propagation of His Faith, has declared, "they
must let the breath of Him Who is the Unconstrained, stir them, and must
spread it abroad on the earth with high resolve, with minds that are
wholly centered in Him, and with hearts that are completely detached from,
and independent of, all things, and with souls that are sanctified from
the world and its vanities. It behooveth them to choose as the best
provision for their journey reliance upon God, and to clothe themselves
with the love of their Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious. If they
do so, their words shall influence their hearers."

TASKS FOR THE CURRENT YEAR

The historic work initiated, at the price of so much sacrifice, in more
than one hundred territories of the globe, must not only be jealously
safeguarded, but continually expanded, and wisely consolidated. A
determined effort must be made to insure, as speedily as possible, the
resettlement of the territories which Baha'i pioneers have been forced to
abandon, and the opening of the three virgin islands situated in the North
Sea and in the Indian Ocean, as well as the six Republics of the Soviet
Union and the five territories included within the Soviet Orbit.
Particular attention should be paid to the all-important task of
broadening and consolidating the foundation