January 15, 2017

In the Days of the Guardian – by Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1958

Mr. Ioas served Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, in various capacities from 1951 to 1957. He was appointed a Hand of the Cause on 24 December 1951, and also served as the “Personal Representative of the Guardian of the Faith”, and the “First Secretary-General of the International Baha’i Council”. Drawing on numerous occasions while serving the beloved Guardian in Israel, Leroy presents a fascinating account of the many circumstances and his immense admiration of the Guardian. A brief account of Mr. Ioas’s life is provided at LeroyC. Ioas (1896-1965). A transcript of this talk is also available at: In the Days of the Guardian

January 10, 2017

37th Association for Baha’i Studies, 2013: The Ocean of Revelation – Dynamic Source of All Learning – by Hooper Dunbar, former member of the Universal House of Justice

Mr. Dunbar pays a tribute to the passing of a former member of the Universal House of Justice, Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam, and refers to some explanations that the beloved Guardian has given to the Baha’is of the East concerning the welcoming that such distinguished believers receive as they enter the next world. He explores our interactions with the Ocean of Baha’u’llah’s Writings, and ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s explanations concerning the attributes of the learned in this Cause. Quoting some passages from the Writings concerning Baha’u’llah’s presence being also compared to the Ocean, Mr. Dunbar explores the various dimensions associated with the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, their recording by His secretaries, and the circumstances pertaining to them. He also explains how studying the life of Baha’u’llah, as a Person, is an aspect of our interaction with this Ocean that has been brought to humanity.

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

January 3, 2017

Historical Consciousness and the Divine Plan - by Douglas Martin, 2010, former member of the Universal House of Justice

This series of talks — originally presented by Mr. Douglas Martin in Canada, the United States, and a number of nations in Europe, Asia and Latin America — has been redeveloped to facilitate both individual exploration and group study. Drawing on his skills as a speaker and storyteller, and his training as a historian, Mr. Martin takes us on a journey that begins with the implications of humanity's failure to grasp the evolutionary nature of religion. In this context, he discusses the Tablets of the Divine Plan and our capacity to respond to its requirements, now embodied in the several Plans that have been called forth by the Universal House of Justice.