Messages to America Selected Letters and Cablegrams Addressed to the Bahá'í's of North America 1932–1946

"Messages to America" by Effendi Shoghi is a collection of selected letters and cablegrams directed to the Bahá'ís of North America, written during the mid-20th century. The text serves as a guiding document for the Bahá'í community, emphasizing their roles in promoting the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, strengthening unity among believers, and engaging in the urgent mission of expansion and service to humanity. The book reflects upon the spiritual evolution and responsibilities of the Bahá'í faith during a transformative period in its history. At the start of the work, the author conveys a sense of urgency and importance regarding the tasks assigned to the American Bahá'í community, who are described as torchbearers of a new world civilization. Shoghi Effendi emphasizes the need for loyalty, dedication, and proactive efforts in teaching and consolidating the faith, with specific references to the realities of a turbulent world. He underscores the significance of each believer's contribution toward achieving collective goals and reminds the community of their divine mandate, which includes focusing their energies on teaching, unity, and the completion of their sacred institutions. This opening sets a tone of heartfelt exhortation and inspiration, inviting readers to understand and embrace their spiritual heritage while actively working towards the mission of the faith. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Shoghí Effendi (; Persian: شوقی افندی; 1 March 1897 – 4 November 1957) was an Ottoman-born Iranian religious figure and the Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1921 to 1957. As the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, he was responsible for creating a series of teaching plans that oversaw the expansion of the Baháʼí Faith to a number of new countries, and also translated many of the written works of crucial Baháʼí leaders. Upon his death in 1957, the Hands of the Cause, which included his Canadian wife Rúhíyyih Khánum, took on the role of overseeing the transfer of the religion's supreme legal authority to the Universal House of Justice, which has held elections every five years since 1963.