9 Works of Baha’i Writings & Letters Released in 175 BE (2018-2019)

As a new Baha’i year begins, I am profoundly grateful to the Universal House of Justice for releasing a wealth of newly translated and compiled Writings for us to study, as well as writing several letters to the Baha’is of the World, over the last year. Here is a short list of what has been made publicly and freely available to us in English including Tablets, prayers, compilations, and letters:

1. The Call of the Divine Beloved

I think the most befitting place to begin this list is with the Writings of Baha’u’llah. In February, the Baha’i World Centre announced that a new volume of Baha’u’llah’s mystical Writings is now available and can be read online! Titled The Call of the Divine Beloved, the volume features five previously untranslated Writings, including a poem revealed during His time in the Black Pit of Tehran.

You can read The Call of the Divine Beloved here on the Baha’i Reference Library. 

2. 109 New Baha’i Writings of Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l-Baha Now Available Online

This year a new feature on the Baha’i Reference Library was launched that allows passages or Tablets from the Baha’i Writings, which in the course of the work at the Baha’i World Centre are translated and prepared for publication, to be released online when they become available. In launching this new feature, 109 items were made available; these include selections from the works of Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l-Baha translated in English and Persian originals. Among these Writings is a compilation titled Give Me Thy Grace to Serve Thy Loved Ones, which features selection of Writings from Baha’u’llah, Abdu’l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi and was prepared by the International Teaching Centre for the Continental Counsellors and their Auxiliaries in May 2018.

To see all the recently added materials added to the Baha’i Reference Library, visit its “Recent Additions” page. You can read the Baha’i World News Service story about this development here.

3. Compilation on Prayer and Devotional Life

This year also saw the release of a compilation prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, featuring extracts from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, the Bab, and Abdu’l-Baha and the letters of Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice all on the subject of prayer and devotional life.

You can read and download the compilation from the Baha’i Reference Library by clicking here.

4. 2018 Ridvan Message to the Baha’is of the World

Each year during the Festival of Ridvan, the Universal House of Justice addresses a letter to the worldwide Baha’i community, known as the Ridvan message. These letters touch on many subjects, including the growth and vibrancy of the Baha’i community, its efforts to contribute to the life of society, and the progress of specific projects and plans.

The 2018 Ridvan message can be viewed here: 2018 Ridvan Message

We also recorded an audio reading of this message. You can listen to that recording here on Baha’i Blog.

5. Compilation About Baha’i Temples: The Institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar 

In the above mentioned message, the Universal House of Justice referred to a new compilation dedicated to the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar. The Universal House of Justice said:

“… we have every expectation that the recently released statement and compilation about the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar, prepared by our Research Department, will further stimulate the friends’ appreciation of the significance of worship in community life. For in their acts of service, especially in their regular devotional gatherings, Baha’is everywhere are laying the spiritual foundations of future Houses of Worship.”

You can read this compilation here on the Baha’i Reference Library.

6. Letter from the Universal House of Justice for the Dedication of the Norte del Cauca, Colombia Temple

The Universal House of Justice wrote a letter for the momentous occasion of the dedication of the House of Worship in Norte del Cauca, Colombia. The letter powerfully describes what the edifice signifies and what its construction demonstrates in terms of the development of its communities.

You can find this letter on the official website of the Universal House of Justice.

7. Announcement Regarding the Creation of the Baha’i International Development Organization

On the occasion of the Twin Holy Days, the Universal House of Justice joyously announced that the Office of Social and Economic Development at the Baha’i World Centre has blossomed into a new global institution: the Baha’i International Development Organization. This organization will assist development work occurring and emerging around the planet.

You can read this exciting letter in its entirely here.

8. Letter from the Universal House of Justice About Abdu’l-Baha

In the precious hours between the Day of the Covenant and the Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha, the Baha’i world was gifted with a letter from the Universal House of Justice dated 26 November 2018.

This letter can be read in full or downloaded from the Baha’i Reference Library here.

9. Letter from the Universal House of Justice about World Peace

Dated 18 January, 2019, this rich five page document is about world peace. You can also read it online, or download it, here from the Baha’i Reference Library.

We also recorded a reading of this incredible letter. You can find the audio recording here on Baha’i Blog.

That concludes our list of Writings and letters that were released in English from the Baha’i World Centre during 175BE!

Posted by

Sonjel Vreeland

In her innermost heart, Sonjel is a stay-at-home parent and a bookworm with a maxed out library card but professionally she is a museologist with a background in English Literature. She currently lives on Prince Edward Island, an isle in the shape of a smile on the eastern Canadian coast. Sonjel is a writer who loves to listen to jazz when she's driving at night.