Messages from the Universal House of Justice

“Beginning with the Four Year Plan in 1996, the Universal House of Justice set a new course in the teaching work for individuals, communities, and institutions. “The next four years,” the Supreme Body wrote, “will represent an extraordinary period in the history of our Faith, a turning point of epochal magnitude.” So potent were the implications of that Plan, that its single aim of advancing the process of entry by troops was carried forward into a series of plans, to span twenty-five years until the end the first century of the Formative Age in 2021. This book contains selected messages from the Universal House of Justice and other documents that guided the learning process of the Bahá’í world over the course of a decade, from 1996-2006, resulting in profound changes in consciousness and systematic action. By the end of this period, the House of Justice concluded, “The elements required for a concerted effort to infuse the diverse regions of the world with the spirit of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation have crystallized into a framework for action that now needs only to be exploited.”

The book is divided into three parts. Part I includes forty messages from the Universal House of Justice, from December 26, 1995 to Ridván 2006. Part II involves an exploration of particular themes, such as “Learning in Action,” “Learning to Maintain Focus,” and “Learning to Administer Growth,” that includes copious extracts from messages written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to individuals and National Assemblies. Part III contains a number of supporting documents from this period which were approved by the House of Justice or prepared by the International Teaching Centre, such as “Training Institutes” and “Building Momentum.” This volume serves as a significant resource, tracing the evolution of thought over this important period and outlining the essential concepts that guide current activities for expansion and consolidation in clusters worldwide. Through continued study and reflection on these and other materials, Bahá’ís will gain a clearer vision of the “methodological pattern of functioning” and the culture of learning that has come to characterize the efforts of Bahá’í individuals, institutions, and communities."

This compilation contains the letters of the Universal House of Justice that trace the efforts of the Bahá’í world after the Four Year Plan, through the Twelve Month Plan, and into the Five Year Plan. It also includes an appendix offering the document, “Building Momentum,” prepared by the International Teaching Centre in April 2003 to assess the progress of the Plan’s first two years.

This compilation is divided into four sections. The first section contains the series of messages sent to the Youth Congresses from the Universal House of Justice. The second section contains other critical and supporting messages from the Universal House of Justice which speak to both the needs of the day as well as to the vital role youth are called to play to “move the world.” The third section consists of a small study guide to the congress messages as well as a limited dictionary of some of the words found in the messages. While not intended to be comprehensive, this guide, created by youth, has been found to be very useful in helping the reader to focus on the letters. The last section consists of additional reference materials all of which will lend support to the central theme of this book — the role of youth in championing the cause of justice.