The Three Guardians

Shoghi Effendi:

Shoghi Effendi was appointed by Abdul-Baha in His Will and Testament to be the First of a line of "Guardians of the Faith". He was to be the authorized interpreter of the Word of God, and the Center of the Faith, to which all Baha'is should turn and not divide. Shoghi Effendi set up the apparatus for the Administrative Order of the Faith and by a series of world teaching plans developed the faith throughout the planet. Shoghi Effendi passed away in London in 1957.

The Great Delusion, the Spiritual Beginnings of the Great Calamity, and the Tablet of the Holy Mariner:

Hands of the Cause of God:

In 1957 all but one of the Hands of the Cause of God (people appointed to teach the Cause) felt that they had authority to impose their interpretation of the Will and Testament upon the Baha'i World. And so the Great Delusion spoke of in the New Testament came about. that God would give them in the last days over to a great delusion which would fool even the elect if that were possible.

Baha'u'llah spoke of it in the Tablet of the Holy Mariner, as that of the inhabitants of the Crimson Ark (His followers) standing still and those who would seek a station which was beyond their stations, so that the burning meteor cast them out. In the early editions of Baha'u'llah and the New Era, the year 1957 and later 1963 were mentioned at possible starting points for the Great Calamity that Baha'u'llah foresaw would afflict mankind. Judgment begins first in the House of God is a paraphrase of the Bible. In 1957 Shoghi Effendi passed

away and the Hands in secret conclave declared the Will and Testament of Abdul-Baha, as far as Guardianship was concerned, as a dead letter. And in 1963 a fake Universal House of Justice was elected. The majority of Baha'is chose to follow this error. What greater spiritual calamity can be invisioned than this: that those who Baha'u'llah said in faithfulness to the Covenant could mitigate the calamity coming on the generality of mankind should themselves fail the Covenant and bring upon mankind an unmitigated disaster. In other words, most of the Baha'i world followed the unauthorized interpretation of the Hands of the Cause of God concerning whether Shoghi Effendi could appoint a successor and in what manner the appointment must take. So the Administrative Order was brought to a halt, and a new organization developed outside of the Covenant of Baha'u'llah and the Will and Testament. The Faith had become divided into those who followed the new Unauthorized Faith and those that adhered to the Covenant. The Hands ruled this unauthorized division of the Faith from 1957 - 1963 when their plans to foster a Universal House of Justice against the provision of the Will and Testament was fulfilled. In the meantime, again against the clear instruction of Shoghi Effendi the usurped the power he had reserved exclusively for himself and began casting out all those Baha'is who would remain loyal to the Covenant of Baha'u'llah and redefined and interpreted without authorization who was and how to handle those who broke the Covenant.

Universal House of Justice (Sans Guardian):

In 1963 the Unauthorized representatives of an major violation of the Covenant met and elected a Universal House of Justice formed not in accordance with the specific instructions of Baha'u'llah, Abdul-Baha, and Shoghi Effendi, but according the a model of their own design. They then declared it infallible, and it proceeded to govern that off shoot of the Baha'i Faith. In the Writings the Guardians are to be the Head of the Universal House of Justice, they declared no Guardians were possible. It was to be 8 men with the Guardian as the 9th. The Hands made it 9 men with no Guardian. It was not to interpreted the Writings only legislate on that not in the Writings. It proceeded to interpret the Writings and change the ordiances including the payment of the Right of God

(CHANGING A PROVISION OF THE MOST HOLY BOOK ITSELF), the Guardian was to insist on a reconsideration of anything he felt was against the Writings, indicating that they could make mistakes, but would with the Guardian be protected from so doing. Now no one can call them on their mistakes. The Guardian was to remove any member whom he considered to be injurious to the Faith in their character and actions. Now they decide whom they will keep on or off their institution.

This pseudo-Universal House of Justice has led the heterodox Baha'is since 1963.

A REMNANT REMAINS FAITHFUL

Hand of the Cause of God Mason Remey: With the passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957, one Hand of the Cause of God Mason Remey, for 3 years attempted to talk the other Hands out of heir plan to instituted a Guardianless Faith. Finally, in 1960 he was forced to announce to

the apostate Baha'i World that Shoghi Effendi had in his own life time appointed Mason Remey as Guardian of the Faith. Mason was appointed when he was very old, and if Shoghi Effendi had no in a kind manner vieled the appointment for a time, the Baha'i World would have known in advance that Shoghi Effendi was about to die. The effects of that on the Faith would have been more horrendous than what followed. In the only Proclamation Shoghi Effendi ever issued he appointed Mason Remy to be President of the Bahai International Council. This would not have meant much in itself, had not Shoghi Effendi in the same Proclamation announced that this Council was the embryonic form of the Universal House of Justice, and that Mason Remey was its President and head. Shoghi Effendi never convened the council in his lifetime. The reason is that even in an embryonic form, the Head of the House of Justice is the Guardian. Mason served as the second Guardian of the Baha'i Faith to those who adhered to the Covenant and did not fall for the great delusion of the Hands of the Cause of God. For this, these loyal followers were excommunicated and shunned by the schismatic branch of the Faith. Mason served until his faculties began to wain, and it was clear to his appointee to the Guardianship that the time had come as prophesised by Mason.

Joel Bray Marangella:

Mason Remey as Second Guardian appointed in his own life time Joel Bray Marangella to be Third Guardian of the Faith. He was given an envelope on the outside of which he was told by the Guardian Mason Remey, that he would know when to open it. After some passing of time when it became clear that the Guardian of the Faith Mason Remey's health was deteriorating, and that mentally he was becoming infeebled from the awful rejection of the main body of Baha'is.

Joel fulfilling the prophecy of Mason Remey knew it was time to open the envelope. When he did, he discovered that Mason Remy had appointed him as Third Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, and had told him to announce the same to the Bahai World. Like his predecessors to the Guardianship Joel did not at first openly declare it, but tried to preserve the unity of the already fractured faith. Finally, when the time ordained by God had been fulfilled, he did so announce, and took the reigns of Guardianship. The former Guardian Mason Remey was by then in retirement, and his adopted son would not permit close communication. Joel has led the Orthodox Baha'i Faith since.

The Future:

No one knows as yet if or whom Joel has appointed to be the next Guardian, only that there will be one. While the Baha'is in rejection to the Covenant and rebellion against the Guardianship at this time are a larger organization, the Orthodox have the satisfaction of knowing that Baha'u'llah's guidance is with his Covenanted people, and that no matter how dim things may look now or in the future, God will make events transpire which ultimately will be to the victory of the Covenant, and the original World Order of Baha'u'llah preserved by the Guardianship of the Orthodox Baha'i Faith.