Through the means of this historic announcement, the second Guardian, similarly to the first Guardian, publicly announced to the believers the one whom he had chosen as his potential successor to Guardianship (i.e., by naming the President of the Council). But he had gone a step further than Shoghi Effendi to reinforce this appointment and to avoid any future doubt by placing in the hands of his successor-to-be well in advance of this public announcement a document written in his own hand naming him as his successor….This act of appointment goes back to the year 1961, some nineteen months after the Proclamation issued by Mason Remey. In December of that year a letter was received from Mason Remey in whose outer envelope was enclosed a smaller sealed envelope containing the following inscription written by Mason Remey on its face:

"Joel: Please take care of this sealed envelope among your papers in the Bernese Oberland. As I see things now it may have to do with the coming world catastrophe in or after 1963. You will know when to break the seal."

In accordance with the instructions contained thereon, this letter was deposited unopened in a safety deposit box in a bank near Joel B. Marangella’s permanent residence in Switzerland. Its receipt was mentioned to no one.