He who had been instrumental in inaugurating so splendid an
era in the history of the Faith, on whom the Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant
had conferred the titles of “Bahá’s Peter,” of the “Shepherd of God’s Flocks,”
of the “Conqueror of America,” upon whom had been bestowed the unique privilege
of helping ‘Abdu’l-Bahá lay the foundation-stone of the Báb’s Mausoleum on Mt.
Carmel—such a man, blinded by his extraordinary success and aspiring after an
uncontrolled domination over the beliefs and activities of his
fellow-disciples, insolently raised the standard of revolt. Seceding from
‘Abdu’l-Bahá and allying himself with the Arch-Enemy of the Faith of God, this
deluded apostate sought, by perverting the teachings and directing a campaign
of unrelenting vilification against the person of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to undermine
the faith of those believers whom he had during no less than eight years, so
strenuously toiled to convert. (Shoghi Effendi, excerpt from a letter dated
April 21, 1933; ‘The World Order of Baha’u’llah’)
