1. ACROSS

O SON OF DUST! Verily I say unto thee:  Of all men the most negligent is he that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himself over his brother.  Say, O brethren!  Let _ _ _ _ _, not words, be your adorning.

(Baha'u'llah:  Persian Hidden Words, Page: 5)

1. DOWN

O MY SON! The company of the ungodly increaseth sorrow, whilst fellowship with the righteous cleanseth the rust from off the heart.  He that seeketh to commune with God, let him betake himself to the companionship of His loved ones; and he that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ to hearken unto the word of God, let him give ear to the words of His chosen ones.

(Baha'u'llah:  Persian Hidden Words, Page: 56)

2. DOWN

Beautify your tongues, O people, with truthfulness, and adorn your _ _ _ _ _ with the ornament of honesty. 

5. ACROSS

 O Thou Whose face is the object of the adoration of all that yearn after Thee, Whose presence is the hope of such as are wholly _ _ _ _ _ _ _to Thy will, Whose nearness is the desire of all that have drawn nigh unto Thy court, Whose countenance is the companion of those who have recognized Thy truth, Whose name is the mover of the souls that long to behold Thy face, Whose voice is the true life of Thy lovers, the words of Whose mouth are as the waters of life unto all who are in heaven and on earth! 

(Baha'u'llah:  Prayers and Meditations, Page: 13)

4. DOWN

...How to attain spirituality is indeed a question to which every young man and woman must sooner or later try to find a satisfactory answer.  It is precisely because no such satisfactory answer has been given or found, that the modern youth finds itself bewildered, and is being consequently carried away by the materialistic forces that are so powerfully undermining the foundations of man's moral and spiritual life...  It is this condition, so _ _ _ _ _  morbid, into which society has fallen, that religion seeks to improve and transform. 

(Multiple Authors:  Lights of Guidance, Page: 544)

5. DOWN

Say:  True liberty consisteth in man's submission unto My commandments, little as ye know it.  Were men to observe that which We have sent down unto them from the Heaven of Revelation, they would, of a certainty, attain unto perfect liberty.  Happy is the man that hath apprehended the Purpose of God in whatever He hath revealed from the Heaven of His Will that pervadeth all created things.  Say:  The liberty that profiteth you is to be found nowhere except in complete servitude unto God, the Eternal Truth.  Whoso hath tasted of its sweetness will refuse to _ _ _ _ _ _ it for all the dominion of earth and heaven. 

(Baha'u'llah:  The Kitab-i-Aqdas, Pages: 63-64)

3. DOWN

_ _ _ _ _  ye the path of justice and equity in all things.

(Baha'u'llah:  The Kitab-i-Aqdas, Page: 40)

3. ACROSS

The Sun of Reality _ _ _ _ _  from the horizon of the Kingdom with the greatest power and heat. 

(`Abdu'l-Baha:  Some Answered Questions, Page: 75)

4. ACROSS

_ _ _ _ _ is needed, if we are to seek Him; ardor is needed, if we are to drink of the honey of reunion with Him; and if we taste of this cup, we shall cast away the world.

(Baha'u'llah:  Seven Valleys and Four Valleys, Page: 7)

6. ACROSS

O CHILDREN OF ADAM! _ _ _ _ words and pure and goodly deeds ascend unto the heaven of celestial glory.  Strive that your deeds may be cleansed from the dust of self and hypocrisy and find favor at the court of glory; for ere long the assayers of mankind shall, in the holy presence of the Adored One, accept naught but absolute virtue and deeds of stainless purity.  This is the day-star of wisdom and of divine mystery that hath shone above the horizon of the divine will.  Blessed are they that turn thereunto.

          (Baha'u'llah:  Persian Hidden Words, Page: 69)

Blessed is the Spot Activity-print all and cut out

Blessed is the…

Lay the sets of words on a table to begin and end the prayer.  Hide pictures of SPOT, HOUSE, PLACE, etc. (below) all over the room for kids to find.  Ask for three groups: singers (mostly adults), movers and shakers, and hunters and gatherers (mostly kids on this one) and singers sing fast version of Blessed is the Spot while shakers shake rhythm instruments and hunters and gathers look for the pics.  Singers do not stop singing a fast version of Blessed is the Spot until all pics are placed. This activity is very fun and interactive and often the children all want to be hunters and gatherers so adults can sing the prayer.  They also want to do it again and again.  Instructions say that if the order is wrong all may move pictures around to fix the order.  When all agree, the activity is done, and you end the song.  By this time, everyone has memorized the prayer!

You need seven people and a narrator.  You can either light live candles, or draw candles on 8.5x11 sheets of paper and paste the quote on the back.  The narrator starts, then each reader either lights a candle and then reads his part, or walks up to make a line of seven candles in pictures in front of the meeting, and reads his part.  Then the narrator sums it up.  Simple, but very lovely and effective!

Narrator:  “...the unity of all mankind can in this day be achieved. Verily this is none other but one of the wonders of this wondrous age, this glorious century. Of this past ages have been deprived, for this century -- the century of light -- hath been endowed with unique and unprecedented glory, power and illumination. Hence the miraculous unfolding of a fresh marvel every day. Eventually it will be seen how bright its candles will burn in the assemblage of man.

Behold how its light is now dawning upon the world's darkened horizon.” 

The first candle is unity in the political realm, the early glimmerings of which can now be discerned. 

The second candle is unity of thought in world undertakings, the consummation of which will erelong be witnessed. 

The third candle is unity in freedom which will surely come to pass. 

The fourth candle is unity in religion which is the corner-stone of the foundation itself, and which, by the power of God, will be revealed in all its splendour. 

The fifth candle is the unity of nations -- a unity which in this century will be securely established, causing all the peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one common fatherland. 

The sixth candle is unity of races, making of all that dwell on earth peoples and kindreds of one race. 

The seventh candle is unity of language, i.e.(that is), the choice of a universal tongue in which all peoples will be instructed and converse. 

Narrator:  “Each and every one of these will inevitably come to pass, inasmuch as the power of the Kingdom of God will aid and assist in their realization.”   

-Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 31

Children’s Class Exercise on Courtesy

Opening Quotes to study and share

“Courtesy is the prince of virtues.” -Baha’u’llah

“Courtesy is, in truth, a raiment which fitteth all men, whether young or old.”  -Baha’u’llah

“Beware lest ye contend with anyone...”   -Baha’u’llah

“Beware! Beware! Lest ye offend any heart!  

Beware! Beware! Lest ye hurt any soul!  

Beware! Beware! Lest ye deal unkindly toward any person!   

Beware! Beware! Lest ye be the cause of hopelessness to any creature.”  -Abdu’l-Baha

“And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet with a fairer than it, or return it; surely God keeps a watchful count over everything.        

-Muhammad

Listen to the following stories and pick the action that shows you understand the virtue of courtesy: (discuss)

1. You go grocery shopping with mom and buy 5 bags of groceries, 2-24 packs of pop and 2 gallons of milk.  When you arrive at home you

   1. run into the house because you are about to miss your favorite cartoon show.

   2. help your mom carry in the groceries.

2. You are camping in a public campground with lots of people sleeping, or roasting marshmallows, or reading by a lantern, or generally enjoying the great out doors.  You miss civilization and would rather listen to music. You

   1. put a CD into your boom box and crank it up to full volume so everyone will enjoy your favorite music.

   2. turn on your I pod and listen quietly to nature and your favorite music in the background.

   3. join in the fun and roast marshmallows with the others you are camping with.

3. You are at the movies and your mom forgot to get you some popcorn and pop, but   she did pay an admission fee to get you into a movie.  You decide to

   1. watch and enjoy the movie without popcorn and be happy to be at a movie.  

   2. whine loudly and repeatedly until you make sure she gets up and buys you your popcorn.  After all, she did forget and who cares if it costs $6.50 for popcorn.  You want some!

4. You go to a Baha’i Holy day and as you enter, a lot of adults keep saying “Hi” to you.  You are shy so you

   1. Say “hi” back, even though it is hard because you are shy, but you are happy they are friendly toward you.

   2. Look down at your feet as if you didn’t hear them and pretend you are admiring your new shoes.

Play Song:  Say Hi (Red Grammer)

5. You get to go to the mall with your dad to check out holiday festivities and get a pretzel and hot chocolate.  It is cold outside and you are shivering.  A man in a wheelchair is getting to the door at almost the same time as you.  You

   1. hurry to the door and run through it fast so you beat him to the door.

   2. hurry to the door so you can hold it for him to help him through.

6. You are at school and someone who is sort of a mean kid says nasty things to you and then all the kids with him laugh at you.  You

   1. look him straight in the eye and say something twice as nasty back.  After all you can be mean with the best of them and you want to show him you are as bad as him.

   2. ignore them and pray that God will show them how to be courteous.

   3. ignore them and tell your mom and dad what happened when you get home.

   4. Rush off crying because he hurt your feelings. 

Group of youth outside a world exhibit in the year 2030.  Sign behind them reads, HALL OF MARTYRS.

Youth #1:  Wasn’t that a great Exhibit?!

Youth #2:  I was so moved!

Youth #3:  How do they make them look so real?

Youth #4:  I don’t know… it was like seeing them alive, face to face.

Youth #1:  My favorite was Mulla Husayn, who was the first to believe in the Bab.  He dedicated his whole life to the Bab and finally gave his life at the battle of Fort Tabarsi.  He was a great warrior!  I love the part where one of the killers of the beloved of God, took refuge behind a small tree.  He held his musket in front of his body to shield himself as Mulla Husayn recognized him as the killer of his friend.  With a single sweep of his sword, Mulla Husayn cut through the trunk of the tree, through the musket, and cut the body of his enemy in two!

Youth #5: Yeah, that was great, but my favorite was Quddus, the last of the Eighteen Letters of the Living; the last one to find the Bab all on his own.  He could tell the Bab was the Promised One by the way He walked! And He fought beside Mulla Husayn at Tabarsi and also died there.

Youth #3: Can you imagine what great warriors they had to be to stand up to the12,000 troops the Shah sent to battle their three hundred and thirteen and they fought them off for moths!

Youth #6:  Yeah! And they were practically kids – all in their twenties except for Badi – who was only like… seventeen when he walked to see Baha’u’llah in Akká.  Baha’u’llah chose him to sacrifice his life.  It was an honor to give your life, and Badi was thrilled to be the one chosen to take the Tablet Baha’u’llah wrote to the Shah of Iran.

Youth #2:  He knew he would die but was willing, even happy, to give his life for his Faith.

Youth #6:  He was instantly beheaded on the palace steps after he gave the Tablet to the Shah!  He said, “The blood of those martyrs who gave their lives in the early days watered the tree of the Cause of God that has just been planted.”

Youth #4:  That was unbelievably moving … but who touched my heart the most was Mona, who died later in the 1980’s in Iran during the revolution.  She was so beautiful and was only seventeen, the youngest of the ten women martyrs of Tehran.  She was asked to recant her Faith during her trial or face execution.  She answered without a moment’s hesitation, “I kiss the order of execution.”  And she was hung last because she was the youngest and was given many opportunities to recant her Faith and live.  She watched all nine women go before her and she still bravely faced the hangman.

Youth #6:  I wonder if I could have done that?

(Pause and silence as they all contemplate…)

Play song:  Would you give your Life to Baha'u'llah 

KEY TREASURE HUNT AND ACTIVITY

Print 14 of the clip art keys below-2 sets of 7, preferably 2 colors for easy identification of the group.  On one side, paste treasure hunt instructions 1-7 (only the number 7 on the 7th key). On the other side paste the Selections from the Writings, matching 1-7.  Keys must be numbered 1-7 in two sets for two treasure hunt groups. After the keys are found, the missing Words must be discovered in the selections from the Writings, and they are plugged into the puzzle by number to find the hidden phrase.

First read the following Selection to the whole group:

The heart is like a box, and language is the key. Only by using the key can we open the box and observe the gems it contains. Therefore, the question of an auxiliary international tongue has the utmost importance. Through this means international education and training become possible; the evidence and history of the past can be acquired. The spread of the known facts of the human world depends upon language. The explanation of divine teachings can only be through this medium. As long as diversity of tongues and lack of comprehension of other languages continue, these glorious aims cannot be realized. Therefore, the very first service to the world of man is to establish this auxiliary international means of communication. It will become the cause of the tranquillity of the human commonwealth. Through it sciences and arts will be spread among the nations, and it will prove to be the means of the progress and development of all races.

-Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace 

The number one keys are put in a box.  The box is opened and one key each is given to each group of treasure hunters.  Now they are on their own.  They must figure the clues and find their total of 7 keys.  If the children are too small to read an adult can help them think about the clue, but must not give the answer.  After they find their keys, they turn them over to find the missing Word.  All can now help and it becomes interactive in 2 groups of kids and adults.  When a word is found, it is written in the proper box (see below for puzzle to be filled out) according to the number of the key.  

At the end, they should both have the sentence:

The Word is the Master Key for the whole world.

Print these instructions, cut and paste on numbered keys:

1. For your next key..... Go to a place cold and clean, 

Where inside you’ll find meats very lean

    Climb to the top and you will find

    A key that will really blow your mind!

1.  For your next key..... Think, where does the head of household sleep?

There you’ll find your key to keep!

2.  For your next key..... Flickering flames are safe inside

But here you’ll find your key will hide!

2.  For your next key..... Friends when they come to your home to visit

Here their coats will they deposit!

3.  For your next key..... When hot food you want fast

Pop inside here and warm with a blast!

3.  For your next key..... When in the mood for a delicious cake

Go to where this treat you’ll bake!

4.  For your next key..... Where in the house can you surf?

No water here upon this turf!

4.  For your next key..... When family and friends break bread together

This piece of furniture around they gather!

5.  For your next key..... Music is the food for the soul

To find your next key, make music your goal!

5.  For your next key..... There is a vessel, when you want a drink, 

That holds the liquid, then goes in the sink!

6.  For your next key..... When you want to display precious things

Protect them so they’ll be free from dings!

6.  For your next key..... If you are a guest and want to be clean, 

Make sure you pull the curtain or you’ll be seen!

7.  (Has no directions to find the next key as it is the last, but there is a selection from the Writings on the 7th key with a missing word.

_____________________________________cut here________________________________________________

Fill in the blanks below according to key number to get the finished Hidden Treasure:

______     ______    ______    ______    ______    ______   ______   ______    ______

    1             3            7            1            2            4            6           1             5

_____________________________________cut here________________________________________________

Fill in the blanks below according to key number to get the finished Hidden Treasure:

______    ______    ______    ______    ______    ______    ______   ______    ______

    1             3            7            1            2            4            6           1             5

_____________________________________cut here________________________________________________

Print selections and cut and paste on back of keys with matching numbers:

1.  HE IS ____ GLORY OF GLORIES 

     This is that which hath descended from ___ realm of glory, uttered by ___ tongue of power and might, and revealed unto ___ Prophets of old.  We have taken ___ inner essence thereof and clothed it in ___ garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto ___ righteous, that they may stand faithful unto ___ Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in ___ realm of spirit obtain ___ gem of Divine virtue. 

(Baha'u'llah:  Arabic Hidden Words, Page: 1)

1.  HE IS ____ GLORY OF GLORIES 

     This is that which hath descended from ___ realm of glory, uttered by ___ tongue of power and might, and revealed unto ___ Prophets of old.  We have taken ___ inner essence thereof and clothed it in ___ garment of brevity, as a token of grace unto ___ righteous, that they may stand faithful unto ___ Covenant of God, may fulfill in their lives His trust, and in ___ realm of spirit obtain ___ gem of Divine virtue. 

(Baha'u'llah:  Arabic Hidden Words, Page: 1)

2. Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope! Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of Thy glory reveal unto me Thy path, O Thou the Goal of my desire!  Through the power of Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy holiness, O Source of my being, and by the breezes of Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my God!  Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my _________, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden!

(Baha'u'llah:  Prayers and Meditations, Page: 248)

2. Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope! Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of Thy glory reveal unto me Thy path, O Thou the Goal of my desire!  Through the power of Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy holiness, O Source of my being, and by the breezes of Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my God!  Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my _________, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden!

(Baha'u'llah:  Prayers and Meditations, Page: 248)

3.  By Thy Glory!  O Beloved of all hearts, Thou that alone canst still the pangs of yearning for Thee!  Though all the dwellers of heaven and earth unite to glorify the least of Thy signs, wherein and whereby Thou hast revealed Thyself, yet would they fail, how much more to praise Thy holy _______, the creator of all Thy tokens. 

(Baha'u'llah:  Baha'i Prayers (US), Page: 123)

3.  Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious! And then gave utterance to one mystic_______, whispered privily by her honeyed tongue, 

     Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

(Baha'u'llah:  Baha'i Prayers (US), Page: 228)

4.  Say:  This is the Day when every ear must needs be attentive to His voice.  Hearken ye to the Call of this wronged One, and magnify ye the name of the one true God, and adorn yourselves with the ornament of His remembrance, and illumine your hearts with the light of His love.  This is the ______ that unlocketh the hearts of men, the burnish that shall cleanse the souls of all beings.  He that is careless of what hath poured out from the finger of the Will of God liveth in manifest error.  Amity and rectitude of conduct, rather than dissension and mischief, are the marks of true faith. 

(Baha'u'llah:  Gleanings, Page: 205)

4.  Say:  God hath made My hidden love the _____ to the Treasure; would that ye might perceive it!  But for the _____, the Treasure would to all eternity have remained concealed; would that ye might believe it!  Say:  This is the Source of Revelation, the Dawning-place of Splendour, Whose brightness hath illumined the horizons of the world.  Would that ye might understand! This is, verily, that fixed Decree through which every irrevocable decree hath been established. 

(Baha'u'llah:  The Kitab-i-Aqdas, Page: 24)

5.  The Great Being saith:  Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth.  In another passage He hath proclaimed:  It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the________________.  The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.                                                          (2 word phrase)

(Baha'u'llah:  Gleanings, Page: 250)

5.  The Great Being saith:  Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth.  In another passage He hath proclaimed:  It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the________________.  The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.                                                          (2 word phrase)

(Baha'u'llah:  Gleanings, Page: 250)

6.  O SON OF MAN! Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love ____thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty.

(Baha'u'llah:  Arabic Hidden Words, Page: 3)

6.  O SON OF MAN! Be thou content with Me and seek no other helper. ______none but Me can ever suffice thee.

(Baha'u'llah:  Arabic Hidden Words, Page: 17)

 7.  In the Name of God, the Most Ancient, the Most Great. 

     Indeed the hearts of the sincere are consumed in the fire of separation:  Where ____ the gleaming of the light of Thy Countenance, O Beloved of the worlds? 

(Baha'u'llah:  Baha'i Prayers (US), Page: 215)

7.  In the Name of God, the Most Ancient, the Most Great. 

     Indeed the hearts of the sincere are consumed in the fire of separation:  Where ____ the gleaming of the light of Thy Countenance, O Beloved of the worlds? 

(Baha'u'llah:  Baha'i Prayers (US), Page: 215)

Answers:

 The        Word        is         the      Master    Key        for     the    whole world

    1             3            7            1            2            4            6           1             5

Here is a crop we can sow:

Plant three rows of squash:

1.  Squash gossip

2.  Squash criticism

3.  Squash indifference

Plant seven rows of peas:

1. Prayer

2. Promptness

3. Perseverance

4. Politeness

5. Preparedness

6. Purity

7. Patience

Plant seven heads of lettuce:

1. Let us read the Holy Writings

2. Let us have boundless energy for the tasks ahead

3. Let us be obedient to God’s Will for this day

4. Let us be truthful

5. Let us love one another

6. Let us be unselfish and loyal

7. Let us be faithful to duty

And lastly, no garden is complete without turnips:

1. Turn up for Feast

2. Turn up for teaching/service activities

3. Turn up with a smile, even when things are difficult

4. Turn up with determination to do your best in God’s service

No telling what we will reap – perhaps an even more united community with lot of new Baha’is!

Props:

You can print out pictures of squash, peas, lettuce, and turnips and write on each the word from the lesson.  For example, 4 turnips…, Feast written on one, teaching/service activities on two, smile on three, and determination on four.  You can pass these vegetables out and have them place them in rows and read what they are planting for all to see and hear.  This is a great interactive activity.  You can even hide the veggies and kids can hunt for them, then in the end, plant the garden. You can also make up your own variation!  

This play is based on the following Quote from Baha’u’llah:

I am, O my God, but a tiny seed which Thou hast sown in the soil of Thy love, and caused to spring forth by the hand of Thy bounty. This seed craveth, therefore, in its inmost being, for the waters of Thy mercy and the living fountain of Thy grace. Send down upon it, from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness, that which will enable it to flourish beneath Thy shadow and within the borders of Thy court. Thou art He Who watereth the hearts of all that have recognized Thee from Thy plenteous stream and the fountain of Thy living waters.

- Baha’u’llah

Seed: (walks out to center stage) I am, O my God, but a tiny seed which Thou hast sown in the soil of Thy love, and caused to spring forth by the hand of Thy bounty.

Gardener 1: (walks out to center stage beside the seed, watering can in hand and sprinkles the seed as he says his line) This seed craveth, therefore, in its inmost being, for the waters of Thy mercy and the living fountain of Thy grace.

Gardener 2: (walks out to center stage to the other side of the Seed) Send down upon it, from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness, that which will enable it to flourish…

The three kneel down and act like they are digging a hole, putting the seed in the hole, covering it up, watering it.  This is all done behind the Narrator who steps out and says:

Narrator: Once upon a time, there was a tiny seed buried deep in the earth.  The earth was dark and warm, and the seed, buried deep below the surface felt safe and warm and protected.  The seed did not know that above the surface of the earth, brilliant sunshine brightened the day, and moonlight kissed the shadows of the night.  The seed did not know the wonder of rain with lightening and thunder talking to each other in the storms.  If the seed had known these things, it would have tried to reach the surface instead of staying in its shell deep in the earth.

         What the seed did not know was that there was a loving Gardener above the surface of the earth.  He loved the seed very much and wished for it all the happiness it would have in the world above.  So, He called on the sun to send out its special warming rays.  And He asked the rain to quench the thirst of the ground.

         And one day… a miracle occurred!  The seed started to grow and its tiny new shoots broke through its shell and started rising upwards towards the surface. The seed felt very strange indeed, and a little frightened because it knew nothing of the world above. 

         But, to the seed’s wonderment and joy, the first thing it saw was the beautiful, blue sky, and then it peeked at the warm, brilliant sun.  Never in the dark shell surrounded by earth did the seed imagine life could ever be so grand! The light pulled it to the beautiful world above.  How ignorant to have lived in darkness for so long and how foolish to have been afraid! The lovely plant now enjoyed its new life with the kind Gardener who continued to care for, prune, and fertilize the tiny seed until it bore the most delectable of fruits.

Here are the fruits of the Tree of Attributes that grew from that tiny seed:

(The Narrator shows with his arm with a sweeping flourish, as he walks to the side stage, the children coming out one by one, stopping center stage, reading their fruit, then walking to stand beside the Narrator in a long line.  If the children are too young, they can just say their attribute.)

I AM JUSTICE: O SON OF SPIRIT! THE BEST BELOVED OF ALL THINGS IN MY SIGHT IS JUSTICE

I AM KINDNESS: O SON OF SPIRIT! MY FIRST COUNCIL IS THIS: POSSESS A PURE, KINDLY AND RADIANT HEART…

I AM TRUTHFULNESS: HAPPY THE MAN THAT HATH CLUNG UNTO THE TRUTH…

I AM WORK: WE HAVE ENJOINED UPON ALL TO BECOME ENGAGED IN SOME TRADE OR PROFESSION, AND HAVE ACCOUNTED SUCH OCCUPATION TO BE AN ACT OF WORSHIP

I AM TRUSTWORTHINESS: THE MOST PRECIOUS OF ALL THINGS IN THE ESTIMATION OF HIM WHI IS THE SOVEREIGN TRUTH IS TRUSTWORTHINESS.

I AM FIDELITY: ADORN YOUR HEADS WITH THE GARLANDS OF TRUSTWORTHINESS AND FIDELITY

I AM KNOWLEDGE:  IT IS NOT DESIRABLE THAT A MAN BE LEFT WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OR SKILLS, FOR HE IS THEN BUT A BARREN TREE

I AM LOVE: O SON OF BEING! LOVE ME THAT I MAY LOVE THEE.  IF THOU LOVEST ME NOT, MY LOVE CAN IN NO WISE REACH THEE.  KNOW THIS O SERVANT!

I AM THANKFULNESS: BE GENEROUS IN PROSPERITY AND THANKFUL IN ADVERSITY.

I AM CHARITY: WORSHIP YE GOD, JOIN WITH HIM NO PEER OR LIKENESS; AND SHOW FORTH KINDLINESS AND CHARITY TOWARDS YOUR PARENTS.

I AM CHARITY: CHARITY IS PLEASING AND PRAISEWORTHY IN THE SIGHT OF GOD AND IS REGARDED AS A PRINCE AMONG GOODLY DEEDS.

I AM FAITHFULNESS: THEY THAT ARE INDUED WITH SINCERITY AND FAITHFULNESS SHOULD ASSOCIATE WITH ALL THE KINDREDS OF THE EARTH WITH JOY AND RADIANCE, INASMUCH AS CONSORTING WITH PEOPLE HATH PROMOTED AND WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE UNITY AND CONCORD.

I AM PATIENCE: THE SIGN OF LOVE IS FORTITUDE UNDER MY DECREE AND PATIENCE UNDER MY TRIALS.

I AM MERCY: THE TRUE LOVER YEARNETH FOR TRIBULATION EVEN AS DOTH THE REBEL FOR FORGIVENESS AND THE SINFUL FOR MERCY.

I AM TOLERANCE: THIS WRONGED ONE EXHORTETH THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD TO OBSERVE TOLERANCE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH ARE TWO LIGHTS AMIDST THE DARKNESS OF THE WORLD.

I AM CLEANLINESS: BE YE THE VERY ESSENCE OF CLEANLINESS AMONGST MANKIND.

I AM MODERATION: IN ALL MATTERS MODERATION IS DESIRABLE.

I AM HUMILITY:  HUMILITY EXALTETH MAN TO THE HEAVEN OF GLORY AND POWER, WHILST PRIDE ABASETH HIM TO THE DEPTHS OF WRETCHEDNESS AND DEGRADATION.

I AM GENEROSITY: BE YE THE TRUSTEES OF GOD AMONGST HIS CREATURES, AND THE EMBLEMS OF HIS GENEROSITY AMIDST HIS PEOPLE.

I AM PEACE: THE WELL-BEING OF MANKIND, ITS PEACE AND SECURITY, ARE UNATTAINABLE UNLESS AND UNTIL, ITS UNITY IS FIRMLY ESTABLISHED.

I AM HONESTY:  BEAUTIFY YOUR TONGUES, O PEOPLE, WITH TRUTHFULNESS AND ADORN YOUR SOULS WITH THE ORNAMENT OF HONESTY.

I AM HONESTY: HONESTY, VIRTUE, WISDOM AND A SAINTLY CHARACTER REDOUND TO THE EXALTATION OF MAN.

I AM DETACHMENT:  O GOD MY GOD! ADORN THE HEADS OF THY LOVED ONES WITH THE CROWN OF DETACHMENT AND ATTIRE THEIR TEMPLES WITH THE RAIMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

THE SPECIAL STONE

Written by Milena Stekly

Chapter 1 – Mother Earth’s Promise

     We were a very special family of stones, close, happy, and alive as a special part of Mother Earth.  Mother Earth was wonderful and loved all her children, but I always thought she loved me the best.  I was different from my brothers and sisters.  I had smooth straight sides and was always told I had a great destiny.  That means something important was going to happen in my life.

     My childhood was happy and my family spent our days enjoying the warm sunshine and the cool rain.  We listened to the birds sing by day and the crickets sing by night.  We liked feeling the heat of summer and the cold of winter.  We lived out in the country near a Great Lake and I knew my home was the most beautiful place on the earth to live.

     Then one day, our peace was broken.  We heard a thundering noise and felt Mother Earth shake.  Then, giant claws dug into the earth around us.  I first saw my little sister picked up by the jaws and carried away.  We were all so scared, that we cried out to Mother Earth asking what was happening.  But she did not know.  Then several of my brothers were scooped up and carried away.  Next, I was taken, and as I was lifted into the big jaws, I saw Mother Earth was crying because a large, gaping, wound was left upon the land.  I remembered Her promise of my great destiny and wondered.... 

     I was dropped with many other rocks into a great pile along with dirt and ants and many other types of bugs and worms and seeds that were a part of our community.  So many families were separated, and would never be united again. The smell of Mother Earth’s raw wound was sickening and I was very frightened.  I tried to get a glimpse of where my brothers or sisters had gone, but they were nowhere to be found.  Soon some men came and started sorting through the pile I was in.  Some rocks were put into a big truck and hauled away, the dirt was put into another truck, and I was thrown into another pile on the ground.

     Finally, the day drew to a close, the claw quit moving and the countryside became very quiet.  As it got dark, I could hear other rocks and creatures crying.  I also felt like crying because I was alone and scared and I went to sleep thinking of my brothers and sisters, and wondering what my great destiny could possibly be now….

     The next morning, I woke up to a roar. The site was very busy now that the Sun was up.  There were more giants making noise other than the claw and it looked like a giant pile of rocks was going up, but this pile was straight and smooth and very tall.  I watched every day as what was called a “building” went up and every night I thought of Mother Earth and my great destiny that every day looked more and more unlikely.

     Then one day a stranger came to the site.  She was a delicate woman with a lovely face.  She went up to the foreman at the site and told him of this great Temple that was going to be built.  She asked if she could have an inexpensive building stone.  The foreman, who seemed enchanted by this little woman, pointed over to the pile I was in and said, “Sure help your self to any of those; they’re discards and unfit for use.”  I felt so hurt and ashamed.  He called me a “discard” and “unfit for use”!  But, when the delicate woman came over and looked the pile over, I felt a thrill rush through me and heard Mother Earth’s voice saying, “Some day you will have a great destiny, because you are special.”

Chapter 2 – “Nettie”  

     Nettie was a loving, humble woman who was loved by all her friends.  Her real name was Esther Tobin, but all her friends called her “Nettie”.   She was a very poor widow and worked hard as a seamstress to support her two sons.  Sometimes, they would have no food in the house.  Only after working all day and being paid for her sewing, was she able to stop at the market and buy food so she and her sons would have a meal.

     She had not attended school, but could tell about people by the goodness in their hearts.  One day, a kind man named Paul Dealy invited her to a meeting called a “fireside”.  He told her of a great new Messenger Who had been sent by God and said that she could learn more by attending a fireside.  She decided to listen to her heart and went to the fireside.

    There she met a wonderful woman named Corinne True, who was the lady of the house, and Corinne spoke very simply about the coming of a Messenger from God to Persia.  She said, “The Messenger’s name is Baha’u’llah, which means ‘the Glory of God’.  Baha’u’llah suffered greatly to bring peace to all people.  It is time for the whole earth to become united, for all people to be as one family.”  Corinne said, “There is only one God.  And He gave us all the religions to teach us how to live and how to worship Him.  Religion is supposed to be the source of goodness and harmony, but often man forgets what God teaches and religion becomes a source of war and fighting.  Instead of the religions being like chapters in the same book written by One Author, man makes the religions into different and separate books and each says my book is better than your book.  This is how the fighting begins.  Then God sends another Messenger to renew His message of love and peace and unity.   Baha’u’llah is this Messenger for today!”

     After attending many firesides like this in Corinne’s home, Nettie became a Baha’i.  She had so much love in her heart for Baha’u’llah that she wanted to do all she could for His Faith.  She found out that her friend, Corinne, was working hard to raise money to build a great Temple just north of the great city of Chicago.  It was to be the first Temple built in the Western Hemisphere.  Since it was the first, it would also be the greatest for all time.  Many temples would be built in the future, but this would always be the Mother of all other temples.  Also, raising money to build the Temple was very hard because only Baha’is could contribute money.  The Faith was so new in the United States that there were only 1500 Baha’is.  Millions of dollars had to be raised to buy the land and build the Temple.  Of course, money from Baha’is all over the world was sent to help, but most of the money was raised right here in the United States by so few Baha’is!

     Nettie was so poor; she had no money to give.  So she prayed to God, asking that she be given something to offer as a gift.  One day, during her prayers, she heard a voice say, “Find a stone.”  At first, she did not know exactly what that meant. Then one day, she heard a letter read to the American Baha’is.  It was from the Persian Baha’i, Mirza Asadu’llah, who originally had the idea to build the Temple in the West.  He wrote, “Now is the time for expending energy and power in the erection of the edifice, be it a mere stone, laid in the name of the Baha’i Temple.  For the glory and honor of the first stone is equivalent to all the stones and implements which will later be used there.”

     “A mere stone,” she repeated slowly to herself, “laid in the name of the Temple.”  Now she knew what the answer to her prayer meant!  She must find the first stone to be laid in the building of the Temple.  It must be a special stone and it would be her gift to Baha’u’llah and her donation to the Temple!

Chapter 3 – On the Road to Destiny

     After hearing the letter from Mirza Asadu’llah, Nettie visited a site near her home where a big building was going up.  She talked to the foreman about the stone she needed and was able to tell him about the Temple and the Baha’is.  Nettie was so sweet and humble that the foreman seemed enchanted by her.  He told her to pick any rock she wanted from a discard pile he pointed to.  It was here that Nettie first met the special stone and their destinies became one...

     Suddenly, it happened!  The delicate lady looked over the whole pile of rocks and picked me! I was too big for her to move without help, so she went home to get her neighbor.  Together, they wrapped me up carefully in a soft piece of carpet and tied me up tight in a bundle and took me home. The carpet felt so soft and warm; I had never felt anything like it! She placed me in the front hall of her home.  It felt strange, at first, to be inside.  I had always been able to see the Moon in the sky and feel Mother Earth beneath me.  But there I spent two peaceful nights in the warmth of her loving, modest home before starting my great journey.

     Two men arrived early in the morning to help carry me.  I heard them say we had a long way to go and I was a very heavy stone.  We had to go to a place they called Grosse Pointe where the Temple site was located.  They carried me in my carpet bundle until they came to a giant trolley car along a great track.  It was pulled by this large animal I heard them call a horse.  They hoped to get on board and ride part of the way so they wouldn’t have to carry me so far.  The man they called the “conductor” said, “No way are you bringing that rock onto this horsecar!” Nettie talked to the man and insisted he let them bring me on board.  She said, “We’ll just put it on the back platform and no one will even notice the stone is on board!” 

     We traveled quickly on this wonderful horsecar.  I wondered how far this journey was and what destiny would be waiting for me at the journey’s end.  I felt a thrill of anticipation and remembered Mother Earth’s words of my great destiny.  Was I finally on my way? 

     Suddenly we stopped.  I was picked up, still wrapped in my carpet, and we boarded another horsecar.  I knew I was far from home now and wondered if I would ever feel close to Mother Earth again.  After what seemed to be a long time, the car finally came to a stop.  When we got off, I saw the city was gone and all that was left was beautiful open countryside, just like where I had grown up.  And I could feel the breezes blowing off the Great Lake nearby, although I couldn't see it.

     The three friends huffed and puffed to carry me.  I was very heavy and I saw how hard it was for them to carry me.  I tried to be as light as possible to help out.  But it was no use!  I was a very heavy stone, a trait most stones are very proud of.  I wondered how much farther we had to go.  After a while, the three friends looked so tired, they could no longer carry me.  So, they started dragging me on the ground and I was thankful that the soft carpet helped to protect me.

     At this time two other friends joined the group.  I heard Nettie greet them as “Corinne” and “Cecelia”.  “We became worried because we waited so long at the Temple site and you never showed up.  So, we came looking for you,” Corinne said.  This was good news to me because now I knew we were getting close.  Mirza Mazlum said, “I have seen photos of young Baha’i men in Ishqabad where the first Temple of the East was built.  They carried stones from the quarry to the Temple site on their backs! Please, please,” he begged his companions, “place the stone on my back that I might have the honor of carrying it!”   They helped load me upon his back.  He carried me all hunched over from my weight, until we came to an old, abandoned farmhouse.  Here he stopped and was so tired he had to put me down.  

     Then Nettie suggested, “Since it is so late and the journey still too far to complete tonight, let’s leave the stone in this yard overnight.  Tomorrow, we will return to finish the task.”  They all agreed and they left.  Once again, I was alone and scared until I felt Mother Earth beneath me.  Then, I was so happy!  I felt just like I was at home, and I heard her whisper to reassure me,

 “You are on your way to the great destiny I promised you...”  

     I fell asleep and dreamed of a great Temple of lace arching up to the sky above me, and I was nestled inside with Mother Earth underneath me, safe, secure, and happy...

Chapter 4 – Destiny Fulfilled

     Early the next morning, Nettie returned alone.  She was pulling a homemade cart that she rolled right up beside me.  She tried to lift me into the cart all by herself, but I was so heavy that she broke the handle and hurt her wrist!  I felt terrible that Nettie had hurt herself trying to lift me.  She stood for a moment rubbing her hurt wrist when a man, who saw her having trouble, came to help lift me into the cart.  Then he fixed the cart’s handle and we were off again.  But after a short time, she became very tired.  Just then, a young boy came by.  He was carrying what Nettie called newspapers.  “Excuse me, young man,” Nettie asked. “Can you help me pull this cart?  You seem so strong, from carrying all those newspapers.”  He beamed at her compliment and happily replied, “Sure I can!”  He helped her carry me across two lots.  Then... disaster struck.  The cart fell apart and was crushed under my weight.  As I lay there in the broken pieces of the cart, I wondered if I would ever get to the Temple site and fulfill my destiny. 

     Then I heard Nettie say, “We are on the land where the Temple will be built.  It is the far west corner of the lot, but nevertheless, we have made it!  Some others will have to help move the stone to its final place!”  Then she looked up and started chanting some beautiful words. 

“Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised be God!  He is God!  All are His servants and all abide by His bidding!”  

She bowed her head in silence for a little longer and then she turned and left.  I was alone again, but this time, I didn’t mind.  I felt like I had come home! Everything was so beautiful and green.  I could smell the Great Lake and I could feel Mother Earth beneath me.  She greeted me and said, “You are very near your final home, but you must wait a few years until you fulfill your great destiny...”

     The next nine years were happy years.  I got to know other stones in the area and many families of bugs and plants in my new home.  I had a new family and Mother Earth was always with me.  The Baha’is came regularly to visit me.  There were large meetings where many people gathered in a great circle around me.  Beautiful words were chanted like Nettie had chanted the day she left me at my new home.  I learned these words were prayers that praised God.  And I learned that God was the Creator of all, even the Sun, the Moon, and Mother Earth herself!  I loved to hear the prayers and to see all the happy people.  I couldn’t imagine a destiny greater than this!

     Then one day many people arrived, more people than I had ever seen before.  A great tent was erected.  A man, all dressed in white robes with a turban on His head, a gray, flowing beard, eyes that shined with light, and a face that beamed with happiness, arrived.  I knew He was a very special man from His appearance and from the way the people reacted to His arrival.  His name was “’Abdu’l-Baha”.  He had come across the Great Ocean to dedicate the Temple.  A group of men picked me up and carried me over to the tent and placed me on a special spot, where ‘Abdu’l-Baha had directed them to place me.  All the people gathered around to hear the words spoken by this great man.  I, also, listened carefully! 

    ‘Abdu’l-Baha said that I was the cornerstone, or the first stone placed in the building of the Mother Temple of the West!  Once I was placed, ‘Abdu’l-Baha said, “The Temple is already built!” I was so happy in His presence and wished I could be near Him always.  After the talk, there was music and prayers chanted and then a great celebration.  It was one of the happiest, most exciting days of my life!  

     Well, it took years for the Temple to actually be built.  But, placing me as the cornerstone and having a united vision of the Temple completed assured everyone that the Temple would be a reality and not just a dream.  

    Today, I am the happiest of all stones.  All my dreams have come true!  I am sheltered in a Temple of lace arching up to the sky above me and dear Mother Earth is beneath me.  A picture of my beloved ‘Abdu’l-Baha smiles down on me so He is with me always.  Beautiful, soft, carpets surround me.  People from all parts of Mother Earth come to visit and chant beautiful prayers all around me.  Some smile, some cry, but all seem happy!  If you don’t believe me, come and visit me.  I am in the Baha’i Temple in Wilmette, Illinois in the United States of America.  I am right on the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan.  And you can find me down in Foundation Hall.  You can visit the beautiful gardens around the Temple or say prayers in the laced dome upstairs.  But no matter what part of the Temple you visit, you will see people from all over the world, at peace and happy!  Just like me!

Epilogue – The Glory and Honor...

     There were several other stones sent for the purpose of the cornerstone of the Mother Temple of the West.  ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Himself, sent one, made possibly of the same marble that the sarcophagus of the Bab was made.  It was a gift from the Baha’is of Rangoon, Burma.  Other stones were sent by Baha’is from different parts of the world to be used as the cornerstone.  But none had ever reached the Temple grounds.  Only Nettie’s contribution arrived with great sacrifice and difficulty, to be used as the historic marker.  This “special stone” had “the glory and honor of” being “the first stone....”

Historical Facts

1. Leo Leadroot, Nettie Tobin’s brother, was the other man along with Mirza Mazlum, who helped Nettie with the stone on the first day of the journey.

2. Mirza Mazlum was actually an elderly Persian friend who became a Baha’i after witnessing the martyrdom of a number of Baha’i prisoners in Iran.  He carried the stone on his back, alone for a half block.

3. Nettie Tobin was employed by Corinne True as a dressmaker and visited her home once or twice a week. 

4. Corinne True and Cecelia Harrison were the two Baha’is who were waiting at the Temple site for our three friends to arrive with the stone.  When it got late, they became worried and started back to the horsecar station to see if they could find what happened to their friends.  They met the friends tired and worn.  Together, decided to leave the stone overnight in the farmyard.

5. It was on Labor Day 1908 that our friends embarked on their journey to deliver the stone to the Temple site.

6. The first horsecar was boarded at State Street in Chicago.  It took them to the second horsecar they transferred to, which took them to the corner of Central and Ridge Avenues in Evanston, Illinois.  This was probably the closest station to the Temple site at the time.  At this point they were still six blocks from the site and the stone had to be carried the rest of the way by hand.  They were able to go three blocks before the stone got too heavy to carry any farther.  They dragged it a little farther.  Mirza Mazlum carried it on his back for a half block.  Nettie pulled the stone by herself in the cart about a half block.  The newsboy reportedly helped Nettie drag the cart across two lots or about two of the blocks where the stone was left on the far west corner of the Temple site lot.

7. The Baha’is used the stone as a focal point for many gatherings in the months following the stone’s delivery.  “Not everyone, however, was enchanted by the new addition, particularly Thornton Chase.  In a letter dated 2 October 1908 he wrote, “I presume if the members of the H.of S. (House of Spirituality) should each do a similar thing, quite a number of persons would be delighted, taking it as an evidence that the House of Spirituality was really ‘doing something.’”  (source: Bruce Whitmore, The Dawning Place, Baha’i Publishing Trust 1984, page 48.)

8. There was a controversy at the time regarding the Temple site.  Since it was eight miles north of the center of Chicago, many assumed the land would be traded for a lot nearer the city.  But ‘Abdu’l-Baha’, Himself, approved the site and more land was purchased around it so it could be surrounded by gardens and the other social services surrounding a future Mashriqu’l-Adhkar.

9. ‘Abdu’l-Baha was the eldest son of Baha’u’llah, the prophet-founder of the Baha’i Faith.  He was named as successor and Center of the Covenant after the passing of Baha’u’llah.  He visited the United States in 1912 where He was present for the beginning ceremony for the building of the Mother Temple of the West.  He supported Corinne True’s efforts to raise the money needed to build the Temple and supported her choice of site even though many at the time opposed the distant site, favoring a more inner-city site.  Today the city has grown to encompass the Temple and while crime and decay trouble the inner city, Wilmette is a lovely suburb of Chicago, and the Temple sits as a jewel on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Family Discussion Guide

1. Discuss self-esteem with your children.  Ask them if anyone has ever criticized them.  Ask them how they feel when that happens.  How can they believe in their own great destiny?  We are taught that God created us as noble beings.  Only our own thoughts and actions can cause abasement. 

“O Son of Spirit! Noble have I created Thee.  Yet thou hast abased thyself? Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.”

2. Discuss tenacity and courage as virtues.  Discuss Nettie’s determination to complete her difficult task.  Was it more of a sacrifice to give money as a donation or to give the stone?  Discuss all the other rocks that never reached the Temple site. 

3. Discuss how tests such as the horrible separation of “The Special Stone” from his family and the destruction of his home can be a catalyst for changes in life that are destined. Discuss some historical examples that might correlate, like the holocaust of World War II, the abduction of slaves from Africa, or the 20,000 martyrs of the early Baha’is.   The Valley of Knowledge teaches us trust in God.  If we know the outcome in the beginning of the test, we could go through tests and trials with more courage and serenity.  Discuss trusting in God for what He has in store for our lives.

“The Pure Leaf, the illustrious teacher, the sign of detachment, the torch of love and affection, the example of courage and faithfulness, the consolation of the people of Bahá, Martha Root has ascended to the summit of eternal habitation.  The Concourse on High received her with the shouts: “Welcome O Glory of Teachers!  Well done, well done, O Thou who hast sacrificed thine all in thine attraction to the Kingdom of the Lord of manifest signs.  Blessed art thou a thousand fold for this shining, exalted, lofty, inaccessible station!”

Above her grave are Shoghi Effendi’s words: “The grave of Martha Root is the brightest spot in the Pacific Ocean. The Supreme Concourse is suspended above that grave waiting to rush to the assistance of any suppliant.”