The contact with intellectuals is very important, but so far, like the early days of Christianity, in the West, few of them have cared to identify themselves with this young and struggling Faith of ours! Let us hope, however, that the time is approaching when they will. The Guardian has been considerably disturbed by the inharmony that has arisen in Germany. He feels that what the German Bahá’ís need—and must have—more than anything else in the world is a far deeper understanding of the Covenants of both Bahá’u’lláh and the Master. This is the rock foundation without which no sound super-structure can be built. Neither the administration, nor the general teaching work of the Cause in Germany, will progress, or be able to accomplish anything, unless the believers are truly firm, deep, spiritually convinced Bahá’ís. An intellectual grasp of the teachings is purely superficial; with the first real test such believers are shaken from the bough! But once a Bahá’í has the profound conviction of the authority from God, nested in the Prophet, passed on to the Master, and by Him, to the Guardians, and which flows out through the assemblies and creates order based on obedience—once a Bahá’í has this, nothing can shake him. He, therefore, urges you, and the other members of the N.G.R., to devote as much time as you possibly can, to educating the believers in the Covenant. LETTER OF 15 APRIL 1949(33) 15 April 1949 As he has cabled the N.S.A. a few days ago, he feels that the difficulties which have arisen in Germany, and which called forth the letter you rightly felt was likely to cause more harm than good, are mainly due to the fact that the believers need to be deepened in their knowledge and appreciation of the Covenants of both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This is the stronghold of the Faith of every Bahá’í, and that which enables him to withstand every test and the attacks of the enemies outside the Faith, and the far more dangerous, insidious, lukewarm people inside the Faith who have no real attachment to the Covenant, and consequently uphold the intellectual aspect of the teachings while at the same time undermining the spiritual foundation upon which the whole Cause of God rests. He feels you and your dear family should do all you can to teach the believers the Will and Testament to strengthen their understanding of its important provisions; for all the authority of the administrative bodies, as well as of the Guardian himself, is mainly derived from this tremendous document. LETTER OF 27 MAY 1949 27 May 1949