Talks

Transcripts of many of the talks on this page have been made and can be accessed at (https://bahai.works/Audio).

Hands of the Cause

Rúhíyyih Khánum speaking at the International Bahá’í
Convention 1983, Haifa (.zip file of all 4 segments 11MB):

Bill Sears speaking at the International Bahá’í
Convention 1983, Haifa (.zip file of all 5 segments 18MB):

Rúhíyyih Khánum speaking on Marriage and Family at the
ABS Annual Conference 1982 (Images International RT-73) (1h20)
(.zip file of both segments 36MB):

Rúhíyyih Khánum addressing the First Continental Bahá’í Youth
Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, 25 July 1981 (1h28)

Rúhíyyih Khánum address to the Sixth Annual Conference (1981)
of the Association for Bahá’í Studies (Images International RT-72) (1h07)
(.zip file of both segments 30MB):

Rúhíyyih Khánum with pioneers in Haiti, 15 May 1981,
home of the Currelly’s in Pétionville (3h06)
(.zip file of all segments 83MB) (Informal notes of topics covered):

Rúhíyyih Khánum with pioneers in Haiti, 3 November 1982,
home of the Currelly’s in Pétionville (2h32)
(.zip file of all segments 68MB) (Informal notes of topics covered):

Rúhíyyih Khánum with pioneers in Haiti, 20 November 1982,
Greg Dahl’s home in Pétionville (2h36)
(.zip file of all segments 70MB) (Informal notes of topics covered):

Rúhíyyih Khánum speaking at the Los Angeles Convention Center,
14 December 1980, about recent martyrs in Iran, the unity of religion,
divorce, the power of unity, America, avoiding lecturing others, raising
children as Bahá’ís and the age of 15, her film “The Pilgrimage”, and
happiness, followed by Q&A. (Tape ends abruptly.)(1h29)

John Robarts speaking about the Guardian’s infallibility, Hasan Balyuzi,
and the convocations of the Hands of the Cause after the Guardian’s passing,
Association for Bahá’í Studies Annual Conference 1980 (poor recording, but
precious stories) (Images International RT-53) (0h51)
(.zip file all segments 23MB):

A.Q. Faizi speaking about the education of children, 1974
(from a cassette tape produced by the National Bahá’í Education
Committee of the U.S.) (0h41) (.zip file of all segments 18MB):

Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir speaking about the legacy of the martyrs
(date unknown) (recording from Faizi Rafat) (0h07)

Enoch Olinga speaking in Frogmore, S.C. in 1970 (0h25)

Enoch Olinga Are You Happy? (date and place unknown)
(US Bahá’í Publishing Trust Legacies of Service series 6-31-52,
(P) 1980 NSA of USA) (0h51)

Ugo Giachery speaking at the Scandinavian Summer School in Sweden (1974)
(copy of a tape from Annie Nielsen) (1h57) (.zip file of all segments 52MB):

A. Mühlschlegel, A.Q. Faizi and Enoch Olinga closing the youth conference
in Plön, Germany (August 1972) (includes songs by The New Garden) (0h52)
(.zip file of all segments 45MB):

Bill Sears leading a study class on Living the Life (circa 1971) (0h51)
(.zip file of all segments 23MB):

Bill Sears leading a study class on The Significance and Functions
of the Universal House of Justice (Bahá’í Publishing Trust 6-30-34,
(P) 1972 National Spiritual Assembly of the US) (0h55)

Rúhíyyih Khánum speaking at the National Bahá’í Youth Conference
in Evanston, Illinois, on the Role of Bahá’í Youth in Today’s World,
19 June 1970 (from a cassette tape published by the Bahá’í
Publishing Trust) (1h27) (.zip file of all segments 39MB):

Rúhíyyih Khánum speaking at the National Bahá’í Youth Conference
in Evanston, Illinois, on Pioneering: Challenge to Bahá’í Youth, 20 June 1970
(from a cassette tape published by the Bahá’í Publishing Trust) (1h23)
(.zip file of all segments 44MB):

Rúhíyyih Khánum speaking at the National Bahá’í Youth Conference in
Evanston, Illinois, on Shoghi Effendi: Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith,
21 June 1970 (from a cassette tape published by the Bahá’í Publishing
Trust) (1h15) (.zip file of all segments 34MB):

Rúhíyyih Khánum speaking at the opening of the Bahá’í World Congress
in London, 1963 (from reel-to-reel tapes of the Congress) (0h29)
(.zip file of all segments 13MB):

Ṭaráẓu’lláh Samandarí speaking of his experiences with Bahá’u’lláh,
on the opening day of the Bahá’í World Congress in London, 1963,
Marzieh Gail translating (from reel-to-reel tapes of the Congress) (1h05)
(.zip file of all segments 29MB):

Hasan Balyuzi speaking at the Bahá’í World Congress in London, 1963
(from reel-to-reel tapes of the Congress) (0h22)
(.zip file of all segments 10MB):

Enoch Olinga and other African friends singing Alláh-u-Abhá and two
other songs during the Ninth Day of the Ridván celebration at the
Bahá’í World Congress in London, 1963
(from reel-to-reel tapes of the Congress) (1h05):

Bill Sears speaking at the evening public meeting during the Bahá’í World
Congress in London, 1963 (from reel-to-reel tapes of the Congress) (0h50)
(.zip file of all segments 38MB):

Ugo Giachery speaking at the Bahá’í World Congress in London, 1963
(from reel-to-reel tapes of the Congress) (0h26)
(.zip file of all segments 19MB):

John Robarts speaking at the Bahá’í World Congress in London, 1963
(from reel-to-reel tapes of the Congress) (0h31)
(.zip file of all segments 21MB):

Rúhíyyih Khánum speaking at the closing session of the Bahá’í World
Congress in London, 1963 (from reel-to-reel tapes of the Congress) (2h07)
(.zip file of all segments 97MB):

Abu’l-Qásim Faizi giving the closing talk at the Bahá’í World Congress
in London, 1963 (from reel-to-reel tapes of the Congress) (0h30)
(.zip file of all segments 23MB):

John Robarts speaking about the Long Obligatory Prayer
(unknown date) (0h41) (.zip file of all segments 15MB):

John Robarts regarding his family’s pioneering to Botswana during
the Ten Year Crusade, as well as other teaching stories and the
importance of prayer (unknown date) (0h59)
(.zip file of all segments 40MB):

Leroy Ioas speaking about the Guardian, in Johannesburg, South Africa,
on 31 October 1958 (from a cassette “In the Days of the Guardian”
published by the US Bahá’í Publishing Trust) (0h55)
(.zip file of all segments 24MB, transcription):

Leroy Ioas speaking at a public meeting in San Francisco on 11 April 1964,
apparently at the Hotel Whitcomb (from a reel-to-reel tape
with notes by J. Zamzow) (0h35) (.zip file of all segments 15.5MB):

Leroy Ioas speaking to a gathering of Bahá’ís, about the World Center,
Bahá’u’lláh, and his personal experiences with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and
Shoghi Effendi, San Francisco, 12 April 1964 (from a reel-to-reel tape
with notes by J. Zamzow) (4h13) (.zip file of all segments 112MB):

Leroy Ioas speaking about Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (including his own
experiences with Him), the Ten Year Crusade and the Guardian,
in Riverside, California, apparently in early 1964 (downloaded from
bahaiexplorer.com March 2009)) (2h15) (.zip file of all segments 50MB):

Message to the World Center from Hands of the Cause, Auxiliary Board
Members and US and Canadian National Spiritual Assembly members
in Wilmette, New Year’s Eve 1961-62 (11.28):        

Ugo Giachery giving an emotional tribute to the Guardian at the
Third Intercontinental Conference, Chicago, 4 May 1958 (0h14):        

Horace Holley speaking on Strengthening the Administrative Order
at the U.S. National Bahá’í Convention 1958 (19.12):        

Paul Haney interviewed on radio by William Sears (partial) (1.28):        

Dorothy Baker speaking at the 1953 Intercontinental Conference
in Chicago, about teaching minorities (9.41):

Corinne True talking with Bill Sears and her daughter Counsellor Edna True
about her first visit with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in `Akká in 1907, recorded about 1951
(28.10) (US BPT cassette 831-055) (.zip file of all segments 13MB):

Martha Root speaking in 1932 about her friend, the American wife
of the first Czech president, Charlotte Garrigue Masaryk
(from the Czech radio archives at radio.cz) (3.23):

Members of the Universal House of Justice

Alí Nakhjavání at Green Acre 2012 regarding the destiny of America,
a devotional attitude, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Exemplar, and recollections
of Shoghi Effendi (YouTube) (2h21) (.zip file of all segments 14MB):

Alí Nakhjavání answering questions at the House of Worship
in Wilmette, 2012 (YouTube posted by Ali Nakhjavani – Talks) (0h49)
Zip file of all segments 22MB:
1. Appeals against Assembly decisions; 2. Universal House of Justice;
3. Was the Guardian left-handed?; 4. Ali Nakhjavani’s pilgrimage in 1957;
5. Did the Guardian leave a will?; 6. The role of Africans in the Faith;
7. Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum; 8. Recording of Shoghi Effendi’s voice;
9. Does Bahá’u’lláh remove difficulties?; 10. The power and force of unity;
11. Formal roles in the Faith; 12. The American Bahá’í community’s destiny;
13. Creating unity in the community; 14. The African Assembly and the
Covenant; 15. Study classes or Ruhi courses; 16. Teaching doesn’t require
time

Alí Nakhjavání answering questions at various summer schools
in the U.S. 2012 (YouTube posted by Ali Nakhjavani – Talks)
Zip files of all segments: Tape #1 23MB; Tape #2 44MB; Tapes #3 and 4 63MB

Tape #1 (0h52)
1. A prayerful attitude; 2. Becoming incarnate lights;
3. Developing the virtue of patience; 4. Becoming a true Bahá’í;
5. Service/family life balance; 6. Nearness to God; 7. Teaching while
among Bahá’ís; 8. Why join the Bahá’í Faith?; 9. Know thyself;
10. Saying the Greatest Name each day; 11. Choosing a profession;
12. The photographs of Bahá’u’lláh; 13. Agriculture

Tape #2 (1h37)
1. Conquering yourself; 2. Mercy and justice;
3. The Universal House of Justice; 4. Women on the House of Justice;
5. The International Bahá’í Council; 6. Second volume of the Dawn
Breakers; 7. Shoghi Effendi; 8. Enoch Olinga; 9. Amoz Gibson;
10. Leo Tolstoy and Ali Nakhjavani’s father; 11. Hands of the Cause;
12. Mind vs. brain; 13. Resignation and submission;
14. Teaching and social media; 15. Guidance vs vain imaginings

Tapes #3 amd #4 (1h39)
1. Differences of opportunity and endowments; 2. Teaching by asking
questions; 3. Shoghi Effendi’s style of chanting; 4. The ego;
5. Administration vs. teaching; 6. Africans should speak first; 7. Why are
some chosen and not others?; 8. Auxiliary branches of the House of Justice;
9. Lesser Peace, Great Peace and Most Great Peace; 10. Everything in between
heaven and earth; 11. The major plan of Bahá’u’lláh; 12. Focus during prayer;
13. Can we pray directly to god?; 14. Advice to parents; 15. Detachment;
16. Attaining certitude; 17. The Lesser Peace; 18. Ali Nakhjavani’s father;
19. Creating true unity; 20. Enunciating sacred verses;
21. The power of divine assistance; 22. Triumph will be unexpected;
23. Condition of the world deteriorating; 24. Stations of the Manifestations;
25. Service in the next world; 26. The worlds of God; 27. World War III;
28. Ḥuqúqu’lláh; 29. Suffering of animals; 30. Divine economy;
31. Day not followed by night; 32. Disintegration and integration;
33. Purity of heart and motives; 34. The Báb, The Remembrance of God;
35. The Headship of the Faith

Alí Nakhjavání speaking on Scholarship, the Power of Understanding
and Service at German Bahá’í Studies, Langenhain, Germany,
10 November 2012 (YouTube posted by MeadowLark88) (1h05:)

Alí Nakhjavání answering questions from the youth serving
at the Bahá’í World Center (c. 1983) (1h33) Zip files of all segments 42MB:
0. Introduction; 1. Number of Tablets; 2. Recognition of the Manifestations;
3. Future historians; 4. Interpretations of the Writings; 5. Prophets of God;
6. Shia purest form of Islam?; 7. Prophecies regarding `Akká; 8. Rhythm and
syncopation; 9. Shoghi Effendi as an individual and as Guardian; 10. Finding
common ground when teaching; 11. Infallibility of the House of Justice;
12: Role of kings in future; 13. Remarriage; 14. Progressive application of
Bahá’í laws; 15. Educating your own children; 16. International Bahá’í
Council; 17. Free will and advancing in the next world; 18. Dreams;
19. Covenant breaking; 20. Helping home communities; 21. Service after
leaving the Bahá’í World Center; 22. Role of youth in establishing a new
society; 23. Personal questions about his life and family; 24. Youth service

Alí Nakhjavání answering questions from the youth at the Bahá’í
World Center 7 March 1990 (1:17) Zip files of all segments 35MB:
0. Introduction; 1. Seven stages of Baha’i development; 2. Humility,
self-esteem and self-forgetfulness; 3. Influence of home environment;
4. Maintaining familial bonds; 5. Parental consent for marriage;
6. Shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; 7. Rich and poor Bahá’ís; 8. Subsidiary Two-Year
Plan; 9. Deciding between paths of service; 10. Encouraging others to teach;
11. Gift-giving at Naw-Rúz and Ayyám-i-Há; 12. Marriage conditioned on
virginity; 13. Applicability of Bahá’í laws; 14. World government;
15. Bahá’í scholarship; 16. Alláh-u-Abhá as a greeting; 17. Bahá’í
ringstone; 18. If Bahá’ís are cut off from the World Center

Alí Nakhjavání speaking at the Bahá’í World Center on
Our Prospects & Tasks Beyond the Year 2000
(date unknown, probably late 1990’s) (1h09):

Alí Nakhjavání speaking at the Bahá’í World Center on Service, in the
Spiritual Enrichment Program organized by the International Teaching
Center (date unknown, probably between 1993 and 1998 (1h04):

Alí Nakhjavání speaking at the Bahá’í World Center on World Order
(c. 1990) (1h12):

Peter Khan speaking on Constancy and Change in the Bahá’í Faith
at the U.S. National Bahá’í Convention 2010 (1h13)
(.zip file of all segments 8MB):

Peter Khan speaking on Education, Scholarship, and Global Civilisation
at the Association for Bahá’í Studies conference 2006
(YouTube uploaded by MeadowLark88) (1h06):

Peter Khan speaking on Mental Tests in Wilmette,
23 September 1995 (1h04) (.zip file of all segments 62MB):

Peter Khan speaking on Spiritual Survival in Global Chaos
at the Second Massanetta Springs Bahá’í Conference c. 1981
(Images International RT-6) (0h36):

Farzam Arbab speaking on The Intellectual Life of the Bahá’í Community
at the annual conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies 2016 (1h10)
(from bahaistudies.ca/media/) (.zip file of all segments 28MB):

Paul Lample speaking on the Nine Year Plan in Nashville,
30 April 2022 (1h03) (from YouTube posted by Bahá’í Perspective):

Paul Lample speaking on consultation as the bestower of understanding
and the necessity of intellectual humility, at the annual conference of the
Association for Bahá’í Studies, Toronto, 2014 (0h19)
(from YouTube posted by Bahá’ís of the U.S.):

Paul Lample speaking on Toward a Framework for Action at the annual
conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies, Toronto, 2014 (1h02)
(from the ABS website at
https://www.bahaistudies.ca/watch/toward-a-framework-for-action):

Paul Lample speaking in Foundation Hall of the House of Worship
in Wilmette on 20 May 2016 (1h19)
(from YouTube uploaded by Bahai Scholar):

Paul Lample speaking on Learning and the Evolution of the Bahá’í
Community, at the annual conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies
2008 (0h53) (from bahai-studies.ca) (.zip file of all segments 24MB):
Article (.pdf file) based on the presentation.

Paul Lample speaking to youth in the U.S. in October 2007 (from a CD?)
Day 1: Bahá’í identity (1h02) Day 2: How Bahá’ís have learned by doing
since the time of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (0h54) Day 3: Becoming champions of justice,
applying Bahá’í principles in action for the betterment of society (1h04)

Paul Lample speaking on Becoming Champions of Justice,
in the Serving the Divine Plan series, Haifa, March 2007 (1h04)
(from bahai-library.com) (.zip file of all segments 29MB):

Hooper Dunbar speaking on Recognizing Bahá’u’lláh on the Bi-Centenary
of His Birth at the annual conference of the Association for Bahá’í
Studies 2017 (0h38) (from YouTube posted by Hooper C Dunbar – Talks):

Adib Taherzadeh speaking at the 1999 Irish Bahá’í Summer School
about the development of Bahá’í administration, tests, and George
Townshend (downloaded from bahaiexplorer.com March 2009)) (1h31)
(.zip file of all segments 31MB):

Adib Taherzadeh speaking on The Human Soul in the garden of my
Boyana residence in Sofia, Bulgaria, 3 August 1994, Irina Bourilkova
interpreting (0h57):

Adib Taherzadeh speaking on The Human Soul c. 1986
at a peace conference (downloaded from here) (1h00):

Adib Taherzadeh speaking in both English and Persian on The Power of
Divine Assistance at the Dublin International Bahá’í Conference 1982 (1h14)
(Images International IRL-6):

Firaydoun Javaheri speaking on Opposition and Perseverance in the
Serving the Divine Plan Program in Haifa c. 2006 (Bahai-library.com)(1h15):

Borrah Kavelin speaking on the need for funds for the construction
of the Seat of the House of Justice, New York, 24 June 1979 (0h51):

Amoz Gibson with friends at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Juan Caban,
Amherst, Mass., 6 June 1976 (tape turned after segment 8) (1h27)
(.zip file of all segments 38MB):

Ian Semple speaking at the Bahá’í World Congress in London, 1963
(from reel-to-reel tapes of the Congress) (0h28)
(.zip file of all segments 13MB):

Hooshmand Fathe’azam speaking at the Bahá’í World Congress
in London, 1963 (from reel-to-reel tapes of the Congress) (0h44)
(.zip file of all segments 35MB):

David Hofman interviewed by Greg Dahl on the Bahá’í Hour radio program,
Washington, D.C. area, MC Anita Chapman, 27 January 1996
(from Hillary Chapman) (0h40):

Others

Counsellor Garth Pollack speaking on coherence and community-building
activities at the 2011 Social and Economic Development conference in
Orlando, Florida (1h10):

Counsellor Garth Pollack second talk on coherence and community-building
activities at the 2011 Social and Economic Development conference in
Orlando, Florida (1h07):

Counsellor Don Rogers, member of the International Teaching Center,
speaking briefly on Service while introducing Alí Nakhjavání (see above)
(0h11):

Counsellor Isobel Sabri, member of the International Teaching Center,
speaking at the Bahá’í World Center on Pilgrimage & Pioneering,
1 January 1989, including her recollections of her pilgrimage in 1957 (1h27):

Counsellor Isobel Sabri, member of the International Teaching Center,
speaking at the Bahá’í World Center on Our Responsibility to the Covenant,
31 August 1988 (1h27):

Marion Hofman speaking on The Seven Year Plan
at the Dublin International Bahá’í Conference 1982
(Images International IRL-10) (0h27):

Bahíyyih Nakhjavání speaking on The Life and Service of the Greatest
Holy Leaf at the Montreal International Bahá’í Conference 1982
(Images International MTL-2) (0h27) (.zip file of all 4 segments 21MB):

Kiruz Kazemzadeh speaking on The Significance of History (0h58)
(unlabelled tape, presumably US BPT):

Kiruz Kazemzadeh speaking on the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf (0h31)
(US BPT 20-C-2011):

Hasan Sabri speaking on The Illumined Continent: The Story of
Pioneering in Africa, at the home of Dwight and Carole Allen,
Massachusetts, July 1970 (0h25):

Greg Dahl speaking on Evolving Toward a Bahá’í Economic System
at the ABS Annual Conference 1982 in Ottawa (0h42):

Greg Dahl & Phil Christensen study tape on The Bahá’í Response
to Today’s World, from a reel-to-reel tape circa 1969 (0h29)
(.zip file of all 4 segments 20MB):

Greg Dahl & Phil Christensen study tape on Bahá’í Morality circa 1969
(U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust cassette 20-C-2013) (0h27)
(.zip file of all 3 segments 12MB):

Reinee Pasarow Glimpse of Paradise, about her near-death experiences
(from a VHS video © Global Perspective 1995) (1h21):

Reinee Pasarow speaking about her near-death experiences, May 20, 1989
(from a VHS video made by Bahá’í Faith Education Services (Joseph Galata))
(1h00):

Bonaventure Wafula Such a Love, about early years in Uganda (2001)
(from a VHS video made by the Uganda Bahá’í Institute for Development)
(0h36):

Reminiscences

Reminiscences of Joyce Lyon Dahl (my mother) regarding May Maxwell,
Martha Root, Millie Collins, serving on the National Teaching Committee
with Leroy Ioas, and other subjects, recorded in California in November 1972
(with me asking the questions, and Sheri Dressler also present) (37 mins.)
(.zip file of all segments 17MB)

Curtis Kelsey’s reminiscences of serving ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Haifa and the
early years of the Faith in America, recorded 11 August 1969, probably
at Green Acre (1h03) (.zip file of all segments 28MB):

Curtis Kelsey’s reminiscences of serving ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Guardian
in Haifa (downloaded from bahaiexplorer.com) (1h11)
(.zip file of all segments 30MB):

Reminiscences of Louise Sayward, daughter of Dr. Florian and Mrs. Grace
Krug, regarding ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to New York, the early Bahá’í
community in America, and other subjects, recording made by me in her
apartment in Cambridge, Mass., with Sue Tonkonogy also present,
2 April 1974 (1:58) (.zip file of all segments 114MB):

Meeting the Master, Recollections by early believers, Vol. 1, Dr. Ali-Kuli
Khan, Florence Breed Khan, Marguerite (Daisy) Smythe, Juliet Thompson,
and Edward B. (Saffa) Kinney from records made in New York in 1943,
and Curtis Kelsey recorded in 1964 (from a cassette published by the
U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust) (49.54) (.zip file of all 7 segments 22.5MB):

Emeric Sala about his pilgrimage in 1937-38 and a question the Guardian
asked him on which he reflected for years until finally realizing the answer,
at the Association for Baha’i Studies conference 1984 (Images International
tape AB-174)(0h27). A transcript is available here. His book manuscript
‘Two Worlds’ can be seen here and correspondence about it here.

William Dodge recounting his visit to Akká in 1901 and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s
visit to New York in 1912, reading a prepared text (1959) (0h45)
(from Bahai-library.com). A transcript is available here. His book
“Utterances of Abdul Beha Abas to Two Young Men, American
Pilgrims to Acre” is available here.

Philip Marangella’s reminiscences of his early years as a Bahá’í, recorded
21 December 1972 in Nishinomia, Japan, at the home of the Katirais,
and concluded in Hong Kong, in four 30-minute segments (2h02)
(.zip file of all 4 segments 55MB):

Mrs. Mansour’s reminiscences of the early years of the Faith, translated
and expanded by her daughter Mrs. David Journey, recorded in Spring 1972
in High Point, North Carolina (1h54) (copy of original tape belonging
to Tom Moore):

Jessie Revell, Treasurer of the International Bahá’í Council, interviewed
about the Guardian at the Third Intercontinental Conference, Chicago,
4 May 1958 (0h07):

Greg Dahl’s journal regarding Rúhíyyih Khánum’s visit to Haiti,
11-20 May 1981 (2h51) (.zip file of all segments 76MB):

Greg Dahl’s journal regarding Rúhíyyih Khánum’s visit to Haiti,
19 October – 24 November 1982 (5h43) (.zip file of all segments 157MB):