Speaker Prep

Giving a fireside, devotional, or talk? Pick a theme, get a curated brief: relevant stories, key quotes, citations, and recommended sequencing.

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miracles mirza mihdi moderation mormons mornings mother mount-carmel mourning mulla husayn music mystical mysticism nations nature naw-ruz nearness god transforming lives new york new-york nourishment obedience oneness-of-humanity oneness-of-religion opposition overwhelm pain parable parenting parents treatment paris-talks passing patience peace peacefulness persecution persia philosophy pilgrim-notes pilgrimage pioneering pioneers planning politics poor pope potential poverty prayer prejudice preparation presence principles prison prison akka prison bab proclamation prophecy prophets protection psychic forces punctuality purity purpose qiblih questions quiet-days race unity race-unity radiant acquiescence receptivity reciprocity recognition reconciliation reflection reliance god religion remedy repentance rest return revelation reverence ridvan ridvan first day ridvan ninth day ridvan twelvth day right god righteous ruhiyyih khanum sacred-writings sacrifice sanctification science science begins words science-and-religion scientists scripture search searching seeking self self conscious self hatred self pity self-knowledge selfless service shoghi effendi shoghi effendi marriage shoghi effendi premonition death shoghi effendi schedule shrine shrine bab shrine-of-the-bab sick caring sick-caring sightseeing signs silence simple life simplicity sincerity siyah chal siyah chal bahaullahs declaration slaves smoking social-justice solidarity solitude soul south speaking speech speeches spiritual life sports steadfastness stories striving succession sudan suffering suicide sympathy tablets tablets divine plan taxes teaching temples ten-year-crusade tenderness test tests the-covenant thoughts tihran timing training transformation translation travel travel-teaching trials trust trustworthiness truthfulness underground railway unity unity religion universal language universal language heart heart venting virtue vision vocation war watchman wealth wedding abdul baha weddings western-journeys will god willpower wisdom witness women work workaholism worthy writing writings youth

A talk on architecture

Suggested sequencing: open with a powerful story, deepen with a reflective one, close with one of joyful resolution. Adjust to your audience.

Opening

Designing the Arc on Mount Carmel

In *The Priceless Pearl* Rúḥíyyih Khánum recounts how Shoghi Effendi, walking the slope of Mount Carmel year after year, conceived and laid out the great Arc of buildings — the International Archives, the Universal House of Justice site, the Centre for the Study of the Texts, the Teaching Centre — on which the world administrative institutions of the Faith would in time stand.

The Priceless Pearl · Rúḥíyyih Khánum

Middle

He Asked His Father-in-Law to Design It: The Shrine of the Báb

Rúḥíyyih Khánum's *The Priceless Pearl* recounts how, in 1942, Shoghi Effendi asked his own father-in-law — the celebrated Canadian architect William Sutherland Maxwell, then resident in Haifa — to design the arcade and superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel. The colonnade of Baveno granite and the Chiampo arches were the answer.

The Priceless Pearl · Rúḥíyyih Khánum

Closing

Thousands of Mashriqu'l-Adhkárs: 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Dedication Talk

At the dedication of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár grounds in Wilmette on May 1, 1912 — the same gathering at which Nettie Tobin's stone was laid as the cornerstone — 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke about the future Houses of Worship that would arise across the world, and gave the specific architectural instruction that the building must be *circular,* never triangular.

The Promulgation of Universal Peace · 'Abdu'l-Bahá

Click into any story to see the full text with extracted quotes — copy what you need for your talk.

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