Pilgrims' notes

The Old Pilgrim House in the Holy Land.

Pilgrim's Notes are a category of Bahá’í literature consisting of the notes taken by Bahá’í pilgrims about their experiences meeting the Central Figures, Shoghi Effendi, and later members of the Bahá’í Administration. These notes often convey the pilgrim's personal spiritual experiences of their pilgrimage, along with the actions and statements of the central figures, as they remember them. More generally, the term may be used for any narrative of the central figures' words and deeds based on the recollection of individual Bahá’ís. These notes are often very moving, or may assist in understanding abstruse elements of Bahá’í belief and history, but do not authoritatively convey official Bahá’í teachings.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi both refused to sign pilgrim's notes, and made clear that the notes did not carry any sort of authority. Shoghi Effendi did encourage pilgrims to share their experiences with the members of their community upon their return, provided that they avoided spreading the perception that their recollections—however precious—held any authority. In 1929 a letter written on the behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer included the following regarding pilgrims notes:

"The notes of all pilgrims, whoever they may be, taken during the time of the Master or hence, are merely personal impressions of the pilgrim and have to be considered as such. They have no special significance. Everything which either the Master or Shoghi Effendi desired to communicate to the friends they have mentioned in their letters. Hearsay and notes of pilgrims have only a personal value, because they reawaken past impressions. In many cases Shoghi Effendi has gone a step further and even discouraged publishing them....
...The interests of the Cause have often suffered from reports taken over by pilgrims — not untruths, but misunderstandings — and it is our duty to do our utmost for that aim."

In 1997 the Universal House of Justice expressed that it had not enacted any guidelines or policies regarding the publication of pilgrims notes on the internet in a letter written on its behalf, but in the same letter also advised that individuals use wisdom when sharing them. In 2013 a letter written on behalf of the House provided more guidance, stating that it may be appropriate to consult ones National Spiritual Assembly before distributing notes on a wide scale.

Notable Pilgrim's Notes

Ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: 1892 - 1921

• 1900 - Message from Acca by Anton Haddad.
• 1901 - Utterances of Abdu'l-Baha to Thomas Breakwell, Herbert Hopper, and Isabella D. Brittingham. Notes from 1901 pilgrimage.
• 1901 - Utterances of Abdul Beha Abas to Two Young Men, American Pilgrims to Acre by William Copeland Dodge and Wendall Dodge.
• 1901 - Notes on St. John as explained by Our Lord by Ethel Rosenberg.
• 1905 - A Brief Account of My Visit to Acca by Mary L. Lucas. Notes from 1905 pilgrimage.
• 1906 - Unity Through Love by Howard MacNutt.
• 1906 - Pilgrim Notes of Ali Kuli Khan by Ali Kuli Khan.
• 1907 - Table Talks and Notes Taken at Acca by Corinne True and Mirza Hadi. Notes from 1907 pilgrimage.
• 1907 - Table Talks at Acca by Arthur S. Agnew. Notes from 1907 pilgrimage.
• 1907 - Ten Days in the Light of Akka by Julia M. Grundy. Notes from 1905 pilgrimage.
• 1907 - Pilgrim Letter of Hooper Harris to Mr. Hoar by Hooper Harris.
• 1908 - Table Talks with Abdu'l-Baha by George F. and Rosa V. Winterburn. Notes from 1904 pilgrimage.
• 1908 - In Galilee by Thornton Chase. Notes from 1907 pilgrimage.
• 1908 - In Spirit and in Truth by Arthur S. Agnew. Notes from 1907 pilgrimage.
• 1909 - Acca Lights by Joseph Hannen.
• 1909 - Notes of Miss Ethel Rosenberg of London England, taken in Acca by Ethel Rosenberg.
• 1910 - Flowers Culled from the Rose Garden of Acca by Ida A. Finch, Fanny Alma Knobloch, and Alma S. Knobloch. Notes from 1908 pilgrimage.
• 1910 - A Heavenly Feast by Mary Ida Haney and Charles Haney.
• 1911 - A Heavenly Vista by Louis Gregory. Notes from 1911 pilgrimage.
• 1911 - Abbas Effendi: His personality, work, and followers by E. S. Stevens. Notes from non-Bahá'í who met with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
• 1911 - My Visit to Abbas-Effendi in 1899 by Margaret Peeke. Notes from 1899 pilgrimage.
• 1917 - An Early Pilgrimage by May Maxwell. Notes from 1898 pilgrimage.
• 1917 - Pilgrim Notes by Myron Henry Phelps.
• 1920 - The Light of the World by George O. Latimer. Notes from 1919 pilgrimage.
• 1921 - Night of the Passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha by Louise Bosch.
• 1921 - A Week in Abdu'l-Baha's Home by Genevieve Coy, Cora Grey, Mabel Hyde Paine, and Sylvia Paine.
• 1922 - Questions about Science and Religion: Interviews with Abdul Baha at Tiberias and Haifa by Anna Kunz.
• 1925 - A Modern Pilgrimage to Palestine by L. B. Pemberton.
• 1932 - My Pilgrimage to the Land of Desire by Marie Watson. Notes from 1921 pilgrimage.
• 1959 - Recollection of Visits with 'Abdul-Baha by William C. Dodge. Notes regarding 1901 pilgrimage.
• 1979 - Daily Lessons Received at Akka by Helen Goodall and Ella Goodall Cooper. Notes from 1908 pilgrimage.
• 2008 - With Abdu'l-Bahá: The Diary of Mirza 'Isa Khan Isfahani translated by Ahang Rabbani. Notes of 1919 pilgrimage.
• ???? - Excerpts from the Gertrude Bell Archive by Gertrude Bell.

Ministry of the Guardian: 1921 - 1957

• 1924 - Conversations with Shoghi Effendi by May Maxwell.
• 1931 - Notes on Shoghi Effendi's Table Talk by Mabel Hyde Paine.
• 1932 - Haifa Talks by Keith Ransom-Kehler and Lorol Schopflocher.
• 1937 - Haifa Notes of Shoghi Effendi's Word by May Maxwell and Rúḥíyyih Khánum.
• 1937 - Notes Taken in the Presence of Shoghi Effendi by Agnes Alexander.
• 1952 - Pilgrim's Notes by Nellie French.
• 1952 - A Pilgrim's Note on Teaching and Administration by Beatrice Ashton.
• 1953 - Pilgrims Notes by Anonymous.
• 1953 - Message of the World Spiritual Crusade Received from the Guardian by ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan.
• 1953 - Haifa Notes by Artemus Lamb.
• 1953 - Pilgrim's Notes by Ben Levy.
• 1953 - Pilgrims Notes by Marguerite Sears.
• 1954 - Haifa Impressions by John Allen and Valera Allen.
• 1954 - Haifa Notes by Ramona Brown. .
• 1954 - Haifa Notes by Clara Edge.
• 1954 - Notes on 1954 Pilgrimage by Sara Kenny.
• 1954 - Notes of the Pilgrimage of Edith McLaren by Edith McLaren.
• 1954 - Pilgrimage to Haifa by William Sears.
• 1956 - Haifa Notes by Gayle Woolson.
• 1956 - Notes on Words of the Guardian by Virginia Orbison.
• 1957 - Notes on Pilgrimage to Haifa by Alice Dudley.
• 1957 - Pilgrim Notes recorded after the nightly dinner-table talks of the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi by Isobel Sabri.
• 1957 - Sacred Pilgrimage: Visits with The Guardian by Bill Washington.
• 1957 - Our Pilgrimage to Haifa by Elmer Beasley and Gladys Beasley.
• 1957 - Pilgrim's Notes by William Allison.
• 1957 - The Circle of Faith by Marcus Bach. Notes of 1957 interview of Shoghi Effendi by a non-Bahá'í scholar.
• 2014 - Recollections of Pilgrimage: Nine Days with the Guardian in 1957 by Bill Washington. Notes regarding 1957 pilgrimage.
• 2015 - Twin Pilgrimages of Núru'd-Dín Mumtází by Nureddin Mumtazi. Notes regarding 1920 and 1955 pilgrimages.
• 2016 - Memories of Talks with the Guardian by Hiroyasu Takano. Notes from 1954 pilgrimage.
• ???? - Remarks to Pilgrims to Haifa by Shoghi Effendi by Vivian Fellows.
• 2020 - Pilgrims' Notes from U.S. Archives: 1898-1959

Post-Guardian: 1957 - Present

• 1996 - A Bahá'í Pilgrimage by Chris Manvell.
• 1998 - A Bahá'í Pilgrimage by Cher Holt-Fortin.
• 1998 - Pilgrimage: Notes by LeRoy Jones by LeRoy Jones. Notes from 1975 pilgrimage.
• 2000 - A Bahá'í Pilgrimage by Charles Uzzell.
• 2001 - The Opening of the Terraces: Reflections of a Participant by Thelma Batchelor.
• 2007 - The Heart is a Little Bird that Longs to Soar by Jack McLean.

References

Reddit has a related post:
Pilgrim's notes

• A Compilation of Quotes on Pilgrim's Notes