letter jensen to diane mathieu february 7 1990

Dear Diana,

I have received your letter of 1/18/90. I am always very happy to receive letters from old friends especially when they are trying to get a better understanding of the faith. It is because of the lack of understanding of the Will and Testament (W&T) that the whole Baha'i World went astray, including the guardian that had asked us to turn to Donald Harvey; that is why God sent "Joshua" who opens the inner eye so people can see with their own eyes.

These questions that you asked[1] have already been answered a number of times starting way back in "The Most Mighty Document" (TMMD). ("the UHJ outranks the Guardian"). The following is from the TMMD pages 8,9.

"The Baha'is throughout the world thought that the guardian is the head of the Faith, which is utterly unfounded. According to the Will and Testament, the UHJ is. The guardian is the head of the UHJ, but he is not the head of the Faith.

"Should differences arise they shall be amicably and conclusively settled by the Supreme Tribunal...." (W&T, page 13).

"Unto this body (UHJ) all things must be referred. It enacteth all ordinances and regulations that are not be found in the explicit Holy Text. By this body all the difficult problems are to be resolved and the guardian of the Cause of God is its sacred head and distinguished member for life of that body."...This House of Justice enacteth the law and the government enforceth them.... (W&T, page 14)

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"That is, the guardian is the enforcer of the Laws of Baha'u'llah and those enacted by the UHJ.

"And now, concerning the House of Justice which God hath ordained as the source of all good and freed from all error" (W&T, page 14).

Mason stated that the guardians made mistakes.

"His Holiness the Abha Beauty....is the Supreme Manifestation of God and the Dayspring of His Most Divine Essence. All others are servants unto Him and do his bidding. Unto the most Holy Book every one must turn and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice. That which this body, whether unanimously or by majority doth carry, that is verily the Truth and the purpose of God himself.Whoso doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that love discord...." (W&T, page 19)

Note from the above that the guardians make mistakes but that the UHJ is freed from all error." This is the only place we have a statement that we are to have an infallible body, and that it "enacteth all laws" and "all things must be referred to it". No place does the writings tell us that the guardian is freed from all error, or infallible, but rather the UHJ. They told us that the guardian "is its sacred head and distinguished member for life of that body." Shoghi Effendi explained that the guardian has but one vote as any other member and that he does not possess a veto power, and that he himself must abide by the majority decision. "That which this body, whether unanimously or by majority doth carry, that is verily the Truth and the Purpose of God himself." Although the guardian has the right to expel members for going against the common weal, he cannot do away with the body that can out-vote him, which does not imply that the guardian is equal in authority to the UHJ, but just the opposite. If there happens to be 99 members on the UHJ they could vote 98 to 1 which doesn't show equality. He is equal to any individual member, but not the body itself. You state:

"I can see where the station of Joshua may well be greater than that of the guardians--Joshua being a unique station in history."

This is one of my main proofs that the UHJ outranks the guardian. Over and over again I have stated and proven that I am the embryonic body of the UHJ of which the guardian is the head, for the head in embryo cannot exist without a body, and the body in embryo cannot exist without the head. During the lifetime of 'Abdu'l-Baha both, I, the embryonic body, and Mason, the embryonic head, existed. Before 'Abdu'l-Baha passed on he adopted

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Mason to be his son. In 1951 Shoghi appointed Mason to be the president of the embryonic UHJ making him the head of the International Baha'i Council. After the passing of Shoghi, Mason never activated that Council, and for two main reasons: first of all Shoghi had appointed the members of that body instead of them being appointed by me: And secondly right after the passing of Shoghi they became Covenant-breakers. In 1959 this body that was appointed by Shoghi Effendi was aborted in embryo by the Covenant-breaking hands, causing Mason to break with the Covenant-breaking hands. In 1960 Mason made his historic Proclamation that he was the Guardian. On April 21, 1963 I began my mission by being opposed by Satan, as prophesied by Daniel 12:12 and the third chapter of Zechariah. Thus both the embryonic head and the embryonic body began to function at about the same time, but the head and the body did not become joined together at that time. This was not possible until the body developed twelve members that became his apostles, and thus the true International Baha'i Council (IBC) appeared.

Now the most crying need in the faith and for the good of the world is that the head and the body come together and function as a unit, toward an infallible body, as it was intended to be. The trouble is that ever since the passing of Mason the head has remained in rebellion, treating the body as an impostor, stating that I had set a spiritual Mission for myself, and that my goals were in contrast to Mason's.[2] This has come about by Mason's goals were not on the bases of him being the guardian, but on a false basis of him being the one that was to come on April 21, 1963, claiming to be the Lamb and also that personage that 'Abdu'l-Baha had foretold.

Mason wrote on March 2, 1970: "The person mentioned in the Book Abdul-Baha's Tablets, Vol. III, page 541, is the present Guardian of the Baha'i Faith."

O thou dear friend!--Know thou that the Distinguished Individual of every age is according to the virtues of that age. The Distinguished Personage who was in the former cycle, His power and virtues were according to the former age, but in this brilliant age and divine cycle, the noble Personage, the Radiant Star, the Distinguished one, will manifest with virtues which will eventually amaze the peoples, for he is in spiritual virtues and divine perfections loftier than all the Individuals; nay, rather, He is the Source of Divine benediction and the Center of the radiant circle. He is certainly comprehensive. There is no doubt that He will reveal Himself to such a degree as to bring all under his overshadowing shelter. - (see exhibit #1 enclosed).

Because Mason, as guardian, made this statement that he was

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that person mentioned in the Book Abdul-Baha's Tablets, Pepe without any proof accepted this as 'ipso-facto' without any reservation, on the basis that this statement was made by the guardian that was thought to be infallible. Therefore Pepe does not go by proofs, although Mason stated that guardians make mistakes, and Mason didn't "bring all under his overshadowing shelter," the fact is that all the people left him except Opal and I. He is so blinded by his "sincere spiritual, moral and filial obligations to Mason's memory," that he turns aside from "truth" and as he refuses to go by proofs thus his spiritual eye remains closed, failing him to see the one who does fulfill the above prophecy of 'Abdu'l-Baha and, thus Pepe deprives himself of his "divine perfections" and guidance.

In your letter you write:

"Besides, why focus readers thoughts in directions that portray you as a power seeker? the guardian must accept you on the basis of your proofs, not because you brow-beat him with rank."

The above is couched in words that could be taken as derogatory or judgmental on your part, which wouldn't be to your credit. Certainly I would never do anything that would be construed as brow-beating him with rank or anything else. The four letters that I have written to Pepe I make clear that they are Epistles. They not only are educational to Pepe but to the entire world. Like the Epistles of the establisher of Christianity, Paul, they will last for thousands of years educating the people, as did Paul's Epistles to the Romans, Ephesians, Corinthians, Hebrews etc, etc, that are still educating the people of the world. All the Promised Ones of God have always been portrayed by the people that they come to, as "power-seekers." This is because the people are blinded by the clouds of heaven from which these holy souls descend. These clouds are (the peoples) own lack of spiritual development preventing them from seeing with their own spiritual eye.

I heartily agree with you however, that the guardian must accept me on the basis of my proofs. But Pepe has told the believers that he doesn't go by proof. Instead he has stated that he goes by the memory of Mason. After the passing of Mason, Pepe wrote to Jean Miller that from 1965 until when he wrote the letter to her in 1974 that he could not accept Mason as the guardian or go along with his religious beliefs; that he had only a father-to-son relationship. Find a copy of this letter enclosed. Mason wrote that he tried to teach Pepe the Baha'i faith but he wouldn't listen. Pepe wrote to me in his letter, of December 13th: "my 'ignorance of the faith' as you reminded me has always been quite evident and I have no problem in admitting it."

But what he meant was that he had a plan and that my goals

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were in contrast to his own. He accused me of a "spiritual mission that I had set for myself." This is completely alien to everything that I have said, wrote and stand for. I had never set a spiritual mission for myself. He has a completely twisted concept because he doesn't go by proofs thus rejecting that my mission is God given and is prophesied in the Holy Scripts. He wrote: "Your goals were in contrast to Masons," yet we are following the plan laid out by Mason, as set in motion by Shoghi Effendi to reestablish the IBC in Israel. For the last sixteen years Pepe has done nothing to teach or inaugurate the plan of Mason, whereas, I have taught thousands and have raised up a heavenly army that is active and brought forth twelve apostles that form the IBC. We are the only people that support him as the guardian of the Baha'i faith, and an Aghsan descendant of King David. And we have done research in order to implement the plan of God. I have no plan of my own. I am an establisher, as were Joshua for Moses, Paul for Jesus, Ali for Muhammad and Qudus for the Bab. We have put forth more proofs for my claim than any other Promised One in history. When Muhammad put forth his proofs he wanted to know why the deniers didn't accept. They told him they wanted a third part of heaven to fall upon them. This is how dense Pepe is.

The problem is that Pepe is not a Baha'i. He doesn't claim to be a Baha'i and has "no problem admitting that he is ignorant of the Baha'i faith." He has set up an entirely new religious order for himself, which is in opposition to the Baha'i faith. Its dogma is a "sincere, moral and filial obligation to Mason's memory." Its creed is the "upholding and defending the Institution of Guardianship of the Baha'i Faith." Anyone upholding this creed is a member of his cult.[3] This sect, limits its adherents to the dogma of this faith rather than to the Revelation of Baha'u'llah and to His Covenant as delineated in 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will and Testament. It advocates the head (guardian) working alone instead of in unity with the body, or with the establisher of the Baha'i faith.

This new religion of his is typical Italian that has a filial relationship with the Pope (papa, a child's word for father). The Italians filial relation to the Pope have them going by the religion of the Pope, without knowing or caring about the religion of Jesus. The Italians, even if they are members of the Mafia, or are the worst criminals, if they confess their sins to the father (priests) and he gives them absolution and they receive the last rites from the father (priests) they enter into heaven. This Italian concept is in violation of the religion of Jesus, and is to be abhorred.

Pepe retreated into this cult to avoid assuming the role of which Mason had adopted him, and appointed him to fulfill, as the guardian of the Baha'i faith, thus, he himself is the one going against the "memory of Mason." He forbids the friends from

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addressing him as Guardian.[4] He also rejects that he and Mason are in the Aghsan lineage.[5] During the time he lived with Mason from 1965 on he rejected Mason as guardian and what he was doing.[6] He developed this cult of father worship (filial relationship) to replace his belief in the Baha'i faith and the Covenant of Baha'u'llah. He has his "coconuts all in a row." Any attempt by me, or anyone else to move them out his juxta-position leads to resistance, and if further pressed it results in vituperations cast down upon me. He defends his sect with anything he can grasp a hold of, even joining the enemies of the faith in coming against me. They don't accept him as guardian and some of them don't accept the continuation of the guardianship after the passing of Shoghi Effendi.[7] Some of them may be knowledgeable in the Covenant but choose to go against it for some of them have their own causes to promote, such as John Carre that is promoting "the new Manifestation of God that is about to appear," stating the guardianship came to an end with Shoghi Effendi.

The Italians in their filial relationship with the Pope believe that they are saved and go to heaven by the absolution of the father (priest), therefore they are in no need of Baha'u'llah and the Baha'i Faith. In the same way Pepe in his own created religion believes that he is saved by his filial relationship with his father, Mason Remey:

"Somewhere I read that Abdu'l-Baha told the believers that if Religion should become the cause of strife and contention amongst them, they would be better off without religion or words to that effect.

"All the past and present threats of God's wrath falling upon me rather fall on deaf ears inasmuch as my conscience is 'at ease' in the conviction that, having fully fulfilled my obligations to him, Mason Remey's benevolent prayers and spiritual protection will continue to rain down upon me from the Abha Kingdom. Contrarily, should I allow myself to be coerced into a spiritual scheme not in keeping with his spiritual goals, the trust Mason Remey placed in me would be seriously violated, and as a consequence, my fears of God's Wrath would be a reality." (from a letter from Pepe to me of 19 June, 1989).

Here Pepe has placed himself in the same category the Italians have with the Pope. The filial relationship with the father figure in the place of Baha'i Revelation, of which he knows little of and ignores.[8] Like the Catholics as long as Pepe remains in this cult of his own creation nothing that I or anyone else could say would make any difference. It reminds me of Ruhiyyih Rabbani when she told her husband, Shoghi Effendi, that she was happy that she was the wife of the guardian. He asked her

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why. She replied that being the wife of the guardian she was assured of salvation. He told her: "Ruhiyyih! your salvation is in your own hands." We now know that she became the Arch Covenant-breaker and that she will emigre to the most nethermost gloom. Nobody can base his salvation on anyone else but himself.

Nothing is lost however. These epistles are educational and may last for thousands of years. If I don't write these epistles answering all his questions and point the way to the Kingdom his failure and retribution would be on my hands. But if after I show him the way and he fails, the retribution would be of his own making, and in the long run everybody would gain by my explanations.

What a sorry mess that confronts us. It is horrible to behold! the guardian submerged in a cult of his own making to avoid learning the Baha'i faith and fulfilling his great heritage, as a king seated upon the throne of David. He consorts with the reprobates that have always been in opposition to the Covenant. He is like the naughty boy that detests being educated, who skips school and goes fishing, or lies on the beach and when he is in class he shoots spit balls at the teacher. He refuses to meet with the teachers that could teach him, calling it indoctrination.[9]

The problem is that Pepe doesn't want to be a Baha'i and he uses every ploy that he can think of to avoid accepting the Baha'i faith. Since 1965 he lived with Mason only in a filial relationship, not accepting that he was the guardian and what he was doing. However in 1970 when Mason made the proclamation that he was the "Distinguish, or Noble Personage (see endnote 6), Pepe then started developing his new religion with Mason becoming his icon of salvation, undoubtedly replacing St. Christopher or one of the other Italian saints. It was all very Italian. It was his roots. He didn't replace his roots he just changed the name of his saint to Mason Remey. By retreating into this cult he could then avoid learning or accepting the Baha'i faith, as it conflicted with his Italian mentality, and then have salvation in his new saint. He then tried to do away with the fact that he was the guardian by telling the people to turn to Donald Harvey.

There isn't much hope for the world unless Pepe can smash the idol of his fanciful imagination and join reality, for I or no one else can establish another guardian as Pepe is the only Aghsan left.

My hopes for both you and Brent have been the highest, and that you would be able to establish a strong Center in Billings. I have been very disappointed however, that so many that became believers after you have been passing you up. 'Abdu'l-Baha on page ten of the Will and Testament gave us the criteria for the opening of the third eye--the all seeing eye--and that is to

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teach the message of the Kingdom. And when he was in America he told us to hold firesides. Jesus told his followers to teach the Kingdom, but they never taught it. They taught the trinity in its place. Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha told us to teach the Kingdom of God--The Davidic Kingship--but they never taught it. They taught the twelve basic principles instead. So when the tests came they all failed. Jesus said that when this message of the Kingdom is brought to the entire world the end will come:

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come" (Matt. 24:14).

With very much love to you both,

I remain, your friend

Leland Jensen

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ENDNOTES

1. "I have been re-reading some Baha'i correspondence. I cannot find in the Will and Testament substantiation for your statement to Pepe that 'the UHJ outranks the Guardian'. I see where the W&T states that the guardian is the "sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body', and gives the guardian the right to expel members of the UHJ. These statements imply that the guardian is at least equal in authority to the UHJ. The UHJ having greater members doesn't automatically give it greater authority."

2. "Mason was fully aware of the spiritual 'mission' you had set yourself to long before he died and, although your goals were in contrast to his own, he preferred not to openly oppose you. When Joel Marangella came forth whimsically claiming the Guardianship, Mason simply admonished his act by stating that 'Joel acted prematurely'. His hopes were that all would be reconciled eventually thus avoiding definite cut-offs unless absolutely required--as was the case with Rex King."

"My sincere spiritual, moral and filial obligation to Mason's memory inspire me to follow his method of coping with similar situations. These "obligations" are not only directed to Mason as my legally adopted father but to that purpose for which he sacrificed the latter years of his life.... However, to allow myself to be 'molded' into a specific spiritual shape necessary to complete someone else's spiritual mosaic would be in direct conflict with Mason Remey's intentions and very difficult, indeed, for me to reconcile.

3. cult 1. A system of religious rites and observances. 2. Zealous devotion to a person, ideal, or thing. 3. The object of this devotion. 4. The followers of a cult; a sect. (The Readers Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary).

4. "The persons you claim I hurt were encouraged by you to address me as Guardian and it would be pure hypocrisy on my part to receive them in that guise." (a letter from Pepe 8/19/89).

5. "no one has a right to publish either our names in the AGHSAN lineage." ibid

6. "So I gave up and "lost my faith", that is, my faith in what we were doing, and then finally in what Mason was doing. I told him that I could never abandon him as a friend and as a Man but that I would no longer serve him as Guardian. He was free to let me go or send me away but that I myself would never do so. And that is how we have lived together since around 1965." (a letter

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Pepe sent to Jean Miller, of April 10, 1974, three months after Mason passed on.)

7. "Our differences are not due solely to my ignorance of the Baha'i Faith. Many 'old-school' Baha'is (by no means ignorant of the Baha'i Faith) communicated with me expressing indignation for your spiritual claims urging me, advising me and even warning me to disassociate myself from what they consider the 'ridiculous' situation the 'jensenites' have put me in. Our real differences arise from the difficulty for me to reconcile your claims with Mason's spiritual goals since the death of Shoghi Effendi. This inability on my part should not surprise you as it is evident that few, very few, of the 'old-school' Baha'is are able to do so." (from a letter addressed to me January 25, 1990)

It doesn't surprise me even a little bit for none of them including Pepe himself accepted Pepe as the succeeding guardian on the passing of Mason. They are all in violation of the covenant.

8. "My ignorance of the Baha'i Faith is self-imposed. It resulted in consequence of the deplorable experiences I was subjected to by so-called Baha'is during those very trying years serving Mason. You don't need to be reminded of what transpired there in the USA among the 'factions' in constant strife and contention and, finally, for some, in outright rebellion." (from a letter from Pepe 1/25/1990)

9. "In view of the above, it is useless for you to persist in your efforts to convince me to submit to your created body of IBC for 'indoctrination'" (from a letter from Pepe to me, dated January 25, 1990).

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Source: Dave Cornell, http://web.archive.org/web/20030718024234/www.lelandjensen.net/html/doc/900207dmathieu.htm