Foundation Hall
Location of Foundation Hall inside the Temple (in America) is only temporary[edit]
"In reviewing these specifications which you have set up for the Temple, the Guardian wishes to call your attention to the fact that you have included some items in the specifications which are not necessary, and in fact are definitely not a part of a Bahá'í Temple, as follows:
"Your No. 14--Assembly Hall. The Temple is for worship only, and no Assembly Hall is permissible. (In America the basement of the Temple has been temporarily used as a Foundation Hall.) This has been due to the long time taken to construct the building etc."
Foundation Hall (in the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár) should be for devotional gatherings of the revealed Word, or for presentations and discussions of a strictly Bahá'í character (need to maintain sacredness of this edifice)[edit]
"With reference to the matter of meeting in the Foundation Hall of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, I feel that the Foundation Hall should serve the purpose both of devotional gatherings where the revealed Word of God is read and chanted, and meetings at which subjects strictly Baha'i in character are presented, propounded and discussed. I have no doubt that every conscientious and thoughtful Bahá'í will scrupulously and at all times observe the commandment of Bahá'u'lláh and the instructions of 'Abdu'l-Bahá relative to the maintenance of the sacredness, the dignity, and the universality of an edifice that will in time become God's universal House of Worship."
Bahá'í meetings, including addresses and the business sessions of the Convention, can be held for the time-being in the Foundation Hall[edit]
"For the present he feels that there would be no objection to having Bahá'í meetings, including addresses and the business sessions of the Convention, held in the Foundation Hall."
- (From a letter dated 11 April 1931 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, Service in Bahá'í Temples, no. 445)
Weekly public lectures can continue in Foundation Hall (until a suitable meeting place is at our disposal)[edit]
"Question: Are the present weekly public lectures to be continued in Foundation Hall?
"Reply: There is no objection to this until such time as we have a suitable meeting place at our disposal."
- (From an article based on instructions of Shoghi Effendi, October 1952, published in Bahá'í News" No. 260 (October 1952), pp. 1-2, Service in Bahá'í Temples, no. 455)
