Martha Root, Hand of the Cause, whom, in 1942, Shoghi Effendi called ‘that archetype of Baha'i itinerant teachers and the foremost Hand raised by Baha'u'llah since 'Abdu'l-Baha's passing' and to whom he awarded the title of 'Leading Ambassadress of His Faith and Pride of Baha'i teachers, whether men or women, in both the East and the West.’
Martha Root was the first to arise in response to the call of 'Abdu'l-Baha in The Tablets of the Divine Plan. She travelled around the world four times over a period of twenty years, travelling four times to China and Japan, three times to India, and visiting every major city in South America. She spoke of the Baha'i Faith to 'kings, queens, princes and princesses, presidents of republics, ministers and statesmen, publicists, professors, clergymen and poets, as well as a vast number of people in various walks of life, and contacted, both officially and informally, religious congresses, peace societies, Esperanto associations, socialist congresses, Theosophical societies, women's clubs and other kindred organizations . . . '. Her eight successive audiences with Queen Marie of Rumania resulted in the Queen becoming a Baha'i. Her death in Honolulu in September 1939 'brought to a close a life which may well be regarded as the fairest fruit as yet yielded by the Formative Age of the Dispensation of Baha'u'llah .' (Wendi Momen, A Basic Baha’i Dictionary)
Martha Root was the first to arise in response to the call of 'Abdu'l-Baha in The Tablets of the Divine Plan. She travelled around the world four times over a period of twenty years, travelling four times to China and Japan, three times to India, and visiting every major city in South America. She spoke of the Baha'i Faith to 'kings, queens, princes and princesses, presidents of republics, ministers and statesmen, publicists, professors, clergymen and poets, as well as a vast number of people in various walks of life, and contacted, both officially and informally, religious congresses, peace societies, Esperanto associations, socialist congresses, Theosophical societies, women's clubs and other kindred organizations . . . '. Her eight successive audiences with Queen Marie of Rumania resulted in the Queen becoming a Baha'i. Her death in Honolulu in September 1939 'brought to a close a life which may well be regarded as the fairest fruit as yet yielded by the Formative Age of the Dispensation of Baha'u'llah .' (Wendi Momen, A Basic Baha’i Dictionary)