Local History
From its earliest days in Colorado, the Baha’i Faith has appealed to the diverse peoples in the state, just as it has to people across the country and the world. The first Baha’i to accept the Faith in Colorado was Mrs. Alteria Melissa Bryant who, through her friendship with Thornton Chase, accepted the teachings of Baha’u’llah in 1900.
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá’ in Denver
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá’s visits to Denver in 1912 drew throngs of people from all walks of life and favorable newspaper articles from the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News.
In December of 1918, the Colorado Baha’is received a postcard from ʻAbdu'l-Bahá in the Holy Land:
“Like unto the Rocky Mountains they must raise their heads above the low plains of human thought. They must be the cause of the descent of the rain of mercy upon the dark and barren desert of humanity, suffering the hard hearts to be covered with verdant blossoms and fruits.”
- ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
