Background
Jensen was a third generation Bahá'í on his mother's side. He and his wife, Opal, received doctorates in natural medicine, becoming chiropractic doctors. They attended the School of Drugless Physicians and graduated in 1944. Opal was the valedictorian and Jensen graduated with distinction (cum laude).
After they graduated, and after practicing for a while, they moved to St. Louis. In 1953 Shoghi Effendi launched the Ten Year Crusade, which aimed at bringing the message of Bahá'u'lláh to the entire world. Jensen and his wife gave up their practice and went to two tiny islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar. The first island was the French island of Réunion, which practiced Catholicism as the State Religion. He then stayed six months in Mauritius. Jensen and his wife were the first Bahá'ís to visit these islands, and therefore received the title of Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. More than 200 Bahá'ís received the title after moving to areas designated by Shoghi Effendi. His wife Opal died in 1990.
Read more about this topic: Leland Jensen
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