World Order of Bahá'u'lláh (letter)

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3 - World Order of Bahá'u'lláh institutions' origin and character
- Public doubts about Faith's institutions' validity (Ruth White) affords opportunity to inform representatives of origin and character of the institutions at basis of World Order of Bahá'u'lláh
"Sources of the Bahá'í World Order"
- 3-4 - Unity of Writings: Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá and Kitáb-i-Aqdas (and other Writings/utterances) harmonious and intertwined
  - Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá and Kitáb-i-Aqdas enshrine elements of Divine Civilization, are closely related, inseparable, and confirming, inculcate the same purpose and method, are in conformity with the other authenticated Writings and sayings of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá
    - 4 - Kitáb-i-Aqdas anticipates institutions `Abdu'l-Bahá ordains in His Will
- 4 - Unity of types of teachings: between spiritual, humanitarian, and administrative principles of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá
  - 4 - Critique of over-reliance on obscure, unauthenticated translation of utterance contrary to available text of all His universally recognized writings [Apparently regarding reported statement of "You can never organize the Baha'i Cause." in "The Baha'i Temple at Wilmette To Be Built with Money from Every Race, Clime and Religion under the Sun," by Isabel Fraser, The North Shore Review, May 16, 1914, in Star of the West, Vol. 25, p. 67)]
    - 4-5 - Much confusion of believers due to double error: Interpreter misunderstanding (or only partly understanding) `Abdu'l-Bahá's meaning or incompetentence at rendering His statements
      - 5 - Interpreter not infrequently failed to convey purport of inquirer's questions, and deficient in understanding and expressing answer of `Abdu'l-Bahá, responsible for reports at variance with spirit and purpose of Cause
    - 5 - Due to misleading reports, Shoghi Effendi instructed Western believers to regard statements only as personal impressions, considering as authentic only translations based on authenticated text of His recorded utterances in the original tongue (pilgrim's notes)
  - 5 - Bahá'í administration intertwined with Faith
    - Not an imposed innovation after `Abdu'l-Bahá but from His Will, unnumbered Tablets, and in part from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
    - Unifies and correlates principles of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá and Faith's verities
    - Dissociating Faith's administrative principles from its spiritual and humanitarian teachings tantamount to mutilation (that would extinguish the Faith)
    - Specific Institutions
      - "Local and National Houses of Justice" (and International)
        Establishment in the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá
        Local and International House of Justice enjoined in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
        
        5-6 - National Spiritual Assembly as intermediary body has sanction of `Abdu'l-Bahá (in Will as "Secondary House of Justice")
        
        6 - Method of election for the International and National Houses of Justice in a number of `Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablets (as with His Will)
        
        Local and national Funds (necessary adjuncts to all local and national spiritual assemblies) established in `Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablets to Bahá'ís of Orient with their importance and necessity emphasized in His utterances and writings
        
        Principles of operation in `Abdu'l-Bahá's authenticated and widely-scattered Tablets
        Concentration of authority in hands of elected representatives of believers
        
        Necessity of believers submitting to the considered judgment of Bahá'í Assemblies
        
        Voting
        Preference of `Abdu'l-Bahá for unanimity in decision
        
        Decisive character of the majority vote
        
        Desirability for exercise of close supervision over Bahá'í publications
        
        Disloyal to `Abdu'l-Bahá's most cherised wishes to accept broad and humanitarian Teachings while indifferently rejecting/dismissing more challenging and distinguishing precepts
        
        Spiritual Assemblies to be replaced in time by the fundamentally identical bodies, the Houses of Justice, confirmed by `Abdu'l-Bahá
        `Abdu'l-Bahá addressed members of the first Spiritual Assembly of Chicago as members of its "House of Justice", establishing identity of Spiritual Assemblies with Houses of Justice of Bahá'u'lláh
        
        Clearly advisable to temporarily use appellation "Spiritual Assemblies" until Faith better understood (when can the more permanent designation of "House of Justice" can be used)
        
        6-7 - Present-day Spiritual Assemblies to be styled differently in future and add powers necessitated by the recognition of the Faith as State Religion of an independent and Sovereign Power
        
        Evolution of Universal House of Justice
        7 - The Universal House of Justice will attain the plenitude of its power, exercising all the powers of world's future super-state, as Bahá'í Faith embraced by majority of the peoples of a number of Sovereign States
        
        Establishment of Universal House of Justice
        Not dependent upon conversion of the masses of the world or of the majority of any country
        `Abdu'l-Bahá in one of His earliest Tablets contemplated formation of the Universal House of Justice in His own lifetime
        If not for the unfavorable circumstances prevailing under the Turkish régime, He would have probably taken steps for its establishment
        
        The National Houses of Justice of East and West as per Will to directly elect members of International House of Justice
        
        Only after National Houses of Justice are fully representative of believers in respective countries and have acquired weight and experience to provide spiritual basis for constitution of so august a body
        With favorable circumstances (e.g., Bahá'ís of Persia and adjoining countries under Soviet rule enabled to elect their national representatives) as per principles in `Abdu'l-Bahá's writings, may form the International House of Justice
      - 8 - "The Institution of Guardianship"
        Guardianship does not detract from Universal House of Justice powers granted by Bahá'u'lláh in Kitáb-i-Aqdas and confirmed by `Abdu'l-Bahá in His Will
        
        Guardianship not a contradiction to the Will and Writings of Bahá'u'lláh nor nullify any of His instructions
        
        Aids the House of Justice's prestige, position, unity, and continuity of labors without infringing upon its jurisdiction
        
        Only future generations can comprehend the value and significance of the Will designed for unification and triumph of the Faith
        Only those after us will realize value of strong emphasis on the institution of the House of Justice and the Guardianship
        
        Only those after us will appreciate the vigorous language of `Abdu'l-Bahá regarding Covenant-breakers that opposed Him
        
        Only those after us will see the suitability of these institutions for the future society to emerge out of the chaos and confusion of the present age
        
        Preposterous that Muhammad-`Alí, the focal center of hostility to `Abdu'l-Bahá, should freely associate himself with `Abdu'l-Bahá's family to forge a will which as writer (Ruth White) herself writes is but a "recital of the plottings" in which for thirty years Muhammad-`Alí has been engaged
        8-9 - For such a victim of confused ideas, the Guardian replies with compassion and pity, and hopes for her deliverance
        
        9 - After delay from ill health and absence from the Holy Land during the Master's passing, the Guardian hesitated to indiscriminately circulate the Will, as it was primarily directed to the recognized believers, and only indirectly concerned the friends and of the Cause (?)
"The Animating Purpose of Bahá'í Institutions"
"Situation in Egypt"
- INCOMPLETE

World Order of Bahá'u'lláh (letter)

Possible Outline (incomplete)[edit]

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