.... concerning the qualifications of the members of the
Spiritual Assembly: there is a distinction of fundamental importance which
should be always remembered in this connection, and this is between the
Spiritual Assembly as an institution, and the persons who compose it. These are
by no means supposed to be perfect, nor can they be considered as being
inherently superior to the rest of their fellow-believers. It is precisely
because they are subject to the same human limitations that characterize the
other members of the community that they have to be elected every year. The
existence of elections is a sufficient indication that Assembly members, though
forming part of an institution that is divine and perfect, are nevertheless
themselves imperfect. But this does not necessarily imply that their judgement
is defective ...
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 15 November 1935 written on behalf of
Shoghi Effendi to individual believers, published in "The Local Spiritual
Assembly", compiled by the Universal House of Justice; The Compilation of
Compilation, Vol. III, Sanctity and Nature of Baha’i Elections)
