This National Spiritual Assembly, which pending the
establishment of the Universal House of Justice will have to be re-elected once
a year, obviously assumes grave responsibilities, for it has to exercise full
authority over all the local Assemblies in its province, and will have to
direct the activities of the friends, guard vigilantly the Cause of God, and
control and supervise the affairs of the Movement in general.
With it too rests the decision whether a certain point at
issue is strictly local in its nature, and should be reserved for the
consideration and decision of the local Assembly, or whether it should fall
under its own province and be regarded as a matter which ought to receive its
special attention. The National Spiritual Assembly will also decide upon such
matters which in its opinion should be referred to the Holy Land for
consultation and decision.
- Shoghi Effendi
(From a letter dated 12 March 1923 to the
National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá'ís of America, Australasia, France,
Germany, British Isles, Italy, Japan and Switzerland, published in ‘Bahá'í
Administration: Selected Messages 1922-1932’; The Compilation of Compilations,
Vol. II, National Spiritual Assembly)
