Shoghi Effendi's exposition of the Word of God: ‑ an astonishment and a new breath of life - by David Hofman

Such was the nature of Shoghi Effendi's exposition of the Word of God ‑ an astonishment and a new breath of life to all who had thought religion to be limited to 'the spirit of brotherhood and goodwill', to idealism and the expression of vague and pious hopes, to personal salvation, requiring the believers to have patience and firmness in faith that the Promised One would bring about the Kingdom of God on earth in His Own good time. It was Shoghi Effendi who said, in effect, Oh no; you must study and toil and sweat and sacrifice and God of His bounty will reward your efforts. He uncovered for us all that marvellous guidance and direction of which we knew nothing, led us into his dynamic programme for building that Kingdom of God on earth ‑ long anticipated, Christ‑promised, and now to be ushered in through our services to the King of Glory. 

- David Hofman  (The late member of the Universal House of Justice, from an essay: ‘Shoghi Effendi Expounder of the Word of God’; included in ‘Studying the Writings of Shoghi Effendi’, published by George Ronald)

Humanity enters the age of maturity through the Kitab-i-Aqdas - by Hand of the Cause Mr. Faizi

The Kitab-i-Aqdas …is a gate through which man enters the age of maturity, leaving behind all the years and centuries of childhood, savagery and inhumanity.

- Hand of the Cause Mr. Faizi (Published in 'Excerpts from Letters, Talks and Writings of Hand of the Cause of God Abu'l-Qásim Faizí, Compiled by Shirley Macias)
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A National Spiritual Assembly stands… as the pillar upon which rests the dome of the Baha'i social structure: - the Universal House of Justice - by Horace Holley

Significant as the formation of a new National Spiritual Assembly is as evidence of an active, vigorous and widespread Baha'i community in its land, its full importance lies in the fact that the institution of the National Assembly itself is but a step in the development of the Baha'i world order. A National Spiritual Assembly stands not as an independent body, nor a final authority in the realm of collective action, but as the pillar upon which will rest in future the dome of the Baha'i social structure-the International House of Justice. A great part of the necessary foundation for that crowning Baha'i achievement has already been constructed. It remains only for the new National Spiritual Assemblies to begin functioning with effective power…The requisite capacity will then have been acquired, and the proper conditions realized, for the decisive final step upon which the world's peace and even its very existence depends. 

- Horace Holley  (from ‘Survey of Current Baha’i Activities in the East and West, International’, in ‘The Baha’i World 1934-1936’)

Simplicity in Baha’u’llah’s life and Writings - by Hand of the Cause Mr. Faizi

Simplicity is the basis and order of Bahá'u'lláh's life. It rules throughout His ways and manners of living, including garments, residence, furniture, His approach to His friends and followers, and as a matter of fact, to all the people of the world. The same order applies to His Writings. All are easy to read, to follow and understand. Almost every Tablet starts with the praise of God, and immediately after that, He starts to answer questions put to Him by the believers. His answers are always direct, frank, to the point, and concise. There are, however, some exceptions to this rule and there are obvious reasons for such exceptional cases. I mention three of these exceptions.

The first is the Tablet to the King of Persia, Násiri'd-Dín Sháh. The language is very exalted and in some parts the vocabulary is very powerful and difficult to understand. The reason is this, that the King had been surrounded by the divines, who always boasted of their knowledge of the Arabic language. Bahá'u'lláh, Who had never been to their schools, by using elaborate words and perfect melodious sentences desired to awaken and address the King and his entourage to the source of His revelation, the greatness of His Cause, and the exceptional power with which He had been endowed. When the King received this Tablet, he sent it to the divines of his country and asked them to compose a suitable answer, but none dared to even a sentence which could be compared with the perfection of words, style and melody used by Bahá'u'lláh in that great Tablet.

Early soldiers of the Guardian - by David Hofman

Those early believers on whose shoulders we now stand ‑ a debt we can never forget or repay ‑ although beatified by their recognition of the Promised One of all ages, were, nevertheless, insofar as His Revelation was concerned, largely uninformed, naive and not yet weaned from the old order which Baha'u'llah was rolling up. Yet they were the Guardian's soldiers ‑ the army of life: he trained them, enlarged their vision, and led them on to victory.

The late Hand of the Cause H. M. Balyuzi related that even the erudite among the Persians, who could read the entire Sacred Text in its original, were not exempt from the general simplicity. He maintained that the Bab's statement 'Well is it with him who fixeth His gaze upon the Order of Baha'u'llah . . .', was understood by them to refer to Baha'u'llah's literary style. It was Shoghi Effendi who put the capital 'O' to that Order ‑ a device not used apparently in Persian orthography. 

- David Hofman  (The late member of the Universal House of Justice, from an essay: ‘Shoghi Effendi, Expounder of the Word of God’; published in ‘Studying the Writings of Shoghi Effendi’, by George Ronald)
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