It is very unfortunate that some of the believers do not seem to grasp the fact that the administrative order, the Local and National Assemblies, are the pattern for the future, however inadequate they may sometimes seem. We must obey and support these bodies, for this is the Bahá'í law. Until we learn to do this we cannot make real progress....
The Bahá'í are far from perfect, as individuals or when they serve on elected bodies, but the system of Bahá'u'lláh is perfect and gradually the believers will mature and the system will work better.... (From a letter dated 1 November 1950 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, Issues Concerning Community Functioning)
