Few will fail to recognize that the Spirit breathed by Bahá'u'lláh upon the world, and which is manifesting itself with varying degrees of intensity through the efforts consciously displayed by His avowed supporters and indirectly through certain humanitarian organizations, can never permeate and exercise an abiding influence upon mankind unless and until it incarnates itself in a visible Order, which would bear His name, wholly identify itself with His principles, and function in conformity with His laws. That Bahá'u'lláh in His Book of Aqdas, and later 'Abdu'l-Bahá in His Will -- a document which confirms, supplements, and correlates the provisions of the Aqdas -- have set forth in their entirety those essential elements for the constitution of the world Bahá'í Commonwealth, no one who has read them will deny. According to these divinely-ordained administrative principles, the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh -- the Ark of human salvation -- must needs be modeled. From them, all future blessings must flow, and upon them its inviolable authority must ultimately rest. (Shoghi Effendi, March 21, 1930, ‘The World Order of Baha'u'llah’)
