We have noted that the Hands, the Counselors and the
Auxiliary Boards are sometimes referred to by the friends as the
"appointive arm" of the Administrative Order in contradistinction to
the Universal House of Justice and the National and Local Assemblies which
constitute the "elective arm." While there is truth in this
description as it applies to the method used in the creation of these
institutions, the friends should understand that it is not only the fact of
appointment that particularly distinguishes the institutions of the Hands,
Counselors and Auxiliary Boards. There are, for instance, many more believers
appointed to committees in the "elective arm" than are serving in the
so-called "appointive arm." A more striking distinction is that
whereas the "rulers" in the Cause function as corporate bodies, the
"learned" operate primarily as individuals.
- The Universal House of
Justice (From a letter dated 24 April 1972; ‘Messages from the Universal House
of Justice, 1963-1986’)
