The existence of institutions of such exalted rank, [Hands,
Counsellors, Auxiliary Boards] comprising individuals who play such a vital
role, who yet have no legislative, administrative or judicial authority, and
are entirely devoid of priestly functions or the right to make authoritative
interpretations, is a feature of Baha'i administration unparalleled in the
religions of the past. The newness and uniqueness, of this concept make it
difficult to grasp; only as the Baha'i Community grows and the believers are
increasingly able to contemplate its administrative structure uninfluenced by
concepts from past ages, will the vital interdependence of the
"rulers" and "learned" in the Faith be properly understood,
and the inestimable value of their interaction be fully recognized.
- The
Universal House of Justice (From a message dated 24 April 1972; ‘Messages from
the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)
