As regards the "Administrative Manual": he urges
you to not add to the rules and regulations, but try to cut down on these and
decide cases as they arise; there is a natural tendency to codify the teachings
and produce handbooks of procedure, there are not enough Bahá'ís in the whole
world to justify this, and he continuously urges the various National Spiritual
Assemblies to beware of this tendency. He has no time, at all, to go over such
things himself; indeed, your Assembly, and all the others, will have to assume
increasing responsibility for your work in order to relieve him. He is worn out
with all his work and added material to read.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 19 June 1953
written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of
Central America; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. II, National Spiritual
Assembly)
