We must not pray to the Guardian as to God; whoever we turn to when we pray, we must have the correct concept of the station of that person: Bahá’u’lláh as the Supreme Manifestation of God, the Master as the Perfect Man, the Centre of the Covenant, the Guardian as his functions are defined in the Master’s Will. The friends need only read the Writings; the answers are all in them; we have no priests in this Faith to interpret or answer for us.
- Shoghi Effendi (From a letter dated 23 April 1957 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer; compilation: ‘Prayer and Devotional Life’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, February 2019)