Applications of “a chaste and holy life with its implications of modesty, purity, temperance, decency, and clean-mindedness”

Such a chaste and holy life, with its implications of modesty, purity, temperance, decency, and clean-mindedness, 

• involves no less than the exercise of moderation in all that pertains to dress, language, amusements, and all artistic and literary avocations. 
• It demands daily vigilance in the control of one’s carnal desires and corrupt inclinations. 
• It calls for the abandonment of a frivolous conduct, with its excessive attachment to trivial and often misdirected pleasures. 
• It requires total abstinence from all alcoholic drinks, from opium, and from similar habit-forming drugs. 
• It condemns the prostitution of art and of literature, the practices of nudism and of companionate marriage, infidelity in marital relationships, and all manner of promiscuity, of easy familiarity, and of sexual vices. 
• It can tolerate no compromise with the theories, the standards, the habits, and the excesses of a decadent age. 

Nay rather it seeks to demonstrate, through the dynamic force of its example, the pernicious character of such theories, the falsity of such standards, the hollowness of such claims, the perversity of such habits, and the sacrilegious character of such excesses. 

-Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“A chaste and holy life”: - “the controlling principle in the behavior and conduct”

A chaste and holy life must be made the controlling principle in the behavior and conduct of all Bahá’ís, 

• both in their social relations with the members of their own community, and in their contact with the world at large. 
• It must adorn and reinforce the ceaseless labors and meritorious exertions of those whose enviable position is to propagate the Message, and to administer the affairs, of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. 
• It must be upheld, in all its integrity and implications, in every phase of the life of those who fill the ranks of that Faith, whether in their homes, their travels, their clubs, their societies, their entertainments, their schools, and their universities. 
• It must be accorded special consideration in the conduct of the social activities of every Bahá’í summer school and any other occasions on which Bahá’í community life is organized and fostered. 
• It must be closely and continually identified with the mission of the Bahá’í youth, both as an element in the life of the Bahá’í community, and as a factor in the future progress and orientation of the youth of their own country. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“to purge the life of their community of every trace of moral laxity”

In the discharge of such an obligation, to which the special circumstances resulting from an excessive and enervating materialism now prevailing in their country lend particular significance, they must play a conspicuous and predominant role. All of them, be they men or women, must, at this threatening hour when the lights of religion are fading out, and its restraints are one by one being abolished, pause to examine themselves, scrutinize their conduct, and with characteristic resolution arise to purge the life of their community of every trace of moral laxity that might stain the name, or impair the integrity, of so holy and precious a Faith. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

The “weakening [of] the moral fiber” caused by “the forces of irreligion” and its effects on “individual morality”

In these days when the forces of irreligion are weakening the moral fiber, and undermining the foundations of individual morality, the obligation of chastity and holiness must claim an increasing share of the attention of the American believers, both in their individual capacities and as the responsible custodians of the interests of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“a chaste and holy life”: - contributes to “the strengthening and vitalization of the Bahá’í community” and “the success of any Bahá’í plan or enterprise”

As to a chaste and holy life, it should be regarded as no less essential a factor that must contribute its proper share to the strengthening and vitalization of the Bahá’í community, upon which must in turn depend the success of any Bahá’í plan or enterprise. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

Bahá’u’lláh chose “to associate the name and title of that House, which is to be the crowning glory of His administrative institutions, not with forgiveness but with justice”

Small wonder, therefore, that the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation should have chosen to associate the name and title of that House, which is to be the crowning glory of His administrative institutions, not with forgiveness but with justice, to have made justice the only basis and the permanent foundation of His Most Great Peace, and to have proclaimed it in His Hidden Words as “the best beloved of all things” in His sight. It is to the American believers, particularly, that I feel urged to direct this fervent plea to ponder in their hearts the implications of this moral rectitude, and to uphold, with heart and soul and uncompromisingly, both individually and collectively, this sublime standard—a standard of which justice is so essential and potent an element. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“The sun of justice hath risen above the horizon of Bahá’u’lláh.”

“God be praised!” ‘Abdu’l Bahá, in His turn, exclaims, “The sun of justice hath risen above the horizon of Bahá’u’lláh. For in His Tablets the foundations of such a justice have been laid as no mind hath, from the beginning of creation, conceived.” “The canopy of existence,” He further explains, “resteth upon the pole of justice, and not of forgiveness, and the life of mankind dependeth on justice and not on forgiveness.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting 'Abdu'l-Baha in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

Divine justice and its effect on the world: - ”if the daystar of justice…were to shed its light upon men, the face of the earth would be completely transformed.”

“The world,” He again has written, “is in great turmoil, and the minds of its people are in a state of utter confusion. We entreat the Almighty that He may graciously illuminate them with the glory of His Justice, and enable them to discover that which will be profitable unto them at all times and under all conditions.” And again, “There can be no doubt whatever that if the daystar of justice, which the clouds of tyranny have obscured, were to shed its light upon men, the face of the earth would be completely transformed.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá'u'lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

Baháu’lláh's sufferings and the manifestation of “the daystar of justice”

“The shame I was made to bear,” He significantly remarks, “hath uncovered the glory with which the whole of creation had been invested, and through the cruelties I have endured, the daystar of justice hath manifested itself, and shed its splendor upon men.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá'u'lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

The role of divine justice in human affairs

“The light of men is Justice,” He moreover states, “Quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny. The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men.” “No radiance,” He declares, “can compare with that of justice. The organization of the world and the tranquillity of mankind depend upon it.” “O people of God!” He exclaims, “That which traineth the world is Justice, for it is upheld by two pillars, reward and punishment. These two pillars are the sources of life to the world.” “Justice and equity,” is yet another assertion, “are two guardians for the protection of man. They have appeared arrayed in their mighty and sacred names to maintain the world in uprightness and protect the nations.” “Bestir yourselves, O people,” is His emphatic warning, “in anticipation of the days of Divine justice, for the promised hour is now come. Beware lest ye fail to apprehend its import, and be accounted among the erring.” “The day is approaching,” He similarly has written, “when the faithful will behold the daystar of justice shining in its full splendor from the dayspring of glory.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

The “principle of Divine justice”

So great and transcendental is this principle of Divine justice, a principle that must be regarded as the crowning distinction of all Local and National Assemblies, in their capacity as forerunners of the Universal House of Justice, that Bahá’u’lláh Himself subordinates His personal inclination and wish to the all-compelling force of its demands and implications. “God is My witness!” He thus explains, “were it not contrary to the Law of God, I would have kissed the hand of My would-be murderer, and would cause him to inherit My earthly goods. I am restrained, however, by the binding Law laid down in the Book, and am Myself bereft of all worldly possessions.” “Know thou, of a truth,” He significantly affirms, “these great oppressions that have befallen the world are preparing it for the advent of the Most Great Justice.” “Say,” He again asserts, “He hath appeared with that Justice wherewith mankind hath been adorned, and yet the people are, for the most part, asleep.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

Manifestations of “a rectitude of conduct” “with ever-increasing potency” by each Baha’i

Such a rectitude of conduct must manifest itself, with ever-increasing potency, 

• in every verdict which the elected representatives of the Bahá’í community, in whatever capacity they may find themselves, may be called upon to pronounce. 
• It must be constantly reflected in the business dealings of all its members, 
• in their domestic lives, 
• in all manner of employment, and in 
• any service they may, in the future, render their government or people. 
• It must be exemplified in the conduct of all Bahá’í electors, when exercising their sacred rights and functions. 
• It must characterize the attitude of every loyal believer towards 
• nonacceptance of political posts, 
• nonidentification with political parties, 
• nonparticipation in political controversies, and 
• nonmembership in political organizations and ecclesiastical institutions. 
• It must reveal itself in the uncompromising adherence of all, whether young or old, 
• to the clearly enunciated and fundamental principles laid down by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His addresses, and 
• to the laws and ordinances revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in His Most Holy Book. 
• It must be demonstrated 
• in the impartiality of every defender of the Faith against its enemies, 
• in his fair-mindedness in recognizing any merits that enemy may possess, and 
• in his honesty in discharging any obligations he may have towards him.

“Without truthfulness progress and success, in all the worlds of God, are impossible for any soul.”

“Truthfulness,” He asserts, “is the foundation of all human virtues. Without truthfulness progress and success, in all the worlds of God, are impossible for any soul. When this holy attribute is established in man, all the divine qualities will also be acquired.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting ‘Abdu’l-Baha in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

Character, manners and conduct

“The most vital duty, in this day,” He, moreover, has written, “is to purify your characters, to correct your manners, and improve your conduct. The beloved of the Merciful must show forth such character and conduct among His creatures, that the fragrance of their holiness may be shed upon the whole world, and may quicken the dead, inasmuch as the purpose of the Manifestation of God and the dawning of the limitless lights of the Invisible is to educate the souls of men, and refine the character of every living man.…” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting ‘Abdu’l-Baha in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

To “stand out distinguished and brilliant as the sun among other souls”

“O army of God!” writes ‘Abdu’l Bahá, “Through the protection and help vouchsafed by the Blessed Beauty—may my life be a sacrifice to His loved ones—ye must conduct yourselves in such a manner that ye may stand out distinguished and brilliant as the sun among other souls. Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and loving-kindness towards all the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say: ‘This man is unquestionably a Bahá’í, for his manners, his behavior, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the attributes of the Bahá’ís.’ Not until ye attain this station can ye be said to have been faithful to the Covenant and Testament of God.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting ‘Abdu’l-Baha in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind”

Say: Beware, O people of Bahá, lest ye walk in the ways of them whose words differ from their deeds. Strive that ye may be enabled to manifest to the peoples of the earth the signs of God, and to mirror forth His commandments. Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind, for the professions of most men, be they high or low, differ from their conduct. It is through your deeds that ye can distinguish yourselves from others. Through them the brightness of your light can be shed upon the whole earth. Happy is the man that heedeth My counsel, and keepeth the precepts prescribed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi, ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“truthfulness and courtesy”;” forbearance and justice”

“Let truthfulness and courtesy be your adorning,” is still another admonition; “suffer not yourselves to be deprived of the robe of forbearance and justice, that the sweet savors of holiness may be wafted from your hearts upon all created things. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“truth”; “fidelity”; “righteousness”; “justice”; “a luminary above the horizon of virtue”

“Be an ornament to the countenance of truth,” is yet another admonition, “a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“eye… chaste… hand faithful… tongue truthful… heart enlightened”

“Let your eye be chaste,” is yet another counsel, “your hand faithful, your tongue truthful, and your heart enlightened.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“truthfulness”; not to “deal treacherously with anyone”

“Beautify your tongues, O people,” He further admonishes them, “with truthfulness, and adorn your souls with the ornament of honesty. Beware, O people, that ye deal not treacherously with anyone. Be ye the trustees of God amongst His creatures, and the emblems of His generosity amidst His people.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“Equity” and “justice”

“Be fair to yourselves and to others,” He thus counseleth them, “that the evidences of justice may be revealed through your deeds among Our faithful servants.” “Equity,” He also has written, “is the most fundamental among human virtues. The evaluation of all things must needs depend upon it.” And again, “Observe equity in your judgment, ye men of understanding heart! He that is unjust in his judgment is destitute of the characteristics that distinguish man’s station.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

How to accomplish the “betterment of the world”

“The betterment of the world,” is yet another statement, “can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

The influence of “a praiseworthy character and upright conduct”

Say: O people of God! That which can insure the victory of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, His hosts and helpers on earth, have been set down in the sacred Books and Scriptures, and are as clear and manifest as the sun. These hosts are such righteous deeds, such conduct and character, as are acceptable in His sight. Whoso ariseth, in this Day, to aid Our Cause, and summoneth to his assistance the hosts of a praiseworthy character and upright conduct, the influence from such an action will, most certainly, be diffused throughout the whole world. 

- Baha’u’llah  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

The incredible effect of “One righteous act”

“One righteous act,” He [Bahá’u’lláh], again, has written, “is endowed with a potency that can so elevate the dust as to cause it to pass beyond the heaven of heavens. It can tear every bond asunder, and hath the power to restore the force that hath spent itself and vanished.… Be pure, O people of God, be pure; be righteous, be righteous.… 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh; ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“good character”: - “The light of a good character surpasseth the light of the sun and the radiance thereof.”

“A good character,” He explains, “is, verily, the best mantle for men from God. With it He adorneth the temples of His loved ones. By My life! The light of a good character surpasseth the light of the sun and the radiance thereof.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“righteousness”

“Cleave unto righteousness, O people of Bahá,” He thus exhorts them, “This, verily, is the commandment which this wronged One hath given unto you, and the first choice of His unrestrained will for every one of you.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“unlawful deeds” and “reprehensible conduct”

“We have admonished all the loved ones of God,” He insists, “to take heed lest the hem of Our sacred vesture be smirched with the mire of unlawful deeds, or be stained with the dust of reprehensible conduct.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Quoting Bahá’u’lláh in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

Bahá’u’lláh explains the “purpose of the one true God in manifesting Himself” through His Prophets

The purpose of the one true God in manifesting Himself is to summon all mankind

• to truthfulness and sincerity,
• to piety and trustworthiness,
• to resignation and submissiveness to the will of God,
• to forbearance and kindliness,
• to uprightness and
• wisdom.

His object is to array every man with the mantle of a saintly character, and to adorn him with the ornament of holy and goodly deeds.” 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi in ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

Bahá’u’lláh defines the characteristic of those “who dwell within the Tabernacle of God”

They who dwell within the Tabernacle of God, and are established upon the seats of everlasting glory, will refuse, though they be dying of hunger, to stretch their hands, and seize unlawfully the property of their neighbor, however vile and worthless he may be. 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (Quoted by Shoghi Effendi, ‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

Bahá’u’lláh defines the characteristic of those who have “truly ascended into the heaven of faith and certitude”

“By Him Who shineth above the Dayspring of sanctity!” He, [Bahá’u’lláh] still more emphatically, has revealed, “If the whole earth were to be converted into silver and gold, no man who can be said to have truly ascended into the heaven of faith and certitude would deign to regard it, much less to seize and keep it.… 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

Bahá’u’lláh defines the characteristics of “the true servant of God”

“He is the true servant of God,” He, [Bahá’u’lláh] in another passage has written, “who, in this day, were he to pass through cities of silver and gold, would not deign to look upon them, and whose heart would remain pure and undefiled from whatever things can be seen in this world, be they its goods or its treasures. I swear by the Sun of Truth! The breath of such a man is endowed with potency, and his words with attraction.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

The “rectitude of conduct” and “its implications” that “must distinguish every phase of the life of the Bahá’í community”

This rectitude of conduct, with its implications of

• justice,
• equity,
• truthfulness,
• honesty,
• fair-mindedness,
• reliability, and
• trustworthiness,

must distinguish every phase of the life of the Bahá’í community. “The companions of God,” Bahá’u’lláh Himself has declared, “are, in this day, the lump that must leaven the peoples of the world. They must show forth such trustworthiness, such truthfulness and perseverance, such deeds and character that all mankind may profit by their example.” “I swear by Him Who is the Most Great Ocean!” He again affirms, “Within the very breath of such souls as are pure and sanctified far-reaching potentialities are hidden. So great are these potentialities that they exercise their influence upon all created things.” 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“the ideals which the American believers must, from now on, individually and through concerted action, strive to promote, in both their private and public lives”

• A rectitude of conduct, an abiding sense of undeviating justice, unobscured by the demoralizing influences which a corruption-ridden political life so strikingly manifests;
• a chaste, pure, and holy life, unsullied and unclouded by the indecencies, the vices, the false standards, which an inherently deficient moral code tolerates, perpetuates, and fosters;
• a fraternity freed from that cancerous growth of racial prejudice, which is eating into the vitals of an already debilitated society—

these are the ideals which the American believers must, from now on, individually and through concerted action, strive to promote, in both their private and public lives, ideals which are the chief propelling forces that can most effectively accelerate the march of their institutions, plans, and enterprises, that can guard the honor and integrity of their Faith, and subdue any obstacles that may confront it in the future. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“spiritual prerequisites of success” for “all and sundry members of the Bahá’í community, of whatever age, rank, experience, class, or color, as all, with no exception, must face”

…complete freedom from prejudice in their dealings with peoples of a different race, class, creed, or color…should be the immediate, the universal, and the chief concern of all and sundry members of the Bahá’í community, of whatever age, rank, experience, class, or color, as all, with no exception, must face its challenging implications, and none can claim, however much he may have progressed along this line, to have completely discharged the stern responsibilities which it inculcates. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“spiritual prerequisites of success” for “the Bahá’í youth”

…absolute chastity in their individual lives…is mainly and directly concerned with the Bahá’í youth, who can contribute so decisively to the virility, the purity, and the driving force of the life of the Bahá’í community, and upon whom must depend the future orientation of its destiny, and the complete unfoldment of the potentialities with which God has endowed it. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“spiritual prerequisites of success” for “elected representatives, whether local, regional, or national”

“…a high sense of moral rectitude in their social and administrative activities…is specially, though not exclusively, directed to their elected representatives, whether local, regional, or national, who, in their capacity as the custodians and members of the nascent institutions of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, are shouldering the chief responsibility in laying an unassailable foundation for that Universal House of Justice which, as its title implies, is to be the exponent and guardian of that Divine Justice which can alone insure the security of, and establish the reign of law and order in, a strangely disordered world. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“preeminent and vital” “spiritual prerequisites of success”: - “a high sense of moral rectitude in… social and administrative activities, absolute chastity in…individual lives, and complete freedom from prejudice in…dealings with peoples of a different race, class, creed, or color”

Of these spiritual prerequisites of success, which constitute the bedrock on which the security of all teaching plans, Temple projects, and financial schemes, must ultimately rest, the following stand out as preeminent and vital, which the members of the American Bahá’í community will do well to ponder. Upon the extent to which these basic requirements are met, and the manner in which the American believers fulfill them in their individual lives, administrative activities, and social relationships, must depend the measure of the manifold blessings which the All-Bountiful Possessor can vouchsafe to them all. These requirements are none other than

• a high sense of moral rectitude in their social and administrative activities,
• absolute chastity in their individual lives,
• and complete freedom from prejudice in their dealings with peoples of a different race, class, creed, or color.

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

American believers: - how to become prepared to “eradicate… such evil tendencies from the lives and the hearts of the entire body of their fellow-citizens”

Incapable as yet, in view of the restricted size of their community and the limited influence it now wields, of producing any marked effect on the great mass of their countrymen, let them focus their attention, for the present, on their own selves, their own individual needs, their own personal deficiencies and weaknesses, ever mindful that every intensification of effort on their part will better equip them for the time when they will be called upon to eradicate in their turn such evil tendencies from the lives and the hearts of the entire body of their fellow-citizens. Nor must they overlook the fact that the World Order, whose basis they, as the advance-guard of the future Bahá’í generations of their countrymen, are now laboring to establish, can never be reared unless and until the generality of the people to which they belong has been already purged from the divers ills, whether social or political, that now so severely afflict it. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“the essential requirements for…success”: - “the imponderable, the spiritual, factors, which are bound up with their own individual and inner lives, and with which are associated their human and social relationships”

Surveying as a whole the most pressing needs of this community, attempting to estimate the more serious deficiencies by which it is being handicapped in the discharge of its task, and ever bearing in mind the nature of that still greater task with which it will be forced to wrestle in the future, I feel it my duty to lay special stress upon, and draw the special and urgent attention of the entire body of the American believers, be they young or old, white or colored, teachers or administrators, veterans or newcomers, to what I firmly believe are the essential requirements for the success of the tasks which are now claiming their undivided attention. Great as is the importance of fashioning the outward instruments, and of perfecting the administrative agencies, which they can utilize for the prosecution of their dual task under the Seven Year Plan; vital and urgent as are the campaigns which they are initiating, the schemes and projects which they are devising, and the funds which they are raising, for the efficient conduct of both the Teaching and Temple work, the imponderable, the spiritual, factors, which are bound up with their own individual and inner lives, and with which are associated their human and social relationships, are no less urgent and vital, and demand constant scrutiny, continual self-examination and heart-searching on their part, lest their value be impaired or their vital necessity be obscured or forgotten. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

The “staggering…responsibility” for “the present generation of the American believers”: - “to weed out, by every means in their power, those faults, habits, and tendencies which they have inherited from their own nation, and to cultivate, patiently and prayerfully, those distinctive qualities and characteristics that are so indispensable to their effective participation in the great redemptive work of their Faith.”

How great, therefore, how staggering the responsibility that must weigh upon the present generation of the American believers, at this early stage in their spiritual and administrative evolution, to weed out, by every means in their power, those faults, habits, and tendencies which they have inherited from their own nation, and to cultivate, patiently and prayerfully, those distinctive qualities and characteristics that are so indispensable to their effective participation in the great redemptive work of their Faith. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

“virtues and qualities” that the American “nation as a whole so conspicuously displays”: - “high intelligence”, “youthfulness”, “unbounded initiative”, and enterprise”

Observations such as these, however distasteful and depressing they may be, should not, in the least, blind us to those virtues and qualities of high intelligence, of youthfulness, of unbounded initiative, and enterprise which the nation as a whole so conspicuously displays, and which are being increasingly reflected by the community of the believers within it. Upon these virtues and qualities, no less than upon the elimination of the evils referred to, must depend, to a very great extent, the ability of that community to lay a firm foundation for the country’s future role in ushering in the Golden Age of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)

The reason why America is “regarded as the cradle of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh”; as “to become the standard-bearer of the New World Order”

To a lesser degree this principle must of necessity apply to the country which has vindicated its right to be regarded as the cradle of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. So great a function, so noble a role, can be regarded as no less inferior to the part played by those immortal souls who, through their sublime renunciation and unparalleled deeds, have been responsible for the birth of the Faith itself. Let not, therefore, those who are to participate so predominantly in the birth of that world civilization, which is the direct offspring of their Faith, imagine for a moment that for some mysterious purpose or by any reason of inherent excellence or special merit Bahá’u’lláh has chosen to confer upon their country and people so great and lasting a distinction. It is precisely by reason of the patent evils which, notwithstanding its other admittedly great characteristics and achievements, an excessive and binding materialism has unfortunately engendered within it that the Author of their Faith and the Center of His Covenant have singled it out to become the standard-bearer of the New World Order envisaged in their writings. It is by such means as this that Bahá’u’lláh can best demonstrate to a heedless generation His almighty power to raise up from the very midst of a people, immersed in a sea of materialism, a prey to one of the most virulent and long-standing forms of racial prejudice, and notorious for its political corruption, lawlessness and laxity in moral standards, men and women who, as time goes by, will increasingly exemplify those essential virtues of self-renunciation, of moral rectitude, of chastity, of indiscriminating fellowship, of holy discipline, and of spiritual insight that will fit them for the preponderating share they will have in calling into being that World Order and that World Civilization of which their country, no less than the entire human race, stands in desperate need. Theirs will be the duty and privilege, in their capacity first as the establishers of one of the most powerful pillars sustaining the edifice of the Universal House of Justice, and then as the champion-builders of that New World Order of which that House is to be the nucleus and forerunner, to inculcate, demonstrate, and apply those twin and sorely needed principles of Divine justice and order—principles to which the political corruption and the moral license, increasingly staining the society to which they belong, offer so sad and striking a contrast. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘The Advent of Divine Justice’)