. . . It is evident and manifest that the greatest of all means for the progress and advancement of all peoples, and the mightiest instrument for the establishment of true civilization in the world, is perfect love, concord and unity amongst the children of men. Nothing whatsoever in this world can be either conceived or achieved save through the power of unity, of harmony and concord; and the most perfect means thereunto is the true faith of God.

. . . Consider how the power of real union latent in the mission of the Prophets of God hath, both outwardly and inwardly, gathered together the hostile peoples and kindreds of the earth under the shadow of the one Word of God . . . Whenever true religion—the cause of the civilization, the glory, the happiness, the honor, the enlightenment and the advancement of backward, enslaved and ignorant peoples—falls into the hands of the foolish and fanatical divines, it is so sorely misused that its great light is turned into utter darkness . . . By the one true God! The minute elements of material civilization owe their existence to the bountiful grace of the Prophets of God. What utility can ever be conceived in this world which is not, either expressly or tacitly, mentioned in the Holy Scriptures? But of what avail is this? So long as the weapon is in the hand of the coward, neither life nor property is secure; nay, on the contrary, the power and strength of the robber is thereby increased.

O people of God! Behold in this day the aimless wanderings of the peoples of the world, their whims and fanciful desires, their notions, their principles, their pursuits. Of all the divers communities of the earth, this community, the followers of the Most Great Name, stands detached from every worldly desire, shorn from every ignoble thought and motive. Its intention is pure, its hopes undimmed, its endeavors to promote the Divine Teachings devoted and earnest. Its aim is to turn the face of the earth into a paradise, cause it to mirror forth the splendors of the eternal realm, make of the world another world, and inculcate in man the highest principles of education and human conduct.

Exert yourselves, O ye people of God! that through the gracious assistance and favor of the Blessed Beauty—May my life be a sacrifice unto His loved ones—your conduct and behavior, may even as the sun, shine forth in the world and cause you to be distinguished from the rest of mankind. It behooveth everyone of you so to live and act that when entering a city ye may be universally hailed and recognized by the beauty of your character, by your straightforwardness and loyalty, your trustworthiness and love, your piety and kindliness; that all the dwellers of the city may confidently bear witness to your being a true Bahá’í, and witness in you the essential characteristics of the Bahá’í faith. Not until ye attain this station, can ye claim loyalty to the Covenant and Testament of the Lord, to whom in accordance with His explicit utterances we stand pledged to abide by His will, His injuctions, His admonitions, His teachings and His behests.