It was the Guardian
himself, the beloved "sign of God", who, through his exposition and interpretation
of the Revelation, through his discipline and education of the Bahá'í community
and through a series of national plans assigned to the various units of that
community, forged the Administrative Order of the Faith and made it an
instrument for the carrying out of this great Charter, and he himself designed
and launched the first global plan, the unique, brilliant and spiritually
glorious Ten Year Crusade. The victories of that crusade implanted the banner
of Bahá'u'lláh throughout the planet and the following Nine Year Plan
reinforced and extended the bastions of the Faith and raised the number of
National Spiritual Assemblies the - supporting pillars of the Universal House
of Justice -- to one hundred and thirteen, a number increased to one hundred
and fifteen by the formation at this Ridvan of the National Spiritual
Assemblies of Hong Kong and South East Arabia.
- The Universal House of Justice (Ridvan message, 131 B.E., 1974)
