Marriage “is not the central purpose of life” - 6 February 1973

It should, moreover, be born in mind that although to be married is highly desirable, and Bahá'u'lláh has strongly recommended it, it is not the central purpose of life. If a person has to wait a considerable period before finding a spouse, or if ultimately, he or she must remain single, it does not mean that he or she is thereby unable to fulfill his or her life's purpose. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a letter dated 6 February 1973 to an individual believer; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1968-1973’)