Local Spiritual Assemblies are at the present newly-born
institutions, struggling for the most part to establish themselves both in the
Bahá'í community and in the world. They are as yet only embryos of the majestic
institutions ordained by Bahá'u'lláh in His writings. . . .
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated July 30, 1972, to a National Spiritual
Assembly; Developing Distinctive Baha’i Communities, NSA of USA, 1998 edition)