We have your letter of April 28, 1970 raising the question
as to whether believers elected to both a Local Spiritual Assembly and the
National Spiritual Assembly may resign their membership in the Local Assembly
and dedicate their full efforts to the work of the National Assembly.
Normally those elected to a Local Assembly and the National
Assembly should make every effort to serve on both bodies, whatever the
personal sacrifices may be. If it is too much of a burden and impractical for
an individual member to assume the responsibilities of serving on both the
National and Local Assembly, he should present his case to both bodies, and
seek consultation. Each case should be considered separately, depending on the
circumstances of each member. It may be found that if a National Assembly
member is an officer of the Local Spiritual Assembly, his resignation as
officer of the Assembly, instead of the membership of that Assembly, may solve
the problem for that individual.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 7 May, 1970 to the National Spiritual Assembly of North East Africa, May 7, 1970: Malaysian
Bahá'í News, Vol. 8, No. 4, December 1972 to February 1973, p. 28; compilation:
‘Lights of Guidance’)