Mistakes

Failure to Educate Child is . . . a sin unpardonable . . . What a mistake is this! What an everlasting humiliation!

Over-administration can be even worse for the Faith at this time than under-administration. The believers are, for the most part, young in the Cause, an if they make mistakes it is not half as important as if their spirit is crushed by being told all the time-do this and don't do that! The new National Body should be like a loving parent, watching over and helping its children, and not like a stern judge, waiting for an opportunity to display his judicial powers.

The Assembly may make a mistake, but, as the Master pointed out, if the Community does not abide by its decisions, or the individual Bahá’í, the result is worse, as it undermines the very institution which must be strengthened in order to uphold the principles and laws of the Faith. He tells us God will right the wrongs done. We must have confidence in this and obey our Assemblies.

A wide latitude for action must be allowed them, which means that a large margin for mistakes must also be allowed. Your National Assembly and the Local Assemblies must not react automatically to every mistake, but distinguish between those that are self-correcting with the passage of time and do no particular harm to the community and those which require Assembly intervention.

The Cause is not so fragile that a degree of mistakes cannot be tolerated.