May America become the distributing center of spiritual
enlightenment, and all the world receive this heavenly blessing! For America
has developed powers and capacities greater and more wonderful than other
nations... May the inhabitants of this country ... rise from their present
material attainments to such a height that heavenly illumination may stream
from this center to all the peoples of the world.
(‘Abdu’l-Baha, quoted by
Shoghi Effendi in a letter dated June 15, 1946; ‘Messages to America’)
