1. The Báb was the Herald of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh and an independent Manifestation of God in His own right.
2. Bahá’u’lláh is the Universal Manifestation of God for this Day and the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation. His Laws and Teachings embodied in His written Works are unreservedly accepted as the revealed Word of God.
3. Bahá’u’lláh made a binding and indestructible Covenant with His followers in a written Will and Testament (Kitáb-i-‘Ahd), also designated by Him as the “Book of My Covenant” in which they were enjoined to turn to His eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the “most great Branch” , after His ascension. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s station was further confirmed in the Tablet of the Branch (Súriy-i-Ghusn) penned by Bahá’u’lláh in which Abdu’l-Bahá was referred to as “this sacred and glorious Being”..”this Branch of Holiness” and the “Limb of the Law of God “ By virtue of this divine appointment, ‘Abdu’l-Baha is recognized as the Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, His vicegerent on earth, the Executive of His authority, the Interpreter of His mind, the Focal Point of His unerring guidance, the Exemplar of His Faith and the Architect of His World Order.
4. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s greatest legacy to posterity and the brightest emanation of His mind was His Will and Testament, the “Child of the Covenant”, and Charter of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh – “the mightiest instrument forged to ensure the continuity of the three ages which constitute the component parts of His Father’s Dispensation. “ This immortal Document is considered supplementary to the Most Holy Book revealed by Bahá’u’lláh (the Kitáb-i-Aqdas) and as such constitutes a part of the explicit Holy Text, inviolate and never to be abrogated or altered in any way during the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh.
5. The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá established the Guardianship of the Faith as the supreme Institution of the Faith for he was designated the “expounder of the words of God” and all of the believers were enjoined to show their “obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto the guardian of the Cause of God. “ This Document declared that “The mighty stronghold shall remain impregnable and safe through obedience to him who is the guardian of the Cause of God.” The Universal House of Justice was established as the supreme legislative organ of the Administrative Order and the Guardian appointed the “sacred head and the distinguished member for life of that body.” In the words of the Will and Testament: “the Guardian of the Cause of God as well as the Universal House of Justice to be universally elected and established, are both under the care and protection of the Abhá Beauty and under the shelter an unerring guidance of His Holiness, the Exalted One”.
6. The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá confers sole authority upon the Guardian of the Faith to appoint his successor, For this reason, it is a hereditary office and while the Will states that the Guardian will appoint his firstborn son if he possesses the spiritual prerequisites, in the event that he does not, he is authorized to appoint another individual. This appointment must be made by the Guardian during his lifetime and announced to the believers. Thus the continuity of the Guardianship is preserved in an unbroken chain of guardians each appointed by his predecessor in office throughout the duration of the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh.
7. The first Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, prior to his passing, appointed Charles Mason Remey the President of the first embryonic Universal House of Justice (titled in this embryonic stage as the International Bahá’í Council), thus designating his successor, as Presidency of the Universal House of Justice and Guardianship of the Faith are synonymous. Upon the passing of Shoghi Effendi in November 1957, this embryonic Institution came into active life and Charles Mason Remey as its Head became the second Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith.
8. The second Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, Charles Mason Remey, appointed Joel B. Marangella President of the second International Bahá’í Council on 21, September 1964, a body that was activated and brought into functioning life in October 1965 with an announcement of the same appearing in the official publication of the Bahá’ís under the Guardianship at the time (The Glad Tidings.) Additionally, the second Guardian confirmed his appointment of Joel B. Marangella as the third Guardian in a hand-written Letter under date of 5, December 1961 and directed him to tell the Bahá’í world of this appointment at a time to be decided by him. The third Guardian of the Faith assumed his responsibilities as a result of a proclamatory letter sent to the Bahá’ís under the guardianship on 12, November 1969
9. The third Guardian of the Baha’i Faith Joel Bray Marangella in his Proclamation of 22 September 2006 appointed Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand as his Successor.
10. Nosrat’u’llah Bahremand is the 4th and the Living Guardianship of the Baha’i Faith.
11. Avowed Bahá’ís who espouse views and doctrines at variance with the above statement are not orthodox Bahá’ís and have placed themselves outside the true Faith.