The light which these souls [“Prophets and Messengers of
God”] radiate is responsible for the progress of the world and the advancement
of its peoples. They are like unto leaven which leaveneth the world of being,
and constitute the animating force through which the arts and wonders of the
world are made manifest. Through them the clouds rain their bounty upon men,
and the earth bringeth forth its fruits. All things must needs have a cause, a
motive power, an animating principle. These souls and symbols of detachment
have provided, and will continue to provide, the supreme moving impulse in the
world of being.
- Baha’u’llah (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)
