From Ridvan Msg 2012:

"A layered veil of false premises thus obscures a fundamental truth:
The state of the world reflects a distortion of the human spirit, not its essential nature.
The purpose of every Manifestation of God is to effect a transformation in both the inner life and external conditions of humanity.

And this transformation naturally occurs as a growing body of people, united by the divine precepts, collectively seeks to develop spiritual capacities to contribute to a process of societal change. ...............UHJ

Where the Light Shines?

The Baha'i temple in Chile is one of eight projects from around the world that received an award or citation in the program this year.

"For architects, it's the award that recognizes designs that go in a new direction," said Siamak Hariri of Hariri Pontarini Architects of Toronto, the firm that designed the house of worship and is overseeing its construction. Representatives of the firm traveled to New York last month for the awards ceremony.

In the Baha'i scriptures Baha'u'llah designates the houses of worship as gathering places for prayer and meditation, which in the future are envisioned to be the center of a group of buildings housing social, humanitarian, educational and scientific institutions.

The house of worship in Chile, like the others, will be financed entirely by voluntary contributions from Baha'is around the world.