With regard to your little daughter ...; he is truly rejoiced and encouraged to realize how eager you both are to provide her with a thoroughly Bahá’í training, and is confident that under your wise and devoted care, and through the unfailing protection and guidance of Bahá’u’lláh she will in time develop into a devoted and loyal servant of the Faith. With this in mind, the Guardian thinks it would be preferable not to place the child in a purely Catholic institution, and to give her instead a broad spiritual and intellectual training that would enable her, at a later age, to fully appreciate the spirit of the Cause. While it should be your constant endeavour to bring her up in a thoroughly religious atmosphere, you should also be careful in keeping her away from all such influences that would tend to breed in her the spirit of religious bigotry, and thus narrow down the horizon of her spiritual understanding. (From a letter dated 12 December 1939 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to two believers) [124] “125: With reference to the question of the training of children: given the...” With reference to the question of the training of children: given the emphasis placed by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the necessity for the parents to train their children while still in their tender age, it would seem preferable that they should receive their first training at home at the hand of their mother, rather than be sent to a nursery. Should circumstances, however, compel a Bahá’í mother to adopt the latter course there can be no objection. (From a letter dated 13 November 1940 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer) [125] “126: The question of the training and education of children in case one of the...” The question of the training and education of children in case one of the parents is a non-Bahá’í is one which solely concerns the parents themselves, who should decide about it the way they find best and most conducive to the maintenance of the unity of their family, and to the future welfare of their children. Once the child comes of age, however, he should be given full freedom to choose his religion, irrespective of the wishes and desires of his parents. (From a letter dated 14 December 1940 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma) [126] “127: The Guardian was delighted to hear of your youth group. The children who...” The Guardian was delighted to hear of your youth group. The children who are trained in the world-embracing teachings of Bahá’u’lláh cannot but grow up to be a truly new race of men. He hopes these young people will prepare themselves for the great task which will face them in the future, that of helping to rebuild the world with the aid and inspiration of the Bahá’í teachings. (From a letter dated 25 December 1941 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá’ís of Hobart, Australia) [127]