Mileposts along the way
Being a Young Women Leader is a lot like leading a hike. I have the gospel map and have personally traveled the terrain. Through the years, I have also assisted dozens of Young Women in traversing the landscape of what can only be described as the treacherous teenage years. As the hike leader for three special daughters of God, I received the additional calling of Mother, from which, thanks to holy temple ordinances and covenants, I will never be released.As a teen I made myself some promises. One was that I would never allow myself to forget the pain and difficulty of teenage years. Another was that I would keep the commandments, enter the holy temple, and do the best I could to serve Jesus Christ, whom I loved with all my heart. Oh, how I wanted to be good! I imagine that little or none of this was communicated directly to my parents as I reflect back on our interactions during my high school years. I say this because my own teenagers communicated during their teen years primarily with one of three basic responses: “kind of,” “sort of,” and “maybe.” With these limited responses as our primary source of input, we did our best as parents to lead our children back to their heavenly father.
The purpose of the Young Women organization is to help each young woman be worthy to make and keep sacred covenants and receive the ordinances of the temple. To accomplish this purpose, Young Women leaders guide each young woman in accomplishing the following objectives:
1. Strengthen her faith in & testimony of Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ.
2. Understand her identity as a daughter of God.
3. Be worthy by obeying the commandments and living gospel standards.
4. Receive, recognize, and rely on promptings of the Holy Ghost.
5. Prepare for divine roles as a daughter, wife, mother, and leader.
6. Understand and keep baptismal covenants.
Young Women THEME
provides a foundation for helping each young woman accomplish these objectives. Each week we stand and recite it together from memory: It states: “We are…
Young Women MOTTO “Stand for Truth & Righteousness.”
Young Women LOGO is a torch surrounded by the Young Women motto. The torch represents the light of Christ.
Young Women VALUES are Christlike attributes:
Faith (white): I am a daughter of Heavenly Father, who loves me. I have faith in His eternal plan, which centers in Jesus Christ, my Savior (see Alma 32:21).
Divine Nature (blue): I have inherited divine qualities, which I will strive to develop (see 2 Peter 1:4–7).
Individual Worth (red): I am of infinite worth with my own divine mission, which I will strive to fulfill (see D&C 18:10).
Knowledge (green): I will continually seek opportunities for learning and growth (see D&C 88:118).
Choice and Accountability (orange): I will choose good over evil and will accept responsibility for my decisions (see Joshua 24:15).
Good Works (yellow): I will help others and build the kingdom through righteous service (see 3 Nephi 12:16).
Integrity (purple): I will have the moral courage to make my actions consistent with my knowledge of right and wrong (see Job 27:5).
Virtue (gold): I will prepare to enter the temple and remain pure and worthy. My thoughts and actions will be based on high moral standards (see Proverbs 31:10).
Beehives, Ages 12–13
When a young woman reaches age 12, the bishop interviews her. She advances from Primary & becomes a member of the Beehive class.
For the early pioneers of the Church, the beehive was a symbol of harmony, cooperation, and work. When the Young Women of the Church were first organized as a group, they were known as Beehives.
As a Beehive today, a young woman strengthens her faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and learns to work with others in harmony and cooperation. This is a time for her to stand for truth and righteousness and “arise and shine forth” (D&C 115:5).
Mia Maids, Ages 14–15
A young woman becomes a member of the Mia Maid class when she reaches age 14.The term Mia refers to the Mutual Improvement Association (MIA), which was once the name of the youth program in the Church. The word Maid means young woman. The Mutual Improvement Association adopted the rose as an emblem of their organization, and that emblem continues with Mia Maids today as a symbol of love, faith, and purity.
As a member of a Mia Maid class today, a young woman strengthens her testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, accepts and acts upon the Young Women values, and learns about love, faith, and purity.
Laurels, Ages 16–17
A young woman becomes a Laurel when she reaches age 16. For centuries, the leaves of the laurel tree have symbolized honor and accomplishment, especially when woven into a crown. As a Laurel today, a young woman prepares to make and keep sacred covenants and receive the ordinances of the temple.
Roles of Parents and Church Leaders
“Parents have the first responsibility for the spiritual and physical welfare of their children (see D&C 68:25–28). The bishopric and Young Women leaders support but do not replace parents in this responsibility. They offer support in the following ways:
1. “Assist parents in helping their daughters prepare to receive the blessings of the temple by following the Young Women guidelines.”
2. They encourage communication between Young Women and parents.
3. Ensure that Young Women activities and other youth events do not put undue burdens on families or compete with family activities.
Leaders should be especially sensitive to Young Women who come from homes that lack strong support for gospel living.
I Found a Better Way
Western Electric won the government contract to built a 3,000 mile line of defense north of the Arctic Circle to protect against attack from hostile countries—Project 572 (code for Dew Line). The perceived threat was very real, and the building site was in hostile terrain encased in ice and darkness most of the year. New techniques had to be developed in order to build in the Arctic. They mixed concrete in heated tents and blasted frozen earth for foundations.
Trapping the DEW Line (Distant Early Warning)
After high school and before my mission I did administrative work for the Institute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. When I arrived at work on any given winter morning, the temperature was well below freezing, and piled next to the front entrance would be a large stack of skinned arctic fox corpses. These would be collected, autopsied, and studied by the biologists in our labs. I asked where the corpses came from and was told the following story.The corpses came from trappers along the DEW Line. From that region came a practically unlimited quantity of arctic fox known for the quality of their pelts. Several years back, a young man had expressed interest in learning an elderly trappers ways and taking over his trap lines. The two worked together for a season, and then the young trapper worked the line himself for the first time. When the biologists arrived to collect the carcasses, they would find one or two or sometimes nothing instead of the usual thirty or forty. After the season one of the biologists ran into the young trapper and asked him about his methods during his first solo season. “Oh,” was the young man’s reply. “I found a better way.”
Like the inexperienced trapper who followed his own instincts instead of methods proven over and over by a master trapper, sometimes we are too quick to dismiss the value of the program created just for our young women by the Savior himself. Too often our “better way” is the world’s way, and in the end we too are disappointed with the results.
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Young Women’s auxiliary is unique in the entire world as the Lord’s distant early warning system to help avoid the subtle enticements of Satan today. In our day, when Satan rages in the hearts of men everywhere and keeps up a constant attack against the principles of truth and righteousness wherever they are found, Jesus Christ, through his prophets and authorized messengers has provided an outline for parents of Young Women which, if followed, can help them safely navigate this challenging and pivotal stage of human development.
That we have a Young Women organization through priesthood channels is evidence of God’s love for us and his mercy and grace in helping parents see their not so little ones safely home despite the turmoil of these last days. As you think of a young woman you love, ask yourself:
Is she developing faith?
Is she understanding her identity?
Is she keeping the commandments and standards?
Is she receiving, recognizing, and qualifying for the Holy Ghost?
Is she preparing for her divine role as a wife and mother?
Is she preparing to keep the covenants of temple?
If you answered no or even “I don’t know” to any of these questions, Young Women is worth your time and attention as a vital tool in helping your daughter find the path to eternal life.
Love her
Encourage her
Invite her to follow the Savior and
Lead the way.
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