Welcome to Young Women

By Kimberly Webb
Church Magazines

A special message to 11-year-old girls.

Kimberly Webb, “Welcome to Young Women,” Friend, July 2006, 46
Mutual. Personal Progress. Theme.

Do these words sound familiar? If you’re a girl about to turn 12, you’ll soon be hearing them all the time. We asked Sister Susan W. Tanner, Young Women general president, and her second counselor, Sister Elaine S. Dalton, to tell us everything you need to know about entering Young Women.

The first thing?

“We love you!” Sister Tanner says. “You are so fresh and beautiful and enthusiastic. You desire to do good in your lives. We’re excited for you to enter Young Women, and we’re there with arms to wrap around you and make you feel welcome.”

Your First Sunday

Finally you’ve turned 12. Now instead of going to sharing time, you’ll enter Young Women. Sister Tanner says, “There will be loving people there to meet you: Young Women leaders, a Beehive class presidency, and other friends.”

A Beehive is a young woman age 12 or 13—in other words, you! Young women ages 14 to 15 are called Mia Maids, and those 16 to 18 are called Laurels.

Even though Young Women is different from Primary, you have nothing to fear. “You’ve been lovingly prepared in Primary, and you’re ready,” Sister Dalton says.

The Young Women Theme and Values

“We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him.”

You’ve heard the same message in Primary, Sister Tanner explains, when you learned to sing “I Am a Child of God” (Children’s Songbook, 2–3). But it’s not a new verse—it’s the first line of the Young Women theme, which you’ll recite each week.

“It’s so important for that message to be instilled in your heart,” Sister Tanner says. “If you have a firm testimony that you are His beloved spiritual daughter, it affects everything you think and every way you respond to life’s challenges. It gives you courage.”

Sister Dalton adds, “If you know who you are, you will have the strength, desire, and commitment to stand as a witness of God. That’s so important in these latter days.”

Being a part of Young Women can help prepare you for the future as you learn about the seven values listed in the theme: faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works, and integrity.

Personal Progress

“I love the name of Personal Progress because it’s exactly what it says it is,” Sister Tanner says. “Heavenly Father’s plan is for each of us to progress throughout our lives.”

Like Primary’s Faith in God program, Personal Progress is a way to “develop a closeness to Father in Heaven. You can practice keeping commitments and learn to keep covenants,” Sister Tanner says. Personal Progress goals are listed by seven categories—the seven values.

Sister Dalton points out, “As you work on Personal Progress you’ll use your scriptures, and they’ll help you feel the Spirit.” You’ll begin to better understand the scriptures, your own great worth, and your baptismal covenants. Then you’ll be prepared to make temple covenants.

“That’s why the Personal Progress book has a temple on the cover,” Sister Tanner says. “It reminds you that Personal Progress is a way to prepare.”

Activities and Firesides

Activity night, or Mutual, is held every week. Usually you’ll meet with the young women or just your Beehive class, but once a month your activity will include the young men too. You might enjoy a cultural event, give service, learn a skill, play a sport—and always have fun!

Being a part of Young Women can also give you the chance to attend firesides, youth conferences, and other meetings. Each year you’ll enjoy a special session that is broadcast all over the world like general conference. It’s the general Young Women meeting, the Saturday before April general conference. You’ll hear counsel from our prophets and leaders just for you.

Camp

“This is a time when you get to leave the rest of the world behind, go out into Heavenly Father’s beautiful world, and feel His love for you,” Sister Tanner says. You’ll not only have a great time in the outdoors, but you’ll also feel “a great sense of belonging to Heavenly Father’s eternal family.” You might hike, sing, laugh, learn, and make crafts; but many young women agree that the testimony meeting is the best part of all.

Wait, There’s More!

You will not only receive many gifts from being a part of Young Women; you’ll be able to give of yourself too.

Sister Dalton says, “In Young Women you’ll be able to develop your talents more and also use them to bless others.”

You may even receive your first calling in Young Women. If it is large enough, each class has a president, two counselors, and a secretary. Sister Dalton says, “The class presidency will look out for you and make sure that you’re informed about all the activities.” As you watch them, pay attention because you may be called someday to be in a class presidency.

Another way to contribute is to be excited. Sister Tanner says, “Share your enthusiasm when you come into Young Women!”

Don’t be afraid to give of yourself, and you’ll receive even more.

A Young Woman Wherever You Are

Perhaps your ward or branch is too small for your class to have a class presidency. Maybe you live too far away to attend weekly activities. But you can still participate in Young Women! Even if you are the only young woman in your ward or branch, you can say the theme each week. You can learn to live by its values, and you can work on Personal Progress.

Sister Tanner says, “No matter where you are and no matter what your circumstances are, you are a young woman in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can always be personally progressing toward the temple and coming unto Christ.”

That’s what Young Women is all about..

shared by Brittney R.

This is a booklet I made to give to the New Beehives when they turned 12 and entered YW. We added some personal thing in this booklet too, like a YW leader list, and YW list. We put calendars in it, and each YW got a charm bracelet, so there was a page to give them info on that.
 

New Beehive Booklet.pdf- includes Virtue

Welcome to Young Women's!
*We are so excited to have you with us! Each young woman that joins our group has much to offer. Each young woman is different, with talents and strengths to share. We all learn from each other and gather strength from others examples. This is the beginning of an exciting new journey that we can all travel together.
*You will have some wonderful new experiences in YW. You will make new friends. You will learn more about the Savior and feel His Spirit as you Stand for Truth and Righteousness. Your leaders who love you will help you learn how to make the gospel a greater part of your life. 
*You will also find out more about yourself -- who you are and how to find direction in your life, as you study the principles and ordinances of the gospel. You will learn and grow towards being the young woman that our Heavenly Father wants you to be.
*You will also find that the experiences you will have in YW are different from those you have at school or in other groups. Young Women experiences are based on gospel principles. They can be fun, interesting, and rewarding. Help us to make them outstanding experiences! Come to mutual with a positive attitude and a willingness to help and share with your class. Join us on Sundays with an eagerness to learn and share your thoughts and feelings.
Our Heavenly Father wants to bless you. He wants you to feel His Spirit, to grow closer to Him and to love those around you. You are a daughter of God, a young woman of great value in the sight of the Lord. You have your own divine mission to fulfill. We are here to help you. We love you. You will help make our Young Women group complete. We welcome you with open arms and hope you enjoy your experiences in our Cornerstone YW.
With much love,
Your Young Woman Leaders

Heart of Young Women
Personal Progress
Values:
Faith
Divine Nature
Individual Worth
Knowledge
Choice and Accountability
Good Works
Integrity and Virtue

Activities :Weekly Activities, 7-8:30pm Please remember parents need to pick up girls, at 8:30 sharp 
Sunday Spiritual Instruction ~ Sunday's 3 hour block 
Leadership Opportunities
The Purpose Of Young Women
Is to help you to Come Unto To Christ. To help you strengthen your testimony, and to find and develop your own special gifts and talents. These gifts and talents God has given to you will help you to prepare for your sacred role in life as a mother. You have been given a special calling to become a righteous women and to influence others for good. The Young Women Program will help prepare you for this!

The YW Motto is- Stand for Truth and Righteousness

Young Women Theme
We are
daughters of our Heavenly Father,
who loves us, and we love Him.
We will stand as witnesses of God at all times
and in all things, and in all places (Mosiah 18:9)
as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are:
Faith
Divine Nature
Individual Worth
Knowledge
Choice and Accountability
Good Works
Integrity and Virtue
We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values,
we will be prepared to
strengthen home and family,
make and keep sacred covenants,
receive the ordinances of the temple,
and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

Overview for Young Women Personal Progress
Personal Progress will help you learn and apply the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life, prepare you to make sacred temple covenants, and strengthen families.
The Personal Progress program uses the seven Young Women values to help you understand more fully who you are, why you are here on earth, and what you should be doing as a daughter of God to prepare for the day you go to the temple to make sacred covenants. It will help you prepare for your future roles as a faithful woman, wife, mother, and leader in God*s kingdom. The program teaches you to make commitments, carry them out, and report your progress to a parent or leader. These are patterns you will use throughout your life to learn and improve as a woman. You may begin Personal Progress after you advance from Primary or at the time of your baptism if you are between the ages of 12 and 18. To complete the Personal Progress program, you will want to:
* Live the standards in For the Strength of Youth. Your bishop or branch president verifies this in an interview.
* Complete six Value Experiences and one Value Project for each of the seven values.
* Keep a personal journal.
* Record your testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. After finishing these requirements, you will be eligible to receive the Young Womanhood Recognition following a worthiness interview with your bishop or branch president.
Invite your parents to assist you in planning and completing the Personal Progress program. Sharing these experiences can strengthen your relationship with them. You may modify experiences and projects according to your personal circumstances, interests, and needs and with the prior approval of parents or Young Women leaders. Personal Progress can be part of the good things you are doing at home, church, school, seminary, and in the community.
If you complete the requirements before you enter Relief Society, you may continue to progress by completing additional Value Experiences and Projects, compiling your personal history, reading the Book of Mormon, and assisting other young women.

Young Womanhood Recognition and Medallion
When you have completed all the Value Experiences and value projects and have an interview with your Bishop and are found worthy. you are ready to apply for your Young Womanhood Recognition and Medallion
This is an honor to receive the Young Womanhood Recognition award. This Medallion is earned by exemplary young women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This honor entitles you to receive the Young Womanhood Recognition certificate and to wear Young Womanhood medallion.
The medallion comes in either gold or sliver.
New Beginnings is an annual event for young women, their parents, and priesthood and Young Women leaders. It is held at the beginning of the year. This event is to help teach and reinforce the purpose of the Young Women organization. 
Young Women in Excellence is an event that is held toward the end of the year. It is a celebration of Personal Progress where young women share a value experience or value project they have completed during the year. It can includes talents and skills the young women have developed through their Personal Progress goals.
Girls camp, is held every summer, and is usually put on by the Stake Young Women. All girls 12-17 take part in the camp program. Camp can be an excellent way to help young women develop leadership skills, apply gospel principles, strengthen testimonies and learn self-reliance and outdoor skills

STANDARDS FOR THE STRENGTH OF YOUTH
The First Presidency has established guidelines for your daily decisions. Choosing to live these standards brings joy and helps qualify you for temple blessings. Study the standards as they are explained in the pamphlet For the Strength of Youth. Review them often. Commit to live them. As you do this your example will strengthen your family and the young men and young women with whom you associate. These standards are:
**Agency and Accountability
Choose righteousness and happiness, no matter what your circumstances. Take responsibility for the choices you make Develop your abilities and talents, and use them for good. Avoid idleness and be willing to work hard.
**Gratitude
Have a spirit of gratitude in all you do and say. Thank God for your blessings, and express appreciation to others who help you.
**Education
Prepare to be an influence for good in the world. Obtain an education, and be enthusiastic about learning. Attend seminary.
**Family
Do your part to build a happy home. Honor your parents, and strengthen your relationships with your brothers and sisters.
**Friends
Choose friends who share your high standards. Treat everyone with kindness and respect. Invite friends of other faiths to Church activities. Reach out to new converts and those who are less active.
**Dress and Appearance
Dress modestly to show respect for God and yourself. Never lower your dress standards for any occasion. Do not disfigure your body with tattoos and body piercing.
**Entertainment and the Media
Choose uplifting entertainment. Avoid anything that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Commit to keeping God*s standards.
**Music and Dancing
Listen to music that helps you draw closer to Heavenly Father. Do not listen to music that encourages immorality, glorifies violence, or uses offensive language. When dancing, avoid full body contact or suggestive movements.
**Language
Use language that uplifts, encourages, and compliments others. Use the names of God and Jesus Christ with reverence and respect. Do not use profane, vulgar, or crude language or gestures.
**Dating
Do not date until you are at least 16 years old. Date only those who have high standards. When you begin dating, go in groups or on double dates. Plan activities that help you remain close to the Spirit of the Lord.
**Sexual Purity
Keep yourself sexually pure. Do not have any sexual relations before marriage. Do not participate in talk or activities that arouse sexual feelings. Do not participate in homosexual activities. Seek help if you become a victim of rape, incest, or other sexual abuse.
**Repentance
Through the Savior*s Atonement, you can receive forgiveness and be cleansed from your sins when you repent. Confess your sins to the Lord and to those you have wronged. If the sins are serious, you also need to confess them to your bishop.
**Honesty
Be honest with yourself, others, and the Lord. Do not rationalize that dishonesty is right.
**Sabbath Day Observance
Use the Sabbath to worship the Lord, attend church, draw closer to your family, and help others. Do not seek entertainment or spend money on the Sabbath. When possible, avoid working on Sunday.
**Tithes and Offerings 
Willingly pay a full tithe. Attend tithing settlement. Obey the law of the fast.
**Physical Health
Keep the Word of Wisdom. Eat nutritious food, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. Do not use hard drugs, alcohol, coffee, tea, or tobacco products. Do not abuse prescription or over-the-counter medications.
**Service to Others
Serve others in your Church assignments and in your home, school, and community. Seek daily the guidance of the Holy Ghost to know whom to serve and how to help meet their needs.
Go Forward with Faith
Be true to the Lord and to His Church. Regularly pray in private and read the scriptures. Keep your covenants and listen to the whisperings of the Spirit. The Lord will help you meet your trials and challenges.