Church News Articles

Over the past year or so, there have been regular Church News articles written by members of the Young Women General Presidency. They are excellent resources for parents and leaders.

Here are some of the recent articles:

"Young Women: New year, new you"
Elaine S. Dalton, Jan 22, 2011

Strength of Youth Media - 2011

"'The Strength of Youth Media' can act as a resource for parents, leaders of youth and priesthood leaders to supplement lessons, use in firesides, to facilitate a discussion and inspired learning in Sunday lesson settings; to use at youth conferences and in family home evening lessons. The possibilities are limitless for using this resource along with the "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet, to help strengthen the rising generation" 

"Young women: 'More holiness give me'"
Elaine. S Dalton, Dec 18, 2010

100% challenge for young women.

"In the coming year, as a Young Women general presidency, we will continue to ask young women everywhere to act to increase their faith by doing three things:
1. Pray morning and evening
2. Read in the Book of Mormon each day.
3. Smile as they remember that they are beloved daughters of our Heavenly Father.
In addition to this, in 2011 we will be adding a fourth invitation. We will be asking each young woman to become familiar with and to obey and live the standards in the "For the Strength of Youth." Doing these simple things will invite the companionship and guidance of the Holy Ghost. And, as their leaders, we will be doing exactly what we are asking the young women to do."

"Latter-day Saint Young Women: 'In the strength of the Lord I can do hard things'"
Elaine S. Dalton, Oct 16, 2010

Story of a group of young women who walked from the Draper temple to the Salt Lake Temple AND read Jesus the Christ a few months earlier.

"Their ward Young Women president, Michelle Carnesecca, knew what every good leader knows: that there is no motivation in being involved in a mediocre cause. These young women were not only told that they were great, but they were given the opportunity to BE great, to ACT great, and to DO great things. 

"Many times leaders are tempted to protect the youth from experiencing and doing hard things. And yet these noble young women yearn to make a difference and to accomplish the seemingly impossible. This is one of the reasons the youth love to participate in pioneer treks, 50 mile hikes, and Young Women camp. And that is why they were gathered at the temple, ready to walk 22 miles. 

"'She Glowed!' Young woman filled with light before baptism"
Elaine S. Dalton, Sept 18, 2010

Story of Huan Wen Qian's baptism - a beehive who was introduced to Christianity and the LDS church by the Beehive class president.

"What will help this new member of the Church stay on the path back home to her Father in Heaven? What will help every young woman remain pure and clean and unspotted from the world? Baptism is the beginning. It is making and keeping sacred covenants and receiving the ordinances of salvation. It is preparing to receive all that the Father has by remaining worthy to enter holy temples and to receive the ordinances and make the covenants available there?

"Anxiously engaged in a good cause"
Elaine S. Dalton, Aug 21, 2010

The 2010 youth theme is the 13th Article of Faith.

"During the coming year, youth can build on their resolve to remain strong and courageous. It will not be enough to ask the youth not to participate in worldly things. We as their parents and leaders must help them seek after the good and be able to identify those things that are "virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy." Perhaps we could say, "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we [want to provide the youth] these things."

"Ribbons, recognition and relationships"

Elaine S. Dalton, July 17, 2010

Story of a bishop in Africa who is doing Personal Progress and has young women verify his completion of each experience and sign his book.

He "shared that whenever he completed an experience in Personal Progress, he asked a young woman to verify his completion and sign his Personal Progress book. He had recently completed one of the value experiences in Personal Progress and had asked a young woman in his ward to sign his book."

"He shared with her the things he had learned and done and then she asked to see his journal entry regarding this experience because that was part of the requirement. He replied, "Well, I did not write about this in my journal. I don't have one." The young woman replied, "Well then Bishop, I cannot sign your Personal Progress book. Come back when you have completed all the requirements."

"Bee a mentor - Righteous influences critical in life"
Elaine S. Dalton, June 19, 2010

The Honor Bee

"Earning the Honor Bee in Young Women encourages every young woman to become a mentor. After a young woman finishes her Personal Progress and receives her Young Womanhood award and medallion, she can become a mentor to another young woman and, in the process, she can earn an Honor Bee. The Honor Bee is a symbol of someone who has gone the extra mile and beyond the requirements."

"In the end, mentoring boils down to love — the pure love of God. Mentoring is a belief in the individual and the capacity of that individual to be or become more."

"'We can rise above' - Virtue begins in heart and mind" 
Elaine S. Dalton, May 15, 2010 

It is possible to be virtuous in today's world.

"Virtue begins in the heart and in the mind. It is nurtured in the home. Virtue is chastity and sexual purity. Virtue is obtained by developing patterns of thought and action based on high moral standards. It is a daily pursuit because patterns are formed as we do things daily that strengthen our resolve."

Sister Mary N. Cook: A call to action  
Mary N. Cook, April 17, 2010

Suggestions on how to teach young women and help them receive the counsel of our prophets.

"We want our youth to be riveted on the teachings of the living prophets. We believe as we give youth opportunities to prepare to learn, teach one another and act on these teachings, "the power of God [will work] miracles in them, they will be "converted unto the Lord and never [will] fall away." (See Alma 23:6.)"