195 Dresses video

Modest prom dresses, a personal progress project, and a creative young woman:




Here's a link you can share:

https://lds.org/youth/video/195-dresses?lang=eng


Ideas on how to use this video

Share or view it with your young women to encourage creative thinking about Personal Progress projects. Invite them to plan and begin working on one of their own projects.

Plan an activity night to learn how to modify dresses to make them modest. Invite young women to view the video before coming, or show it during the activity.

Share it as a follow up to the Sunday lessons on the temple with a reminder to prepare for the temple by dressing modestly.

What are your ideas? Share them in a comment.


For more resources on modesty, see the "Dress and Appearance" page in the online For the Strength of Youth.

Mormon Channel

Mormon Channel has a new home page.

This is a great resource for audio and video media.

Young Women Auxiliary Training Summary

Here's a summary of the March 2011 Auxiliary Training for Young Women:
(from my sadly incomplete notes.

As far as I know, it's not online anywhere right now. I will certainly blog about anything available in the future.

Presentation #1 - websites



The YW Serving in the Church website will be updated soon. Here are the changes that were shared:

• "Getting Started" will remain the same.
• "Messages from Leaders" will have 3 new sections: "Words of the Prophets," "Messages from General Young Women Leaders," and "News and Announcements." These sections will be updated frequently - especially "News and Announcements." Check that page frequently to see what's new on the Serving in the Church site and the Youth website.
• "Leader Resources" will have new links to key resources.
• Here's how to know when the new version is available - the yellow tulips will magically turn to pink!

Youth.lds.org has been redesigned. Here are some highlights:

• The homepage has windows showing featured content. The top two windows will be updated at least every Friday. At the time of training, "The Miracle of Personal Progress" and "I'm a Young Woman, and I Believe" were featured.
• Almost all content on the site is downloadable and  shareable via email, facebook, twitter, and delicious.
• Youth Menu item - "For the Strength of Youth" has pages for each standard with links to additional scriptures, articles, talks, music, video, and other media.
• Youth Menu item - "From Church Leaders" has video and text excerpts from recent messages. General Conference video clips were available almost immediately after the talks were given.
• Youth Menu item - "Youth Theme 2011" is where the Strength of Youth Media DVD videos are hosted. This is valuable because now the youth can view them.
• Personal Progress is the most clicked link in the entire site - YAY!
• Music is the second most clicked link. The music library has a growing collection of songs that can be streamed and downloaded. Some of them have links to lyrics or sheet music (click on the icons to the far right of each title). Current LDS artist are sharing their music. The most recent is "Strong and Courageous" by Jenny Phillips.
• How to use the videos? If internet is freely available, they can be streamed. They can also be downloaded to a laptop, ipad, or phone and played in the classroom. It's possible to purchase a cable that will allow video on some phones to play on a TV. Consider expanding your influence by inviting young women to view a video as preparation before class or suggest a video as 'homework' after class. When sharing videos, it's useful to invite young women to look for something or have a question in mind.
• Mobile App for the Youth website - provides easy access to featured content via iphone, ipad, and some ipods (for now - more  is coming).This is where the youth live - on their phones!
• Use these resources and share them with your young women. They will be strengthened as they see youth all over the world sharing testimony and living standards, plus, they will have the most current words of the prophets at their fingertips.

Presentation #2 - the online Resource Guide



The 2011 Resource Guide is online. You will find it to right of  lessons in the online Young Women Manuel 3.  It includes content found in the paper version PLUS more resources, including current videos, articles, and words of the prophets.  At this time content have only been added to lessons 1-19. They plan to stay only a few lessons ahead in order to include the most recent resources, including the April 2011 General Conference addresses.

Presentation #3 - Handbook 2 and the Leadership Training Library

Sister Ann Dibb emphasized the value of Handbook 2. Of course, we have chapter 10 on the Young Women program. But many more chapters are valuable to leaders. Chapter 1 on the family lays the foundation for all we do. Chapter 2 on the Priesthood is critical to understanding how to function in a ward or stake. Chapter 3 on leadership and 4 on the Ward Council are also essential. Sister Dibb suggests we become familiar with the entire handbook so we will understand how the Young Women program fits into the organization of the Church.

Sister Mary Cook shared the upcoming Leadership Training Library. This will be a collection of over 100 videos available online to train leaders in the Church. There will be videos on general leadership principles (prepare spiritually, participate in councils, etc) and some on administering the Young Women Program. She shared two videos: one on welcoming a new beehive and one on living the standards. The library should be available this summer.

Presentation #5 - Sister Elaine Dalton

Sister Dalton encouraged leaders and helped them connect with the Spirit. She shared many useful and uplifting thoughts. Here are a few:

• You were reserved for this time. You are talented women, ready to serve during this critical time.
• If you are tired, you are trying to do this alone. You have many people to help you including the young women. Most importantly you can rely on the Savior to help you fulfill your calling.
• Help young women receive and feel the Spirit every time they are with you.
• Take care of your home and family.
• Testify at every opportunity and help young women share their testimonies.
• Counsel with Priesthood when you have question. They have keys that guide the work.
• The Spirit will guide and guard you. Do all you can to receive the Holy Ghost.
• A young woman said to her grandfather, "I hear words and see videos at Church, but I want to leave with fire in my heart!" Asl yourself, how can we give the young women fire in their hearts?
• We all have spiritual gifts. Pray for the gifts you need (see Moroni 10).
• You can do it! We love and pray for you.

Sister Dalton shared 2 videos. First, a darling little girl saying the 13th article of faith (not online so I can't link it).  Second, "The Miracle of Personal Progress."

It was a great training!!!!!!

Guardians of Virtue sheet music

"Guardians of Virtue" - what a powerful song!

Sheet music and mp3 versions are available to download from the youth.lds.org music library.

Just right click (then select save as) on the icons to the right of the song and collection title. This is the version from the For Strength of Youth Media DVD.

You can also download the version from the General Young Women Meeting choir. Just go to April General Conference. Be sure to click "Show Music" at the top.



Scroll down to the General Young Women Meeting content.



Click on the download button opposite "Guardians of Virtue" music, right click on the audio icon and "save as."

Highlights of the General Young Women Meeting

The Church News captured highlights of last Saturday's meeting




And here are links to Church News articles on each of the addresses:

President Henry B. Eyring - A Living Testimony

Sister Elaine S. Dalton - Guardians of Virtue

Sister Mary N. Cook - Kindness Begins with Me

Sister Ann M. Dibb - I Believe in Being Honest and True

General Conference - youth video excerpts

Can you believe that video excerpts from Saturday sessions of conference are already on the Youth website?!

Thank you to all those who worked to make this happen.

Here are the first four posted:

Remembering the Sacrament, L. Tom Perry

The Parable of the Purse, Quentin L. Cook (I love this!)

What is a Latter-day Saint?, Boyd K. Packer

Face the Future with Faith,  Russel M. Nelson

Achieve Your Eternal Destiny, Dallin H. Oaks


As conference continues, watch for messages that will lift your young women. I put a little "YW" by the special notes I take.

Update - more excerpts have been added - go to From Church Leaders on the youth website to see the latest.

Here's more on General Conference:

"Why Conference Matters" - thoughts from President Monson

Why participate in conference?

Behind the Scenes at Conference

Church News & Events on General Conference

Three new temples announced!

Statistical report shared Saturday afternoon

Watch General Conference live

on facebook!