Young Women (organization)
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| Motto | “Stand for Truth and Righteousness.” |
|---|---|
| Formation | 18 November 1869 |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Purpose/focus | religious instruction; personal standards and development; adolescent female support |
| Headquarters | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| Membership | 1 million+ young women aged 12–18[1] |
| General President | Elaine S. Dalton |
| Main organ | General presidency and general board |
| Parent organization | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| Affiliations | Young Men; members join Relief Society at age 18 |
| Website | lds.org |
The Young Women (often referred to incorrectly as Young Women's or Young Woman's) is a youth organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The stated purpose of the organization is to help each Latter-day Saint young woman, ages 12 through 18, "come unto Christ".[2]
Contents |
[edit] History
The first official youth association of the church—the Young Gentlemen’s and Young Ladies’ Relief Society—was organized by church founder Joseph Smith in February 1843. The Young Women Organization of the church was founded by LDS Church President Brigham Young in 1869 as the Young Ladies' Department of the Cooperative Retrenchment Association. At the organization's founding, Young set out his vision for the young women of the Church:
"I desire them to retrench from extravagance in dress, in eating and even in speech. The time has come when the sisters must agree ... to set an example worthy of imitation before the people of the world.... There is need for the young daughters of Israel to get a living testimony of the truth... We are about to organize a retrenchment Association, which I want you all to join, and I want you to vote to retrench in ... everything that is not good and beautiful, not to make yourselves unhappy, but to live so you may be truly happy in this life and in the life to come."[3]
From 1869 to 1880, the new Young Women organization functioned at the local ward level, without a general presidency. In 1871, the organization was renamed the Young Ladies' Retrenchment Association, or YL for short. In 1877, the organization's name was again changed to the Young Ladies' National Mutual Improvement Association (abbreviated YLNMIA) as a companion organization to the church's Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, which had been founded in 1875.
On June 19, 1880, the first general presidency of the YLNMIA with church-wide authority was organized under the direction of Church President John Taylor, with Elmina Shepard Taylor as the first general president. In 1904, the name of the YLNMIA was shorted to the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association (abbreviated YLMIA) and in 1934 it was changed to the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Organization, or YWMIA.
In 1972, the YWMIA and the YMMIA were combined into a new organization called Aaronic Priesthood MIA Young Women. This organization was short-lived, however, and the Young Women organization was separated from the Young Men organization and given its current name in 1974.
[edit] Chronology of the general presidency of the Young Women
[edit] In the church today
[edit] Local organization
In each local congregation of the LDS Church, females ages 12 to 17 are members of the Young Women. The organization is headed in each congregation by an adult woman who is called the Young Women President. The president is assisted by two counselors, who are also adult women. The presidency may also ask an adult woman to be the secretary to the presidency.
In most congregations, the young women are sub-divided into three aged-based classes which were given official nicknames by the church in the 1950s:
These nicknames may be used to refer to the class as a whole, or to the members of it; for example, a 13-year-old Latter-day Saint female may be referred to as "a Beehive", and she may be said to attend the "Beehive class" or "Beehives". When a young woman reaches the age of 18, she is encouraged to join the Relief Society, the women's organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In certain instances, such as when a woman turns 18 but is still in secondary school, an 18-year-old-may continue to attend the Young Women Laurel class for several months.
Generally, during Sunday meetings, all the Young Women meet together for a brief opening prayer and hymn. Then each age group will hold a separate class for instruction. Each class has a class president drawn from the members of the class, who in turn chooses two counselors to assist her.
Young men and young women also typically have a regularly scheduled activity night, called Mutual. The term Mutual suggests shared experiences in which there is mutual respect and support for one another. Mutual is held on a day or an evening other than Sunday or Monday. It is generally held once a week but may be held less frequently if priesthood leaders determine that travel, resources, or other significant circumstances prevent a weekly meeting.
The adult Young Women President assists the Laurel class, while the First and Second Counselors assist the Mia Maids and the Beehives, respectively. Additional adult women may be asked to prepare class lessons.
[edit] Church-wide supervision
The local units of the Young Women are supervised by the General Presidency of the Young Women. In March, an annual Young Women General Meeting is held, where the Young Women General President and her counselors speak to the young women, their mothers, and the local adult Young Women leaders. The meeting is broadcast via satellite to LDS meetinghouses in many countries of the world.
[edit] Motto, theme, and values
The motto of the Young Women is "Stand for Truth and Righteousness".[5]
The Young Women theme is as follows:
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, and Integrity.
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.[6]
The church advises that "[y]oung women and their leaders should repeat the theme during Sunday opening exercises and at other Young Women gatherings.[7]
Each "value" mentioned in the theme is assigned a color to help in remembering the meaning and purpose of the values. The colors are used in decorating for Young Women events. The values with their colors and meanings are as follows:
- Faith (white) : I am a daughter of Heavenly Father, who loves me, and I will have faith in His eternal plan, which centers in Jesus Christ, my Savior.
- Divine Nature (blue) : I have inherited divine qualities which I will strive to develop.
- Individual Worth (red) : I am of infinite worth with my own divine mission, which I will strive to fulfill.
- Knowledge (green) : I will continually seek opportunities for learning and growth.
- Choice and Accountability (orange) : I will remain free by choosing good over evil and will accept responsibility for my choices.
- Good Works (yellow) : I will nurture others and build the kingdom through righteous service.
- Integrity (purple) : I will have the moral courage to make my actions consistent with my knowledge of right and wrong.[5]
[edit] Personal Progress
All young women are encouraged to participate in the organization's Personal Progress program. Personal Progress is a goal-setting and achievement program, the stated purpose of which is to help each young woman:
-
- Know she is a daughter of God;
- rely upon the Holy Ghost;
- develop personal religious behaviors, such as prayer, scripture study, obedience to commandments, and service;
- keep her baptismal covenants and prepare and qualify for temple covenants;
- develop talents and skills that prepare her for her future roles; and
- establish a pattern of step-by-step progress through her life.
[edit] Mutual and camps
In addition to Sunday meetings, the members of the Young Women meet on a weekday evening for "Mutual", an hour to ninety minute activity. Once per month, a Mutual activity is held in conjunction with the members of the church's Young Men organization. Most congregations also organize an annual Young Women Camp, a camping activity held in church owned or leased campgrounds in the church unit's geographic area.
[edit] See also
- The Contributor
- Young Woman's Journal
- Improvement Era
- New Era (magazine)
- Worship services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- June Conference
[edit] Notes
- ^ In 1990, membership reached 1 million: Elaine A. Cannon, "Young Women", Encyclopedia of Mormonism, vol. 4.
- ^ Introduction to Young Women.
- ^ Quoted in Janet Peterson and LaRene Gaunt (1993), Keepers of the Flame: Presidents of the Young Women (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book) p. xi.
- ^ LDS Church, Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2: Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders, Salt Lake City: LDS Church, 1998, p. 213.
- ^ a b LDS Church, Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2: Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders, 1998, p. 212.
- ^ Young Women Theme and Logo.
- ^ LDS Church, Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2: Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders, 1998, p. 211.
[edit] External links
- Official website of the Young Women Organization
- History of the organization from 1869 to 1910 (PDF scans of 1911 book)
- Purpose of LDS Youth Activities and Mutual - includes a description of the purposes of the LDS mutual program and leader responsibilities
[edit] References
- Janet Peterson and LaRene Gaunt (1993), Keepers of the Flame: Presidents of the Young Women, Deseret Book: Salt Lake City.
