Are the Young Women Values Preparing Our Girls? Part 3
BY WHITNEY MCGRUDER
Great article! I need to find part 1 and 2!
she says....
I gained a powerful testimony of the Young Women’s theme just after high school graduation. I attended a young activity in Denmark with other teens of various nationalities. I don’t remember Americans being the majority and I loved it.
At one point, I attended a devotional just for the girls. We were asked to stand and recite the Young Women’s theme in our own languages. At once, the room was flooded with Danish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Spanish, Dutch, and who knows what else. It was the closest I’ll ever get to a concord of angels in this life.
I felt the overwhelming witness that the Lord loved literally every teenaged girl in that room. We are daughters of our Heavenly Father—He loves us and we love Him. No matter what we looked like or what language we spoke, He loved all of us. He wants us to start off early as strong, wonderful people.
This week, I’d like to take a closer look at the Young Women values to show how they personally taught me to be my best self—and how the program can be designed to strengthen and prepare young women all over the globe.
But First—What Is the Purpose of the Program?
According to the Personal Progress Manual, the program is meant to prepare girls for womanhood and whatever that will bring them. It says:
“Counsel with your parents, and prayerfully choose goals that will help you cultivate feminine attributes, strengthen your testimony, and reach your divine potential. Take advantage of your time in Young Women by preparing to receive the sacred ordinances of the temple, to become a faithful wife and mother, and to strengthen your home and family.”
The program and the leaders who taught me, helped me come to realize what kind of spouse I wanted to be, how I wanted to contribute to society, and what I’ll eventually teach my kids when they come.
The YW Values Promote Healthy Feminism
Let’s look at the values and how they are designed to help young women prepare for church and secular roles.
Faith—This value teaches the girls how to learn for themselves what they believe. With social media and conflicting opinions, it’s hard to know what’s right and what’s not. It’s easy to feel bombarded with the do’s and don’ts of the standards, but for me, this value helped me learn the spirit of the law and realize the “why” of the gospel.
Divine Nature—This value ties in closely with the Proclamation on the Family. As in, I was born into this world as a female and the person I am existed long ago. Knowing that I have a purpose on this earth has helped me to have a better perspective on trials.
Individual Worth—For me, this value taught me that no matter how alone I feel, I have the Lord with me. As my Heavenly Father, I know that He cares about my life decisions and my personal happiness. Thus, it reminds me to be patient with myself and that I should see others the way He sees me.
Knowledge—The Church doesn’t function on ignorance. Whether it’s gospel or secular knowledge, a woman needs to know about the world and how it works. It helps her better teach her children, fulfill a career, and feel like she is contributing to something bigger. Girls are encouraged to ask questions, be curious, and learn how to find answers for themselves, rather than be confused, lied to, or remain ignorant. This value helped me especially learn how to study the scriptures and secular books as well as applying good principles in my life.
Choice & Accountability—Girls learn a lot about agency at a young age. They learn about their choices and the consequences. The more you follow the rules, the more free you feel. It was fairly easy to follow the rules because I learned that it’s easier with good influences around you. It also taught me to take responsibility for my bad choices and the consequences that followed rather than blame someone else.
Good Works—This attribute really helped me on a mission. You can worship Christ up, down, left, and right, but people really see your true religion when you are willing to serve for the sake of others rather than yourself. Ultimately, people will feel your love for them through your service. It often opens people (on your mission or at home) to want to be more like the Savior and feel His love for them.
Integrity—This attribute meant being the same good person in public and private. As in, whether I’m online, at work, in the community, or in my home, I am the same real me. I don’t pretend to be better than I am, and people can count on me to be genuine no matter what. Integrity helps you achieve goals, get some good work done, and retain close, healthy relationships (with yourself included).
Virtue—I thought of it as a healthy mixture of modesty, humility, and chastity. I don’t know how to describe it, but there is a power in treating your body with respect and love. That meant bringing good things in and shielding bad things out. It’s becoming more popular to dress and look however you want as a call for self-acceptance. I feel most confident when I wear my temple garments and wear modest clothes over them. I am expressing who I am and I feel an inner strength when I do. It doesn’t mean being super boring or prudish—I just have a consistent desire to honor my body and spirit.
The Young Women’s program was enough to prepare me. It gave me the foundation I needed to get through high school, college, my mission, and my first year of marriage. If you really want to change the world, it starts with you and the influence you are to others.
My parents or leaders didn’t have to shove the gospel down my throat. They were themselves and taught me by example at a young age. I looked up to these genuine people and made goals to be my best self. I will change the world in my sphere by starting at the basics that were powerfully taught to me through this program.
What did you learn in the Young Women’s program? What was your favorite value? Do you feel like the values prepared you for your future? Comment comment comment below!
BY WHITNEY MCGRUDER
Great article! I need to find part 1 and 2!
she says....
I gained a powerful testimony of the Young Women’s theme just after high school graduation. I attended a young activity in Denmark with other teens of various nationalities. I don’t remember Americans being the majority and I loved it.
At one point, I attended a devotional just for the girls. We were asked to stand and recite the Young Women’s theme in our own languages. At once, the room was flooded with Danish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Spanish, Dutch, and who knows what else. It was the closest I’ll ever get to a concord of angels in this life.
I felt the overwhelming witness that the Lord loved literally every teenaged girl in that room. We are daughters of our Heavenly Father—He loves us and we love Him. No matter what we looked like or what language we spoke, He loved all of us. He wants us to start off early as strong, wonderful people.
This week, I’d like to take a closer look at the Young Women values to show how they personally taught me to be my best self—and how the program can be designed to strengthen and prepare young women all over the globe.
But First—What Is the Purpose of the Program?
According to the Personal Progress Manual, the program is meant to prepare girls for womanhood and whatever that will bring them. It says:
“Counsel with your parents, and prayerfully choose goals that will help you cultivate feminine attributes, strengthen your testimony, and reach your divine potential. Take advantage of your time in Young Women by preparing to receive the sacred ordinances of the temple, to become a faithful wife and mother, and to strengthen your home and family.”
The program and the leaders who taught me, helped me come to realize what kind of spouse I wanted to be, how I wanted to contribute to society, and what I’ll eventually teach my kids when they come.
The YW Values Promote Healthy Feminism
Let’s look at the values and how they are designed to help young women prepare for church and secular roles.
Faith—This value teaches the girls how to learn for themselves what they believe. With social media and conflicting opinions, it’s hard to know what’s right and what’s not. It’s easy to feel bombarded with the do’s and don’ts of the standards, but for me, this value helped me learn the spirit of the law and realize the “why” of the gospel.
Divine Nature—This value ties in closely with the Proclamation on the Family. As in, I was born into this world as a female and the person I am existed long ago. Knowing that I have a purpose on this earth has helped me to have a better perspective on trials.
Individual Worth—For me, this value taught me that no matter how alone I feel, I have the Lord with me. As my Heavenly Father, I know that He cares about my life decisions and my personal happiness. Thus, it reminds me to be patient with myself and that I should see others the way He sees me.
Knowledge—The Church doesn’t function on ignorance. Whether it’s gospel or secular knowledge, a woman needs to know about the world and how it works. It helps her better teach her children, fulfill a career, and feel like she is contributing to something bigger. Girls are encouraged to ask questions, be curious, and learn how to find answers for themselves, rather than be confused, lied to, or remain ignorant. This value helped me especially learn how to study the scriptures and secular books as well as applying good principles in my life.
Choice & Accountability—Girls learn a lot about agency at a young age. They learn about their choices and the consequences. The more you follow the rules, the more free you feel. It was fairly easy to follow the rules because I learned that it’s easier with good influences around you. It also taught me to take responsibility for my bad choices and the consequences that followed rather than blame someone else.
Good Works—This attribute really helped me on a mission. You can worship Christ up, down, left, and right, but people really see your true religion when you are willing to serve for the sake of others rather than yourself. Ultimately, people will feel your love for them through your service. It often opens people (on your mission or at home) to want to be more like the Savior and feel His love for them.
Integrity—This attribute meant being the same good person in public and private. As in, whether I’m online, at work, in the community, or in my home, I am the same real me. I don’t pretend to be better than I am, and people can count on me to be genuine no matter what. Integrity helps you achieve goals, get some good work done, and retain close, healthy relationships (with yourself included).
Virtue—I thought of it as a healthy mixture of modesty, humility, and chastity. I don’t know how to describe it, but there is a power in treating your body with respect and love. That meant bringing good things in and shielding bad things out. It’s becoming more popular to dress and look however you want as a call for self-acceptance. I feel most confident when I wear my temple garments and wear modest clothes over them. I am expressing who I am and I feel an inner strength when I do. It doesn’t mean being super boring or prudish—I just have a consistent desire to honor my body and spirit.
The Young Women’s program was enough to prepare me. It gave me the foundation I needed to get through high school, college, my mission, and my first year of marriage. If you really want to change the world, it starts with you and the influence you are to others.
My parents or leaders didn’t have to shove the gospel down my throat. They were themselves and taught me by example at a young age. I looked up to these genuine people and made goals to be my best self. I will change the world in my sphere by starting at the basics that were powerfully taught to me through this program.
What did you learn in the Young Women’s program? What was your favorite value? Do you feel like the values prepared you for your future? Comment comment comment below!
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