Young Women (organization) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Young Women is a youth organization

Youth ministry

Youth ministry, also commonly referred to as Youth group, is an age-specific religious ministry and is the way in which a faith group, or other religious organization involves and engages with the young people who attend its place of worship, or live in its community...

and an official auxiliary

Auxiliary organization (LDS Church)

An auxiliary organization is a secondary body of church government within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is "established for moral, educational, and benevolent purposes." As their name suggests, LDS Church auxiliary organizations are ancillary to the governing power of the...

of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The purpose of the Young Women organization is to help each young woman be worthy to make and keep sacred covenants and receive the ordinances of the temple.

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

Brigham Young

Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...

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."

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

John Taylor (1808-1887)

John Taylor was the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1880 to 1887. He is the only president of the LDS Church to have been born outside of the United States....

, with Elmina Shepard Taylor

Elmina Shepard Taylor

Anstis Elmina Shepard Taylor was the first general president of what is today the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was a founding member of the National Council of Women.-Biography:Elmina Shepard was born in Middlefield, New York to David Spaulding...

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 Association, 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.

Chronology of the general presidency of the Young Women

No.	Dates	General President	First Counselor	Second Counselor
1	1880—1904	Elmina Shepard Taylor Elmina Shepard Taylor Anstis Elmina Shepard Taylor was the first general president of what is today the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was a founding member of the National Council of Women.-Biography:Elmina Shepard was born in Middlefield, New York to David Spaulding...	Margaret Young Taylor Margaret Young Taylor Margaret Young Taylor was a member of the inaugural general presidency of what is today the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1880 to 1887. She was married to John Taylor, a president of the LDS Church.Margaret Young was born in Westport, Connecticut... (1880—1887) Maria Young Dougall Maria Young Dougall Maria Young Dougall was a Utah suffragist and a member of the general presidency of what is today the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .... (1887—1904)	Martha H. Tingey Martha H. Tingey Martha Jane Horne Tingey was the second general president of the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1905 to 1929. She spent a total of 49 years as a member of the general presidency.-Biography:Martha Jane Horne was born in Salt...
2	1905—1929	Martha H. Tingey Martha H. Tingey Martha Jane Horne Tingey was the second general president of the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1905 to 1929. She spent a total of 49 years as a member of the general presidency.-Biography:Martha Jane Horne was born in Salt...	Ruth May Fox Ruth May Fox Ruth May Fox was a nineteenth century English-born women's rights activist in the Territory of Utah. Fox was a poet, hymn writer, and a leader of youth in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....	Mae Taylor Nystrom Mae Taylor Nystrom Almira Mae Taylor Nystrom was a Utah suffragist and a member of the general presidency of what is today the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .... (1905—1923) Lucy Grant Cannon Lucy Grant Cannon Lucy Grant Cannon was the fourth general president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1937 to 1948... (1923—1929)
3	1929—1937	Ruth May Fox Ruth May Fox Ruth May Fox was a nineteenth century English-born women's rights activist in the Territory of Utah. Fox was a poet, hymn writer, and a leader of youth in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....	Lucy Grant Cannon Lucy Grant Cannon Lucy Grant Cannon was the fourth general president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1937 to 1948...	Clarissa A. Beesley
4	1937—1948	Lucy Grant Cannon Lucy Grant Cannon Lucy Grant Cannon was the fourth general president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1937 to 1948...	Helen S. Williams (1937—1944) Verna W. Goddard (1944—1948)	Verna W. Goddard (1937—1944) Lucy T. Andersen (1944—1948)
5	1948—1961	Bertha S. Reeder Bertha S. Reeder Bertha Julia Stone Aadnesen Reeder Richards was the fifth general president of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1948 to 1961.-Biography:...	Emily H. Bennett	LaRue C. Longden
6	1961—1972	Florence S. Jacobsen Florence S. Jacobsen Florence Smith Jacobsen was the sixth general president of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1961 to 1972.-Early years:...	Margaret R. J. Judd	Dorothy P. Holt
7	1972—1978	Ruth H. Funk Ruth H. Funk Ruth Hardy Funk was the seventh general president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1972 to 1978.-Biography:...	Hortense H. C. Smith	Ardeth G. Kapp Ardeth G. Kapp Ardeth Greene Kapp was the ninth general president of the Young Women Organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1984 and 1992.-Biography:...
8	1978—1984	Elaine A. Cannon Elaine A. Cannon Elaine Anderson Cannon was the eighth general president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1978 to 1984. Cannon has been a writer and an editor and is the author of over 50 books.-Biography:...	Arlene B. Darger	Norma B. Smith
9	1984—1992	Ardeth G. Kapp Ardeth G. Kapp Ardeth Greene Kapp was the ninth general president of the Young Women Organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1984 and 1992.-Biography:...	Patricia T. Holland (1984—1986) Maurine J. Turley (1986—1987) Jayne B. Malan (1987—1992)	Maurine J. Turley (1984—1986) Jayne B. Malan (1986—1987) Elaine L. Jack Elaine L. Jack Elaine Low Jack was the twelfth general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1990 to 1997. She also served in the general presidency of the church's Young Women Organization between 1987 and 1990... (1987—1990) Janette C. Hales (1990—1992)
10	1992—1997	Janette C. Hales (name changed to Janette Hales Beckham Janette Hales Beckham Janette Callister Hales Beckham was the tenth general president of the Young Women Organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1992 to 1997... in 1995)	Virginia H. Pearce Virginia H. Pearce Virginia Hinckley Pearce is an author and was a member of the general presidency of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1992 to 1997. Pearce is the daughter of Gordon B...	Patricia P. Pinegar Patricia P. Pinegar Patricia Peterson Pinegar was the ninth general president of the Primary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1994 to 1999.... (1992—1994) Bonnie D. Parkin Bonnie D. Parkin Bonnie Dansie Parkin was the fourteenth general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2002 to 2007. Parkin was also a member of the general presidency of the church's Young Women organization from 1994 to 1997.Bonnie Dansie was raised in a... (1994—1997) Carol B. Thomas (1997)
11	1997—2002	Margaret D. Nadauld Margaret D. Nadauld Margaret Dyreng Nadauld was the eleventh general president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1997 to 2002.-Biography:...	Carol B. Thomas	Sharon G. Larsen Sharon G. Larsen Sharon Green Larsen was the second counselor in the General Presidency of the Young Women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1997-2002....
12	2002—2008	Susan W. Tanner Susan W. Tanner Susan Winder Tanner was the twelfth general president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2002 until April 2008.-Biography:...	Julie B. Beck Julie B. Beck Julie Bangerter Beck has been the general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 31 March 2007... (2002—2007) Elaine S. Dalton Elaine S. Dalton Elaine Schwartz Dalton has been the thirteenth president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since April 2008. From 2002 to 2008, Dalton was a counselor to Susan W. Tanner in the general presidency of the Young Women.-Biography:Elaine Schwartz was... (2007—2008 )	Elaine S. Dalton Elaine S. Dalton Elaine Schwartz Dalton has been the thirteenth president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since April 2008. From 2002 to 2008, Dalton was a counselor to Susan W. Tanner in the general presidency of the Young Women.-Biography:Elaine Schwartz was... (2002—2007) Mary N. Cook Mary N. Cook Mary Nielsen Cook was a counselor to Susan W. Tanner in the general presidency of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since March 31, 2007 until April 2008. Since April 2008 Cook has been the first counselor to Elaine S... (2007—2008 )
13	2008—	Elaine S. Dalton Elaine S. Dalton Elaine Schwartz Dalton has been the thirteenth president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since April 2008. From 2002 to 2008, Dalton was a counselor to Susan W. Tanner in the general presidency of the Young Women.-Biography:Elaine Schwartz was...	Mary N. Cook Mary N. Cook Mary Nielsen Cook was a counselor to Susan W. Tanner in the general presidency of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since March 31, 2007 until April 2008. Since April 2008 Cook has been the first counselor to Elaine S...	Ann M. Dibb Ann M. Dibb Ann Monson Dibb has been the second counselor to Elaine S. Dalton in the general presidency of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since April 2008....

Local organization

In each local congregation of the LDS Church, all 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

Relief Society

The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, USA and has approximately 6 million members in over 170 countries and territories...

, 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. These nicknames are:

Beehive

A Beehive is a 12–13 year old participant in the Young Women organization. The name beehive was first used in the LDS Church's organization for young women in 1913, when a Beehive Girls program was organized. In 1920, the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association operated the Beehive House

Beehive House

The Beehive House is one of the two official residences of Brigham Young, an early leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . The Beehive House gets its name from the Beehive sculpture atop the house. It was designed by Young's brother-in-law and architect of the Salt Lake...

, one of the former residences of Brigham Young

Brigham Young

, as a dormitory for young girls. In 1943, the beehive was adopted as the class symbol for the youngest class of young women in the church. In 1950, the youngest class was officially given the name of Beehives. The symbol of the Beehives is a stylized beehive

Beehive

A beehive is a structure in which bees live and raise their young.Beehive may also refer to:Buildings and locations:* Bee Hive, Alabama, a neighborhood in Alabama* Beehive , a wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings...

. The Beehive purpose statement is:

"For the early pioneers of the Church, the beehive was a symbol of harmony, cooperation, and work. When the young women of the Church were first organized as a group, they were known as Beehives. As a member of a Beehive class today, a young woman strengthens her faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and learns to work with others in harmony and cooperation. This is a time for her to stand for truth and righteousness and “arise and shine forth” (D&C 115:5)."

Mia Maid

A Mia Maid is a 14–15 year old participant in the Young Women organization. The term derives from a former name of the church's program for young women, which was the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association, or YWMIA. The name was first adopted and applied to the middle age group of the YWMIA in 1950. The symbol of the Mia Maids is a rose. The purpose statement of the Mia Maids is:

"The term Mia refers to the Mutual Improvement Association (MIA), which was once the name of the youth program in the Church. The word Maid means young woman. The Mutual Improvement Association adopted the rose as an emblem of their organization, and that emblem continues with Mia Maids today as a symbol of love, faith, and purity. As a member of a Mia Maid class today, a young woman strengthens her testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, accepts and acts upon the Young Women values, and learns about love, faith, and purity."

Laurel

A Laurel is a 16–17 year old participant in the Young Women organization. In 1950, the name Junior Gleaners was applied to the class; this was changed to Laurels in 1959. The symbol of the Laurels is a laurel wreath. The purpose statement of the Laurels is:

"For centuries, the leaves of the laurel tree have symbolized honor and accomplishment, especially when woven into a crown. As a member of a Laurel class today, a young woman prepares to make and keep sacred covenants and receive the ordinances of the temple."

Meetings

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.

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 Church meetinghouses throughout the world. The proceedings of the meeting are published in the May issues of the Liahona
Liahona (magazine)
Liahona is the official international magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is named after the word Liahona from the Book of Mormon. The Liahona is published in 51 different languages from one to twelve times per year depending on the language...

and Ensign magazines. Video and audio of the proceedings are archived and available for downloading on the church's website.

Motto, theme, and values

The motto of the Young Women is "Stand for Truth and Righteousness".

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, 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.

The church advises that "[y]oung women and their leaders repeat the theme during Sunday opening exercises and at other Young Women gatherings.

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, scriptures, and meanings are as follows:

Faith (white)(Alma 32:21) : 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) (2 Peter 1:4–7) : I have inherited divine qualities which I will strive to develop.

Individual Worth (red) (D&C 18:10) : I am of infinite worth with my own divine mission, which I will strive to fulfill.

Knowledge (green) (D&C 88:118) : I will continually seek opportunities for learning and growth.

Choice and Accountability (orange) (Joshua 24:15) : I will remain free by choosing good over evil and will accept responsibility for my choices.

Good Works (yellow) (3 Nephi 12:16) : I will nurture others and build the kingdom through righteous service.

Integrity (purple) (Job 27:5) : I will have the moral courage to make my actions consistent with my knowledge of right and wrong.

and Virtue (gold) (Proverbs 31:10) : I will prepare to enter the temple and remain pure and worthy.

In December 2008, the eighth value, "Virtue" (gold), was added to the list.

Personal Progress

All young women are encouraged to participate in the organization's Personal Progress
Personal Progress
Personal Progress is a goal-setting and achievement program within the Young Women Organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...

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
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...

;
rely upon the Holy Ghost;
develop personal religious behaviors, such as prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...

, scripture
Standard Works
The Standard Works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the four books that currently constitute its open scriptural canon.* The Holy Bible * The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ...

study, obedience to commandments, and service;
keep her baptismal covenants and prepare and qualify for temple
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...

covenants;
develop talents and skills that prepare her for her future roles; and
establish a pattern of step-by-step progress through her life.

Mutual and camps

In addition to Sunday meetings, the members of the Young Women meet on a weekday evening for "Mutual

Mutual

Mutual may refer to:*Mutual organization, where customers derive a right to profits and votes*Mutual information, the intersection of multiple information sets*Mutual insurance, where policyholders have certain "ownership" rights in the organization...

", 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

Young Men (organization)

The Young Men is a youth organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...

. 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.

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

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

History

Chronology of the general presidency of the Young Women

Local organization

Beehive

Mia Maid

Laurel

Meetings

Church-wide supervision

Motto, theme, and values

Personal Progress

Mutual and camps

See also

External links