41. Today I am grateful for the Young Women’s program

On Saturday evening I went to Generations book store in Edmonton and picked up a couple of things relating to the young women program for my little sister who turns 12 tomorrow. When an LDS girl turns 12 she moves up from the children’s primary program to the young women program. Yesterday evening I made her a card using all the colours associated with the Young Women values.

I have been thinking fondly of my time in the young women program. I love this program! This program teaches young women that they are daughters of God and that he loves them. This in turn fosters positive feelings of self worth. The program also creates an opportunity for girls to build relationships with others in their age group and participate in wholesome activities including service projects and camps.  

The Young Women theme that is recited each week reads:

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.

During my trip to the Generations book store I also bought myself the book, “Your Happily Ever After” which is adapted from a talk given by President Uctdorf at the General Young Women broadcast in March 2010. There are so many things I love about this talk. Fairytales, falling in love, finding happiness, overcoming challenges, our Heavenly Fathers love for us, being Disciples of Christ and the list goes on. My favourite quote is: “It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life’s story will develop.”  

This past spring I went to a Relief Society conference and went to a class where this video was shown, the song “Happily Ever After” is also based on the talk. Embedding is disabled but I would encourage  you to click on the link. This is such a beautiful video that not only made me wish I had a little girl but also to hope that someday I will have a daughter who I can teach to know that her Heavenly Father also sees her as a princess. To teach her that living the way Christ taught will lead to happiness.

Listen to the full song here:

Watch a recording of Pres. Uctdorf’s talk here: