In a new video posted on social media, Young Women general president Sister Bonnie H. Cordon presented a new challenge for the sesquicentennial anniversary of the Young Women organization this year: Share the impact of young women leaders on your life.
“We love our young women leaders,” Sister Cordon said. “We’d like to hear how they’ve influenced your life, whether you’re a young woman now or a young woman long ago.”
Young women are invited to share the impact that a current or former young women leader has had on their lives by posting on social media using the hashtag #strivetobe. They are also encouraged to reach out to their leaders, if possible, and tell them about this impact. This challenge is issued to all current and former members of the Young Women organization.
A young woman in the challenge video said of her former leader, “When I first came here [to America] and didn’t know any English, my young women leader helped me a lot. She was trying to learn Spanish and I was trying to learn English. We were both helping each other. That was very meaningful to me.”
Originally known as the First Young Ladies’ Department of the Ladies’ Cooperative Retrenchment Association, the Young Women organization was organized on May 27, 1870. Today, young women worldwide are part of the Church’s Young Women organization from January of the year they turn 12 to their 18th year.
To celebrate the organization’s anniversary, the first commemorative challenge, issued in May, was called My 150. Young women were invited to choose something meaningful they could do relating to the number 150. Using the hashtag #strivetobe, young women have been sharing their personal challenges for the anniversary. Some set personal goals, such as finding 150 names to take to the temple or reading 150 pages of scripture. Others chose goals based on service, such as baking 150 treats for friends and family or sending 150 kind messages.
Each challenge is designed to help young women simultaneously celebrate and come closer to Christ. On November 15, 2020 at 6 p.m. MST, a Face to Face event will be held to mark the sesquicentennial anniversary.