SALT LAKE CITY — Every March, tens of thousands of Mormon women between the ages of 12 and 18 gather to listen to messages from Church leaders during the annual general Young Women meeting.
President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency — the Church’s highest governing body — called on all young women to be different in order to maintain their standards. In relating accounts from the life of Joan of Arc, he stated, “She was courageous enough to follow the personal inspiration to which all of us are entitled.” He asked the teenage women to:
- Not be afraid to be different, but to be as good as they can be.
- Accept personal responsibility for their actions.
- Be a friend to someone.
- Be “bearers of light.”
Included among the evening addresses were messages from the Young Women’s general presidency.
Susan W. Tanner, general Young Women president, said, “It is basic human nature to desire and seek praise and attention.” Yet she admonished that “good works should not be done for the purpose of receiving recognition.” In her address, Sister Tanner told the young women that some of the most important work they would ever do would be in their future homes. She said, “Small, seemingly insignificant things you do can make a big difference.”
Sister Julie B. Beck, first counselor in the Young Women general presidency, spoke of the importance of finding direction in life, especially at a time when teens are bombarded with incorrect messages about who they are. She offered guidance on how they could find such direction and why it would help them overcome the obstacles they faced.
Sister Elaine S. Dalton, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, asked, “Can a righteous young woman change the world?” She answered, “Yes!” She told the young women that their righteous examples would have a “powerful effect for good on the earth.”