Specialist. I am to help the young women leaders keep track of the personal progress of all of the young women. I also extended a challenge to all of the young women leaders in my ward to complete and finish their personal progress. Including what is required of the young women. This passed week, I had the impression to start sending out thoughts in relation to personal progress every week. Basically about what personal progress means to me in my life. Not just as a leader, but what it meant to me as a young woman, and before I became a wife to my best friend and husband Jordan.
The following is my thought for this week. I hope to post this on my blog as well so that I can share my testimony and maybe help someone else who needs ideas.
Personal Progress Thought:
This week I have been pondering deeply about the Young Women Theme and what it means to live by the young women theme at any age.
"We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us and we love him. 'We are 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."
As it says in Choice and Accountability #6 (of which I encourage you to look at it and start on it;)
"Study the Young Women Theme and what it teaches you about who you are, what you are to do, and why you are to do it. List in your journal what you will do each day with regard to modesty dating, and the media to be morally clean and worthy to enter the temple. Record in your journal how these choices will help you remain free and happy."
Allow me to share a special and personal experience with you.
When I was between ages 19-21, I had the opportunity to move out on my own. It was fun, exciting, new, and challenging. But, I didn't have the "typical teenage life." I did have challenges yes. A lot of them. But I did not have the stereotypical "teenage rebellion factor" in junior high and High school. Heavenly Father had something else in mind for my teenage years.(That story is for another time)
Since I lived on my own I decided to make some choices that I knew were wrong. To make the story short, I chose to come back, it was a long process, and very hard to come back. But one of the things that held me to keep going was my Heavenly Father. Even when in my tribulations of rebellion, he always called out to me "Come unto Him." "Come unto Me." I heard that phrase almost every day even when I was at work and in crowded places. I knew I wasn't making the right choices, and Heavenly Father needed me to come back and "learn of him." Eventually I did with some encouragement and help from my friends. My relationship with my parents at the time was a little rocky. I felt I needed support from friends that I knew would be able to help me through this journey of repentance. Eventually, I told my parents of the choices I have made, and they too were a help and support in my journey of Repentance.
One of the very things that Heavenly Father helped me with was being able to keep focus on the basics of what I learned as a young woman in faith, and one of those things was the Young women theme. The young women theme is not just for young women and youth in general. It is for those that are in relief society and primary also. We are preparing for the temple every day of our lives, even if we have already made those sacred covenants in the temple.The young women theme has been a testimony in my life that it is possible to live by it everyday.
I encourage you ladies to read one of my favorite talks from October 2015. "Plea to my Sisters by: Russell M. Nelson.
This week as you read through the young women theme and reciting it think about what it means to you. Not just keeping ourselves morally clean. How can we get closer to our Heavenly Father through the Young Women Theme? Break down the young women theme, one sentence at a time. Think through your life experience in your life thus far. Instead of taking the young women theme for granted (because we do recite it twice a week), recite the young women theme every morning. Let it be engraved in your life, and live what you have learned from the young women theme. It helped me to find my way. Let it help you find yours.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
Tips for Personal Progress:
Everyone who is participating in Personal progress(including you leaders, remember the challenge I extended a couple months back to complete your personal progress? This is me following up on how you're doing! ;)
This is what helped me through my personal progress (actually what my mom encouraged me to work do as well as my now 12 year old sister):
She had my sister( who is 12) and me (when I was in YW) look through our personal progress book to look for experiences that talked about what I was doing every day of my life already. If you find something you do in school, in your personal life at home, or both. That is an easy check off right there!
Also, Volunteer to teach Family home evening especially those that are close to graduating High school this year. That will help you with the process a lot more. (find a quote from Russell M. Nelson about young women earning their personal progress award)
"Life is tough but it's even tougher When you're stupid." (Do what works in Life) -Anonymous
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