The Young Women (often referred to as Young Women's or Young Woman's) is a

youth organization The following is a list of youth organizations. A youth organization is a type of organization with a focus upon providing activities and socialization for Minor (law), minors. In this list, most organizations are international unless noted othe ...

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(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.""Young Women"
'' Handbook 2: Administering the Church'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: LDS Church, 2010).

History

The first official youth association of the church—the Young Gentlemen's and Young Ladies' Relief Society—was formally organized by youth in

Nauvoo, Illinois Nauvoo ( ; from the ) is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States, on the Mississippi River near Fort Madison, Iowa. The population of Nauvoo was 950 at the 2020 census. Nauvoo attracts visitors for its historic importance and its ...

, on the advice of church founder,

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...

, in March 1843. The group had held several informal meetings since late January of that year under the supervision of

apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

Heber C. Kimball Heber Chase Kimball (June 14, 1801 – June 22, 1868) was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He served as one of the original twelve apostles in the early Church of the Latter Day Saints, and as first counselor to Brigham Young ...

. The Young Women organization of the church was founded by LDS Church

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his ...

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 Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

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 (YLNMIA) as a companion organization to the church's

Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association The Young Men (often referred to as Young Men's) is a youth ministry, youth organization and Auxiliary organization (LDS Church), official program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Its purpose is to assist the church ...

, 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 LDS Church president John Taylor, with

Elmina Shepard Taylor Anstis Elmina Shepard Taylor (September 12, 1830 – December 6, 1904) was the first general president of what is today the Young Women organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and was a founding member of the Na ...

as the first general president. In 1904, the name of the YLNMIA was shorted to the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association (YLMIA) and in 1934 it was changed to the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association (YWMIA). The "Aaronic Priesthood MIA Young Women" was the name of the LDS Church's official youth organization between 1972 and 1974. It was formed by consolidating the

and the YWMIA into one organization. Leadership of the organization was shared between the presiding bishopric and the general presidency of the Young Women. The combined organization was short-lived, and in 1974 the organization was again divided into the renamed Young Men and the Young Women. From 1994 to 2013, an annual General Young Women Meeting was held in March, where typically the Young Women general presidency and a member of the church's

First Presidency Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...

would speak to the young women, their mothers, and the adult Young Women leaders. The meeting was broadcast via satellite to LDS Church meetinghouses throughout the world. The proceedings of the meeting were published in the May issues of the '' Liahona'' and ''

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

'' magazines. Video and audio of the proceedings are archived and available for downloading on the church's website. In 2014, the meeting was replaced by a semiannual general women's meeting for those eight years of age and older. From the 1959 until 2019, young women were sub-divided into three aged-based classes: Beehive (12–13 year olds), Mia Maids (14–15 year olds), and Laurels (16–17 year olds). Also at the end of 2019, the

Personal Progress Young Women Personal Progress was a goal-setting and achievement program within the Young Women organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The program ran from 1978 to 2019 and was roughly analogous to the Duty t ...

program was discontinued and replaced by the Church's new "Children and Youth Program".

In the church today

In each

(local congregation), all females (ages 11 to 18) are members of Young Women classes. The sub-division of each class vary based on the total number of young women in each congregation, and determined on a local level at the discretion of the young women president with the approval of the bishopric, and each group is led by a class presidency generally consisting of a president, two counselors, and a class secretary. Adult leadership for the ward consists of a Young Women President and two counselors; and the presidency may also ask an adult woman to be the secretary to the presidency. Generally, during Sunday meetings, each class will meeting separately for instruction. Young women also meeting one day during the week for an activity, and once a month they typically hold a combined activity with the young men. Local church Young Women organizations are supported by a stake Young Women presidency, and stake and ward Young Women organizations are supported by the Young Women General Presidency. The church advises that young women and their leaders repeat the theme during Sunday opening exercises and at other Young Women gatherings. In addition to Sunday meetings and youth activities, most local organizations also organize an annual Young Women Camp, or Girls Camp. Young Women Camps may be held at the ward or the stake level. Also, every other year eligible young women may attend regional For the Strength of Youth conferences.

Chronology of the general presidency of the Young Women

Notes

References

* Janet Peterson and LaRene Gaunt, ''Keepers of the Flame: Presidents of the Young Women'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 1993).
"Presidents of the Young Women Organization Through the Years"
''

'', June 2008. * . * .

External links