President Thomas S. Monson, first counselor in the LDS Church First Presidency, gave "four action-packed objectives" on Saturday to guide young women through their lives.
Speaking at the Tabernacle on Temple Square, President Monson addressed thousands gathered for the annual General Young Women Meeting of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Other speakers were Young Women General President Margaret D. Nadauld and her counselors, Carol B. Thomas and Sharon G. Larsen.Prayer -- "Gaze upward," President Monson began. "Prayer surely is the passport to spiritual power. You can pray with purpose when you realize who you are and what Heavenly Father wants you to become."
Look inward -- "It must not be expected that the road of life spreads itself in an unobstructed view before the person starting her journey. You must anticipate coming upon forks and turnings in the road. But you cannot hope to reach your desired journey's end if you think aimlessly about whether to go east or west. You must make your decisions purposefully."
Reach out to serve -- Service can be performed both through church activities and in the community, President Monson said. He praised a young woman who volunteered to perform a violin solo at a local extended-care facility. The young woman, after completing her performance, told President Monson, "I have never played better in my life . . . I felt the inspiration of my Heavenly Father's love."
Press forward -- President Monson challenged young women to set high standards and warned them not to procrastinate.
"Remember that once you have experienced excellence, you will never again be content with mediocrity."
He promised young women if they followed these four objectives, "great shall be your reward and eternal shall be your joy."
Sister Nadauld echoed President Monson's challenge in her remarks.
"You can't afford to say, 'I'm going to give up. The church standards are too high. It's too hard . . . I'm too weak,' " Sister Nadauld said. "You can do it! For the sake of your future, you must do it!
"You can live in the world but not be of the world. The Lord invites us to come out of the cold danger of worldliness and into the warmth of his light."
The journey of life also is a quest to become more holy, said Sister Thomas.
Becoming more holy means "you are changed," she said. "You are a different person. It means you cannot be a part of the world anymore. You can never go back."
Being holy also means having increased strength in troubled times, she said.
"All of you have difficult situations in your lives, but you know the source of your spiritual strength. Every time you pray or bear testimony or stand for the right, you shut down the powers of evil in your life."
One aspect of holiness is modesty, Thomas said. It is also a growing challenge and temptation for today's young women.
"One of the hardest things for many of you is modesty," she said. "We hope one of the things that makes us different from the world is the way we dress."
Dressing modestly "will help you find out who you are and what you stand for," Thomas said.
Encouraging young women to "let the Lord be your light," Sister Larsen closed the meeting by evoking the imagery of the Young Women torch, the organization's symbol.
"That torch you wear with your profile in the flame can fuel your desire to stand for truth and righteousness," Sister Larsen said. "It is a reminder that Christ is your light and he will show you the way through the happy times and the mists of darkness. You never need to feel alone or forsaken."
A commitment to sincere prayer, scripture study, service and forgiveness will help young women find the answers they are looking for in life, she said. It will give them strength to combat the adversities they face.
"If there are times we become distracted and tempted, the Lord will be there to help us straighten out our course," she said. "You can walk away from the darkness and come into the light, his light."
The General Young Women Meeting is held annually in the spring. It precedes the semi-annual General Conference, the next session of which will begin April 3.