The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Monday that members of the Young Women organization will now be known as Builders of Faith, Messengers of Hope and Gatherers of Light, according to their respective age group (11-13, 14-15, 16-18).
The recent announcement sparked questions and conversation in the comment section of a joint Instagram post published by the Church Newsroom, Young Women Worldwide and For the Strength of Youth accounts.
Church Newsroom and Young Women Worldwide have replied to several commenters’ questions, including ones asking how the new age-group names are to function in congregations with small numbers of young women.
Here are five insights, both from the comments and a news release published on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, about the new Young Women age-group names.
1. What if there’s not enough young women for 3 groups — can groups still combine?
Young women are assigned to a group and a name based on their age.
Young women ages 11-13 are Builders of Faith, ages 14-15 are Messengers of Hope and ages 16-18 are Gatherers of Light.
If a ward does not have young women of a particular age group, that is OK, the Young Women Worldwide account replied to several commenters’ questions on Instagram. “You are still welcome to combine for lessons and activities as needed for your local circumstances.”
Congregations with a small number of young women or few young women in a particular age group may combine for lessons and activities as needed, per this clarification.
“Regardless of how they gather, the young women are still identified by their age‑group names,” according to the church’s news release.
Each age group with at least one young woman in the group should also still have a president, regardless of how local leaders decide to meet for classes and activities.
“For example, if a ward has two young women who are in different age groups, they would each serve as president of their age-group,” the church’s release states. “Where possible, one or two counselors and a secretary serve with each president.”
The release adds that when multiple age groups meet together, the group presidents/presidencies should “work together to plan and hold Sunday meetings and activities.”
The church’s First Presidency encouraged local leaders in a letter to “prayerfully decide” how to organize the young women in their congregations for lessons and activities.
“It is our hope,” President Dallin H. Oaks and his counselors wrote in the letter, “that these age-group names and the principles they teach will help young women become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, prepared to participate in the great work of the Relief Society.”
2. What if a ward has a large number of young women?
Bishoprics and adult Young Women leaders may find that an age group includes too many young women.
In that case, they may decide to divide the age group, according to the church’s news release. Each group would have its own group presidency.
3. Do existing class presidencies need to be released and called again?
If all members of an existing class presidency will be in the same age group, then that class presidency does not need to be released and called again, the church’s news release states.
The ward clerk, however, will need to reassign the callings on the church’s leader and clerk resources page on June 1.
If an existing class presidency will not become an age-group presidency, they should be formally released by a member of the bishopric, and a new president/presidency should be called.
“If new presidencies are needed, the bishopric may begin calling young women to serve now,” the release states. “The presidencies can also be sustained and set apart now,” but ward clerks will need to wait until June 1 to assign the callings on the church’s leader and clerk resources page.
4. How adult leaders are assigned to age groups
Young Women presidents have responsibility for the oldest young women (ages 16 and up) in the Gatherers of Light age group.
First counselors in Young Women presidencies have responsibility for the Messengers of Hope, ages 14-15. And second counselors in Young Women presidencies have responsibility for the Builders of Faith, ages 12-13.
“When needed, advisers can be called and assigned to a specific age-group,” the church’s release states.
Each young woman serving as president of their age group is to attend their congregation’s youth council.
5. When are new Young Women age group names and changes effective?
Latter-day Saints are encouraged to begin using the new Young Women age-group names immediately, per the church’s news release.
The leader and clerk resources page on ChurchofJesusChrist.org will be updated June 1 to include the new Young Women age groups and allow group presidencies to be assigned on the page.
“At that time, all young women will automatically be assigned to an age group based on the age they turn in 2026,” the church’s release states.
Young women will progress through the different age groups — becoming Builders of Faith the January of the year they turn 12. They will then become Messengers of Hope the January of the year they turn 14 and will become Gatherers of Light the January of the year they turn 16.