Not Just for Youth

Almost five years ago, I was called to be the Young Women's president in our ward. It was a daunting calling and I felt completely overwhelmed. I'd never served in Young Women's before and the busy schedule, the number of work and meetings, as well as the responsibility of teaching these girls what they needed to know scared me to death.

The Bishop gave me a special blessing to help me fulfill my calling and in that blessing, he advised me to take advantage of my resources, including the For the Strength of Youth booklet. I'd seen one of those when Bruce brought it home from church, but I'd never read it. It became one of my most valued tools.

The booklet is filled with commandments and counsel that, if followed, will help our kids make wise choices. We used it regularly in Young Women's activities--studying and discussing it together. We've used it at home, doing a series of family night lessons, using the booklet as our manual. It has been a valuable tool in teaching appropriate behavior in many areas of life.

The great thing about this book is that even though it's directed to our youth, it's great for all ages. I've benefited from the counsel in it and so have my pre-teen kids.

I'd encourage everyone to pick up a copy for everyone in your family. (They're free.) Use it for teaching gospel standards to your kids. Use it to remind yourself of appropriate standards. Become familiar with it. It's inspired and if we'll let it, it can be a huge blessing in our lives.

Feel free to share any tools you've found useful in teaching our kids! There's always room for improvement.