In October 2008, Elaine Dalton, General Young Women President for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes known as the LDS church, asked the young women of the world, ages 12-18, to “Return to Virtue”. Dalton said “now is the time for each of us to arise and unfurl a banner to the world calling for a return to virtue.”
On September 15, 2009, a large gathering of 250 LDS Californian young women, living in Foothill Ranch, Portola Hills, Rancho Santa Margarita, Coto de Caza and Lake Forest, set out to make their own virtue statement to all of Orange County. Inspired by Elaine Dalton’s hike to the top of Ensign Peak (overlooking the Salt Lake Temple) the local young women from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, set out to hike a peak overlooking The Newport Beach Temple to unfurl their own banners of virtue.
Liz Forrest, the Santa Margarita Stake Young Women President and major organizer of the event said, “Virtue is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards. We teach our youth to have the moral courage and stand for the right, even if they have to stand alone.”
Once at the peak, the girls were asked to promise that they would stay virtuous so they could one day be worthy to marry in the temple. Elaine Dalton emphasized, “The temple is the reason for everything we do in the church and virtue is a prerequisite to entering the temple.” Jenny Stromberg, a young woman from Rancho Santa Margarita, said “In the world today, virtue isn’t highly regarded; but being with the girls that day who shared my same standards and values helped strengthen me and keep me on the right path.”
Young Women Theme
The Young Women theme helps each young woman understand her identity, purpose, and destiny as a daughter of God. Young women and their leaders repeat the theme during Sunday opening exercises and at other Young Women gatherings. Additional words or themes repeated in conjunction with the theme are not necessary or appropriate.
We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him.
We will “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things,
and in all places” ( Book of Mormon 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.
Submitted By;
Karen Lake
http://www.lds-oc.org
Director of Media Relations
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Santa Margarita Stake
