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By Kent Larsen
Young Women Urged to Remain Chaste; Working Mother Cited
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- President Gordon B. Hinckley of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke Saturday night at the annual
Young Women's meeting, urging young women to get an education and
remain chaste, citing as an example a working mother. Hinckley spoke
in the LDS Church's Conference Center to 20,000 young women and many
thousands more around the world along with the members of the
Church's Young Women's Presidency.
Sister Margaret D. Nadauld of the Young Women's Presidency suggested
to young women that they should follow the spirit, and reach out to
friends and neighbors with the gospel, "This year there are over
one-half million young women in the church. Just think, if each of
you will accept this invitation to reach out and bring in just one,
next year there will be twice as many active young women." Her
remarks were accompanied by those of Sister Sharon G. Larsen, who
urged young women to learn how to communicate with Diety, "Long
before e-mail and faxes, cell phones and satellite dishes, computers
and the Internet, this communication with your Heavenly Father was in
place." Sister Carol B. Thomas also urged the young women to follow
the spirit. "The spirit doesn't always give us warm, fuzzy feelings.
Most of the time, the voice of inspiration is a quiet voice, a still,
small voice," she taught.
In his remarks, President Hinckley urged the young women to be
productive with their lives, educating themselves in case they need
to earn a living. "The whole gamut of human endeavor is now open to
women," Hinckley said. "There is not anything that you cannot do if
you will set your mind to it. . . . The sky is the limit, my dear
young friends. You can be excellent in every way. You can be first
class." He cited as an example a working mother he recently met, a
nurse at a hospital he went to recently as an outpatient. The example
pleased many audience members, "He held up a career woman as an
example to our girls," said Kris Doty, 40, who is completing a degree
in social work.
President Hinckley also told the young women that becoming as
successful as they dream starts with cleanliness, "for immorality
will blight your life and leave a scar that will never entirely leave
you. . . ." He told young women that they must not give in to the
urges of their bodies, "You have within you instincts, powerful and
terribly persuasive, urging you at times to let go and experience a
little fling. You must not do it." But his most powerful message was
that young women can become what they want to be, "You can be
first-class. There is no need for you to be a scrub. Respect
yourself. . . . Particularly pay no attention to what some boy might
say to demean you," President Hinckley said. "The sky is the limit,
my dear young friends."
Source:
Hinckley Urges LDS Girls to Remain Chaste
Salt Lake Tribune 25Mar01 N1
By Peggy Fletcher Stack: Salt Lake Tribune
Live properly, women urged
Deseret News 25Mar01 N1
By Elaine Jarvik: Deseret News staff writer
Pres. Hinckley stresses school and discipline
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