What Should I Focus On?

“Leaders encourage members to engage in God’s work by becoming ‘true followers of … Jesus Christ’ (Moroni 7:48)” (General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4.1). Your presidency’s focus is to help each young woman in your class increase her faith, strengthen her conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and prepare to make and keep sacred covenants.

President Russell M. Nelson counseled: “Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere. … The end for which each of us strives is to be endowed with power in a house of the Lord, sealed as families, faithful to covenants made in a temple that qualify us for the greatest gift of God—that of eternal life” (“As We Go Forward Together,” Ensign, Apr. 2018, 7).

Lead in the Savior’s Way

You are a disciple of Jesus Christ. Discipleship includes loving, teaching, leading, and serving others. President Henry B. Eyring taught: “You are called to represent the Savior. Your voice to testify becomes the same as His voice, your hands to lift the same as His hands” (“Rise to Your Call,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2002, 76).

The following leadership principles will help your class presidency as you seek to bless the young women in your class:

Prepare spiritually.
Minister to all of God’s children.
Teach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Preside in righteousness.
Counsel together and build unity.
Delegate responsibility and ensure accountability.
Prepare others to be leaders and teachers.
Plan meetings, lessons, and activities with clear purposes.

For more information, see General Handbook, 4.2.

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young women hiking

Know and Minister to Each Young Woman in Your Class

As you come to know and love the young women in your class, you can help them progress toward lifelong conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Prayerfully counsel together as a presidency and with your Young Women leaders to decide who needs your time and attention. As you reach out to those you are inspired to serve, you will find that your love for each young woman increases. As you pray for the gift of charity, your heart will be filled with love for the Savior and for others (see Moroni 7:46–48).

Elder Dale G. Renlund taught: “In the Church, to effectively serve others we must see them through … Heavenly Father’s eyes. Only then can we begin to comprehend the true worth of a soul. Only then can we sense the love that Heavenly Father has for all of His children. Only then can we sense the Savior’s caring concern for them. … Only when we see through Heavenly Father’s eyes can we be filled with ‘the pure love of Christ’ [Moroni 7:47]” (“Through God’s Eyes,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 94).

You can come to know and love the young women you serve by:

Praying for each young woman.
Getting to know each young woman’s interests, strengths, and challenges.
Giving special attention to the needs of new members or less-active members.
Visiting class members in their homes to understand how you and the class presidency can assist parents in helping young women prepare for the temple endowment, temple marriage, and motherhood.
Being a friend and showing love to each young woman in ways that are suited to her needs.
Being willing to share your personal experiences and testimony of the gospel to help guide the young women in your class along the covenant path.

Plan and Conduct Presidency Meetings

Hold regular presidency meetings with your counselors, the class secretary, and your Young Women leaders (see General Handbook, 11.3.4.3). Work with the secretary to prepare an agenda for each meeting (see Sample Presidency Meeting Agenda). Ask her to record notes and assignments during these meetings. Suggested agenda items for presidency meetings are listed below:

Receive leadership training from a member of the Young Women presidency or your class adviser. (See “Quorum and Class Presidency Resources.”)
Discuss ways to get to know your class members and minister to them with genuine friendship and simple service.
Counsel together about upcoming Sunday Young Women meetings. Consider who should teach each lesson, including assigning class presidency members frequent opportunities to teach. (See “Plan and Conduct Sunday Young Women Meetings” below.)
Plan service and activities that will bless and strengthen the young women you serve and bring unity to the class. (See “Plan Young Women Service and Activities” below.)
Discuss how you, as class leaders, can help the young women you serve feel and recognize the Spirit, feel Heavenly Father’s love, and learn gospel principles.
Identify ways you can demonstrate the joy of living the gospel and following the Savior’s example of “[increasing] in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52) in all areas of your lives.
Consider items to discuss in ward youth council meetings (see General Handbook, 11.3.4.3–11.3.4.4; 29.2.6). Also review counsel and assignments from previous ward youth council meetings. Discuss how you and your presidency are following the counsel and fulfilling the assignments.
Review attendance records and discuss ways to encourage participation in class meetings and activities. Ensure that the class secretary turns in attendance records to the Young Women secretary or to your class adviser or specialist.
Discuss how class members can better participate in the work of salvation and exaltation. (See “Encourage Participation in the Work of Salvation and Exaltation” below.)
Share and act on impressions you receive as you counsel together as a presidency (see Doctrine and Covenants 8:2; 121:26).

Plan and Conduct Sunday Young Women Meetings

Sunday Young Women meetings are sacred opportunities for you and the young women in your class to increase in knowledge and testimony of our Savior. In these meetings, you and the members of your class learn doctrine from the scriptures and general conference messages, discuss how the doctrine applies to your lives, and counsel together about how you can act on what you are learning.

For more information about Sunday meetings and to learn about the role of your presidency in planning, conducting, and teaching in these meetings, see “Using Come, Follow Me—For Aaronic Priesthood Quorums and Young Women Classes” on the Come, Follow Me website.

Plan Young Women Service and Activities

Church activities bring Church members and others together as “fellowcitizens with the saints” (Ephesians 2:19). Purposes for activities may include the following:

Build faith in Jesus Christ.
Provide fun and foster unity.
Provide opportunities for personal growth.
Strengthen individuals and families.
Help members participate in the work of salvation and exaltation.

Your presidency has the primary responsibility to plan and implement activities and events for your class, including regular opportunities for class members to serve others. Your Young Women leaders will guide and support you in your planning. They may also invite you to help plan and carry out other youth activities for the ward and stake. Involve other young women in your class in planning so all can contribute and gain experience.

As you plan activities, follow the guidelines in General Handbook, 11.2.1.3, and “Service and Activities” at YoungWomen.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. See also ChildrenandYouth.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, the annual First Presidency safety letter, and the Church’s Safety and Health website (ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

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young women planning together

Young women activities are held on a regularly scheduled day or evening other than Sunday or Monday. Plan activities that help the young women in your class:

Strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ and progress along the covenant path.
Serve others and develop spiritually, socially, physically, and intellectually (see Luke 2:52).
Develop genuine friendships with each other outside of Sunday meetings.
Find ways to apply gospel principles in their lives and live their covenants.
Learn skills that will bless their families now and help them prepare for future service, including as wives and mothers.
Have fun!

For more information about Young Women activities, see General Handbook, 11.2.1.3, and “Service and Activities” at YoungWomen.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Support Young Women in Your Class Serving as Ministering Sisters

Beginning in January of the year they turn age 14, young women may be assigned by the Relief Society presidency to serve as companions to Relief Society sisters in ministering to the needs of women in the ward. Encourage and support the young women in your class who have accepted these assignments. Find opportunities through lessons and activities to prepare the young women in your class for this important work.

For more information about Young Women and ministering, see General Handbook, 11.2.2.1; 21.2.2.

Participate in Ward Youth Council Meetings

“The Church of Jesus Christ is governed by councils at every level” (General Handbook, 4.3). You are a member of the ward youth council. You bring items before the council for discussion and offer input on matters presented by other youth leaders. The council meets monthly to discuss and plan how to “strengthen the youth in the ward [and] help them participate in the work of salvation and exaltation” (General Handbook, 29.2.6). (See also General Handbook, 11.3.4, and “Ward Youth Council” under “Who Do I Work With?”)

If you are unable to attend a ward youth council meeting, invite one of your counselors to attend in your place.

Encourage Participation in the Work of Salvation and Exaltation

The members of your Young Women class will be blessed as they participate in the work of salvation and exaltation, including temple, family history, and missionary work. Counsel with your presidency and leaders about ways you can encourage your class members to participate in the work of salvation and exaltation. Also consider how participating in the work of salvation and exaltation can help your presidency and the members of your class minister to one another.

See 2020 Temple and Family History Leadership Instruction (ChurchofJesusChrist.org).