Introduction

This manual is directed both to young women and Young Women camp leaders.

Section 1, “To Young Women Campers,” is for young women to use at camp. It includes the requirements for camp certification and instructions for Youth Camp Leaders. It also includes journal pages for the young women to use in recording their camp experiences.

Section 2, “Resources,” provides information for planning and carrying out Young Women camp activities.

Section 3, “To Young Women Leaders,” tells Young Women leaders how to plan and carry out a Young Women camp.

As young women of the Church strive to draw closer to God, an increased awareness of his creations can strengthen their testimonies and be a witness to them of the Supreme Creator. The following words of the Prophet Joseph Smith describe the scriptural foundation for Young Women camp:

“Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together. … And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever!” (D&C 128:23).

This passage expresses the joy that all of God’s creations felt when the gospel was restored with its blessings and promises for each child of God. A camping experience can help young women become more aware of God’s creations and the blessings the gospel brings into their lives. They can find joy in an outdoor setting that will strengthen their love for each other and the gospel and their commitment to stand together as “witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places” (Mosiah 18:9).

Camp is also an ideal setting for the gospel principles outlined in the Young Women program to be reinforced.

Young Women Motto and Logo

The Young Women Motto is “Stand for Truth and Righteousness.” The torch in the logo represents the light of Christ, inviting all to “come unto Christ” (D&C 20:59). The logo invites all young women to hold up the light of Christ by keeping his commandments.

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stand for truth

Stand for Truth and Righteousness

Young Women

Young Women Theme

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” as we strive to live the Young Women Values, which are—

Faith
Divine Nature
Individual Worth
Knowledge
Choice and Accountability
Good Works and
Integrity

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. (See Mosiah 18:9.)

Mission Statements

Beehive

A Beehive becomes a Young Woman of Truth as she follows the promptings of the Holy Ghost, seeks truth, and strives to live and share it.

A young woman seeks to know the truth through prayer.

Mia Maid

A Mia Maid becomes a Young Woman of Promise as she honors her baptismal covenant to keep God’s commandments, to receive his blessings, and to have his Spirit to be with her as she builds a loving relationship with her Heavenly Father and those around her.

An open book of scriptures represents the word of God.

Laurel

A Laurel becomes a Young Woman of Faith as she more fully experiences the Savior’s love and prepares to receive the ordinances of the temple by living, teaching, and sharing the gospel.

The temple spires remind us of sacred ordinances and covenants that lead to exaltation.

Young Women Values

Value	Scriptural Reference	Color
Faith	I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father who loves me, and I will have faith in his eternal plan, which centers in Jesus Christ, my Savior. (See Alma 32:21.)	White
Divine Nature	I have inherited divine qualities which I will strive to develop. (See 2 Peter 1:4–7.)	Blue
Individual Worth	I am of infinite worth with my own divine mission, which I will strive to fulfill. (See D&C 18:10.)	Red
Knowledge	I will continually seek opportunities for learning and growth. (See D&C 88:118.)	Green
Choice and Accountability	I will remain free by choosing good over evil and will accept responsibility for my choices. (See Joshua 24:15.)	Orange
Good Works	I will nurture others and build the kingdom through righteous service. (See 3 Nephi 12:16.)	Yellow
Integrity	I will have the moral courage to make my actions consistent with my knowledge of right and wrong. (See Job 27:5.)	Purple

Tiny soft-bodied marine animals called polyps are some of the world’s best builders. Each tiny polyp is barely the size of a pea. Cells in the polyp take lime from seawater and build a home of coral. As generations of polyps build their homes and die, massive structures of coral are built up. Some form a fringe around an island; others become a reef along a coast. The Great Barrier Reef of Australia is nearly 1,300 miles long—the result of the work of pea-sized architects!

Wherever you live, nature has surprises in store for those who let go of their daily distractions and worries and open themselves to the sights, sounds, and smells of their surroundings. The surprise may be a sudden rainstorm that sends you scurrying for shelter. It may be the thrill of approaching an animal to watch it feeding or standing quietly to hear the sound of a bird’s wings. It may be seeing millions of stars on a clear night. Somewhere in nature you will find a surprise, and it will lift and inspire you for days to come.

Fireflies or glowworms are not really flies but soft-bodied beetles that produce a soft light. Their cheerful lights can be seen on summer nights. A South American firefly is called the railway worm because it has green lights along its abdomen and a red headlight. In Southeast Asia, thousands of fireflies gather in trees and bushes, flashing in unison to produce a breathtaking display. In South America and the West Indies, where the insects grow up to one inch in length, natives gather them and put them in perforated gourds hung from the ceiling to give light to their huts!

Birds chirp, coyotes howl, whales sing, and bees dance to communicate with their kind. When a worker honeybee finds flowers containing nectar, it flies back to the hive and dances on the honeycomb. The bee may do a round dance in small circles to the left or right, or it may do a complicated routine called a waggle dance. From the pattern, speed, and length of the dance, the other bees are told the direction and distance they must fly. If you sit very quietly in nature, you may observe insects, birds, or animals “talking” to each other.

On a clear night looking up into the heavens, you can see a misty band of stars and light called the Milky Way. This band is a side view of the galaxy that our sun and solar system belong to. If we could see our galaxy from above, we would be looking down on a pinwheel of stars millions of miles across. Our home on earth is located about two-thirds of the way out from the center of the galaxy. We live in the suburbs of a great city of stars!