Mormon Youth

Growing up is hard. Being a teenager is often awkward, but in youth and young adulthood we make crucial decisions that determine what adults we will become. Deciding whether to stay morally clean, who and when to date, whether to have a Temple marriage, what college to go to, whether to prepare to be a Mormon missionary: all of these things change how we will be for the rest of our lives. A decision to prepare and enter the Mormon temple can bring immense blessings, while a decision not to stay morally clean can bring dire heartache.

We are in the decision-making portion of our existence. The teenage years can be somewhat of a fall from the innocence of childhood, just like we came down to Earth from living in innocence with God. We need the knowledge we gain in life, as in teenage years, to grow up to our full potential. Though some of us would probably like to skip being teenagers, it’s a crucial learning stage. Even in awkward, emotional, challenging times, you learn important lessons to guide your life. Similarly, in the fallen state of mortality, we learn from experience the lessons necessary for our eternal destiny.

The lessons we learn in life and the decisions we make will determine whether we meet our full potential—whether we can become like our Father in Heaven. President Thomas S. Monson shared a story in the last General Conference, in which an elders quorum president was asked about the worth of souls:

The stunned quorum president hesitated as he formulated his reply. I had a prayer in my heart that he would be able to answer the question. He finally responded, “The worth of a soul is its capacity to become as God.” (Thomas S. Monson, “Our Sacred Priesthood Trust,” Ensign, May 2006, 56)

Being a teenager seems like everything when it’s happening, but when it’s over, it seems like a very short time—a time when we either prepared for the blessings and responsibilities of adulthood or we wasted time, thinking that just being a teenager was all that mattered. This life is the same way. We can either choose to prepare for the eternal adulthood—being like God—or we can be absorbed in mortality, thinking that this life is what matters.

So what does matter? Remembering the worth of your immortal soul, and preparing for the life to come. In this life, there are many ways we can prepare. We can take advantage of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He paid the price for your otherwise-impossible destiny—will you do what it takes to reach it? We can learn to know personally our Heavenly Father and our Savior. We can repent, pray, read scriptures, listen to our leaders, and control ourselves.

While the hope and destiny of every human being is great, the things that will bring that destiny into view are usually simple, sometimes tedious, and never glamorous. They are the little things we do every day, like praying meaningfully, repenting of smaller or larger sins, and going to Mormon Church meetings. But these small things are what bring about the miracles necessary to grow to be closer to and more like Heavenly Father. Daily devotion to doing the right is what brings a powerful testimony and witness from the Holy Ghost. Worthiness brings the blessings of eternity promised when we keep our covenants. Repentance allows the miraculous atonement really work in us, to clean us from sin and let God forget our wrongs.

In this time of making choices, as in mortal life, we choose what we will be. We choose whether to be morally clean adults, blessed by covenants and service. We choose whether we will become like God after this mortal life. At this time, remember what you are worth. Remember not to throw yourself away in the darkness of a tough decision. There is light in keeping an eternal perspective.

There are times when it’s too easy to see how different Mormons can be from the rest of the world. We keep different standards and often do things the rest of the world doesn’t do, like attending Mormon Church meetings and Mormon temples. James E. Faust gives wonderful advice for those of us who feel “too” different:

Sisters, don’t be afraid to be different in our century! Sometimes we have to be different in order to maintain Church standards. So I repeat, don’t be afraid to be different, but be as good as you can be (”Your Light-a Standard to All Nations,” Ensign, May 2006, 112).

It’s okay to be different when our differences bring us closer to the Lord. In Deuteronomy 26:18, it says, “And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments.” Sometimes we can all feel “peculiar” when compared to the rest of the world. Fortunately, we’re not judged by the world’s standard; we are judged by the Lord.

If we keep his commandments, we are “peculiar,” which literally means that we are a precious possession. We can be precious to the Lord when we obey his commandments. Being Mormon brings blessings, and they’re worth being different. Avoiding alcohol and coffee (as commanded by the Word of Wisdom) gives us health and strength; staying in families helps us to be emotionally healthy and stable; the temple brings us the blessings of salvation. The Lord means to set us apart as Mormons. He knows we’re going to be different, much like he was during his life.

When we are different, or when we are persecuted for being different and following the Lord, we join with the Disciples of Christ throughout time. In places where the Mormon Church is small, we can feel alone, but our differences make us unique and interesting. Don’t be afraid to be set apart from the rest of the world. Don’t be afraid to wear modest clothes, keep the Sabbath holy, and attend youth activities. You gain strength and blessings from these things worth any persecution.

Our differences as Mormons need not cut us off from the rest of the world. We can have good friends that don’t share our differences. Mormons believe in charity, the pure love of Christ which we need to have for everyone on Earth. We can think differently and act differently but still love one another.

In the recent General Conference, we were again reminded of the greatness of this generation of youth. Your striving to do good strengthens your families now and prepares you to have strong families in the future. Charles W. Dahlquist II, the Young Men General President, said in the last General Conference,

You, as the youth of Zion, have a great work to do and have been given all the talents and opportunities, regardless of where you live, to do just exactly what your Father in Heaven expects of you.

Heavenly Father has prepared you with the tools you need to keep the commandments, prepare for the blessings of the temple, and become the men and women you are meant to become. Beyond that, Father wants you to do many other good things that you can do best. With your individual talents and abilities, you can bless the lives of others in ways nobody else can. You have special opportunities within your families to help your family members and bless them with your gifts.

It may sometimes feel as though you do not have what it takes to meet the Lord’s expectations. You do. The Young Men General President focused on two pieces of advice in his talk: “never forget who you are” and “learn to control your thoughts.” As you remember your divine heritage as a child of the Almighty God, and as you control your thoughts, you can protect yourself from the discouragement of the adversary and the temptations with which he would try to ensnare you.

Part of learning to control your thoughts is knowing where thoughts come from. If the thought enters your mind “I can’t do this; I’m not good enough,” that is the adversary, tempting you to give up the fight, trying to give you the excuse that you’re not up to the task. But you are a child of God! No task the Lord sets before you is too hard, and you have his help and guidance when you ask for it. No commandment is too hard for you to keep: you are the very child of him who made them, and he has blessed you with every strength necessary to succeed. These strengths sometimes come from family, sometimes from scriptures, and other times from the mouths of teachers or priesthood leaders. Sometimes the strength you need is in prayer and in listening to the Holy Ghost. Whatever it is you need to keep the commandments and do the will of God, you have it.

Mormons believe that God made a way for everyone to return to him through Jesus Christ, and the way is repentance. It is not a punishment for sin to have to admit wrongs, change our ways, and sometimes confess to a bishop. The steps of repentance put us back on the path to righteousness, and they are only meant to help us purify our hearts and never go back to our mistakes. Repentance is difficult, but the rewards are infinite.

Richard G. Hinckley said the following of repentance:

“How grateful I am for the understanding we have of this great principle. It is not a harsh principle, as I thought when I was a boy. It is kind and merciful.” (”Repentance, a Blessing of Membership,” Ensign, May 2006, 49)

Heavenly Father gave his only begotten Son to suffer and die at the hands of cruel enemies, lonely and without succor, just so we could all have the chance to come back to him and feel the glory of his presence. Would we hold back our repentance where he has done so much? So much was paid so that we could repent and have joy in being pure, and so much is at stake in our repenting-we have nothing to lose but sorrow as we increase in our purity.

Complete repentance brings a new and better life. It turns a life we may think we have destroyed into a blessed life. Repentance restores opportunities and blessings and self-respect. Repent. Be worthy once again to return to the God and Father who loves you enough-in all of your imperfections-to sacrifice everything.

“We don’t always know the details of our future. We do not know what lies ahead. We live in a time of uncertainty. We are surrounded by challenges on all sides. Occasionally discouragement may sneak into our day; frustration may invite itself into our thinking; doubt might enter about the value of our work. In these dark moments Satan whispers in our ears that we will never be able to succeed, that the price isn’t worth
the effort, and that our small part will never make a difference. He, the father of all lies, will try to prevent us from seeing the end from the beginning.”

(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “See the End from the Beginning,” Ensign, May 2006, 43) (From Youth Gems)

In Mormon belief, there is little more damaging than discouragement. Giving up can often seem easier than struggling to do well, or to do at all, some days. And the funny thing is that failure isn’t really failure until you stop trying. There’s nothing permanent about falling down, unless you decide you don’t feel like getting up any more.

The Lord wants us to see the end from the beginning– that it’s worth it to keep trying, to keep working, to keep following the commandments, even when it’s hard. We can be above discouragement and stronger than doubt. The Mormon Church, however, is also about support. God is always with us and there are always people we can turn to.

Most of us will probably not have the opportunity to save fifteen people (single-handedly) from a flaming building, a sinking ship . . . well, name it. We might be ready to dive in at the first hint of trouble. We might dream of heroism of one kind of another. I know I do. And there are big things we can do (that don’t require impromptu disasters). We can make a difference by going on a mission, by travelling to other countries, other states, or even just part of town to do humanitarian work. There will always be the poor, the sick, the orphaned and the lonely. Sometimes, they’re our neighbors. Mormons believe we can make a difference just by looking around and discovering each other’s needs.

So service is always important. And so is standing for what you believe. Not everyone can be official Mormon missionaries–especially not when they’re teenagers. But when you stand for what you believe is true, no matter what others think, you stand as an example of your beliefs. You make them part of yourself. And you may find people admire you for it.
“When I was in South America, the young women and their leaders sang, ‘I’m Trying to Be like Jesus’ (see Children’s Songbook, 78). They not only sang the words, but they meant it. In Asia and India, young women are examples of faith, modest dress, and purity. Their eyes shine and they are happy. The young women in England, Ireland, and Wales are standing for truth and righteousness in their schools. In an ever-darkening world, they are making a difference. Some of you are the only members in your family or your school. You are making a difference. You are leading in righteous ways.”

(Elaine S. Dalton, “It Shows in Your Face,” Ensign, May 2006, 110)

(From Youth Gems)

The world is sometimes dark and often cynical. And very often selfish. It’s easy to get caught up in our own desires and our own wants and our own needs. There are so many of them, and school and work and friends keep us so busy. “Doing good” sometimes can seem like just not “doing bad.”

But we need to be active. We need to reach out our hands to other people. We need to look to other people’s needs and be willing to put forth effort to meet them. We can be good influences.

In Mormon belief, we can be missionaries through example as well as through the Mormon missionary program. If we are kind to others, if we live what we believe, people will notice.

President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

“There is no end to the good we can do, to the influence we can have with others. Let us not dwell on the critical or the negative. Let us pray for strength; let us pray for capacity and desire to assist others. Let us radiate the light of the gospel at all times and all places, that the Spirit of the Redeemer may radiate from us.”

(Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Need for Greater Kindness,” Ensign, May 2006, 61)