Mormon Teens Taking on More Responsibility
Life for Mormon teenagers has been changing lately. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are often nicknamed Mormons, has always asked more of its teens than most churches do. Some researchers have credited the high level of participation, responsibility, and leadership given to these teens for the fact that they are less likely than other teens to leave their faith. Researchers have also noted they are among the few teens who have a faith vocabulary—the ability to communicate their beliefs to others in intelligent, well-thought out ways. They are more likely than other teens to voluntarily live their faith. Although the bar has always been high, it is even higher today.
Why People Become Mormon: Helping Their Children
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Children, Choosing the Right, Discipleship: Following in the Savior's Footsteps, Finding Happiness, Finding Truth, Fruits of gospel living, Gospel & Doctrine, Gospel Principles, Practices & Precepts, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, LDS Practices, LDS Q&A, Parents/Leaders, Teens & Seminary, Youth Programs
Part one of a series
A new report from the Council of Churches states that while most church membership numbers are declining, Mormon membership is growing. Mormons are the fourth largest religion in the United States and the church with the highest growth among the top ten this year and second among all churches reporting numbers.
Mormonism has a lot to offer teens and children.
Mormonism isn’t an easy church to join. You have to participate in a series of “discussions” about the church first and complete assignments designed to help you learn what you’re signing up for and to help you find out if the Mormon Church is true. To this end, you are required to pray and ask God to tell you, since God is the one source you can always trust when you want the truth. You are then asked to commit to living specific Gospel principles and to live a moral lifestyle.
Then, if that’s not enough, you’ll probably get put to work. The Mormon religion is a lay church, so we don’t have paid ministers, organists, or other workers. This means everyone pitches in to help with one or two tasks. For instance, I assist a toddler with a disability in the toddler nursery each week.
Are Mormons Allowed to Have Fun?
Filed under: Basic Beliefs of Mormons, Finding Happiness, Living the Gospel, Service Opportunities, Teens & Seminary, Youth Programs
Are Mormons allowed to have fun? Of course we are–but our concept of fun might take a little getting used to.
For Mormons, having fun includes serving
When I first became a Mormon, someone asked what I did for fun, since I didn’t drink, smoke, use drugs, or participate in a number of other activities common to college students. When I teasingly—but truthfully–told him I’d been on a hayride the night before, he stared at me as if I’d lost my mind. He didn’t think that sounded like fun, but it had been (and it was where I met my husband, making it even more fun in retrospect.) I became Mormon the last year of high school, and soon after starting to visit Mormon activities, I said to a friend, “I’ve figured out why Mormon teens don’t get into trouble. They don’t have time.” I was always busy with the Church’s many activities for teens, including dances, parties, sports, service projects, campouts, and canoe trips.. There was always something fun to do and something new to work on. Read more
Reading the Book of Mormon to Learn Virtue
Filed under: Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ, Young Women
Recently, we’ve been studying how the Mormons are teaching their teenagers to live a virtuous life. The girls-and in some areas, the boys-work to achieve goals in a number of areas known as values. The newest value is virtue. As part of completing the Virtue Value, the teenagers are asked to read the entire Book of Mormon. Read more
Prepare Now to Enter the Temple
In our continuing series on the new Virtue value program for the Young Women in the Mormon Church, we today focus on the requirement to prepare to go to the temple. Many people wonder about Mormon temples and what happens inside them. What are young girls expected to do to prepare to attend? Read more
Virtue and the Holy Ghost
In this series of articles on virtue, we’ve been exploring the Young Women’s program for Mormon teenagers. The girls-and in some countries, the boys-participate in a program called Personal Progress, in which they set and achieve goals. Some are chosen for them, and others are of their own choosing. The goals are centered around a series of values God wants the girls to achieve. The newest value is that of virtue. We are studying, in these articles, the requirements for completing the Virtue value.
The second requirement focuses on the Holy Ghost, called by some the Holy Spirit. Read more
What is Virtue?
The Young Women’s program, for Mormon teenagers, recently added a new value to the list of values the girls strive to integrate into their lives. This is the value of virtue. Today, virtue is in great danger, as teenagers are often taught, even by those in authority, that it isn’t realistic, practical, or valuable. Because they won’t learn about it in school or in the media, the church has stepped up its efforts to encourage its youth to live virtuous lives.
The Personal Progress Program for Mormon Teens
The Mormons have a program for teenage girls called Personal Progress. It allows girls to set and carry out challenging goals in several areas of personal development. In some parts of the program, they choose their own goals. In others, they carry out goals set for them. Both help them learn to spend their time in meaningful ways, learn self-discipline, and develop the habit of always progressing.
A Brand New Year
The Mormons have a new website for teenagers. While aimed at Mormon teens, there are aspects of it that will appeal to teens of any faith. The website is called A Brand New Year and is designed to help teenagers make this a really great year where they commit themselves to the Lord.
Duty to God Program for Teachers
When a young man of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon Church as it is sometimes called, turns fourteen years of age and is found worthy he will be ordained to the office of a ‘Teacher.’ This is the second office in the Aaronic Priesthood. As a teacher the young man will retain the duties and responsibilities he had as a deacon (12-13 years old) and will gain new ones.
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