We Can Clearly See Between Right and Wrong: YW in Excellence

 

To end our year of The 13th Article of Faith we chose a black and white theme to go perfectly with the theme:

We Can Clearly See Between Right and Wrong

We called one of our YW advisors to be a program specialist, helping us out with planning New Beginnings and YW in Excellence. She is an amazing decorator, as you can tell!

Food

• zebra cakes
• white chocolate dipped oreos
• chocolate cupcakes with white frosting
• white/ black gum balls {they were left-over from a wedding}

Dress-code

• Sunday best for everyone. Leaders in all black and white to emphasize the theme

This was our table{before anyone showed up} for the YW to display what they had accompished over the year in Personal Progress

Handouts

• Sunglasses

Our program outline

Skit: Shades of Grey- performed by the young women --this was originally a camp skit. We thought it would be cute for an opening in our New Beginnings.

It is hard to clearly see between right and wrong sometimes. In Isaiah 5:20 it says:

20 ¶Woe unto them that call ^aevil ^bgood, and good evil; that put ^cdarkness for ^dlight, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

I love this skit and how it demonstrates what is going on in our world today. It talked about things that are white, those that are black, and those areas that are grey.

Sometimes that is called "the gray area" [Define what is the grey area] It is that area where nothing is completely wrong and nothing is completely right. [Refer to Lehi's Dream and the mists of darkness] Satan wants us to believe that many of our commandments and gospel standards are grey area---and we can each choose how we want to follow and how we want to obey those.

How blessed we are to have the gospel, righteous parents, good friends, prayer, the Holy Ghost, scriptures, personal revelation, and living apostles and prophets to lead the way.

With the Lord there are no grey areas. We are for Him, or we are not. He asks us to serve him with all our hearts, might and minds.

"Anything that does not draw us closer to God takes us away from Him. We have no middle ground, no foggy gray area where we can sin a little without suffering spiritual decline." [Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Spiritual Bonfires of Testimony" Ensign 1992, 34]

The 13th Article of Faith makes it clear what we believe and is a reminder that the Lord's standards are clear and that there is no gray area to Him.

13 ^aWe believe in being ^bhonest, true, ^cchaste, ^dbenevolent, virtuous, and in doing ^egood to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we ^fhope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to ^gendure all things. If there is anything ^hvirtuous, ⁱlovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Seek means to search or discover and is an active word. We do not sit and wait for some-thin good to happen. We are actively choosing the right.

I love this quote:

"Place me behind prison walls-walls of stone ever so thick, reaching ever so far into the ground--there is a possibility that in some way or another I may be able to escape, but stand me on the floor and draw a chalk line around me and have me give my word of honor never to cross it. Can I get out of that circle. No, never! I'd die first" [Karl G. Maeser]

What are our convictions like?

In our Personal Progress book under the value of Choice and Accountability we are reminded of the scripture, Joshua 24:15

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord."

Making choices is part of our Heavenly Father's plan for us. Agency or the ability to make our own choices is one of God's greatest gifts to His children. HOW we use our agency will determine the outcome of our lives. With each choice is a consequence that cannot be separated from it.

Value Experience #1 teaches that a daughter of God can make wise decisions and solve problems. It points the YW to establishing a pattern of regular scripture study and prayer to aid them in receiving the help they need to make personal decisions.

See {Gospel Outcomes}

The Holy Ghost will help each YW to make correct choices as she strives for and lives worthy of it constant companionship.

Close with the young women singing We Believe by Jenny Phillips

Thanks to Jennyphillips.com for all of her inspiration and ideas.

 The Black and White theme idea came from her.