Personal Progress

In March I wrote about attending our grandsons Eagle Court of Honor. In April JoAnn and I attended a "Young Womanhood" recognition program that included our oldest granddaughter, Alyssa. The "Personal Progress" award is the equivalent of the young men's "Duty to God" award. Both are awards focusing on religion and specifically on commitments, actions, and progress in religious education, personal development, morality, and family. To me these 2 awards are more important than the Boy Scout Eagle award. They receive less recognition, but for the individual completing them, they have a more significant long-term influence and impact.

The Young Women's Personal Progress award recognizes young women for their "worthiness and for completing all the Personal Progress requirements." As a recipient of the award, they show that they have established a pattern of progress in their life. The award recognizes that young women "are prepared to make and keep sacred temple covenants … are committed to keeping the commandments, serving others, and developing and sharing your gifts and talents."

Our daughters participated in this award, and I think they all completed it. I was and am so proud of their efforts. The recognition is completed over a period of time and involves making and keeping commitments, learning to work with others, learning how to plan and carry out plans, and become young women ready to enter the world with a strong foundation in faith and belief in God. There theme explains it far better than I can:

"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” (Mosiah 18:9) as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are:

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

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."

I am so impressed with their 8 values and the power and preparation it gives these young women to live their lives. I have watched my own daughters, and now granddaughters, pursue and now begin to receive this award. The requirements have changed over the years to reflect the challenges facing young women as they grow to maturity. What has not changed is the commitment to excellence. I'm humbled by the strength, maturity, and compassion that I see in our own daughters and being carried forth by our granddaughters. I know that working towards the Young Women Recognition award was one of those tangible factors that influenced them for good.