The last sharing time for Young Women Girls Camp. Thursday is Bishop’s night when the bishops talk to the young women, and Friday is the day the girls come home. Thursday’s theme is “Daughters of Hope.” Friday’s theme is “Happily Ever After.”

What was your favorite thing about today?


What did you learn today that will help you in the future?

Object lesson: Hold up the purse. How many of you carry a purse around with you? What do you usually have in your purse? What do those things say about you?

Elder Quentin L. Cook shared the following experience that occurred after a four-stake New Year’s Eve dance in California.

Note: As you read about each item (in bold letters) being taken from the purse take that item out of the purse to show the girls. (I had a purse prepared with each item for the Youth Camp Leaders to use for the object lesson)

“I share with you part of what Sister Monica Sedgwick, the Young Women president in the Laguna Niguel stake, recorded: “We didn’t want to pry; this was someone’s personal stuff! So we gingerly opened it and grabbed the first thing that was on top—hopefully, it would identify her. It did, but in another way—it was a For the Strength of Youth pamphlet. Wow! This told us something about her. Then we reached in for the next item, a little notebook. Surely this would give us answers, but not the kind we were expecting. The first page was a list of favorite scriptures. There were five more pages of carefully written scriptures and personal notes.”

“The sisters immediately wanted to meet this stalwart young woman. They returned to that purse to identify its owner. They pulled out some breath mints, soap, lotion, and a brush. I loved their comments: “Oh, good things come out of her mouth; she has clean and soft hands; and she takes care of herself.”

“They eagerly awaited the next treasure. Out came a clever little homemade coin purse made from a cardboard juice carton, and there was some money in a zippered pocket. They exclaimed, “Ahh, she’s creative and prepared!” They felt like little children on Christmas morning. What they pulled out next surprised them even more: a recipe for Black Forest chocolate cake and a note to make the cake for a friend’s birthday. They almost screamed, “She’s a HOMEMAKER! Thoughtful and service minded.” Then, yes, finally some identification. The youth leaders said they felt greatly blessed “to observe the quiet example of a young lady living the gospel.”

“This account illustrates the commitment of our young women to Church standards.” (Elder Quentin L. Cook, LDS Women Are Incredible!, May 2011 Ensign)

How did the contents of this young women’s purse show what she believes? What are some ways you show what you believe? Is it hard to tell others what you believe?

Story: When she was 13 and in the 8th grade, Sister Montse (pronounced moan-see) W from the Winnemucca 1st ward was asked to share what she believed with her history class. She came in at the end of a class one afternoon, when a girl raised her hand and asked the teacher, “Mrs. Humble, what about Mormons?”

Mrs. Humble, the teacher, replied, “That is a very good question! Montse, I want you to come prepared to teach our class tomorrow about your religion. Can you do that? You’ll have 45 minutes.”

Can you imagine how scared Montse was? Only one afternoon to prepare to teach her friends and classmates about the church! As the only member of the church in her grade at the time it was a scary thought to be singled out. How could she teach them what she knew? She prayed and studied and prayed some more, all afternoon and into the evening.

The next day, Montse taught the class about Joseph Smith and the first vision. She told about some of the things that had been restored through the Prophet Joseph. Then she passed out article of faith cards to everyone and they read through them as a class. She felt the spirit guide her as she answered the questions her friends had. She was able to bear her testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel and what she believed.

After that experience several major things happened: Montse knew she was being watched even more closely by others to see if she would stick to her beliefs, her friends weren’t afraid to ask her questions and she was no longer afraid to answer them, and her friends would tell her when they corrected their youth pastors who tried to teach them some untrue things about Mormons.

From that experience, Sister W learned she didn’t need to be ashamed of her testimony of the gospel.

Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Our mutual theme for this year is the 13th Article of Faith. Let’s all say it together: “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul – We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”

Pass out the cards.

These cards have the mutual theme on them. They are for you to keep in your wallet or purse to show what you believe.

End by bearing your testimony of the gospel.

*Note: The cards were made using the prints from Sprinkle Sunshine reconfigured into a credit card size.

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