Personal Progress
Encyclopedia
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
and Duty to God
Duty to God Award
Duty to God Award honor presented to young men who participate in the Aaronic Priesthood training within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
programs in which LDS young men
Young Men (organization)
The Young Men is a youth organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
are encouraged to participate.
Purpose
The stated purpose of Personal Progress is to help each young woman:- Know she is a daughter of GodGod the FatherGod the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
; - rely upon the Holy Ghost;
- develop personal religious behaviors, such as prayerPrayerPrayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
, scriptureStandard WorksThe Standard Works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the four books that currently constitute its open scriptural canon.* The Holy Bible * The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ...
study, obedience to commandments, and service; - keep her baptismBaptismIn Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
al covenants and prepare and qualify for templeTemple (LDS Church)In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
covenants; - develop talents and skills that prepare her for her future roles; and
- establish a pattern of step-by-step progress throughout her life.
Church leaders have stated that the purpose of the program is to lead young women to the Lord and to temple attendance
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
.
Values
Personal Progress is focused around the eight topics or values of the LDS young women program. These topics are faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works, integrity and virtue. These values represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' morals, and each have an associated colour in the program.The original seven values were expanded to include virtue in February 2009.
Achievement Program
Each of these topics has a series of value experiences and one value project which requires ten or more hours of preparation and delivery, that helps the young woman learn about the topic. These items are signed off in the young woman's book by the young women leaders or the young woman's parents.To complete the program, the young woman must have six completed value experiences and a project in each topic, verified by the leaders or parents. 3 are required, and the other 3 are chosen from a set of 4. As of late 2010, much of the progress can be recorded and tracked online
Book
The Personal Progress book contains the following major sections: a copy of the The Family: A Proclamation to the WorldThe Family: A Proclamation to the World
"The Family: A Proclamation to the World" is a 1995 statement issued by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints —whose adherents are known as Mormons—which defined the official position of the church on family, gender roles, and human sexuality. First announced by church president Gordon B...
; standards For The Strength of Youth
For the Strength of Youth
For the Strength of Youth is a piece of writing distributed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that "summarizes standards from scripture and from the writings and teachings of Church leaders." "For the Strength of Youth" is available on the internet, in a printed pamphlet, and on a...
; the Young Women Theme, motto, and logo; an overview of the program; the eight topical sections based on the values listed above; a section to write down one's testimony of Jesus Christ and His church; information about the Young Womanhood Recognition; information about transitioning from the young women program into the female adult program, Relief Society
Relief Society
The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, USA and has approximately 6 million members in over 170 countries and territories...
; sections for keeping track of progress in the program; and an index of the book contents.
Young Women in Excellence Meetings
The Young Women in Excellence meetings are held yearly within the ward, or occasionally within a stake, to allow young women to share a value experience or value project they have completed during the year. Young women who have earned the Young Womanhood Recognition award are recognized in a special ceremony during this meeting.Attendees usually include the young women, families of the young women, the young women leaders, and usually ward or stake leaders. Young men are sometimes invited to attend, just as young women sometimes are invited to attend an Eagle Scout Court of Honor
Court of Honor
A court of honor is a semi-official or unofficial tribunal constituted to determine various questions of social protocol, breaches of etiquette, and other allegations of breaches of honor, or entitlement to various honors...
.