Young women in the Pacific Area of the Church had the unique opportunity of ringing in - and out - the worldwide 120th anniversary of the Young Women organization.

A group of young women and their leaders in the island kingdom of Tonga, which lies just to the west of the international dateline, were the first in the world to greet the new day on Nov. 18, and to hear the ringing of bells in commemorative services, reported Michael Otterson. And, said Otterson, area public communications director, young women on the islands of American and Western Samoa, lying just to the east of the dateline, completed the day of celebration.

During the day, in thousands of locations in 62 different countries, young women gathered to listen to taped messages from President Ezra Taft Benson and Young Women Gen. Pres. Ardeth G. Kapp. Following the program, which was designed to "celebrate a tie to the past and a commitment to the future," explained Pres. Kapp, young women made personal commitments to stand for truth and righteousness.

Young women in the Provo Utah Edgemont North Stake were honored to have President Benson and his wife, Flora, attend their celebration. After the group listened to the taped messages (see story on page 10), President Benson vigorously rang a bell.

"I'll never forget that sight," wrote Liz Updike, a Beehive in the Edgemont 15th Ward. "It was so fun and wonderful to see President Benson take such joy in ringing the bell. Afterwards I touched the bell that President Benson had actually laid his hand on."

Young women in the stake were given small bells tied on satin ribbons to hang around their necks. "I wore my necklace all day," related one youth. "When I bent over, the little bell would ring and I was reminded of what I had committed to do."

Bells with koala bears and kangaroos on the handles were given to those celebrating the anniversary in Australia. President Gordon B. Hinckley, first counselor in the First Presidency, and his wife, Marjorie, joined in the celebration in the land Down Under for a sunrise service. Elder James E. Faust of the Council of the Twelve, and his wife, Ruth, accompanied the Hinckleys to the celebration of the Sydney Australia Parramatta Stake.

During the program, President Hinckley said there are young women in the Church by the hundreds of thousands who know it is important to be honest, true to themselves and God, to be virtuous, to do worthwhile things, to know the Lord and to serve Him in truth and righteousness.

"How proud we are of the girls of the Church," he said. "Beautiful young women all across the world who will grow into mature womanhood, to be an honor to the Church and to the Lord."

In Washington D.C., young women arriving at the Netherlands Carillon for the celebration were greeted with strains of "Come Hold Your Torches High," a song written for the Young Women organization, floating from the bell tower.

"We had carilloneur Edward Nassor play the music as they arrived," explained Susan Faust, Young Women president in the Oakton Virginia Stake. Approximately 1,000 girls from 14 area stakes were on hand to hear Sister Kapp deliver her message in person.

"It was beautiful to be in the nation's capital and to stand beneath the carillon as it played Young Women music," reported Sister Kapp after the event. "It was marvelous to look down the mall at the Washington Monument and think of the values put in place by the Founding Fathers. And then to look out over the young women gathered and to extend the call to them to be true to their values was even more exciting."

Another anniversary celebration that had a patriotic flavor was in Philadelphia, where young women gathered at the Liberty Bell.

The weather was chilly, even threatening to snow, but "the spirit there kept everyone warm," reported Marcia Hynes, Young Women president in the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Stake. "We worried about the cold, but when we looked at this group of young women huddled together under blankets and sleeping bags, there was such a unity, such a warmth, such a love for what they were doing and what they were standing for, it was heartwarming."

That spirit pervaded celebrations throughout the world. Jayne B. Malan and Elaine L. Jack, counselors in the Young Women general presidency, attended programs in Florida and California, respectively. Members of the Young Women board attended other celebrations, which followed a basic outline, but included some variation.

In the Norman Oklahoma Stake, young women listened to Wendy Humphreys, stake Young Women president, read a list of resolutions written in 1875 by her great-grandmother, who was a counselor in the Tooele, Utah, Ward Young Women organization. The resolutions called for young women of the time to "not associate or keep Company with those who are at enmity with us on account of our religious faith neither will we attend their places of resort for Dancing or other amusements. . . . That where Slang phrases or by words as they are termed are not becoming or Lady like we will refrain from the use of them. . . . That we will consider it our duty to read and Study the Church books and other good books. Where we can obtain wisdom and knowledge and by so doing we will not tax our minds by light reading."

A Salt Lake group listened to "Come Hold Your Torches High" played on chimes. Young women in Florida enjoyed a light brunch during their anniversary celebration, served by priesthood leaders of three stakes. And young women in Hunter, Utah, made their own ceramic bells to remind them of the anniversary.

The significance of ringing the bell as part of the celebration comes from the very beginnings of the Young Women program.

On Nov. 28, 1869, President Brigham Young took from the shelf the family prayer bell and rang it, summoning his daughters to the Lion House parlor. During that historic meeting, President Young explained that he wanted to establish an organization which would provide identity and a sisterhood for young women all over the world. He asked his daughters to "set an example before the people of the world worthy of imitation, . . . to get a living testimony of the truth, . . . and to [gain] a knowledge of the Gospel for themselves."

At its inception, the organization was called the Young Ladies Department of the Co-operative Retrenchment Association. President Young's daughters wrote articles, committing themselves to "uphold and sustain each other in doing good, . . . that we should not condescend to imitate the pride, folly, and fashions of the world, but rather to set examples for others instead of seeking to pattern after them."

Modern young women were also asked to record their own commitments as part of the 120th anniversary celebration. The commitments were written down as part of Young Women classes on the Sunday following the anniversary program.

"We are thrilled with the response we're seeing," noted Sister Kapp, who visited several Young Women classes and read some of the commitments made by the girls.

"I want to be one little light in the darkness so not only will I survive, but maybe my friends will, too," wrote a Laurel.

Another young woman wrote: "I felt impressed that the prophet singled out the young women of the Church to leave a special blessing on. The renewed commitment he talked of to forsake the things of the world is especially what I needed to hear. Sometimes it is not clearly stamped in my mind that I should separate the world from what is really important, which is the eternal plan of salvation. My prayers will now include my asking for help in this area and to be committed to stand for truth and righteousness."

"Bells did ring around the world and hearts of young women were touched by the message of the prophet, who spoke directly to them," said the Young Women general presidency in a statement after the celebration. "Young women are feeling a sense of worldwide sisterhood that bridges cultures and languages. They are anxious and willing to hold up the light of Christ and to stand for truth and righteousness. The anniversary will be an event long remembered."

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(ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)

Purpose outlined for celebration

The Young Women general presidency outlined the following five objectives when asked, "What do you want to have happen during the Young Women worldwide celebration?"

1. "We want young women to have a sense of history of their roots. We want young women to feel a link to the past, the importance of their influence in the world today, and their responsibility to the future."

2. "We want young women to hear the call of a prophet - a call specific to young women in this day."

3. "We want young women to have a sense of belonging to a worldwide sisterhood and of being a part of the growing number of righteous women who share a common commitment."

4. "We want young women to make a personal commitment to follow the prophet and to stand for truth and righteousness."

5. "We want young women to have a spiritual experience. We are hopeful that each time a young woman hears a bell ringing, she will feel the same spirit she felt on Nov. 18, 1989, when she heard the call of a prophet and made a personal commitment to follow him."