"Great shall be your reward and eternal shall be your glory," President Thomas S. Monson told the young women of the Church as they follow "four action-packed objectives" to guide their footsteps through mortality.

Speaking March 27 at the annual General Young Women Meeting, President Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency, asked the young women to, "Gaze upward, look inward, reach outward and press forward."

Several thousand young women gathered on a cool early spring evening in the Tabernacle on Temple Square for the meeting, which was based on the theme, "The Lord is my Light." Flags of the Young Women colors adorned the pipes of the Tabernacle organ, while pink and peach flowers decorated the pulpit.

Thousands more watched the proceedings live via the Church satellite system throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.

Also attending the meeting were President Gordon B. Hinckley; President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency; Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve; and Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Seventy.

Other speakers were Margaret D. Nadauld, Young Women general president, who conducted the meeting; and her counselors in the general presidency, Carol B. Thomas and Sharon G. Larsen.

In his address to "precious young women, your mothers, your teachers and Young Women leaders," President Monson elaborated on the four objectives he offered.

Gaze Upward. "Our Heavenly Father has placed an upward reach in every one of us. No problem is too small for His attention nor so large that He cannot answer the prayer of faith," President Monson explained.

"Prayer surely is the passport to spiritual power. You can pray with purpose when you realize who you are and what Heavenly Father wants you to become."

President Monson counseled the young women, if they want to please Heavenly Father, to honor their fathers and mothers. "They love you dearly. Your joy is their joy, and your sorrow is their sorrow. They want for you the heavenly guidance the Lord provides.

"Life was never meant to be all smiles and happiness. There will come those teaching times to each of you when you will witness the love of your mother, the strength of your father, and the inspiration of God."

Look Inward. President Monson urged each young woman to ask herself, "Do I know where I want to go, what I want to be, what I want to do?"

"The holy scriptures, the guidance of your parents, and the diligent teaching you receive in Primary, Young Women, Sunday School, sacrament meeting and seminary will fortify you in your determination to be your best self. Study with purpose, both in Church and in school. Write down your goals and what you plan to do to achieve them. Aim high, for you are capable of heavenly blessings.

"It must not be expected that the road of life spreads itself in an unobstructed view before the person starting her journey," President Monson continued. "You must anticipate coming upon forks and turnings in the road. But you cannot hope to reach your desired journey's end if you think aimlessly about whether to go east or go west. You must make your decisions purposefully."

By responding affirmatively to the Lord's gentle invitation, "Come, follow me," President Monson added, "each of you will be ready to move to your next objective."

Reach Out to Serve. "Young sisters, your opportunities to reach outward and bless the lives of others are limitless. Think, for example, of the privilege you have to attend the Holy Temple, there to reach out to others who have passed beyond by serving as proxies to provide them the blessings of baptism."

President Monson related how one morning he saw a group of young women emerge from the temple after having participated in baptisms for "those who had gone beyond."

He recalled: "One girl turned back to face the temple and expressed her feelings: 'This has been the happiest day of my life.' "

There are other opportunities to serve the living, said President Monson, relating the account of a young woman playing a solo on her violin during a Church service that he attended at an extended care facility. "The elderly sisters were so appreciative. They declared aloud their gratitude with comments such as 'Beautiful,' 'Wonderful,' 'I love you.' Such distractions did not deter the violinist; rather, they enabled her to reach new heights in her performance.

"That day she said to me, 'I have never played better in my life. Something seemed to lift me beyond myself and my own abilities. I felt the inspiration of my Heavenly Father's love.'

"I reminded her, 'When you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God.' (See Mosiah 2:17.) She nodded her acknowledgment, carefully placed her violin in its case and, with tears of joy coursing down her cheeks, returned to her seat."

Press Forward. "Avoid the tendency to postpone a prompting or an opportunity to grow and to serve," President Monson counseled. "Procrastination is truly the thief of time. Meet the daily challenges of your lives."

He then reminded the young women of the importance of expressing their love to their mothers and fathers. "It is too easy to take parents for granted and to fail to realize just how much they mean to you and you to them."

President Monson told the young women, "A blessing you can qualify to receive is your patriarchal blessing. Your parents and your bishop will know when the time is right for you to receive it. To you it will be as a lighthouse on a hill, warning of dangers and directing you to the tranquility of safe harbors. It is a prophetic utterance from the lips of one called and ordained to provide you such a blessing."

Speaking in behalf of "each of you young women," President Monson also offered a "heartfelt 'thank you" to parents, teachers and leaders. "They are role models for you. They know there will be disappointments, days that are downers, and personal frustrations in your lives. They will show you the way to rise above such experiences and continue on that high road of life which leads upward and onward to celestial glory.

"Remember that once you have experienced excellence, you will never again be content with mediocrity."

Performing music for the evening was a choir of young women from the five stakes in Ogden, Utah, directed by Annette Whitaker, with Linda Margetts accompanying on the organ. A violin duet was performed by two young women, Christa Marcheschi and Sarah Linford. Offering the invocation and benediction, respectively, were Patricia Healy, former Young Women president of the Murray Utah Little Cottonwood Stake, and Brittany Walker, a Laurel in the Farmington Utah South Stake.