Code of conduct: A guide of safety
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
Speaking during a satellite broadcast with a "renewed appreciation for the Prophet Joseph Smith, for his life, and for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ," President Thomas S. Monson offered the young women of the Church a "code of conduct to guide your footsteps safely through mortality and to the celestial kingdom of our Heavenly Father."
"I have divided my code of conduct into four parts:
- "You have a heritage; honor it.
- "You will meet temptation; withstand it.
- "You know the truth; live it.
- "You possess a testimony; share it."
President Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency, addressed the General Young Women Meeting on March 26 in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. Seated on the stand were President Gordon B. Hinckley, along with President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency. Also present were Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve; Elder Dale E. Miller of the Seventy and Presiding Bishop H. David Burton.
Conducting the meeting was Young Women General President Susan W. Tanner, who also offered remarks, along with her counselors in the Young Women general presidency, Julie B. Beck and Elaine S. Dalton.
The meeting, with its theme, "A Great and a Marvelous Work," taken from 1 Nephi 14:7, was broadcast to meetinghouses in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and parts of South America. With this year being the 175th anniversary of the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ, speakers referred often to the example of the Prophet Joseph Smith and encouraged young women to develop their own testimonies of the restoration.
To highlight the anniversary of the restoration, two videos were shown, the first included members of the Young Women general presidency sharing their testimonies from the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, N.Y.; the second included the testimonies of youth, also filmed in the Sacred Grove.
During President Monson's address, given with his customary warmth and
humor, he spoke of the example of the Prophet Joseph as he elaborated on
his "code of conduct:"
"My, how your parents love you, how they pray for you. Honor them," President Monson said. He then explained some of the "countless ways in which you can show true love to your mothers and to your fathers. You can obey them and follow their teachings, for they will never lead you astray. You can treat them with respect. They have sacrificed much and continue to sacrifice in your behalf."
President Monson encouraged the young women to express their love for their parents. "Now is the time to think and the time to thank. I trust you will do both."
Continuing, President Monson counseled the young women to choose their friends wisely. "We should associate with those who, like us, are planning not for temporary convenience, shallow goals, or narrow ambition — but rather for those who value the things that matter most, even eternal objectives.
"Maintain an eternal perspective," he continued. "Let there be a temple marriage in your future. There is no scene so sweet, no time so sacred as that very special day of your marriage. Then and there you glimpse celestial joy. Be alert; do not permit temptation to rob you of this blessing.
"Precious young women, make every decision you contemplate pass this test: What does it do to me? What does it do for me? And let your code of conduct emphasize not 'What will others think?' but rather, 'What will I think of myself?' "
"Remember that faith and doubt cannot exist in the mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other. Cast out doubt. Cultivate faith. Strive always to retain that childlike faith which can move mountains and bring heaven closer to heart and home. When firmly planted, your testimony of the gospel, of the Savior and of our Heavenly Father will influence all that you do throughout your life."
To illustrate, President Monson recounted the time his wife, Sister Frances Monson, was in the hospital and asked him to go to the supermarket. He brought the congregation in the Conference Center to laughter when he related how, since he had not been in a supermarket for many years, he did not know to put potatoes in a plastic bag and couldn't understand why they kept rolling out of the cart and onto the floor through the two holes in the back. Not knowing the holes were meant for the legs of children, he felt his cart was defective. A clerk came to his rescue, and then asked, "You are Bishop Monson, aren't you?"
He replied that many years before he had been a bishop. She continued, "At that time I lived on Gale Street in your ward and was not a member of the Church. You made certain girls who were members contacted me each week and took me with them to Mutual and other activities. They were fine young women whose friendship and kindness touched my heart. I want to let you know that the fellowshipping you arranged for me led to my being baptized and confirmed a member of the Church. What a blessing this has been in my life, and I thank you for your kindness."
After sharing this account, President Monson added: "You can share your testimony in many ways — by the words you speak, by the example you set, by the manner in which you live your life. May each of us emulate the Prophet Joseph's great example. He taught the truth; he lived the truth; he shared the truth. You possess a testimony; share it."
Performing during the 2005 General Young Women Meeting was a choir of young women from the Spanish Fork/Salem, Utah, area. Offering the invocation and benediction, respectively, were Amy Engebretsen, a Laurel from Provo, Utah, and Ann Dibb of the Young Women general board.
E-mail to: julied@desnews.com
