Young women leave world behind
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One hundred eighty-five young women and not an iPod among them.
Those little electronic music devices are what you didn't see if you visited the Young Women camp of the American Fork Utah West Stake. Camping at Church-owned Heber Valley Camp near Heber City, Utah, the week of July 30-Aug. 3, the young women canoed, faced an obstacle course, hiked, held testimony meetings and worked on camp certification amidst quaking aspens, a cool breeze and the sweet smell of pines.
It's much the same for other young women throughout the Church — although the sights, sounds and smells may vary.
Every year, Young Women leaders take girls ages 12-18 and unplug them from the world — literally. Despite a bit of initial grumbling, the young women agree to leave their cell phones and electronic devices behind as they go into nature with their leaders, under priesthood direction and supervision, to increase testimonies, strengthen bonds of friendship, learn outdoor skills and have fun.
What leaders hope young women return to the world with is an enhanced sense of their identity as daughters of God.
Young Women camp is an integral part of the Young Women program, said Young Women General President Susan W. Tanner. In fact, she said it is "far and away the most proclaimed, 'This is where I gained my testimony' program. We've really got to utilize this time with these girls."
To help leaders best utilize this time, the Church has published "Young Women Camp: A Guide for Priesthood and Young Women Leaders," a 17-page booklet small enough to slip into a purse, scriptures or a backpack pocket. (Please see box on page 7 for details about the booklet.)
"The new booklet is precisely so that priesthood leaders and Young Women leaders will work together to plan camp with a purpose," Sister Tanner explained, emphasizing that Young Women camp is under the direction of the priesthood.
"Young Women Camp: A Guide for Priesthood and Young Women Leaders" is not a replacement for the Young Women camp manual that includes the certification requirements for the four levels — or years — of camp. Rather, said Sister Tanner, it is a training booklet to help leaders develop a vision of what they would like young women to experience and gain from Young Women camp — both temporally and spiritually.
And if Young Women camp for the American Fork Utah West Stake is any example, it's obvious that the spiritual and temporal are intertwined.
"I've always thought camp was a spiritual experience," said 17-year-old Jennifer Rich of the American Fork 16th Ward. "My testimony has always grown because of the Spirit we feel."
She added she has noted positive changes in the way Young Women leaders direct camp over the years. When she was 12 and 13, camp was more stake-oriented and directed, with little ward or personal time. Now, Jennifer said, she enjoys more delegation to the wards and more time for games and personal activities.
Interacting closely with ward leaders at camp places them in a different light for young people, said former stake President Steven Blake, who accompanied the young women to the Heber Valley Camp as a priesthood adviser. The young women, he said, see leaders as people.
After returning home, he added, young women struggling with regular Church activity may respond differently when leaders ask, "Come out to sacrament meeting."
For Young Women leaders, camp begins weeks before the actual event. Tawnya Krull, second counselor in the Sunset Hills 1st Ward Young Women presidency, said they organized a "camp fun night" to pass off some of the camp certifications and prepare for camp. At the stake level, each ward, or tribe, was assigned a Young Women value and color. Sister Krull said her ward was assigned "identity" and the color white. So, during camp fun night, they made a white flag bearing the Young Women logo, which shows a girl's face in the silhouette of a flame.
Sister Krull said the new booklet clarifies the purpose of camp, which she said is to "bring the girls closer to Christ and closer to one another."
One aspect of the new booklet that excites Lisa Muler, a stake assistant camp director, is the portion that emphasizes the role of youth camp leaders, girls 16-18 who provide leadership and a positive role model to younger campers. "The youth leaders have a lot more influence among the younger kids because they look up to them — they're still cool," Sister Muler said.
In return, the junior youth leaders gain confidence and leadership abilities. She pointed out one young woman "who blossomed" as a junior leader. During a type of relay game that morning, that young woman received the most cheers from her ward as she pumped her fists in victory.
It's this type of "mountaintop experience" that Sister Tanner hopes young women have at camp. Referring to Moses, chapter one, when Moses saw God and learned his true identity as a son of God, Sister Tanner said, "It was life changing for Moses and that's what we have to do for those girls. We have to give them life-changing experiences."
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