We youth in the Church are facing so many trials of our standards because this day has the greatest amount of evil, wickedness, drug abuse, alcoholism and murder ever seen. The Lord in His infinite wisdom has provided guidelines for us. He has provided standards for us to follow. He has also given us our agency, which is the freedom to choose if we will follow His will or if we will follow the prevailing evils of our day.
Dating
The world today has a very different idea of what dating is. I remember when I was in school, we were taken to watch a film called "Consequences." We had a discussion afterwards. The whole idea was to discourage us from having sexual relationships while we were still in school. During the discussion many people gave their contribution about what was right and what was wrong about dating.
Then I decided to stand up and give what I found to be the right standard, and I told them, feeling very brave, that the whole purpose of dating has been misunderstood, that the purpose is for us to see if someone is a person we can live with for the rest of our lives. They all shouted me down and said I should shut up because I didn't know what I was saying.
Dress and Appearance
Our dress and appearance is also very important. This is one of the most effective ways of raising a standard without even saying or doing a thing. The Church
pamphletT says, `You should dress in such a way as to bring out the best in yourself and those around you."
In the Book of Mormon, the people of the Lord did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and comely, which is the way we should be.
Friendshipping
A Young Women song goes, "Ours is a circle, a circle of friendship. Just like a circle it goes on and on." The standard of friendship is very important. Friends have such a great influence on our lives, especially the youth, as we're growing up.
Honesty
Our standard of honesty is not to be ignored either. In school during our tests and exams, the motto of many students was, "Do your best and dub the rest." In others words, "Write down what you know and what you don't know copy from your neighbor."
The young women here all know what their motto is - it is "Stand for Truth and Righteousness." On hearing of our final exam results in school, a boy asked me, "Celia, how did you do so well? What did you do that we didn't do?" I didn't tell him then, but brothers and sisters, I'm telling you now: They should have studied and they should have done their exams with honesty.
Language
Concerning the standard of language, the language we use tells a lot about the person we really are inside.
When I was in school, I managed to gain respect from my friends because I wouldn't engage in or contribute to a discussion that was wrong. A friend of mine even said at one time that she knew if an off-color joke was cracked, I would not laugh, and I was surprised that she had noticed that about me.
Sexual purity
The world today makes what is wrong in the sight of the Lord seem right and OK, but the Church's standard on sexual purity is clearly stated.
The Lord specifically forbids certain behavior. There are many things that happen in the world today which are wrong, which the Lord does not approve of. Petting and necking seem harmless to some people, but they are sins, and we should keep away from them.
Sunday behavior
It is important in our lives because as we all know the Sabbath day was made for man, but "it is not a holiday." Many people take it as a holiday to just sleep and eat and go to the beach and things like that.
We are told that it is a day of worship and uplifting activities that bring us closer to Heavenly Father and our families.
Spiritual help
To be able to keep all these gospel standards, we definitely need spiritual help, and as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we all have the privilege to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
Worthiness and Service
Many of us would know by now that joy in this life "comes from living the way the Lord wants you to live and from service to God and others." The pamphlet teaches us that although some of our friends and family members might not live lives worthy of our Father in Heaven, the Lord asks us not to judge them, but we should love them and serve them and be a light unto them to show them the right way to go.