Margaret D. Nadauld remembers hearing President Gordon B. Hinckley tell her: “When you save a girl, you save generations.”
This statement helped her as she served as the 11th general president of the Young Women from 1997 to 2002.
“I believe that living the gospel is a happy pursuit,” she said as part of a panel of former Young Women general presidents at the Church History Symposium on Friday, Oct. 25.
Sister Nadauld was joined on stage in the Conference Center Theater in downtown Salt Lake City by Susan W. Tanner, general president of the Young Women from 2002 to 2008, Elaine S. Dalton, general president of the Young Women from 2008 to 2013, and Bonnie L. Oscarson, general president of the Young Women from 2013 to 2018.
The symposium’s theme was “Shall the Youth of Zion Falter?: The Young Women and Young Men Organizations of the Church.” Current Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman and Young Men General President Steven J. Lund both spoke on the opening day at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, on Thursday, Oct. 24.
On Friday, the sisters all spoke about how they adapted the Young Women program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in order for girls to learn the principles of the gospel, set goals and prepare for future temple covenants and missions.
Sister Nadauld spoke on how they worked to improve the lesson manuals used by Young Women teachers.
“We wanted to do everything we could under the direction of the Lord and the Prophet to help these girls not falter,” she said.
Sister Nadauld also said goal setting was always a part of the Young Women program. That included the Personal Progress program, which encouraged girls to set goals, read the scriptures and prepare for their future roles at home and in the Church.
“It has been a wonderful blessing to watch these girls make progress in their lives,” she said. “To watch them learn how to worship our Father in Heaven, in the personal and private way, by saying their personal prayers, by paying their tithing, by attending church.”
Sister Tanner spoke on the importance of Young Women camps, “where girls could have mountaintop experiences.”
She described these camps as a place where girls could get away from the world, feel the Spirit and grow their testimonies.
“They could go back to that testimony that they had gained when they learned to commune with their Father in Heaven,” she said.
Sister Oscarson said President Russell M. Nelson reminded her to tell the girls to have fun as they worked to create a new camp guide.
“I thought that was very telling, that he wanted them to have joy in the experience,” she said.
Sister Dalton recalled, when she was first called as Young Women general president, unfurling a gold banner with her two counselors on Ensign Peak above Salt Lake City. She said they called for the entire world to return to virtue.
“Because we knew that in order for a young woman to be able to make covenants and be in the temple, they must be pure,” she said. “And so the temple was our vision, to do everything that we did to prepare these young women to be in the temple.”
Part of that preparing young women for the temple came in the form of emphasizing the standards in the “For the Strength of Youth” guide.
“We tried to make the standards a happy way to live,” she said.
During Sister Oscarson’s time as general president of the Young Women, the Church began having a general women’s session of general conference. They also narrowed down the many programs used to help youth.
“We did seek the guidance of the Lord, and I felt like we made good progress and understanding in what eventually became what is the current personal development program for the Young Men, Young Women and Primary,” she said.
She said she focused on teaching the young women to see themselves as leaders who had an important role to play.
“We did an aggressive campaign to help train our class presidencies to take more responsibility to be teaching, to be leading,” she said.
Sister Oscarson said she saw evidence again and again that “this is the Lord’s work.”
At the end of the panel, each sister was asked what one thing would say to youth leaders today to encourage them as they work with young men and young women.
“Love,” Sister Dalton said. “Just love the way they are.”
Sister Nadauld said: “Involve them. ... I just think it works magic when they’re in charge of things. And even the most reluctant young person, there is something they can be in charge of so they feel like they’re an important cog in the wheel.”
Sister Tanner said, “Be an example.”
Sister Oscarson said, “We need to trust them with responsibility and engage them in the work.” She added, “According to what they’re ready for and guided by the Spirit.”
