New Beginnings 2012

New Beginnings 2012

"Arise and Shine Forth"

January 8th @ 5:00pm

Young Women's Assignments:

Tie the colored ribbon onto each item.

Faith:                                                 Water Bottle

                        The Living Waters of Jesus Christ

Divine Nature:                     Flashlight                             

                        We are the Light of Jesus Christ

Individual Worth:               Bag of  Gold

                        We are of Great Value to Jesus Christ, He purchased us with his blood.

Knowledge:                           Picture of the Scriptures

                        Know and Flollow the Life of Jesus Christ

Choice and Accountability: CTR ring

                        Choose the Right as Jesus would.           

Good Works:                         Young Woman's Tortch

                        Serving others as Jesus Christ would through Personal Progress

Integrity                                Picture of a Knight in Armor

                        Put on the armor of Jesus Christ

Virtue:                                 Youth Standards Pamphlet

                        Now prove to Jesus Christ that he can trust you to do his work by living by        

                        the standards he gave us.

           

Piano and back-up in case a girl can't make it. Help the parents be quiet and reverent. Also in charge of the lights and running the CD Players.

Chorister,  pick the opening song.

Conducting and explain to the parents what their girls are doing while they on the stage in the dark, waiting for their daughters. Also pick the opening and closing prayer (to be printed on the program).

Outline of Events

Opening

We will all meet in the Chapel. Aubree will announce the song and prayer (Aubree will choose someone for the prayer and Chrissy with Jenna will choose the song). Following the Prayer Aubree will announce the parents that will be spotlighting their daughters. After the spotlights, Aubree will ask the new girls to exit through the south door  with Sister Erb and the Parents to exit through the north door with her. All others will go to their places.

Lehi's Dream

Aubree and Jenna will lead the parents to the stage. Be sure to ask them to remain quiet and reverent while they wait. Jenna will turn on some soft music while Aubree explains to the parents what their girls are doing. Lights are to remain off except for the Christmas tree and the flashlights that will be passed out. Any fruit that we want to cut up last can be prepared while the girls go through (Bonnie and Jenny).

While the parents wait, Mindie will explain the following to the new girls in the foyer:

"The theme for this year is arise and shine forth, I see the light shinning in your young eyes. That light comes from the Lord, and as you radiate that light, it will bless you as well as many others."

"We desire this kind of light and strength for you whether in school, at home, and in your personal relationships. Yet, how many of us are this confident? It takes strength to "arise" when everyone else insists on "sitting down" when it comes to choices of integrity. It takes courage to "shine forth" when all is darkening around us."

"Lehi's vision is quite appropriate for our day. In 1st Nephi 8:26-30 we read........."

"It takes gumption to cling to the iron rod while others taunt. It takes courage to stand for that which others scorn. In fact, in Lehi's dream we read of those who even reached the Tree of Life, yet later fell away. Why? Because of those who cackled and laughed at that which is good. The socially elevated in their pompous buildings of  power and prestige."

"Where will you find the strength and courage to "arise and shine forth"? Well, one way is through the Young Woman's Program......."

"You are now about to enter Lehi's dream one at a time. I advise you to hold on to the iron rod. Along the path you will find eight tools to help you on your adventure. Place your tool into this bag and then move on to the next. Please keep the spirit with you by remaining reverent and try to see the symbols for what they represent."

When I get the word that you are all ready I will send through the first girl. The others will follow five minutes apart. The first girl is given her bag and the end of the silver yarn (the iron rod) which she will follow it into the dark cultural hall to the first table and then the second and so on. The Young Women assigned to each value will have a flash light. Keep it off until you hear the new girl arrive at your table. Turn it on when they get there and introduce them to your value, give them their tool, and explain what it represents. Try to remain reverent so that the spirit will stay with us all.

The "iron rod" will lead them through the cultural hall and up the stairs to the "Tree of Life" where they are met by their parents and leaders. Everyone will quietly wait until the last girl reaches the tree of life. Tiffany will congratulate them on making it to the tree of life and will announce that we can all partake of the fruit of the tree (refreshments of fruit, cheese, crackers, and water bottles that will be relabeled to say "the living waters of Christ").

Closing

The lights to the Cultural Hall will be turned back on (Jenna) and we will sit at the tables to eat our refreshments.  When everyone is done partaking of the tree of life, Aubree will announce the closing remarks by Tiffany (pass out CD's), and then the Bishop. Jenna will turn the lights off again. Then Aubree will invite all the girls to arise (stand up) turn on their flashlights (shine forth) and recite the Young Woman's Motto. Every girl will shine their light onto the poster. The closing song will be played on the CD player by Jenna ("Arise and Shine Forth"). We will all quietly listen to the song. Then Aubree will announce who is saying the closing prayer.

Clean up

Everyone chip in so that it gets done quickly.

Beehive Talk

Beehive Theme

On Bees........

            Bees are notorious for their hard work, cooperation, and single mindedness to the hive. These are all good qualities to emulate and that is why the beehive symbol represent  our 12 -13 year old young women.

Where does The Beehive symbol come from?

Harkens back to Joseph Smith

Ether 2:3

" And they did also carry with them deseret, which, by interpretation, is a honey bee; and thus they did carry with them swarms of bees...."

I believe that the Lord put this one Jaridite word in the book of mormon for the sole purpose of being the symbol of our church.

There are two parts to the beehive symbol;

United human industry,

 and the sweet nourishment of honey,

 or the gospel fruits offered by the Lord's last-day Laborers.

On Work.....

D. Todd Christofersen,

"A consecrated life is a life of labor. Beginning early in His life, Jesus was about His Father’s business . God Himself is glorified by His work of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of His children. We naturally desire to participate with Him in His work, and in so doing, we ought to recognize that all honest work is the work of God. ...He has designed this mortal existence to require nearly constant exertion. ...By work we sustain and enrich life and it enables us to survive the disappointments and tragedies of the mortal experience. "

Brigham Young  often said,

 “When a person is industrious and righteous, then they are happy."

L Tom Perry,

 “The bees are ever busy bringing honey and sweetness into  the hive... It helps us remember the importance of being  industrious each day and gathering the good things of this world and bringing them with us to be shared as we worship  in our Sunday services."

On The Hive.....

 One good reason to use the beehive as a symbol for our youngest women is to teach them the most important thing first.

Bees have an amazing loyalty to their hive.

 If we think of the hive as our own family unit, we can draw the following conclusion:

*           the home is most important

 Harold B. Lee:

“Remember that the most important of the Lord’s work that you [and I] will ever do will be … within the walls of [our] own home.” 

On Cooperation..........

For centuries, prophets, politicians, and poets used this symbol as an example of  good social order because bees cooperate and all work for the same goal.

Henry B. Eyring

"My message of hope today is that a great day of unity is coming. The Lord Jehovah will return to live with those who have become His people and will find them united, of one heart, unified with Him and with our Heavenly Father."

"The miracle of unity is being granted to us as we pray and work for it in the Lord’s way. God has promised this blessing of unity to His faithful Saints whatever their differences in background and whatever conflict rages around them. He was praying for us as well as His disciples when He asked His Father that we might be one. ^"

On Shinning...........

There is a special spirit that a new beehive brings to Young Women's. A spirit of newness and wonder. It's a spirit of excitement for the gospel, much like the glow that a new convert has. This is the time for Beehives to arise and shine forth.

James E. Faust gave a wonderful account of Joan of Arc that I want to share with you, He siad;

"Young Joan of Arc, one of the great heroines in history, became the unlikely standard-bearer for the French army in the Dark Ages, long before the gospel was restored. Joan had the Light of Christ and also the courage to follow its promptings and make a difference. Joan was a peasant girl who could neither read nor write, but she was bright. Long years of war with the English had divided her country. At 17, sensing her life had a purpose, she left home, determined to help liberate her oppressed country. Naturally, people scoffed at her ideas and thought she was a little crazy, but in the end she persuaded them to let her have a horse and an escort to go and see the king.

Young King Charles VII of France had heard about Joan and decided to test her. He slipped into the ranks of the army and let one of his trusted associates occupy the throne. When Joan came into the room, she barely acknowledged the man on the throne, but promptly walked up to Charles and curtsied to him as her king. This so impressed the king that he gave her command over his 12,000 troops. At first the French soldiers did not want to obey her, but when they saw that all who followed her succeeded and all who disregarded her failed, they came to look upon her as their leader.

Clad in a suit of white armor and flying her own standard, Joan of Arc liberated the besieged city of Orleans in 1429 and defeated the English in four other battles. Twice she was wounded, but each time she recovered and went on fighting. Her orders seemed to be those of a military genius. She fought in the Battle of Paris until she was captured at Compiègne by English allies, who sold her to the English for 16,000 francs. She was imprisoned, tried as a heretic, and then burned at the stake in 1431.

Although this is a sad ending, it does not take away from Joan’s greatness. She was courageous enough to follow the personal inspiration to which all of us are entitled. As the Lord said to the Prophet Joseph Smith, “I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” 

Conclusion,

In conclusion I'd like to talk about bees unusual flight pattern.

There is a common misconception that bees "violate aerodynamic theory", but in fact they do not, their flight is explained by other mechanics, such as those used by helicopters.^[18]

In 2005, it was revealed that sufficient lift was generated by "the unconventional combination of short, choppy wing strokes, a rapid rotation of the wing as it flops over and reverses direction, and their unique wing-beat frequency". Their wings beat over a short arc of about 90 degrees, but ridiculously fast, at around 230 beats per second.

When bees need to generate more power--for example, when they are carting around a load of nectar or pollen--they increase the 90 degree arc, but keep flapping at the same rate.

We can learn from this flight behavior.

 As we go about this life, working hard, cooperating with others, being more concerned with our homes, and shinning forth; we will have many trials. There are times when these trials will weigh us down, like when the honey bee is carting around a load of nectar or pollen. And as the honey bee will increase the arc of their wing strokes, but keep flapping at the same rate; we too can increase our spiritual arc by reaching out to the Lord and asking for help, but at the same time, continue to work just as hard.

I testify to you that the Lord hears our prayers and answers them in his own way and in his time frame and if we are patient and longsuffering, he will deliver us.

In the name of Jesus Christ......Amen.