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So I was called into YW in my ward, which basically terrifies me. I’m someone who never felt comfortable in Young Women’s even when I WAS a young woman. I’ve been having this faith crisis, and have a hard time testifying of things the lesson calls for. Every week I struggle to bite my tongue. I want to build the faith of the girls and not damage it in any way. I have to be very careful with what I say. I find myself wondering what on earth I’m doing in this calling. And yet I feel I’m supposed to be here for some reason. I have no idea why. But two different members of the presidency told me that felt strongly that I was the one to be called (each on their own, and neither knowing me.)
I’ve taught two lessons so far.I’ve used the manual, but had to focus on particular sections I was comfortable with, and leave out whole other portions that were too hard for me.
Next week I am supposed to create my own lesson (no manual) and have it be on spiritual self-reliance and faith. Ideas anyone?
I’m kind of inclined to mention that faith does not equal the absence of doubt, but is what makes it possible to move forward in the face of doubt. But I’m afraid that could lead into a discussion where I’d share something that would be a bad idea, hurt the girls, or socially “torpedo” myself in the ward (where I don’t have much social capital as is.)
I don’t have teenage daughters, but have been thinking about what might have helped me. I’d love your advise.
Thanks in advance.
I would love a lesson on faith for my YW daughters that acknowledged the need to belief things we can’t see or know – and that having concerns or even doubts is not a sin in any way. I wouldn’t want the teacher to bring up specific examples of things that might be new to the youth, but it is easy to use examples like the resurrection (since I doubt any of them will have seen a resurrected person) – or the nature of the Atonement (since I don’t pretend to understand it) – or anything else that is “central” to the Gospel. I gave a talk recently in Sacrament meeting about faith, and I simply mentioned some things I feel I can say I “know” based on personal experience and other things I can’t say I know but believe regardless (have faith in). It was very well received, since pretty much everyone has things they don’t know but believe anyway. I also have talked about uncertainty being an important part of faith in Sunday School lessons I’ve taught to the youth. It needs to be taught; the youth need to hear it.
Thankful, I think you should go with your first inspiration. You said: Quote:I’m kind of inclined to mention that faith does not equal the absence of doubt, but is what makes it possible to move forward in the face of doubt.
I think that would be a refreshing topic. I would like to sit in on your class.
Mike from Milton
Did you know that the awful dinosaurish brainwashing Young Women manuals have been replaced with a much better program? It officially starts the January, but I think you can start using them now. From what I see, the YM/YW programs are similar, and the focus is much more on gospel topics and less on being a good mother. https://www.lds.org/pages/new-youth-curriculum?lang=eng I like your idea about the faith lesson. The best lessons as a young woman and as an adult have been when the teacher is honest. There is a difficult line to be walked here (as everywhere in the church) but in some way letting the girls know that it is OK to struggle and work through things, and come to their own personal truth would be very powerful for them.
Thankful wrote:Next week I am supposed to create my own lesson (no manual) and have it be on spiritual self-reliance and faith. Ideas anyone?
I’m kind of inclined to mention that faith does not equal the absence of doubt, but is what makes it possible to move forward in the face of doubt. But I’m afraid that could lead into a discussion where I’d share something that would be a bad idea, hurt the girls, or socially “torpedo” myself in the ward (where I don’t have much social capital as is.)
This sounds like the basis of a potentially great lesson. Kids are smart and realize when a teacher is sincere and when they are merely going through the motions. You don’t have to go into depth about which things you struggle with, but you can say that you understand some things better than others. And if directly asked about what you struggle with you could leave it general but truthful. I’ve told the youth in my ward several times there are things about church history I just don’t get and I’ve said from the pulpit before that as a scientist I have difficulty reconciling certain things. But as you say – that’s what faith is – moving on in spite of your doubt.
Sounds like you’ll do a great job. You’re already doing lots simply by preparing a heartfelt lesson.
From my limited experience, I find that the youth just gobble it up when you are “real” with them. They’re smart, far smarter than we often give them credit for. I would love for you to have been my daughters’ YW teacher and leader. If they had had more realistic lessons and more authentic leaders, they may have stuck with it longer and stayed active. You mentioned not wanting to “damage” their faith. But damage their faith in what? If you put cracks of doubt into the paradigm that their be-all-end-all goal in life, and only value as a person, is to get married in the temple and have a bunch of babies (and all other options such as educations and careers are the licked cupcake choice), then fine. Damage that. Put some cracks in it. It will keep more YW in the program and give them more wonderful options for their life.
I went through this exactthing. I was called as beehive advisor right before my faith questions turned into a faith crises. All throughout, I knew that I loved the girls, but frankly, I hated the lessons. When I realized once and for all that I couldn’t be a TBM, I questioned whether I could really do this calling. Every single day for months, all I wanted was to call the bishop and ask to be released. Eventually, I realized that those girls were some of my best friends, and I didn’t know what I would do without them. As far as the lessons, I’ve had to decide that I will try to never teach something that I don’t at least somewhat believe in, even if I have to get creative. Last week’s lesson was on the importance of truth in a virtuous life, and since my idea of the truth is very different from the manual’s, I just changed the whole lesson and talked instead on time management. I enjoy my calling more now than I did even before my faith crises.
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