Standard-Bearing Youth Should Not Stand Alone
By C.S. Bezas

Our youth make such valiant choices coming to seminary. And amongst this body of youth, there are additional ones who actually work to follow the standards listed in the “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet.

This latter set of youth in particular deserves ample sustenance from our lessons we teach each day. Unfortunately, rather than be celebrated by their church friends, at times those same peers, friends who should be walking this path with them, reject them.

I’ve seen it happen all too often. These standard-bearing youth are left behind by their church friends — friends who happen to be more interested in what the world thinks than what the scriptures say. This leaves our standard-bearing kids outside of the “clique” in the ward, during a time when social life means so much. It can be lonely, so very lonely, for a teen who wants to live correct standards, especially if the majority of their church peers act as if they couldn’t care less.

The concept of the gospel is supposed to go like this, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). Guess what. This isn’t happening in certain wards of the Church, where teens are at times ridiculed (or eventually shunned) if they don’t follow their church friends into certain movie theaters, dances, clubs, or parties.

It often comes down to this: want a large social group? Then be willing to do whatever the crowd wants. This, even amongst the youth in the Church! It might not be talked about, but it is happening and is apparent to perceptive leaders on the sidelines.

Paul described this when he talked about individuals in the last days who were “despisers of those that are good” (2 Timothy 3:3). How alarming that this attitude actually can be found from church youth towards other youth who simply are trying to do what’s right!

I suppose this should not come as too much of a shock. We can read of the same problem among the Nephites: “Now it came to pass that there were many of the rising generation that…did not believe the tradition of their fathers… and their hearts were hardened” (Mosiah 26:1, 3). Among this group of hard-hearted youth were the sons of King Mosiah and the son of Alma the prophet. These were wicked and idolatrous young men who created much heartache among the members of the church.

Although we do not usually find a situation this extreme within our wards, we can at times see covert ridicule and unkindness from certain youth towards the others who quietly refuse to bend their standards.

How sad this is. How disappointing that our standard-bearing youth would have need to relate with the followers of Enoch, who also lived during a time of wickedness. Those individuals “confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (D&C 45:13). It breaks my heart at times to see youth who work so hard to follow the Lord, who then are ridiculed or shunned by the kids at church for having such standards. This in essence leaves the more valiant kids to feel as strangers amongst their own. How sad, when really we would hope that all youth would walk arm-in-arm throughout today’s world, supporting one another in righteous choices.

Righteousness can bring loneliness, if but for a time. As teachers and youth leaders, we must work to be aware if this is happening amongst our youth. The young men and women who do choose to live the gospel deserve all the love, support, and spiritual sustenance we can muster (as do those who don’t, but that’s an article for another day).

We cannot know exactly what these valiant children walk through and how desperately they may need support, but we surely can determine to be there for them. For example, they may have walked out of a friend’s party just the night before, because of the movie being shown, thereby losing that friendship. They may have refused to cheat with the rest of the class during a math exam, thereby gaining quiet honor, but loud ridicule. They may refuse to dress with tight, see-through shirts (like the rest of the girls at church) or refuse to show their belly button and midriff, or refuse to let their pants droop. Whereas we may applaud them for these choices, these choices at times can earn the ridicule or disdain of their church-going peers.

These youth, who have chosen to follow the guidelines within the “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet, deserve our utmost respect, concern, and support. They are fighting battles we may not know. And now that they have arrived in gospel citizenship, which initially may feel like a foreign land to them, they deserve to be treated as the victorious pilgrims they are. They need all the love and assurance and steadiness we can extend.

Whether it’s our friendly smile, eyes of concern, or the strong handshake welcoming them to our class, these kids need this kind of support. Again, we do not know what forces may have sought to pull them down just the day or night before. We read of Satan’s purposes and intentions in Moses 7:26: “…[Satan] had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoice.”

We as seminary teachers serve so that all of our students will keep themselves out of the clutches of the adversary. We may not know of our students’ individual struggles they’ve made to be with us each day in seminary, or the sacrifice it cost, but we do know that which President Thomas S. Monson shared so articulately, “The decision to change one’s life and come unto Christ is, perhaps, the most important decision of mortality” (Ensign, May 1997, p. 44).

Let us work to celebrate the standard-bearing youth who have made this choice — and encourage the rest who have not, to follow. Here are a few ideas:

Great insight can also be received through a priesthood blessing. This is always within your right to request.

Summary

We started off talking about the efforts today’s youth make to come to seminary, and the effort some youth additionally make to live the standards found in the “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet. May you be blessed as you inspire all of your young men and women towards these standards, so they can unite in readiness for the mighty privileges that await them.

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Look for C.S. Bezas’ new book, Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers, available in LDS bookstores October 2006.

[Editor’s Note: Next week C.S. Bezas will address how to deal with tardies in the classroom. If you have found something successful to help youth be in their seats by the time seminary starts, please click on the “What do you think?” link to share your idea