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Dating Tips

Sweaty palms and pounding heart often go with asking for and accepting a date. Here are some tips that may help.

For Guys:

1. Ask far enough in advance to be considerate of the girl. The length of advance notice depends on the specific activity planned.

2. Be specific. Don’t say, “Are you free Friday night?” Tell her who you are, what you had planned, who you’re going with if you are double dating, and about how long the date will be.

3. Be courteous and cheerful.

4. Be kind if you receive a refusal. Remember that just as you have a choice of whether or not to ask, she should have a choice of whether or not to accept. Don’t force her to be rude.

5. If the date is more than a week away, check with her a day or two before the date. She may be wondering if you have forgotten—and you might be wondering if she has forgotten.

For Girls:

1. Be careful about dating anyone you don’t know well. Suggest casual activities with a group of friends until you get to know him. Only accept blind dates arranged by friends you know and trust.

2. Be sure you understand exactly what the date involves before accepting. Be clear on such things as where you’re going, who will be there, when you’ll be home, and how you’ll travel.

3. Keep your word. If you accept a date with one person and another asks you out, keep your commitment to the first.

4. Be courteous and happy. Remember, it’s not easy for most boys to ask girls out. Whether you’re accepting or declining, be considerate of the young man’s feelings.

5. Don’t say no without giving an explanation. Be honest yet kind.

Hawaiian Ancestry

The youth in Hawaii are getting involved in family history research. Young women in the Honolulu West Stake have worked to reorganize copies of obituaries from the past 40 years in the files of the Honolulu West Stake Family History Center. The young women put eight drawers of obituary cards in order, and now the cards are being copied and sent to libraries all over Hawaii.

The youth in the Kahului Hawaii Stake on Molokai are also getting the spirit of genealogy. They are proofreading copies of the 1890 census of Hawaii. The census has been copied from microfilm to paper because there are many places in Hawaii where people cannot get to genealogical libraries to use microfilm readers. The paper copies of the census will be circulated to libraries in Hawaii. The youth in Molokai are also indexing every name on the census to make research about kapunas (ancestors) even easier.

Young Achiever

David Damron, of the Orem 95th Ward in the Orem Utah Stake, is busy with many activities at a young age.

At 13 he has already completed his Eagle Scout Award and provided a great service with the project he chose to do. He put together first-aid kits with remedies for common household accidents and distributed them to families within the boundaries of his ward.

David has performed in his school’s production of Oklahoma, where he played three parts. He has also been cast in The Nutcracker production at Brigham Young University.

In Service

The Laurels in the Chatsworth Second Ward, Los Angeles California Chatsworth Stake, learned a great lesson about service when they cleaned an elderly lady’s house one Saturday.

Armed with buckets, mops, soap and rags, they cleaned the house until it sparkled inside and out. The sister they helped is confined to a wheelchair and greatly appreciated their service.

“I know the Spirit was with us because we felt so close to one another after we had finished,” said Julie Jensen, president of the Laurel class. “After this experience we knew that it wasn’t only the work we were helping her with, but that we made her feel so happy. That is what service projects are all about.”

The Laurels all agreed that they should do even more service projects, because they learned such a valuable lesson with this one.

Guest Soloist

Tamara Lynn Marshall was invited to perform as the guest piano soloist with the Merced California Symphony Orchestra.

Tamara, a Laurel in the Merced First Ward, Merced California Stake, is a talented pianist. She uses her talents in Church service. She accompanies her ward choir and is always willing to play for other musical activities.

Tamara is also active in drama and music at school. She served as president of the InterAct Club and as chairman of public relations at her high school.

Rising High

Nancy Keetch of Council, Idaho, won first place in the National 4-H Bread-Making Program held at the National 4-H Congress in Chicago. The first-place award is a $1,500 scholarship she can use at the college of her choice. Judging for the project was based on achievement, leadership, and citizenship. Nancy compiled a record of eight years of 4-H participation to compete for the honor.

Nancy is a Laurel in the Council Ward, Weiser Idaho Stake.

Irish Scouts

Take a dose of Irish mist, mix well with 13 lively Scouts (plus three tired leaders), add a blazing campfire, a bucketful of gnats, and stir with tons of energy. The result? A bubbling, sizzling Scout camp set at Castlewellan beside the Mountains of Mourne, deep in the wilds of Northern Ireland.

Scouting has been organized in the Belfast Northern Ireland Stake barely two years. The 111th Belfast Troop includes both member and nonmember boys who found many adventures during their campout. The highlight was the obstacle course on the last day, which was won by 11-year-old John Pratt, a fourth-generation Latter-day Saint.

Fourth-generation Saints are rare in northern Ireland. John’s great-grandmother was baptized in 1926 in England when missionaries still wore top hats. To celebrate the Church’s 150 years in the British Isles, John and some of his fellow Scouts went to the National Jamboree in Preston, England, further strengthening the Scouting program in the British Isles.

In Search

Girls in the Walnut Creek California East Stake shared a faith-promoting experience when they were asked to participate in the search for a three-year-old boy lost not far from their stake girls’ camp.

The girls divided into teams and searched until dark, but the boy was not found. Searchers did fin his footprints, however, and the girls fasted and prayed throughout the night that the boy would be found. They felt their prayers were answered when the night remained warm and clear and searchers found the boy the next morning.

Afterward, 150 girls and leaders tied and signed a quilt for the boy and reflected on the test of faith they had endured. All agreed that they had learned a lot about relying on an already full reservoir of faith rather than trying to develop faith in a time of crisis. They won’t forget that girls’ camp or that lesson very soon.

Top Student

Susan Kartchner of Porterville, California, was honored as the valedictorian of her graduating class.

Susan also participated in cross-country running, band, student government, and several campus clubs. With the band she was able to travel to Hawaii, and through student government she was able to go to Washington, D.C., for a National Youth Leaders Conference.

She is also a talented musician and has played the organ for her ward for the past six years. She served as Laurel class and seminary president and attended early-morning seminary for four years. She is a member of the Porterville Third Ward, Visalia California Stake.

Young Member Missionaries

The youth in the Lisbon Portugal Stake and Lisbon Portugal Mission are working hard to be member missionaries by attending seminary and working with the full-time missionaries.

They have organized dances and activities and public expositions about the Book of Mormon and the Church with the hope of introducing people to the gospel. Rosa L. Campos, of the Setubal Branch, said, “All the activities we organize help strengthen the members and let others experience the joy and happiness we have in our lives for having the gospel as our guide.”

Teresa Da Silva, of the Amadora Ward, has a goal to go on a full-time mission. She knows that seminary is a good way to prepare for missionary work. “Seminary has helped me develop habits of daily scripture reading and study and has helped me strengthen my testimony,” she said.

Paula Cristina Melo Azevedo, of the Barreiro Second Branch, is also convinced that seminary will help her prepare for a full-time mission. Her seminary teacher has been a great example to her, and studying the scriptures has made her more prepared to share the gospel with investigators.

Ligia Maria Figueiredo Varges is a member of the Barreiro First Branch. She has enjoyed accompanying the full-time sister missionaries every week and enjoyed participating in discussions with both investigators and inactive families.

The efforts of these young people in missionary work and seminary have influenced many investigators and made the young people even stronger members of the Church.

New Era Conference

Beehives in the Montgomery Alabama Stake started a “new era” in 1988. They participated in a Beehive conference based on the New Era magazine and articles that appear regularly.

The stake president opened the conference with an introduction to the New Era. The Beehives and their leaders talked about New Era articles, especially one about youth in the Caribbean, because the girls recently sent food and clothing to Puerto Rico. Later, each Beehive received a Mormonad and a special edition of the New Era.

The conference was held over a weekend and gave the Beehives a chance to get to know each other and learn more about the gospel. A feedback session was held at the end of the conference that was modeled after the letters to the editor in the New Era. The session included reactions to the conference and ideas for future Beehive activities. With a start like this, they’ll have a “new era” all year.

Essay Winner

Diana Roberts, of the Jonesboro Ward, Atlanta Georgia Stake, won third place in a county-wide essay contest on freedom. She was also an honor student, a member of the school band, and a member of several school clubs such as S.A.D.D. (Students against Drunk Driving).

She served as the Laurel class president and played the piano for Young Women.

A Champ

Todd Gomez of Lilburn, Georgia, is a champion wrestler in his high school. He won the Class AA Area Tournament in the 140-pound weight class and then went on to win the Class AA State Championship. He was the first wrestler from his high school to win a state wrestling title.

Todd earned his Eagle Award at age 14. He is a priest in the Snellville Ward, Tucker Georgia Stake.

Ward One Warriors

The youth of the Liverpool First Ward, Liverpool England Stake, wanted to start their own sports team, dubbed the Ward One Warriors.

They selected volleyball since boys and girls could play on the same teams. They worked hard and were anxious to find other teams to play. They played games against local teams, but they could not participate in leagues because they would have been required to play on Sunday.

The Ward One Warriors then decided to take a week’s tour of other wards in the British Isles and play a schedule of games. Although the scheduling was difficult, they combined their sports schedule with a trip to the London Temple to do baptisms for the dead.

The Warriors have continued their sports team and encourage competition from other wards’ youth groups. They have found that the team is an excellent way to generate a feeling of closeness and concern for each other and to encourage each other to stay true to the Church.

David Damron

Laurels in California

Tamara Lynn Marshall

Nancy Keetch

Scouts in Northern Ireland

Susan Kartchner

Teresa Da Silva; Paula Cristina Melo Azevedo; Ligia Maria Figueiredo Varges

Diana Roberts

Todd Gomez

Volleyball team in Liverpool, England