November 9, 2025, 8:44 PM MST
“Doesn’t the current church have standards for young people?”
This is a question I have heard many times since For the Strength of Youth: A Guide to Choices was revised and released in October 2022.
If you (like me) grew up with prescriptive “do’s and don’ts” lists, the new guide may feel like it lacks concrete standards. But we live in a time like the one described by King Benjamin. He said, “I cannot tell you all the ways in which you may sin, for the ways and means are manifold and innumerable” (Mosiah 4:29). What we need today are standards based on principles that can be applied to different situations in our lives.
When the revised For the Strength of Youth guide was first released, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about the changes. He said what the guide will do – teach “values, principles and doctrines instead of any specific actions” – and what it won’t do – “give you a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for every choice you may face.”
Personally, I love learning new FSY guides. Each section teaches core tenets by sharing:
Eternal Truth Invitation Promised Blessing
Each section presents a series of questions and answers that show how the principles relate to your current life choices. It also explains which temple recommendation questions are related to doctrinal practice.
I’ve found that questions and answers create great conversations with kids. They bring doctrine to life. After reading “Jesus Christ Will Help You,” we discussed the question, “I try to repent, but I keep making the same mistakes. What should I do now?” We realized that we’ve all had this question at some point. We then discussed how the Savior’s Atonement gives us hope for lasting change.
Our youth may need parents and leaders to help them understand how the doctrine guides them to live up to standards. I love the story of Philip in Acts 8. Philip finds a eunuch reading Isaiah and asks if he understands it. The honest eunuch admitted that he did not understand and said, “How can I do this except for someone to guide me?” (Acts 8:31). Most youth need someone to guide them in understanding the doctrine and how it applies to daily decisions.
Parents and leaders are in the best position to be guides. Ward leaders can help the youth practice applying doctrine to their choices. In one district, we taught youth to love our neighbors regardless of their differences. We then practiced saying kind words “behind each other’s backs” by writing heartfelt compliments on pieces of paper taped to each person’s backs.
Parents are important guides because they are often present at decision points when adolescents apply standards to their personal situations. I once heard a friend and her daughter trying on clothes in the changing room. From their conversation it was clear that they had already decided on the standards of clothing. Then, together in the dressing room, we decided what to buy and what not to buy based on those criteria.
This approach to defining standards of living may be more difficult than a list of “do’s” and “don’ts,” but it can prepare youth to use gospel knowledge to make every decision. As parents and leaders, let’s not sit back and watch our youth decide the standards for their lives. Let us lead them to a deep understanding of the doctrines of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and to living up to standards based on it.
— Sister Barbara (Bobby) Sandberg is a member of the Young Women General Advisory Committee.
