‘Jesus Christ Is Your Strength,’ Teaches Young Women General Presidency

A covenant connection with the Savior Jesus Christ will bring greater access to His power, explained the Young Women General Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman and her counselors, Sister Tamara W. Runia and Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, discussed the second chapter of the “For the Strength of Youth” guide, titled “Jesus Christ Will Help You,” in a video posted to the Young Women Worldwide Instagram account and Facebook page on Tuesday, March 4.

President Freeman said the presidency members wanted to share some of their favorite parts of the chapter and the notes they made in the margins of the book on pages 6-7.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints first receive that covenant connection at baptism, and then receive it every Sunday while taking the sacrament, President Freeman said as she discussed the section of the chapter called “Promised blessings.”

“Every Sunday you get to make a new covenant,“ she said, adding. “What does covenant connection do? It brings us greater access to His power.”

In the conversation, Sister Spannaus responded, saying, “The Father and the Son want to share Their power with us to help us.”

And President Freeman said, “Why do we want greater access to that power? Because we want to be better.”

Sister Runia expounded on how enabling strength and power from Jesus Christ will allow someone to change and repent. She read from the chapter another one of the promised blessings: “Jesus Christ will forgive and heal you as you repent.”

Sometimes people have a hard time because they still remember things even though they feel forgiven. But Jesus Christ “will replace your guilt with peace and joy,” explains this chapter in the “For the Strength of Youth” guide.

Sister Spannaus turned to Doctrine and Covenants 58:42, which reads, “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.”

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Jesus Christ Is strength

The chapter begins with the words, “Jesus Christ is your strength.” President Freeman referred to the story in Mark 5 of the woman who reached out and touched the hem of Jesus Christ’s robe, and He felt virtue go out of him (verse 30). In the footnotes, the Greek meaning of virtue is power and strength.

“I love that what she learned in that moment is that you can reach out to Him and find strength,” President Freeman said.

Sister Spannaus responded, “Because He always wants to help us. He doesn’t want us to feel bad, to feel lonely, to feel sad. He will always be there for us.”

Sister Runia wanted to make sure the youth understood the part in the chapter that says even when people try their best to make good choices, sometimes they will make mistakes. “There’s a succinct line here — ‘Everyone does.’”

She wrote in her book the scripture reference 2 Nephi 4, where Nephi laments over his sins but says “nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted” and writes how God has filled him with His love (verses 19-21).

This message is important for everyone today, Sister Runia said. The guide outlines the good news — “wonderful, hopeful news” — that because of His love, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ.

‘Don’t Be Average’

Invitations found in this chapter are to repent and turn to the Lord with a desire to improve and to rejoice in the gift to do better and be better.

The members of the presidency talked about how different three-word phrases came to each of their minds when pondering on this: “Never stop trying,” “little by little” and “every day better.”

Sister Runia called it “small, incremental movements” in the right direction. That’s the key, added Sister Spannaus.

In their discussion, President Freeman said sometimes people forget that Jesus Christ knows they are not going to be better overnight, but through His strength, they can be better.

She told a story about when her daughter played lacrosse in high school, and the team was advancing through games that were exciting but also full of pressure. In the stands, her son Josh yelled out to his sister on the field, “Grace, don’t be average!”

Now when President Freeman finds herself walking into a situation where she is worried about whether she can do something, she says to herself, “Don’t be average.” Then she is able to move forward with more confidence.

The presidency members ended the video by inviting young women to read the second chapter of the “For the Strength of Youth” guide and discuss it with their class this month.