Young Women’s Timeline

1843  Young Gentlemen and Young Ladies Relief Society of Nauvoo
1843-45  Young women help RS with Necessity Committee, visiting, teaching
1850s-60s  Young Ladies assisted Relief Society w/ meetings, visiting, teaching
Young Ladies as “quorums” of “deacons” “teachers” to aid R.S.
1866-1887 Eliza R. Snow as “Presidentess” over all women and girls
1869  New organization for young women created by Brigham Young
Young Ladies’ Dept. of the Cooperative Retrenchment Assoc.
focus – social and cultural development rather than ecclesiastical
1871  Renamed as the Young Ladies Retrenchment Association
1877  Renamed as Young Ladies National Mutual Improvement Assoc.
YLNMIA as parallel companion to Young Men’s MIA, organized in 1875
1880 First general presidency of YLNMIA, church-wide authority
Elmina Shepard Taylor called as President of YLNMIA
First general conference for Young Ladies National MIA (YLNMIA)
1880  Eliza R. Snow formally “ordained” as R.S. President
E.R.Snow supervises all women, girls of the Church until her death, 1887
Dual focus for young women – R.S. (ecclesiastical) & YLNMIA (cultural)
1886 Semi-annual training conferences for YLNMIA at general conference
1888 First annual June conference for young women organization
1889 First issue of Young Woman’s Journal published
1890 First General Young Women Conference held
1893 Tuesday night is designated as Mutual night
1899 Young Women traveling libraries begin
1904 Name shortened to Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Assoc.
1910 YWMIA, Relief Society, Primary all housed in Bishop’s Building
1912  First Young Women’s camp is held
1913  Name Beehive first used as label for young women
Learn beekeeping, honey cultivation, domestic arts, agriculture.
1915 Beehive Girls program organized for girls 14 or older
1920  YLMIA operated the Beehive House as dorm for girls.
1922 Gold and green become the official colors of the MIA
1925 Golden jubilee with YMMIA (Young Men’s MIA)
1928 Golden Gleaner group for young women ages 18-23
1929 Begin a new young women’s camping program
1929 Young Woman’s Journal replaced by Improvement Era
1930 New emphasis on music, dance, and performing arts
1932  YW leaders speak, National Council of Women exhibit Chicago Fair
1934 Name changed to Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Assoc
Twelve and thirteen year olds join YWMIA program
“young ladies” term used since 1843 changed to “young women”
1937 The youth are organized into age groups
1943 Beehive adopted as symbol for youngest class of girls, 12-13
1950  Youngest class officially given the name of Beehives, 12-13
The middle age group first adopts the name Mia Maid, 14-15
The oldest age group adopts the name Junior Gleaners, 16-17
1959  Junior Gleaners (ages 16-17) replaced by Laurels
1960 “Era of Youth” section of Improvement Era magazine is launched
Work on young women general board becomes a full-time Church assignment
1962 First worldwide youth conferences are held
1970-1980 President Harold B. Lee introduces correlation program
1971  New Era magazine  published for youth
1971 Personal Achievement program begins
1972 YWMIA and YMMIA are combined in one inclusive auxiliary
Aaronic Priesthood MIA, Presiding Bishopric & Young Women Presidency
1974  Name changed to Young Women Organization, separate from Young Men
1977 My Personal Progress program is introduced with first young womanhood medallion
1978 First General Women’s meeting held in the tabernacle
1980 Instruction for young women, which was typically held on a weekday, is now held on Sunday
1,500 young women march in Church sesquicentennial celebration parade
1984 Wives of international area presidencies serve as general board representatives
for Young Women, Relief Society, and Primary
1985 First young women satellite broadcast is held
1987 Young Women values, theme, motto, and logo are introduced
1988 Young Women, Relief Society, Primary offices housed in
remodeled Relief Society Building
1989 Personal Progress program, spiritual growth and family
1990 Church members one million young women ages 12-18
1994 First general Young Women meeting, separate from Relief Society
2002 Young Women Personal Progress program revised
new Young Womanhood recognition medallion introduced
2002 For the Strength of Youth pamphlet is revised
2002 Annual Mutual theme reinstated
2004 Young Women section of Church website LDS.org is launched
2014 General boards  now contain members from around the world

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