That brings to mind the teachings of James in the NT about faith and works. The examples he used as demonstrations of faith were not of obedience, but rather of service to others. Seems we get so hung up on obedience that we fail to progress past it into actually *doing* things.

Coffinberry:

That sounds remarkably like the “heart, mind, and strength” of the scriptures.

As we cleaned they talked to us about the importance of the sacrament and expressed gratitude for us helping to honor our priesthood and that ordinance by cleaning it all. The spirit of that service stuck with me the rest of the week until Sunday. That time, taking the sacrament assumed a whole new level of meaning for me.

Young people do not need more classroom instruction. They need more ways to do something meaningful with what they know. –Paradox (comment #18)

I couldn’t possibly communicate how strongly I agree with this! By far, my best experiences in my youth were found as I was contributing and doing something.

I’ve come to realize that a large portion of the purpose for this mortal experience is because there are things which we cannot learn abstractly and must actually be experienced. I think we’ve all noticed the emphasis in President Monson’s accounts of church life as usually involving hands-on experiences like visiting the sick, serving the needy, or going out, finding, and inviting the lost sheep to return. I believe that as our gospel teaching becomes real and tangible through experience then we will see greater understanding which equals greater activity.

I’m still in the middle of raising teenagers; my kids have always liked being needed. For example, the night before last, our son made a point of stopping at a less-active youth’s home on his way to Mutual, and he waited in the dining room while the other fellow finished his bowl of ice cream. Then they went together, and did a service project of moving furniture (one family in the ward had gotten a new set, and had donated theirs to a financially struggling family).

Here’s my $0.02: during my kids’ teen years, what tended to throw them for a loop worst would be ward boundary realignments. This happened twice so far while my kids have been Mutual age. IT SUCKS. And every time kids are lost. It would help if they’d quit realigning the universe every few years it would be really nice!!!)

The one thing I’ve noticed that they all have in common, despite being raised from different parts of the country, with a wide variety of family circumstances, is that they do not know Christ well enough to trust Him. This usually comes from never having done the fundamental things to gain their own testimonies–not understanding that unless you read your scriptures, say your prayers, and make daily efforts to have a relationship with Christ, you just won’t have one that you can recognize.

It has been a blessing to me to see how Christ’s hand still remains in their lives despite their struggles.

I also find it interesting that the friends of mine who are currently in part member families–whether newly so because a parent has recently gone inactive, or because the parent has been inactive for many years–one of the things they have in common is that family scripture study, family prayer, and FHE were not important or regular activities in their home.

I’ve been out of YW for only two years, and I attended in very small areas where most of the girls were usually inactive. I genuinely believe that if the girls had meaningful ways to contribute to and serve in their own church organization, they’d be more active engaged in the gospel and would actually come closer to Christ by coming to Church. It always really bothered me that we didn’t teach our own lessons, few of us ever had formal responsibilities of any kind in the Church… and yet it was this big mystery every Sunday why young people were not excited about sitting in a chair and listening to a talking head every Sunday, saying “the same thing I’ve heard a million times before.”

Young people do not need more classroom instruction. They need more ways to do something meaningful with what they know. That’s what Elder Bednar means when he says we need to act instead of being acted upon. The purpose of YM and YW leaders is not to run the show–it’s to help young people run the show, in the service of their God.

In the end, we will hopefully do all we can and hope the Lord will do the rest. Alma the elder’s prayers were answered and his son returned. Lehi and Sariah, I suspect, also prayed and had a different result.

But that doesn’t (or shouldn’t) stop us from doing everything we can do. Certainly temple trips, quality activies, a teacher’s love, parental example, strong friendships all play a role. And yet, some will still fall away. Hopefully some of those will come back, as Ardis suggests.

I know one of my sons who had great friends, went on youth temple trips as often as he could (our temple allows for them about quarterly), had good friends and even attended EFY a number of years told me, “Yeah, I felt the spirit, but I didn’t like it.” He was a quirky kid who knew that a testimony meant he would have to act a certain way. At the time he was not willing to act that way and so he left. Hard to fault him for his integrity, at least.

Our youth get 2 trips a year.