Ardeth G. Kapp

General President of the Young Women (April 7, 1984 – April 4, 1992)
Second Counselor in the General Young Womens Presidency (April 6, 1973 – September 30, 1978)

General Conference Addresses

• April 1992 General Conference
  • A Mighty Force for Righteousness
    • “Each of us, young and older, through the ordinance of baptism has covenanted to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ, to love, to care, and to serve our brothers and sisters wherever they may be.”
• October 1990 Womens General Meeting
  • “Crickets” Can Be Destroyed through Spirituality
    • “Mothers, it may seem easier for you to die in the wagon than to stand guard every day in defending and upholding standards of righteousness. It may seem easier to die for the gospel in an effort to save your children than to live for it. But live it you must, so that they will not die spiritually.”
    • “Peer pressure is a form of persecution. Peer pressure is one of the great tests of today.”
    • “No one uses vulgar, crude words without first having the same kind of thoughts.”
    • “When we keep the commandments, we are clean; and when we are clean in our thoughts, our words, and our actions, we can hear the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. In answer to your prayers, you will feel what is right and you will be able to discern between good and evil.”
• October 1988 General Conference
  • Stand for Truth and Righteousness
    • “Young women, you are needed. Never before in the history of the Church has there been such a need for young women who are willing to sacrifice popularity if necessary, suffer loneliness if required, even be rejected if needed, to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
    • “Choose to be obedient, not disobedient; choose to be self-disciplined, not self-indulgent. Shun temptation; listen to counsel; don’t follow the crowd in fashion and fad. Choose to follow the words of the scriptures and living prophets without compromise or complaint. We need young women who will not yield to unrighteous peer pressure or submit to immoral activities.”
• October 1986 General Conference
  • A Time for Hope
    • “Young women, I plead with you, find your own back porch, away from the demanding, loud voices of the world. Learn to really listen—not to the crickets, but to the constant whisperings of the Spirit with its messages of hope prompting you each step of the way on your road to the celestial kingdom.”
• October 1985 General Conference
  • The Holy Scriptures:Letters from Home
    • “I would tell you how searching the holy scriptures can answer every question you may ever have in life. I remember a difficult time in my life when I thought I couldn’t make it. I had failed a grade in school. It was awful. I just remember praying with all my heart that I could be smart. Some time after that I became aware that the scriptures could provide answers when I needed help.”
    • “Can you imagine being away from home and receiving a letter from your parents and not bothering to open it or read it? This is what happens when we don’t read these precious records.”
• October 1984 General Conference
  • Young Women Striving Together
    • “You can bring light where there is darkness, hope where there is despair, and faith where there is doubt. But it won’t be easy. I know that. You know it too. I believe it may be as hard, maybe even harder, than the struggles of our young pioneer sisters who pushed handcarts, suffered extreme fatigue, or where deserted by family or loved ones when they joined the Church.”
    • “When we strive together in righteousness with our families and friends, there is increased safety. Now, some families are more complete than others, but every family is precious. There are times when we need help from our family and don’t even know it, and may not even want it, and it won’t make much sense until later.”
    • “It’s okay that your parents aren’t perfect; no one’s are. And it’s okay that they didn’t have any perfect children either; no one’s are.”
• April 1984 General Conference
  • Youth of the Noble Birthright
    • “We’ll not break faith, none of us. This is a generation of hope and faith and aspirations, and as leaders of young women throughout the world, our prayer is to live so that God’s divine intervention will be felt in our hearts, in our actions, in our attitudes, and in our deeds, and that our receptivity to the priesthood power and direction will be sensitive and responsive. The forces of evil are so real today, and the subtleties of deceit would strive to divert us from the promises and blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Other Talks

Articles in Church Publications

Other Publications and Resources