An Update for Tina...Beehives and Other Mormon Lingo

Yes, I thought I could find some info on our church website that describes how the age groups were named but nada. So I am taking an educated guess that the terms used to describe Young Women age groups, Beehive (12-13 Year olds), Mia Maid (14-15 year olds), and Laurel (16 and 17 year olds), have some sort of historical significance but I couldn't exactly say what that is. I know the Beehive is a symbol that has been used by the LDS church ever since they settled in the Salt Lake valley. So perhaps that is where it came from.

You have raised a larger point Tina...every culture has it's own trappings and I would have to say that Mormonism is in many ways a culture. There's new terminology like "beehive" and "ward" and ceremonies or rituals such as 3 hour Sunday church meetings and "gold and green balls" (I have no clue why they are gold and green, they just are), and group social mores (it's ok to have lots of kids and in fact the more the better!) And quite often we don't even know why we do what we do or say what we say, that's just what it is. Sometimes I take a step back and examine the lingo and think, that's a funny term, but it doesn't usually even cross my mind. So, anyway, long story short, beehives are the 12 and 13 year old girls and for the next couple of years it's my "calling" (another funny word when you think about it), to hang out with them, teach them, and try to be their friend. But we won't be doing anything particular bee-ish or honey-ish. :)