How the Church’s Youth Program Continues to Build Testimonies of Christ

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By Trent Toone, Church News

Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman and Young Men General President Steven J. Lund both came to the Church History Symposium with small gold medals pinned to their clothing.

The historic medals, attached to a green ribbon, came from a Latter-day Saint youth jubilee in 1925.

At that time, there were more than 100,000 young women and young men in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During the three-day jubilee, they danced, played sports and held a banner parade in the streets of Salt Lake City with the slogan: “We stand for an individual testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ.”

The 1925 jubilee, which reminded President Freeman of today’s For the Strength of Youth conferences, and early Church youth programs helped to establish a foundation for the Church’s Children and Youth program today. She quoted Susa Young Gates, a prominent Utah author and daughter of Brigham Young who started the Young Woman’s Journal, who said, “The foundation of any great nation or people is always laid by strong and mighty men and women. Only such have the disposition and the capacity to meet and overcome the tremendous obstacle which the beginning of things entails.”

President Freeman said, “At the root of all of this is that desire that we would be able to help those who are mentoring obtain a testimony of the gospel for themselves.”

Speaking to a crowd of a few hundred gathered in the Wilkinson Center Ballroom, President Freeman and President Lund were keynote speakers at the 2024 Church History Symposium at Brigham Young University on Thursday, October 24.

The symposium’s theme is “Shall the Youth of Zion Falter: The Young Women and the Young Men Organizations of the Church.” The symposium concludes on Friday, October 25, with sessions held at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. Monica Mercado, a professor of women’s studies and North American religions at Colgate University, will give a keynote address on October 25. Several historians and scholars from the Church History Department also spoke at the symposium.

This Sunday, October 27, President Freeman and President Lund will join Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in a worldwide broadcast for youth.

In early October, President Freeman and President Lund both spoke at the Church’s Chaplain Training Seminar.

Read this related Church News story Former Young Women general presidents discuss helping youth progress

Then and Now

Standing on opposite sides of the pulpit with mics in hand, President Freeman and President Lund took turns reflecting on aspects of the Church’s early youth program with how it is today.

In the early days, messages were communicated through the written word in magazines. Today the Young Women and Young Men share messages via social media. The Young Women accounts on Facebook and Instagram are called Young Women Worldwide, and the Young Men are Young Men Worldwide.

President Lund talked about how camping continues to be a valuable part of the Children and Youth program for young men and young women.

“Those outdoor activities bring with them a multitude of blessings that will bless them all their lives,” he said.

Today, both the Young Men and Young Women organizations each have 14-member advisory councils.

In the early days, young adults participated on the Young Women Board. Inspired by that idea, the Young Women general presidency requested and received permission to call five young adults to serve on their 14-member advisory council. These young adults serve for five years, teach and train, and help the Young Women General Presidency to “make sure we actually are reaching down into what the youth really need right now,” President Freeman said.

President Lund and President Freeman also talked about the importance — both past and present — of the Young Men and Young Women themes, as well as weekly activities.

“Each of you can probably think back to activities that left a significant impression on your heart and soul,” President Freeman said.

Today the Young Men and Young Women General Presidencies collaborate and work more closely together for the benefit of the youth than perhaps at any other point in Church history, President Lund said.

“The Young Men and Young Women presidencies and boards meet together every week for hours,” he said. “Hardly a day goes by that we’re not having conversations because we are very much about the same work, and it matters in these most divisive of times when our young people need each other.”

Worldwide Church

President Freeman and President Lund told stories about attending FSY conferences around the world, including Pakistan and Fiji, where they heard inspiring stories of faithful youth who have felt blessed by the gospel of Jesus Christ with “unity, belonging and love.” Many are striving to become strong disciples of Jesus Christ.

Reflecting on the history of the Church’s youth programs have shown that generations have been strengthened and blessed by Jesus Christ and His gospel, President Freeman said.

‘The Gospel Works’

Rylee Heapy, a BYU freshman from Peoria, Arizona, said hearing about the youth worldwide reminded her of close friends who are currently serving missions around the world, including one in Fiji.

“I love the idea that the gospel works, and how when we’re having hard days, Christ is always going to be there for us,” she said. “There is always going to be things kind of fighting against us and pushing against us, but the gospel really gives us a good framework, and that’s come through so many generations of revelation and personal experiences to where we are now.”

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