The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has redesigned its guide for Latter-day Saint youth ages 11 to 18. The new guide, “For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices,” is based on gospel principles, agency and inspiration.
The new “For the Strength of Youth” guide, announced October 1 during the opening session of general conference, encourages youth to deepen their conversion by learning correct principles and the blessings that result from living those principles, and to act on the spiritual promptings they receive as they study the guide.
“The best guide you can possibly have for making choices is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the strength of youth,” taught Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in Saturday morning’s general conference session. “So the purpose of For the Strength of Youth is to point you to Him. It teaches you eternal truths of His restored gospel — truths about who you are, who He is and what you can accomplish with His strength. It teaches you how to make righteous choices based on those eternal truths.”
Youth are encouraged to use the principles in the guide to make righteous choices in all aspects of their lives. Parents, leaders and youth are invited to study and share the guide at home, in Sunday meetings, and in activities, including camps and youth conferences. Young Men and Young Women leaders are invited to emphasize the principles found in the guide regularly. It would also be perfect as the focus at an annual standards night for youth and their parents.
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The Church’s redesigned “For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices” is based on gospel principles, agency and inspiration. © 2022 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.“All year we have studied about trusting in the Lord. This guide gives us a remarkable opportunity to act on what we have learned,” said Young Women General President Bonnie H. Cordon. “To trust in Him, in His doctrine and in our covenants. To choose to act on that understanding and “lean not” unto the world. And then to experience that extraordinary promise — that we can and will be guided in all that we do (see Proverbs 3:5-6.)”
Young Men General President Steven J. Lund explained that the Lord’s followers have almost always lived among people with different cultures, values and understandings. “So how can we respect our neighbors while also purposefully living the gospel’s unique culture? We are asked to be ‘a light into the world.’
“The ‘For the Strength of Youth’ guide can help as you seek inspiration about how your unique, divinely appointed purposes can best be fulfilled through your life and lifestyle decisions,” he said. “Being known as God’s ‘peculiar people’ is a compliment. It may mean standing out from the crowd as you say through your choices whom it is you follow.”
The new youth guide is now available digitally in the Youth section of Gospel Library and at Youth.ChurchofJesusChrist.org in 50 languages. Throughout the rest of 2022, printed copies will be shipped to units worldwide to distribute to all youth in the Church. Additional copies of the guide may be ordered from Store.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
