What to Expect at FSY in 2025

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By Mary Richards, Church News

More young members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are enrolling in seminary, receiving their patriarchal blessings, holding temple recommends, serving missions and moving forward along the covenant path.

“These young people are just rising up, and they’re willing to stand against this tidal wave that is hitting them of worldliness,” said Brother Bradley R. Wilcox, First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency on the Church News podcast. And one of the reasons is For the Strength of Youth conferences: “This conference is making a difference, and that’s a measurable difference.”

FSY is designed for youth ages 14 and older to apply the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. The conferences offer devotionals, classes and activities over five days, fostering faith, personal growth and social connections.

Now is the time for youth in the U.S. and Canada to preregister for an FSY conference by going to FSY.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Preregistration closes Tuesday, January 14, with standard registration opening on February 13 for stakes in this year’s cycle.

The cost for FSY is $75 per youth for the week. Families who find this a hardship can discuss assistance options with their bishops.

Besides local options, a session in Spanish will be held in Salt Lake City in July and an American Sign Language session in Provo, Utah, in July. Other Spanish- and French-supported sessions will be held in the U.S. and Canada.

Youth in other countries should ask local leaders about FSY opportunities in their areas.

Parents can ensure their children have Church accounts and passwords to register. If parents need help, they can call the Global Service Center at 801-240-4357, then option 1 for Church account and login support.

Why Go to FSY?

Youth can attend with members of their wards or stakes or choose a different week. They can choose a roommate or plan to meet new people. They can even invite friends or cousins.

According to Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, a boy named Mauro, who was not a member of the Church, was invited by his friend to attend an FSY conference several years ago. Mauro loved the experience and started to learn from full-time missionaries in his home.

“Then they — the complete family — got baptized, and now Mauro is serving as a missionary,” Sister Spannaus said. “FSY has this power to change the lives of the people because of the Spirit that they can feel there, because they are learning about Christ and feeling the Holy Ghost.”

Sister Tamara W. Runia, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, said FSY is a place for youth to feel light and joy.

“I’ve got six of my 16 grandchildren who have had experiences at FSY, and they talked about this feeling, this light, that they experience,” she said.

One grandson was in a talkative, boisterous group. However, once they sang “FSY Medley” together, the group became silent and still for a long time. “What they felt — that light — they’ll remember that for the rest of their lives.”

Brother Michael T. Nelson, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, said young people can stretch out of their comfort zones at FSY. They can go to classes they choose and learn from the inspiring examples of the young adult counselors.

He spoke about the 15-year-old son of friends who did not want to go to church and was into music his parents felt was not uplifting. These friends asked Brother Nelson for advice, and he suggested the teen go to an FSY conference in his home state of California.

After he got home, these friends called Brother Nelson and said about their son: “He woke up this morning humming ‘Praise to the Man.’ He doesn’t know that hymn. He doesn’t know the words, but that’s what he was humming when he got up this morning.”

Brother Wilcox said these kinds of changes are not unusual. “Growth and development through the week is pretty typical, and it’s very exciting to see.” He spoke of another teen who was reluctant to attend, but by the end of the week, he didn’t want to go home.

Many youth — especially in areas where Latter-day Saints might live farther apart — are excited to go to FSY to be with others who are like-minded and have the same values.

Because of these examples and many more, Sister Runia said she hopes parents “really make it a priority” to have their youth go to FSY.

FSY Counselors

The Young Men and Young Women General Presidency members invited more young adults to consider becoming counselors at FSY. Brother Nelson said he could talk all day about the benefits.

“Many returned missionaries say that it is exactly what they did on their mission,” he said, adding, ”It is work, but it’s great service.”

Sister Runia heard from one returned missionary who stopped doing many of the good habits he had learned on his mission. But when he became an FSY counselor, he said, “I had an experience where serving changed me and changed my view of who I could be.”

Sister Spannaus said: “You are going to be teaching, testifying, helping the youth. So if you loved your mission, be a counselor because you are going to love it.”

One young adult named Louis in Canada wasn’t sure if he would be able to serve a full-time mission because of some health issues. But he served as an FSY counselor in two cities in Canada, and now he has a mission call, Brother Nelson said. The experience gave him the confidence that he could serve a mission successfully.

Counselors in the U.S. and Canada have weekends off, receive pay for their work and are provided room and board. And all counselors can make a difference in the lives of youth, Brother Wilcox said.

“They’re just enough older than the youth that the youth think they’re cool,” he said. “They are able to see in their counselors the role models — saying, ‘I want to be like that.’ And that is powerful.”

Counselors also bond as they spend so much time together. Some even get married after meeting while serving together at FSY.

The Youth Theme ‘Look unto Christ’

The 2025 youth theme “Look unto Christ” will be incorporated into FSY this year. It comes from Doctrine and Covenants 6:36, which says, “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.”

Sister Runia said the youth will be able to ingest the theme all week.

“You have these devotionals during FSY that are centered on these ideas of promoting and encouraging faith in Jesus Christ, not in outcomes, but in Him, in Christ,” she said.

The theme also becomes part of the music the youth will hear all week, added Brother Wilcox, “helping them realize they can choose trust over doubt and faith over fear.”

Sister Spannaus said those thoughts have immense power to modify feelings and actions.

“So I think that when we have Jesus Christ in our thoughts, it can make a huge difference in our lives, in the way that we see our challenges, in the way that we relate with people,” she said.

And Brother Nelson said that as President Russell M. Nelson has taught, Jesus Christ is the answer.

“One of the nice parts of the study during the week at FSY conference is it isn’t just studying about Jesus Christ, it’s actually a focus on His teachings and on His example that carry with us,” Brother Nelson said.

How to Find More Information

• Find out more about FSY conferences
• Find the registration timeline
• Find answers to frequently asked questions
• Learn how to become a counselor in the United States
• Learn about becoming a counselor in Canada

Note that employment laws say counselors working in Canada have to be Canadian, so Brother Wilcox said the FSY program is always looking for Canadian young single adults to apply.

Those interested in being a counselor in countries outside of the U.S. and Canada should contact their local leaders.

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