Youth Invited to ‘Hold Up Your Light’ as Disciples of Christ During Worldwide Broadcast

Youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were invited as disciples of Christ to share the light of their faith and their testimonies with others during the October 2024 Youth Worldwide Broadcast, which many Church units viewed together on Sunday, October 27, 2024.

“You carry within you the power to make a difference, to be beacons of hope and examples of Christlike love to those around you,” said Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

During the January 2024 youth event that introduced the 2024 youth theme, “I am a Disciple of Christ,” youth were encouraged to continue developing themselves as disciples of Jesus Christ. For the October youth event, local Church units were invited to gather to watch the prerecorded broadcast, then provide an opportunity for youth to share what they’ve learned this year during a testimony meeting.

Elder Soares’ remarks to a small group of youth were recorded near one of the most iconic statues in the world, the 98-foot (30-meter) tall Cristo Redentor. “This statue is a symbol of Christ’s enduring love and redemption for all mankind,” he said. “Its title means Christ the Redeemer. It is set on the top of a hill and overlooks the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.”

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Elder Soares explained that the artist designed the statue of Christ with its arms outstretched as a gesture of love and invitation to come unto Him and enjoy His love. “This magnificent work of art is a reminder to us all that Jesus Christ and His gospel are not meant to be hidden under a bushel,” he said. “Rather, like the statue, Jesus Christ and His gospel are set on a hill where they cannot be hid. Our Heavenly Father wants all people everywhere to find His Son, Jesus Christ, and experience the peace that only He can bring in their life.”

God gave some of the light of the Savior’s gospel to each of us, he explained. Like all of Christ’s disciples, Latter-day Saint youth are invited to “hold up your light that it may shine unto the world.”

Elder Soares acknowledged that sometimes it is difficult to share beliefs due to the fear of being judged. “Please know that when each of you stand up for your belief in Christ, it does not mean you are condemning or judging others,” he said. “Rather, it means seeing them as God sees them and loving them as He loves them — as sons and daughters of God with infinite worth and potential. It means reaching out with understanding and compassion, inviting them to experience the joy and peace that comes from following the Savior, Jesus Christ.”

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He shared three suggestions for sharing:

1. Don’t be afraid. “Share what you know about Jesus Christ and your love for Him without fear in conversations with friends, social media posts, or any other opportunity that comes,” he said. You will not be alone as you stand as His witness. “He’ll be with you always.”
2. Exemplify the Savior’s teachings in your actions. “By living His principles each day, we become living testimonies of His gospel, whether it is through acts of kindness, service projects, or simply being a friend to those in need,” he taught.
3. Stand firm in your faith, even when people oppose you or ridicule you. “As dedicated followers of the Savior, we’ll face trials and persecution like He did. But these circumstances we go through don’t change the truthfulness of His gospel, because truth is not a matter of public opinion.”

Young Men General President Steven J. Lund and Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman invited youth “wherever you are in the world ... to share your testimony of Jesus Christ as a disciple of Jesus Christ” during the portion of broadcast filmed at the historic Hill Cumorah in New York in the United States.

The recording was made during the total solar eclipse on April 8, which served as an object lesson for the theme of the broadcast. The General Officers, accompanied by eight youth, discussed and drew parallels from the eclipse-caused sudden darkness and emerging light to the light of Christ.

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Said one young women, “Sometimes like when you’re in the dark, it’s just like really hard to have faith and believe that things can get better. But if you keep on reading your scriptures, going to church, and have faith that Jesus will help you, He will help you and you will get out of the darkness.”

The leaders said Latter-day Saint youth, as disciples of Jesus Christ, can shine their light so the whole world can know who He is.

“What a privilege that is ours to stand as His disciples, to be in this shoulder-to-shoulder together, this work that is so important and so good, but also, as you would say, so fun, said President Freeman. “We’re so grateful to be a part of this, with all of you, to be in this together. We need you. He needs you.”

President Lund said, “I know that as each of us … act as disciples of Jesus Christ … blessings will flow into our lives, joy will flow into our lives, and the world will become a different place. We’ve been called to prepare this world for the Savior’s return.”

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Learn more 2024 October Youth Worldwide Broadcast