“Trust in the Lord” — an ancient Old Testament verse that is, at once, an invitation, a commandment and a peaceful assurance.
It is also the Church’s 2022 youth theme.
During the worldwide Face to Face broadcast Wednesday, March 9, the Young Women and Young Men general presidencies asked young people from across the globe what it means to follow Proverbs 3:5 and place their trust in God.
The youth event lived up to its billing, with Young Women General President Bonnie H. Cordon and Young Men General President Steven J. Lund, along with their counselors, engaging face to face with their young friends.
Their faith-anchored discussions were enriched by music and dance.
Following two years of pandemic-prompted social distancing, the youth leaders and the other participants were clearly enthused to share one another’s company in person.
“Our theme today — for the whole year — is ‘Trust in the Lord,’” said one of the program’s youth co-hosts, Kaylee Guillen. “It’s part of our ongoing effort to strive to be like Jesus Christ in every part of our lives.”
Her fellow youth co-host, Joe Kennaley, added that the broadcast is intended to go beyond simply reading from Proverbs. “We’re going to find out what it looks like, in your life and mine, to trust in the Lord.”
Faith and family come first
President Cordon sat down with pro soccer player Olivia Moultrie, a 16-year-old Latter-day Saint.
The preternaturally skilled athlete is the youngest player to compete, and score a goal, in a National Women’s Soccer League game. But Olivia told President Cordon that she does not think of herself primarily as a soccer player.
“First and foremost, I’m a daughter of God, obviously. We’ve alway had a list in our family that reads: Faith. Family. And then, soccer. So no matter how important my [soccer] goals are, those two things [faith and family] will always come first.”
During their discussion, President Cordon said she appreciated Olivia saying she is “obviously” a daughter of God. “That’s powerful to know, obviously, that that is who you are.”
Olivia said she remains grounded by simply knowing she can trust in God and pray to Him. She begins each of her games with a quick, silent prayer. “It gives me just one last, like, deep breath to know everything’s going to be OK.”
Both Olivia and President Cordon agreed that youth of the Church play key roles in gathering Israel. Their efforts to serve God count.
“The youth have an energy and power within them that makes a huge difference,” said President Cordon. “Their influence is enormous.”
Read more: 2022 youth theme album ‘Trust in the Lord’ and other resources now available
Trust erases doubts
Not all of the interaction between the leaders and the youth were in person. President Lund spoke virtually with four Filipino cousins, Aldrin D. Villamartin, Rhoana Sheena Leigh V. Molina, Charlene V. Calderon and Carla V. Calderon, about missionary work and trusting in the Lord.
All four are awaiting full-time mission calls.
They began their discussion with a beloved Filipino greeting: “Mabuhay!”
President Lund then asked if any in the group had personal experiences of choosing to trust in the Lord. Carla V. Calderon spoke of the difficulties caused by COVID-19. The virus affected her mother and other family members.
“But I know that if I trust in the Lord, He will provide for our needs,” she said. “All I can do during this pandemic is to pray, read the scriptures and go to Church regularly.”
Her cousin, Molina, added that she has exercised her trust in the Lord during the pandemic by sharing His gospel with others.
“Trusting in the Lord means having no doubt … that God is there and He will lead the way,” said Carla Calderon.
President Cordon’s and President Lund’s counselors explored the many ways young people are demonstrating their trust in the Lord.
Brother Ahmad Corbitt, first counselor in the Young Men general presidency, utilized his Spanish-language skills during a group discussion with young men in Latin America. He testified of the importance of building trust in the Lord by seeking and acting upon personal revelation.
Meanwhile, Brother Bradley R. Wilcox, second counselor in the Young Men general presidency, spoke with several youth about their experiences trusting in the Lord while participating in seminary and during For the Strength of Youth activities.
Sister Michelle D. Craig, first counselor in the Young Women general presidency, conversed with a pair of sisters, Giovanna and Sofia, about their own trials of faith. Giovanna Mousques learned she could trust in the Lord’s healing ways after Sofia was diagnosed with cancer.
Sister Craig’s fellow counselor, Sister Rebecca L. Craven, enjoyed a discussion with her granddaughter Jaycee about how trusting in the Lord is a blessing that youth can enjoy as they pray, study their scriptures and listen to the whispers of the Holy Ghost.
Another highlight from Wednesday’s Face to Face event was an informal discussion between Latter-day Saint pro football star Garett Bowles and a couple of Colorado youth named Makenzie and Ely.
Bowles spoke of how attending Church, stepping away from digital distractions and paying his tithing helped him overcome serious challenges during his own youth. Fighting back emotion, he testified of Christ’s healing power and how he has found joy in serving the Lord and others, including his teammates.
“If you learn to trust in the Lord and keep His commandments, He will put you in places that you never [thought possible],” he said.
President Lund also spoke with several missionaries about how they have been blessed by first choosing to trust in the Lord.
Watch the music video for the 2022 youth theme song ‘Trust in the Lord’
Inviting others to ’Trust in the Lord’
Concluding, co-hosts Kaylee and Joe invited their vast audience of fellow Latter-day Saint youth to share with friends, family and via social media their own experiences of trusting in the Lord.
President Cordon said she wished time allowed for every young person in the Church to share their testimonies of trusting in the Lord.
“But I hope you’ve been able to see a bit of yourself in some of the people we met today,” she said. “We’ve heard, for example, that trusting the Lord with all of our hearts sometimes means stepping out of our comfort zone and finding strength and courage in the Savior’s comfort.
“It means that even though we don’t understand everything, we can know and trust that the Lord loves us.”
President Lund testified that the Lord knows and loves each person perfectly.
“His power is available to all of us no matter where we are or what our challenges may be. The more completely we trust Him, the more completely we receive His power in our lives.”
The Face to Face is available in English, American Sign Language, Spanish, Portuguese and eight other languages: Cantonese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin and Russian.
The Face to Face will be available on demand on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, YouTube, Gospel Library and Gospel Media.
