On Thursday, Aug. 1, Elder Dale G. Renlund and his wife, Sister Ruth L. Renlund, visited the Young Single Adult Festinord Conference in Göteborg, Sweden.
They were accompanied by Elder Alan T. Phillips, General Authority Seventy and second counselor in the Europe North Area presidency; Area Seventies; and stake leaders.
Elder and Sister Renlund greeted each attendee before starting a devotional.
Festinord is an annual conference created specifically for young single adults from Nordic and Baltic countries, although YSAs from other areas also attend. Its location rotates among Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.
This year is the 50th time this conference has been held, as 500 attendees gathered July 30 to Aug. 3 from 28 countries. These young adults came together for five days to strengthen their faith, forge new friendships and enjoy wholesome activities under the theme “Rejoice in the Lord — always.”
Sister Renlund shared their experiences in South Africa. She spoke about the rules given by a guide during a safari and how she once decided to ignore them.
“I tried to figure out a way around the rules instead of seeing that behind those rules were my protection and safety. I’m a very fine rationalizer and thought of a reason why those rules didn’t apply to me.”
She continued by comparing these types of rules with our Heavenly Father’s commandments. She emphasized that behind each commandment is safety and happiness, saying, “If we see our Heavenly Father’s love behind each of those commandments, it makes it easier for us to follow them.”
Elder Renlund began his talk with, “I feel like I have come home.” As a young teenager, Elder Renlund and his family lived in Göteborg for a while. It was during that time he began his journey to becoming a true convert and follower of Jesus Christ.
He drew references to Swedish history and the mistakes a Swedish king made while being too greedy when building a ship. The king was free to build any type of ship he wanted, but was not free to change the laws of gravity that applied to that ship. As a result, the Vasa ship sank on its maiden voyage not long after leaving the harbor. Elder Renlund used this to illustrate that while people can metaphorically build any ship they want, they cannot choose the consequences.
Elder Renlund encouraged attendees to build the kind of ship God wants them to build. He invited them to focus and build faith on three things:
- Understanding God’s plan of salvation.
- Understanding Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
- Understanding the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He then gave a powerful testimony: “I know. I absolutely know that Jesus Christ lives. I absolutely know that.”
The visit from Elder and Sister Renlund left a profound impact on the attendees, inspiring them to deepen their faith and live more fully as disciples of Jesus Christ.
One attendee shared her experience, saying: “I really liked it. It gave me a lot of insight into what I need to do and how to continue on. And I loved how friendly Elder Renlund was. I felt the Spirit.”
After the devotional, Elder and Sister Renlund held a question-and-answer session, providing insightful and uplifting answers.
