Over the course of four days in late May, Young Men General President Timothy L. Farnes met with more than 500 youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their leaders across three Cambodian cities.
President Farnes emphasized the 2026 youth theme — “Walk with me,” based on Moses 6:34 — reminding the youth of their divine identity and the importance of choosing the Savior daily.
“We learned that ‘sons and daughters’ translates in the Khmer language into being ‘princes and princesses of God.’ That elevates their understanding of who they are,” President Farnes said. “[The youth] have a sense of who they are and whose they are. They have a real desire to walk with the Savior.”
President Farnes’ visit to Cambodia was part of a 10-day ministry from May 21-31, which also included meetings with youth and members in Singapore and Malaysia.
Accompanied by his wife, Sister Linsey Farnes, President Farnes testified of Jesus Christ’s love, responded to questions during devotionals, provided instruction to parents and youth leaders, ministered to members and participated in service projects and activities, according to the Church’s Singapore Newsroom.
Future missionaries in Singapore
On May 28, President and Sister Farnes participated in the Singapore Stake Primary’s “Missionaries Around the World” activity. The event included 15 booths featuring missionary experiences from countries and territories, including Russia, Australia, Samoa and Taiwan, with a special booth for the upcoming Singapore Temple.
Nearly 100 children attended the event, where displays featured cultural items, foods and missionary memorabilia to help them envision life as the Lord’s future missionaries.
As part of the activity, President Farnes spoke at a devotional and invited the children to all stand and begin preparing daily for their missions. Adam Tokoara, a recently baptized child, said he raised his hand and committed to read the scriptures.
Adam added that his favorite part of the missionary activity was the Taiwan booth, where he tasted local treats such as pineapple cakes and tried cycling around the cultural hall to get a sense of how missionaries commute there.
Service in Cambodia
While in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, President and Sister Farnes joined with hundreds of Latter-day Saint youth in assembling more than 200 care bags with personal items for children at the National Center for Infants and Children, an orphanage for severely disabled babies and children.
The Church also donated three metric tons of rice to the orphanage, along with other food supplies.
As the youth delivered the bags, President and Sister Farnes and other leaders walked among them, giving hugs and holding some of the small children and babies.
Strengthened at devotionals
Several Cambodian youth felt uplifted as they gathered with other youth and attended a devotional with President and Sister Farnes.
Rebecca Sarin, 17, from Kampong Cham said, “It is as if I am living in Zion, a city filled with kindness, love, compassion and mutual support.”
Neang Kouro Thol Septream, 16, from Phnom Penh, said the devotional strengthened his testimony and increased his desire to serve a mission. He appreciated the visit by Church leaders. “We can feel their love, power and spirit,” he said.
President and Sister Farnes also participated in youth and young single adult devotionals in Singapore and Malaysia. During the meetings, the young members were encouraged to ask questions.
Ashwin Pillar, 16, who conducted the Singapore Stake’s youth devotional, said, “I appreciated how they answered our questions cordially and provided insights that helped open our eyes and deepen our understanding of the gospel.”
Rie Woo, who serves as the Singapore Stake’s Young Women president, said spending time with President and Sister Farnes strengthened the youth. “Stories were shared and experiences the youth could connect with, and I think they will remember this for a very long time,” she said.
Sibu Malaysia District President Anthony Lau said their devotional was “one of the most important events this year” due to the rare opportunity of having general Church leaders minister in person.
