The youth of the Church move this year from a yearlong focus on being a disciple of Jesus Christ to one that encourages them to “look unto Christ.”
At the same time, the Church also transitions from its study of the Book of Mormon to study of the Doctrine and Covenants as part of the “Come, Follow Me” curriculum.
There is no better pairing this year for the rising generation to have than the combination of looking to the Savior and learning about the doctrine of His Church and the covenants needed to receive all the blessings Heavenly Father has promised into eternity.
Young Men General President Steven J. Lund recently said on an episode of the Church News podcast that the Savior is “an empowerer.” I had never thought of Him in that way.
“The Savior is an empowerer,” President Lund said. “When we look unto Him, He will make us more than we are. Again and again, I have seen Heavenly Father fill in blanks and the Savior give me wisdom, and He is an empowerer. As long as we’re looking to Him, we’ll get through this swirl of life.”
Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman added her testimony in that same podcast, saying that turning to the Savior always betters her life.
“Looking unto Christ has changed the course of my life; … every time I have chosen to look to Him, it has improved [my life], it has brought strength, it has given direction and comfort and insight in ways that I would not have been able to experience on my own,” she said.
As 2024 came to a close, my ward’s final sacrament meeting included messages exclusively from young Aaronic Priesthood holders and young women who shared what they learned during the year about being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
One young woman shared an example from her school. She said a fundraiser that would have helped many in the community in a time of need had not gone as well as expected. Some of the students rallied to create a second effort among their classmates with a specific goal in mind that would help fill a significant gap for some families.
It wasn’t the school, its administrators, its teachers or the parents. It was the teenage students of the school who banded together to accomplish something for others.
The students surpassed their goal, and this young woman recognized the effort as an example of being a disciples of Jesus Christ.
A young man from the ward said that, to him, being a disciple of Christ is “a daily commitment in choosing Christ over the pull of the world.”
Speaking to young adults a few years ago, President Russell M. Nelson said this is not always an easy task.
“You will have days when you will be thoroughly discouraged. So, pray for courage not to give up! You will need that strength because it will become less and less popular to be a Latter-day Saint,” he said.
And President Nelson added a promise to those who look unto and follow the Savior.
“I promise you that as you follow Jesus Christ, you will find sustained peace and true joy. As you keep your covenants with increasing precision, and as you defend the Church and kingdom of God on the earth today, the Lord will bless you with strength and wisdom to accomplish the impossible,” he said.
In the Prophet Joseph Smith’s epistle to the Saints in 1842, as recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 128:22, he pleaded for members of the Church to move forward with faith in Jesus Christ, with courage and with rejoicing.
“Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage … and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel,” Joseph Smith wrote.
He saw the immense amount of good that was immediately before the Saints if they would focus on serving the Lord and, in this specific moment in time, help those on the other side of the veil to receive covenant blessings through vicarious work in the temple. And he hoped that those early members of the Church would find courage in doing that holy work for their ancestors and other deceased loved ones in the temple.
Ardeth G. Kapp, a former Young Women general president, passed away in 2024. She was famous among those who had met her — particularly children and teenagers — for the questions she would ask when she spoke to them. My own children were on the receiving end of this exchange on numerous occasions.
“How are you?” she would ask. For those who had met her before, they knew the answer was not as simple as saying “good” or “well.”
“Better than I was but not as good as I’m going to be,” was always the expected response.
“What are you doing?” she would then ask. And while she did want to eventually hear what activities they were involved in, that was not the first answer to give.
“Trying a little harder to be a little better,” she hoped to hear them say.
I look forward to joining the youth of the Church this year in showing the courage to look unto Christ and become better than I was but not as good as I’m going to be in 2025.
