At the beginning of each year, the Church News publishes a podcast interview with members of the Church’s Young Women and Young Men general presidencies. This year, I interviewed President Emily Belle Freeman and President Timothy L. Farnes.
The two of them, along with their counselors, help youth around the world as they navigate the important teenage years of life.
At the beginning of this year’s interview, President Farnes summarized the New Testament story from the Savior’s mortal ministry when He walked on the water with Peter (see Matthew 14).
This year’s youth theme is “Walk with me.” Building on last year’s youth theme of “Look unto Christ‚” President Farnes said that walking with the Savior is a natural next step after looking to Him.
“I think too often we spend time on leaving the boat or walking to Him, but the real miracle happened when [Peter] began to walk with the Savior. And there’s a difference there. Walking to Him at times is, ‘What can Jesus do for me?’ Walking with the Savior is ‘What in the name of Jesus can I do for another?’ And that’s when transformation takes place. That’s when healing happens. That’s when miracles begin to be seen in your life and the life of others, as you pursue life in that fashion of ‘What in the name of Jesus can I do for another?’ That’s walking with Him.”
My wife and I have three teenage daughters who will attend For the Strength of Youth conferences this year. As I listen to them talk about the things they are learning through “Come, Follow Me” and through our family Book of Mormon study, I can see that transition from looking to and learning about the Savior to a desire to walk with Him.
And in that growth, I hope they are seeing the healing and the miracles that President Farnes spoke of.
President Freeman shared that among the many who serve and work with the youth at each FSY, they all enjoy seeing Thursday of FSY week as a pivotal day for the youth who attend each week.
“That is the day of remarkable change,” she said. “And you see the youth start to realize who they are, but more importantly whose they are, and the great work that is ahead of them.”
Looking at the youth as the rising generation, President Freeman said FSY is the place where the “rising” is almost a visible result of a week of spiritual experiences.
“You feel that lift. That’s when I think about the rising generation, that there actually is a rising that is taking place. And that happens at church on Sunday, and that happens at girls camps and Aaronic Priesthood quorum camps and happens when they go ministering. And it’s happening in different ways all throughout the year, but in a powerful way, all over the world, for these youth who gather together to find strength with each other for one week that will then propel them into that year ahead of them,” she said.
So, the learning helps youth build upward, and the doing helps youth move forward. And all of it helps youth progress heavenward.
When we recorded that podcast, my stake’s youth were preparing to watch the “Walk with me” devotional with President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency.
I attended that devotional with other parents and leaders of the youth. Most of them sat together in groups. At certain moments during the devotional, youth were invited to share their thoughts and feelings.
Far from the Primary answers that may have been easy to give, these youth bore testimony and challenged each other to do better and to be better. They talked about honoring covenants and sharing the gospel with friends now — not waiting to serve a mission to have that experience for the first time. They talked about repentance and the joy they have felt in repenting. And they talked about the strength they feel when they serve in the house of the Lord.
As leaders and parents on the outskirts of the room, we talked about how we need to up our game to match the momentum of the youth and how to help them keep moving forward.
What a blessing it is to be guided by prophets and apostles today, in anticipation of the Savior’s Second Coming. And what a thrill it is to be here with a rising generation that is embracing the opportunity they have to walk with Him as they bring the world God’s truth.
— Jon Ryan Jensen is editor of the Church News.
