Inspired by their own experiences at For the Strength of Youth conferences and wanting to give their ward members something similar, teenagers in the Marshfield Ward of the Springfield Missouri Stake planned, organized and executed an “FSA” — “For the Strength of Adults.”
The one-day conference on Jan. 17 included devotionals, lessons, scripture study, activities and fellowship for more than 80 members of the ward.
As Magdalena Buckner, 16, went throughout the ward building that day checking on classrooms, she saw the adults engaged in learning and in “spiritual feasting.”
“I just got so emotional because I was like, ‘This is what this is for.’ The reason we planned this activity is because we wanted to be able to give back to the adults that have given us so much love and support throughout our time as youth,” Magdalena said. “It was just really incredible to be able to see that interaction and see the Spirit that the adults were feeling.”
Springfield Missouri Stake President Devon Jarvis said the stake has focused on conversion to Jesus Christ and the simple, basic principles and ordinances of the gospel.
“This activity was a wonderful example of how the Holy Ghost can work within a ward when we allow the youth to lead and testify of truth,” he said.
Planning and counseling together
The conference began during a Sunday Young Women class last August when Magdalena asked classmates to share their FSY experiences. Knowing that her mother had never attended either Especially For Youth or FSY, Magdalena and the class presidency conceived a plan to organize an FSY-type experience for adults in their ward.
In November, the young women met for several hours to begin planning at the house of the class president, Lizzy Stufflebeam, 15.
They wanted to model the conference as much as possible after a weeklong FSY, Lizzy said, but all in one day. They planned orientation, classes, devotionals, time for reflection and time for testimonies, continually meeting and counseling together.
Rylee Schmidt, 14, said they prayerfully worked to create the different companies of adults.
“We went through every single person that we knew for sure that was going to be at FSA,” Rylee said. “We made sure that everybody had someone and that no one would be left out. And then we prayed about it, and everybody all had the same answers.”
A new appreciation for FSY counselors
The young women invited adults in the stake to teach classes and other youth to be counselors, including Gabe and Charlie Mall, both 16.
Said Gabe, “It was nice to help the parents of some of the youth who have gone to FSY experience at least some of what FSY is like.”
Charlie added that at first he felt stressed “because it felt like such a high bar to emulate; to try and be these people that are always so upbeat and at the same time so here for the companies. It felt like a little bit of a challenge.”
Aisley Nelson, 16, also felt a new appreciation for all that FSY counselors do all week after serving as a ward FSA counselor for a day.
“They do a lot to make it such a great experience for all the youth that attend. At FSY, the counselors switch on and off or have a break. Now I know why, because it is a lot of work,” she said.
Aisley said her mom told her that the youth were like “stripling warriors coming to help and strengthen Antipus’ army” in the Book of Mormon.
Brooke Mead, 13, enjoyed watching the adults in her company talk to one another, make new friends and develop relationships.
“At the last testimony meeting that we were having, a lot of adults kept saying how much fun they’d had and that they hoped that it happens again and that they were sad to be leaving because it was so much fun,” Brooke said.
Supporting each other
Marshfield Ward Bishop Richard Shockley said the youth always return from their camps and conferences ready to share with the ward what they learned. They often bear their testimonies in church and feel embraced by the ward.
“I try to stress that we are a ward family. And our ward really takes that seriously,” he said. “They are so quick to support the youth in anything they do.”
The ward Young Women president, Angie Moore, said the youth were in charge of almost 100% of the For the Strength of Adults event. She saw a spirit of reverence and order throughout the day because the youth took the responsibility to prayerfully plan and invite.
Moore said many adults told her that they went to the conference to support the youth, but the youth ended up supporting them, telling her, “We really felt the love and just the blessing of what the youth had to share and the special spirit that was there.”
