Thousands of youth in the South America South Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been attending For the Strength of Youth conferences this year and seeing their testimonies strengthen of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father.
FSY is a five-day conference designed for youth ages 14 to 18 to apply the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. Each session offers devotionals, classes and activities. FSY also fosters faith, personal growth and social connections.
Youth in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay attended many sessions held throughout those countries in January and February, reported the Church’s Spanish-language Newsroom.
FSY conferences kicked off the year 2026 in the southern hemisphere, where the school breaks during the summer season allowed youth to participate in the weeklong event.
Joshua Harrison, from Argentina, said he had always heard that FSY was the best week of the year, but he thought that was an exaggeration. Then he experienced it for himself.
“I felt the Spirit of God speaking to me constantly. A collective spiritual momentum was generated that cannot be explained with words.”
Joshua said FSY was much more than social activities.
“It wasn’t just dancing or making friends. It was understanding the true joy of living the gospel daily. I realized that Heavenly Father’s love is so great that we can’t fully grasp it in this life,” he said.
Josefina Prieto, from Uruguay, said after attending FSY, she better understands what God wants from her and His plan for her life.
“Seeing how in five days you can know if something is true, … for me it is true.”
The missionary activities helped her feel something special.
“When we do missionary work, it feels good,” she said. “I want to live that way for a year and a half, to be able to teach what I believe in and trust.”
Christopher Cáceres, from Paraguay, said he went to FSY with a question in his heart. “I always had doubts about whether I should serve a mission. I came looking for that answer … and I found it.”
Although Luciana Henríquez, from Chile, grew up in the Church and always saw examples of missionary work, she never truly felt the desire to serve until FSY.
She began to ponder more on the possibility of a mission when she received her patriarchal blessing.
“I prayed, I looked for answers in the scriptures, but I still didn’t have clarity. Until I attended FSY. That was the final push I needed,” she said.
Seeing other young people speak publicly about their desire to serve a mission impacted her. She realized they all shared the same purpose — to serve Heavenly Father and help in His work.
Luciana said during the week of FSY, she felt the Lord’s love in a real and profound way. “I felt His presence in every message, in every testimony, in every hymn. His presence was so clear and sweet,” she said.
Nerina Almirón, from Paraguay, said she was going through personal difficulties that made her question her spiritual preparation. “This FSY reminded me of my purpose. I received messages that helped me understand that God doesn’t ask something of me without preparing me first.”
