Twenty-six young adults from across Europe combined their love for Jesus Christ with civic engagement by attending the Brussels Nexus Conference on May 12-14 in Brussels, Belgium.
The three-day program was organized by the European Union and International Affairs Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with support from the Europe Central Area and Europe North Area presidencies, the Church’s Europe Newsroom reported.
The Brussels Nexus Conference is part of the Church’s broader effort to engage young adults in questions of public life, religious freedom and family policy across Europe. Participants ranged from ages 18 to 35 and came from more than a dozen European countries. They also had a variety of backgrounds, such as students, lawyers, analysts, translators and public-sector professionals.
Speakers throughout the conference included Elder James W. McConkie III, a General Authority Seventy and a member of the Europe Central Area presidency; Sister Jean Bingham, former Relief Society general president, and her husband, Brother Bruce Bingham; and Russell Bowers, government relations representative for the Church and former speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives.
Elder McConkie invited the young adults to see themselves as disciples called to engage the world with the truths they know.
He outlined four principles from the Sermon on the Mount as a guide for young leaders: developing Christlike attributes, treating others with genuine goodness regardless of how they treat others, acting without seeking recognition and joining the work.
“The great mentor is Jesus Christ,” Elder McConkie said. “We can trust Him. With His ideas and His truth and your desire to do good — anything is possible.”
Faith, family and public policy
The conference opened May 12 with the Bridging Continents Policy Exchange, a full-day transatlantic dialogue on family policy that included policymakers, academics and legal experts from Europe and the United States. Participants heard from legislators, scholars and practitioners about pressures facing families today and how public policy can better support them.
That evening, the Church’s European Union and International Affairs Office hosted the 2026 European Family Values Award Dinner, honoring Antonella Sberna, vice president of the European Parliament, for her contributions to strengthening families in Europe.
On May 13, conference participants heard from Brother and Sister Bingham, who completed their service mission at the European Union and International Affairs Office in September 2025. They shared their experiences and encouraged the young adults to strengthen their testimonies of the gospel. Elder McConkie spoke later that same day.
Participants also visited the European Parliament and the European Commission, meeting with officials and seeing firsthand how European Union institutions operate.
They then returned to the Church’s European Union and International Affairs Office to take part in two panel sessions: one on how churches and faith-based organizations approach humanitarian work across Europe, and the other on interfaith partnerships. The latter panel included representatives from the Baha’i International Community, the Hindu Forum of Europe, the European Jewish Community Centre and the Church.
The day ended with a keynote diplomatic dinner featuring Tamás Iván Kovács, ambassador of Hungary to Belgium and Luxembourg. He said the family holds “a central and sacred place” and that institutions like the Church “contribute the best to the social fabric of every nation. They deepen ties among neighbors, offer stability in times of change and provide channels through which compassion and civic engagement can flourish.”
‘Ambassadors of Jesus Christ’
The conference concluded on May 13 with a devotional given by Bowers, the government relations representative, at the Church’s European Union and International Affairs Office. “When you hear your own conscience speak to you, listen to it,” he said.
Francesco Di Lillo, director of the European Union and International Affairs Office, also addressed the young adults: “As you engage in your day-to-day activities — at work, at school and in your communities — you are ambassadors of Jesus Christ, entitled to His divine help as you seek to lift others and contribute to the common good.”
