The “Together in Christ” 2025 Utah Area YSA Conference will once again bring thousands of young single adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from across Utah to Salt Lake City. They will gather together for this three-day event filled with devotionals, breakout sessions, concerts, socializing activities and even speed dating.
Conferences like this are not the only places these members are gathering. Around the world, gathering places are being formed by the Church to help single members ages 18 to 35 and their friends participate in wholesome activities and experiences that bring them closer to one another and to God.
In this episode of the Church News podcast, Church News editor Ryan Jensen is joined by Sarah Kellar, the creative director of this year’s Utah Area YSA Conference, and event co-chairs and YSAs Sienna Jenson and James Fetzer.
They share insights into how events and places like these strengthen young adults, both spiritually and socially, as these programs and more draw them “Together in Christ.”
Listen to this episode of the Church News podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Spotify, bookshelf PLUS, YouTube or wherever you get podcasts.
Transcript:
Sienna Jenson: It’s such a joyful thing to know that so much time and effort is being focused on an experience where we get to gather and feel seen. Our goal is to make sure that all who participate feel closer to their Savior and that they have a great feeling of belonging, but also that we expand our circle of covenant keepers that are around us. President Russell M. Nelson, in his recent conference talk, mentioned how we need to take more efforts, the necessary efforts, to come closer to our Savior, to prepare for His coming. And I can’t think of a greater gathering to do that than at this conference that’s prepared for us to gather in His name. And I am so grateful to have been so closely involved with this event, to just watch how the Savior is so tender, so tender with our desires, and He wants to give us the resources. And that’s exactly how God works. You give just a little bit, and you leave with so much more.
1:12
Jon Ryan Jensen: This is Jon Ryan Jensen, editor of the Church News. Welcome to the Church News podcast. Today, we are taking you on a journey of connection as we discuss news and events of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“Together in Christ” is once again the theme for the Utah Area YSA Conference, taking place in Salt Lake City on Aug. 29-31, 2025. And while thousands of young single adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will gather together for this three-day event filled with devotionals, breakout sessions, concerts and, of course, a lot of socializing activities, conferences like this one are not the only place these members are gathering.
Around the world, gathering places are being formed by the Church to help single members ages 18 to 35 and their friends participate in wholesome activities and experiences that will bring them closer to one another and to God.
On this episode of the Church News podcast, we learn more about how these events and places like these are strengthening young adults both spiritually and socially. We’re joined today by Sarah Kellar, the creative director of this year’s Utah Area YSA Conference, and the event co-chairs and YSAs themselves, Sienna Jenson and James Fetzer, to share how their experiences participating in Church and YSA programs have helped them grow together in Christ.
I am so glad to have all of you here. So, thank you for being with us today in our studio. Sarah, Sienna, James, welcome.
Sarah Kellar: Thank you for having us.
James Fetzer: Thanks.
Sienna Jenson: Thank you.
2:42
Jon Ryan Jensen: So, I want to start off by letting you have an opportunity to share with our audience a little bit about yourselves and where you guys come from, before we get into really the big YSA conversation.
So, Sarah, we’ll start off with you.
Sarah Kellar: So, my name is Sarah Kellar. I’m the creative director of the Utah Area YSA Conference. I’m really an experienced architect, is the best way to think about it. My job is to create an experience centered around supporting the YSAs in the Utah Area. I’m going to keep saying the Utah Area because it is specific to the needs of this area. It’s not cultivated for the entire world. It’s just considering the people that live here. I love it. I feel really lucky that I get to do it and participate in it.
3:22
Jon Ryan Jensen: And as of Aug. 1, we actually have a new area, which doesn’t happen every single year, but the Canada Area was created this year. So as of Aug. 1, we have, in the U.S., we have the U.S. west, southwest, Utah Area, central — and Utah is one of those. And these events give other areas a chance to learn and model and see what’s working for other areas. So I’m excited to have you here to share that experience.
Sarah Kellar: Thank you for having us.
3:50
Jon Ryan Jensen: Sienna?
Sienna Jenson: Yeah, I’m Sienna, I’m from South Jordan, Utah. I went to school at Bingham High School. I served my mission in Costa Rica and have one more year left at [Utah Valley University] as a graphic designer.
Jon Ryan Jensen: Pura vida. [Pure life.]
Sienna Jenson: Pura vida.
Jon Ryan Jensen: Eso. [That.] Well, welcome.
Sienna Jenson: Thank you.
4:06
Jon Ryan Jensen: James?
James Fetzer: I’m James. I grew up in Sandy, Utah. I went to Brighton High School. I served my mission in Calgary, Canada, and just graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in material science engineering.
Jon Ryan Jensen: I mean, I’m not going to make you do it over again, but I think that you should have said, I served in Calgary, Canada, eh,” right? Isn’t that how that goes?
James Fetzer: I probably should have. I was surprised at how frequently people actually said that up there.
Jon Ryan Jensen: So it’s really a thing?
James Fetzer: It’s really a thing.
4:30
Jon Ryan Jensen: All right. Good, good. Well, thank you guys for being here today. This is the third year, if I understand, if I remember correctly, of the Utah YSA conference.
Sarah, why has this continued to be a thing? What is the Church learning from this event? And why do we get to do it again?
Sarah Kellar: I think that the Church is realizing that it’s important to provide spaces that are audience-specific but specifically for the YSA themselves. They’re a growing demographic in the Church. People aren’t getting married at the same rate. And so we need to create opportunities for them to contribute and be seen and heard.
This is also born out of a fairly consistent request from the YSA for more programming, which is really interesting, because sometimes I feel like maybe we’re over programming people, but I think that’s a really good example of how the leadership is listening. So they said, “You want to gather? We will gather together, and let’s gather together in Christ.”
5:27
Jon Ryan Jensen: Yeah, and this really is a thing around the world. I just got back from Southern Africa and was really interested to see in a particular ward that I attended on my last Sunday there, or the branch, half of the branch was YSAs, and two of them were in the branch presidency as well. And so it was really great to see that in different places around the world that the Church is growing with that YSA population as well, and to see them jumping into different callings and to serve and help the Church grow wherever they are.
Sienna, James, for the two of you, what does it mean that the Church is putting such an emphasis on helping you have three days where you get to mingle and be with other YSAs? And what do you hope that those who come get out of it?
6:08
James Fetzer: I love it. I think it’s so fun. I love the idea that we can gather all in the same space and support each other in such a meaningful way. I mean, imagine just the energy of being in a space with 10,000 other YSA, or more. We’re aiming for a little bit higher number this year, if we can get as many people as we can to participate. But imagine being in that space and just seeing the joy that comes from living the gospel, trying to do your very best and to connect as well as you can with people around you. There is such a special spirit that’s there, and I am inspired to be a better person by gathering with other YSAs. And this is, man, this is the best version of it.
6:50
Jon Ryan Jensen: Love it. Love it. Sienna?
Sienna Jenson: Yeah. It is such a joyful thing to know that so much time and effort and money is being focused on an experience where we get to gather and feel seen. Our goal is to make sure that all who participate feel closer to their Savior and that they have a great feeling of belonging, but also that we expand our circle of covenant keepers that are around us. President Russell M. Nelson, in his recent conference talk, mentioned how we need to take more efforts, the necessary efforts, to come closer to our Savior, to prepare for His coming. And I can’t think of a greater gathering to do that than at this conference that’s prepared for us to gather in His name.
7:35
Jon Ryan Jensen: As I look back at how the Church has grown over nearly 200 years young single adults have been involved with everything from serving missions around the world to help share the gospel, as teenagers attending seminary and then, when they graduate high school, attending institute as well. And there’s been a big investment the Church has made in institute buildings and classes and teachers as well. In this particular case, it’s a three-day event, and you’re coming here and hoping that they all come here as well with that same purpose.
What kinds of feedback have you heard from the young single adults who have attended? What are they telling you the benefits have been for them?
8:17
Sienna Jenson: Well, I feel like first off, the first benefit is being surrounded by people that are in the same stage of life as you are and just being able to make those genuine connections. Last year’s conference was a great opportunity to come prepared with questions about your career and how you want to develop as a person, not only spiritually but socially and physically and intellectually. And it’s very, very cool to see that the focus of this conference is, yes, to grow spiritually, but to do that, we have to be well in those other aspects of our life, especially as single young adults that are trying to figure out life.
And so it was a moment where we really felt seen and could leave that conference knowing that we made some new friends, we learned something about our Savior. We were able to feel the Spirit. But for me, I knew how to build a resume, or I knew how to network, and that was just a skill that I was grateful to have after that experience.
9:12
Jon Ryan Jensen: Love hearing about those other things, because for some who haven’t attended this, they might wonder how similar is this to something like EFY or FSY that they’ve had an experience with. So for someone who hasn’t gone before, you might have just opened a door to them.
So, can you guys share what people can expect if they haven’t been before?
9:31
James Fetzer: Oh, wow. So much. There is everything that you can imagine, from resume-building courses or conversations with experts, to a rock-climbing wall, to activities where you can make new friends who have similar interests to you, to beautiful keynote speakers and musical numbers. If you have an interest, you will probably find something at this conference that meets it.
9:55
Sarah Kellar: I think it’s interesting: I think it’s easy when you say the word YSA to accidentally homogenize them as a group and say that they’re having a shared, unilateral experience. But we really are trying to work to see them as individuals and then find ways to meet the individual while also having the practical of making sure that more than one person can experience it.
So, we have a quiet room, for example, that was a shockingly popular space last year. So it’s a room that if you’re feeling a little bit overwhelmed, you can go and just hang out. There’s yoga mats on the floor, great chairs, soft ambient lighting, some music, and it was packed, which I always thought was a little bit ironic, because if you’re going to decompress.
But I think it was cool because there was a lot of natural, organic connecting, because there was a shared, “Well, if you’re here, you’re a little introverted, and if I’m here, I’m a little introverted. Let’s be introverted together.” So it was crazy that even if this is space that you were going to maybe get away, that you were still leaving with a connection, that people would come in as one person and then leave in groups. It was pretty cool.
We also have an art gallery. We’ve worked really closely with the Compass Gallery, which is a gallery in Provo, to curate a really thoughtful art exhibition that focuses around questions. And so when you go in, as opposed to a description of the art piece, it’s more creating an experience where you go in and ponder, because we understand that people connect with the Spirit in a myriad of ways, and so we’re finding multiple avenues to connect to Him and through Him.
11:27
Jon Ryan Jensen: The theme itself, “Together in Christ,” suggests that this is also a place to find answers that can help us be together in Christ.
And so, could you share as well maybe some of the names of speakers who are going to be sharing messages and hopefully helping some of these YSAs to find those answers or be in a position to recognize the Holy Ghost answering those questions?
11:49
Sarah Kellar: One of the tracks I’m most excited about is our Church history track, and it’s a track where you can go in with any question that you have. And you have a group of Church historians and scholars that are unafraid to meet you where you’re at and answer the question boldly and candidly, which I just think is incredible, that there’s really a no-holds-barred attitude. They want you to bring your questions and then to leave heard.
And then in the session following that, their alternating session is helping the YSA develop a personal framework for answering spiritual questions, which I think is just cool. It’s, again, I think it’s a really listening approach, as opposed to a pushing.
12:25
Jon Ryan Jensen: I heard about some experiences last year, and one of them comes out of what you just said, where a question was being asked, and instead of the question being answered directly, the question was answered with, “Oh, did you know that the Church has this book about —” or “Have you read these chapters from ‘Saints’?” And so you’re directing people to resources where they can go and find a more extensive answer and not just a one-liner from somebody standing at a microphone.
Sarah Kellar: Exactly.
12:52
James Fetzer: I think that that actually demonstrates a really important principle of this conference: resources. This conference offers the YSA in the Utah Area an opportunity to find what they need, whether it’s spiritually, socially, physically, even economically. We have an opportunity to learn how to be strong, capable, powerful individuals and faithful members, disciples of Jesus Christ, all at the same time, and to do it together. I think the unity that you feel when you’re surrounded by those souls is immense.
13:27
Sienna Jenson: Yeah. I think just to add on, honestly a testimony of the past conference that I was able to be a part of was just that, James. Expect the unexpected, because going in with a reason or why is wonderful, whether that reason is “I want to dance” or “I want to learn how to talk with people and ask someone on a date” or “I would just love to enjoy the art” or “I just want to go somewhere where all my friends are going.”
No matter the reason, I just want to prepare you to leave that conference knowing that that “why” is going to grow into something so much greater if you let it. And that’s the coolest thing, is that you’ll leave with so many more reasons of gratitude, of why you came, why you spent that money. It might not make sense at the time, and you might be this college student or a single young adult that doesn’t even know what the next day is going to look like, and so it’s hard to commit to a conference like this. But please commit, whatever your reason is, because you will leave, just like James said, with so much greater.
14:31
Sarah Kellar: So, I’m really excited about the professional development track. So, we’ve worked with someone from the Arbinger Institute. His name is Sam Whitney. He’s the director of product for them, and he helped connect us with people from FranklinCovey, Crucial Conversations and of course the Arbinger Institute itself, and they’re coming in and offering their services, again, to the YSA, which is incredible.
The different tracks that we have is spiritual development, professional development, emotional wellness, personal development, temporal wellbeing, and then we have a podcast. Oh, we have the podcast again. There’s so many things to talk about. We invited different podcast groups to come into the YSA conference and do a live podcast there at the YSA conference, which is pretty cool.
Jon Ryan Jensen: Well, that’s fun. So you can go and listen live.
Sarah Kellar: Yeah, exactly. And it was interesting talking to some of our older professional colleagues about — they’re just like, “Why would anybody want to do that?” And I’m like, “Because you get to be in the room where it happens.” It’s just a neat experience.
15:31
Jon Ryan Jensen: So, as we mentioned, this is the third year of the conference, and I think it’s really important — we talked about why we continue to do it, but also, I think it’s great to help those who may have attended before to know what’s different about this year.
What can they expect that will be new and exciting for them as they get ready to attend this year’s version of the conference?
15:52
James Fetzer: More of an indirect change: So, this year, the YSA committee that Sienna and I were both a part of, we had an opportunity to be involved in many of the decisions. We were heavily involved in working groups and conversations around what the conference would look like and how it would run. That was something that we were really grateful for, because this is a conference for the YSA.
And the production team, the people putting this together, slaving away and making so much happen, they valued our opinion, and they saw us as their audience, and they really sought after what we wanted. So, this year, I feel like the conference is truly dedicated to the YSA, and I know that they will feel that during the event.
16:39
Jon Ryan Jensen: That makes me think a lot about the youth program of the Church, because one of the aspirational parts of the Children and Youth program is that you’ll have young women and young men who are given the opportunity to say in their ward youth councils, “These are the concerns that we have. These are the things that we would like to see happen.”
Do you feel like that’s a growth from that experience with the youth, and now you get to have this as young adults?
17:07
James Fetzer: I imagine so. Sienna?
Sienna Jenson: Honestly, yeah. I feel like, too, the team has gone great lengths to gather a lot of research and feedback, and that wasn’t brushed over at all, just like James said. We’ve taken it into account and have pondered, have prayed and even fasted over decisions and the people that we’re planning this conference for. Yes, God numbers His people, and He knows all of us. And so we have numbers and goals that get us places. But it’s really wonderful to focus on the individuals and, like Sarah said, to be mindful of the wonderful, diverse individuals that we want to come and that will be there so that they feel belonging there.
17:51
Jon Ryan Jensen: Well, can we get down to some of the nitty-gritty? We’ve talked a lot broadly about what’s going to happen there. We haven’t given the website address yet where people can go, or any of the social media.
Sarah Kellar: UtahYsaConference.org, of course, or follow us at utysaconf, Utah YSA Conf, on Instagram. We need to get down to brass tacks. That’s an interesting thing, because I think one of the things that we thought about is the very first year that the YSA conference happened, it was exciting, it was engaging for people, and there was a lot going on. I think that’s just what happens. And then the second year, they said, “You know what? We’re going to make sure that there’s a lot going on.” And there were so many good ideas that it was maybe a little bit overwhelming for people.
And so this year, when we were looking at feedback from people, we tried to reduce and simplify things a little bit more so that things that were most important could be a little bit more prominent. So for example, the breakout sessions. We haven’t scheduled concerts at the same time as them, and we have done a more specific job at making them more accessible. So there’s going to be an orientation this year, because it is so overwhelming, and to make sure that you can navigate things well.
And then if you came by yourself — again, that was a huge piece of feedback that we got, is that people would come to the YSA conference, and even though there’s 20,000 people, there’s 20,000 people. And so how do you meet your friend in the group of 20,000 people? Or if you came in groups and maybe weren’t as open to meeting new people because you’re hanging out with your friends. And so this year, what we’ve done is we have worked to make sure that there’s multiple touchpoints to capture people who came by themselves and connect them with other people.
So, last year, as you know, we broke the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest speed dating event.
Jon Ryan Jensen: Which is crazy.
Sarah Kellar: I know. Who’d have thought? And we’ve created something called the Connection Zone. One of the pieces of feedback we got about speed dating is that there wasn’t time to make a tangible connection. And this was from the YSAs. So we went back and workshopped it, and we’ve created something called the Connection Zone. And within the Connection Zone, there’s something called the Friend Zone and the Date Zone. And it’s a longer period of time.
Speed dating is typically a three-minute window, and then you’re moved to the next phase. And in the connection zones, they’re 15-minute sessions that you’re sitting there with a person talking and getting to know them on a deep level. So if you’re looking for a friend, we want people to leave the conference with tangible connections to other people; not just romantic connections, but tangible connections that can help build and support their community. Because we really do believe that Zion isn’t a place, it’s a people that you build.
20:33
Jon Ryan Jensen: So you’re giving them a chance to be in a place where they’re with people who believe the things that they believe, but now they can find similar interests as well, so they can build friendships.
Sarah Kellar: Exactly.
Jon Ryan Jensen: I love that. That’s great.
20:44
James Fetzer: That really is a powerful aspect of the conference. Whether you’re participating in the Connection Zone, like Sarah was talking about, or just participating in the activities that surround everything in the conference. One of my favorite stories from the conference last year is that on the second evening, I attended the concert, and so I had been participating in the activities and in the breakouts and et cetera for about a day and a half now. And I was standing there as the concert began, and I looked around me, and I realized that almost every single person I was standing next to I had met the day before.
The conference is an amazing place to meet new and wonderful people that will stay connections for a long time. Plus, everyone there is awesome. So you just meet the best people, people who want to worship Christ, want to be the best versions of themselves and to help you feel loved at all times.
21:37
Jon Ryan Jensen: That’s great. So, there are a few keynote addresses with the names that everyone knows because they’re Church leaders.
Can you share who’s going to be speaking and what people can expect at those events?
Sienna Jenson: In the morning session on Friday, we have Sister Tamara W. Runia. And then we have, later that evening, we have Bishop Gérald Caussé. And then on Saturday, in that morning session, we actually have Elder Brian K. Taylor. And that evening, we have Sister Kristen Oaks speaking to us.
22:11
Jon Ryan Jensen: And all of that leads up to a Sunday event that I’m wanting to attend. I’ll have to come as a member of the media, because not the target audience, but you guys get one of the best speakers in the Church.
James Fetzer: We have the privilege of hearing from President Jeffrey R. Holland on Sunday evening. It’s going to be an amazing devotional that you definitely don’t want to miss.
Sienna Jenson: Sunday evening.
Jon Ryan Jensen: That’s such a tease.
22:40
Sarah Kellar: I know. It’s exciting. Here’s the thing: What’s so cool is that every one of these speakers has asked our team what is needed. We sat down with Bishop Caussé, for example, and a selection of the YSA committee, and he wanted to know what their questions were, what their concerns were, with the answers, questions and concerns of their heart. And every speaker is taking that same approach, which is pretty amazing.
And I think, again, I’m going to keep hammering home that this is like a Utah Area event, because there are things that are so specific to living in this part of the world. I grew up on the East Coast. I grew up in New Jersey; Cherry Hill, New Jersey, of all places. My youth program was four people big. My seminary was two people, me and my sister. That’s what my seminary experience was. And it was great, it was wonderful. But I was so excited to come to Utah and be around other members of the Church. And then I lived here for 15 years, which has been an incredible experience.
But to be here, there’s so many differing challenges about degrees of belief, understanding how to talk about the Church in a way that doesn’t offend people. Or just, again, degrees of experience that can be really confusing to navigate, in a way that where maybe the Church isn’t quite as prominent, the same nuance doesn’t exist, because nobody really cared when I was in high school whether or not I was a fully practicing member of the Church or if I was a medium member of the Church. They’re just like, “Oh, she’s LDS. She’s that one.” I was the one in my high school. All of these speakers understand that, and they realize that, and they’re speaking to lift and lead this group over here, this incredible group of YSA that really are the future and current leaders of the Church.
24:28
Jon Ryan Jensen: So, I know that this conference has a specific purpose in helping young single adults feel together in Christ.
But if you had to put your finger on it, what’s the one thing that you would say helps the YSAs who attend to build their testimony of Jesus Christ by coming to the event?
Sienna Jenson: I would say, first off, to make meaningful connections, being willing to meet people and be curious about their lives. Because you’ll watch, as you come to the conference, and it doesn’t matter if you come to Friday and Saturday or just come on Saturday or just come on Friday. Doesn’t matter the length of time, but if you are willing to look outward and make a meaningful connection, you watch: When you come Sunday and we’re wrapping up this conference and you’re sitting there in the Conference Center filled with YSAs your same age, people that you’ve connected with, and you have an Apostle of the Lord in front of you, that’s when everything ties into a bow, and it’s beautiful.
And so we have a God of joy, a God of experiences, a God of laughter, and He wants us to experience joy and music and things that He’s created for us to love, and then tie it back in as we take a moment to really receive some counsel from Him. That’s what I’m most excited for.
Jon Ryan Jensen: That was way more than one thing, but I will take that answer. That was great.
25:54
James Fetzer: Yeah. I would say that it reminds me, actually, of King Benjamin’s address in the Book of Mormon. You can imagine that as the families gathered to hear him under the tower, that they would be spending time together eating meals. They would probably be playing games. They’d be hanging out telling stories and enjoying time connecting with other people. And then finally, the finale of it all, an incredible sermon on the power of the Savior in their lives, and you can see the reaction that these families have to King Benjamin’s teachings. And that’s what we can expect at the YSA conference. Fill your heart and your soul with the love of other people, and then go and feel the love of Christ from an especial witness of Him.
26:44
Jon Ryan Jensen: I think about experiences that I had throughout my life where the Spirit was present like that. I think about those times in the MTC, gathered with those who had the same purpose that I had, being right there. I think about those times when being in a young adult ward when I was attending college. And there definitely were times where we enjoyed those fun events with each other, and you got goofy and you did the silly things, but you also had those moments, whether it was that one time in a class or that one devotional, and you’re able to feel the Spirit. And all of those things work together to help us have those stronger testimonies and feel like we’re on the right path.
I thought that’s what I hear out of what the two of you are saying.
Sienna Jenson: Yeah.
James Fetzer: I think that’s exactly right.
27:30
Jon Ryan Jensen: What specifically are you looking forward to the most out of this?
Sienna Jenson: Honestly, I’m a big concertgoer, and I love that we get these big-name people that come perform, and then all of a sudden they’re singing a Church hymn that we all know, and we get to sing it with them. Last year, watching Ben Rector sing “Love One Another,” that was amazing, and that was really beautiful to watch someone sing a song that’s so precious to us. And that was a very tangible moment where I felt the Spirit. And what could be a very loud function became very sacred, and we all could look around and see each other united in that hymn.
28:11
James Fetzer: I think, personally, I’m looking forward to the art gallery. Sarah has talked so highly of it in our meetings in the last few weeks that I cannot wait to see it. But I love the idea of moving through a sacred space where beautiful depictions of the Savior and of the stories of the scriptures and even of Church history are depicted, and then alongside them is a question that helps you reflect on how that painting, how that depiction, is meaningful in your own life. I mean, why don’t art galleries around the world do that? Because that would make the experience 10 times better. But I’m excited to go and to deeply connect with myself and probably with other people as we enjoy the beautiful art together.
28:56
Jon Ryan Jensen: I love that. When our producer, KellieAnn Halvorsen, was preparing for this interview, she was looking for some scriptures. “Together in Christ” is not pinned to one specific verse from scriptures, but she was looking to see where are there some places in the scriptures where we read about and study this principle.
And one of the ones that stood out to her is in the New Testament, which I love, because at this time — she was looking in Ephesians — and in this time in the history of the world, it’s right after the Savior has had His mortal ministry. And then you go through the experience of Holy Week and His passing and His suffering, His Resurrection, His Ascension. And then after that happens, you have all of these people who’ve seen everything, they’ve had that shared spiritual experience together. And then they have the task of “How do we keep that feeling with us?”
And in Ephesians 2:19-22, there are some great words there: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
And as I listen to everything that you guys have talked about today, I can see all of that, all of the differences coming together and seeing things fit together to help edify all of those who are going to attend. I think you’ve got a huge work in front of you, but it makes me excited and a little sad that I didn’t get to do this when I was in your shoes. But I’m very happy that you guys get to do it.
30:44
James Fetzer: When you were talking about that scripture in Ephesians 2, I had this image pop into my mind that I thought was really cool. I realized that the conference is taking place at the Conference Center and at the Salt Palace, and right in the middle is the temple, which is currently being fitly framed. And I thought that that was really symbolic to see that we are being fitly framed together as part of this conference, and to have the temple at the center of that means something really special.
31:13
Jon Ryan Jensen: That’s great. I want to shift gears a little bit, because the conference is wonderful, but it’s three days. One of the other investments the Church has made is in what are referred to as “gathering places.” And I live in Davis County, just north of Salt Lake City, where we’re recording right now. And I hear a lot about the gathering places that are going on up and down the Wasatch Front, but they actually started internationally, I think in Europe.
Have the gathering places been something that you have seen helping YSAs throughout the year outside of these three-day conferences?
31:51
James Fetzer: Absolutely. I was pretty involved at the University of Utah institute, which is considered a gathering place, and it was amazing to see the kinds of events that would draw YSA together, in the same sort of spirit that we’re trying to create here at the YSA conference. You see weekly events or service opportunities, or even gathering for church. We would have the bowling night or the pickleball night in the same building or even the same room, the overflow of the chapel, where we would have sacrament on Sunday. And so you see this beautiful gathering of people in the name of Christ, and support and friendships and fun. They all come together in these spaces, and you know it’s a safe place.
32:37
Sienna Jenson: Yeah, and my favorite thing about these gathering places is that they’re very accessible when you need them. On a hard school day, they’re open. I go to the Utah Valley University, and it’s just right there off the parking garage, and it’s open all the time, and there’s always snacks, there’s always someone to welcome you. It’s a place that not only would you be able to fill your spiritual needs but also your physical needs; if you’re hungry or if you need to make a genuine connection with someone that day, if you need a quiet place to study. Not only is it a place filled with options for your weekends, so you can fill your weekends with fun things, but it just gives you a place to reboot and recharge when you’re handling so much with work and school and big decisions to make.
33:25
James Fetzer: There were many times at the U where I was dealing with a gnarly math problem while I was studying in the institute. And finally, I look up and see my friend who’s a math major just down the row, and so I’m able to go and talk to them, and they helped me through things. It’s that kind of thing. You’re going to find what you need at the gathering spaces, and you’re going to feel the Spirit at the same time. Such an incredible place.
33:48
Jon Ryan Jensen: So, my son is going into his senior year of high school, and he’s going to leave the friendly confines of a seminary building located just across the street from his high school and go, perhaps, to one of these colleges.
If he were to come to you and say, “What exactly is a gathering place, and why am I going there?” how would you pitch that to him?
34:08
Sienna Jenson: Of course. Well, first off, if you check out the college that you’re going to go to, the institute building or the nearest gathering place, some of them do tours, where someone on the council can give you a tour, and it’s a night where they let you experience, whether it’s pingpong night and froyo, or you can go sit in on one of the classes. And so that’s also an option that we’ve seen at many of the gathering places, is that you can experience it, not being a college student, before to get you excited.
34:37
James Fetzer: My understanding is that each of them is a little different, based on the space that they have or what they are able to offer. But most of them offer some sort of spiritually uplifting class. I would hesitate to say similar to seminary, because while it’s still a spiritual class, it’s a lot better. Seminary is good, but institute is where you actually dive deep into the gospel. You learn about the Savior. You learn about what He wants for you and how to follow Him better. And you talk about real things, how to be a strong and capable adult and be a disciple of Jesus Christ at the same time. You learn about Jesus Christ in artwork or et cetera, et cetera, all over the place. There’s so much to talk about.
And you can go and be part of these classes. And then you walk out, and there just happens to be 17 Costco pizzas on the table, and there’s an activity happening in the atrium. That happened to me five or six times while I was at the U. So it’s just a great place to find friends, to find the resources you need and to be spiritually uplifted at the same time.
35:49
Sarah Kellar: So, I think it’s so interesting to hear all of this, because James brought up something really important, that they’re all a little bit different. So there are these gathering places that are really focused on college-age members of the YSA community. However, there are 200,000 YSA in the Utah Area that are not attending a YSA ward and that are outside of the college; I will call it the college enclave.
Jon Ryan Jensen: Yeah, we’ve got a few of them in my ward, just a regular neighborhood ward.
Sarah Kellar: Exactly. But there’s still a need and a desire on their experience to gather together with other people. And I think what’s incredible is that the area has prioritized certain buildings in the area to serve those YSA. Because honestly, I understand why you maybe wouldn’t want to go to a YSA ward. So it’s just providing another option. Again, it’s meeting people where they’re at. Instead of saying, “This is the model that you have to follow in order to have a fulfilling Church experience,” they’re saying, “Hey, we hear you. You don’t want to go to a YSA ward, but you still want to have experiences with other YSA, done. Use our building. This is your building.”
And one of my favorite gathering places that I’ve been to, it was up in Layton, and they feed them every week. That’s what they do. What they do is they feed them a full meal, and there are these incredible gathering place coordinators that get together, volunteer and make them a meal. They talk together, work together, they plan an activity together, but the meal is really what, for them, they have found was the best way to pull people out, because a lot of the people in their area were older, single men that weren’t maybe making a full meal all the time. So they were attracted by the idea of a full meal, and that’s what got people to start coming.
And I’m like: How inspired is that really, truly. They looked at the needs, and they adapted their strategy from maybe a candy bar or a plate of brownies. They said, “No, they need some vegetables. They need some protein. And they need a place to sit and talk comfortably. So let’s do that.” And there’s so many different purposes for gathering places. It depends on the needs of each individual section, but it’s to lift. It’s to lift people. It is to gather. It’s to provide a space for people to gather together. That’s it, and then let the Spirit do the rest.
38:10
Jon Ryan Jensen: I’ve heard so many great stories from these gathering places, and I’m so glad to hear the different experiences that you’ve had and that they’re different for the YSAs who attend them as well.
This conversation is not about me, but I’m going to make it about me for one second, because the question I want to know after listening to the three of you talk, I’m definitely out of that YSA category now, but I know a lot of them.
What’s the best way for someone like me who desperately wants friends and family to have those strong spiritual experiences that you all are having, to get involved, whether it’s at the conference or going to a gathering place or attending institute? What would you say to the people like me who want to know how to help, but we also don’t want to push you away? What should we be doing?
38:59
James Fetzer: Man, that’s such a great question, because how do you help anybody to do anything? My first thought is: Talk about it excitedly. You are having this conversation with us now, and you’ve learned a lot about the conference that I imagine excites you, and you even mentioned you would like to go to the devotional. Hopefully you can get there, fingers crossed.
But I would say when you interact with YSA in your life, mention the conference, mention the gathering spaces. Say, “Hey, I heard about this the other week, and I thought it sounded really interesting. Have you been involved at all?” Or “What’s your experience been?” I think that asking in that way is easy. There’s no pressure. You’re just curious. And it might get them thinking that they could be involved. And maybe if they haven’t heard about it, you get to explain what you’re so excited about, which is a fun way for you to connect.
And I would add there really is something for everyone. It’s also a great way to explain, “You know what? Hey, maybe you had a bad experience at your YSA ward last year,” or whoever you might be talking to, “but this YSA conference might be a little different. You should try it out.” I think you have space and room to say that.
40:15
Sienna Jenson: I think, too, saying that someone your exact same age and desires the exact same thing, said this about it, they gave it a chance. I think when you can hear a personal story, you then become intrigued and want to experience that for yourself.
And then there is something for everyone. And I feel like I feel most comfortable when I’m in my element doing something that brings me joy. And so go to those elements. Go to those places where you feel like you can thrive or you feel like you’re knowledgeable and you are with people who enjoy similar things, follow them, become friends with them, try new things.
I think that’s my favorite thing about going to these gathering places, is that there’s so many options of activities, spiritual activities where you’re able to eat food and enjoy that. But you watch that as you come. It’s pretty hard to leave one of those activities without an invitation to go do something else, if you just put yourself out there. And that’s exactly how God works. You give just a little bit, and you leave with so much more.
41:21
Sarah Kellar: I think it’s important for anybody to be curious about the people around them, especially the people that they’re seeking to serve and to help. But I think to approach it with some curiosity about not just who they are as people, but just what they’re interested in, what they’re passionate about. Because I do think that curiosity is what leads us to sincere connections, because to be curious means to be open.
And I think sometimes one of the things that we’re trying to unlearn as a Church is that the YSA aren’t inherently broken, they’re not inherently less capable, they’re not inherently less abled. They are what we have thought, incredible, remarkable. They are our peers, they are our colleagues, and they are our leaders, and we should be approaching them with that curiosity that we would with anybody that we’re trying to become friends with and make connections with.
And I guess my invitation to people that are trying to find ways to minister to the YSA is, “How are you being curious about them?” And maybe be a little bit honest with ourselves about whether or not we’re seeking to teach instead of to learn. Because I think that if we were honest, if we’re struggling to find a way to connect, we might be unconsciously trying to teach them a lesson, instead of being open to the possibility that we could be taught ourselves.
Jon Ryan Jensen: Good counsel. Thanks.
42:47
James Fetzer: It feels really empowering as a YSA to have somebody who is not a YSA listen intently to your opinion. And I think I would really second what Sarah said in that as those who are not YSA counsel with those who are, consider them as colleagues and as just another person in the family of Christ that you have the opportunity to work with and learn from, and we’ll all be empowered together.
43:18
Jon Ryan Jensen: That’s great. We have a tradition on the Church News podcast. When we come to a conclusion, we love to give our guests the final word. And this is an opportunity for you to share your testimonies, perhaps, of things that you have learned during this process, that you have been involved in. And so I’m just going to, if we can do Sarah, James and then Sienna.
The question straightforward is: What do you know now? Now that you have been involved in this process, what do you know now?
43:57
Sarah Kellar: To surrender to the will of the Lord and to be conscious of — I was having a conversation on the way over here with James and Sienna about our lives and what brought us here. And I’m continually struck by how much Heavenly Father loves me and how that is manifested in not just the blessings that He’s given to me but the patience He has shown me in the questions that I have asked and the blessings that I have sought.
And I say that because I can look back, and I’m really beginning to learn and believe, and I sincerely do believe that Heavenly Father knows me intrinsically. He knows me as Sarah Joy Kellar. And I know that because He has loved me enough to not always give me the things that I’ve asked for and to instead give me things that are beyond my greatest imagination and wildest dreams. Because I never could have imagined this for myself. I never could have imagined that I’d be sitting here in this room with you. I didn’t have the capacity to do so. Or that I would have the opportunity to meet and work with James and Sienna and the other YSAs, or to sit in a room and counsel with the area presidency. That’s incredible. Just to be paid to think about how to bring people closer to Christ, that’s wild.
I didn’t understand. I would not have had the tools, I don’t have the tools, to comprehend that for myself. So, to instead really believe and know that Heavenly Father does have a greater plan in mind for me, if I can just surrender to His will in every step of the way. Because if I limit the blessings that I receive to the blessings that I ask for, I would constrain His hand. I would constrain His hand if I were to say, “Heavenly Father, please give me what it is that I ask for, and only what it is that I ask for.” And I truly do believe that my Heavenly Father does love me, and He loves me enough to give me what I need.
And so, I’m grateful for that, and I wish that I could have learned that lesson sooner. It would have saved me a lot of heartache and grief in my life if I had just understood that Heavenly Father was waiting to give me blessings, if I could just see and recognize that the blessings were bigger than the ones that I was asking for.
46:25
James Fetzer: That was really beautiful, Sarah. One thing that has stood out to me as we’ve worked on this conference is that we truly belong to a living Church that is led by a living God, by the living Savior, Jesus Christ. He truly does live. And I see it. I see it in the way that we work together. I see it in the way that the leaders interact and give direction. I see it in the way that the YSA, the youth of the Church, are cared for in such a beautiful way.
I have felt that He is aware of me, aware of the YSA, and their needs so specifically, individually, not as a whole, but each person. That as we have counseled as a committee, I have seen the unique personalities of each person on the team come forward and make a huge impact in how the conference will operate. Christ cares about the individual. He cares about every sheep in the flock. And I’m so grateful to be a disciple of His and to be doing everything I can to help others find Him in the same way. I know that He lives and that we can be together in Christ as we try and live according to His gospel and His word.
48:04
Sienna Jenson: I think my last words would be along the lines of: We have a God who rejoices in comeback stories. And I’m so grateful for the things that I lack, because as we’ve counseled and as I have become more acquainted with the single young adults in my life and those who are so worried and concerned about us, I have realized that the things that I lack make the relationship that I have with Jesus Christ so much more beautiful, because He fills in all the things that I lack. He gives me what I need.
And I am so grateful to have been so closely involved with this event, to just watch how the Savior is so tender with the things that we do lack, so tender with our desires, and He wants to give us the resources, and He rejoices in our comeback stories. And I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
49:16
Jon Ryan Jensen: Thank you for listening to the Church News podcast. I’m your host, Church News editor Jon Ryan Jensen. I hope you learned something today about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had your faith in the Savior increase by looking through the Church News window as a living record of the Restoration. Please subscribe, rate and review this podcast so it can be accessible to more people. And if you enjoyed the messages we shared today, please share the podcast with others. Thanks to our guests; to my producer, KellieAnn Halvorsen; and to others who make this podcast possible. Join us every week for a new episode. Find us on your favorite podcasting channels or with other news and updates about the Church on TheChurchNews.com or on the Church News app.
