"Building Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ"

This document is an outline of the workshop presentation given at the spring 2006 Young Women open house by Julie B. Beck and Elaine S. Dalton, counselors in the Young Women general presidency. These sessions were taught in partnership with the Young Men general presidency counselors, Dean R. Burgess and Michael A. Neider. What follows is a summary of points discussed in the training meetings.

In everything they do, leaders should ask: “Is what we are doing building faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?” Young Men and Young Women leaders are on the Lord’s business, doing His work as they serve in their callings. They can work together in stake and ward priesthood councils to accomplish the important work of saving the souls of youth. It is time for leaders to eliminate the unimportant and irrelevant and devote their best efforts to strengthening youth spiritually and morally. The guiding question for each leader should be: “Is what we are doing building faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?”

"Wherefore, as ye are agents, ye are on the Lord's errand; and whatever ye do according to the will of the Lord is the Lord's business" (D&C 64:29).

How to build faith in Jesus Christ:

A. Today youth are ready to “arise and shine forth, that [their] light may be a standard for the nations" (D&C 115:5).

• The Lord is beginning a marvelous work and a wonder with the young people in the Church today.
• As leaders you can be bold (see D&C 30:11).
• Youth in Africa frequently walk three or more hours, without shoes, carrying their scriptures just to be together and share their testimonies. They have great light in their countenances.
• "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit" (Joel 2:28–29).
• "And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem" (Moses 7:62).
• Leaders have a responsibility to help the youth in their important mission to bring the Church out of obscurity.

B. Leaders should create memorable settings to build faith and testimony in youth.

• A setting is a place where youth feel comfortable, can be themselves, feel the Spirit, and testify. (The missionary training center is a setting. Camp is a setting. The waters of Mormon was a setting.)
• Youth remember what they learn in memorable settings.
• The Savior used memorable settings to teach in His day.
• John 21:9–15 is an example of the Savior using a memorable setting to impart important teaching.
• President Gordon B. Hinckley encourages memorable settings as he asks that youth celebrate each new temple with a cultural event.
• When leaders have the vision of their call, they can create memorable settings in classrooms, at Mutual, at youth conferences, camp, and other youth events.

C. Help youth strengthen each other in their faith.

• "And if any man among you be strong in the Spirit, let him take with him him that is weak, that he may be edified in all meekness, that he may become strong also" (D&C 84:106).
• Youth around the world are strengthening each other. In Argentina a quorum of priests has signed a contract to help each member combat pornography. Each week at their quorum meeting, they report on their success in this effort.
• In Guatemala while at camp, young men and young women made a commitment to serve missions.

D. When young men and young women are not active, we go and get them.

• "I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment" (Ezekiel 34:16).
• When the general Young Men and Young Women presidencies travel in all countries of the world, they seek out and visit the less-active youth.
• Numerous stories were told of visits in humble homes, on mountaintops, and in villages and cities.
• The purpose of the visit is to invite the youth back into activity, that very day. These visits are productive. Many young people need a personal visit in order to have the courage to return after a period of inactivity.

E. Watch a short video that shows youth in a memorable setting, strengthening each other and helping those who need the gospel in their lives.

This video is available for download. Right-click the appropriate file link below and select Save Target As (for Internet Explorer or Netscape) or Save Link As (for Firefox). Select your desktop or location of your choice and then click Save. After the download is complete, close the dialog box. Find the file you downloaded to your computer, then double-click the filename and it should open in Windows Media Player.

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