Youth Conferences Offer Opportunities to Grow Faith in Jesus Christ

After a five-year hiatus, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ popular "For the Strength of Youth" (FSY) conferences have returned to Papua New Guinea (PNG). 

Across the nation, more than 4,000 young Latter-day Saints gathered in five locations during the December summer break to forge new friendships and strengthen their testimonies of Jesus Christ.

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Papua New Guinea is a predominately rural country, and many of the nation's Latter-day Saints live in remote villages amid jungle forests.  Many attendees took motorboats down winding rivers to access the roads leading to their nearest FSY location.

The largest FSY conference was held December 9-13 in the eastern coastal city of Madang.  The five-day event drew 1,400 young Latter-day Saints.  Madang Stake President, Nyman Hota, said, “I loved watching the Young Single Adults take the lead in running the program, and in mentoring the youth, none of whom have ever attended a gathering like this before.”  

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In Papua New Guinea’s capital city of Port Moresby, more than 600 youth attended FSY in the large Sir John Guise arena.  Attendees came from both urban neighborhoods and isolated villages, but their cultural differences were easily set aside as they shared their testimonies of Jesus Christ and became brothers and sisters in the gospel. 

In western PNG, on the Gulf of Papua, more than half of the attendees at the Daru Island FSY arrived by boat from remote river and island villages.  Due to predicted high tides during the event, 400 of the 600 attendees arrived four days early.  They were welcomed with open arms by local Latter-day Saints.

Smaller FSY’s were also held in the eastern villages of Popondetta and Wewak.  In the fishing village of Popondetta, heavy rains dampened the tents, but not the spirits, of the 300 enthusiastic attendees.

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In the northern tourist hub village of Wewak, FSY organizers and attendees were blessed by the facilities made available by the local Catholic Centre of Hope.

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Papua New Guinea is quickly becoming a centre of the Church in the Pacific region.  Two additional FSY programs will be held in January 2025 in Rabaul and Kavieng on PNG's outer island provinces.  The nation’s first temple is under construction in Port Moresby.  The excitement of the upcoming temple, combined with the Church’s remarkable growth in membership, and disciple-building programs like "For the Strength of Youth," are preparing young Papua New Guineans for the day when all the blessings of the gospel will be within reach in their native land.  And, when it happens, the now-rising generation will be ready to seize the opportunities they have earned by their enthusiasm, strength, dedication, and testimonies of Jesus Christ.