Initiative Will Bless Children, Youth

Children and youth throughout the Church will be blessed by new approach that begins in January 2020.

youth sitting together and smiling — These youth in Paris, France, like other youth throughout the Church, will be blessed by a new initiative that begins in January 2020.

For years, Church leaders have been preparing a new initiative to teach and provide leadership and development opportunities to all children and youth, to support families and to strengthen youth everywhere as they develop faith in Heavenly Father and in Jesus Christ. The initiative, which will officially begin in January 2020, will be available globally and will be adaptable to local circumstances.

The initiative is intended to help all girls and boys, young women, and young men in the Church to discover their eternal identity, build character and resilience, develop life skills, and fulfill their divine roles as daughters and sons of God. It will allow local leaders, families, and youth themselves to customize their efforts according to diverse needs, while providing service opportunities and activities, fostering healthy relationships, and supporting communities.

The initiative is to focus on setting and achieving goals for spiritual, social, physical, and intellectual development of children and youth, while at the same time reducing burdens on families. Details will be shared at childrenandyouth.lds.org as the implementation date approaches.

In preparation for this initiative, the Church announced in a joint statement with the Boy Scouts of America that effective December 31, 2019, the Church will conclude its relationship as a chartered organization with all Scouting programs around the world. Until then, the intention of the Church is to remain a fully engaged partner in Scouting for boys and young men ages 8–13. All youth, families, and leaders are encouraged to continue their active participation and financial support of Scouting until that date.