“For the Strength of Youth: The Savior’s Message to You,” For the Strength of Youth, Mar. 2024.
A Guide to His Strength
For the Strength of Youth: The Savior’s Message to You
This guide helps you connect your choices to Jesus Christ and His doctrine.
I Stand at the Door and Knock, by J. Kirk Richards
Imagine you’re living in ancient Galilee, 2,000 years ago. You and your friends have been invited to a youth devotional at the local synagogue, featuring a special guest speaker: Jesus of Nazareth. And at a certain point in His message, Jesus invites the youth in the audience to ask Him questions.
What kinds of questions do you think you might hear?
I suppose some questions would reflect the culture and circumstances of the time. But I truly believe many of them would sound a lot like questions we have today.
For example, in the New Testament, people asked the Savior questions like these:
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What do I need to do to gain eternal life?1
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Am I accepted? Do I belong?2
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If my brother sins against me, how many times should I forgive him?3
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What’s going to happen to this world in the future? Will I be safe?4
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Can You heal my loved one?5
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What is truth?6
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How do I know if I’m going the right way?7
Don’t we all wonder the same thing from time to time? Over the centuries, the questions haven’t changed much. And neither has the Savior’s compassion toward those who ask them. He knows how troubling and confusing life can be. He knows how easy it is to lose our way. He knows that we worry sometimes about the future. And He says to you and me, just as He said to His followers long ago:
When you have important choices to make, Jesus Christ and His restored gospel are the best choice. When you have questions, Jesus Christ and His restored gospel are the best answer.
This is why I love For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices. It points us to Jesus Christ so we can receive His strength. I keep a copy in my pocket at all times. As I meet people all over the world who want to know why we, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, do what we do, I share this guide with them.
For the Strength of Youth teaches eternal truths about the Savior and His Way. It invites you to make choices based on those truths. And it shares promised blessings that He extends to those who follow Him. Please read, ponder, and share this guide!
Invite Him In
Jesus Christ wants to be part of your life—a constant, daily presence, in good times and bad. He’s not just standing at the end of the path, waiting for you to catch up with Him. He’ll walk with you every step of the way. He is the Way!
But He won’t force His way into your life. You invite Him in, through your choices. This is why a guide for making choices, like For the Strength of Youth, is so precious. Every time you make a righteous choice based on the Savior’s eternal truths, you show that you want Him in your life. Those choices unlock the gates of heaven, and His strength comes pouring into your life.11
Make a Strong Connection
You might remember that the Savior compared those who hear and do His sayings to the wise man who “built his house upon a rock.” He explained:
“The rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.”12
A house doesn’t survive in a storm because the house is strong. It also doesn’t survive just because the rock is strong. The house survives the storm because it is firmly attached to that strong rock. It’s the strength of the connection to the rock that matters.
Similarly, as we build our lives, it’s important to make good choices. And it’s important to understand the Savior’s eternal truth. But the strength we will need to withstand life’s storms comes when we connect our choices with Jesus Christ and His doctrine. That’s what For the Strength of Youth helps us do.
For example, your friends might know that you try not to use offensive or hurtful language. They might see you reach out to that kid in school whom most people just ignore or even bully. But do they know that you make these choices because Jesus Christ taught that “all people are your brothers and sisters—including … people who are different from you”?13
Your friends might know that you go to church every Sunday. They might notice when you turn off a certain song or turn down an invitation to watch a certain movie. But do they know that you make these choices because you have “a joyful covenant relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ,” and that as part of that commitment to follow the Savior, you are grateful “to have the Holy Spirit as your constant companion”?14
People might know that you don’t drink or smoke or use other harmful drugs. But do they know that you make these choices because Jesus Christ taught that “your body is sacred,” “an amazing gift from your Heavenly Father,” made in His image?15
Your friends might know that you won’t cheat or lie and that you take education seriously. But do they know that this is because Jesus Christ taught that “the truth will make you free”?16
Most of all, do your friends know that you make these sometimes unpopular choices to stay true to Christ’s standards because you know that “Jesus Christ is your strength”?17
He Is Your Strength
I give you my sure witness that Jesus Christ is the Way to a bright and glorious future—your future. And He is also the Way to a bright and glorious present. Walk in His way, and He will walk with you. You can do this!
My dear young friends, Jesus Christ is your strength. Keep walking with Him, and He will help you soar “with wings as eagles”18 toward the eternal joy He has prepared for you.