“Leaders’ Ministries Support Children, Youth, and Families,” Liahona, July 2023, United States and Canada Section.
Ministry of Church Leaders
Leaders’ Ministries Support Children, Youth, and Families
Here are some recent highlights of Church leaders sharing the love of the Savior with children, youth, and families.
Ventura, California
Photograph by Chad Askerlund
Expressing Love for Youth in California
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles addressed Latter-day Saint youth in Ventura, California, saying he wanted them “to understand why parents care and pay attention to your development and ask you to do certain things and act certain ways—that it matters to them who your friends are, and it matters what kind of friend you are. It matters how you spend your time and who you spend it with.”
He invited every able young man to commit to serving a mission.
To the Spanish-speaking audience he affirmed, “Les amamos, les amamos, les amamos” (“We love you, we love you, we love you”).1
Sharing the Lord’s Trust in His Littlest Disciples
In support of the Children and Youth program, Sister Tracy Y. Browning, Second Counselor in the Primary General Presidency, taught, “Heavenly Father trusts His littlest disciples at 8 years old to make covenants with Him, through Jesus Christ, to come to know Him intimately, to recognize His voice, and to participate in the work of salvation and exaltation, in their own ways.”
She continued: “He trusts them, at 8 years old, to access priesthood power, to bless their lives and the lives of their families and friends. He does all that because He knows that at 8 years old, they are capable of discipleship. Our stewardship is to help strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ and give them opportunities to be ‘doers’ as well as ‘hearers’ of His word.”2
Supporting New Mothers
President Camille N. Johnson, Relief Society General President, attended a city-wide baby shower in Chicago, Illinois. The event, sponsored by the Church as well as private and local governmental organizations, supported infant and maternal health. Mothers also left the event with car seats, baby strollers, diapers, baby bottles, and other essentials donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
President Johnson said of the event: “These opportunities to work with our friends in government and community are so important for us to touch the lives of [individuals]. We look at things globally, but we must also look at the needs of the one. Today was a sweet opportunity to minister one by one.”3
Sharing Hope on World Children’s Day
President Susan H. Porter, Primary General President, shared her love for children in a social media post on World Children’s Day, saying, “As a Primary presidency, we hope all children will be valued, protected, and empowered, and that they will feel God’s love for them.”
As an encouragement for adults, she added: “It is important that we listen to each child’s ideas on how to create a better world for their future. How can you support the children in your life?”4