Special Issue:
O Canada

All Are Welcome Here

by the New Era staff

From Toronto to Tenakee Springs, youth all over Canada are finding common ground in the gospel.

What makes Canada unique? Ask that question of Latter-day Saint teens living in Canada, and you’re more likely to hear what doesn’t make Canada “We have normal seasons here just like everybody else; it doesn’t snow year-round,” and “Not everybody says ‘eh?’ at the end of every sentence,” and “It’s just a nasty rumor that you have to trade your car for a dogsled at the border.”

Very interesting, but that doesn’t answer the question. What makes Canada different from other places, like, for instance, the neighboring United States? (That’s another nasty rumor. Canada isn’t the 51st state.) It’s a difficult question for people in any country to answer, but it seems particularly hard for Canadian instead of focusing on what makes them different, they focus on what brings them together. And for Latter-day Saint youth, that especially includes their testimonies of the gospel.

Canada embraces a wide variety of people from the world over. The country officially welcomes people from many different cultures and has historical ties to both England and France. French and English are both official languages in Canada. And members of the Church in Canada, including the youth, have taken that message of welcome to members of their family, members of their church groups, and members of their community.

All in the Family

Qualicum Bay, British Columbia—

Jessica and Sandra Stüssi know all about family togetherness. They live across the street from the beach in a tiny town called Qualicum Bay, in British Columbia, where their parents own and operate a resort. With the waves lapping softly on the shore, the sun setting in a crimson burst, and the family sitting outside quietly enjoying ice cream cones together, it seems like heaven on earth.

But what about the days when Jessica and Sandra are helping their mom do the resort’s laundry? What about days when they seem to be moving in several directions at once to sports practices and school activities?

Of course the Stüssis aren’t perfect, but they know that keeping their home heavenly—even when they’re doing something that’s not particularly pleasant—is partly their responsibility. And they know that living the gospel will help them create love at home. Getting up at the crack of dawn every day with their mom (she’s the seminary teacher) is an important part of their success.

“Sometimes it’s hard to have your mom as a teacher because it’s hard to have lessons from her. But it’s good too because we sort of know what to expect and she knows what we need,” says Jessica. “Also, she’s wide awake when the rest of us aren’t.”

After seminary every morning, Jessica and Sandra head to a different secondary school than the other youth in their branch, making them the only Church members there.

“Going to our school can be sort of hard,” says Sandra. “Sometimes people ask me questions [about the Church] and I don’t always know how to answer them. I just try to take things one at a time.”

It’s a tough job, being the only Latter-day Saints in the whole school, but Jessica and Sandra both say that it forces them to stick to their standards—and to stick together.

“We have to back each other up,” says Sandra.

Soon Jessica will graduate and Sandra will be on her own. But their family ties will stay strong as Jessica travels to Switzerland to live with relatives for a year.

“None of the people on my mom’s side of the family are members, so hopefully I’ll be able to teach them and bring some of them into the gospel while I’m there,” she says.

Tightly Knit

Toronto, Ontario—

What’s great about living in Toronto, Canada’s largest city? There’s Lake Ontario, one of the—it figures—Great Lakes. There’s the city’s skyline, with skyscraper after skyscraper making up the downtown area. And the centerpiece of downtown Toronto is the you-can’t-miss-it CN Tower, the world’s tallest self-supporting structure, standing 1,821 feet high.

The Tower is next door to the Skydome, the first modern stadium in the world with a retractable roof. It stays open when the weather’s warm and closes when its large Asian population. There is a huge Chinatown in the downtown area, and one-fourth of Toronto’s metropolitan population of 3.8 million people is of Chinese descent. Because of that, the youth of the Bay View Ward, a Chinese Ward in the Toronto Ontario Stake, fit right in in this culturally diverse city.

That’s especially true in the Bay View sacrament meeting, where you’ll hear people speaking either Mandarin or Cantonese dialects of Chinese, with occasional English sprinkled in just to liven things up. Ask any of the youth and they’ll tell you it’s the ward—the Church—that makes living in and around Toronto great.

Jolie Chan, 15, doesn’t hesitate when she’s asked about being a Latter-day Saint. “We know the truth,” she says. “And I’m trying to strengthen my testimony. No one is forcing me. I want to know for myself.”

Sixteen-year-old Tracy McIntyre also knows. “I’m making a lot of decisions now, and the gospel really gets me to think. I want to make the best choices,” she adds. “And when you have a strong testimony, everything seems really easy in life. That’s what’s so great about being in our ward. Everybody kind of sticks together, and you feel like you’re a family.”

Whether it’s going to the nearby Toronto Temple to do baptisms for the dead, showing up on a Saturday morning for a stake basketball tournament, or helping the missionaries spread the gospel, the LDS youth in Toronto see their lives revolving around the Church.

“I find that it is so important to be a part of the Church,” says 17-year-old Anita Tang. “It has helped me be a better person and a better student in school. I feel like it’s really helpful to have such close friends in the Church who you can talk to. They don’t give you the answers of the world. They want to uplift you, and they’re true friends you want to live with for eternity.”

“My testimony is still growing, but I’m glad I have one, and I want to strengthen it before I go on my mission,” says Mark Winter, 17, who is a defenseman in the Metro Toronto Hockey League.

Mark spends much of his time practicing his forechecking and his slap shot. But he also puts aside some time each month to help the missionary effort. “Going on a mission is starting to feel real. I’m good friends with the missionaries, so they always call on me to help them fellowship or visit with someone my age. I like that.”

At Home, at School, at Play

Victoria, British Columbia—

Sometimes before you share the gospel, you have to share your dreams.

That’s how it started for Gillian Hitchmough, a Laurel in the Victoria Third Ward, Victoria British Columbia Stake, and Reta Stevenson, her friend from school. Because they had classes together, they had plenty of time to talk about what was on their minds.

“At first, we didn’t really talk about religion, we just talked about what was going on in our lives,” says Gillian. “But then there was a boy at our school who was another religion, and I remember him really harping on me about being a Mormon. It was hard for me, and I told Reta how bad it made me feel.”

Reta says she could tell from those conversations how strongly Gillian felt about her religion. Pretty soon she was asking questions, and Gillian extended the invitation for Reta to come to youth conference. Reta readily accepted.

“At youth conference I learned a lot of stuff that I could really use in my life. I felt the Spirit so strongly at the testimony meeting. It was like nothing I’d ever felt before. I knew there was something really real there.”

Enter another LDS friend, Matt Hall—whose mom happens to be the seminary teacher—and Gillian got just the backup support she was looking for.

“My family and I had Reta over for family home evening one night and showed her a [Church] video. The missionaries were here, but so was Gillian, so it was just kind of business as usual. One of the missionaries bore his testimony. It was really great,” says Matt.

Pretty soon Reta was attending seminary, week-night activities, and church on Sunday. Reta knew the Church was true, but she was having a hard time overcoming a few things, especially the idea of being the only member in her family. She knew that if she joined the Church her family couldn’t come in the temple with her when she got married. And since she was so young in the gospel herself, it was sometimes hard for her to explain her new beliefs to her mom.

“My decision to be baptized came when the questions I had were answered. This big feeling of relief came over me, and I knew I was doing the right thing. It was a big step, but it was a good big step,” says Reta.

And so, on a beautiful summer day, Matt baptized Reta. She says she’s never been happier.

Matt and Gillian were happy too. They now know firsthand the joy that comes from extending the gospel message to their friends and seeing them accept. And both of them are eager to receive mission calls when they’re old enough.

“My life has really changed since I joined the Church. It’s made me a better person, and it’s filled some empty spots in my life. It gives me hope for the future,” says Reta.

Welcome Friends

Canada is home to a diverse group of people. Some members of the Church live in areas where the wards and stakes are well established and strong, while others live in small branches and districts which are struggling to take hold. But the youth know that the gospel is the same, whether you’re the daughter of a farmer in southern Alberta, or the son of a ski resort owner in Quebec. Missionary and fellowshipping opportunities are recognized and taken advantage of by the youth. The gospel promotes peace and harmony in their lives, the lives of their families, and the lives of their friends.

And that’s enough to make anyone feel right at home.

[More from the Youth]

“I’m really thankful for how much my family sacrifices for me. We’re improving on working together as a family and listening to the Holy Ghost. I’m really proud of all of them.”

—Jason Brockman, 17, Calgary, Alberta

“Before, when I was younger, the Church didn’t seem that important to me. Now I’m learning more about the gospel for myself. I’ll actually pay attention to stuff I’m learning. Now I’m into it.”

—Jolie Chan, 15, Markham, Ontario

“I went to Europe with my choir group and saw some missionaries and said, ‘Oh! I know them!’ even though I really didn’t. In the gospel, everyone’s really family.”

—Mary Burrows, 18, Vancouver, British Columbia

Photography by staff and Brent Petersen

All together now: These youth from the Toronto and Mississauga stakes know that having the gospel in common helps them overcome their differences.

Family ties: Whether they’re working or playing together, Sandra (above, left) and Jessica know the importance of going to seminary. Having their mom (above, center) as a teacher is an added bonus.

With the large Chinese population in the Toronto area, the youth of Bay View Ward (above) fit right in in this culturally diverse city. And Anita Tang (below, left) and Tracy McIntyre (right) are glad their lives revolve around the Church.

Friend to friend: Welcoming their friend, Reta (above, right), into the gospel has made Matt and Gillian excited about missionary work.