[TAPPING] [WHOOSH]

[DING]

[MUSIC PLAYING] Built around a gospel core, this is our single Church effort for all our youth and children everywhere. You discover what you need to work on first. Then you plan how you will do it. You act on your plan in faith, and you reflect on what you have learned. Your most satisfying personal development will come as your goals open new horizons, as you explore new interests and skills beyond your comfort zone. Remember to involve Heavenly Father. He will help you, often through simple thoughts, feelings, or impressions. As you know, President Nelson says, let the young people lead. If you're in a class or a quorum presidency, you lead and plan purposeful activities. I am really excited about the good you will do as you look outside yourself and serve God and those around you. Each of you will be better able to serve Heavenly Father and other people as you strive to grow in all aspects of your lives. Remember, Children and Youth is home centered, Church supported, and family activities can help families become stronger and happier. The Children and Youth program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will bless you now and for years to come. (SINGING) Hope of Israel, rise in might.

Amen.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC - "COME, YE CHILDREN OF THE LORD"] (SINGING) Come, ye children of the Lord, Let us sing with one accord. Let us raise a joyful strain To our Lord who soon will reign (SINGING) On this earth when it shall be Cleansed from all iniquity, When all men from sin will cease, And will live in love and peace.

Oh, how joyful it will be When our Savior we shall see! When in splendor he'll descend, Then all wickedness will end. Oh, what songs we then will sing To our Savior, Lord, and King! Oh, what love will then bear sway When our fears shall flee away.

All arrayed in spotless white, We will dwell 'mid truth and light. We will sing the songs of praise; We will shout in joyous lays. Earth shall then be cleansed from sin. Ev'ry living thing therein Shall in love and beauty dwell; Then with joy each heart will swell. Come, ye children of the Lord, Let us sing with one accord.

Our dear, gracious Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for this beautiful day. We thank Thee for the opportunity we have to join here and around the world to learn of this new youth program. We thank Thee for Thy Son, Jesus Christ, and for His example He set for us and for His atoning sacrifice. We ask Thee that as we are here today, that we can feel the Spirit and that we can learn of this program and what we need to do to apply it into our lives. We say these things in the name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, amen. Amen. Welcome to this Face to Face event. Sister Oaks and I are thrilled to be with you here in this audience and also to have access on broadcasts worldwide. We've just heard "Come, Ye Children of the Lord" sung by Eva Mongole and Jefferson Murdoch, and accompanied by Emily McMurtry and Sarah [INAUDIBLE].. Our opening prayer was given by Alex Rich. In this gathering, Sister Oaks and I want to hear from you. We want to know how the Children and Youth program is going. This program is designed to help you become more like our Savior in four areas: spiritual, social, physical, and intellectual. It encourages you to set goals to move toward that ideal. You do this at the same time that you are participating in the scripture study program Come, Follow Me, which helps you individually or in your family to grow in two of the four areas we address: spiritual and intellectual. And we are so glad to have you join us today. We're honored, and you look beautiful. We hope this will be a special event. We know that you can do this, and that's what our message is today. You can do it individually, you can do it with your family, and you can do it with your friends at Church. Now, you've all been working on this new program. And we want to ask you, what have you learned so far?

I've learned that the Lord loves me individually and wants me to succeed. And He is guiding my path and knows who I am and who I can become. And the more I trust Him, the more that I'll be able to be successful in whatever I set my mind to, because I know that He is part of my plan. It's so wonderful that you know you have a Heavenly Father who loves you, and so thank you for sharing that. I've learned that as you keep Christ involved in your goals, it'll be easier to get through tough trials in your life, and it's very important to keep Him involved. And I've learned that as we're tenacious and we get through tough goals, we'll find more joy, and that'll make us more motivated to accomplish more goals. Have you felt closer to Him as you've done your goals? Yeah, it's strengthened my relationship with Him. Thank you. I have an example of when I first started doing this. I set a goal to read my scriptures every day. But that wasn't really challenging enough. And so I talked to my dad about it, and he told me to set a more specific goal. And after I set that more specific goal, I was able to make a goal that I was going to study a chapter every single day of my Book of Mormon. And as I've been doing that, I've been able to grow closer to Christ. I think that's a very important principle in goal setting. We so often make the mistake of setting a very long-range goal, like a student who told me once that he was studying to be a brain surgeon. I said, "That's all right. But shouldn't your first goal be to pass a course in biology?" [LAUGHTER] So remember, you can take the long view. But remember that the most effective goals to move you toward the long view are intermediate goals, short-term goals that get you toward that destination.

I just think it's cool that we have, like, the four different sections and that as we set goals in each of those sections, Heavenly Father really does care about how we're doing in all of those sections. I guess before, I just kind of thought it was maybe just the spiritual side of things. But I know that He cares about us in all four of those sections, and He really wants us to become the best that we can be. Boy, that's a beautiful reminder. Excellent responses. And one more here. I'm Brooklyn, and I've learned that it's important to push yourself, but you can't push yourself too hard, because we're all human. And so you've got to realize that you have limits, but you've also got to realize that sometimes you go easy on yourself. So you've just got to be really careful and monitor how hard or how easy your goals are going and to have a good amount of each. It's so wonderful, because you're all so different, and you'll have different goals. That was sweet. Thank you so much. For today's broadcast, we will explore how youth can have success in this process as individuals and as families and as a quorum or class. We'll see a video about that now. This is me at five years old. I actually believed I could fly. That is, until I met gravity. At eight, I thought I'd be a veterinarian until I found out I was allergic to cats. [MEOW] [SNEEZE] At twelve years old, I was convinced I was going to play professional basketball, but my genes only gave me a height of five-foot-four. [BUZZER] I've always had these desires to achieve and to do great things, but I wasn't always sure how to answer the big questions about the future. Things like "What do you want to do with your life?" or "What you want to be when you grow up?" Life moves forward so fast, and I realized I should start to seriously think about how I was going to make a difference in this world. Like everyone, I wanted to be happy. I knew from church that we were sent to earth to find joy, but to be honest, I couldn't really figure out how. It wasn't until I started small and began to apply the Savior's example in my life just day by day. Even Jesus grew line upon line, decision upon decision, each act of faith adding upon the other. From the scriptures we learn that "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." Heavenly Father wants me and you to become the best versions of ourselves in all of these areas. A well-rounded soul, if you will. I had to learn to act in faith, to use my agency to choose things I cared to be involved in. The path to do this is simple. First, try discovering things that matter most to you. Using the "Discover" section in your guidebook or app can help you do just that. It'll ask a few questions about things you are doing right now and about things you want to do in the future. Your desires, talents, strengths, and yeah, even those annoying weaknesses--they're unique to you, so don't compare yourself to others as you discover your interests. Now, this is super important: figure out not only what you want to do, but what you need to do. And remember, listen to the Spirit. He's there to help you. Your list is probably going to be huge. Just decide what's most important to you right now, and then it's time to make a plan. Now, be realistic, but don't be afraid to challenge yourself when planning your goals. Did you know that actually writing out your plan will increase your chance of success by, like, a million percent? Now, this section really helps make it easy to break down your goals into an action plan of simple and achievable steps. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are you. Becoming who you want to become usually starts with taking those smaller steps. Now that you have a plan, it's go time! [BEEPING] [WHOOSH] Now, let's say you run into a roadblock as you work on your plan, which you will. It's important to really just take a step back sometimes, evaluate, see how you are doing. If you see there are any changes you need to make to your plan, make them. You may even want to run your plan by the people who know you best. There are plenty of people who care about you that are really willing to help. You just have to ask. While you're working on your goal or when you're done, take time to reflect on what you've learned. Celebrate your growth and think about how you want to grow next. As you start to discover, plan, act, and reflect, you'll soon realize that the gospel of Jesus Christ is practical and applies to real life. And those accomplishments, especially those that serve others--those will bring you full joy, and it'll help you feel closer to Him. The Lord wants to help you live up to your potential. The thing I love about this is that you can repeat this process as many times as you want and at different stages in your life. After all, it's like the scriptures say: "Men are, that they might have joy." So go, and have fun. [MUSIC PLAYING]

President Oaks and I love that video because it makes getting inspiration from Heavenly Father look fun and interesting. I have some people here tonight, my three grandchildren, who are very goal-oriented. All their lives, they've been. And I wanted to ask them how this new process has helped them come closer to Heavenly Father as they set their goals. Could you share with us? Here, they're right there. Can everyone see? Well, I think that as I've thought about my goals--and before, when I set my goals, I never actually prayed about them for what I would do. But now as Heavenly Father's helped me, I've known what goals to set, and I know that He'll help me with what I do so that I can accomplish them. Oh, thank you so much. I think when we use revelation to help us with our goals, we can rely more on Christ, because we know that what we're doing is what He wants us to do. And if we come to a trial, He won't leave us behind. He will always be there to pick us back up. Oh, Sarah, I have a question. How's Heavenly Father helped you through trials when you were working through things? I know you play your cello a lot and your soccer a lot. How has it helped you? I think it just comforts me. If I ever feel like I didn't do my best, I can look at a situation and see how God played a role in that and that He didn't leave me, and He was always there and He helped me, even though I didn't feel like it at some points.

A big part of this program for me has been learning to receive revelation. And as Joseph Smith said, as you draw yourself closer to God, He'll draw himself closer to you. I was praying. I was reading scriptures more. And instead of putting on music when I was getting ready in the morning, I would listen to scriptures. And different things like that that drew me closer to God, which then helped Him become closer to me. Oh, thank you so much. Would anyone else like to share a comment about how they've been inspired in their goals? Right there.

My name is Luke. And at the beginning of this year, I set a spiritual goal to visit the temple every week in the morning before school. And as I went to the temple and prayed and read my scriptures, I was later inspired to get a new spiritual goal. And that was to get my patriarchal blessing. It was a great experience for me. Excellent. You know what I loved about what you just said is, you set a goal, and then Heavenly Father kept inspiring you to do more. When you went to the temple, He said to get that patriarchal blessing and become closer to Him. Do you have any thoughts on that? I had an experience with heavenly help when I was a young person about the age of many of you here. I don't know whether young people know about radio-- [LAUGHTER] --but when I was a young person, there was no television. And the only way we got news or entertainment or music was on the radio. And near the place where I lived, there was a radio repair shop. And I sought a job, and I was hired in the radio repair shop to sweep out the shop, and they paid me $0.10 an hour. That doesn't sound like much now. It wasn't much then. [LAUGHTER] In any event, I got fascinated with radio. And the owner of the shop showed me how to do some of the basic tasks in radio repair, and my interest increased. And I got books and read them. And then I learned--and now I'm developing a goal. Then I learned that there was a federal examination that would certify a person as a transmitter engineer. He was only 15 years old. That's pretty-- Well, I haven't passed-- [LAUGHTER] I haven't passed the exam yet. [LAUGHTER] Well, you were 15. In any event, over a period of a couple of years, I studied and then took the examination and passed it. And I was licensed while I was still in high school as a transmitter engineer. And at that work, my pay went up to $0.75 an hour. And when my voice changed, they qualified me as an announcer. So I could not only sign the transmitter log at the transmitter, but I could announce, introduce records, and interview people. And my pay went up to $0.90 an hour. And that affected my life a great deal to have a goal that I developed and to have heavenly help in pursuing that goal. And then that was something I could do and did do through high school and college. Even after I married, that was my source of support for my family. And he learned that wonderful radio voice, and he had hair. So cute. He was so cute. [LAUGHTER] We'd like to share a video with you about youth setting individual goals. So can we watch that? Let us. [MUSIC PLAYING] "As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice." My most recent spiritual goal was to grow closer to Christ, and so I decided to memorize "The Living Christ." But I just kind of put it off, and then it just kept on being brought up in the most unexpected, random ways. And I felt the Spirit just nudge me like, "This is what you should do." So, after I had all these impressions, I finally decided I needed to make a plan. So I wrote a goal down to memorize it by the end of the year. And then I just printed a whole bunch of copies, put them around my room, and just worked on it. I would recite what I already knew, and then I would try to memorize another paragraph each night. And it was just a really cool experience because I noticed the words; they brought comfort to me. Like, I could just recite them in my head whenever I'd be nervous or if I just had something I needed to do and I didn't know how to do it. "His countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters." In Ashley's goal setting, she has gained confidence because she knows inside who she is. She knows how to accomplish things, and the Lord is with her. When I have goals, sometimes I set them too high for myself, and so when I fail, I feel bad about myself. An important thing I've learned with that is even if I don't reach the end goal, the fact that I still made it somewhere is better than not doing anything at all. "He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."

I think it's the first time I've seen him pray with intent and with a question and then come out and say, "OK, I have an idea of what I'm going to do." [MUSIC PLAYING] I figured out that if you just have a goal, it's not very specific, and you don't really have a plan, then it's a lot harder to accomplish it. It all started when my teachers quorum adviser was like, "Hey, you guys should really focus in on this new youth program." So I made the goal, and I just had "Run every week," and that's it. And then that week passed, and I didn't get out to run at all. So I'd been praying. I got revelation that, "Your goal's not working right now. You need to change it." I really felt strongly that I should try out indoor track.

So I made a plan to run every day at the high school, with the high schoolers. It's hard stuff, and it's hard for me as an eighth grader to do it with all the high schoolers, because they're a lot bigger and stronger and faster than I am. If it had been my idea, I would have, a long time ago, been, "It's OK. You don't have to do that." [LAUGHTER] Sometimes I have to lift less weight or do less push-ups or stuff like that. But it really gave me courage to go and do this because I felt inspired that this is what God wants me to do. I just feel strength come from Him, and that is helping me get closer to Him and become more like Him.

My name is McKenna Cowley. I am the oldest of six kids. [MUSIC PLAYING] In 2005 I had a little brother who passed away. I have a little sister who is on a feeding tube because she has failure to thrive. And then a couple years ago my mom started getting some sicknesses, and we weren't really sure where any of them came from because my mom was adopted from India when she was about eight months old. And so she didn't really have any medical information. And I wanted to help. I didn't really know how to help. The only thing I could think of was starting to try and track down that medical family history. She wanted to help somehow because there was absolutely nothing that anyone could really do. So that's kind of what sparked her getting into the family history thing. I decided to set a goal to find medical history, and it eventually turned into a goal to find my Indian family and take their names to the temple. The first roadblock that we had was when some of the records came up in Hindi. No one in my house speaks Hindi. And being a teenager, I felt inadequate. I didn't know how to do that. So for a while I just kind of gave up. And then I went to church one Sunday, and we had a lesson about family history. And realization kind of hit me that I was supposed to be doing this work. This wasn't something that I wanted to do for my family anymore; this was something that I knew Heavenly Father wanted me to do at this point. As a teenager, I had always thought, "Oh, I can figure out personal revelation later. I can figure it out later." But I learned how to recognize personal revelation throughout this process. So what I did was, I had a Hindi Book of Mormon, and I had my English Book of Mormon, and I printed out a chart. I could speak it. I couldn't read it. But I was able to look at my English Book of Mormon and my Hindi Book of Mormon and kind of compare them a little bit. And after that, I was able to decipher the records a little bit better than I had before.

As a result of our efforts, I was able to find 200 of my family members, including my grandmother. Because she had found that connection, it kind of almost created a stronger bond between us, in that you realize how important that relationship is. I've always been really close to my parents and my mom. But there's something special when you're doing something that's good and it's a common goal, and you add Heavenly Father into it. It unites better than anything else could. Our relationship has definitely grown. And she put her whole heart and soul into doing this and received a really pretty awesome result. If you have a goal, just do it. And if you think it's going to be hard, just still do it, because if you have Heavenly Father's help, anything is possible.

Great experiences. What did some of the rest of you think when you saw these experiences and heard these testimonies? Yes.

My name is Grace, and I'm actually good friends with Ashley. And when she was memorizing "The Living Christ," she invited 13 of us through group chat to memorize it with her. And I've just found great value in having friends that are so open about their testimonies and encourage me to be my best self. And I think that's really helped me strive towards my goals. So it really helped to have friends to complete a goal, and have people around you that loved you. Did it make you a better person? I think it definitely has. Did it make you better friends? Yes. I saw a hand back here. I loved how she said that if you have a goal, do it. And if it's hard, then do it anyway. And I think that's important because Heavenly Father wants us to grow. And sometimes the best way to grow is by doing hard things. Thank you.

And as I saw how McKenna, when she saw how the family history was in Hindi, that how she deciphered it, that must have taken hours, and that would be really hard. I probably wouldn't ever be able to do that, and that would be super hard. [LAUGHTER] It would be super hard. But were you impressed that she kept going with it? Yeah. Yeah? Why don't we hear from some people who were in the video? OK. Oh, they're here with us today. Everybody, Ashley, Eli, McKenna, just stand up for one second so they can see who you are. Then you can sit down so you don't have to stand. But we'd like you to share about your experiences and how you kept going when things got hard, and what you learned.

I think that the biggest thing that I personally learned from this is that the key to making a difference in anything is to have personal revelation. And the heavens are open. And I know that that's true because personal revelation is so important. And my testimony grew so much, knowing that Heavenly Father was a part of the goal the whole way. And how did you feel personal revelation came to you? I mean, just so other people might know. I kind of always struggled with personal revelation my whole life, because whenever I'd try and research, it was kind of, "Oh, personal revelation, it's personal. Everyone receives it differently." And I struggled to kind of figure out exactly how it spoke to me, like, how I received personal revelation. And I noticed that I received personal revelation best through prayer and priesthood blessings and then talking, counseling with others around me, especially my parents. There's one thing about personal revelation we should remember. I heard this taught once. The Lord never shouts. He whispers. So some people think they've never received revelation because they've never heard a loud voice or seen an angel. But the Lord whispers. So when you seek revelation, you listen for a whisper.

Hi. I'm Eli. I found that I could deal with problems if I just involve my Heavenly Father and just ask Him, like, "Hey, this isn't working out. What should I do?" And then I kind of have the same thing as McKenna, that I learned that God really does want to speak to us even though sometimes it doesn't really feel like He wants to speak to us. For me, personal revelation, it comes as a thought. Like, "Hey, you should go sit by that kid." And I know that if you will keep praying and asking for personal revelation, that it will come. You know what I was amazed by you, is that you were told to go to work with high schoolers. I don't think I would have ever asked you to do something that hard. Yeah. [LAUGHTER]

I think the most important thing that I learned through this process was that personal revelation only comes through personal action. And oftentimes that takes walking a few steps into the dark before Heavenly Father provides you with more light. And I had to learn that the hard way, through not taking action--like I mentioned in the video, how I put it off at first. But as I kept on receiving those promptings, I realized that I needed to go forth. And as I obeyed those promptings, Heavenly Father provided me with more direction and more guidance. And so my advice to all of you would be just put your whole heart into it. And if you feel like you can't see the end result or if you don't know why you're being prompted to do it, just do it, because Heavenly Father has a plan for you, and He will take you where you need to go. Thank you for sharing these inspiring and strengthening experiences. Do any of the rest of you have an example of how you overcame obstacles as you sought to follow your goals? In the back.

One of my goals was to get in the best shape that I could before one of my soccer seasons. I had a roadblock, and that was that I had an injury. It gave me a little bit of a different perspective on things. Whereas I was a little more consumed on how I was doing in my sport and how I was getting better, it kind of put me to, like, looking at, like, "How can I help my family today? How can I be there for my brother?" Wonderful insights. Thank you. So a roadblock for me has just been staying motivated, because there's just some times that, like, you don't want to use the energy to work on your goals. But something that's really helped me to get past that is just remembering that it's something that I want to do and that no one else is forcing me to do it. But it's something that I want to do or a change that I want to make in my life. And I know that I could be blessed when I do it and that Heavenly Father will also help me do it and that He wants me to accomplish my goals, too. Thank you. And you can do more because you did it, right? Yeah. OK. Kristen, I think it's probably time that we should ask if any of the young people in this audience want to ask us a question. Here's a hand. Brace yourself. [LAUGHTER] So I just feel like as we set these goals, I keep hearing people say, like, "Just trust in the Savior and have Him with you the whole time you go through it." And I know that that, like, goes a lot better. But I'm not really sure how to, like, involve Him and how to just put my trust in Him. And I feel like that's a really important step. So what advice do you guys have for us in doing that? [LAUGHTER] I'll start and I'll let him finish. I think he said something: Revelation comes when you're on the move. And so you start out. And sometimes--you said this: You take a step without knowing, not even understanding if Heavenly Father's close to you. But then you start reading. I think I heard here somebody said they read their scriptures, and they started using those moments to study when they were doing other things. I think also, it's important to remember that we prepare ourselves, and then the Lord acts. And I've found in my personal scripture study that I should always pray before I read the scriptures. I go to the scriptures for spiritual food and to put myself in tune with the Spirit of the Lord. And I wouldn't sit down to a meal without asking the Lord to bless that to nourish my body. So when I go for spiritual food and reading the scriptures, I always pray, and then I'm patient. The Lord gives us revelation in His own time and in His own way and according to His own will. So sometimes we just have to wait. [COUGHING]

My question is, how do you know when to complete a goal and to start a new goal?

Well, there's some goals that you never stop. Like, my goal is to get out of bed. [LAUGHTER] I mean, I know I'm going to exercise every morning at 7:00, but it's just--I push the snooze button, like, every 10 minutes. [LAUGHTER] But I think goals evolve and that maybe you want to do service and help someone. And then sometimes I want to just become a better missionary. And then I get to the point that I want to do physical things like take them soup. And some goals just become habits. So what about you? The same. I think that's a very good answer. The completion of one goal naturally leads you to others, and that's part of the process of revelation. So you don't wonder when you're going to complete a goal. You just listen for a new one.

Another hand?

What suggestions do you have for overcoming challenges in your goals? Keep at it, is the first thing that I think of. Life is full of challenges. And often when you get a challenge, you don't see the way around it. There's an ancient wisdom expressed in these words: "Even this will pass away." Sometimes you just have to be patient, trying to keep on when it doesn't seem possible. And what's been your experience? Well, I want to say something about him, and I think it's probably true of Apostles in general. When he sets a goal, he just sticks with it, and he does it--for instance, walking at 5:30 in the morning. And he says, "Do you want to come?" And I go, "No." [LAUGHTER] But it's that persistence, and it's letting Heavenly Father know every day that you love Him. And I watch him, and Heavenly Father can trust him. And I want Heavenly Father to be able to trust all of us. Thank you.

I'm graduating from high school this year. What do I do once I'm not a part of the youth program anymore?

My first impression is to say, just keep on just like you did in the youth program. That was preparation, and it's not an abrupt stop when you cease being a youth. You've learned techniques and habits and commitments, and you just continue them all your life. And there's someone. What goals have you set? The most recent goal was to appear for this broadcast. [LAUGHTER]

And he's not kidding. [LAUGHTER]

We all have things in our future. For me in the First Presidency, it's always to prepare talks. I have seven or eight major talks that I've written down that I'm working on for the next six months. General conference is coming up. That's one of them.

My goals are to finish what I can see in my future and also to be prepared for what the Lord may inspire me to do in the meantime that I don't even foresee.

Goals are different in different times of our life. I think all of you could give an answer to that question, and it would always be something like, "Get done what I need to do today and by next week, and be open to new impressions that the Lord gives me."

Please. So I know you asked what the youth--asked the youth. But as youth leaders and parents, what can we do to help these youth? I think being a great example is one of the most important things that leaders, teachers can do. Your responsibility is to teach. But one of the best ways of teaching is to practice what you teach and also to seek the inspiration of the Lord on how to get so close to those you teach that your words, the message the Lord prompts you to give, will sink into their hearts and motivate them. You know, when he said that--getting close to them, they'll come to you, and they'll ask you for help in what they're doing if they can trust you. And I think that's the same for us as parents, that we build up that trust so that they want us to be part of their goal. One more. In the back?

Oh, and please say your name. My name is Brooklyn. And how can we best show our support and our love for our family and friends in their goals?

Relate to them where they are. We're all at a different place on the road to eternal life. And you may be farther down the road, more committed, more faithful in keeping your commitments than someone else. But I think getting next to a person where they are, encouraging them where they are, is an important part of that. What would you add? Well, because I'm a convert to the Church, it was just hard for me to keep doing things and stay active when I didn't have a family behind me. And I think it's those little teeny things that you get up and do every single day to stay close to Heavenly Father. How were you converted to the Church? So I set out with a plan, and it was to attend every meeting. It was to partake of the sacrament. It was to pay my tithing. And I acted on it. The truth just unfolded before my eyes. It gave me such a strong testimony of how much Heavenly Father loves me, and I gained a really strong testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But first of all, I had to discover what I wanted to do and create a plan. And then I had to act on it. And when I really acted on it, I can look back now and say it worked. Thank you. Kristen, let's talk a little bit about how the experience of Joseph Smith fits into this pattern. Well, they're all doing exactly what Joseph Smith did. I don't know if you realize that. What do you see as he did the first thing? Well, he was touched by the assurance. He read in the Bible that God would answer prayers, that we could ask the Lord and He would answer prayers. He discovered that principle in the book of James. You're all familiar with that. So that's the first step that we're advocating for you. Discover what you want to do. And the next thing he did-- Well, he planned and he asked God. Yes, he had a plan. And then he had the impression to go into a nearby place where he could feel the Spirit of God and pray about it. He acted, and the Lord blessed him. He delivered him. And then when he was finished, he went back, and he reflected on it by sharing it with his family and his mother. He told someone about it. And eventually, he even wrote in his journal--which I would tell all of you, keep records. Because how are you going to know when you're a better person? How are you going to know you accomplished anything? If you keep a record of it, you can look back and say, "Wow. I'm a lot closer to Heavenly Father, and I can really do things I couldn't do." There's another thing to note about that experience. When Joseph Smith shared his experience outside of his family, what happened? He got a whole new set of obstacles and persecution and misrepresentation that lasted all his life. So attaining our goals does not mean that we'll be free of opposition, because overcoming opposition is the process of growth, and growth is what we were put here on earth for. It didn't come easy. And when something is important in your life, it'll be the very same with you. I mean, it was monumental, because he was opening up this new--he was restoring the true Church of Christ on the earth. But when a goal is hard for you, I want you to remember it's the very same principle. Satan does not want that to happen. Part of the process of growth is to face increasing opposition. And you can do it. Yes. OK. Oh, everyone, we have some great news for you. To help you with this program, the Church has approved a new app. And you can find it, and my husband said to be sure and tell you it's free, OK? [LAUGHTER] And it's not like any social media out there. It allows you to record goals, impressions, and journal entries. You can even share them with others. You can also save pictures on your app to help you remember the experiences you're having as you grow toward becoming what Heavenly Father wants you to become. And we're so excited that it's now available. And I want you to know that we even downloaded it yesterday. [LAUGHTER] Where do you find it? Where do you find it? In the App Store. Where is the App Store? [LAUGHTER] He's not joking. [LAUGHTER] They know. Everybody raise your hand if you know where the App Store is. OK. [LAUGHTER] OK, so thank you very much. Now let's discuss how you can do this as a family. We'll start by watching a video about how some families are having success in doing the program together. [MUSIC PLAYING] [SPEAKING SPANISH]

We are asked to be together with our family, to build that strong bond with our family. It has united us very much. With all of these different goals, we're all together as a family, developing and growing to be more like the Savior. I think it's important to have goals as a family, because one of the goals is to become closer as a family. [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] We always support and follow up on with their goals, so we have regular communication to each other. And our love will develop. [SPEAKING SPANISH]

[MUSIC PLAYING] We're the Larsens. We have five kids. And we've been married almost 16 years. 16. Going on 16 years, yeah. Yeah. J. J. and I attended the new Children and Youth fireside. And when I was sitting there with him, all of a sudden, inside I felt the prompting, "This isn't just for the youth. This is for everybody." And so I thought, "Well, let's each have our own vision board." And so we just made it very simple. They each have their own category for spiritual, physical, social, and intellectual. You write a goal for it, and you'll put a little Velcro on the back and stick it to the board. And when you're done, you can take it off and put it in the bag that's on there. And so by the end of the year, you can see what you've accomplished. Some of the goals I've set is doing 40 push-ups, 40 sit-ups, and 40 squats three times per week; to read a chapter of the Book of Mormon every night; and I'm practicing my guitar for 20 minutes each day for a month. I think praying before your goals really helps so you can get, like, things that you really need to. And the Holy Ghost is strong when you pray. For him to pick out the goals that he needed, that's what's making him grow. And it's not what I think he should do to grow. And he's saying, "Man, I have to do this on my own, and it's neat how I'm growing, but it's a lot harder than I thought." So when we have these vision boards, we're all aware of what everyone's goals are. And so throughout the day, we can help each other. My little sister Evie had a goal to ride her bike without training wheels. So if my mom and dad can't get to it, then we can help her ride it. I think it's really good that we can see each other's goals and help each other out. So when someone accomplishes a goal, we normally, like, say, "Good job," and, like, give them a high five. And they'll put it in the bag. And we'll, like, help them create a new goal. It really helps the family to get closer and have more happiness and less contention. It's not just about the moment; it's the support through the whole time, I think, that really helps the kids to succeed. It's just the team aspect of it, that we all have this mentality that we're working together. And the kids enjoy it. And so everybody keeps plugging along and keeps working on their goals. All of us are individuals. And by adapting and allowing the program and the revelation to guide us, that's the key to the whole program. We don't have to stress about being perfect or making sure it meets certain criteria. Uh-huh. There's a way for everyone to do this program. It will look a little bit different for everyone, and that's OK because we're all just trying to make our way back to Christ. [INAUDIBLE] High fives, high fives.

How has this new program, combined with the program Come, Follow Me, helped your families?

Right here. We'll start here and go here. I used to think that if I was going to accomplish school, I just had to do it on my own. But I've learned that I need to humble myself and allow Christ and my family to be involved with it. And as I've done that, my family has been able to pray for me, fast for me, and help me along my goals. And it's really helped me along the way. That's a wonderful example. Thank you. My name's J. J., and I think that the new goal-setting program with our families is very important because we can help each other with our goals, and it builds a better relationship with the family, and it causes more happiness and less contention. Do you feel closer? Yeah, I feel closer as a family. And get to know even your family members better, and have a better relationship. And are you fighting less? Yes, a lot less. [LAUGHTER] That's a really good sign. You know, one of the things we were going to do is call on the Larsen family to enlarge on their experiences. And we've just heard from one member of that family, J. J. Let me ask the Larsen family to stand up and give us some other experiences you had in connection with what you showed us in the video. I like this program a little bit more than the other program because it forces me as a parent to participate a lot more. And it not only encourages me to be a better person, but also be involved in their lives. And that's really important for me, because sometimes dads need a little extra push, too. Thank you. Perhaps my job as the mom is to say that the house is usually not that clean, and family night doesn't always go as well as planned, but we do it anyway. It's important as a family that we gather together, that we find the Spirit and we teach each other about Christ, because that's the one thing that I want for my kids, is to have a relationship with Christ. And as we do Come, Follow Me, and as we do the Children and Youth program, that's exactly what's happening, that they're getting that relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Sister Larsen, there's a wonderful insight that you just shared about having family home evening and doing Come, Follow Me in the family. What other suggestions do you and your husband have for families who are trying to get started and be more successful in this effort? When we watched the opening video, the last few words of instruction were to go and have fun. And that's what I would say. Make it fun. That's what our vision boards are for us. It's fun for the kids to write down a goal, to work on the goal, accomplish it, and have everyone cheer for them, and put that goal in a bag that we can at the end of the year remember what they did and how far they've come. And you know, my favorite part, you said it's not as important as cleaning the house. It's true. It's true. The house is not on the goal list. [LAUGHTER] I think the thing that my wife has done the best is, we just do it. Even if it's 2 minutes, even if it's 10 minutes, have the time. Make sure that we do it, and keep the kids involved. And they have a lot of fun, and they really get to enjoy each day. And they get excited, and they want to come down and do Come, Follow Me and do their goals. One of the themes of this broadcast is, you can do this. And what you've just taught us is, therefore, do it. [LAUGHTER] Thank you. Is there anybody else that when they've come together in Come, Follow Me, it's helped you? Go ahead.

One of the things that has helped my family and me is organizing our time in family in all ways, in spiritual, social, intellectual, and physical. Oh, thank you. In all areas, you're going together. That's really good. Anybody else, how when you do Come, Follow Me with your family, it's helped you?

Hi. My name is Hallie. When my family does Come, Follow Me, it brings a special spirit into the home, and it brings a focus into our lives, and the focus of the Savior and our Heavenly Father. And it's so special--sorry.

And when we have the focus on the Savior, everything else falls into place. And it really makes your family closer together? Yes, it does. Thank you. Thank you. There was a young man behind you. Please. I'm Carson. This program has really helped me, like, help my missionary brothers who are out on the missionary field. We help them as a family to set goals and to remember that God always loves them, and to keep them going throughout their missions. Thank you. When I first heard about the new home-centered youth program, I thought, "Well, the Church isn't holding our hands anymore." But as we've started to work on this, a thought came to me that the Church is trying to help us help our children hold hands with the Savior and walk with Him. Hold hands with the Savior. I love that. Thank you. Hi. My name is Crystal. One of the things I've learned is that when we're looking together as a family at our goals, we're influencing each other. My two older daughters who are able to go to the temple, they've decided for the spiritual goals to go to the temple at least once a month. And not only are my husband and I making sure that they get there for that, but it's influenced us to go together more often as a couple and do what we need to be doing. So you're getting better and stronger and more spiritual by doing it together. Yes. Hey, thank you. We have someone right here.

Hi. My name's Eli. And one of my favorite things about Come, Follow Me is that life can get crazy, and you kind of lose focus sometimes. I love being able to come home, and doing Come, Follow Me, and just kind of getting everything back on track so that I'm ready to go for the next day. And I'm like, my priorities are straight, and I know what I'm going to do, and I know how to better myself from that. It keeps you focused on Christ. Yeah. One of the realities that we have in the Church is that families are very different. And there are some families where they are not united in pursuing what we talk about as spiritual goals. What are some of the things that you've observed, Kristen, in your life's experiences about how we can deal with the differences that we have in families at one particular time? Well, one experience I do know is, you're going to have people from less-active families in your classes. And the big influence on my family were teachers who really cared about us and who came to see us. And this new program is so much fun that you can go out there just as girls and men, boys in your class, and as leaders and say, "Hey, come." And tell the parents about it. I mean, who wouldn't want their children to get better grades or make more friends or have better skills? And so this is such a wonderful program. And it's your chance to invite them and actually draw them back into church. Yes. It may be easier for you to speak to the parents, or for the leaders or teachers to speak to the parents of youth, than for the youth to beg for their parents' support or understanding. Absolutely. And as Kristen says, it's a very appealing thing to parents to say, "This is a way to help your children." What parents don't want help for their children? So we urge you not to forget about the youth and the children in our organizations that don't have the kind of support from parents or the kind of understanding in their parents that most of us have. Let's go to the next part of our program. The theme of this is that you can do this as a quorum or class. Let's see a video on this. [MUSIC PLAYING]

As a class president, ministering is very important for us because we want to make our members feel loved and cared for. So at least once a month, even if they come to church, we visit them. In terms of friendship, in terms of helping them with their physical and spiritual needs--they have in mind that someone really cares about them. And our Heavenly Father also cares about them very much. On Sunday after church, the youth have their own council meeting. They look at those who are not in church. They bring it to the bishop. "These people are not in church. We would like to go visit them." We have one guy called Destiny whose house is very far from the chapel. We got to know that before Sunday, we should try giving him a call and we should tell him, "Hey, Brother Destiny, you need to make it up to church. So we're going to pick you up early Sunday morning, before six." Through prayer we found solutions that will help him come to church regularly and to be able to also partake and pass the sacrament. Just recently one of my members, Millicent, wasn't coming to church for a while. So, as young women, we made it a priority that every Sunday after church we would visit her, find out how she's doing. Her aunt really loved the hospitality we gave to her niece, so one Sunday she allowed her to come to church, and she was so happy to come to class with us. After church we encouraged her to come the next week, and now she is coming to church. I feel so blessed and so happy that I have people who think of me and people who love me. When I minister to others, I really feel happy because I know Heavenly Father cares about them. That is why the stronger one takes the weaker one and we all ascend together.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

We set goals on intellectual and social. And on the social, we said to act very kindly to others. So here, we are doing this to sick people so that we show love to them. They prepare scriptures on cards, words of motivation and encouragement. And they send this to give to patients who are on their sickbeds, sharing with them that they should have hope and that all will be well. The young women hold councils as presidencies, and they decide on what to do. This is a project that the young women came up with, and they did it as part of ministering. We are from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we are here to show some love and care for you. And we have something here to give you. When they received the message, there were smiles on their faces; they were so excited. Without knowing where the youth are coming from, all of a sudden, they come to the hospital to share love messages with them. (SINGING) [INAUDIBLE] It was a really nice thing because we meet new people and we learn new things and work together. And it's very fun. Activities help me to learn more about Heavenly Father and to meet new people, and also socialize with them and help the kingdom of God to grow on this earth. [MUSIC PLAYING] I love that video because quorums are working together. But what were your impressions as you watched it?

Oh, yeah. My name's Cole. But what I really liked about that was that it wasn't any adults telling them to go out and do some good. It was youth led. And I thought it was a really cool example to me because it helped me realize that I don't need a push from my parents or anything to go out and do some good, that I can even be the leader in that situation and help others and bring others to Christ. And it meant more because they weren't told to do it, don't you think? Yeah, yeah. For sure. They really wanted to do it. Yeah. Thank you.

My name's Avery, and I feel it is important that in our quorums and classes that we are the leaders--as we're called into leadership positions, that we don't rely upon our bishops and our adult leaders to do things, like they did in this video. They went out and did it themselves. They planned these activities. And as we focus on these four areas, we can plan our activities accordingly as youth and as we know how youth think and how we can do better. Why do you think Heavenly Father wants the youth to be leaders? Why is it so important to Him?

I think it's--my name is Alex, and I think it's important for us as youth to learn leadership skills because we are the future leaders of His work on the earth. So we need to know how to lead people so that we can effectively move the gospel. Absolutely. And Hannah?

I think another important aspect of youth being leaders is, they're also going through some of what other people are going through, and they might understand a little bit better than the adults. Sometimes getting a text from one of my friends, it's just a little different than getting a text from one of my adult leaders. I love receiving both, but sometimes it seems a little more personal when it's someone your own age. And I think that can help some people, and that's why youth can be really good leaders. There's another aspect of what we're talking about, and that is to ask you what you have been doing along the same lines as the video that we saw. What are you doing in your class or your quorum to carry these objectives forward?

We invited all of our nonmembers to come to our activities and to, like, try it out, and they've loved it. So yeah. Thank you. Anyone else?

Well, last year in our neighborhood, it was going around that a lot of people were doorbell-ditching people. And this one house was targeted. And one time, I organized something for Young Men's where we all got together and we redid their house, and we promised not to doorbell-ditch them anymore. And they were really glad. [LAUGHTER] They [INAUDIBLE]. Thank you.

My name is Jessica. And in our ward, we've tried to make an effort to reach out to youth specifically, like, those that aren't coming. I think it makes a bigger impact if it comes from one of your peers, kind of like what we're talking about, how youth have such a great effect on each other, and that some people are just waiting for an invitation. And so to bring other people, all it takes is a phone call or a text. Thank you. One of the realities in the way the Church is organized is that in quorums and classes, we have leaders called. And the leaders are the ones that set the tone and the direction for what is being done by the quorum or the class. The significance of being in the First Presidency or in a class or quorum leadership is that you bring into your quorum meeting ideas. And then all of these matters are discussed, and there's very open discussion. The counselors as well as the president make contributions, ask questions. And then the president makes the decision, and the counselors support it. And it's the same way in the First Presidency of the Church. We follow the eternal principles that we try to teach to you in your leadership capacities. We've loved our time together. The contributions that so many of you have made and the discussions that have followed, we love it and appreciate the opportunity to be with you and to extend this teaching to the many places where people are viewing it on the broadcast. What have you felt impressed to do in your own capacities, leadership or membership, in families or quorums or classes because of what you've heard here? What impressions have you had? Back here. My name's Matthew. And one thing that I noticed in all of the videos is that each of the people in there, they had a sincere love for the people around them. And I think that really made a difference, and I think that's a big factor. Oh, thank you. It makes us more Christlike, and it makes our family stronger. I love that comment that he made. It draws us closer to Christ. I knew a wise father once who said, "You'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." And that stands for the principle that good praise is going to accomplish more than even accurate criticism.

Something that I've learned about a lot of the videos, or some things that were in the videos, where they included Christ--a big part of this program is revelation. It's including Christ in everything they do, and to strive to be more like Him, which, He wants us to be better. Absolutely. It's the whole basis of the program. Thank you for sharing. Others? On the back. I don't know about you guys, but I feel a lot more motivated now. I've kind of struggled with picking goals and figuring out how to make this program work for me. But I feel a lot more motivated now, and I'm going to work really hard to be better at getting personal revelation because I know that it's important. Any others? Please. Hello. My name is Jefferson. And something that I've learned from today is, I need to stop being afraid, because fear doesn't come from God. And it's just been something that's been keeping me from doing what I know is right. And from all the testimonies that have been shared today, I know that this is the right thing, and this is God's work. And I know that if I continue to work for this and continue to find goals, that I will be able to have the same testimony that so many of you have. And that is something I've learned. Great principles. Thank you.

After this, I felt prompted to get my quorum into the new Children and Youth program. And I like that the youth lead so that we can do this type of thing and plan stuff that the youth need. Thank you. You're getting revelation on the run. Yes. Oh, go ahead. Something I've been prompted to go and do is to involve your families and talk to your parents about your goals, because they've been around a lot longer than we have, and then they can also help with roadblocks. Absolutely, and there's no one who cares more about you. Yep, for sure. Go ahead, Sarah. I think I have been inspired to also set goals with my family as the family sets goals for all these categories, not just individually. And that's what I've been inspired to do. That's great.

My name is [INAUDIBLE]. This program helped me to be a good parent, a good father, and to be a good example like Jesus was. And I know that this program comes from the Lord and from our leaders. I feel so grateful because my family can get better every day, and I'm so grateful for that. Thank you, excellent. I think another question we might ask is, do you have any questions about the Children and Youth program we've been talking about?

My name is Natalie, and I've been thinking, what counsel would you give to parents of children who are having a hard time wanting to do the program? The first answer to that is just keep on loving and be patient. We don't all move at the same rate. We don't all start from the same place. And so we shouldn't try to impose the same direction on everyone. Patiently taking people where they are to help them get to where they need to be and loving them all the way. So just as a mother, I think it'll give you added patience and understanding. And as you ask Heavenly Father, "What will motivate my child?" He's someone that will tell you. Thank you. Thank you. Other questions?

Hello. My name is Jake. One of the concerns that I have is the ability that our youth may at times lack with this type of program--is the breadth and the depth with which they approach their goals. How would you recommend parents and leaders and quorum and class leaders still stretch themselves in broad, wide ways instead of just sticking goals in the areas that they're already familiar with?

That's a good question. My first thought is, turn to the youth and ask them where they are and where they think the next step should be in their progress. Young men and young women want to move ahead. They want progress. But if we make decisions on their next step, we may not challenge them sufficiently or we may challenge them excessively. And I think just going to the youth is the first thought that occurs to me. Well, exactly. And Eli is the greatest example, because I don't think his mother, when he's in junior high, would send him down to the high school to run with high school boys. He would never keep up. But he prayed to Heavenly Father, and he did something that was so much harder than his mother would have asked him to do. I had that same experience in what I related in my desire to get a federal license to be a transmitter engineer when I was still a teenager. My mother wouldn't have dreamed of asking me to do that. [LAUGHTER] And I didn't just cook that up. I had some heavenly help. The Lord knew that skill and that certification was going to be important to me as I went forward in my life. So parents, ask the help of the Lord, but start off by working with the young people. What do they want for their goal? You have so many obligations. You're on soccer teams. You're in school. You're involved in so many activities. It seems like every night, you have something. And now you have this new program. Do any of you ever feel that there's so much going on? We were praying about this, and I just think you have to put Heavenly Father first. You have to think, "What skills are going to help me in 20 years so that I can face all the things and the temptations in the world that are coming my way?" And that's when you decide that this program comes first. I think maybe we've come to the point in this program where I should announce that Kristen and I are going to have some closing statements. And after our concluding remarks, Miriam Whittier is going to offer a closing prayer on our time together.

I love you so much. And you're all so unique, and you have different capabilities and talents. And each one of you is going to build the kingdom of God in a way different way. But you have to do things in your own way, in your own time. In the early days of the Church, the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were told to come to Zion. They all had the same destination, but they got there using a variety of methods. Some came across the plains in wagons pulled by oxen. Some walked, pulling their handcarts. Some came across the ocean in large ships and then boarded a train. And that's the same with each of us. We're all coming to Christ in our very own way. You're all going to have a different work to do, every single one in this room. But Heavenly Father knows who you are, and He wants to make you the very best person that you can be. And He'll enable you to reach that destination, which is ultimately to be with our families forever and to enter the holy temple. And I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Amen. Amen. I'd like to return to the place where we began. You can do this, and God will help you. He wants you to succeed. Your leaders, your parents want you to succeed. But there are some things that you just have to do on your own. And setting goals and accumulating the desire to do what the Lord wants you to do is something that only you can do. Nobody else can give that to you. But the Lord wants you to succeed, and He will help you. And so do we want you to succeed. And we just urge you to involve the Lord in your plans and your goal setting and seek His help as you go forward with your efforts. As you learn more about personal revelation and as you learn that the Lord doesn't shout--He only whispers--you will increase in your confidence that you can be guided personally by the Lord. That's what we want you to do. That's what we want you to learn. And along the way, you will serve others. Along the way, you will grow spiritually and socially and physically and intellectually. And all of that is part of the wholeness that your Heavenly Father wants you to have and will help you to attain. And when you go forward on this path, I urge you not to focus so much on the tasks that you're completing, but your longer-term goal is what you are becoming. So don't pin any hero medals on yourself for learning how to do this or that or achieving this or that. Remember that this mortal experience is an experience in which we learn to become what God, our Heavenly Father, wants us to become and what He has made possible by giving us His Only Begotten Son, whose Atonement assures us of immortality and gives us the opportunity for eternal life. I testify of Jesus Christ, our Savior, and of this, His Church, with the fullness of His doctrine and the power of his priesthood, established on this earth to guide you and me as children of God as we move toward the destiny that our Heavenly Father's plan makes possible: eternal life, the greatest of all the gifts of God. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Amen.

Our dear Heavenly Father, we're thankful that we could be able to have this new program. And we're thankful for all the hard hours and work that was put into this program. We're so thankful for the Oakses, that they could be here today with us. Please bless us so we can act and receive personal revelation through setting our goals. Please bless today that we can all get home safely. And in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Amen.