In the recent General Conference talk given by Elder Ryan K. Olsen, he mentioned, 'Serving is not about you; it is about the Savior.'1 Being called to serve in FSY India 2022 was an opportunity for us to show our love to the Lord. It was about helping the Valiant Youth to come closer to Christ. As Elder Olsen said, it was all about the Savior. Well, was it easy to serve? It was not. The planning for the FSY conference started one year before the main Conference. Early morning meeting at 7 am every Saturday was not easy with young children, job, and Church callings; many times, it felt impossible to accomplish the things that needed to be taken care of for FSY. However, as the theme for the Conference was 'Trust In the Lord', we knew that as we trust Him, His purpose will be accomplished. None of our responsibility as parents, employees and callings in Church was unattended. We were blessed to take care of all things. This strength came from the Trust that we had in the Lord.
Did we see the Lord's hands in helping us accomplish His work? Yes, we did. With COVID and the government's changes to the examination schedules, many youths, parents, and leaders thought FSY would be cancelled even in 2022. However, we trusted the Lord, and all of us on the committee had faith that we would have the Conference this year. It was held from 3 October 2002 to 7 October 2022. It was a miracle to have the venue available during the busiest time of the year. Everything went as per the plan and schedule.
We had so many helping hands. FSY would not be a success without the commitment, effort, and dedication of YSAs and other adult leaders who were called to serve for this Conference. We saw their love for the Lord and the youth in their service. It was not easy for anyone; everyone trusted the Lord. Every pain and struggle was worth the effort to help the youth of these latter days.
We witnessed lives changed and saved during the Conference. We felt a glimpse of heaven as the youth sang the theme songs. We were amazed at the talents the youth of these days are blessed with. In many ways, we were humbled to experience Christ-like love.
Eternal friendships were made at FSY. Friends became family to us. We laughed till our stomachs ached and cried when we had to leave after a weeklong time spent together with so many. We are grateful to all the parents who trusted the Lord and us and sent their children to FSY to learn of Christ and build a sure foundation. We know that their prayers reached the Heavens and blessed us in many ways. We feel joy when we hear from the youth and their parents about how the FSY conference helped them to change and come closer to Christ. We love this Gospel, we love the Lord, and we know that the Lord is leading this Church through a living Prophet. We are ever grateful and blessed to be a part of this.
Notes:
1 Elder Ryan K. Olsen, 'The Answer Is Jesus' October 2022 General Conference