The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is utilizing the power of music to encourage youth ages 12 through 18 to become stronger disciples of Jesus Christ.
Throughout the global Church, youth will gather together in various settings in August to watch a prerecorded ‘Festival: A Youth Concert,’ featuring music based on the 2024 youth theme “I am a disciple of Christ” (3 Nephi 5:13.)
The prerecorded 60-minute concert — filmed June 5-6 at Red Butte Garden Amphitheater in Salt Lake City in front of a live audience — is available for download from various channels in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Performers are from Brazil, the United States, Canada, France, South Africa, Philippines and Mexico.
Local youth groups have been encouraged to plan a date to view the recorded concert together, either Saturday, August 10, or on a date that works best for their area. It could be at an outdoor venue, as part of camp activities, or even in a backyard. The purpose is to help youth feel God’s love through music, art and friendship.
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Celebrating and Worshiping Through Music
The concert is meant to be a celebration, noted singer Halee Crowther, who performs as “Halo Ray,” during the event. “We are gathered to celebrate our faith in Jesus Christ through music. … We hope that you feel the power that comes in worshiping our Savior, Jesus Christ, through music.”
Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman expressed high hopes for the concert to reach the youth of the entire world. “As we’ve planned for it, we’ve called it a ‘Concert in a Box,’” she told the Church News. “It’s something we’ve never done before. We have packaged all of it so it can be easily used by youth wherever they live.”
“This is an opportunity the First Presidency has given us to worship together as young men and young women. “It’s amazing what a powerful tool of worship music is,” said Young Men General President Steven J. Lund during a live event on the Young Women Worldwide and Young Men Worldwide social media pages on Tuesday, August 6. Learning the words to the songs will help participants prepare to enjoy the broadcast even more, he said. And during the concert, “turn up the volume,” he suggested. “We’re not in church,” he joked.
Crowther, who joined the General Officers on the live stream, said performing at the concert was a “cool” and “powerful” experience. Youth can look forward to “fun, upbeat music” from different genres. “You’re going to feel the power that our Heavenly Father has ... [and] you’re going to feel so much love watching this concert,” she said.
Patch Crowe, who sings “If You Believe,” said at the recording of the concert that music transcends all barriers. “We don’t even need to speak the same language, and I can sing a song to you that conveys a message more perfectly than words ever could.”
Singer João Daniel, who is from Brazil, agreed saying, “Music seems to connect us to each other in a very special way.”
Another performer, Naxi Martinez, from Mexico, said she hopes that the youth and young single adults who may attend will take away from the concert “that we are children of God and that His love for us is immense.”
How to Prepare
President Freeman encouraged youth to invite their friends and be prepared to have fun together. “Whatever size of group you have, it’s going to be great,” she said. “It’s meant to just uplift [you] and remind you about being a disciple, and maybe just strengthen your testimony of Jesus Christ a little bit. But also, we hope it makes you feel like you’re part of something bigger than you.”
Youth are encouraged to listen to the playlist to familiarize themselves with the songs before they view broadcast so they will come to their area’s event ready to sing and celebrate together.
The songs and music in the concert have special meaning for Latter-day Saints, President Lund noted, but millions of people around the world are also enjoying the uplifting music on the Church’s Strive to Be albums.
The playlist is available in the music library at ChurchofJesusChrist.org and on 10 other platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
The songs in the playlist are:
- “Good Day”
- “Truth”
- “He’ll Be There”
- “Over Mine”
- “Follow”
- “FSY Medley” (live version)
- “What Is This Joy”
- “Disciple of Christ”
- “If You Believe”
View the concert at the top of this article, at broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, the Gospel Stream app, and the YouTube Strive to Be channel. It also will be available later in the Youth Music section of Gospel Library.
What One Youth Group Has Planned
Youth in French Polynesia are eagerly anticipating the first “Festival: A Youth Concert” on the island of Tahiti, on August 17, in an outdoor venue in Parc Vairai, Puna'auia, Tahiti, about ten minutes from Papeete Airport.
The festival in Tahiti with the local theme “Rising Generation” will include viewing the recorded broadcast, but also live performances by local youth performing songs from this year’s youth album. In addition, there will be an exhibition of faith-based art by local youth, as well as fashion representing French Polynesian Latter-day Saints over the last 180 years since missionaries first arrived in the region.
Noelline Parker, the Church’s communication director in French Polynesia, said event organizers look forward “to welcoming youth from the Church of Jesus Christ as well as our friends in other churches, so all who come can feel God’s love through music, art and friendship. Our whole aim is to help young people help each other to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ, and to celebrate faith, friendship and fellowship with joy.”
