From France, Bishop Caussé and Olympians Speak to Youth Throughout Europe 

This week, the world converges on Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

“Ten thousand athletes will be here from 200 different countries,” said Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “Imagine — that’s the whole world that has come to Paris.”

Bishop Caussé, a native of Bordeaux, France, joined Peter Vidmar (a two-time Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics) and Jimmer Fredette (who will participate in the Paris Olympics 3x3 basketball for Team USA) in a devotional broadcast from Versailles on Sunday, July 21, 2024, for youth throughout Europe.

“[Olympic] athletes are an incarnation of the universality of the values that unite all these countries,” Bishop Caussé said. “These are values that are close to the values of the gospel — especially the fact that all the sons and daughters are united together for the same event, to celebrate the same thing — something that’s absolutely remarkable, which echoes what we preach: to have a world that’s divided and conflicted see that the people of the world can be reunited. It fills us with joy.”

Vidmar, a member of the Young Men General Advisory Council, urged the youth to pray, have faith and never give up. He said he was able to dedicate 12 years of his life to gymnastics because his coach had faith in him and taught him to work.

“Have faith in the Lord,” said Vidmar, who won three medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. “Have faith that you can do the things that he asks you to do. And along with that faith, never give up. That requires some work and some effort. With faith and that effort, you can do great things in your life.”

Being an Olympian — even one who medaled — taught him that getting a medal is not the most important thing.

“Realistically, [God] just wants us to give our best efforts,” Vidmar said in an interview with Newsroom. “Only one person’s going to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games. I don’t know that Heavenly Father plays favorites in terms of who wins and who loses. He simply wants His children to discover their capacity. That’s what I learned in sport. The gospel gave me that perspective. I’m simply there to do the best that I can do.”

In the broadcast, Fredette encouraged youth to be good examples to their friends. After describing his journey, which has included six seasons in the National Basketball Association and a prayerful decision to play basketball in China, he urged the youth to see difficulties as opportunities.

“You’re going to deal with difficult things in your life,” Fredette said. “You have to decide which road you want to take. Sometimes the right road is the hard road. But if you have faith and pursue it, you will be able to receive the blessings that you are supposed to receive.”

As the Paris Games get underway, Bishop Caussé said it is fruitful to consider the universal nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ — especially the idea that “we are all champions.”

“As long as we are faithful and we repent, the Lord and His Atonement will compensate for our weakness,” he said. “We can all be champions and win the gold medal of this life and be one day back to our Heavenly Father.”