Ballard-YA
Attendees laugh as they hear dating stories during a young adult devotional in Maputo, Mozambique, on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, courtesy of Church News.Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company
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By Ryan Jensen, Church News
President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, sent a letter on May 1 titled “Blessing Young Single Adults.” The letter to local Church leaders outlines some of the ways they can best support and minister to young single adults in their wards, stakes and missions.
President Ballard opens the letter by declaring to bishoprics, stake presidencies and mission presidents that they have “a great responsibility to serve with and guide young single adult members. Young single adults are blessed when they have opportunities to gather and draw strength from each other in gospel-centered settings.”
An attachment included with the letter outlines information aimed at helping leaders know how to fund conferences for YSAs, how to create gathering places for them, how to appropriately use the Strengthening Young Single Adults manual, and how to lead with the principles in Chapter 14, Single Members, of the Church’s General Handbook.
President Ballard wrote that the resources included in the letter’s attachment will help leaders “in providing young single adults with opportunities to gather and strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ.”
Young Adult Devotionals
The letter was sent ahead of the Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults that will feature President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, and his wife, Sister Kristen Oaks, on Sunday, May 21. The Church regularly schedules such events to help build faith in Jesus Christ of young adults around the world.
Previous events include:
- January 2023: Elder and Sister Holland ask young adults to ‘shine the brightness of your hope’ on a world filled with heavy challenges
- September 2022: Elder Renlund invites young adults to learn and understand the history of the Church
- May 2022: President Nelson asks young adults, ‘Decide what kind of life you want to live forever’
- January 2022: Elder Uchtdorf answers 3 questions about seeking Heavenly Father’s help
- January 2022: Elder Rasband counsels young adults to choose to follow ‘our watchman on the tower’
- January 2022: Elder Cook gives 5 principles to help young adults strengthen faith in the Savior