Thousands of Young Adults Gather in Salt Lake City to Come Closer to Christ

Thousands of young single adults of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah gathered at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City this weekend to connect with each other and hear messages of hope in Christ from Church leaders.

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The three-day event’s keynote speakers have included Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé, Sister Tamara W. Runia of the Young Women General Presidency, Utah Area President Elder Brian K. Taylor, and Sister Kristen Oaks, wife of President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency.

“It is exciting to see everyone coming here and [to know] that you’re not the only one who wants to seek for Christ,” said Iris, a woman attending the conference. “I am excited and inspired to see how much Jesus cares about the youth of the Church. And He cares so much that He brings people, speakers … to share principles and values that He cherishes.”

Bishop Caussé reminded young adults on Friday, August 29, 2025, that the work of the gathering of Israel is the most important thing taking place today — and as Latter-day Saints, they are called to be part of it.

“The Church needs you — not in spite of who you are, but because of who you are,” Bishop Caussé said. “Each of you brings unique gifts and life experiences that are essential to fulfilling the Lord’s purposes.”

The Presiding Bishop invited young adults to remember their most important calling in life is to “simply be a disciple of Jesus Christ.” Everyday opportunities to follow the Savior of the world include service to others, humanitarian work, community outreach and more.

“This is one of the distinguishing marks of being a Latter-day Saint: There is always something purposeful we can do,” Bishop Caussé said. “The true test of discipleship is this: Will we choose to serve without being asked? Will we seek out opportunities to bless others?”

Several such opportunities were available at the Salt Palace throughout the weekend. Many assembled backpacks for children working through trauma, wrote notes to lonely seniors, created paracord lanyards for deployed soldiers, repurposed plastic bags into sleeping mats for the homeless, built birthday boxes for children in need, packed hygiene kits for the homeless, and created Disney-themed wigs for children undergoing medical treatment.

Prior to Bishop Caussé’s message, Sister Runia reminded young adults Friday morning that God knows them, loves them, and will always be there for them.

“Because of His Atonement, Christ has the right to turn any nightmare or lonely canyon we are experiencing into a blessing,” Sister Runia said. “As the Lord says in Doctrine and Covenants 98:3, ‘All things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good.’ I don’t pretend to know how it works. But it feels like a kind of divine alchemy that will, in the end, bring you and me — and all of God’s children who keep trying — back home to heavenly parents, who are waiting with open arms.”

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The event’s speakers continued to emphasize the value of each individual. On Saturday morning, Elder Taylor emphasized the infinite worth of every person — and how we better understand ourselves when we look to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

“The Prophet Joseph Smith said that the first principle of the gospel is to come to know for certainty the character of God,” Elder Taylor said. “The first principle of the gospel isn’t to know that you are a child of God. It’s actually to know the character of God. We are better off turning away from ourselves to find worth and turning toward God to find our true, infinite, eternal worth.”

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To conclude the main addresses, Sister Kristen Oaks tied the conference's messages together Saturday evening by encouraging young adults to “relish this time” and focus on becoming a disciple of Christ — especially when the trajectory of their lives is uncertain.

“Concern yourself most about becoming a disciple of Christ,” said Sister Oaks, who spent 30 years single before marrying President Oaks in 2000. “Your light will attract others to you because light attracts light.”

She shared five truths: 1) everyone is a child of God; 2) we need realistic expectations; 3) we need each other; 4) we need to seek the counsel of Church leaders; and 5) we should seek to live with Jesus Christ after this life.

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“As children of God, you have the capacity to create beautiful lives,” Sister Oaks said. “You are works in progress. The choices you make determine who you are and what you become. As you draw closer to the light of our Savior Jesus Christ, you are illuminated by His light.”

In addition to these keynote addresses, breakout sessions were held on topics such as emotional wellness, temporal well-being, personal and professional development and Church history. There was also a concert that featured multiplatinum singer/songwriter Andy Grammer and Christian rock band NEEDTOBREATHE. Other socializing activities included dancing and roller skating.

“There’s this awesome energy here,” said Matheus, a native of Brazil. “I talked to a lot of strangers. It’s cool to get to know their story. I met a girl from Canada who just flew in. You meet these people, and you get to know what brought them here. And you find out that we are all struggling with the same things. For me, it strengthened my testimony and [gave me] strength to keep going and keep working on myself and getting a connection with God and Christ.”

The conference concludes on Sunday evening in the Conference Center on Temple Square with a devotional from President Jeffrey R. Holland, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Newsroom President Holland Invites Young Adults to Continue Following Jesus Christ