Tongan and Latin-American Youth in Idaho Celebrate Their Heritage

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Tongan and Latin-American youth ages 12-17 from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in southwestern Idaho participated in a conference honoring their heritage on September 24, 2022.  

The conference was called “Firmes Cimientos,” the Spanish translation of “Firm Foundation.” Youth chose the theme “Firmes Cimientos” based on Helaman 5:12 in the Book of Mormon. “That is what we centered the conference on: building our firm foundations with Jesus Christ,” said Pepita Ebert, a young single adult who helped organize the conference.

 
Young single adults from Tongan and Latino wards and branches in the area led groups of youth through workshops about family history and international pioneers. Workshops also taught youth about the culture of Christ, where all are invited to come and see, come and serve, and come and belong (see Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s April 2020 conference address “Come and Belong”).

One room in the chapel displayed handmade artifacts and cultural emblems from Tonga and Latin countries. The youth learned native dances and ate a variety of foods from South America.

Elder Fernando R. Castro, an Area Seventy, was joined by Boise Mission President Clark B. Maxwell, Meridian Temple President Robert H. Sainsbury, Nampa Idaho West Stake President Cory B. Woolstenhulme and Meridian Settlers Park Stake President Gary L. Ashby in a Q&A for the youth. Parents were invited to a devotional later that night, where a youth choir sang the hymn “How Firm a Foundation” in four different languages. Elder Castro shared his testimony of the hymn, which he said was sung at his own baptism. 

Paloma Guzman, a young single adult who helped organize the conference, said the event was created specifically for Latino and Polynesian youth who are their families’ pioneers in the gospel. “Because the gospel is the same no matter the language, and everyone will have the chance to hear the gospel in languages that they understand,” she said.