Roughly a million young members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ages 11 to 18 worldwide are gathering beginning Sunday, January 5, 2025, to learn more about the 2025 youth theme, “Look Unto Christ.”
Each year, a youth theme is chosen to help encourage, inspire and unite the youth around the world who are striving to follow Jesus Christ. The theme is typically a motto or a phrase based on a scriptural passage. New songs, artwork and other materials each year help youth and their leaders to incorporate the theme into their activities, church meetings and personal lives.
The 2025 youth theme is based on the scripture, “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:36).
Youth are gathering locally to view a 25-minute video of messages and music featuring Young Men General President Steven J. Lund, Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman, and Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and to discuss what it means to come unto Christ.
Filmed last spring at the Sacred Grove Historic Site in Palmyra, New York, the two General Presidents drew parallels between 14-year-old Joseph Smith — who prayed in that same grove about what he should know and what he should do next — and today’s youth.
“How many of us have questions? How many of us have doubts? How many of us have fears?” asked President Freeman. “And how many of us need to find … our own Grove where we can kneel down and look to Christ and look to our Father for those questions that we’re asking ... and know a ray, a pillar is going to come in that movement?”
January 2025 youth discussion
Young Men General President Steven J. Lund and Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman hold a stained glass window depicting the sun’s rays of light while standing in the Sacred Grove during filming for the January 2025 Worldwide Discussion for Youth: Look Unto Christ video.© 2025 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.President Lund said the leaders hope youth will look unto Christ every day, “not once in a lifetime, but every day, to go and kneel in prayer in sacred places and quiet places and pray. ... But talk to Heavenly Father about how we can become better people.”
Just as God answered the prayer of Joseph Smith, who described himself as an “obscure boy of no consequence in the world,” we know “He’s going to answer mine, and He’s going to answer yours,” said President Freeman. “And as each of us looks to Christ this year, … faith is going to come, but also marvelous experiences, and we’re going to do mighty acts.”
Added President Lund, “If we listen to President [Russell M.] Nelson, we come to know that we were born for a purpose and that we were sent here with gifts at a time when those gifts would find a place and make material differences in the rolling out of the Kingdom.”
Elder Uchtdorf also referred to Joseph Smith. “I hope you can see a bit of yourself in young Joseph,” he said. “In 1820, he was very close to your age. He had questions about religion. He had doubts about his standing before God. He had worries and fears, just like many of you. And he had faith in Jesus Christ. That faith led him to pray. He looked to Christ, who lifted him above his doubts and fears.”
Elder Uchtdorf focused on two specific ways youth can look unto Christ, represented by two items he always carries with him: his temple recommend and the “For the Strength of Youth” guide.
January-2025-youth-event
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles holds up a pocket-sized ‘For the Strength of Youth’ guide, which includes recommended guidelines that encourage youth to make righteous decisions. © 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Filmed near the Salt Lake Temple, which is currently undergoing reconstruction, Elder Uchtdorf said, “In a sense, you and I are a little bit like this temple. We’re all a work in progress as we look unto Christ and follow him. We can make daily improvements, also known as repentance, and by this, we strengthen our spiritual foundation and increase our capacity to serve. And we’ll be ready for whatever the future may bring.”
Elder Uchtdorf said of the second item: “This inspired guide for making choices assures that you recognize Jesus Christ as your strength.”
“When you have important choices to make, look unto Christ. When you make mistakes, look unto Christ. When you feel weighed down with questions or doubts, look unto Christ. When you’re afraid, look unto Christ. Yes, we are living in a world that can be troubling and frightening,” he continued. “But do not fear, have courage. You have Jesus Christ on your side, the light of the world, the Savior of the world. He is ready to help you.”
At each local meeting, youth were encouraged to periodically pause the video to “silently ponder a time in your life when you received a heavenly ray of light” and discuss times they experienced doubt or fear and how they looked to Christ.
The entire video may be viewed on-demand from Media Library, YouTube and the Gospel Stream app.
The Church also released the following youth theme video for the first time during the event. It is also available on Youth.ChurchofJesusChrist.org along with other resources, including the logo, music theme album and downloadable artwork.
