Thousands of young people 14 to 17 years old from the Dominican Republic and 27 other Caribbean countries will meet through a virtual conference called For the Strength of Youth to be held from June 22 to 26 under the auspices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The initiative responds to the need to provide interaction spaces for young people with Christian or related values in the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions that most countries in the region maintain for public meetings of a religious nature.
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For the first time since the organization of the Church in the country in 1978, young Latter-day Saints (commonly known as Mormons) will have the opportunity to virtually share with thousands of young people from other cultures with the help of technology. This may be a harbinger of the impact of the pandemic and the changes that could take place in the near future regarding how young Christians participate in their congregational meetings within the “new normal”.
“We are very pleased to celebrate this great online conference with so many young people from various nations in the region, sharing in a healthy and fun environment their talents, worries, concerns and at the same time receiving instruction to be more successful and happy as they prepare for the life as adults in the near future, ” said Elder Jorge M. Alvarado of the Church presidency in the Caribbean region.
The event will include musical programs, instruction, talks and discussions on gospel topics and the challenges youth face today in cultivating their talents and living the gospel standards amid increasing peer pressure, the media, sources of entertainment and many other factors that influence their level of participation within their faith communities. They will also be provided with guidelines for cultivating habits to help them succeed in their academic, professional, and work lives.
Speakers at the event include Bonnie H. Cordon, world president of the Church's 12-17 year-old organization for young women, and Steven J. Lund, who chairs the organization which includes male youth of the same age. In addition, Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife Ruth Renlund will offer the closing message on Friday, June 26.
Additionally, Elder Cándido Fortuna, general coordinator of the program, indicated that this is a way for young people to spend their free time using their electronic equipment in a constructive way.
“This will be an opportunity to use the wonderful technology that God makes available to us in this age to enable our youth to live in a positive way. This gives them the opportunity to meet youth of other nationalities and to learn together about the gospel of Jesus Christ while building real meaningful friendships in a world where people, despite multiple ways to connect with others, feel increasingly alone,” said Elder Fortuna.
Registration for this virtual international youth conference is free and will be open to the public who register by sending a message to the address Caribbean@ChurchofJesusChrist.org or by WhatsApp at number 849-214-0101 before Sunday, June 20.