The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
Young Adults from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Church’s Seminary & Institute southern region of Portugal participated in the 17th global World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon 1-6 August 2023. WYD is a gathering of thousands of young people, 18-35 years of age, from all over the world, highlighted by a visit by His Holiness Pope Francis.
The weeklong recurring religious festival includes themes of “pilgrimage” and “celebration of youth.”
Although World Youth Day is Catholic in origin, WYD welcomes youth from every country, race, religion, and nationality.
The opening day of WYD began with a musical programme, “Singing for Peace,” and included performances by groups from many faiths. Young Adult dancers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presented a musical number titled “We Are One” lead by singer Jerson Santos, with the support of local Latter-day Saint ecclesiastical leaders, the For Strength of Youth music organization and the Voice of Youth. Throughout their participation in this conference, many of the young people related that they had memorable experiences interacting with members of other religions and cultures.
13 year-old Ema Moura talked about the lasting impact of World Youth Day, “I felt that when we are united, we can achieve great things. During this event, I felt that our friendships were strengthened and that we will be connected throughout our lives. It was a great experience that I will never forget.”
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
