Singapore Youth Embark: Youth Conference 2015

This year, Youth Conference was held in Tanjung Sutera, near Kota Tingii, in Malaysia from 15^th to 18^th June. Over 70 youths, aged 14 to 18, attended. It was four days of fun and a lifetime’s worth of memories full of exhilarating games, uplifting workshops and breath-taking scenery.

Ryeson’s report

Being the only Latter-day Saint in school is never easy. Facing peer pressure alone can make it seem harder to stand for my beliefs. This is why Youth Conference is always something that I personally look forward to every year. Not only is it a time where I am spiritually uplifted, it is also a time for me to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. It is a rare time when we are reminded that we are not alone, that there are many other youths facing the very same temptations with their friends in school. It is a time when we can hang out with people with the same values and know we are never alone.

This year, Youth Conference was held in Tanjung Sutera, near Kota Tingii, in Malaysia from 15^th to 18^th June. Over 70 youths, aged 14 to 18, attended. It was four days of fun and a lifetime’s worth of memories full of exhilarating games, uplifting workshops and breath-taking scenery.

This year’s theme for Youth Conference was taken from Doctrine and Covenants 4:2: “Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.”

In Mosiah 2:17, we learn from King Benjamin that: “when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”

Leading the organising committee this year has given me a new perspective to these two verses as I observed the youth throughout the four days. The word embark tells us that service is like boarding a ship or plane. Either we are on it or we are off it. We cannot be halfway aboard. We have to fully commit to it.

While unforeseen circumstances meant we could not visit a local village and render our services as planned, I saw the youth serving each other daily with our heart, might, mind and strength throughout the four days. No one shirked at the thought of serving, everyone jumped right on board.

Simple acts of service like the young men serving the food at meal times to youths taking the extra mile to help each other, especially those facilitating the activities, without question or complaint. It was truly an inspiring sight to witness and a precious memory to cherish.

Besides the service given by the youth organising committee, the service given by the adult leaders truly exemplify the teachings in D&C 4:2 and Mosiah 2:17. Their willingness to sacrifice their time and energy in watching over 70 boisterous youths over the four days made the spirit of service as alive and bright as the campfire flames this Youth Conference.

Youth Conference would definitely not be a success without the adult leaders and the sweet spirit that the youth bring to the conference. The spirit alone which they brought to the conference, the spirit of service and love, makes this Youth Conference something that youth should never miss.

It is these little things in Youth Conference that are special to me, and as this year was my last, it makes this year’s Youth Conference bittersweet.

Cleo’s report

Youth Conference this year was a memorable one for me and I believe that being in the committee as Vice Chairperson played a big part. Participating in the preparation for Youth Conference taught me a huge lesson and it is to always participate actively for any church event. By experiencing the process of planning and conducting the Youth Conference, I saw all the hard work and consideration of the leaders that often goes unnoticed, not forgetting that they have their own families, full time jobs and other commitments. Their example made me realize how selfish the thoughts I used to have - 'I'm not sure if I wanna go', 'I'm too lazy to go', and 'I don't have friends there' were!

Youth Conference was never a dull experience for me. This year was special for me because I knew everyone, well at least their names, and I could reach out to everyone the best that I could. I loved how the Spirit was so strong and I felt so touched every time we sang songs and hymns as the Singapore Stake Youth. On top of that, we knew and shared the same standards, and seeing everyone studying the scriptures every morning was so heartening.

The favorite part of Youth Conference this year was the testimony meeting on the last day, before we left to go back to Singapore. It really is the perfect ending to the entire Youth Conference. I gained a testimony of the power and impact of Youth Conference on the youths. I love how genuine our youths are about sharing their thoughts and feelings and how we can relate and strengthen one another by sharing our testimonies. The feelings I felt then can still be felt so strongly as I write this report.

I'll close my report with this. I know and testify of the power that Youth Conference has on every youth. It is not just a camp like any other but it is God's Youth Conference. I know that Youth Conference makes an impact on every youth, no matter how small; that every youth comes away edified, more willing to mingle with one another, with more love for the gospel and our Father above. I loved every single testimony shared and all of them touched my heart very much. I have a testimony of Youth Conference and I know what I said to be true.

KC Tadina’s report

I felt that this Youth Conference, in a way, was speaking to me. The workshops given were very applicable to me and I felt that the Lord was trying to help me specifically. Last year was good as well but the topics this year were more relevant to what is happening in my life now. I am thankful I went to Youth Conference this year. I was not as excited as first but I was proved wrong and had fun with everyone. I learned a lot and was reminded of the things that I should be doing.

Like for example, the topic Modesty. I realized that it is not just about our appearance, it is about the language and behavior that we use. I am more careful with what I say and do now.

We had a workshop on Patriarchal Blessings. I had a lot of questions recently and when I was at the workshop, I had a great desire to work for a patriarchal blessing as soon as possible. The last workshop was about Personal Conversion. I think it is very helpful for us youth, especially with the distraction of technology nowadays. It always seemed boring during Sunday meetings but with the help of the workshop, I have started taking notes and listening as much as I can. It helped me a lot.

I did not plan to participate in the obstacle course because I did not want to get my new shoes wet but I wanted to participate so in the end I took my shoes off and did it. It was really fun going through with your friends cheering you on and having fun together. It was painful going through it barefoot however it reminded me that life is not easy but you will have a good feeling after accomplishing what you wanted to do.

Morning scripture study got me more interested in scripture reading and discussion. I learnt a lot of things and I felt the spirit during the discussions; I really liked that feeling. Though I felt like I had more fun last year, this year, I learnt a lot more that I can and should apply in my life and I am grateful for that. I want to thank the leaders and the youth that helped to make this year’s YC possible.