Elder and Sister Kearon Invite Young Adults to Put Faith in the Foreground

Finding joy takes practice, work and effort, Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints taught during a Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults on Sunday, February 1, 2026.

“We invite you to make one hour a week a real focus for finding joy. That sacrament hour on Sunday — let us make that the most joyful moment in the week that we can experience,” he said.

“We can’t help but be joyful when we increase faith and trust in Christ and his plan for us,” said Sister Jennifer Kearon, who joined the Apostle in inviting young adults to put faith in the foreground of their lives.

For the live broadcast, nearly 17,000 young adults from throughout Utah gathered in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, a setting which Elder Kearon described as “cozy in the most gargantuan and enormous sort of way.” 

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“It felt like sitting in a living room with an Apostle, almost like I was sitting face to face with Elder and Sister Kearon,” said Bryson Newswander of Hyde Park, Utah, after the devotional. “It was just a pretty neat experience for me, and I loved that feeling.”

Interspersed throughout the Kearons’ unscripted comments were recorded interactions with smaller groups of young adults from the United States, Mexico, Norway, the Caribbean Island of Curacao and the Republic of the Congo.

Topics included overcoming roadblocks young adults often face, helping others who are struggling in their faith, feeling more peace and joy in the Savior, and better understanding and applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

The Kearons often referred to scriptural examples, prophetic teachings, and their own testimonies and experiences.

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Overcoming Roadblocks to Feeling God’s Love

Referencing a teaching from President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency, Elder Kearon explained that mortality is not a graded test but an opportunity to stretch, learn, grow and come to understand who we are.

Roadblocks to feeling God’s love include inner voices of self-doubt, discouragement, hopelessness, shame and cynicism. Instead, individuals should listen to the voice of the Savior, the Good Shepherd, “who is always encouraging, always loving, always hopeful,” said Sister Kearon.

“His voice is always one of a Savior — one who loves us, who has paid the ultimate price for us, and who is bound by covenant to each one of us,” she said. “So, feast upon the words of Christ.”

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Strengthening the Faith of Friends

How can young adults help friends who might be struggling in their faith? “Your friends need to feel your love,” said Sister Kearon. “You can give them the clear message that you are a safe place — someone who will love them, respect them, care for them and help them no matter what they’re going through.” She also encouraged “honest heart-to-heart, spirit-to-spirit conversations.”

Where possible, “we should try to help them remain engaged” in the Church, such as by serving in callings and helping others, said Elder Kearon. “We are a people who ‘go and do’ (1 Nephi 3:7), “and there is great power in that. It keeps our faith alive, and if our faith has drifted a little bit, it can draw us back.”

Aly Woodbury of Riverdale, Utah, said, “Something that I’ve learned tonight was the power of standing together as young single adults. We really just felt the joy of being united.”

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Finding Peace and Joy in the Savior

Addressing how to feel peace and joy in a world of anxiety and fear about an uncertain future, Elder Kearon referred to the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob, who was always anxious for his people. “I’d like to be more like Jacob and have my anxiety more outward focused,” he said.

He explained that knowing about Jesus Christ hundreds of years before His birth brought joy to the ancient prophet and his people. 

Feeling worried about the future is natural, Sister Kearon added. However, it is possible to learn to accept periods of uncertainty and discomfort as part of mortal life. Anxiety arises because “our spirits are not meant for contention,” she said, but rather for “gentleness and meekness and love and forgiveness and peace.” 

Jesus taught that, in spite of tribulation, we should “be of good cheer,” she said. “We need to make sure that we disconnect from our social media news feeds enough to connect with our Savior and to draw upon His peace, which comes because he has overcome the world and already paid the price for all of the injustice we see around us.”

Understanding and Applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ

Elder Kearon shared that, as a 26-year-old convert to the Church, he struggled to understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

“But when we understand that the plan and [that Jesus Christ through His] Atonement can help us through any trial or challenge — bringing peace, love and joy, even in the face of the misdeeds and sins of others — then we are well on our way,” he said. “And after the tears comes explosive joy — the absolutely overwhelming gratitude that He dared to take it all away.”

Sister Kearon taught that the power and strength of Jesus Christ flow because of His Atonement. “He has the right and the power to grant you His strength, His love, and His hope,” she said.

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Attending Institute — An invitation and Promise

The devotional also commemorated the 100-year anniversary of Institutes of Religion. Together with seminaries, the programs are approaching a historic milestone of 1 million youth and young adults participating in religious education. (Learn more about institute and find a class near you.)

“Tonight, you are one in a million,” said Sister Kearon. “But in the world, you’re one in 8 billion. Yet you are numbered to God. You are known and loved, and He is aware of every detail of your life.” 

In a prerecorded message shared during the devotional, President Dallin H. Oaks said, “One of the greatest opportunities to learn, gather and lift others is found at institute.”

The prophet continued, “My dear young adults, in a day of noise and confusion, I invite you to consistently attend institute. I also encourage you to invite friends to share in these same blessings. I promise that your time in institute will bring the Savior’s peace, joy and divine love.”

Elder Kearon said President Oaks also wanted young adults to consider the kind of world they want to pass on to their children.

‘Sing the Song of Redeeming Love’

Elder Kearon reflected on the dramatic conversion of  Alma the Younger and his desire that all might “sing the song of redeeming love.” Today’s young adults, he said, know these foundational truths and have a living prophet who promises the Savior’s peace, joy and divine love.

“Bring the understanding of the truth into your foreground of your heart and mind,” he said. “Practice that day in and day out.”  

As a symbol of renewing their commitment to put faith in the foreground, Elder Kearon invited the congregation sing the hymn “Let Us All Press On” with increasing energy and enthusiasm. 

“May you be blessed as you seek to put the emphasis in your life where it belongs,” Elder Kearon concluded. “I’m so grateful that I discovered my faith in my late 20s, that I can be here with you today in this beautiful gathering where we speak of faith, of light, of joy, and specifically, the promise of the Savior’s peace, joy and divine love.”

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The devotional is available to watch on demand on YouTube and for two weeks at broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Text, audio and video of the devotional will also be published for study and review in Gospel Library.