I Can Do All Things Through Christ - LDS Youth Theme 2023

Each year The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a youth theme. This year’s theme is found in Philippians 4:13 which reads “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”. This theme is used as a topic of discussion during talks in sacrament meeting and to provide focus for youth activities, including camps, youth conferences and devotionals and will be emphasised during FSY conferences worldwide. But what does this theme actually mean?

The theme means that all things that are good can be achieved through believing and trusting in the Lord. This combination of believing and trusting is known as faith. Faith in the Lord is powerful, as some people from the scriptures have had so much faith that they have survived a burning furnace, caused the ground to shake, doused flames and even moved mountains. In our lives we probably do not need to move physical mountains that impede our progress or cause the ground to shake and quake or to stop ourselves from being burned by a fiery furnace, but we will face spiritual mountains. If we attempt to climb these spiritual mountains with our own strength, then thinking that we will be able to easily conquer them, then we will fail. But through relying on and trusting in the Lord we can overcome these mountains.

President Nelson taught from Alma 32:27 that if we "exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if [we] can no more than desire to believe...we shall be able to say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto [us]." (Matthew 17:20)

This is a miraculous promise, as it shows us that all we have to do is believe, have faith and trust in the Lord and even if our mountains are great, even taller than Mount Everest, then we will be able to conquer them.

As the apostle James taught, faith without works is dead. This means that if we have faith but do not use it our faith cannot grow. So let your light shine and be an example to others. Bless the lives of others and yourselves through Christ.

During the recent General Conference Elder Uchtdorf told the youth of the church that Jesus Christ is the strength of youth, “Jesus might point out that your covenants with Him—made when you were baptized and renewed each time you partake of the sacrament—give you a special connection with Him. The kind of connection the scriptures describe as being yoked together so that, with His help, you can carry any burden.

I believe the Saviour Jesus Christ would want you to see, feel, and know that He is your strength. That with His help, there are no limits to what you can accomplish. That your potential is limitless. He would want you to see yourself the way He sees you. And that is very different from the way the world sees you.”.

This tells us that the Saviour really does care about us and will help us with any trial we face. He will also give us strength during our trials and tribulations. Remember that the Lord cares about you and everything you do.

From a Sacrament Meeting talk given in Adelaide, South Australia