You can THRIVE in a YSA ward
And I am going to tell you how.
I can distinctly remember a conversation I had with my mom when I was maybe seven years old. I wanted to go up and bear my testimony in sacrament meeting on fast Sunday like I’d seen other people do, but I was terrified because of one small problem: I struggled to pronounce the word “testimony.” Every time I tried it came out as “toaster.”
Whenever my friends at church went up to bear their testimonies from the pulpit, they started off by saying “I’d like to bear my testimony…” I couldn't very well go up there and say, “I’d like to bear my toaster.” So my mom helped me practice saying, “test-i-mony” over and over so that I wouldn’t accidentally start talking about kitchen appliances in front of our whole ward (as entertaining as that probably would have been for everyone listening).
Funnily enough, I don’t remember if I ever actually did go up to the pulpit as a child. Maybe I did and said “toaster” and was so embarrassed that my mind has blocked the memory.
But that word my mom tried to help me learn to say, testimony, has very much stuck around in my mind. And I’ve learned it is so much more than just a word you say when you go up to the pulpit on fast Sunday.
I believe that a testimony of the truth of God, Jesus, and their gospel that is all your own is at the heart of a beautiful life. And like all the best, beautiful things in life, coming to know God and Jesus will require some effort on your part.
In one of my favorite general conference talks ever, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said of gaining your own testimony, “Some may say that the steps are too hard or that they are not worth the effort. But I suggest that this personal testimony of the gospel and the Church is the most important thing you can earn in this life. It will not only bless and guide you during this life, but it will also have a direct bearing on your life throughout eternity.”
Our 20s are a beautiful time of spiritual growth if we know how to take advantage of it. Now is the time to be humble and build on whatever seven-year-old-us thought a testimony was. These are the years we really lay the foundation for what our spiritual life will look for the rest of our lives.
So for the next few weeks, we are going to talk about some of the things you may being experiencing that impact your spirituality: I’ve got lots of thoughts on how to thrive in a young single adult ward.
There are blessings of the temple endowment I want you and everyone to know and be excited about.
I hope to show you the joys of ministering assignments and callings; neither of those are things to be avoided or annoyed with—I promise that with the right perspective you can love it.
And finally, we will have a real heart to heart on taking control of your testimony rather than Instagram (or other influences) taking control of you.
Elder Uchtdorf also said, “Let us acknowledge that most often gaining a testimony is not a task of a minute, an hour, or a day. It is not once and done. The process of gathering spiritual light is the quest of a lifetime.
“Your testimony of the living Son of God and His restored Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, may not come as quickly as you desire, but I promise you this: if you do your part, it will come.
And it will be glorious.”
So whether you feel like your testimony is burning bright with plenty of fuel to keep it going, or if the tank is on empty and you are unsure if you are really someone who has their own testimony, let’s talk. Because whoever you are, seeking to add more truth—more light—into your life is only going to make today and the future brighter. One last thought from Elder Uchtdorf:
“It is my testimony that this spiritual light is within the reach of every child of God. It will enlighten your mind and bring healing to your heart and joy to your days. My dear friends, please do not delay the moment to seek and strengthen your own personal testimony of God’s divine work, even the work of light and truth.
“Your personal testimony of light and truth will not only bless you and your posterity here in mortality, but it will also accompany you throughout all eternity, among worlds without end.”
Well, according to Elder Uchtdorf today is the day! So let’s settle in and talk faith and testimony in our 20s.
How to Thrive in a Single’s Ward
So please stick with me, but I am actually going to point to you to one of my LDS Living articles. I’ll put the first few paragraphs here and then link you to the rest of the article. I wrote to correspond with high school graduation, a time when some young adults first start going to a YSA ward. But whether you are in your first YSA ward, or eighth, I hope these words help you treasure the experience.
To the graduating seniors of 2023, congratulations! The next phase of your life is just around the corner, and so might be your grand entrance into a YSA ward. Now if the mention of such an institution gives you chills, please bear with me. As a tried-and-true veteran of the YSA scene, I have some things you need to know.
I bet by now you’ve heard the rumors: YSA wards are awkward, and all anyone talks about at church is who should be set up on a date with whom. Sound terrible? Well, I have good news for you. As someone who has been in six different YSA wards over the past seven years, I can confirm that the rumors are not true. Saying YSA wards are nothing but awkward is like saying Taylor Swift’s songs are nothing but cheesy—it’s just not true. (And totally misses the point.)
You should be excited about—not dreading or avoiding—a YSA ward. For me, committing to my first YSA ward was my first experience choosing to join a community. And more importantly, choosing to be part of a community centered on Christ.
There is a thrilling work to engage in within a YSA ward. Your peers need you. The Savior is ready to use you. YSA wards can become a beautiful laboratory for Christlike love, were we can learn how to withhold judgment, and how to make connections with people very different from ourselves. This phase of life really can be a time that you will look back on and say, “Wow, what a time to be alive.”
But if you want that kind of experience, there are some things I need to get into your head first. So without further ado, step into my office and learn the six things you must know before going to the YSA ward.