interview
Four Things Everyone Should Know about the Children and Youth Program An Interview with Brad Wilcox by Brent R. Nordgren BRAD WILCOX (brad_wilcox@byu.edu) IS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ANCIENT SCRIPTURE AT BYU. BRENT R. NORDGREN (brent_nordgren@byu.edu) IS THE MANAGING EDITOR OF THE REVIEW MAGAZINE.
N
ordgren: You were called as
The first thing everyone should know
adult counselors. The week includes
the second counselor in the
is that the program is more than goal
workshops, dances, variety shows,
Young Men General Presidency in
setting. It has three main components:
and games. Youth engage in scripture
April of 2020 as the world was closing
gospel learning, service and activities,
study, devotionals, and a testimony
because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
and personal development.
meeting. EFY was highly successful in
Now that many places in the world are starting to emerge from quaran-
areas.
uplifting the youth, as demonstrated in a study conducted by Religious
Wilcox: If young people are
Education professors John Hilton III
leaders are worried about the youth.
learning the gospel in seminary, they
and Anthony Sweat showing that EFY
tine restrictions, some ward and stake Since you are a member of our faculty,
are doing the youth program. If they
tied with seminary as the programs
we thought it would be timely for you
are using Come, Follow Me as they
that most positively affected youth
to give us an update on the Children
study scriptures, they are doing the
testimonies.1 The problem is that EFY
and Youth program. What should
youth program. Tithing, patriarchal
was cost prohibitive for many teenag-
everyone know?
blessings, reading the For the Strength
ers and their families. Church leaders
of Youth magazine, and ministering
created FSY, a similar experience for
More Than a Goal-Setting Program
are all part of the youth program.
youth internationally that has been
Wilcox: The last few years have
vital. There should be camps for
determined to roll out FSY in North
definitely been difficult. At the end of
young men and young women each
America as well. After two years
Service and activities are also
extremely successful. Now they have
2019, the Children and Youth program
summer, FSY and youth conference
of delays due to COVID-19 and the
made its entrance with high hopes
on alternating summers, and service
desire to allow local units to recon-
and great fanfare. A few months later,
and activities throughout the year for
nect after a time of isolation, it will
COVID-19 restrictions sent everyone
youth and Primary children.
finally be offered this coming summer
home, and some people forgot there was a new program. When I ask young people and adults, “What’s the
6
Nordgren: Tell us about those
Nordgren: What is FSY?
for approximately 150,000 youth
Wilcox: The initials represent
across North America.
“For the Strength of Youth.” This is
Children and Youth program?,” the
a weeklong conference patterned
most common reply is something
after BYU’s Especially for Youth
about goal setting. I say, “That’s a
(EFY). Young people are housed in
small part of it, but there is more.”
dorms and overseen by young single
BY U R EL IG IOU S EDU C AT IO N R E VIEW
1. John Hilton III and Anthony Sweat, “Developing Teenage Testimonies: Programs and Pedagogy with Spiritual Impact,” Religious Educator 18, no. 2 (2017): 111–29.
