Youth Home  |   Youth: Latter-day Saints  |   Gather Israel   Ancestors to the Temple   Temple & Family History Activities   Family Heritage   Weekly Family History Activities   Service   Ward/Stake Activities    Print Friendly and PDF

  









Latter-day Saint Youth

Gather Israel, on
Both Sides of the Veil


Let's heed the prophet's call to action.



President Nelson's Call To Action

From Hope of Israel (Worldwide Youth Devotional June 3, 2018)


"Would you like to be a big part of the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on the earth today?"

"My dear extraordinary youth, you were sent to earth at this precise time, the most crucial time in the history of the world, to help gather Israel."

"There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than that. There is nothing of greater consequence. Absolutely nothing. This gathering should mean everything to you. This is the mission for which you were sent to earth."

"So now, I am inviting every young woman and every young man between the ages of 12 and 18 in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to enlist in the youth battalion of the Lord to help gather Israel."


Enlisting in the Youth Battalion to Gather Israel

President Nelson invited you to join the team to help prepare the world for the second coming of the Lord!

"Those noble spirits—those finest players, those heroes—are you! I testify that the gathering is now, and it is real."







Preparing Yourself to Help Prepare the World for the Second Coming of Christ

"What will help you? As you continue to read daily from the Book of Mormon, you will learn the doctrine of the gathering, truths about Jesus Christ, His Atonement, and the fulness of His gospel not found in the Bible.

The Book of Mormon is central to the gathering of Israel. In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the promised gathering of Israel would not occur." (Worldwide Youth Devotional)








"And now I invite you to prepare yourself by doing five more things—five things that will change you and help you change the world." See President Nelson Challenges The Youth Of The Church.

  1. Disengage from a constant reliance on social media—take a break from fake.
  2. Make a weekly sacrifice of time to the Lord, for three weeks in a row.
  3. Do a thorough life assessment with the Lord, perhaps with parents and a bishop, to ensure you are firmly planted on the covenant path.
  4. Pray daily that all of God's children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
  5. Stand out and be different from the world.

Note : The new youth theme for 2021 (Doctrine and Covenants 64:33-34) was selected in response to the prophet's invitation and in coordination with the 2021 course of study for seminary and Come, Follow Me. Read more in 'A Great Work' Focus of 2021 Youth Theme.

Check out the Come, Follow Me Companion for "gathering activities" for each Come, Follow Me lesson.


How will you continue to prepare yourself?






A Sacrifice Of Time To do Temple and Family History Work

President Nelson: "Now, participating in the gathering of Israel will require some sacrifice on your part. It may even require some changes in your life. It will definitely take some of your time and energy and your God-given talents. Are you interested?"

"As you pray about this sacrifice of time, you will be guided to know both what you can give up that week and what you can do instead to help gather Israel." Worldwide Youth Devotional

"I invite you prayerfully to consider what kind of sacrifice, and preferably a sacrifice of time, you can make to do more family history and temple work..." RootsTech Family Discovery Day 2017






How could you make a sacrifice of time to do more temple and family history work?






Discovering Your Ancestors

Gathering Israel includes helping family members connect the past, present, and future. Family history activities to discover your ancestors help unite you and your living family with your ancestors as you get to know them and realize their legacy to you. As you discover them, you discover yourself!

There are so many fun ways to discover your ancestors. Set a goal to select one or more activities to do each Sunday and amaze yourself with a few during the week! Here are some resources:


How can you help your family make connections to the past?






Gathering Your Living Family






Watch the video below to see how Mandy Phillips accepts Elder Anderson's temple challenge and is reunited with her grandparents she hasn't seen in 20 years!



Find out more about how to find and connect with living family members (even those who may have been lost to you) by checking out the other tabs at the top of this page.

What is one thing you can do right now to help gather your living family?






Reaching Out—Family History and Missionary Work

In the video below, Elder Bednar gives counsel to you as part of the youth battalion:



Or, watch the full 2020 Temple and Family History Leadership Instruction. Here is part of Elder Bednar's message from the broadcast:

"On behalf of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve, to you young people, we have confidence in you. You are the Lord's battalion. And these adjustments that have been made now organize the work of salvation so that it is so focused and so simple. We know, we witness, we testify, that you will contribute to helping great things happen in this work all over the earth. We expect you to surprise the adults.

We expect you to seek inspiration and revelation. And as you do that in your youth, in a world that is increasingly wicked and ever more chaotic, we promise you will be safeguarded. You will be guided. You will be protected ... We unitedly declare our witness of the living reality of God, the Eternal Father, and of His son, Jesus Christ. They live. They are real. They know you by name.

Our beloved Heavenly Father will hear and answer your prayers. The Savior Jesus Christ has marked the path and led the way. Please follow Him. Come unto Him and follow Him. We love you. I again express our confidence in you. And we look forward to the miracles you will help to create."

Practice Using Family History In Missionary Work



You might try the following "practice sharing the gospel" activity using family history as a finding and retention tool. Invite other families to join in the fun if you would like.

  1. Divide into companionships and practice door approaches with this guidance from Preach My Gospel: "Talk to people about their families. Help them see how the restored gospel can be a blessing to their families. Offer to help them find the names of grandparents, great-grandparents, or other ancestors. Enlist the help of ward temple and family history consultants."
  2. Practice using The Family History Guide as a resource to explain how to find and record information about ancestors and to learn to use FamilySearch.
  3. Practice what you might say to new converts about the temple blessings available to them, their families, and their ancestors. Share how the temple has blessed your life and the lives of your loved ones. Watch the following video for inspiration from Elder Bednar.



President Nelson has confidence in you!

"I issued this invitation to our youth because they are unusually gifted in reaching out to others and sharing what they believe in a convincing fashion. The cause of the gathering is an essential part of helping to prepare the world and its people for the Second Coming of the Lord." Witnesses, Aaronic Priesthood Quorums, and Young Women Classes

See also:


What ancestor story might you share with a friend and why?






More to Enjoy ...


Pres. Nelson Challenges Youth of the Church

Missionary & Family History Work Go Together

Finding with Family History