The Church Hosts Mental Health Awareness Conferences in West Africa

During two weeks in November, on the 15^th and on the 22^nd, the Latter-day Saint communities in Togo and Liberia hosted the Africa West Area’s International Mental Health Awareness Conference. The events, sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was organized by the Area’s Family Services and Self-Reliance Department under the direction of the Africa West Area Presidency. With the theme of Intentional Parenting to Create an Emotionally Stable Home, the conference was conducted in French in Lomé, Togo, and in English in Monrovia, Liberia.

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Presiding at the Lomé conference was Elder Alfred Kyungu of the Seventy, President of the Africa West Area, while Elder Adeyinka Ojediran of the Seventy and First Counselor of the Africa West Area presided at the Monrovia conference. Brother David J. Wunderli, First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, participated in Lomé. 

The conferences brought together ecclesiastical leaders, mental health professionals, families, and others united by a common concern for the well-being of those affected with anxiety, loneliness, depression, identity crises, guilt, and pressure to measure up in an increasingly complex world. Held at local stake centers in those two cities, the events were open and free to all interested in attending. Several hundred people gathered at each location to participate in the live sessions, with many more attending virtually over the streamed livecast on YouTube and Facebook.  

In Lomé

Brother Flint Mensah, Director of Temporal Affairs for the Area, emphasized the importance of integrating mental health services within communities and reminded attendees of the Christian responsibility to support and uplift those in need. Brother Wunderli, in his message, reminded participants that the Savior perfectly understands human suffering and offers strength in times of personal trial (John 16:33; Alma 7:11). He invited attendees to demonstrate faith, creativity, and resilience.

A professional family service counselor, Mr. Serge Yozan Binde, emphasized the sacred nature of the family and the parental responsibility to provide love, structure, and spiritual guidance. He encouraged parents to practice intentional parenting, marked by consistency, patience, and faith.

In his concluding remarks, Elder Kyungu taught about the sacred responsibility parents have to build emotionally stable homes. Quoting Spencer W. Kimball, that “Parents are partners with God in creation,” he emphasized the importance of family prayer, scripture study, and sincere communication in the home. He invited parents to listen with understanding, observe carefully, teach by example, value effort, and strengthen faith in Jesus Christ.

In Monrovia

A social worker and guidance counselor, Madam Hawa Mardea Johnson, presented a strongly religious view of parenting, emphasizing that children are gifts from God and must be raised according to scripture. She explained that intentional parenting—grounded in biblical passages like Proverbs 22:6 and Ephesians 6:1–4—is essential to guiding children through developmental milestones and protecting their mental health, while Andrew K Dean, from the University of Liberia, described how shifting social norms and weakened community involvement have increased pressures on children, making four pillars—family, religion, education, and social institutions—essential for healthy development. 

The Speaker of the House of Representatives in Libera, Richard Nagbeen Koon, affirmed the government’s support for initiatives that strengthen families and praised  Christian-based efforts to educate parents on raising mentally resilient children. He emphasized the power of faith, urging Christians to remain committed to God and patient in their challenges, assuring them that God rewards steadfast belief. He then led the choir and congregation in singing the hymn, "What a Friend We have in Jesus."

Elder Ojediran provided the final remarks and emphasized that the family remains the most powerful influence on a child’s well-being. He taught that homes should be sanctuaries of safety, unconditional love, and strong moral teaching. He framed his message around three pillars: the family as a place of love, a school of life principles, and a source of deep connection and purpose. He urged parents to listen with empathy, watch for signs of distress, foster peace at home, and model steady spiritual growth rather than perfection. 

The Church sponsors conferences such as these mental Health Awareness conferences as a way to remove the stigma associated with mental and emotional health problems and to encourage all to participate with the Savior in caring for the sick and afflicted.  In his October 2013 conference talk, President Jeffrey R. Holland taught that "Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind."

Attendees at each venue had the opportunity to browse exhibition booths featuring Church organizations involved in self-reliance, education, family support, and family history, as well as institutions specializing in mental health. All these elements, combined with the insights from the speakers, further strengthened mental health awareness and reminded attendees that each individual can contribute to building homes and communities rooted in peace, support, and hope.