The Church of Jesus Christ Holds Interfaith 'Strengthening Family Youth Symposium' in Monrovia, Liberia

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On 14 May 2024, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held the Strengthening Family Youth Symposium in Liberia. The event was held at the Caldwell Liberia Stake Center on the Bushrod Island in Monrovia. Over 200 youth and their families attended the symposium. The event was organized by the Church Communication Department in Liberia.

The theme of the symposium was "Strengthening Marriages" and was focused on preparing Liberians for what they can expect from the 2024 "Strengthening Families Conference," which will be held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, on June 21st and 22nd.

The program was graced with interfaith leaders, a government official, and representatives from the business sector. They were joined by leaders from the Church of Jesus Christ as panelists and guest speakers at the event.  

The event attendees were honored to hear from Mohammed Tuala Massaquoi, imam of the Samukai Town Mosque, Upper Caldwell Community, and Nicolas Sidike Talawally, Muslim youth leader of the Caldwell Township. The Honorable Abraham Rahim Bility, deputy minister for research and planning in Liberia, and Boimah Quaye Outland, SME group leader at Access Bank Liberia, also participated as panelists and speakers.

The Church of Jesus Christ was represented by President Wilmot T. Okai of the Paynesville Liberia Stake.  The keynote speaker was D. Blamo Kofa, commissioner of customs for compliance and enforcement, Liberia Revenue Authority. Kofa is also the First Counselor in the Monrovia Liberia Mission.

During the program, panelists had the opportunity to share their religious and social view on the program's theme "Strengthening Marriages" and subtopics such as effective communication skills within the marriage, setting and achieving family goals together, and strengthen family bonds through shared activities and hobbies.

During the panel discussion, young people were given the opportunity to ask questions on the different topics that were discussed. They also shared their insights on what they had learned from the discussion and from the Strengthening Family Conference Abidjan 2024 awareness videos that were shown.

In his remarks, President Kafo encouraged the youth to look for bonds that inspire friendship as they prepare themselves for marriage.  

“When young people are preparing to get married, they should consider selecting a good partner and that should begin with the kind of friends they choose," he said. "Friendship should be a major part of your decision-making process."

“Couples should value their unions and always spend time with each other. They should yield to good sense in their friendship and relationship and learn to overlook mistakes in their partner,” Kafo added. “Married couples should beautify their homes with gospel principles that will nourish the home.”

The Strengthening Family Youth Symposium is the first event of its kind in Liberia, bringing together inter religious groups together for one purpose — to prepare for the Abidjan Strengthening Families Conference in June.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will host the 6th annual Strengthening Families Conference at the Abidjan Exhibition Centre in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. All sessions of the conference can be accessed online. The conference is free for all in-person and virtual attendees.

The conference is an international event with speakers and performers from around the globe. The theme of this year's conference is Strengthening Marriage.