It is clear this generation of Cambodian youth from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is up to the many challenges of the day as they respond to the theme of the Cambodia 2025 FSY Conference: “Look Unto Christ”.
More than 500 young people and leaders attended the FSY Conference, held November 3 to 7, 2025 in Siem Reap. Several said the conference helped them sincerely look unto Christ by learning to apply the gospel in their everyday lives.
Elder David L. Buckner, second counselor in the Church’s Asia Area Presidency, spoke at the conference along with his wife, Jennifer. Afterward, he expressed full confidence in the Cambodian youth,
“I think we often say to the rising generation, ‘You are the future of the Church.’ I believe after meeting this group that they are the Church today, not just the future. They’re the present, they’re leading now.”
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President Veasna Kuonno Neang and his wife, Chanthy Thol, speak to the FSY conference attendees. They served as directors of the massive event.President Veasna Kuonno Neang, who with his wife, Chanthy Thol, served as directors for the conference, knows a lot about young people. Four years ago, they were called as Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission leaders when he was only 40 years old. Today he is the director of a successful private K-12 school in Phnom Penh and is a branch president in the Church.
He said, “These young people reminded me of what (former member of the Young Men General Presidency) Brad Wilcox once told the youth: ‘Don’t let the world change you, when you were born to change the world.’ It is clear these young people are ready to change the world.”
The 2025 FSY conference was a massive undertaking. Planning began more than 10 months ago with several sessions of staff training and event and agenda development. The conference was effectively promoted to young people through their wards and branches, using social media and meetings with youth and parents.
Some 110 FSY staff, including many young single adult returned missionaries, were recruited to support the nearly 400 youth. Sixty counselors and assistant coordinators worked directly with the youth, supported by a logistics team of 40. Priesthood leaders and visitors from the Asia Area also attended.
Transportation required 13 full-size buses, plus automobiles and local transport. Some youth had to travel for two days to attend.
The agenda was jam-packed with devotionals, personal gospel study, classes and seminars, games, a variety show, inspirational testimony meetings, service projects, talks by a variety of church leaders, many performances, team-building activities, and lots of music and dancing.
Topics for classes and seminars included missionary preparation, building self-esteem, setting goals, why the temple is so important, scripture mastery, chastity and moral standards, habits of effective people, family history, Latter-day Saints entrepreneurship, and others.
“We kept them too busy to be bored or homesick,” said President Neang.
The Cambodian youth loved the FSY Conference. “For me, it was a great spiritual highlight to continue my journey with the Lord,” said 16-year-old Pich Sovan Visal from the Toul Kork Ward. I made a bunch of new friends and I never got homesick! I really felt the Holy Spirit when we sang together.”
One of the special conference experiences was filling 950 backpacks full of school supplies and personal items, loading the backpacks onto buses, and delivering them to children at two schools, one in a poor, rural area. “It was amazing to see the happy faces on both our youth and the schoolchildren who received the gifts,” said President Neang.
At the rural school, the weather was threatening rain, but the youth were prepared with raincoats and ponchos. The FSY youth lined up facing the shy school children, ready to distribute the backpacks, when the sky suddenly opened in a downpour, as is common in Cambodia.
And then something wonderful happened. “Our kids spontaneously ran over to the school children and put their raincoats over them,” said President Neang. It was an emotional moment for the adults. “To see them laugh and mingle in the rain with these rural children, most of them very poor. It left a strong impression in their hearts, and we were so proud of them.”
President Neang said he’s grateful to belong to a church that has the resources to invest in its young people. “With our youth, we have to combat the world,” he said. “The world is tempting them with a lot of poison. The adversary wants to destroy our youth. FSY is an antidote. It is an answer to the enticements of the world and it is worth all our effort, including the financial investment.”
Many of the FSY youth came from poor homes but, following Church guidelines, leaders made certain financial barriers were not a factor. The cost for youth was $8 for the entire event, including food, lodging and transportation. Young people unable to pay that amount worked with their bishop to do a service project instead of paying cash.
“Parents have the direct responsibility, but a large number of our youth have very little family support,” said President Neang. Many young people are the only members in their families. “The experiences they had at FSY were transformational, giving them the inspiration and tools to fight the enticements of the world. It is worth every penny of the cost.”
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Elder David L. Buckner is surrounded by happy young people at the Cambodia 2025 FSY Conference.© 2025 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Elder and Sister Buckner spoke on the fourth day of the conference, just before the youth were divided into smaller groups for testimony meetings. In her talk, Sister Buckner expressed her love to the young people and spoke of the special obligation Church members have to stand as witnesses of the Lord and the truths of the gospel. She said her heart was full of joy watching their faces as they sang songs containing beautiful gospel truths.
“I know many of you were feeling the Spirit. That is an opportunity for the Holy Ghost to witness to you of what you were singing.”
She invited the young people “to be witnesses in your testimony meeting. We invite you to go home and be witnesses to your family and friends. And then this coming Sunday, when you take the sacrament, remember the words of the prayer, that we witness to God the Father that we are willing to take upon ourselves the Savior’s name.”
In his talk before the testimony meetings, Elder Buckner invited the young people to turn the conference into a temple for a few minutes: “A temple is a sacred place. It is where we are still and quiet. It is where we listen to the Spirit. It is where we receive revelation. I invite you for just a moment now to turn this location into a temple. Pause for a moment in your thoughts and in your words and in your actions. And listen for the stillness. Now quietly in your hearts say a personal prayer that you may receive impressions and a strong testimony of what you have learned this week.”
He testified that the Book of Mormon was written for their generation and the scriptures are a roadmap for their lives. “They teach us where we came from, they teach us why we’re here and they teach us where we’re going. And the world doesn’t know it. But you do.”
As a General Authority Seventy, said Elder Buckner, he is called to be a special witness. “So I offer you my witness. I know that God is our father. I know that Jesus Christ is my older brother. I know that he is the Messiah that was promised. I know that we were together before we came to earth…. I know that you are here on earth for a special purpose.”
Elder Buckner bore witness “that after this life we will be together again at a conference much bigger than this because it will have all the people that you influenced. It will have the people you teach on your missions and their families, and their families, and you will see the generations that you will change.
“What matters is how you build your testimony. So, tonight is the most sacred moment of the week. For you have an opportunity to bear testimony of Jesus Christ.”
In the testimony meetings that followed, hundreds of young Cambodians bore their testimonies, many becoming emotional as they expressed gratitude for their blessings as Church members. “It was the highlight spiritual experience of the conference,” said President Neang. “The youth were so touched by each other’s testimonies. We were amazed at how much they expressed love and shared.”
An important part of FSY was the opportunity for Latter-day Saint youth to see that they are not alone, that many other young people share their faith. In their neighborhoods and schools, they see very few, if any, members of the Church.
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One young participant was representative: “My faith in Jesus Christ has grown stronger and I have learned many of God’s commandments. Before coming to FSY I was a very shy person and I lacked confidence. But FSY has given me the courage to speak more, study with my roommates, and share what I have learned from the For the Strength of Youth book. I want to say that I truly love the FSY program and I love everyone very much.”
Monica Pok, a 24-year-old YSA and social media influencer/content creator from the Tuek Thla Ward, North Stake, served as emcee for the conference. She interviewed several young men and women and posted the videos. “One young man said, ‘I was inactive from the Church for a year, but after a few days of learning at FSY, I feel inspired to come back to Church, read the Book of Mormon more, and prepare myself to serve a mission.’”
Monica said that thanks to the Holy Ghost and all the hard work of every team member, hearts were opened and young lives were changed. “I saw courage, faith and strength in the young people. They were all so unique, intelligent, humble and well-spoken.”
She said her own testimony was strengthened. “I came to know, even more deeply, that God lives and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is truly His Church – because of the love I felt from every single person there. I know he has an eternal plan for each of us.”
Ronald Ratha, a member of the logistics team, said, “I saw FSY change young people to be better and receive testimonies. They learned about missionary work and how to spread the gospel to their friends. They learned they are happier when they study the scriptures and are active in Church.”
“I know that miracles will happen in Cambodia as this generation of young people grows up,” said President Neang. “They are getting ready. Our youth have a hunger for the words of the Lord.”
He predicted the Church will double or triple in size in Cambodia in the next 5 to 10 years. “These YSAs and young people will be in bishoprics and stake presidencies. They are so much more mature in the gospel than any previous generation. They have a bright future. The Lord is truly hastening His work with these youth. They are ready to lead.”
Elder Buckner summed up his feelings about the Church in Cambodia, and the new temple awaiting dedication: “I think Cambodia is one of the most promising places not just in Asia, but in the world, because the gospel of Jesus Christ is light, and the people of Cambodia are filled with light. They seek light, they want more light. Having a temple in Phnom Penh for young people like this and mature adults to go and worship is going to completely transform the brilliance of that light, provide even more light. I think we’ll see not just a bright future for Cambodia. This nation will be an anchor and a pillar in Asia for gospel growth.”