The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has highlighted the importance of education and self-reliance in preparing young people for successful and independent lives.
Speaking at the For the Strength of the Youth 2025 – Look unto Christ Conference, Education Specialist Missionaries Elder Randall Sutton and Sister Jill Sutton say the teenage years are a critical time for young people to plan their career paths and choose education options that will help them provide for their families in the future.
They say the Church strongly believes in education, describing it as a commandment, and encourages youth to pursue learning in different forms, including trades, professional careers, and academic studies, as long as the work is honourable.
They highlight that the Church also provides strong support for education through programmes such as BYU–Pathway, online learning, interest-free education loans, and the BYU system, including BYU–Hawaii and BYU–Provo.
Elder Sutton adds that educated youth are essential as future leaders of the Church, which operates under a lay leadership system.
Insert: Elder Randall Sutton 18th dec 25
They stress that while there may be rare exceptions, education remains key to better life outcomes, financial independence, and national development, encouraging young people to gain skills and contribute positively to Fiji’s future.
