Young Adults from Across Europe Gather in Brussels to Explore Faith, Civic Life, and Public Service

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Brussels, Belgium — May 12-14, 2026 - Twenty-six young adults from across Europe gathered in Brussels, Belgium, on May 12–14, 2026, for the Brussels Nexus Conference, a three-day program organized by the European Union & International Affairs Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the support of the Europe Central and Europe North Areas Presidencies.

Participants ranging in age from 18 to 35 came from more than a dozen European countries, including the United Kingdom. Backgrounds varied widely — students, lawyers, analysts, translators, and public sector professionals — united by a shared interest in the intersection of faith and civic engagement in Europe.

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Day One: Families, Policy, and Family Values Award Dinner

The conference opened Tuesday with the "Bridging Continents" Policy Exchange, a full-day transatlantic dialogue on family policy that brought together policymakers, academics, and legal experts from Europe and the United States. Participants heard from legislators, scholars, and practitioners on both sides of the Atlantic about the pressures facing families today and what public policy can do to better support them.

For many participants, the conference offered a space to connect their convictions with their professional and civic aspirations. Nurry-Esmeralda Westerlaken of the Netherlands reflected that her commitment to civic engagement and her faith in Jesus Christ both come down to the same foundation — loving others as Christ loved us and, as followers of Christ, listening to those in need and working to find solutions for them.

That evening, the Church's EU & International Affairs Office hosted the 2026 European Family Values Award Dinner, honoring Antonella Sberna, Vice President of the European Parliament, for her contributions to strengthening families in Europe. Participants had the opportunity to engage directly with her throughout the evening. Read more here: https://news-europe.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/church-co-hosts-transatlantic-policy-exchange-on-families-in-brussels

Day Two: Inside the European Institutions

Wednesday began with a devotional by Bruce and Jean Bingham, who completed their service mission at the EU & International Affairs Office in September 2025. Jean Bingham, who served as General Relief Society President, joined her husband in speaking about their experiences and encouraging the young adults to develop and strengthen their testimonies of the gospel.

Participants then visited the European Parliament and the European Commission, where they met with officials and observed firsthand how the institutions of the European Union operate. For many, it was their first time inside either building — an experience that offered a tangible sense of how policy is made at the European level and how they might one day contribute to that work themselves.

Back at the Church's EU & International Affairs Office, participants took part in two panel sessions. The first, on faith and humanitarian aid, explored how churches and faith-based organizations approach humanitarian work across Europe. The second examined interfaith partnerships, with representatives from the Baha'i International Community, the Hindu Forum of Europe, the European Jewish Community Centre, and the Church discussing how religious communities work together around shared values.

Later that afternoon, Elder James W. McConkie III, General Authority Seventy of the Europe Central Area Presidency, spoke to participants. Drawing on the Sermon on the Mount, he invited the young adults to see themselves as disciples called to engage the world with the truths they know. "You're here because you have a desire to make a difference in the world," he said. "There is in you a desire to engage the world around you, to take the things that you know to be true — the Latter-day Saint restoration truths that you know as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — and to take those truths into the world and utilize them to make a difference."

He outlined four principles from the Sermon on the Mount as a guide for young leaders: developing Christlike attributes, treating others with genuine goodness regardless of how they treat you, acting without seeking recognition, and joining the work. "You can become the kind of person, the kind of leader that has the capacity to transform," he said. "When you stay true to these things, you hear them and you do them." He closed with his testimony: "The great mentor is Jesus Christ. We can trust him. With his ideas and his truth and your desire to do good — anything is possible."

The day concluded with a keynote diplomatic dinner with H.E. Dr. Tamás Iván Kovács, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Hungary to the Kingdom of Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Ambassador Kovács spoke about the foundational role of families and faith communities in public life. "The family holds a central and sacred place," he said, "where love is nurtured, faith is taught, and moral character is formed." He noted that families and faith communities "play a sustaining role in social cohesion, fostering service, and transmitting values to future generations," and reflected on the contribution of institutions like the Church: "Such institutions contribute the best to the social fabric of every nation. They deepen ties among neighbors, offer stability in times of change, and provide channels through which compassion and civic engagement can flourish."

Day Three: Closing Devotional

The conference concluded Thursday morning with a closing devotional at the Church's EU & International Affairs Office. Russell Bowers, Government Relations Representative for the Church and former Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, addressed participants about the role of faith in public service. "When you hear your own conscience speak to you, listen to it," he said.

Francesco Di Lillo, Director of the EU & International Affairs Office, offered closing remarks before participants departed. He reminded participants that Brussels Nexus was not only an opportunity to learn firsthand about European institutions and public life, but also a moment to strengthen discipleship and connect faith with action. "As you engage in your day-to-day activities — at work, at school, and in your communities," he said, "you are ambassadors of Jesus Christ, entitled to His divine help as you seek to lift others and contribute to the common good."

The Brussels Nexus Conference is part of the Church's broader effort to engage young adults in questions of public life, religious freedom, and family policy across Europe.