Rising in Faith: Bacolod Temple District Youth Gather for Devotional with Elder Chi Hong (Sam) Wong

A spirit of reverence and renewal filled the Talisay City meetinghouse on April 18, 2026, as youth and young single adults from across the Bacolod Temple District gathered for a special devotional led by Elder Chi Hong (Sam) Wong, First Counselor in the Philippines Area Presidency, and his wife, Sister Wong.

The gathering brought together hundreds of young Latter-day Saints from stake units throughout the district, united by a shared invitation to deepen their understanding of temple worship and strengthen their discipleship.

A Meeting Centered on the House of the Lord

The devotional opened with a musical offering from the Bacolod South Stake Youth and YSA Choir, whose performance of "I Will Walk with Jesus" established a tone of reverence that would carry through the entire meeting.

Two members of the congregation were invited to share messages before Elder and Sister Wong addressed the youth.

Sister Kathlyn Ponce of the Cadiz Stake spoke on the importance of approaching temple worship with genuine spiritual preparation. She encouraged the young men and women to be purposeful in each temple visit, treating it not as a routine but as a sacred and personal encounter with God.

Brother Harvey Regodos followed with a message grounded in the Savior's centrality in the lives of the youth. He urged attendees to develop greater trust in Jesus Christ through consistent daily choices and enduring faith, the kind of discipleship that does not depend on circumstance.

The choir returned to offer a second number, "Faith in Every Footstep," its message of steadfast commitment echoing the devotional's call to a life of active, intentional discipleship.

Understanding the True Essence of the Temple

Sister Wong addressed the congregation with a message that invited the youth to look beyond the outward forms of temple worship toward its deeper spiritual purpose. She taught that the sacred ordinances performed within the house of the Lord carry eternal significance and that genuine temple worship begins with the heart long before one crosses the threshold.

In his concluding remarks, Elder Wong invited the youth and young single adults to examine their approach to the temple with three deliberate questions: what they seek, what they focus on, and what they look forward to when they enter the house of the Lord. The questions were not rhetorical they were a call to personal spiritual inventory.

Elder Wong also encouraged the young men and women present to prepare for and serve full-time missions, and to study the updated For the Strength of Youth guide, noting that its principles offer practical guidance for navigating the choices that shape a life of righteousness.

A Renewed Commitment

The devotional concluded with prayer and a quiet, collective resolve. Those who gathered had come as youth and young single adults from across the Bacolod Temple District. They left with an invitation to return to the temple with greater intention, to trust the Savior completely, and to walk the path of discipleship with both purpose and faith.

Across the Philippines, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continue to gather in devotion to the Savior, reflecting the Area's priority to become a temple-going people, one faithful young man, one faithful young woman, at a time.