A day after releasing a new resource about supporting young single adults ages 18-30, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the first-ever Face to Face event for single adults members 31 and older.
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will host the event on June 13 with President Jean B. Bingham and Sister Sharon Eubank of the Relief Society general presidency, according to a news release issued Friday morning.
The church regularly holds live, online Face to Face events for various demographics of its membership.
Single adults comprise more than 50% of the church’s adult membership, as leaders noted during the faith’s recent general conference. In some areas, the church provides congregations for young single adults ages 18-30 and separate congregations for those 31 and older. The latter are often unofficially and colloquially called midsingles wards or branches.
“We know that many single adults are facing difficult challenges or have questions or concerns,” Elder Andersen said in Friday’s release.
President Bingham noted the significant number of church members who are 31 and older and single.
“We look forward to having a conversation with them about their contributions to the kingdom, their capacity to serve others and their love of the Lord Jesus Christ,” she said.
Sister Eubank is a single adult herself and the release said she is happy to have an open conversation with other single adults.
“Every member, no matter their circumstances, has so much to contribute,” she said, “and we hope to better recognize this of members of the church.”
Face to Face events allow members of the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve and its various general organizations to field questions from and address the needs and concerns of different groups like singles, Young Men and Young Women.
The June event for singles 31 and older will include a small studio audience joining Elder Andersen, President Bingham and Sister Eubank, a church spokesperson confirmed. The leaders will answer questions from around the world. Single adults can submit questions at face2face.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Over the past few weeks, church leaders have focused strongly on the needs of church members who are single. They made changes to the structure of young single adult congregations and have made numerous statements supporting single adults of all ages.
The Deseret News has rounded up all of those recent changes and statements in one place.
“To those adults, whether you have never been married or are widowed, divorced or a single parent, you are needed in God’s kingdom,” Elder Andersen said in Friday’s release. “We are grateful for all you do to progress the work of the Lord.”
He also noted that “the Savior’s love can heal every sorrow. We hope to be able to share the incomparable love of the Savior with our friends around the world.”
The event will stream live on the church’s website on June 13, at 4 p.m. MDT.
It also will be transmitted live on the church satellite system, the Latter-Day Saints Channel, BYUtv and other channels.
The event will be archived for on-demand viewing on the church’s website, Gospel Media, YouTube, Gospel Library and other channels.