The Y-Serve office announced they will be having an event on Dec. 3 to promote The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ annual Light the World initiative.
The event will take place in the Y-Serve office located in 2330 WSC. The office will be decorated and open to students from 12-2 p.m. to stop by, sip hot cocoa and learn about ways they can serve others during the Christmas season. There will also be a Christmas-themed photo op and Light the World calendars with service ideas to be passed out.
“It’s going to be very festive, very fun — a great place to mingle,” Laurel Russell, Y-Serve graphic designer, said.
The Church of Jesus Christ first launched the Light the World initiative on Nov. 25, 2016, to encourage Christlike service during the Christmas season and recognize Jesus Christ as the “light of the world” (John 8:12). In a 2016 Church Newsroom report, Elder David A. Bednar shared that their hope was to help others come to know Christ by doing what He did.
Y-Serve uses the Church’s initiative to help students fulfill BYU’s motto to enter to learn and go forth to serve.
Manfredo Mazariegos, manager of Y-Serve’s marketing team, said that Y-Serve’s vision is “to instill in the hearts and minds of every student a desire to give lifelong service." He said they hope to help students create a habit of service during their time at BYU that will carry through beyond graduation.
Knowing it is hard to serve as a busy college student, Russell said the event will be a good opportunity to take a break from final exams and get ideas for easy ways to make the world a better place.
“Service doesn't have to be something huge or something super hard,” she said. “It could just be something simple every day.”
One way that Russell participates in the Light the World initiative is by making and sharing food. She said that by serving others, people can inspire those around them to do the same.
“When you serve others, it creates a chain reaction and they’ll want to serve someone too,” she said.
According to Mazariegos, last year's event was very successful and saw an increase of students involved in service. Mazariegos said he remembers seeing the calendars they passed out hanging on fridges in different apartments, and seeing people participate.
Because Light the World is a worldwide initiative, Mazariegos said that students who engage will be joining a cause alongside many people from different countries. He said that Christmas is a time when the whole world focuses on Christ and sharing goodness.
In 2023, Russell said they displayed a lighted map of the world representing all the people that could be impacted through service.
“It’s a big way to really promote that peace on earth, goodwill toward men,” Mazariegos said. “We’re pushing out that 'good will toward men' part, so we could really help each other out and really give off that Christmas spirit: That charity, that brotherly love, that kindness, that love toward everyone.”