YSA Regional Conference for the deaf opens registration

Registration is now open for the Church’s American Sign Language (ASL) young single adult (YSA) conferences, which will be held in four locations in 2026. The conferences provide deaf and hard-of-hearing young adults opportunities to connect spiritually, make friends, and participate in workshops, local activities, and temple visits.

Mikayla Monnie, a hearing young adult fluent in ASL, attended last year’s conference in Riverside, California, where the theme was “Look unto Christ.” She described a personal highlight as making deaf friends from across the country and attending the temple with them. “Many YSA struggle with similar issues, especially those of us who are older,” Monnie said. “We want to be with people our age who are dealing with the same challenges. We feel seen with these people.”

Dallin Smuin, president of the ASL institute council, emphasized the importance of creating spaces specifically for Deaf gatherings. “It is important for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community to feel included and understood, just the same as hearing cultures when they attend their YSA conference,” he said. “When deaf YSA gather together, we all understand each other’s feelings, and we all have been through the same experiences that hearing cultures won’t understand.”

Event organizer Emmalee Christensen noted that hearing young adults are welcome to attend the conferences but are encouraged to bring a deaf friend. “The goal is to create an inclusive environment where everyone can feel connected, grow spiritually, and build meaningful friendships,” she said.

The 2026 ASL YSA conferences will be held in St. George, Utah; San Diego, California; Washington, D.C.; and Houston, Texas. To register for a conference, visit https://bit.ly/ASLRegisterYSA2026.