Sara Daniela Acosta, 24, is one of nine women and men recently called to serve on the Sunday School General Advisory Council of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The nine leaders will assist the Sunday School General Presidency — President Paul V. Johnson; Chad H Webb, first counsellor; and Gabriel W. Reid, second counsellor — which is responsible for religious instruction in the Church.
Sister Acosta was born in Toronto, Ontario, to Jaime Ernesto Acosta and Sara Beatriz Escobar Acosta and grew up in Brampton, Ontario. She served a full-time mission in the Canada Winnipeg Mission and Arizona Scottsdale Mission and has served as a counsellor and president in ward Relief Society presidencies. Sister Acosta is currently completing a bachelor’s degree in linguistics, with a minor in Spanish, from Brigham Young University. She works as a Spanish classroom supervisor in the language training department at the Provo Missionary Training Center.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Canada Newsroom recently spoke with Sister Acosta about her experience on the Sunday School General Advisory Council.
How were you asked to serve on the Sunday School General Advisory Council?
Sister Acosta: I had never heard about Church advisory councils before, so this calling was definitely a surprise. I received a phone call saying Elder David P. Homer would like to meet with me. I thought it was about helping with a Young Single Adult conference or a devotional. Instead, I was called to the Sunday School General Advisory Council at the end of August 2024.
What does your involvement on the Sunday School General Advisory Council look like?
Sister Acosta: It’s similar to other councils in the Church, like ward councils and youth councils. We meet with the Sunday School General Presidency — President Johnson, Brother Webb and Brother Reid. They present us with a topic, they ask for our thoughts and we discuss what we think about it. We counsel together about needs and how to address them.
Sometimes, we’ll assist the presidency in training meetings for stake and ward Sunday school leaders. But our main goal is to be an advisory council and support the Sunday School General Presidency to improve the teaching and the learning in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — gospel learning.
As a young adult involved with school and many other activities, why did you accept to serve on the Sunday School General Advisory Council?
Sister Acosta: I think of the ancient prophet Nephi in the Book of Mormon, who said, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them” (1 Nephi 3:7>). That’s been super helpful for me, growing up in an environment where I’ve been able to understand how service in any capacity brings blessings, even though it takes effort.
School and work are crazy, but Heavenly Father makes it all possible. I knew that if the opportunity to serve was being extended to me, the Lord wouldn’t ask me to do something that was impossible for me. I’ve seen too many times that when He asks me to do something, it’s because it will help bring me closer to Him, develop something or learn something.
What do you hope to bring to the Sunday School General Advisory Council?
Sister Acosta: I hope to bring support and hopefully an insight into the lives of members who share any part of my background — you know, being Canadian, Hispanic, a student, a young single adult — even someone who has struggled academically or with a learning disability.
The Church is a worldwide church, and I hope to use my experiences to help strengthen and build the Lord’s kingdom. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since I’ve been called, it is how much the Lord cares about the development of his children. I know that teaching and learning are a critical part of His kingdom. So I hope that I can help and contribute to strengthening it and help other people who have had similar experiences and struggles as me to see how they can live the gospel, connect with Christ and connect with who Heavenly Father really is.
What are your thoughts on why the scriptures are relevant to people your age?
Sister Acosta: At the last general conference, it really stood out to me how the scriptures are for us. Elder Bednar reminded us that the Book of Mormon was written for us. The people in these stories didn’t have the Book of Mormon, so who were these prophets and these people writing for? They were writing for us. Although the language is old, the material is very relevant and modern. The scriptures are one of the main ways Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ talk to us and give us direction.
It’s inspiring to see how the Lord has placed emphasis on helping His children become agents and active participants in the world and their own lives. We’re not just followers; the Lord sees us as capable beings who can accomplish many things. The “Come, Follow Me” scripture study program is a very inspiring way to help us know how to ask questions and look to the scriptures.
For my age group, it’s called the decade of decisions — you’re dating, trying to figure out how to marry, going to school and figuring out what to do. There’s so much unknown, so we are yearning for direction. How can we be happy? The scriptures tell us how. They have examples and metaphors. We have all of these questions, and the textbook is right in front of us with the answer sheet. We need to figure out how to read and understand it correctly. So I think the scriptures are very relevant to young adults who are needing to make decisions, who want guidance and who find themselves wanting peace and joy.