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Utah Rep. Tyler Clancy speaks at the Pathways to Purpose Conference on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi, center, speaks on a panel at the Pathways to Purpose Conference on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens speaks at the Pathways to Purpose Conference on Dec. 2, 2023.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks at the Pathways to Purpose Conference on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.

Carlene Coombs, Daily Herald

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Utah Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Provo, hosted and organized the “Pathways to Purpose” conference in Provo, a conference he began aiming to address poverty, family, addiction and other societal issues.

Restoring and strengthening society’s “social fabric” has always been a top priority for Clancy, the young lawmaker said, adding that it was the main driver in bringing together community members, lawmakers and experts for an event like Saturday’s.

“I just kind of see the negative parts as a police officer when that social fabric starts to fray,” he said, adding he wanted to have a day to “dive into” some issues.

Clancy began the conference by discussing the continuing issue of poverty and why, in a flourishing economy, many remain stuck in the cycle of poverty today.

“The traditional dogma of the left says that we need to pump social spending and create new programs, while the traditional dogma of the right just says economic growth will bring everyone out,” he said.

Instead, the representative proposed focusing on four areas — meaningful work, loneliness, addiction and family — as part of the solution and structured the conference around these topics.

“Some of these, like meaningful work and the family, are the building blocks that form civil society,” he said. “Others, like loneliness or addiction, are like a disease, slowly eroding that fabric we rely on.”

The conference saw keynote speeches from Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens. Breakout sessions discussed the four areas — addiction, meaningful work, family and loneliness — and featured guests like Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi and Dave Durocher, executive director of the Other Side Academy. In the four panels, guests discussed proven solutions to issues and shared personal insights.

In his speech, Cox addressed declining participation in “associations,” like social clubs or religious communities, adding he believes social media is part of the issue. He stressed that the lack of social associations is causing society to be more selfish and said we have a responsibility to care for our neighbors.

The governor has been a harsh critic of social media companies, with him supporting recent legislation to increase regulations on how children can use platforms and lawsuits against social media giants like TikTok and Meta.

Cox noted the four categories the conference was focused on, saying they “are simple.”

“This is the simplicity on the far side of complexity,” the governor said. “They’re simple. But because they’re simple does not mean they’re easy. And we have to be intentional about it.”

Clancy said he hopes those who attended the conference, many of whom were lawmakers, will have gained a greater understanding of the current challenges society is facing and solutions to these issues.

“I think, in the different panels, there was discussions about, you know, what are some policy levers that we can pull on,” Clancy said. He added that, from a personal perspective, he hopes attendees will also look at what they can do in their own communities, like reaching out to a friend.

Eric Teetsel, vice president of government relations for the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, sat on the family panel for the conference.

Teetsel said the family is the “bedrock of human society,” and many policy areas, like taxes and education, impact families.

“And if you care about things like education attainment or crime or drug abuse, you should care about the state of the family,” Teetsel said.

Kaufusi sat on the panel discussing meaningful work, where she shared her journey from growing up in poverty to being the first woman to be mayor of Provo. She described how hard work, serving others and giving back is how she finds fulfillment, connecting to the focal point of the panel, which largely discussed finding “meaningful work” in life.

Owens, who represents Utah’s 4th Congressional District, centered his speech on hope, specifically for middle-class Americans.

He said hopelessness has “spread like a virus” and we “have to do everything we can to lift the family up” and give children hope for the future.

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