Twice a year members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stay home and watch TV for ten hours of sermons broadcast across the world.
The event is almost as big as the Olympics, or the World Cup in most of the rest of the world! You will not often see Church members at the store, playing outside, or driving on this weekend — except between sessions.
It’s quite a strange practice — we know — especially for small-town people who live four hours away from Church headquarters, and are not often affected by changes made during the conference. So what is general conference, and why would we watch?
What Is General Conference?
Both of those questions can be answered by understanding what the general conference is.
General conference takes five 2-hour sessions on a Saturday and Sunday in October. There is also one in April. Church leaders speak and announce changes, and members sustain the leaders. Most importantly, though, lives change as a result of this conference.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wrote, “General conference is the worldwide gathering of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. … Church leaders from around the world share messages or sermons focused on the living Christ and His gospel. Viewers learn how to find peace, hope, and joy in Jesus Christ; how to strengthen families by following Jesus’s teachings; and how to receive personal guidance and inspiration from God.”
Even for those who live far away, general conference has personal meaning to a lot of people in the Church.
We watch, and make it a goal for our families to watch, because it brings peace, hope, and joy in Jesus Christ. Talks from leaders of the Church — such as President Russell M. Nelson, his counselors, Presidents Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring, and many area leaders and youth leaders from across the world — teach us how to be better people.
Many times, the talks require church members to search their souls for what they might change in their lives; and sometimes, it is obvious.
President Nelson, last year, asked church members to be better peacemakers saying, “True disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers” and urging members that “building bridges of understanding will require much more of you, but that is exactly what your friend needs.”
This year, President Nelson will not be attending in person after a fall he took in September, but he may record a talk remotely.
Conference Traditions
General Conference, like the Olympics, the World Cup or even the Superbowl, has bred many longstanding, unique traditions among Latter-day Saints.
Some saints like to bake goodies or yummy breakfasts for general conference.
One of our journalists, McKynlee, said she wants to try using a rubber band to remember her questions and keep her engaged during conference. To do this, she plans to write a question on a stretched out rubber band and then unstretch the question so it is unreadable. If she forgets the question or needs a reminder while she is watching, all she has to do is stretch out the rubber band.
Others plan fun family activities, or play conference bingo. Anything to help us get the most out of general conference.
– by Abbie Call
Abbie Call – Cannonville/Kirksville, Missouri
Abbie Call is a journalist and editor at The Byway. She graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in editing and publishing from Brigham Young University. Her favorite topics to write about include anything local, Utah’s megadrought, and mental health and meaning in life. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hanging out with family, quilting and hiking.
Find Abbie on Threads @abbieb.call or contact her at [email protected].