General Conference

General conference is the worldwide gathering of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church invites everyone — of all faiths, beliefs and backgrounds from everywhere in the world — to watch, listen and participate.

Twice a year, during the first weekend of April and the first weekend of October, 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.

The Church of Jesus Christ broadcasts general conference from the Conference Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, to homes and congregations around the world in multiple languages. Five sessions are held every six months for participants to receive instruction from Church leaders. The spring meetings are called annual conferences, and those held in the fall are referred to as semiannual. When not meeting for general conference, Latter-day Saints attend weekly worship services on Sunday in their local congregations. 

During general conference, Church leaders speak on many spiritual topics. Speakers include the worldwide leader of the Church, President Russell M. Nelson, and his counselors in the First Presidency, the governing body of the Church. Talks are also given by the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, General Authority Seventies, and other General Officers. They address Latter-day Saints as well as government, faith and community representatives and other conference guests.

Music for the conference sessions is provided by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and organists, other Church choirs and the congregation. The music emphasizes gospel themes.

Latter-day Saints travel from all over the world to attend general conference at the 21,000-seat Conference Center in Salt Lake City. Coming to Utah for April 2024 General Conference? Due to construction on and around Temple Square, seating is limited to 18,000 people per session. Those who come to the conference are encouraged to use public transit. Anyone with a ticket to General Conference will be able to use that ticket to ride UTA trains, buses, and light rail as they travel to and from conference. A standby line will be available outside the tabernacle on Temple Square for overflow seating as well as potential seating in the Conference Center as available.

Because the vast majority of the Church’s members are unable to attend general conference in person, the meetings are broadcast via satellite in as many as 70 languages to Church buildings in more than 100 countries. General conference sessions are later translated into more than 100 languages.

In addition, the Church streams the meetings live on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, its General Conference YouTube channel, and the Gospel Library app. Videos and text of current and past conferences are available online in Gospel Library and Gospel Media. Members can also watch conference on television through Salt Lake City-based station KSL or BYUtv, as well as other digital channels.

After the conference is over, the talks are published on ChurchofJesusChrist.org and reprinted in the Church’s “Liahona” magazine so members can read and study them.

Church leaders have conducted general conferences since 1830, when the Church was organized by Joseph Smith. About 30 members attended the first conference, along with others who were interested in the Church. Today, general conference reaches millions across the world, and all are welcome to join in worshiping Jesus Christ.