Final preparations are under way on Temple Square in Salt Lake City for the remaining sessions of the 186th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormons gather at the Conference Center and other locations around the world twice a year to hear General Authorities and other Church leaders deliver messages of spiritual guidance and inspiration on topics related to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
General conference began on Saturday, September 24, 2016, with the general women’s session for women, young women and girls ages 8 and older.
Sessions
Five remaining sessions of general conference will be broadcast live from the Conference Center at the following times (Mountain Daylight Time):
- Saturday Morning Session, October 1, 10:00 a.m.
- Saturday Afternoon Session, October 1, 2:00 p.m.
- General Priesthood Session, October 1, 6:00 p.m.
- Sunday Morning Session, October 2, 10:00 a.m.
- Sunday Afternoon Session, October 2, 2:00 p.m.
The general priesthood session is for the men and young men of the Church ages 12 and older.
General conferences are held every spring and fall. Spring meetings are called annual conferences, and those in fall are referred to as semiannual. The first general conference was held in 1830, the year the Church was first organized. Church membership is now more than 15.6 million worldwide.
A Global Audience
The Conference Center seats 21,000 people for each session. Millions more around the world will view or listen in more than 80 languages at over 7,400 Church buildings in over 100 countries via television, radio, satellite and internet broadcasts. The meetings are provided in a total of 94 languages.
Live Viewing Options
In addition to broadcasts in local Latter-day Saint chapels around the globe via the Church satellite system, the Church streams and broadcasts the conference live on LDS.org, BYUtv, BYUtv International, the Mormon Channel on YouTube, Roku and Facebook.
The Church will immediately post conference messages in multiple languages through its official social media channels. The public is encouraged to share those messages using the #LDSconf hashtag.
Conference coverage, including photos, will be published on MormonNewsroom.org and its social channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+. The news media and others may also subscribe to receive email updates.
Attending in Person
Tickets are required to enter the Conference Center, where attendees will pass through a security check. Cameras, recording devices, weapons, food, backpacks, packages and large bags will not be allowed. A standby line for those without tickets will begin at the north gate of Temple Square.
Additional seating will be available in the Tabernacle on Temple Square and in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building for general priesthood and Sunday sessions only. The North Visitors’ Center will have overflow seating available during the Saturday and Sunday morning and afternoon sessions. Overflow seating for all sessions for Spanish speakers will be available in the Assembly Hall. Tickets are not required for the overflow locations.
Conference attendees are invited to carpool or use public transportation to relieve local traffic congestion. Visit LDS.org for parking information.