In the

Latter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by ...

, a general conference is a meeting for all members of the church for conducting general church business and instruction. When

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious and political leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. Publishing the Book of Mormon at the age of 24, Smith attracted tens of thou ...

established the

Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * Christianity, the Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ * Christian Church, an ecclesiological term used by denominations to describe the true body of Christia ...

in 1830, he was instructed by

revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...

that the church "are to meet in conference once in three months, or from time to time as said conferences shall direct or appoint; And said conferences are to do whatever church business is necessary to be done at the time."

Doctrine and Covenants The Doctrine and Covenants (sometimes abbreviated and cited as D&C or D. and C.) is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. Originally published in 1835 as Doctrine and Covenants of the Chur ...

br>20:61–62
The church met in conferences regularly until Smith's death in 1844. Since Smith's death, the churches of the Latter Day Saint movement have continued the tradition of meeting in regular general conferences.

Frequency and locations

The first general conference of the newly formed

was held on June 9, 1830, in

Fayette, New York Fayette is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 3,617 at the 2020 census. The town is in the north-central part of the county and is southeast of Geneva, New York. A post office is located in the Town of Fayette ...

, presided over by

( B. H. Roberts (ed.), '' History of the Church'' 1:84–86. It included a gathering of 27 members of the two-month-old church. Originally, conferences of the church were held approximately every three months, as suggested by a revelation which outlined the initial organization of the church. Beginning in 1832, the conferences were held less frequently, usually to conduct special church business or to respond to special church needs. At these early conferences, Smith would occasionally receive revelations, which were later canonized as part of the

. During this time, rather than convening a general conference, often the church would hold local conferences that were held in various locations. Once the majority of the church gathered in

Nauvoo, Illinois Nauvoo ( ; from the ) is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States, on the Mississippi River near Fort Madison, Iowa. The population of Nauvoo was 950 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Nauvoo attracts visitors for its h ...

, it settled into a more regular pattern of holding general conferences twice per year, in April and October. The following are the dates and locations of the general conferences from the establishment of the church until Smith's death in 1844:

After Smith's death

Following Smith's death and the resulting

succession crisis A succession crisis is a crisis that arises when an order of succession fails, for example when a monarch dies without an indisputable heir. It may result in a war of succession. Examples include (see List of wars of succession): * The Wars of Th ...

, general conferences have been practiced in different forms by the various denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement.

General Conferences of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(LDS Church), general conferences are a semiannual meeting where general authorities and other church leaders preach sermons and give guidance to church members. Changes to church leadership are also proposed and sustained through the principle of common consent. General conferences are held on the weekends containing the first Sunday in April and the first Sunday in October. The conferences have been held in

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Salt ...

, since 1848; they were held in the

Salt Lake Tabernacle The Salt Lake Tabernacle, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, in the U.S. state of Utah. The Tabernacle was built from 1863 to 1875 to house meetings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...

Temple Square Temple Square is a complex, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah. The usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities that are immediate ...

from 1867 to 2000 and in the

Conference Center A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...

after that. Various speakers will generally include all members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, along with other selected church leaders. Almost every general authority of the church is present, though outside the First Presidency and Twelve only a few speak. Non–general authority speakers may include male and female officers of church organizations. During one session the conducting officer presents all the church's general authorities and general officers for a formal sustaining vote of the membership, and it is usually at this time that any changes among the general church leadership are announced. Frequently, significant announcements are made at general conference, which may include building sites for new

temples A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

or the institution of new policies or programs. The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square along with the organist at the Conference Center generally provide the majority of the music at LDS Church general conferences.

World Conference in Community of Christ

World Conference is the name given to the triennial meeting of delegates of

Community of Christ Community of Christ, known legally and from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), is an American-based international church, and is the second-largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement ...

. They were originally called General Conferences and were held semiannually, or as need arose. The World Conference is the highest legislative body in the Community of Christ and is empowered to act for the entire church. Delegates to the conference are elected by Mission Center conferences. Motions are often debated vigorously and the results are sometimes controversial. World Conferences are traditionally held at Community of Christ World Headquarters, with the legislative and main worship services held in the

Auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoriums can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and t ...

Notes

External links

Official General Conference page of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsArchive of LDS Church Conference Reports
(October 1897–April 2007) 1830 in Christianity International conferences in the United States Latter Day Saint terms Recurring events established in 1830 Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) 1830 establishments in New York (state) Latter Day Saint conferences