Members will gather in Salt Lake to participate in the 178th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday and Sunday.
This conference will be unique as Thomas S. Monson will be officially sustained by the church membership as the 16th president of the church. Every time a new president is sustained the session is called a solemn assembly.
Solemn assemblies indicate sacred occasions when members gather under the direction of the First Presidency.
These solemn assemblies happen for three occasions: the sustaining of a new president, temple dedications and when special instruction is given to priesthood leaders.
Solemn assemblies were conducted in ancient days for temples, feasts and other special occasions. The first one of this dispensation was in the Kirtland Temple in March 1836 after the temple was finished.
Along with the sustaining of President Monson will be the sustaining of a new apostle to the Quorum of the Twelve. This will be the 95th apostle to be called into the quorum.
BYU will have a special part during conference, as the combined audition choirs will be performing in the Saturday afternoon session. The choirs will sing "The Morning Breaks," "Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me" and "Lean on My Ample Arm."
Church officials will also announce the statistics for 2007.
Last June, President Gordon B. Hinckley announced church membership had passed 13 million.
The exact total for last year will be reported as well, as well as the number of temples dedicated, number of missionaries serving, and total church units across the world.
However, if members expect beautiful, sunny weather they might want to think again.
Over the last decade, Salt Lake was mostly cloudy or overcast for 9 out of 10 conferences, including both Saturday and Sunday sessions.
The forecast for this year is a high of 58 degrees and lows in the upper 30s. Partly cloudy skies are also predicted. April 5 and 6 average a temperature of 48 degrees.
Sitting outside on Temple Square and listening to church leaders could be cold.
The doors at the Conference Center open 90 minutes before each session. Tickets are required for each session. Tickets will not be required for overflow seating, which can be found in the Conference Center Theater, the Tabernacle and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.
Watch and Listen
TV:
- KSL (channel 5)
- KBYU (channel 11)
- BYU-TV (DirecTV channel 374 and DISH Network channel 9403)
- KSVN-TV (channel 49 and cable channel 66)
Radio:
Internet:
- www.lds.org
Parking
Parking passes required for:
- Triad Center Garage
- Parking Lot behind Family History Library
- Dee's Restaurant
- unnel under Main Street
Free Parking:
- Eagle Gate Terrace, 145 E. Social Hall Ave.
Regent Street Lot, 65 E. 200 South
Trax: Trains will run Saturday from 5:15 a.m. until 1 a.m. and Sunday from 7:20 a.m. until 9:20 p.m.
Additional trains will be added before morning sessions and at the end of afternoon sessions.
Vehicles traveling north and south on I-15 are encouraged to use the 600 North exit.
Copyright Brigham Young University 3 Apr 2008
