First Presidency invites all to participate in October 2022 general conference

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the upcoming 192nd Semiannual General Conference Oct. 1-2.

October 2022 general conference will have five general sessions for all individuals, families and friends — Saturday morning, afternoon and evening, Oct. 1, as well as Sunday morning and afternoon, Oct. 2.

The First Presidency, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other general authorities and general officers will share messages of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“General conference provides an opportunity to receive personal revelation as living prophets and other general Church leaders give counsel and direction. We encourage members to listen to, study, and apply the counsel given,” the First Presidency wrote in a letter dated Sept. 2, signed by President Russell M. Nelson and his counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring.

Will there be in-person attendance?

Due to extensive construction on and around Temple Square, in-person attendance at general conference sessions will be limited. Decisions about gathering to watch general conference in meetinghouses will be left to the discretion of local leaders.

Who is invited to the Saturday evening session?

October 2022 general conference will include a 90-minute Saturday evening session, according to the First Presidency letter. All individuals, families and friends are invited.

At the beginning of the Saturday evening women’s session in April 2022 general conference, President Oaks provided a historical perspective of the Saturday evening session.

“Our Saturday sessions have a history of different purposes and different audiences,” President Oaks explained. “This evening we add to that history as we embark upon a new purpose and procedure for the foreseeable future. The gospel of Jesus Christ does not change. Gospel doctrine does not change. Our personal covenants do not change. But over the years, the meetings we hold to communicate our messages do change and very likely will continue to change over the years.

“For now, this Saturday evening meeting is a session of general conference, not a session of any organization,” he continued. “Like all sessions of general conference, the planning, speakers and music are designated by the First Presidency.”

How can I watch October 2022 general conference?

The conference will be broadcast on the Church satellite system, ChurchofJesusChrist.org and other media. Talk summaries, news and photo galleries will be published on ldsvoices.com.ng during general conference weekend. Full messages will be published in the Gospel Library app, on ChurchofJesusChrist.org and in Church magazines for further viewing and study.

What does it take to produce general conference?

General conferences are truly “heaven-directed,” Elder Brook P. Hales, a General Authority Seventy, told the Church News in an interview last year. Through his work in Office of the First Presidency, Elder Hales has been involved in general conference preparations since 1997.

“The Lord is the executive producer,” he said. “This is His event. He wants it to happen. He helps it happen.”

Elder Hales said the conference planning process begins by the Office of the First Presidency in late October and April — shortly after the previous conference ends.

The time for each conference session — which are two hours for the Saturday and Sunday morning and afternoon sessions and 90 minutes for the Saturday evening session — is contemplated down to the minute and second. This includes prelude, talks, prayers, hymns and conducting notes. A computer program helps those making the plans figure out how many speaking slots to fill. The First Presidency gets a little more time than the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who get a little more time than the rest of the speakers. Members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speak at every conference. Other general Church leaders speak on a rotating basis.

When the schedule is complete the First Presidency reviews it and takes it to the temple meeting where it is reviewed and approved by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Assignment letters go after that, usually in early November and early May.

The beauty of general conference is that speaking topics are rarely assigned, Elder Hales explained. Members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who speak at every conference, begin working on the next talk for a conference in the weeks after the previous conference ends. As a result, numerous topics are covered during general conference, allowing a wide range of listeners to receive answers to their questions.

Producing conference requires a cadre of people, Elder Hales said. Facilities employees are in charge of parking, cleaning, preparation and setting up — a task that takes 38,180 estimated hours. Publishing Services employees, who translate and publish the talks, spend an additional 53,000 hours. Conference is translated into 98 languages.

Elder Hales said he has learned one important thing about planning and organizing the mammoth event: “This is the opportunity for the Lord to speak to His people, unique in every way possible,” he said. “I can trust God and the Savior completely.”