I'm Sarah Jane Weaver, editor of the church news.

Welcome to the church news podcast.

We are taking you on a journey of connection as we discuss news and events of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with leaders, members, and others on the church news team.

We end each church news podcast by giving our guests the last word

and the opportunity to answer the very important question.

What do you know now?

We hope each of you will also be able to answer the same question and say,

I have just been listening to the Church News podcast, and this is what I know now.

The Lord instructed the prophet Joseph Smith, as recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 20, that

several elders composing this Church of Christ are to meet

in conference from time to time. About two months after the organization of the Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints, that first conference was held on June 9, 1830. 27 people attended.

Of the event, the prophet Joseph said, much exhortation and instruction was given,

and the Holy Ghost was poured out upon us in a miraculous manner. Many of our numbers prophesied,

while the heavens were open to others. This episode of the Church News podcast features Elder

Brooke P. Hales, a General Authority 70, and Secretary to the

First Presidency, to talk about General Conference. Welcome, Elder Hales. Thank you. Nice to be here.

Well, just as in 1830, General Conference continues to provide much instruction, and the Holy Ghost

continues to pour itself out on these sacred gatherings.

Why is it important that the church holds semi-annual general conferences?

As I think about that, I'm not sure there's any other organization, religious or otherwise,

that has such a gathering where there is a centralized opportunity for the leaders of the church to reveal, as it were, to the members and to those who are listening, the mind and will of the Lord, as several presence of the church have said, for our instruction and guidance for the next six months.

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