As flower buds begin to pop from the ground and the sounds of birds singing ring in our ears, we are reminded that spring has begun once again. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are reminded to prepare for a special event called General Conference.

The event has been held biannually during the Spring and Fall since the year 1830, making it 193 years old. It is a weekend event that is filled with messages from leaders of the Church. These messages are to enlighten the members about gospel truths, build their testimonies and come closer to God. There are no lunch-ins or meals provided, rather, it is a conference for all to come and be inspired.

The first General Conference of the Church was held on April 6, 1830. The conference was conducted and organized by the first prophet of the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith.

The conference was hosted by Peter Whitmer, one of the eight witnesses of the Book of Mormon in Fayette, New York. The gathering took place only after the Church was restored for two months.

Only 27 people were in attendance at the first-ever conference. The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints has announced that today over 21,000 people join in person at the conference center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The conference center can hold up to 100,000 individuals but due to construction of the Salt Lake City, Utah temple, they have been asked to reduce numbers due to parking.

On top of the 21,000 in attendance during that weekend, the conference is also streamed over radios, satellite, television and more to over 221 countries and territories allowing the 14 million members around the world to participate in the spiritual messages shared that is also translated in over 94 different languages.

The first televised General Conference occurred in the year 1949 on the KSL-TV network. It was a big accomplishment and step for the Church as they moved forward with spreading the gospel. Originally, the broadcast was only in black and white. In 1967 it was first broadcast in color, bringing a new light to those watching.

According to LDS Living, Conference has only been canceled once. This occurred in October of 1957, as there was a severe Asian flu epidemic. After this occurrence, the conference has only been postponed once in 1977 due to the Spanish flu epidemic.

The church did not postpone or cancel conference during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, rather they were creative in their technology efforts and did everything virtually.

Watch General Conference this weekend online here.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that the first session on Saturday will begin at 10 a.m. MST. The first session on Sunday will begin at 9:30 a.m.