The 160th Semi-annual General Conference, which convenes Saturday, Oct. 6 on Temple Square, is being translated into 32 languages, including Russian for the first time.
From three to five translator-interpreters are on hand for one or more conference sessions for the languages, which, in addition to Russian, include: Cambodian, Cantonese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Haitian, Hmong, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin, Navajo, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Samoan, Serbo-croatian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Tahitian, Thai, Tongan and Vietnamese.In addition, sign language interpretations of conference proceedings are being provided in the Church Office Building Auditorium for the hearing impaired.
The two-day conference is presided over by the First Presidency, with President Gordon B. Hinckley and President Thomas S. Monson, counselors to President Ezra Taft Benson, taking turns conducting the sessions.
General sessions are being conducted at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (MDT) both Saturday and Sunday. The general priesthood session is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m.
More than 3,000 meetinghouses throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic are receiving the conference via satellite. General sessions are transmitted via satellite to more than 550 cable systems in the United States.
In addition, Church units or members in North America and Hawaii, with proper satellite reception capabilities, may receive the conference broadcasts in the following languages: Cambodian, Cantonese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin, Navajo, Portuguese, Samoan, Spanish, Tongan, and Vietnamese.
In areas of the world where Church units cannot receive satellite transmissions of conference, videotapes of the proceedings will be sent later. European language translations will be available through the Friedrichdorf, Germany, Distribution Center. Asian language translations will be available at distribution centers in Hong Kong; Tokyo, Japan; Taipei, Taiwan; and Seoul, Korea. Spanish and Portuguese language tapes will be distributed throughout Latin America.
Under the direction of Jerold Ottley and Donald Ripplinger with Robert Cundick and John Longhurst at the organ, the 325-voice Mormon Tabernacle Choir is to perform during the Sunday sessions of conference. The Mormon Youth Chorus is providing music for the Saturday morning session, with Robert C. Bowden directing and Clay Christiansen at the organ.
A young women's choir from the Bountiful and Val Verde, Utah, regions is being featured during the Saturday afternoon session. The general priesthood session will feature the combined Men's Chorus from the Tabernacle Choir and the Mormon Youth Chorus.
Portions of conference are being provided to commercial television and radio stations in the United States and on KUSW shortwave radio, frequency 15.590 Megahertz.
