For the first time since 2019, there are no seating restrictions for general conference sessions in the Conference Center. The 194th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be Saturday, Oct. 5, and Sunday, Oct. 6.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, general conferences beginning in April 2020 had limitations on seating. As pandemic restrictions waned, seating in the Conference Center auditorium continued to be capped at less than capacity because of construction on and around Temple Square.
While several areas of Temple Square continue to be closed during renovation and reconstruction, the renovated Church Office Building Plaza and adjoining Main Street Plaza reopened earlier this year.
“It’s an oasis from the storms of the noise and chaos ... to feel the presence of the Savior,” Jay Warnick, ground services manager for Church Headquarters Facilities, said on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Conference sessions will begin at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday and at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday. Sessions generally last about two hours. The Sunday morning session will be preceded by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s weekly “Music & the Spoken Word” 9:30 a.m. broadcast.
“General conference provides an opportunity to receive personal revelation as general Church leaders give counsel and direction from the Lord. We encourage all to listen to, study, ponder and apply the counsel and direction given,” the First Presidency said in a letter to local congregation leaders earlier this month.
Tickets to attend in the Conference Center generally are distributed through stake and ward leaders. Doors open 90 minutes before the beginning of each session, and attendees should be in their seats 30 minutes before a session begins.
For standby seating, people can line up outside the Tabernacle 90 minutes before a session.
There is not enough parking near the Conference Center to accommodate all attendees, so they are encouraged to carpool or to use mass transit. A ticket to general conference can be used to ride UTA trains and buses for free to and from conference.
All conference sessions will be streamed live on broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org in more than 70 languages. People can also watch and listen on the General Conference YouTube channel; Gospel Stream app, Gospel Library; and other radio, television, satellite and digital channels.
The latter channels include KSL-TV, KSL News Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv and Amazon Alexa (must enable skill).
Following the broadcast, the messages will be available on demand in text, audio and video formats on multiple channels in more than 70 languages. These channels include Gospel Library, Media Library, the General Conference YouTube channel, Gospel Stream and the Church magazines.
