What is LDS General Conference?

***I've had many conversations recently about what I believe. There are many out there that will tell you what they "think" a Mormon or Latter-day Saint believes. There is always some truth mixed in. A good example is the Book of Mormon musical. Although I have not seen it, the reviews I've read have shown that the musical definitely doesn't give a true representation of what a Mormon believes. However, it has piqued an interest in many and encouraged individuals to go to the real sources for answers which I think is great. For this reason, I am going to address one topic each week about what Mormons believe on this blog. I will try my best to answer any and all of your questions. Ask away!  Another great place to find answers to questions is Mormon.org. Check out my profile here. ***

Today I will start with the simple who, what,where, when and why's of General Conference.

Who is invited: The entire world.

What: A gathering of all the members of the church and friends throughout the world.

Where: In Salt Lake City, UT at the Conference Center. It is also broadcast in many languages to homes and church buildings throughout the world.

When: April 5 & 6, 2014 (every 6 months); 10:00 A MST and 2:00 P MST. The women and men organizations also meet separately: Women-the Saturday before (Mar 29); Men-April 5 at 6:00 P MST.

Why: To receive counsel from the living prophets as was done in biblical times.

Watch Live here.

I love the Prophet! He is such a wonderful, kind and Christ-like man. I know he is the Lord's mouthpiece on earth. It is a great privilege to be able to hear from him at least twice a year. He helps lead and guide us as members of Christ's church to do the things that will bring the most happiness. I will write more about the history and role of prophets in another post.

Here's a short one minute video about what to expect at General Conference:

It may sound strange to you that I really look forward to 10 hours of counsel and talks this weekend. However, General Conference is not just any meeting. We are advised to really prepare ourselves before attending. To name a few, we prepare by praying, reading our scriptures and thinking of possible questions we need answered. I can't even tell you how many times my questions have been answered through the inspiring words of the prophets. We use the words of the prophets as living and continuous scripture along with ancient scripture to help us through the trials of life. It's a great blessing to be able to receive counsel that relates directly to our lives. It's truly amazing to talk with others afterward and see which talk helped them the most and answered their prayers. The power of God is real. He loves us and wants to help us make it back to Him. I encourage you to watch some or all. I think you will be amazed at the warmth and peace you will feel. I always leave with a new found hope. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is amazing too. Happy conferencing!

Did you know that you can take a free tour of the Conference Center? It's worth it too. On the roof there's close to 3 acres of grass, hundreds of trees, gardens and spectacular views. Here is a video tour a little boy did for the Church. Our family watched it for our family night (FHE-I'll do a post on that too) this week. We learned that it seats 21,200 people and the organ has 7,667 pipes. You gotta go see it!

images: lds.org