Stokes Sounds Off: BREAKING NEWS: Additional Ajdustments Announced for the April 2020 General Conference

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Thursday, March 19, 2020

BREAKING NEWS: Additional Ajdustments Announced for the April 2020 General Conference

Hello again, everyone! In light of additional recommendations which have been made due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the First Presidency has just announced by letter that there will be another format change to the April 2020 General Conference. Rather than broadcasting from the Conference Center, each session will originate from a small auditorium on Temple Square. The First Presidency will preside at and conduct each session, but aside from the First Presidency, only those invited to speak or pray during in each session will physically attend. All conference music has been prerecorded. I believe this is a common-sense adjustment based on the changing recommendations. And given that the conference will be carried by technology, any Church leaders who would have ordinarly attended all sessions can catch the sessions in the same way the rest of us will. I had a feeling that an adjustment like this would be coming down the pike, and I believe it is a wise strateegy. No word on where the sessions are specifically going to originate from, but perhaps that will be in the Conference Center theater. And this is another precaution that can ensure the conference will go ahead as scheduled. When I had mentioned this prospect previously, I had thought only those speaking or praying would attend, but it makes sense that the First Presidency will be the only leaders attending all sessions. That's a doctrinally-mandated provision. And as a former physician and surgeon, I am sure President Nelson has been very sure that he and his counselors observe best practices to keep themselves healthy enough for this conference.

The format and location may be different, and it will be a slightly unusual scenario, but these are slightly unsusual times. I continue to monitor all Church news and temple developments and will pas word of those along to you all as I become aware of them. In the meantime, that does it for now. Any and all comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated, on any post at any time, as long as such comments are made in accordance with the established guidelines.Thank you for the privilege of your time. If you enjoyed what you read here and would like to stay informed of newly-added content, please feel free to subscribe. Until my next post, I wish each one of you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.

2 comments:

  1. Good Afternoon James, since your post have you heard what building they will be broadcasting conference from? Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That information has not been publicly released, but there are a few options. It could be carried from the Conference Center theater, from the auditorium in the Assembly Hall, or from an auditorium or meeting room in the Joseph Smith Memorial Buidling. Although the announcement specifically mentions an "auditorium" that does not necessarily mean that any small room that is not an auditorium is out of the running in this case. But the three location I mentioned, or perhapsone of the rooms in the Tabernacle at Temple Square would be my guess. We may not find out officially until the first session of General Conference begins, or it could be that that is not information that the Church membership at large needs to know. For myself personally, I am far more concerned about whether I am adequately prepared for the conference than I am about the likely location from which it may originate. If we need to know the information, that will be made public at the right time. But it could also be something we don't necessarily need to know. Just my two cents here, in response to your question. To whom may I offer thanks for this comment?

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