June 9, 1830: The first conference of the church in Fayette, New York.

Locations of Conference: Salt Lake City; Fayette, New York, Kirtland, Ohio, Amherst, Ohio, Far West, Missouri, Quincy, Illinois, Nauvoo, Illinois, Council Bluffs, Iowa, Logan, Utah, Provo, Utah and St. George, Utah.

April 6, 1833: The saints gathered together on the Big Blue Ferry in Jackson County, Mo.

1850: the president of the church was first sustained at "prophet, seer and revelator."

October 1867: First time the Tabernacle was used for conference. The conference was four days because the congregation voted to stay an extra day.

October 1880: "The Doctrine and Covenants" and "The Pearl of Great Price" are added to the canonized books of scripture.

1885: The church had an underground conference in Logan, Utah, because of government harassment.

Postponed the spring 1919 conference until June because of a flu epidemic.

April 1924: Microphone was first used in conference.

October 1924: Conference is carried over KSL.

1949: Television came to conference. Time limits were placed on talks and topics changes to have a more nonmember appeal.

Conference canceled completely in 1957 because of Asian flu epidemic

1962: Conference is translated into other languages.

1967: Conference was broadcasted in color.

April 1975: The first satellite transmission of conference.

April 1977: The first two-day conference. (Previously has been 3 days)

April 1980: Thirteen stake centers in America received the satellite transmission of conference on their own receivers, rather than relying on commercial ones to broadcast it for them.

July 1997: ground was broken for the Conference Center

October 2001: Dedication of the conference center.

Other than the prophet, apostles and other General Authorities, representatives if the president of the United States of America and the Boy Scouts of America and the Chief of Staff of the United States Army has addressed conference.

Source: Kenneth W. Godfrey, "150 Years of General Conference," Ensign, Feb. 1981, 67.



Copyright Brigham Young University 3 Oct 2001