The announcement of a new General Relief Society Presidency, yearly statistics, and talks urging church members to become more converted, embodied the Saturday Afternoon session of General Conference.

Bonnie D. Parkin, a former member of the Relief Society General Board, was called as General Relief Society President, with Kathleen H. Hughes and Anne C. Pingree called to serve as counselors.

The newly called presidency, all residents of Utah, will replace Mary Ellen Smoot, Virginia U. Jensen and Sherri L. Dew.

Besides the changing of the presidency, the talks themselves focused on the quest for deeper conversion and consecration by church members.

The speakers during the session were Elders Richard G. Scott, Dallin H. Oaks, Henry B. Eyring, and Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elders Robert R. Steuer and R. Conrad Shultz of the Seventy

Richard G. Scott showcased the theme, "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." He focused mainly on the definition of conversion.

Elder Scott invited members to improve their degree of conversion through obedience, noting its ability to bring happiness.

"Your Happiness now and forever is conditioned on your degree of conversion," he said.

Elder Henry B. Eyring followed, and his talk focused on the second part of Scott's original theme of being a true friend to members, especially new members of the Church.

Elder Maxwell continued on the "conversion" theme, but delivered the sublte message through discussion of consecration. He said that total consecration is necessary for those who wish to follow and become like Jesus Christ.

"The best way to testify valiantly of Christ is to become steadily more like Him, and it is consecration that carves out the emulative character," Elder Maxwell said in his remarks.

In other announcements, yearly statistics reported by the church for 2001 showed an increase of 18,639 convert baptisms over last year, totaling 292,612.

The numbers, however, are still down from the 300,000 convert baptisms reported in 1997 and 1999. Child baptisms were down 11,928 from 2000.

Church membership was reported as 11,394,522.

Comments about the Olympics were absent from the talks.

Copyright Brigham Young University 7 Apr 2002