Report of the 151st Semiannual Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Sermons and proceedings of 3–4 October 1981, from the Tabernacle on Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah

Members and leaders from throughout the worldwide Church again assembled in Salt Lake City in Temple Square’s historic Tabernacle and other nearby buildings for the 151st Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

However, this fall’s 3–4 October sessions were marked by the absence of President Spencer W. Kimball, twelfth President of the Church, who remains hospitalized in Salt Lake City’s LDS Hospital since entering there September 4.

Conducting general conference sessions were President N. Eldon Tanner, President Marion G. Romney, and President Gordon B. Hinckley, newly called counselor in the First Presidency.

Members of the First Presidency reported that “President Kimball’s condition is improving as he convalesces from recent surgery, and it is hoped that he will soon be able to resume his normal schedule of duties.”

Administrative action of the conference occurred in the first general session on Saturday morning. President Gordon B. Hinckley was sustained a counselor in the First Presidency, and Elder Neal A. Maxwell was sustained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. Both appointments had been announced in midsummer, on July 23. Announced at this conference and also sustained by the membership was the appointment of Elder G. Homer Durham of the First Quorum of the Seventy to fill the vacancy in the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy occasioned by Elder Maxwell’s call to the Quorum of the Twelve. (See page 108.)

All General Authorities were in attendance except President Kimball, and Elder G. Homer Durham and Elder Theodore M. Burton, both of whom were hospitalized, and Elder F. Burton Howard, who is presiding over the Uruguay Montevideo Mission in South America.

As in the past, portions or all of the general conference sessions were broadcast in many languages throughout the word.

A week previous to general conference, the evening of September 26, the Relief Society general meeting was held in the Tabernacle and broadcast to locations throughout the world. See page 97 for addresses given at this meeting.

—The Editors.