Report of the 171st Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Sermons and proceedings of 6–7 October 2001 from the Conference Center, Salt Lake City, Utah

“I need not remind you that we live in perilous times,” President Gordon B. Hinckley said on Sunday morning, 7 October 2001. “Now, I do not wish to be an alarmist. I do not wish to be a prophet of doom. I am optimistic. I do not believe the time is here when an all-consuming calamity will overtake us. I earnestly pray that it may not. There is so much of the Lord’s work yet to be done. We, and our children after us, must do it.”

He added: “There is no need to fear. We can have peace in our hearts and peace in our homes. We can be an influence for good in this world, every one of us.”

“Now, today, we are faced with particular problems, serious and consuming and difficult and of great concern to us. Surely we have need for the Lord,” President Hinckley said during his Sunday afternoon talk closing the conference. “Our safety lies in the virtue of our lives. Our strength lies in our righteousness. God has made it clear that if we will not forsake Him, He will not forsake us.”

During the Saturday evening priesthood session, President Hinckley spoke of the growth of the Perpetual Education Fund, announced at general conference last April, and the continuing need for contributions so it may aid even more members.

Sessions of general conference were conducted by President Hinckley and by President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor in the First Presidency, and President James E. Faust, Second Counselor.

Administrative action during the Saturday afternoon session of the conference affected the Quorums of the Seventy and the Sunday School and Young Men general presidencies. Two changes were made in the Presidency of the Seventy; five members of the First Quorum of the Seventy were released and given emeritus status; four members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy were released; 24 Area Authority Seventies were released and 3 new Area Authority Seventies called; and the presidencies of the Sunday School and Young Men were reorganized.

Conference sessions were broadcast via satellite to receiver-equipped stake centers in the United States and Canada; the Caribbean; Mexico and Central America; 10 countries of South America; the United Kingdom and Ireland; 19 other European countries; and South Africa. General sessions were transmitted via satellite to some 1,500 cable television systems, plus television and radio stations in the United States and Canada on a public service basis. Conference was also available on the BYUTV channel on the Dish Network. General sessions of the conference were broadcast live on the Internet at www.lds.org/broadcast in 38 languages. Church units in areas of the world where broadcasts were not available will receive videotapes of conference sessions through Church distribution centers.—The Editors