The 196th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will look different this April for two reasons.
The first is that the conference, to take place this April 4-5, will be the first to have four sessions instead of five, following the schedule changes made to general conference last November.
The second is that the April 2026 general conference will feature a solemn assembly where Latter-day Saints worldwide will have the opportunity to sustain church President Dallin H. Oaks and his counselors in the First Presidency. This event will mark the first time the new First Presidency is sustained at a general conference since it was reorganized last October.
“General conference provides an opportunity to receive personal revelation as general church leaders give counsel and direction from the Lord,” President Oaks and his counselors, President Henry B. Eyring and President D. Todd Christofferson, stated in a letter recently sent to congregation leaders worldwide.
“We encourage all to listen, to study, ponder and apply the counsel given,” they wrote.
Landing on Easter weekend, the two-day conference will also feature messages centered on Christ, His atonement, and His resurrection, per a church news release published on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
“This Easter season, we testify that Jesus Christ is risen,” President Oaks recently said in a video encouraging viewers to commemorate the “atoning sacrifice” and resurrection of Jesus Christ this Easter. “He lives, He is the way, (and) Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice and resurrection are the ultimate evidence of God’s love.”
The First Presidency has encouraged church members and friends of the faith to celebrate the Easter season by joining a one-hour Latter-day Saint church service on Palm Sunday, March 29, and general conference on Easter weekend. Here’s key information about the conference.
What is special about a solemn assembly?
Solemn assemblies are sacred meetings dating back to the Old Testament that were restored by the prophet Joseph Smith.
They bring an “elevated sense of spirituality” and are held for a variety of “holy purposes,” including the sustaining of new church presidents, temple dedications and special commemorations, according to a church news release.
The last solemn assembly to be held at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City was in April 2020. It was organized to express thanks to God and Jesus Christ in the bicentennial year of the First Vision — the event that launched the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Some solemn assemblies, such as the one held in 2020, include the Hosanna Shout, another ancient practice with New Testament roots.
The solemn assembly to be held this April during the Saturday morning session of general conference on April 4 will give church members worldwide the opportunity to sustain a new church president and First Presidency and will not include a Hosanna Shout.
April 2026 general conference schedule
April 2026 general conference will consist of four unique sessions lasting about two hours each over two days.
The sessions, originating from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, will run Saturday and Sunday, April 4-5, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.
A fifth session was previously held on Saturday evenings of general conference but was discontinued in an effort to emphasize the remaining four sessions of the church’s semiannual general conferences, according to a First Presidency announcement made last November.
As church prophet, President Oaks will preside over the upcoming conference, which is expected to include messages from members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other general officers and leaders of the church.
How to watch or listen to general conference live
All general conference sessions will be streamed live on broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org in 80 languages.
They will also be available to watch or listen to on the General Conference YouTube channel in 14 languages; the Gospel Stream app in four languages; the Gospel Library in 80 languages; and other radio, television, satellite and digital channels.
What TV and radio stations will broadcast general conference?
Bonneville Distribution will broadcast all sessions on Channel 9403 on Dish Network and Channels 374 and 68 (Utah) on DirecTV. Readers can see Bonneville Distribution’s general conference coverage map for a more complete list of radio, TV, cable TV and satellite TV stations — including BYUtv and KSL-TV on Channel 5 — that will be broadcasting the upcoming general conference.
KSL NewsRadio will also broadcast the conference’s sessions on 1160AM and 102.7FM, and BYU Radio will be available on Channel 143 on SiriusXM Satellite Radio. Saints Channel Talk and Canal De Los Santos will also stream sessions in English and Spanish, respectively, on TuneIn.
How to get tickets to general conference
Individuals and families living in the United States or Canada who wish to attend a session at the Conference Center should ask their local ward or branch leaders about obtaining tickets. Leaders in these areas can reference this guide to learn how to access their accounts and distribute tickets to members.
Individuals and families living in all other countries should ask their stake or district president to submit a request for tickets on their behalf. Presidents may begin ordering tickets three months prior to the conference, according to a press release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Standby tickets may also be available for those who line up outside the Tabernacle on Temple Square beginning 90 minutes before each session. See Temple Square event guidelines for further information and restrictions.
Where to park for general conference
Underground parking at the Conference Center will not be available this conference. However, the church has provided the map below for other downtown parking options.
With traffic congestion, the church also encourages attendees to use public transit. Ticket holders should note that their conference tickets double as UTA transit passes to travel to and from their respective sessions of conference.
Where to watch or listen to general conference later
The Deseret News’ “General Conference” page and TheChurchNews.com will both have comprehensive coverage of conference announcements and talk summaries available.
Following the conference, messages in the forms of text, audio and video will also be available on several platforms, including the Gospel Library, the church’s Media Library, the General Conference YouTube channel and church magazines.