Area Conferences

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  Wherever I go, people seem to be interested in hearing about the area conferences we hold throughout the world. Today I should like to tell briefly why we hold them, how they are conducted, how the people respond, and the effect they are having in the different areas. I shall deal specifically with the area conferences held in Europe this summer. President Kimball has explained that the Church has grown so rapidly throughout the world that it is no longer practicable to limit our general conferences to those held in April and October at the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City. First, it would be impossible to accommodate all the people who could come from around the world; and also, many who would like to come are unable to. So we are taking the conferences to the people. ... Beautifully exemplifying the theme of our conferences was a talk given by Elder Boyd K. Packer on “the voice of warning.” He began by quoting from the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants, wherein the Lord said: “The voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days. “And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them.” D&C 1:4–5 He then referred to the recent collapse of the Teton Dam in Idaho, and graphically described what happened on that occasion as houses, churches, and whole towns vanished. In all, 790 homes were destroyed, and 800 others were severely damaged, as were schools, churches, business houses, etc. About 7,800 people were in the immediate path of the flood, and farther down the valley another 25,000 or 30,000 were in danger. I quote: “But what happened to the people that Saturday morning? There was a miracle! There were several deaths, but only six of them by drowning. How could such terrible destruction take place with such a little loss of life? “The answer: they were warned. A number of them had been subjected to a restless, anxious feeling that morning, and so responded instantly when the warning came. They heeded the warning. Latter-day Saints pay attention to warnings. They have read the revelation which states: “‘For this is a day of warning, and not a day of many words. For I, the Lord, am not to be mocked in the last days.’” D&C 63:58 Elder Packer stated that by scientific calculations 5,300 lives might have been lost, but there were so few. And it was not a case of going upstairs onto the roof. The houses were completely washed away, and most of the people had miles to go to reach high ground. They were saved because they heeded a warning and then warned their neighbors. He quoted again from the revelations: “And let those whom they have warned in their traveling call on the Lord, and ponder the warning in their hearts which they have received. … Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.” D&C 88:71, 81 Then he said: “That is how they were saved. Everyone, when warned, raised the voice of warning to his family and to his neighbors. … Do you think they were casual about it? That is not the way it happened. The warnings were shouted and screamed. Horns were honked. Every means was used to sound the warning. ‘Come out of the valley. A flood is coming!’ “Of the six drowned, one stood just below the dam and had no chance. The others either failed to heed the warning or went back to get something. Every man who was warned, warned his neighbor. There are chapter after chapter of miracles. The whole episode stands as a mighty miracle. And the whole disaster looms itself as a warning.” Elder Packer concluded his account in these words: “It is Saturday morning in the Lord’s scheme of things, and we go complacently about our work, concerned with the ordinary cares of life. But many of us carry a restless, anxious feeling. And in these conferences we have heard the prophet and the apostles raising a voice of warning. ‘Come out of the valley,’ they are saying. ‘Come to higher ground. Come away from the flood of mischief, and evil, and spiritual disaster.’ And I repeat, it behooves every man who has been warned, to warn his neighbor.” And so, my brothers and sisters and friends, the main purpose of area conferences, the main purpose of general conferences, the main purpose of this conference, is to sound the voice of warning. You who hear and are warned must warn your neighbors. If we fail to heed the warnings given, or fail to warn our neighbors, we all may be lost.

  President N. Eldon Tanner

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  • Area Conferences

  21 Oct 2026