CR April 1969

THE ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-NINTH ANNUAL GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

Official Report Of The 139th Annual General Conference Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints Sermons and proceedings of April 4-6, 1969, from the Tabernacle on Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah Joseph Anderson, Clerk of the Conference

The One Hundred Thirty-ninth Annual Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints convened in the Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, Friday, April 4, 1969, at 10 o'clock a. m.

The general sessions of the conference were held at 10:00 a. m. and 2:00 p.m. Friday, April 4, Saturday, April 5, and Sunday, April 6. The General Priesthood meeting was held on Saturday, April 5, at 7:00 p.m.

President David O. McKay was not present at any of the meetings of the conference. Under orders of his doctors he remained at home during the conference sessions, where he received the proceedings of the conference by direct wire television. President McKay presided at all sessions. Under his direction his counselors, Presidents Hugh B. Brown, N. Eldon Tanner, Joseph Fielding Smith, and Alvin R. Dyer conducted the services assigned to each of them.

Elder Robert R. McKay, son of President McKay, read the President's addresses to the conference in the opening session on Friday and in the closing session on Sunday afternoon. His son, Elder David Lawrence McKay, read President McKay's message in the General Priesthood meeting on Saturday evening.

The proceedings of all sessions of the conference were given extensive coverage in the United States and Canada over many television and radio stations, coast to coast, originating with KSL Radio and Television in Salt Lake City. Countries in Europe, South and Central America, Africa and parts of Asia received broadcasts of the proceedings over the Church-owned international short-wave Radio Station WNYW, with studios in New York. Audio tape and sound on film recordings of this conference were translated into twelve different languages and sent to the countries of Europe, South and Central America, and the Far East.

Re-broadcasts of all sessions of the conference were sent over KSL Radio, KIRO Radio at Seattle, KMBZ Radio at Kansas City, Missouri, and WRFM in New York City, beginning at midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and were heard in many parts of the United States and the world.

The General Priesthood meeting held on Saturday evening was transmitted over closed circuit from the Salt Lake Tabernacle to approximately 150,000 men of the priesthood assembled in 500 buildings throughout the United States and Canada.

General Authorities of the Church Present

The First Presidency: Hugh B. Brown, Nathan Eldon Tanner, Joseph Fielding Smith, Thorpe B. Isaacson, and Alvin R. Dyer.

The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee, Spencer W. Kimball, Ezra Taft Benson, Mark E. Petersen, Delbert L. Stapley, Marion G. Romney, LeGrand Richards, Richard L. Evans, Howard W. Hunter, Gordon B. Hinckley, and Thomas S. Monson.

Patriarch to the Church: Eldred G. Smith.

Assistants to the Twelve: Alma Sonne, ElRay L. Christiansen, John Longden, Sterling W. Sill, Henry D. Taylor, Franklin D. Richards, Theodore M. Burton, Boyd K. Packer, Bernard P. Brockbank, James A. Cullimore, and Marion D. Hanks.

The First Council of Seventy: Seymour Dilworth Young, Milton R. Hunter, Bruce R. McConkie, A. Theodore Tuttle, Paul H. Dunn, Hartman Rector, Jr., and Loren C. Dunn.

The Presiding Bishopric: John H. Vandenberg, Robert L. Simpson and Victor L. Brown.

General Officers and Other Authorities Present

Church Historian and Recorder: Joseph Fielding Smith, with A. William Lund and Earl E. Olson, assistants.

Members of the Church Board of Education, Church educational authorities and supervisors.

Presidents of Stakes and their counselors, Presidents of Temples, Patriarchs, bishoprics of wards presidencies of branches, quorum presidencies and members of the Melchizedek and Aaronic Priesthoods.

Auxiliary officers, General, Stake, and Ward, from all parts of the Church.