Comments on: GC and Me

By: John Williams

John Williams — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 06:12:57 +0000

@manaen

(21)

Do you think they’ll ever drop a session from conference? 6 hours staggered out over 10 hours for the brethren on Conference Saturday is really taxing in today’s hectic world. They could shift the Priesthood session to another week, which would be liberating. I think maybe they could drop a session.

The current Conference structure seems to me to be a relic of the pioneer days when I presume people would take wagon rides from all over Utah to spend several days in Salt Lake City to listen to the leaders speak.

By: manaen

manaen — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 05:21:50 +0000

I remember ‘phone-line feeds to our chapel in SoCal for priesthood mtgs in the ’60s.

Californians used to drive to St. George and rent hotel rooms so they could *watch* Conference on TV.

When did we drop Fridays from Conference? Seems like a long time ago. Almost as long ago as when monthly Fast Day switched from Thursday to Sunday.

By: CW

CW — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 16:34:51 +0000

I just learned at church today that the Lagos, Nigeria East Stake will view conference (from DVD) on the last Sunday in April at the Stake Center — all 5 sessions starting at 8:30 AM — going straight to 6:30 PM. It’s difficult for us to get to the stake center — our company requires us to schedule the bullet proof SUV with security escort car with guys with machine guns — but even if we were to get there, my attention span and bottom are not up to 10 straight hours. I’m sure glad I can watch it on the internet!

By: Costanza

Costanza — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 23:46:55 +0000

My father and older brothers used to go to General Priesthood meeting when we lived in Maryland in the late 70s, and they also used the old phone line thing. Exacerbating the difficulty was that the church at that time didn’t care that people in different time zones would be listening so they started the meeting at something like 9PM east coast time.

By: CW

CW — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 23:34:43 +0000

I remember growing up in Minnesota in the 60s. For conference, they would basically make a call to an audio feed in the Tabernacle and put the phone in our chapel next to the microphone. Ward members would come to the chapel and try to listen to the poor quality audio. In Nigeria now, I’ll probably catch the morning session on the internet at 5 PM — I won’t try to catch the afternoon sessions live. But we have regular Fast and Testimony meeting on Sunday. The ward will watch conference on DVD in a month.

By: JKS

JKS — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 03:54:51 +0000

I remember my England GC days. We’d sit in the chapel and someone popped in an audiocassette tape and we’d all sit and listen.
Those were the days.

By: meems

meems — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 01:00:00 +0000

I always grew up with conference as a holiday weekend -yay – no getting up and getting dressed! – and I didn’t even know it was held on Saturday for the longest time. I have vague memories of watching conference on TV at home, but then our local Californian tv station stopped broadcasting it and we had to go to the stake center. But since I’ve been a grown up and lived overseas for a long time, I actually really envy those of you who get to hear conference live. We get DVDs about a week or two later. When I lived in Japan it was easily 3-4 weeks later, usually the first weekend in November.

One thing I want to thank you for, Ronan, is the line where you say “…but that was how full my heart was.” As a teen, that’s how I often felt… bursting with the excitment and fullness of the love of the gospel. I still have a testimony, and my love of the gospel is no less, but age has taken that puppy love feeling away from me. (Too tired? Too jaded?) It’s good to be reminded of it. Thanks.

By: Kevinf

Kevinf — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:20:41 +0000

lxxluthor,

I do remember something about paying tithing with live chickens, though.

ps – I’m 55, it doesn’t feel that old in polite company:)

By: lxxluthor

lxxluthor — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:13:51 +0000

Great story. Did people stand up and speak in tongues in sacrament meeting regularly too? :)

By: Norbert

Norbert — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:15:34 +0000

I remember listening on short wave radio at one point, and later my mother becoming an expert on public access law to make sure the local cable station showed it (in SoCal). There was a great moment when the local Christians were trying to block it and my mother cold-called the ACLU for advice. They sent a letter and all was well, but it still seems surreal that my mother called the ACLU to make sure we got to watch GC.

If you live ouside of the US, are there cultural differences about how conference is watched? For instance, here in Finland it appears to be quite common for people to bring bags of candy to snack on during the broadcast at the chapel. Also, a fair number of women watch the PH session. (That was also true in London.)