Welcome to Conference

This entry is part of my general conference application series.

Welcome to Conference, by President Thomas S. Monson


I've long been amazed by simultaneity. I remember listening to songs or watching videos as a young boy wondering if anyone else in the world was doing exactly what I was doing—listening to the very same song or watching the very same video. While there wasn't a clear way for me to determine this, it was still fun to wonder on.

Much has been said of King Benjamin and the means he used to help as many people as possible hear his final address (see Mosiah 2:5-8), how the people faced the temple (where he was speaking), that he used a tower to stand on, and that his words were recorded and distributed. As we listened to the prelude music at this conference, watching the feed live vie Internet, we marveled that at that very moment (delayed only by the speed of light—not much of a delay, really), what we were seeing was happening.


Every six months, I'm amazed that I can participate in real-time with church leaders and members in wonderful conferences. Say what you will of the perils and pitfalls of technology; President Monson (and I) is grateful for them:

How grateful I am for the age in which we live—an age of such advanced technology that we are able to address you across the world. As the General Authorities and auxiliary leaders stand here in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, our voices will be reaching you by various means...

Talk about simultaneity!

It's fun to know that many people, all over the world, are doing just what I'm doing, when I'm doing it.

However, I still wonder if anyone is listening to the very talk I'm listening to when I ride my bike to work in the wee hours of the morning...