The 2010 Bi-Annual Mormon Convention . . .

or General Conference as we call it.

I just wanted to put out a quick message to anyone who is interested in knowing a little more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

This weekend, we're having the 180th Semi-Annual General Conference of the church. This is a series of meetings conducted by church leaders and broadcast to people all over the world. If you were ever curious to see what a present-day Latter-day Saint Prophet or Apostle looks like and the type of things he says, you are invited to join in this worldwide broadcast and see for yourself.

The conference is made up of five, two hour meetings. Four of these meetings are broadcast to the general church assembly: two on Saturday and two on Sunday. They are broadcast both days from 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm Mountain Time (9-11am and 1-3pm Pacific). The fifth meeting is a Priesthood Session on Saturday evening for LDS men that is broadcast to LDS meetinghouses. A general Relief Society broadcast for LDS women is given once a year, usually a week before the October session of Conference and is part of the Annual Conference schedule and contained in the Conference edition of the Ensign (a Church produced monthly magazine).

The meetings are held at the Conference Center at Church Headquarters in Salt Lake City. The Conference Center's expansive seating allows 21,000 participants to join the conference in person, while audio and television broadcasting allows the remainder of participants to access the meetings at LDS chapels worldwide, online at lds.org, on the BYUTV channel (which comes with most basic cable packages). For those who are unable to access any of these options, the Ensign will provide each talk in article format the following month. The magazine is available by subscription or online.

Every year, the conference is held in two parts, every six months (usually April and October). Our Prophet, and President of the Church, Thomas S. Monson will address the church as a whole and provide guidance, counsel and leadership information. Others who are also expected to speak will be President Monson's two counselors President Henry B. Eyring and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, all the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, members of the Quorums of the Seventies and various members of the Auxiliary Presidencies (click here for a basic tutorial of how these groups are organized).

The majority of the music at the meeting is provided by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as well as hymns sung by the congregation within the Conference Center and joined by members in homes and meetinghouses across the world.

The meetings will also be available in at least 94 languages via real-time audio translations and over 150 languages in written distribution in the weeks following the conference.

Anyone who is at all curious about Latter-day Saint beliefs, doctrines, perspectives on current events and/or just want to see some basic church interactions can feel free to tune into any or all sessions of this General Conference and be part of a very integral, poignant and cherished LDS experience.