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LDS General Conference will feature new choir pilot program

By Genelle Pugmire - | Mar 30, 2023

Courtesy Intellectual Reserves

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency and his wife, Kristen M. Oaks, spend time with global participants of Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. President and Sister Oaks are pictured with the group in the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 25, 2023.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will hold its 193rd Annual General Conference this Saturday and Sunday. As Sunday is “Palm Sunday,” the beginning of the most Holy Week in Christianity, it is expected that many of the talks will be focused on Jesus Christ, His Atonement and Resurrection.

Of interest to in-person and digital audiences will be a bigger and more global Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square benefitting from a new inclusion pilot program.

In the eastern Mexican city of Monterrey, Georgina Montemayor Wong has spent weeks preparing her voice with digital recordings and virtual practice sessions in what she describes as a dream come true.

“It’s just … it’s a dream come true. It’s just like — wow!” Montemayor Wong said.

Like Montemayor Wong, nine other Latter-day Saints from around the world have been practicing since December 2022 when they received news of their selection for the pilot program, according to a choir statement.

Courtesy Intellectual Reserves

Chung Pei-Shan of Taipei, Taiwan, participates in a choir rehearsal at the Salt Lake Tabernacle on March 20, 2023, following the weekly Music & the Spoken Word broadcast.

The choir, consisting of members of the church, has recently broadened its mission to reach a global audience according to Choir President Michael O. Leavitt, who describes the pilot program as a natural progression in the choir’s growth.

“The entire church celebrates Christ. We not only speak His words, but we sing his praises,” Leavitt said.

Due to the choir’s rigorous practice schedule, members are required to live within a 100-mile radius of the historical Tabernacle. However, Leavitt said the pilot program opens the door for others with exceptional musical abilities to engage on a temporary basis.

Along with their vocal ability, international participants were required to demonstrate proficiency in music theory and English during the selection process.

Those selected to sing with the choir in the upcoming general conference represent six countries. In addition to their participation, each choir member is called to be an ambassador for the church to share their goodwill and faith through music.

Courtesy Intellectual Reserves

Tubo-Oreriba Joseph Elisha of Ghana and Nigeria participates in a Choir rehearsal at the Salt Lake Tabernacle on March 19, 2023. He is one of several International participants invited to sing with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square during the 193rd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

It has been a staple of conferences in recent years for leaders to announce new temples and more are expected for this General Conference.

In the October 2022 Semi-annual General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson announced 18 new temples. Since then, four have been dedicated or re-dedicated and five have had groundbreaking ceremonies — bringing the global total to 300 temples.

World Report

The April 2023 World Report can be found on YouTube and the church website. Among the featured stories include one from Kenya that show how the church’s $32 million donation to the World Food Programme is blessing refugees and curbing malnourishment for mothers and children.

They are given grain, beans and oils for cooking and “super cereal” that helps the immune system and nursing mothers. In the Mid-East and Africa the church gave a $10 million donation to UNICEF for medicines to help eradicate polio, according to the report.

The program also contains individual reports on humanitarian projects the church is engaging in with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Memphis, Tennessee, and San Francisco. In total, the church has given over $1 billion dollars in donations and food.

How to see conference

The global broadcast originates from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City and consists of five unique, two-hour general sessions for all audiences over two days:

Saturday, April 1

  • 10 a.m. Saturday morning session
  • 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon session
  • 6 p.m. Saturday evening session

Sunday, April 2

  • 10 a.m. Sunday morning session
  • 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon session

All conference sessions will be streamed live on the live broadcasts page of http://ChurchofJesusChrist.org in more than 70 languages. You can also watch and listen on the General Conference YouTube channel; Gospel Library app; and other radio, television, satellite and digital channels.

Following the broadcast, the messages will be available in text, audio and video formats on multiple channels for on-demand viewing and studying. These channels include Gospel Library, Gospel Media, the General Conference YouTube channel, the General Conference podcast and the church magazines.

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