The 196th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ran over two days, October 3 and 4, 2026: four two-hour sessions and 37 messages from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. This page pulls the whole weekend together in one read, with links to our talk-by-talk recap of every session for anyone who wants the details.
If you remember three things from this conference, make them these: a First Presidency warning about gambling in the smartphone age, President Dallin H. Oaks's insistence that the gospel and its grace are for everyone, and the date the Salt Lake Temple opens its doors to the public, April 5, 2027.
The Headlines
Gambling, named plainly. President D. Todd Christofferson closed the first session by asking Latter-day Saints not to gamble at all, singling out online sports betting, online casino games and prediction markets, and warning that phones have made betting constant, private and especially common among teenagers and young adults. It drew more attention than any other talk of the weekend; our guide to Utah's gambling laws covers where the law stands. Saturday morning recap
The gospel is for all. In the main address of the Sunday morning session, President Oaks taught that the Book of Mormon contradicts the idea that grace saves only a chosen few, spoke directly to members whose faith is fading, and argued that faith and secular learning are partners because God knows all truth. Sunday morning recap
The Salt Lake Temple opens April 5, 2027. President Oaks's concluding remarks invited the world to the Salt Lake Temple Celebration, in person and online, and announced Dedicate, a new video series on temples for young adults. Sunday afternoon recap
A big year for temples. Elder Gerrit W. Gong opened the conference on the temple and said 21 temples are being dedicated this year, with one more rededicated, which Deseret News noted is the second-highest number of dedications in a single year.
Peacemaking, from several directions. Elder Alfred Kyungu asked members to drop contentious language, Elder Quentin L. Cook called online bullying reprehensible, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf pleaded for Christ-centered unity, and Elder Clark G. Gilbert offered five ways to teach truth with love.
Session by Session
Saturday morning opened with Elder Gong on the temple and closed with President Christofferson on gambling. Between them, Sister Tamara W. Runia spoke about her son's death and God as a sculptor, Elder Gérald Caussé about sharing testimony, Elder Vai Sikahema about his grandparents' voyage to hear an apostle, Elder Kevin J. Hathaway about deliverance on the Lord's timetable, Elder Ulisses Soares about fasting, and Bishop Sean Douglas about missions. Read the Saturday morning recap.
Saturday afternoon had ten speakers and a theme the Church's own summary named as the Savior's power to lift. Elder Dale G. Renlund opened on trusting God's promises, Elder Patrick Kearon compared discipleship to flying a glider, Elder Michael A. Dunn told of a friend who quietly carried his pack through the last ten miles of an ultramarathon, Provo-born Elder Hutch U. Fale taught that every person is a child of God, and Elder Ronald A. Rasband closed on loving family members who have stepped away. Read the Saturday afternoon recap.
Sunday morning turned outward. President Henry B. Eyring explained why life is hard and how each of us becomes an answer to someone else's prayer, President Rosemary K. Chibota taught the greeting Sawubona, "I see you," Elder Neil L. Andersen spoke on spiritual courage, Elder Edward Dube told of a friend sealed in the temple two months after being invited to choose a date, and President Oaks closed with his address on the gospel being for all. Read the Sunday morning recap.
Sunday afternoon focused on how disciples treat one another, from President Uchtdorf's call to unity to Elder Paul H. Sinclair's parable of a little girl who unbuttoned a stuck boy at a Primary program. Elder Gary E. Stevenson spoke to children, Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus to young women, Brother Gabriel W. Reid to every teacher who feels unqualified, and Elder David A. Bednar on the promises of covenants, before President Oaks's closing remarks. Read the Sunday afternoon recap.
Themes That Ran Through the Weekend
Lift and comfort. More speakers than not addressed what to do when life is heavy. President Eyring said hard tests are part of the plan, Sister Runia said God shapes souls out of the hardest things, Elder Kearon described the Savior's lift, Elder Dunn the help that carries us through the final stretch, and Elder Matthew J. Eyring the comfort of the Holy Ghost.
Seeing people. President Chibota's Sawubona, President Timothy L. Farnes's divine appointments, Elder Sinclair's call to be quick to help and slow to judge, and Elder Dube's insistence that no one must be perfect to come to Christ all asked members to notice the person in front of them.
How we speak. From President Christofferson's concern about what phones do to households to the peacemaking talks of Elders Kyungu, Cook and Gilbert and President Uchtdorf, the weekend kept returning to how disciples talk and act in public, online and at home.
Covenants, temples and tithing. Elder Gong and Elder Bednar on temples and sealing, Elder Jeremiah J. Morgan on covenants that reach across generations, Elder Ciro Schmeil on the weekly sacrament, and Elders Patricio M. Giuffra and Moises Villanueva and Elder Soares on tithing, offerings and fasting.
The rising generation. Bishop Douglas invited young people to put a mission high on their list, Sister Muñoz Spannaus gave young women seven practical helps, Elder Stevenson spoke straight to children, and Brother Reid told teachers that loving their students is what makes them good enough.
The Utah Valley Thread
This conference had an unusually strong Utah Valley accent:
- President Dallin H. Oaks was born in Provo, graduated from BYU and served as its president from 1971 to 1980.
- Elder Hutch U. Fale was born in Provo, earned two degrees at BYU and practiced law in Utah County until his call in April.
- President D. Todd Christofferson was born in American Fork and studied at BYU, where he met his wife at a football game.
- Brother Gabriel W. Reid played tight end for BYU from 1999 to 2002 before four NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears.
- Elder Jeremiah J. Morgan earned his law degree at BYU, and Elder Michael A. Dunn ran BYUtv and BYUradio before his call.
- Sister Tamara W. Runia and Elder Kevin J. Hathaway met their spouses at BYU, and Elder Gerrit W. Gong met his wife at a devotional he gave at the Provo Missionary Training Center.
- Bishop Sean Douglas and Elder Dale G. Renlund both spoke at Provo MTC devotionals this year.
What Comes Next
The Church publishes the full text, audio and video of every talk on ChurchofJesusChrist.org and in the Gospel Library app, and those are the words to rely on as they post. The Salt Lake Temple opens to the public on April 5, 2027; free tickets are already available on TempleSquare.org, and our Salt Lake Temple open house guide covers the dates, tour hours and planning the trip from Utah Valley. General conference is traditionally held the first weekend of April and October, so the next one is expected in early April 2027. Every recap from this weekend lives on our General Conference page.
Related Guides
- October 2026 General Conference: The Saturday Morning Session, Talk by Talk
- October 2026 General Conference: The Saturday Afternoon Session, Talk by Talk
- October 2026 General Conference: The Sunday Morning Session, Talk by Talk
- October 2026 General Conference: The Sunday Afternoon Session, Talk by Talk
- General Conference Weekend in Utah Valley: A Local's Guide
