The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held their semi-annual conference in Salt Lake City over the weekend as the congregation sustained new church president, Russell M. Nelson. The conference announced several changes to many of the historic programs.

• President Russell M. Nelson was sustained Saturday as prophet, seer, revelator and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during a solemn assembly of Church members worldwide on March 31, 2018. Dallin H. Oaks was sustained as first counselor and Henry B. Eyring as second counselor in the First Presidency — the Church’s highest governing body.

• President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the calls of eight General Authority Seventies and 55 Area Seventies during the Saturday afternoon session of the April 2018 general conference. He also announced that Elder Carl B. Cook and Elder Robert C. Gay will serve in the Presidency of the Seventy, filling the vacancies left by the calls of Elder Gerrit W. Gong and Elder Ulisses S. Soares to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
General Authority Seventies serve in the Presidency of the Seventy, in area presidencies, and in other headquarters administrative functions. Under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, they travel frequently to meet with and teach Church leaders, missionaries and members of the Church in local congregations. They have authority to serve anywhere in the world, while the authority of Area Seventies is generally limited to the area where they serve.

• President Russell M. Nelson announced two significant organizational changes Saturday night designed to help everyday Latter-day Saints in congregations throughout the world minister more like Jesus Christ.

• As the final session of the Church’s 188th annual general conference came to a close, Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced plans to build seven new temples. These temples will be in the following locations: Salta, Argentina; Bengaluru, India; Managua Nicaragua; Cagayan de Oro, Philippines; Layton, Utah; Richmond, Virginia; and a major city yet to be determined in Russia.

• President Russell M. Nelson announced Sunday afternoon that the Church’s home and visiting teaching programs will be replaced by a coordinated, more personalized approach known as “ministering.”