They tried it once. It lasted a month.
The new governing First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Wednesday in a one-paragraph, 29-word news release that “beginning in April 2026, General Conference will no longer include a Saturday evening session.”
And just like that, the traditional 6 p.m. gathering is gone, marking one of the first global changes to occur under the newly minted President Dallin H. Oaks.
Whether the decision will stick, only time can tell. After all, four years ago the Utah-based faith’s leaders — under then-President Russell M. Nelson — announced they were scrapping the same evening session.
That was in June 2021. Come July, they reversed course, with one significant change: Whereas in the past, the evening broadcast had been divided by gender, alternating each six months between men and women of the faith, its relaunch was accompanied with a rebrand orienting it toward “all members and friends of the church.”
At the time, leaders explained their reasoning for abandoning the practice as being “based on changes in technology that make it possible for all members and friends to view each session of General Conference.”
Upon reinstating it, they said that “after additional study and prayer, we have felt impressed to continue to hold the Saturday evening session.”
They added: “We recognize the increasing challenges facing members of the church worldwide in our day. An important way to fortify against these challenges comes through hearing the word of God.”
The latest announcement came with no such explanation, just the headline: “Church Increases Focus on Four Daytime Sessions of General Conference.”
Morning and afternoon sessions are held on Saturday and Sunday.