Particle.news
Download on the App Store
25 ARTICLES
·
2w ago

Latter-day Saints Sustain President Oaks as Prophet at General Conference

The conference signaled leadership consolidation alongside operational shifts in a fast-growing global faith.

Church President Dallin H. Oaks speaks during the Sunday morning session of the 196th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 5, 2026.
Image
Latter-day Saints give a sustaining vote during the solemn assembly as part of the Saturday morning session of the 196th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, held at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 4, 2026.
Conferencegoers join The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in singing a congregational hymn during the Saturday morning session of the 196th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, held at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 4, 2026.

Overview

  • The solemn assembly, which opened Saturday’s session, formalized Dallin H. Oaks as the church’s 18th president by a worldwide sustaining vote.
  • Gérald Caussé and Clark G. Gilbert were sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, filling vacancies created by the deaths of Russell M. Nelson and Jeffrey R. Holland.
  • The church’s 2025 statistical report listed 17,887,212 members and 385,490 convert baptisms, reflecting nearly 25% year-over-year growth in conversions.
  • Leaders set August 1 for personnel changes, adding eight General Authority Seventies, granting emeritus status to seven, and presenting a new Primary presidency led by Rosemary K. Chibota, the first Primary general president from Africa.
  • The First Presidency outlined a revised weekly second-hour schedule with 25-minute classes and an updated youth curriculum based on For the Strength of Youth that begins the first week of September.