Mormons are not going to church this Easter?

Twice a year our Church leaders hold a televised world wide conference, one of which is held on the first Saturday and Sunday of April, and this year Easter falls on the first Sunday in April. General Conference as it is called, is a worship service led by the First Presidency of our Church. It is for all members of the Church and is televised so that all members can participate. Since our Church membership is spread throughout the world and is too large for us to attend as community, the conference is televised. Our ward held our Easter service last Sunday.

Because it is Easter we will hear talks about Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice and learn about His teachings. We will sing hymns, listen to choirs and pray. The conference lasts two days and has five two hour sessions - three on Saturday and two on Sunday - in which there are two hours between each session. Because of the time in between sessions, many people choose to stay home to watch the conference on television or the internet (lds.org) with their families rather than spend the two days driving back and forth to church. Others do want to listen with fellow Church members and prefer to watch the conference at the building. It doesn't matter where you go to listen to the conference, the words will still be the same. The talks are always inspiring and sometimes even life changing.

The church holds a "general conference" a meeting with the entire membership of the church every two years and has done so since it was founded. Because of the shear numbers of people who would like to attend Salt Lake will be very packed this weekend and the service is broadcast by satellite, television, and radio worldwide. Internet broadcast is a recent addition you can check it out at LDS.org. The conference is divided into 5 sessions, a morning and afternoon session on both Saturday and Sunday and a session for the priesthood on Saturday evening.

We will be worshiping God as a community of over 12 million. We will learn stuff, we will repent and become better people as a result, we will praise and give thanks. Because of the time of the year there will probably be some special discussions about the Resurrection of Christ. And most of all the people "with incredible authority and wisdom" were chosen by Christ to speak to us.

Next week we will return to our regularly scheduled Sunday worship schedules (we don't just worship on Easter and Christmas).

This year, we're not holding regular services, no. You see, every six months, our prophet and other church leaders speak to the world and share with us any inspiration they've been given from God to help us draw closer to God and our Savior and to help us be happier. These Conference sessions last for two days and are broadcast all over the world via satellite. They're always amazing, and most of us cherish the chance to listen to our prophet and apostles. Maybe we're not having a typical service, but I think they'll only be more powerful for the fact that they're being held on Easter.

It's not about being isolated and not learning together, though. It's just that Conference is held in a building that can only seat 21,000 people, and to make certain that we all have a chance to hear the words of the prophet, the sessions are televised for those who can't attend in person. Many choose to watch them with their families in their own homes, and some choose to go to the chapels, where satellite feeds have been organized. We still learn together. We still worship together. The organization is just a little different.

As other have said, the Church has a confernce twice a year. These dates have always been set for the first weekend in April and October. And, occasionally, Easter falls on the same weekend.

Now, if you were to watch Conference you would see that the critics, like Johnny Cakes, are completely wrong about what the Church teaches. The Church focuses on Jesus Christ.

Although most of the previous comments describe it wonderfully, I thought I would tie in a few other key points. Church is most definitely about repentance, praise and thanksgiving! Mormons do that every week! General Conference though, is a way to unite the entire LDS church to worship God, and focus on certain things that the church as a whole needs to work on. Because mormons believe in modern day revelation, they believe that their prophet can receive revelation for the entire church to help direct people how best to to come closer to God. Obviously, part of it is very important on a personal level to understand that, but they are at the head to direct the church.

General Conference is always the first weekend in April. This year, Easter just happened to fall on the first weekend in April. Mormon's celebrate Christ's resurrection more than his death. They are grateful for his sacrifice, there is no doubt about that, but there is more focus on how he overcame death, for the entire world.

First of all I would like to say that we do not worship the prophet in any way or any other person or thing besides our savior Jesus Christ! I believe in Jesus Chirst and love him very much! I worship him and love him and praise only him now and forever!

As for your friend I do not know about him...but I am LDS and I have church service this sunday! There is a conference going on and yes you can watch it at home but you can also go to church and watch it, I agree with you that church is not just learning but a place that you can talk to your heavenly father and praise him and give thanks! I think that your friend is taking a the easy way out by staying home and watching it but I just wanted to let you know what not all LDS people are doing that and yes church is still on....I dont think that anything would stop a church service from going on lol.

In our regular churches we had the Easter Program on previous Sunday.

This year Easter happened to fall on the first Sunday of April which is when we always have General Conference. So for Easter, millions of members of the church either went to the actually conference, watched it from the church building, watched it at home on TV with their families, watched it on the internet, or listened to it on the radio. Millions of people watched and listened to it at the same time. What was said was the word of God and it came straight from a living prophet and apostles, and there was lots of talks about the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we all sung songs together about how He Lives. That is the biggest Easter gathering and Celebration that I have ever heard of, millions of people attended.

Are you trying to say the only time we can praise Jesus and repent and give thanksgiving is on Easter Sunday? Mormons attend church regularly, more so than most other Christians. This SUnday will be General Conference and I'm happy it falls on Easter. We get to listen to the words of our Prophet on Easter Sunday, hear his words and learn about Christ and his atoning love for us. If you've never seen/listened to a General Conference you shouldn't disregard it as something other than church.

You do know Easter can fall on any Sunday each year of early or late March to early or late April, right? When Easter isn't on the first week of April, there's a ward/branch Easter program.

As most of everyone had said, General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints happens on the first weekend of April and the first weekend of October. Members have got to hear some instruction from the prophet, apostles and other general leaders just like the members kind do also with their bishop/branch president and stake/district president each Sunday for regular Sunday services, right?

You're more than welcome to browse through the official web sites http://www.lds.org/ and http://www.mormon.org/ and still ask questions to your Latter-day Saint friends and Latter-day Saint acquaintances.

PS: If Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, it's just the Sacrament Meeting rather than going to Sunday School and Priesthood/Relief Society for the next two hours (or previous two; some places let Sacrament Meeting be last and P/RS first).

Why don't you watch a little of it online (www.lds.org) or on Comcast channel 98, or on DirectTV BYU channel. It starts at noon on Saturday and Sunday. Just watch a little of if and see if they talk about repentance, praise, thanksgiving, and Christ. I think that is the only true way to find out what the Mormons believe and think is by finding out yourself.

General Conference is always the first weekend in April and October. It just happens to fall on Easter weekend. This will be GREAT cause there will certainly be talks about Christ and his sacrifice(as there always are). Plus, Mormons usually go to church for 3 hours on Sundays. I have heard a lot of criticism in my day of the Mormon church, but not worshiping as a community or going to church is a first for me.