Changes in Auxiliary Presidencies; Conference Reaching Increasing Numbers

Members of the Sunday School and Young Men general presidencies will no longer be called from the ranks of the Quorums of the Seventy, Church leaders announced during the Saturday afternoon session of the 174th Annual General Conference. (For the names of those sustained and released, see page 24. For information on the new presidency members, see the biographies on the following pages.)

Since October 1979, the presidencies of the Sunday School and Young Men have been composed of General Authorities serving as full-time members of the Seventy. These new auxiliary leaders will not serve as General Authorities; they will continue their employment while serving part-time in their auxiliary presidency positions.

Other changes include the call of Elder John H. Groberg to the Presidency of the Seventy. Released was Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander, who will begin serving as President of the Europe East Area on 15 August 2004.

In addition, 35 new Area Authority Seventies were called and 11 received releases.

More than 100,000 members gathered at the Conference Center and on Temple Square for the five sessions of general conference. Millions more participated through television, satellite, radio, and Internet broadcasts to receive counsel from Church leaders.

“We are now a great international family,” said President Gordon B. Hinckley during his opening remarks. “To me, it is a marvelous and miraculous thing that … our images and words are available to 95 percent of the membership of the Church.”

In order to reach as many of the almost 12 million members of the Church as possible, conference sessions were interpreted in 66 languages, including in Arabic and several Micronesian languages for the first time.