508. General Conference from behind the scenes: Lots of work and preparation!
I visited with the daughter of a neighbor of mine. Her husband works for the Church Security system, and they have many duties to perform , especially during General Conference. If anyone gets sick, needs an ambulance, gets lost (a family member), etc., they have to help. This article is titled:
General Conference from behind the scenes:
General Conference from behind the scenes:
Staging an event the size of general conference is a major undertaking that requires careful planning, both temporally and spiritually. While speakers carefully prepare their messages, the production staff from the Church’s Publishing Services Department performs a variety of interesting tasks that help people across the world receive the word of God.
“We have to remember this is the Lord’s conference,” said Elder Joseph W. Sitati of the First Quorum of the Seventy. “General conference is like scripture. The pattern of how God reveals His will to His children is manifest beautifully at conference as God’s servants deliver messages to those who have come prepared to receive them and be inspired.”
A large amount of resources go into preparing for general conference. Employees of the Church’s Publishing Services Department spend thousands of hours for an event that lasts only a few days. But after conference the work continues. The messages are then broadcast on television, radio and the Internet to millions of members around the world.
Audrey Livingston, lead digital media producer for general conference, said, “I coordinate with the broadcast producer, social media producers, the LDS.org home page producer, and others to ensure that members are aware of and prepared for general conference. General conference provides a great opportunity to receive revelation to personal questions, and we hope that members will prepare by thinking of questions they need answered.”
As an example of how conference provides answers to questions, an article was published on LDS.org after the April 2015 general conference containing 12 common questions that were specifically addressed by conference speakers. It can be found online at: www.lds.org/general-conference/answers-to-personal-questions.
Many people may not realize that work goes on year round for general conference. There are many details that need to be considered. “My team started meeting regularly to prepare for October’s conference in May, shortly after we wrapped up publishing April’s conference in all languages,” said Sister Livingston.
When the live broadcasts of general conference begin, people have a variety of ways they can connect and receive the inspired messages. “We stream live on the home page of LDS.org, as well as on YouTube, and the Mormon Channel website, apps, and Roku,” said Sister Livingston. “Some videos are published within hours of having been streamed live. Archive assets are published on the general conference section of LDS.org, the Gospel Library app, YouTube, Mormon Channel apps and Roku, iTunes, and as CDs and DVDs.”
During conference there are a number of ways to share content with social media as well. When sharing conference related messages and testimonies on social media, members are encouraged to use the hashtag #LDSconf and individual hash tags for Church leaders. A list of conference hashtags can be found athttp://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-hashtag-recommendations.
It’s interesting to note the preferred ways people enjoy consuming general conference. The Church’s Publishing Service Department indicates that video is the preferred format for the live general conference experience. When the content is archived, the preferred way is reading and listening. Many members like to listen to conference talks on their commute, while exercising, or when working around the house.
According to statistics gathered by the Church from the April 2015 conference, there were over 4 million total video views of the live stream from 222 countries or territories throughout the six sessions of general conference. The video archives on LDS.org likewise receive a lot of traffic. They have been accessed over 5.5 million times within the last six months.
“The Lord cares about this work,” said Sister Livingston. “I have seen miracles and tender mercies as we have prepared for general conference. Everything does not always go perfectly, but these messages are important to be relayed to the world, and we are grateful to be able to support them. I have personally felt enabled and supported in my role as I try to ensure all of my team members have what they need so that these messages can bring the Spirit to the lives of members around the world.”
For many employees of the Church, working on conference is a sacred privilege that they enjoy doing by sharing their own talents. “One thing that is inspiring to me is the dedication and passion that each of the team members brings to ensure that the delivery of the general conference messages is a success,” said Sister Livingston. “We all care deeply about general conference, and many sacrifices are made to ensure that it goes well.”
“It is a sacred duty to provide the messages of the Lord’s representatives to people across the globe,” said Elder Sitati. “If members will prepare themselves for conference and then come in a spirit of humility to learn, they will recognize the voice of the Lord and have a revelatory experience.”
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