With President Ezra Taft Benson seated on the stand in the Tabernacle, the 162nd Annual General Conference commenced Saturday morning, April 4.

The conference consisted of two general sessions and a priesthood session on the opening day and two general sessions the next day, Sunday, April 5.President Benson's counselors, President Gordon B. Hinckley and President Thomas S. Monson, took turns conducting the conference, and each spoke in behalf of the 92-year-old Church leader, who attended for the first hour of each of the morning sessions. (Please see pages 5 and 19.)

As the conference drew to an end, President Hinckley said, "We have feasted on the word of God."

A new Young Women general presidency was sustained during the Saturday afternoon session.

Twenty-seven General Authorities delivered 31 addresses during the two days of the conference. In addition, addresses were given by Ardeth G. Kapp, who was released April 4 after having served eight years as president of the Young Women, and by her successor, Janette C. Hales.

All conference sessions were transmitted by satellite to more than 3,000 meetinghouses throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the West Indies and the Dominican Republic. All sessions except the priesthood meeting were transmitted by satellite to more than 800 television systems in the United States. Conference was broadcast in 17 languages.

For the first time, the Sunday morning session of conference was transmitted to receivers in Frankfurt, Germany; Huddersfield, England; and Versaille, France. Church units in areas of the world where the satellite or other transmissions were not available will receive videotapes of conference sessions.

Portions of the conference were provided to commercial television and radio stations and cable networks in the United States on a public service basis.

This conference attracted one of the largest crowds to the 10-acre block in the past few years, according to Greg Mortimer, operations supervisor for Temple Square. "No data is available on the number who attended the conference, since nobody takes any numbers," he said. "But by observation, especially on Temple Square, this was a very well-attended conference."

One hundred eighty-five ushers helped conference-goers find seating in the Tabernacle, which was filled during each session. Overflow seating was provided in the Assembly Hall, located south of the Tabernacle on Temple Square.

Outside on the grounds, hundreds of people enjoyed the conference atmosphere while listening to the proceedings over loudspeakers. Crowds on the Square were especially heavy Sunday.