In the opening moments of the Church's 176th Semiannual General Conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley reported that the Church continues to grow in strength and influence.

Opening semiannual general conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke of Church's progress.

Photo by Tom Smart, Deseret Morning News

Optimistic about his health, President Gordon B. Hinckley waves at conclusion of the 176th Semiannual General Conference. With him are others of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, including his first counselor, President Thomas S. Monson. President Hinckley spoke at four of the five sessions.

Photo by August Miller, Deseret Morning News

President Gordon B. Hinckley, with President Thomas S. Monson, passes members of Quorum of Twelve after Saturday morning session.

"Altogether, I can only report that the Lord is richly blessing His Church, and our duty is to do all we can to move it forward," he said.

Latter-day Saints worldwide gathered Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 for the conference to hear President Hinckley and other Church leaders offer counsel and direction.

President Hinckley presided over the four general sessions, two each on Saturday and Sunday, and the priesthood session Saturday evening. During three addresses, he asked Church members to increase their faith, counseled priesthood brethren to rise to their potential, and spoke of the Church's remarkable progress.

"In 1982, some 24 years ago, I noted in my journal: 'There will be in place for the October general conference more than 300 downlinks in our satellite service. This means that we will have more than 300 stake centers, where our people may gather across the nation and participate in the conference.'

"I am now advised that there are 6,066 Church-owned satellite receiving sites in 83 countries," President Hinckley said Saturday morning. "How grateful I am that with our growth in numbers there is also an increased ability to reach out and communicate with the Latter-day Saints throughout the world."

President Hinckley said the Church could wish for more baptisms in the United States and Canada, but that could be said of anywhere in the world. "The harvest is great with members in some 160 nations. Where not long ago there were very few Latter-day Saints, today there are strong wards and stakes, with faithful and capable men and women in leadership."

Though, he said, there are limitations on the ability of Church leaders to travel, there is compensation in the ability of the First Presidency and other General Authorities to speak by satellite to large numbers of stakes throughout the world.

The majority of the Church membership who participated in general conference did so via satellite. In addition to capacity crowds filling the 21,000-seat Conference Center and overflow areas on Temple Square, the conference was sent via satellite to 6,066 Church buildings in 83 countries worldwide. The sessions were translated into 85 languages; live audio for the sessions was available in those languages via the Internet.

Conference was also broadcast on KSL-TV and BYU-TV, in Spanish on KSVN-TV and KBYU-TV, and to more than 1,700 cable television systems and radio and television stations in the United States and Canada. Closed captioning of the proceedings was available in Spanish.

The 360-voice Mormon Tabernacle Choir, under the direction of Craig Jessop and Mack Wilberg, provided music for three sessions of the conference. A combined choir from the Provo Missionary Training Center performed Saturday afternoon and a Melchizedek Priesthood Choir from Brigham City, Utah, provided music for the priesthood session.

Recalling recent events in the Church, President Hinckley spoke of the dedication of the Sacramento California Temple, the 123rd temple worldwide. He also reported that the renovation of the Salt Lake Tabernacle is proceeding on schedule and will again accommodate the Tabernacle Choir for its weekly broadcasts. In addition, he noted that the Church is undertaking a huge redevelopment project, which will not involve the expenditure of tithing funds, in the interest of protecting the environment of Temple Square. (See report on page 2.) "The faithfulness of our people continues to be demonstrated in the payment of tithes and offerings," he said.

In addition, other conference highlights included:

• Eight members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy were released from full-time service as General Authorities of the Church. One new Area Seventy was sustained and three Area Seventies were released. (See page 23.)

• During President Hinckley's Sunday address, he reported his health was good after he underwent additional treatment after a surgical procedure earlier this year.

• On Sunday morning, President Hinckley spoke on faith, paying tribute to the handcart pioneers in the 150th anniversary year of their arrival to the Salt Lake Valley.

• A tender conclusion to the conference came during the closing hymn. As the Tabernacle Choir sang "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet," the entire congregation rose and joined in singing the hymn, which President Hinckley has repeatedly stated is an anthem in honor of Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration. Nevertheless, it was evident that members of the congregation sang in honor of President Hinckley also.

The tender feelings continued as President Hinckley, in leaving the podium, paused and waved farewell to the congregation in the Conference Center.