Is God’s love ‘unconditional’? What the scriptures teach about feeling His presence

Every April and October, the Mormon community knows what time it is: conference time. But it didn’t start out that way. For the first several years of the Church, a conference could be called at any time, usually when the Prophet Joseph Smith had business to discuss, problems to solve, or new revelations to announce. As conferences became more regular and Church membership grew, however, the purpose and practice of conference became more defined to the two-day spiritual feast it is today. Here are a few things that have been done during conference over the years, but that we no longer do nowadays.

Sister Erin Roach, a missionary serving in Berlin, Germany, sang this stunning original song about Christ at a fireside. After the touching performance, one inspired listener, Mariella, approached Sister Roach about recording the song professionally so that its message could be shared with a broader audience, according to Mormon Light. Mariella invited Sister Roach to a studio, and they created the following music video:

In this time when our bodies are portrayed as imperfect and unworthy, learn how you can help your daughters find their own real beauty in an unrealistic world.

This article is sponsored by Oil Vault.

General conferences in the early days of the Church were not known for their conciseness or brevity. In 1867, the first general conference in the Tabernacle on Temple Square (which was still under construction at the time) began on a Monday and included a diverse range of topics, including the need to educate women about business so men could focus on agriculture and construction.

Everyone has their own style and means of watching general conference. What's yours?

A study released today reveals new insights about society's views on the Ten Commandments and lying in particular. In addition to evaluating how various political parties and age demographics view the Ten Commandments, the study shows how Mormons line up compared to the rest of the world.

Ready for conference yet? Though we always look forward to the inspiring words from our living prophet and apostles, there is also a humorous side to some of our general conference traditions. Check out these hilarious comics from LDS artists.

LDS 12-year-old Jude Stamper was drafted by the Michigan basketball team with Team IMPACT earlier this season. Though born with a joint disorder called arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, he is now heading to the Final Four with his team. “They have embraced him. Coach Beilein absolutely loves him and he tells him that. He tells him he is a light in their lives,” said his mom, Courtney Stamper. “They have fully opened their doors not only to Jude, but our family.”