- general-conference-behind-the-scenes
- general-conference-behind-the-scenes
- general-conference-behind-the-scenes
- general-conference-behind-the-scenes
- general-conference-behind-the-scenes
- general-conference-behind-the-scenes
- general-conference-behind-the-scenes
- general-conference-behind-the-scenes
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Three recently released behind-the-scenes videos from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints highlight a few of the countless tasks that thousands of employees and volunteers on various teams perform every six months to ensure the worldwide general conference is executed successfully.
The videos, which focus on the work of the staging crew, guest services and interpreters, are the first in a series whose main purpose is “to thank the many hands and hearts for whom general conference is a labor of love,” said Craig Middlemas, a digital content manager who is involved in the Church’s Priesthood and Family Department’s production of the videos.
By highlighting individual and personal stories, the series seeks to demonstrate the colossal efforts, volume and large numbers needed to execute each conference.
Featured stories illustrate the concept that “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass” (Alma 37:6), and show Latter-day Saints that “just as it takes many hands doing unseen parts of general conference, all their small contributions matter as well. Each adds to the effort of building the kingdom of God by small and simple contributions,” said Middlemas.
“By sharing the small miracles that happen every conference, we demonstrate that God is in the details of this work and blesses us to achieve His purposes,” he said.
Staging Crew
The first video, Behind the Scenes of General Conference: The Staging Crew, introduces the staging crew and its “herculean” task of moving and assembling the general conference stage in the Conference Center, which takes three weeks.
The supervisor of the staging crew, Joel Wright, has been helping to set up general conference since the first meeting was held in the Conference Center in April 2000.
In the video, he says that despite sometimes wondering how all the necessary tasks can get done, “I’ve seen the hand of the Lord involved in that.”
Guest Services
A second Behind the Scenes of General Conference video highlights the tasks of guest services missionaries who help 20,000 guests to their seats and out again for each session of general conference. Each missionary interacts with more than 5,000 guests during the five conference sessions.
“They do it with a love of Christ in their hearts and a determination to make each guest feel loved and invited, regardless of who they are or where they are in their discipleship,” the video description states.
Interpretation
On Saturday, March 29, the Church released the third video, which covers the work of the 57 language interpretation teams in Salt Lake City and 143 teams worldwide.
“The fact that interpretation happens simultaneously in all regions of the world humbles me,” says Eulan, a Korean interpreter, in the video. “Countless interpreters are all delivering one message at the same moment, like a beautiful symphony.”
More to Come
More episodes of the Church’s Behind the Scenes of General Conference series will be published in the coming months and years, and translated versions in Spanish, Portuguese and French will be available around June.