During each conference, church members gather in a series of two-hour sessions to listen to the faith's leaders.

The sessions are broadcast worldwide in over 90 languages, primarily through local and international media outlets, and over the Internet.

Historically, sessions were held over three days, with the annual conference always including April 6, the anniversary of the church's organization.

This made conference participation difficult for those with work and school commitments when April 6 fell on a weekday.

In October 2017, the First Presidency had announced that, beginning in April 2018, the Priesthood Session for all holders of the Aaronic or Melchizedek priesthoods would occur during the April conference, with a General Women's Session for all women and girls ages 11[8] or older held during October's conference.

[14][15] The proceedings of a general conference are traditionally been conducted in English, although for a short time,[16] beginning in October 2014, speakers delivering sermons had the option of speaking in their native language.

[19] The conducting official introduces the various speakers, which over the course of the sessions will generally include all members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and a selection of other church leaders.

The person conducting asks all of those who are in favor of sustaining the current leadership or the calling of a new leader to raise their hand in a "vote."

At a solemn assembly, groups of Latter-day Saints are asked to stand in succession and sustain the new president of the church.

However, the sermons given at general conference are held in particularly high esteem and they are considered the will of God to the church members at the current time.

[23] The sermons (called "talks") are published in Liahona, an official church magazine, the month following a General Conference.

[25] Live coverage of the conferences are also shown on local television and radio stations with ties to the Church.

These include Utah's NBC affiliate KSL-TV and ABC News Radio affiliate KSL (AM)/FM (owned by Bonneville International, a commercial broadcasting arm of the church), KBYU-FM and KBYU-TV (public broadcasters owned by Brigham Young University), Latter-day Saints Channel (the church-owned radio network, which also has additional HD Radio coverage in Bonneville markets), KIXR 1400 K-Star, KUTN Star 96.7, KMGR 99.1 Classy FM, BYU Television (national cable and satellite, and over KBYU-DT2), and BYU Radio.