LDS Church Sustains New Prophet at April 2026 General Conference Over Easter Weekend

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held its 196th Annual General Conference over Easter weekend, April 4-5, 2026, at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, marking one of the most significant gatherings in recent church history.

In a solemn assembly, President Dallin H. Oaks was sustained as the 18th prophet-president of the church, presiding over his first general conference since his ordination on October 14, 2025. President Henry B. Eyring serves as first counselor and President D. Todd Christofferson as second counselor in the First Presidency.

Two new apostles were called to fill vacancies in the Quorum of the Twelve: Elder Gérald Caussé, 62, who becomes the first member of the Quorum from France, having previously served as the Church's presiding bishop for a decade; and Elder Clark G. Gilbert. In his first address as an apostle, Elder Caussé spoke about learning to love even more and testified that Jesus is the Christ.

The church's annual statistical report revealed significant growth. As of December 31, 2025, worldwide membership reached 17,887,212, with 385,490 convert baptisms representing a nearly 25% increase from the previous year. Enrollment in Seminaries and Institutes of Religion also surpassed one million students worldwide.

A new Primary General Presidency was sustained, with President Rosemary K. Chibota of Malawi and Zimbabwe as president, Sister Nina M. Garfield as first counselor, and Sister Theresa A. Collins as second counselor, with their service scheduled to begin August 1, 2026.

Eight new General Authority Seventies were announced, including Elder Christian C. Chigbundu of Nigeria and Elder Thabo Lebethoa of South Africa, reflecting the church's growing global diversity. The conference also announced that beginning the first week of September 2026, the Sunday worship class schedule will be adjusted to better serve congregations worldwide.