Mormon Church Makes Changes to General Conferences

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Salt Lake City-based Mormon church will be changing the way it holds future general conferences.The changes announced Friday by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call for holding the general priesthood and the general women's sessions only once a year, with the all-male priesthood session being in April and the women's session being in October.  The changes will take effect in April 2018. The church says in a letter to local church leaders that shortening the general conference sessions helps simplify work of the church and reduce demands made upon its leaders and members. Some Mormon women are wondering whether the change will have any effect on the number of women who speak during the conference sessions.