Early Church Conference Reports

Compiled by Elden J. Watson

January 2016

Personally, I have always felt that discourses delivered in a general conference of the Church are somehow more authoritative than discourses delivered at other times and in other places. The sustaining vote of general authorities (particularly new ones) and the introduction of doctrines/practices have also been of particular interest to me over the years. Recent conference reports are fairly readily available, but early conference reports, from 1830 to April of 1897, are not so readily available. I have compiled from published media, conference reports from the organization of the Church to April of 1897, mostly from the pages of the Deseret News and the Millennial Star. Spelling has frequently been standardized for convenience in searching. For convenience in presentation I have organized these first by decade and then by date within the decade. Click on the decade, then either the year or the date within the year.


  • 1830s


  • 1840s


  • 1850s


  • 1860s


  • 1870s


  • 1880s


  • 1890s


  • These reports were typewritten and not adequately checked for typographical errors. I felt it was important to get the material available on line with only one proofreading thinking additional typos could be corrected later. Suggested corrections may be forwarded to ejwatson@comcast.net and I will try to incorporate them as I have opportunity.