Conference by the Numbers
Families walking along a street of golden light toward a temple at dawn

General Conference · April 2000 to April 2026

The Conference Journey

53 conferences. 1,909 talks. 3.2 million words. Travel through 26 years of General Conference and watch what changed: the phrases, the scriptures, the voices, and how often speakers said the name of Jesus Christ, from 20 times per 10,000 words in April 2000 to 69 in April 2026.

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A family gathered around a television in the early 2000s, listening to conference with open scriptures

Chapter 1 · 2000 to 2007

A New Millennium

591 talks at 16 conferences. Speakers said the name of Jesus Christ 20.5 times per 10,000 words, and 5.8% of talks centered on Him.

President Gordon B. Hinckley presided over these years. Families gathered around television and radio broadcasts, and talks ran long: about 1,770 words each, with only seven footnotes.

591talks
1,766words per talk
7.4footnotes per talk
20.5“Jesus Christ” per 10,000 words
5.8%of talks centered on Him

Phrases of these years

Said far more often in these years than in the rest of 2000 to 2026. The highlighted part of each line shows this chapter.

  • “god bless”43 talks in these years
  • “humbly pray”28 talks in these years
  • “beloved brethren and sisters”20 talks in these years
  • “doctrine and covenants”204 talks in these years

Verse of these years

Moses 1:39cited in 26 talks

Main topics

  • Priesthood49
  • Discipleship and Becoming47
  • Jesus Christ and His Atonement34
  • Testimony and Conversion30

Voices they quoted

Leaders cited most: Joseph Smith (77), Gordon B. Hinckley (34), Brigham Young (30).

Outside authors named most: William Shakespeare (8), Abraham Lincoln (8), Viktor Frankl (8), C. S. Lewis (6).

See Who Quotes Whom →

Talks from these years that later talks cite most

Sketch note for The Challenge to BecomeThe Challenge to BecomeDallin H. Oaks · October 2000Cited by 11 later talksSketch note for Priesthood Authority in the Family and the ChurchPriesthood Authority in the Family and the ChurchDallin H. Oaks · October 2005Cited by 7 later talksSketch note for Good, Better, BestGood, Better, BestDallin H. Oaks · October 2007Cited by 7 later talksSketch note for To the RescueTo the RescueThomas S. Monson · April 2001Cited by 5 later talks
Members of all ages listening to a conference broadcast in a small chapel on a rainy evening

Chapter 2 · 2008 to 2012

Covenants and Temples

374 talks at 10 conferences. Speakers said the name of Jesus Christ 22.5 times per 10,000 words, and 8.0% of talks centered on Him.

President Thomas S. Monson presided from 2008. Talks were still long, but footnotes grew, and covenants and temples became steady themes.

374talks
1,803words per talk
10.3footnotes per talk
22.5“Jesus Christ” per 10,000 words
8.0%of talks centered on Him

Phrases of these years

Said far more often in these years than in the rest of 2000 to 2026. The highlighted part of each line shows this chapter.

  • “personal progress”16 talks in these years
  • “priesthood service”19 talks in these years
  • “relief society”49 talks in these years
  • “visiting teaching”11 talks in these years
  • “spirit of revelation”11 talks in these years

Verse of these years

Mosiah 18:9cited in 26 talks

Main topics

  • Priesthood38
  • Jesus Christ and His Atonement30
  • Discipleship and Becoming23
  • Parenting and Children21

Voices they quoted

Leaders cited most: Joseph Smith (66), Thomas S. Monson (64), Gordon B. Hinckley (35).

Outside authors named most: William Wordsworth (4), Mother Teresa (4), Frederic W. Farrar (4), C. S. Lewis (3).

See Who Quotes Whom →

Talks from these years that later talks cite most

Sketch note for The Power of CovenantsThe Power of CovenantsD. Todd Christofferson · April 2009Cited by 7 later talksSketch note for CovenantsCovenantsRussell M. Nelson · October 2011Cited by 7 later talksSketch note for The Holy Temple—a Beacon to the WorldThe Holy Temple—a Beacon to the WorldThomas S. Monson · April 2011Cited by 6 later talksSketch note for The Divine Gift of RepentanceThe Divine Gift of RepentanceD. Todd Christofferson · October 2011Cited by 6 later talks
Families and students around the world watching conference on phones, tablets and laptops, linked by threads of light

Chapter 3 · 2013 to 2017

Joy and Discipleship

368 talks at 10 conferences. Speakers said the name of Jesus Christ 27.6 times per 10,000 words, and 9.5% of talks centered on Him.

Conference reached members on phones and tablets around the world. Speakers began quoting each other more, and talks centered on the Savior became more common.

368talks
1,706words per talk
12.7footnotes per talk
27.6“Jesus Christ” per 10,000 words
9.5%of talks centered on Him

Phrases of these years

Said far more often in these years than in the rest of 2000 to 2026. The highlighted part of each line shows this chapter.

  • “marriage and family”17 talks in these years
  • “along the path”12 talks in these years
  • “path of discipleship”19 talks in these years
  • “beloved savior”14 talks in these years
  • “heavenly parents”34 talks in these years

Verse of these years

Moses 1:39cited in 34 talks

Main topics

  • Jesus Christ and His Atonement35
  • Discipleship and Becoming28
  • Faith27
  • Ministering and Service20

Voices they quoted

Leaders cited most: Thomas S. Monson (81), Joseph Smith (56), Russell M. Nelson (41).

Outside authors named most: William Shakespeare (7), C. S. Lewis (4), Abraham Lincoln (4), Clayton M. Christensen (4).

See Who Quotes Whom →

Talks from these years that later talks cite most

Sketch note for Joy and Spiritual SurvivalJoy and Spiritual SurvivalRussell M. Nelson · October 2016Cited by 46 later talksSketch note for The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?Russell M. Nelson · October 2017Cited by 22 later talksSketch note for A Plea to My SistersA Plea to My SistersRussell M. Nelson · October 2015Cited by 20 later talksSketch note for Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our LivesDrawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our LivesRussell M. Nelson · April 2017Cited by 18 later talks

Interlude · 53 conferences

The light grows

How often speakers said the full name “Jesus Christ,” per 10,000 words, at every conference from April 2000 to April 2026. Keep scrolling to draw the line.

April 2000: 20.4 per 10,000 words

An empty auditorium with a single lit pulpit, and homes outside where families gather with scriptures

Chapter 4 · 2018 to 2021

Hear Him

275 talks at 8 conferences. Speakers said the name of Jesus Christ 42.7 times per 10,000 words, and 12.4% of talks centered on Him.

President Russell M. Nelson presided from 2018. Ministering replaced home and visiting teaching in April 2018, Come, Follow Me moved study into homes in 2019, and in April 2020 conference met without a congregation.

275talks
1,600words per talk
15.9footnotes per talk
42.7“Jesus Christ” per 10,000 words
12.4%of talks centered on Him

Phrases of these years

Said far more often in these years than in the rest of 2000 to 2026. The highlighted part of each line shows this chapter.

  • “let god prevail”12 talks in these years
  • “high priests”8 talks in these years
  • “temple and family history”19 talks in these years
  • “gather israel”20 talks in these years
  • “sides of the veil”30 talks in these years

Verse of these years

Alma 7:12cited in 25 talks

Main topics

  • Jesus Christ and His Atonement34
  • Discipleship and Becoming27
  • Trials, Adversity and Healing17
  • Faith16

Voices they quoted

Leaders cited most: Russell M. Nelson (150), Joseph Smith (76), Dallin H. Oaks (36).

Outside authors named most: C. S. Lewis (5), Susan Easton Black (5), Abraham Lincoln (3), Hugh Nibley (3).

See Who Quotes Whom →

Talks from these years that later talks cite most

Sketch note for Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our LivesRevelation for the Church, Revelation for Our LivesRussell M. Nelson · April 2018Cited by 43 later talksSketch note for Let God PrevailLet God PrevailRussell M. Nelson · October 2020Cited by 38 later talksSketch note for We Can Do Better and Be BetterWe Can Do Better and Be BetterRussell M. Nelson · April 2019Cited by 30 later talksSketch note for The Temple and Your Spiritual FoundationThe Temple and Your Spiritual FoundationRussell M. Nelson · October 2021Cited by 21 later talks
The earth at night with points of light across every continent, joined by arcs of gold, as the sun rises

Chapter 5 · 2022 to 2026

The Covenant Path

301 talks at 9 conferences. Speakers said the name of Jesus Christ 53.8 times per 10,000 words, and 22.3% of talks centered on Him.

Talks grew shorter and more focused. April 2026 began with a solemn assembly to sustain a new First Presidency, led by President Dallin H. Oaks, and speakers said the name of Jesus Christ more often than at any conference since 2000.

301talks
1,514words per talk
20.9footnotes per talk
53.8“Jesus Christ” per 10,000 words
22.3%of talks centered on Him

Phrases of these years

Said far more often in these years than in the rest of 2000 to 2026. The highlighted part of each line shows this chapter.

  • “jesus christ's”34 talks in these years
  • “relationship with god”18 talks in these years
  • “power of jesus christ”27 talks in these years
  • “through jesus christ”20 talks in these years
  • “fallen world”20 talks in these years

Verse of these years

Matthew 11:28cited in 35 talks

Main topics

  • Jesus Christ and His Atonement67
  • Discipleship and Becoming28
  • Covenants and Ordinances17
  • Faith14

Voices they quoted

Leaders cited most: Russell M. Nelson (210), Joseph Smith (79), Dallin H. Oaks (79).

Outside authors named most: C. S. Lewis (3), William Shakespeare (2), Charles Dickens (2), Robert Frost (2).

See Who Quotes Whom →

Talks from these years that later talks cite most

Sketch note for Overcome the World and Find RestOvercome the World and Find RestRussell M. Nelson · October 2022Cited by 48 later talksSketch note for The Power of Spiritual MomentumThe Power of Spiritual MomentumRussell M. Nelson · April 2022Cited by 26 later talksSketch note for Peacemakers NeededPeacemakers NeededRussell M. Nelson · April 2023Cited by 26 later talksSketch note for Think Celestial!Think Celestial!Russell M. Nelson · October 2023Cited by 23 later talks
People of every nation walking together on a path of light toward a bright sunrise

The road ahead

Where we are headed

Conference does not predict the future, but it shows what speakers are asking us to focus on now. These are the phrases and topics rising fastest in the talks since 2022.

Phrases rising fastest

Uses per 10,000 words since 2022, compared with 2000 to 2017.

  • “covenant path”3.06 vs 0.12 per 10,000 words
  • “let god prevail”0.47 vs 0.0 per 10,000 words
  • “jesus christ's”1.04 vs 0.06 per 10,000 words
  • “covenants with god”1.21 vs 0.1 per 10,000 words
  • “power of jesus christ”0.66 vs 0.04 per 10,000 words
  • “relationship with god”0.62 vs 0.04 per 10,000 words
  • “through jesus christ”0.63 vs 0.05 per 10,000 words
  • “gathering of israel”0.74 vs 0.09 per 10,000 words

Topics growing most

Share of talks with each main topic, 2000s compared with the 2020s.

Taken together, the trend points one way: toward Jesus Christ, the covenants that bind us to Him, His temples, and gathering Israel on both sides of the veil before He comes again.

Your turn on the road

The next conference adds another step to the journey. Pick one talk from a chapter above, read it this week, and notice what it teaches you about Him.

Conference Wrapped All the charts The Scripture Web Conference Sketch Notes

Art is an artist's imagining. The Savior is represented only as light. Context notes describe well-known events; every number comes from the official talk pages.