SALT LAKE CITY -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues to grow by about a million new members every three years.
It’s now more than 15 million strong, but the majority of members live outside the United States and don't speak English.
Saturday, for the first time, speakers at the LDS Church’s biannual General Conference spoke in their native languages.
“The Church is no longer an American Church; it's a global church, and so we want to be able to hear them in their native language,” said church member Gus Checketts.
Saturday, the congregation heard remarks delivered in English, Spanish, and Cantonese—and they read subtitle captions when they didn't understand the spoken word.
Eduardo Gavarett, a member of the LDS Church’s First Quorum of the Seventy, mentioned the change during his remarks Saturday.
"Behold, The Lord has granted unto all nations of their own nation and tongue to teach his word,” he said. “Today, this scripture is fulfilled once more as I've been given the opportunity to express my feelings in my native tongue.”
For members who speak English as a second language, they said they hope the change is something they'll see from now on.
Visit LDS.org for more information on the conference, including links for live streams of the sessions.
