RELIGION

2 days after meeting with President Obama, Mormon leaders set to kick off biannual conference

Associated Press
Published | Updated

FILE - In this Sept. 3, 2014, file photo, shows flowers blooming in front of the Salt Lake Temple in Temple Square, in Salt Lake City. More than 100,000 Mormons will descend on Salt Lake City beginning Saturday, April 4, 2015 for the faith’s biannual conference to listen to spiritual guidance from leaders and to learn about church news. Millions more will watch live broadcasts of the event from around the U.S. and in more than 200 other countries. This year marks the conference’s 185th year. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) (The Associated Press)

People attend the opening session of the Mormon church conference Saturday, April 4, 2015, in Salt Lake City. More than 100,000 people will file in and out of the church's conference center over five sessions Saturday and Sunday. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (The Associated Press)

President Thomas S. Monson, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, waves to the audience during the opening session of the Mormon church conference Saturday, April 4, 2015, in Salt Lake City. More than 100,000 people will file in and out of the church's conference center over five sessions Saturday and Sunday. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (The Associated Press)

The biannual Mormon conference is set to kick off in Salt Lake City Saturday morning.

More than 100,000 people will file in and out of the church's conference center over five sessions Saturday and Sunday. They come to receive spiritual guidance and hear about church news.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds two conferences each year: one in the spring and one in the fall.

This conference comes just two days after four of the faith's highest-ranking leaders met with President Obama during his visit to Utah.

Absent from that meeting was Church President Thomas S. Monson. Church officials said the 87-year-old needed to preserve his strength for the conference. Monson is expected to give the welcoming address as always at the first session Saturday morning.