The First and Final General Conference Talks by the Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Some presidents made final remarks to conclude the conferences. Technically those would be their "final" talks but were brief testimonies or thank yous. For this page I chose their last full addresses. However, some of the final remarks had really good content, so in those cases I included them also. Most of the talks came from general assembly sessions, unless specified. The pictures in the articles don't necessarily reflect the age of the president at the time the talk was given. I included some younger pics just for fun.

Thomas S. Monson Born August 21, 1927 Served as Church President from January 2008 - Present Sustained as President April 2008 President Thomas Monson’s first talk Gordon B. Hinckley Born June 23, 1910 Died January 27, 2008 Served as Church President from March 1995 – January 2008 Sustained as President April 1995 President Gordon Hinckley's first talk President Gordon Hinckley's final address, 3 months before his death. Howard W. Hunter Born November 14, 1907 Died March 3, 1995 Served as Church President from May 1994 - March 1995 Sustained as President October 1994 **Unfortunately, President Hunter only presided over one General Conference before he was diagnosed and quickly succomed to cancer. I used his Priesthood Session talk as his first and his concluding talk as his final address. President Howard Hunter's Priesthood Session talk President Howard Hunter's final talk, given 5 months before his death. Ezra Taft Benson Born August 4, 1899 Died May 30, 1994 Served as Church President from November 1985 – May 1994 Sustained as President April 1986 **President Benson actively spoke at conferences until his health began declining in 1989. He presided over two more conferences, speaking personally at one then having someone read his prepared remarks at the other. Unfortunately his health deteriorated to the point where he was unable to attend another conference. I've posted the last talk he was personally able to give as his "last talk", and his last prepared talk read by proxy as his "final talk". President Ezra Benson's first talk President Ezra Benson's last talk he was able to give before his health failed. President Ezra Benson's final prepared talk, read by his 2nd Counselor, President Thomas S. Monson. He died 5 years later. Spencer W. Kimball Born March 28, 1895 Died November 5, 1985 Served as Church President from December 1973 - November 1985 Sustained as President April 1974 **Toward the end of his life, President Kimball's health declined to where he couldn't personally address the conference attendees. So occasionally he would prepare talks to be read by others on his behalf. Fortunately, despite being unable to speak, he was able to attend most of the conferences up until his death. Like President Benson, I included President Kimball's last talk he gave and the last talk someone gave for him. President Spencer Kimball's first talk President Spencer Kimball's last address he personally gave before his health declined. President Spencer Kimball's final prepared talk, read by his personal secretary D. Arthur Haycock. He died 3 years later. Harold B. Lee Born March 28, 1899 Died December 26, 1973 Served as Church President from July 1972 - December 1973 Sustained as President October 1972 President Harold Lee's first talk. President Harold Lee's final conference talk before his death 2 months later. Joseph Fielding Smith Born July 19, 1876 Died July 2, 1972 Served as Church President from January 1970 - July 1972 Sustained as President April 1970 President Joseph Fielding Smith's First Talk President Joseph Fielding Smith's final full address President Joseph Fielding Smith's closing remarks, given 3 months before his death. David O. McKay Born September 8, 1873 Died January 18, 1970 Served as Church President from April 1951 - January 1970 Sustained as President April 1951 President David McKay's First Talk, President George Albert Smith had just died two days before this conference. President David McKay's Last Conference Talk he had personally given President David McKay's Final Prepared Talk, read by his son, Robert McKay. He passed away 3 months later. George Albert Smith Born April 4, 1870 Died April 4, 1951 Served as Church President from May 1945 - April 1951 Sustained as President October 1945 President George Smith's First Talk President George Smith's Final Talk given 6 months prior to his death. He died 2 days before the next General Conference was to begin.

Heber J. Grant Born November 22, 1856 Died May 14, 1945 Served as Church President from November 1918 - May 1945 Sustained as President April 1919 President Heber Grant's First Talk President Heber Grant's Final Talk, given 37 days before his death. Joseph F. Smith Born November 13, 1838 Died November 19, 1918 Served as Church President from October 1901 - November 1918 Sustained as President November 1901 **President Lorenzo Snow had instructed President Smith to reorganize The First Presidency immediately after his death, rather than delaying a few years as was the previous practice. A special solemn assembly conference was held in November 1901 to sustain President Smith. Subsequent church presidents would continue the practice of promptly reorganizing the First Presidency in the days following the deceased president's funeral. The new president would then be sustained by the body of the church during the next regular conference. President Joseph F. Smith's First Talk, given during a special solemn assembly conference held in November 1901 in response to President Snow's death 4 days after the October 1901 conference. President Joseph F. Smith's Last Talk President Joseph F. Smith's Final Conference Remarks, given 44 days before his death. Lorenzo Snow Born April 3, 1814 Died October 10, 1901 Served as Church President from September 1898 - October 1901 Sustained as President October 1898 **As instructed by The Savior, Lorenzo Snow was the first president to reorganize the First Presidency immediately following the death of the previous prophet. Prior to this when a president died, the Quorum of Twelve Apostles would govern the church for several years until they felt impressed to reorganize the First Presidency. President Lorenzo Snow's Opening Comments of his first conference as President. President Lorenzo Snow's first talk as President. President Lorenzo Snow's Final Conference Talk, given 4 days before his death. Wilford Woodruff Born March 1, 1807 Died September 2, 1898 Served as Church President from July 1887 - September 1898 Sustained as President April 1889 President Wilford Woodruff's First Talk after officially becoming LDS Church President President Wilford Woodruff's Final Talk, given 5 months before his passing. John Taylor Born November 1, 1808 Died July 25, 1887 Served as Church President from August 1877 - July 1887 Sustained as President October 1880 **The church didn't start publishing Conference Reports on a regular basis until 1897. Before this conference minutes and announcements were published and a few talks were transcribed from the stenographer's notes. For Presidents Taylor and Young I searched through their collections of published discourses and found full conference addresses that had been transcribed and published at the approximate times conferences would have been held when their presidencies began and concluded. For the last 3 years of his presidency (and life), John Taylor had been operating the church while in exile, avoiding prosecution by the U.S. Government for polygamy. For his last talk I used one from the last conference I could find that he attended. President John Taylor's First Talk after officially becoming LDS Church President. President John Taylor's Final Talk (I could find), given 3 years before his death. Brigham Young Born June 1, 1801 Died August 29, 1877 Served as Church President from August 1844 - August 1877 Sustained as President December 1847 **After the martyrdom of Joseph Smith in 1844, Brigham Young lead the church from his calling as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. President Young was formally sustained as LDS Church President during a conference held in December 1847 at Council Bluffs, Iowa. I could only find minutes and events recorded during that conference, so I wasn't able to use his actual first talk. Instead, I chose his earliest recorded full discourse I could find after his sustaining. For his last talk I chose a published discourse he gave at a conference shortly before his death, but I can't guarantee it was his absolute final talk. President Brigham Young's Earliest Recorded Conference Talk, after being sustain as LDS Church President. President Brigham Young's Last Recorded Conference Talk, given 4 months before his death. Joseph Smith Born December 23, 1805 Died June 27, 1844 Served as Church President from April 1830 - June 1844 Sustained as President April 1830 **Most of Joseph's talks and sermons came from member's journals and diaries. Detailed transcripts of his addresses weren't kept until the 1840's and were published in portions in church newspapers. Rather than piece a talk together from various topics Joseph spoke about, I used a full recorded address of is given in 1840. His last recorded conference talk I found was his famous "King Follett Sermon", given at the funeral of King Follett during Joseph's last conference. Just for fun I also included the last public sermon Joseph gave before his murder at Carthage. Joseph Smith's 1840 General conference talk "The King Follett Sermon" President Joseph Smith's Last General Conference talk, given 2 months before his martyrdom. "The Christian Godhead - Plurality of Gods" President Joseph Smith's Final Public Address as LDS Church President, given 11 days before his martyrdom.