SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 2, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Thomas S. Monson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, did not speak in the morning or afternoon Saturday sessions of general conference.
Monson did deliver a talk of just four minutes during the Saturday evening priesthood session. In previous years and sessions, his talks have usually run 10 to 15 minutes.
Monson’s comments concerned the importance of the priesthood and the sacred responsibilities that come with it.
The health of Monson, 88, has been a concern since the LDS Church’s conference last October. Close to the end of his address, Monson’s speech slowed down, his voice became breathy, and he seemed to lose his balance.
The LDS Church declined to comment this week on Monson’s health, but did release a statement last spring.
“President Monson is 87. It’s natural that he and others in church leadership are feeling the effects of advancing age,” church spokesman Eric Hawkins said in the May statement.
That statement followed a reduction in Monson’s conference talks, and the fact that he did not meet with President Barack Obama when he visited Utah the month before.
