by Elizabeth Nielson
Q: What stakes are included in the Multi-Stake Broadcast?
President Talley: It varies from broadcast to broadcast. The western portion of the North America Northeast Region will most likely be included. That will probably include all of Ohio, as well as parts of Indiana, Michigan, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Possibly Pennsylvania as well.
Q: Why is it a broadcast to a certain area, and not to the entire church?
President Talley: That’s what’s unique to these Multi-Stake Broadcasts. The brethren are aware of our different issues all over the world. They receive information from stake and regional leaders, and they have access to statistics and trends as well. With Multi-Stake Broadcasts, they are able to tailor their message to the kinds of issues and challenges that are particular to our area. They are vested with authority for specific revelation for us. General Conference is for all the world, but this broadcast is just for the needs of our area. Our challenges are different than those for the saints in Utah, or in the South, or in China, or in Africa. So they take the time to deliver a message specific to us.
Q: How long is the broadcast?
President Talley: The broadcast itself is 90 minutes, but they ask the individual units to provide an additional 30 minutes of content at the beginning — a hymn, a prayer, and a talk, maybe a choir — so the entire meeting is 2 hours. We close with prayer in our local units as well.
Q: Do we stay in our local buildings or go to the stake center for the broadcast?
President Talley: The stake presidency discussed this a lot, and we feel that our wards and branches are so far flung that it is best for the members to stay in their local buildings to hear the broadcast. We’d like as many people to attend as possible, and attendance will probably increase if people can stay close to home. Each building will begin the meeting at 10 a.m.
Q: How often do Multi-Stake Broadcasts occur?
President Talley: They’re held every other year in the spring. It’s just coincidental that it falls the same month as stake conference this year.
Q: Have you received word on who will be speaking at this broadcast?
President Talley: No, but one of the members of the First Presidency or one of the Twelve will preside. That’s the other blessing we get from Multi-Stake Broadcasts: we get to hear from a member of the Twelve or First Presidency this way. They would love to travel from stake to stake and speak to the members, but it’s not always feasible. Most of their travel is done internationally, not domestically. With a Multi-Stake Broadcast, a member of the Twelve can speak to us directly without having to travel here. It’s a way for us to hear them, even though they can’t interact with us as they’d like to. Again, it really is remarkable that we can receive specific revelation, just for our area.
Akron Ohio Stake News 