Elder Ronald A. Rasband shows his well-worn, well-read and heavily marked copy of the 1970 edition of the Book of Mormon.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband shows his well-worn, well-read and heavily marked copy of the 1970 edition of the Book of Mormon during the Saturday morning session of the 192nd General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Oct. 1, 2022. | Cody Bell, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

By Tad Walch

Tad Walch covers religion with a focus on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This article was first published in the ChurchBeat newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Wednesday night.

One talk in general conference on Saturday focused on sharing physical copies of the Book of Mormon.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband briefly noted that the Book of Mormon also can be shared by mobile app, but in his footnotes he went all digital.

“You can share it from your mobile phone,” he wrote, according to the text of his talk provided to journalists covering today’s morning session. “One way is by opening the Gospel Library app, going to the Scriptures collection, and then tapping ‘Share Now’ at the top.”

After the evening session, I walked from the Conference Center back to the Deseret News offices and tried it out with my (super!) friendly newsletter editor, Ginny Romney.

Sure enough, at the top of the Gospel Library app is a handy box with a clear “Share Now” button. Lickety split, I pressed it and then Airdropped it to Ginny. She accepted it and her phone offered her the Book of Mormon app, complete with the entire book of scripture, the new videos the church is producing and more.

There’s another way to do it, too, Elder Rasband said.

“...From within the Book of Mormon app, you can tap the ‘Share’ icon, which displays a digital code that a friend can easily scan using his or her phone.”

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About the church

Sister Tracy Y. Browning became the first Black woman to speak at a general conference. Sister Browning is the second counselor in the Primary general presidency.

A revised edition of the “For Strength of Youth” guidebook also was released with a subtitle, “A Guide to Making Choices.” The updated pocket manual is now less prescriptive and more principle-based, said Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Here are 10 new things to know about the new “For the Strength of Youth.”

Why did President Nelson sit while speaking in general conference? The Church News has the answer.

Behind the scenes

President Russell M. Nelson sits as he speaks during general conference in Salt Lake City on Oct. 1, 2022.
President Russell M. Nelson, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is seated as he speaks during the Saturday morning session of the 192nd Semiannual General Conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Leaders are seated prior to the Saturday morning session of the 192nd Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Oct. 1, 2022. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Elder Ronald A. Rasband, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, hugs his grandchildren prior to the Saturday morning session of the 192nd Semiannual General Conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
President Russell M. Nelson, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, kisses his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, after the Saturday morning session of the 192nd Semiannual General Conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
A woman looks out the window during Saturday afternoon session of the 192nd Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
The cover of the new, revised, renamed edition of “For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices.”
The cover of the new, revised, renamed edition of “For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices,” announced and released by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the first session of the 192nd Semiannual Conference of on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints