Read the latest from Emily's “Today in the Bloggernacle” feature.

It's one of my favorite times of the Bloggernacle year: general conference! Bloggers come together from near and far to share insights, stories, traditions, quotes, and more as they listen to the words beamed out of the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.

And the hearkening options grow as technology grows. Bloggers can view the proceedings online, listen online, listen in person and blog from the Conference Center, update Facebook, Twitter out quotes, Twitter links, Twitter spiritual impressions, comment on talks and so much more. For a neat example of the many online listeners, check out comments on the "LDS Newsroom Facebook page" describing where people were listening. Many said online, including this man: "Internet audio; Diyala Province Iraq."

Wow. Conference, through the aid of technology, brings Mormons across the world together.



If tradition holds, the blog coverage of conference will continue in the weeks to come. But here are some first impressions from across the Bloggernacle:

Temples announced: As I'm sure you've heard, there were "Five New Temples Announced" and as usual, the LDS Church Growth blog does a great job explaining how many stakes will likely be covered by these temples. And over at Keepapitchinin, Ardis E. Parshall takes the online chatter concerning the capacity of the existing temples and rewinds us back to the "Temple Schedule, 1941," illustrating that those seven temples were nowhere near the capacity they enjoy now.

Favorite quotes: What were your "Favorite Quotes from Conference"? Was it President Uchtdorf's "Divine love makes common words into scripture" or maybe "Prayer is your personal key to heaven. The lock is on your side of the veil" from Elder Packer? Click for some more blogger favorites.

Personalizing conference: "It is halftime on Saturday for General Conference. While I watch these great men from afar, it made me think of a few close up experiences I have had." And with that, this blogger launches a fun/spiritual story-filled post about meeting some apostles. The commenters then begin retelling their own stories of "Personal Interactions with Apostles." And check out this memorable guest post by BYU ancient scripture professor Clyde Williams, where he provides "My Recollections of General Conference," even remembering attending when David O. McKay was prophet. Nice.

Twitter trending: It was fun to follow the Twitter streams as Mormons from all over talked about conference in 140 characters or less. And #ldsconf trended during at least a few of the sessions -- meaning it was one of the highest topics on Twitter, even breaking into the top 10. One commenter said excitedly: "Twitter even has an official explanation of why #ldsconf is trending 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church) is holding its 179th semi-annual General Conference in Salt Lake City, UT Oct. 3-4, 2009.' How many millions of people will see this on Twitter? What a great missionary tool." And one of my favorite tweets? "Elder Oaks' sincere, simple testimony: 'He lives.'"

Conference lists: Taking Bishop Burton's theme and running with it, this blogger made a thorough word list of "-ity virtures and -ity vices." After studying it, she learned "that there is progression in virtues and regression in vices." And what small and simple but powerful things did you notice about conference? One blogger made his own list: "General Conference, Noticing the Little Things" such as "President Eyring's broad smile at the beginning of his talks" and "Elder Holland is now the official conference cleanup hitter. He doesn't just address a topic, he slams it."

Slams it, indeed.

Now onto other conference posts from this last week in the Bloggernacle:

Power pick: "It's a wonderful, wonderful online life." I am not the only one who loves enjoying conference via the Internet. In "Online Life -- General Conference," this blogger explains that it wasn't all that long ago that when the last general conference "Amen" was spoken you had to wait a month or so for the Ensign to come out to re-read the talks given. But now (as outlined by my Techie Tip below) with just a few clicks you can be back enjoying conference just hours later. However, she rightly warns that "with greater access to the words of the prophets we should also gain greater understanding." And this comment by jeans totally reiterates the wonderfulness of the Bloggernacle general conference experience: "I will say that the Bloggernacle, and its semiannual set of Conference-related threads, (has) taught me to love, to celebrate, and to anticipate Conference more than I ever thought possible." Hear, hear!

Book club: Want to join a blog-based "General Conference Book Club"? What a great idea! Each Sunday the moderator posts a new talk to discuss online. And right off the bat, she's got Week 1 up already, asking for your favorite snippets from this last weekend's conference. She explains that there is no obligation and you can come and go as you please, but that after she posts a talk "you can read it and comment at any point during the week and be part of a discussion group about the principles learned." She advises to subscribe to the comments so you can get notifications of further discussion. Wow, again this is a fabulous way to study and learn together the words from the prophets!

Techie tip: OK, this is easy. Just click or bookmark this link to the English version of the "179^th Semiannual General Conference, October 2009" to have instant access to the talks once again. Right now, the full audio is up. And "text files will be posted today and tomorrow as soon as approved by each speaker," said Larry Richman, director of the Church Publications and Media Project Office. And did you notice that music is available to listen to or to download? So let me conclude with the thrilling cadences of one of my favorite moments from general conference, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing "O Divine Redeemer."