FILE - The opening session of the two-day Mormon church conference is shown Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013, in Salt Lake City. In the 19th century, it was common for a couple years to pass before a new president was named. The last time a church president died just before a general conference was in April 1951, with the death of George Albert Smith. Today, it is not uncommon for a living president to miss a conference for health reasons, especially given their ages. In addition to Nelson’s death, the faithful have been reeling from the attack on one of their congregations in Michigan last weekend.