While the amount of good that technology has done for the church is undeniable there is a cost associated with its use. It used to be that during Stake Conference a presiding authority would be present. Usually a member of the Seventy, but occasionally a member of the Twelve. This would cause all sorts of excitement within the stake as everyone prepared for the conference. With the introduction of stake conferences via satellite a bit of that excitement has been lost. It just isn't the same to view someone on a projector screen as it is to have them there in person. This does reduce the strain on the general authorities, but it also distances them from the people. Hopefully this change doesn't foreshadow a day when we see these faces on the screen, but don't associate them with real people. There is a sense you can get when speaking face to face with someone that you can't get through a video feed. This is why companies prefer to interview in person when possible, and why interviews with the Bishopric and Stake leaders is done in person. Technology can take away as much as it gives. We should be careful to use technology as it fits the needs of the church, and to not adjust the needs of the church to fit technology.

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