SALT LAKE CITY — LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson will not attend this weekend's sessions of general conference, the church confirmed Thursday afternoon.

The 90-year-old President Monson, who has served as the president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since Feb. 3, 2008, is dealing with limitations related to age. Without issuing a specific statement or update regarding his participation, church officials confirmed he would not be attending conference and pointed back to a May 23 statement updating his condition.

"Because of limitations incident to his age, President Monson is no longer attending meetings at the church offices on a regular basis," reads the May 23 statement. "He communicates and confers with his counselors on matters as needed. President Monson is grateful that the work of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles continues without interruption. He appreciates the prayers and support of church members."

Earlier Thursday, the LDS Church announced that Elder Robert D. Hales, a member of the Quourm of the Twelve Apostles, has been hospitalized for several days and will not participate in the upcoming general conference.

A mainstay at general conferences since being named a church apostle more than 50 years ago, President Monson spoke briefly twice in each of the past two general conferences, in October 2016 and again this past April. Following the latter, he was hospitalized briefly.

Similar health challenges faced other presidents of the church, including President David O. McKay in the late 1960s, President Spencer W. Kimball in the 1980s, and President Ezra Taft Benson in the late 1980s and early 1990s. A Deseret News article earlier this week took a look at LDS general conferences where church presidents didn't speak or were not in attendance.

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