The LDS General Conference Recordings Corpus

Abstract

The LDS General Conference Recordings Corpus is an archive containing semi-extemporaneous sermons delivered by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with several individuals appearing repeatedly across decades. While not originally designed for linguistic research, the corpus offers an opportunity to observe phonological and phonetic variation and change across the adult lifespan. Its value for language and aging research lies in its temporal depth, consistency of genre, and the public prominence of its speakers, allowing for reliable biographical contextualization. Despite limitations such as lack of linguistic annotation, limited demographic diversity, and access constraints, the corpus has already supported studies of age-related phonological change and holds further potential for exploring lifespan trajectories. It serves as a compelling example of how found corpora can advance language and aging research.