BYU’s Women’s Conference is the largest two-day gathering of LDS women anywhere in the world and is returning to BYU on April 28-29 for its 40th annual conference.
The theme of the conference this year is “One in Charity” taken from the hymn “Onward, Christian Soldiers.” In an introductory statement for the 2016 BYU Women’s Conference, Chair Sandra Rogers explained “seeking to have pure charity unites us with God and His Son … Through the unity we have with the Lord through charity, we create spiritual and temporal refuge in our families, wards and communities.”
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve, with his wife, Sister Ruth L. Renlund, will speak at the closing general session in the Marriott Center on Friday at 3:45 p.m.
Other general session speakers include Relief Society General President Sister Linda K. Burton, Sister Kristen Oaks, wife of Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve, and BYU President Kevin J Worthen.
LDS.org and the Mormon Channel (both English and Spanish) will be streaming talks by Elder and Sister Renlund and Sister Burton on Friday morning and afternoon.
BYU’s Women’s Conference is co-sponsored by the Relief Society, and it is expected that 15,000 women will attend this year’s event.
More than 200 presenters will share insights on a variety of topics over the course of the two-day conference. Participants may choose from 14 different classes during each of the six hour-long breakout sessions, with an additional four general session presenters that open and close each day.
The conference will feature the 2016 Women’s Conference Instant Choir, made up of 600-800 participants. The choir will sing an arrangement by Suzanne Ostler Shippen of “As Sisters in Zion” and “Love One Another” as well as “Make Us One” by Sally DeFord.
After visiting more than 90 local agencies, the Women’s Conference Service Subcommittee has identified many areas in which participants can offer service with their Take-and-Make service program. Projects include crocheted burp cloths, crocheted scarves, tag monsters, teddy bears and wheelchair/walker bags.
New this year will be the Service Learning locations, where participants can work on service projects while watching and listening to broadcasted sessions. These locations will be available in four different locations on campus.
In addition, more than 60 Sharing Station booths will be open Thursday and Friday. These booths will provide ideas and resources for further service projects. Virtual sharing stations are also available on the Women’s Conference website, including handouts, patterns and instructions from previous stations dating back to 2005.
The Evening of Service Event, “Lives to Brighten,” takes place on Thursday night. Volunteers will be making girls and boys Courage Capes, Christmas stockings, procedure doll kits and fleece blankets as well as other humanitarian projects.
Following the Evening of Service Event, Deseret Book will be hosting a concert featuring several LDS artists such as Hilary Weeks, Michael McLean, Jenny Oaks Baker, Gentri and Nik Day.
The university has opened up more parking lots around campus and increased the amount of courtesy shuttles coming to and from parking areas to accommodate the increase of traffic.
