BYU holds first fully virtual women’s conference

BYU hosted its first fully virtual women’s conference on May 1. The event was hosted by BYU’s International Vice President Sandra Rogers, who was also the first speaker in the live session of the conference.

Rogers spoke about safely gathering Israel during uncertain times. She reminded viewers that the first part of gathering everyone to Christ is to bring one’s self to Him, and she shared her belief that the Lord “will give us strength as we climb this 2020 verison of a pioneer rocky ridge.”

Rogers was followed by Kate Holbrook, the managing historian of women’s history for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Holbrook focused on revelation and the process that it sometimes requires, citing the origins of the Church as an example of revelation that took many years.

“When it takes a long time for an initial revelation to bear actual fruit, some of us start to doubt our interpretation of the revelation. While it’s good to be prayerfully open to the possibility that we have misunderstood something, it’s also important to remember that revelation is a process and takes time,” Holbrook said.

Holbrook also spoke to those who feel they don’t receive revelation as easily as others around them, suggesting three remedies: remaining humble, recognizing that individual differences mean some have an easier time receiving revelation and recognizing the good that comes from participating in the Church. She also pointed out that receiving revelation is a skill that can be learned and encouraged women to strive to improve in that skill.

After the live session, there was a pre-recorded “Sister-to-Sister Conversation” with Sister Reyna I. Aburto, second counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency; Sister Becky Craven, second counselor in the Young Women General Presidency; and Sister Lisa L. Harkness, first counselor in the Primary General Presidency. The conversation was led by Tracy Browning of the Relief Society General Board, who picked from questions that had been sent in by members of the Church prior to the conversation.

The women discussed everything from how their schedules have changed during the quarantine to their experiences as young mothers and how women can apply the power of the priesthood in their lives. At the end of the video, they encouraged women to continue seeking out their own answers to unanswered questions and to find ways to safely serve and gather Israel.

There are four other pre-recorded videos that were released at noon on May 1 as part of the conference. They are talks from others that had originally been invited to speak at the on-campus event, including Jean B. Bingham and Sharon Eubank, the president and first counselor of the Relief Society General Presidency, respectively. Bingham and Eubank spoke in their video about gathering together in the latter days.