Landing at the Salt Lake Airport and gazing at the mountains in Utah I feel such a sense of homecoming.  Living in Kansas I miss the mountains, oh how I how miss the mountains.

My favorite mountain is perhaps Mount Timpanogos…the backdrop for the BYU campus.

Mount Timpanogos not only is beautiful but has its own legend. There are multiple versions of the legend.  If you look hard at Mount Timpanogos you can imagine a young Indian Maiden Princess lying on her back with her hair flowing down.  And just as most legends go, the legend of Mount Timpanogos involves two young lovers.  (You can read the legend of the beautiful Indian Princess here.)

Women’s Conference is held on the BYU campus between BYU’S graduation (after Winter semester) and the beginning of spring term.  The annual two-day event attracts an estimated 15,000 women who come to hear leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and attend classes featuring more than 200 presenters on topics such as marriage, family and gospel principles.

Women’s Conference gives me a chance to catch up with two close friends, Ellen Riley and Linda Esplin.  Ellen lives outside of Boston and Linda lives in Phoenix.  Linda and I became friends when I was in graduate school and she was an undergraduate.  We met in the student ward but we bonded over running.   I married Bob and moved to Boston for Bob’s internship and residency.  Linda married Cordell, (attended law school), moved to Hawaii for Cordell’s internship.  Then they moved to Boston for Cordell’s residency.  Here we met Ellen.  We all became fast friends.  Thankfully, we get to meet once a year in Utah for Women’s Conference.  It is a time to renew friendship, catch up on news and bask in the learning opportunities afforded at Women’s Conference.

BYU campus is a beautiful campus.

 

The theme for BYU Women’s Conference this year was: “My soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord.” 2 Nephi 11:5

BYU Women’s Conference is the largest two-day gathering of LDS women anywhere in the world. Over 200 presenters share their perspectives and insights on a variety of topics including womanhood and sisterhood, gospel principles, marriage, family, and practical and timely topics of interest and concern to women of all ages.

One of the memorable classes for me was “A Time for a Woman’s Voice” given by Ally Isom and Michael R. Otterson.  Michael Otterson is head of  public affairs for the church and he talked about the church and social media today.  It really opened my eyes to the need that we need to make a presence on the internet.

I also enjoyed Elder Ballard’s presentation.

General session speakers in the Marriott Center included Sister Wendy Watson Nelson, wife of Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, Young Women general president; Kevin J. Worthen, BYU president, and his wife, Peggy; and Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

I also enjoyed a special presentation at the Fine Arts Museum on the BYU campus.  Artist Brian Krishisnek

spoke on “Nativity and Other Paintings of Women”.

 

also on view through 2016 is a breathtaking display of color:

The two translucent structures filtering through the Museum’s skylight appear to be luminous rays of light refracted through a giant prism. Gabriel Dawe’s stunning Plexus no. 29 is a corporeal installation of colored filament meticulously threaded between the Museum’s mezzanine walls and oculus.

I also got to spend time with my daughter Jen and my grandchildren Becca, Henry, Caroline and Emily!

And the beautiful flowers at temple square…