Women's Conference

This past weekend, we had the blessing and opportunity to have the General Relief Society President of the Church, Sister Julie B. Beck, visit Austin for our Women's Conference.  I serve in the Stake Relief Society Presidency and one of our main activities that we plan each year is our annual Women's Conference for the Sisters in the Stake.  It is quite a big deal that takes months and months of planning and preparation, especially because we prepare for 500 plus Sisters to attend these functions.  

However, this one was on a much bigger scale!  Here is the story...

  

Last year, we decided to ask Church Headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, for permission to have someone from the General Relief Society Board come and speak at our 2012 Women's Conference.  It was quite the process of waiting and to make a long story short, we heard in October that we were approved to have someone come and speak.  However, we were not anticipating the news we received in late November, that Sister Julie B. Beck, would be the visiting Sister!  (It was crazy timing because it was right before Lydia was born!)  We were extremely thrilled for this blessing that she would choose to visit with us, rather than all the other places in the world.  However, since it was such a big deal to have Sister Beck come, we had to expand our Women's Conference to a Central Texas Women's Conference, just hosted by our Stake.  We packed approximately 1800 women into our Stake Center, with thousands of more women through out Central Texas watching via Broadcast, including the 5 Stakes in the San Antonio Area.  

 We printed about 4,000 invitations that were sent out all over Texas.  As a bragging moment, I designed and made these beautiful posters and invitations!  

It was such a wonderful and spiritually fulfilling experience for me and has given me such strength and more knowledge about our Savior's love for each of His Daughter's.  My testimony has been further strengthed.  One of my favorite quotes was "Never suppress a Generous Thought."  She spoke about the new book, Daughters in my Kingdom, which I HIGHLY recommend reading.  I learned so much and will look on this past weekend for strength in my times of trial.  

Since it was our presidency and stake that was in charge of this Women's Conference, I was able to meet and talk to her numerous times over the past weekend.  She knows my Dad quite well from some things they have worked together on through the Church's Welfare program.  Sister Beck is a very humorous person!  I enjoyed getting to know her and be in her presence.  All weekend, she called me Sister Wirthlin Smith!  My Aunt also served on the Relief Society Board with her until just last year.  Also, her Son that came with her, we later found out, worked in the cubicle next to Tyson's Dad!  In fact, he asked Tyson if he was related because Tyson looks like his Dad!  Such a small World. 

It was a testimony strengthening experience to be involved in such a wonderful weekend for the Sisters in our Area.  I love my calling and enjoy meeting so many Sisters in the Gospel!  What a blessing it was for me this past weekend!