Today, thousands of women gathered at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah for the first day of the annual BYU Women’s Conference, co-sponsored by the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We just found an enjoyable Mormon Times article that tells a little of the history of Women’s Conference. The Conference began in 1976, and was entitled “The LDS Woman: Potentialities and Promises.” Belle S. Spafford, who gave the opening address for the conference, predicted that it would someday be an event that would fill the Marriott Center. She wasn’t far off.

The first conference that year had about 900 participants; now around 20,000 women gather to listen, learn, serve, and strengthen one another. Sister Ardeth G. Kapp, former General Young Women’s President, who was involved in the early years, is quoted saying that BYU Women’s Conference “has become kind of a gathering place.”

For the many of us around the world who were not able to attend physically, we can gather virtually on May 14 and 15 to hear rebroadcasts of some of the addresses from the 2009 Women’s Conference. They will be available on May 14 and 15. More information can be found here.

And don’t forget that sharing station information and transcripts will be available on the official Women’s Conference website in the coming weeks. (While you are waiting, consider enjoying content from past years!)