Tulips at the 2011 BYU Women's Conference

~by Heather L.

I LOVE the Women’s Conference concerts!

I love the talks, and the service too, but my very favorite part is the concert! This year was no exception, except that this year it came as part of an amazing answer to prayers!

You see, somehow getting kids out the door the morning of Women’s Conference is harder than almost any other day of the year. Seriously.

I thought I had it all under control at my house, especially since one of my kids got up at 4:30am to do homework. Being up that early, I was sure I was ahead of the game. NOT! It seemed like everyone else got up in slow motion, or on the wrong side of the bed… or both. We were running behind, and patience was wearing thin. I took a deep breath of relief when the last one was finally off to school.

Little did I know that one of my dear friends, Patti, was having a similar time getting her children off to school. She was so discouraged that she considered not even going to Women’s Conference.

That was when the first answer to Patti’s heartfelt prayers came. Her friend Claudia’s ride had fallen through, and after calling at least twelve people with no luck, she, too, considered not going. But the Lord had different plans, and brought Patti’s name to her mind.

Patti agreed to drive her, but was still worried about leaving her family for the day. She contemplated driving Claudia to the conference and then driving back home. But the Spirit intervened, telling her that she needed to stay the whole day.

She shared this story with me later that day with tears streaming down her face. She knew God had asked her to stay the whole day so that she could hear what He had prepared for her, but she was still concerned at leaving her family – things had been so crazy that morning.

As she and her friend told me their stories, it was amazing to see how God had intervened on all our parts to help get us there that day. We felt great joy as we helped make newborn baby caps and met new friends from all over the country. The love of God encircled each of us.

Now what does this all have to do with the concert?

That evening we trusted our families and ourselves to God once again, staying for dinner, and later joining the thousands of women who attended the concert. The lights dimmed, the MC came out, and the most concentrated, straightforward answer to prayers I’ve ever heard began.

Each song that was sung touched on a needed topic: reassurance, faith in trials, the power of prayer. We laughed, and cried – not in sorrow, but in gratitude for these blatant affirmations that God knew our struggles of that morning. He knew our individual needs. He knew our families, and was watching over them. He saw our sorrows, and knew the joys – and how to help us recognize and remember them.

That night reminded me again that I know God lives. He loves each of His children – you, me, my friends. He sends answers and angels in so many ways! I add my testimony to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s:

Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].” (John 14:18, 23)

The Lord said, “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.” (Doctrine & Covenants 25:12)

During that Women’s Conference concert, we learned that an evening full of “songs of the heart” can be how He answers our prayers, too! We definitely were blessed!

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Watch videos from the 2011 BYU Women’s Conference on demand.