Women's Conference expanding influence

Right before the 9 a.m. start to the 2008 Women's Conference on

Thursday, a small group of women from St. George will meet at portal K

in the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University.They

probably won't think about how eight months earlier, the BYU Women's

Conference committee started discussing topics and speakers. Chances

are that none of these friends will walk across the pedestrian bridge

to the J. Reuben Clark Law School building to attend the conference's

smallest classes.It is likely, however, that at some time

during the two-day conference, someone from their group will buy some

fudge at the BYU Bookstore. It is certain that they will gather

together after dinner to work on humanitarian service projects.When

the women from St. George meet in the Marriott Center, they are there

to "get a shot in the arm," according to their ringleader, Cindy

Stephenson, who hasn't missed a Women's Conference in 15 years.Every

year Stephenson and a group of five or six women travel up north to

BYU. A local friend of Stephenson convinced her father to let the women

stay in his basement every year — like a giant sleepover."And we have a blast," says Stephenson.In

addition to the four huge general sessions, there are 96 presentations

to choose from during the conference's two days. Inevitably, some of

the classes reach capacity and attendees have to try another

presentation. But that is part of the fun, according to Stephenson."You'll never end up being disappointed with who you listen to," she says. "Every speaker is amazing."Starting

in August, the conference committee begins the task of choosing topics