‘Onward, Ever Onward’ Brings Together Thousands of Women of Faith

At a women’s conference at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square on Saturday, May 30, 2026, some 2,000 Latter-day Saint women gathered to discuss their influence in homes, the Church, the workplace and the community.

In her keynote address, Sister Tracy Y. Browning of the Primary General Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints taught that studying scriptural stories of women interacting with Christ can teach Latter-day Saint women about their own relationship with the Savior.

Sister Browning pointed to stories such as Jesus teaching the woman at the well, Mary and Martha and Emma Smith.

“Jesus noticed women. Jesus trusted women. Jesus welcomed women among his followers,” she said. “These women were not just standing on the margins of the Savior’s ministry. They chose to walk with him.”

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The conference, titled “Onward, Ever Onward,” was broadcast to 97 locations throughout the Church’s United States Northeast Area. It featured several speakers, panel discussions and breakout sessions. Following the example of the Savior, who “went about doing good,” the gathering gave women opportunities to increase faith, fortify commitment to gospel principles and strengthen bonds of sisterhood.

“What I feel coming away from this is a sense of hope and a sense of empowerment and of joy,” said Robbie Clark, a member of the Cincinnati Ohio East Stake, who attended via broadcast at a local meetinghouse.

Elder Allen D. Haynie, President of the United States Northeast Area, shared his experience attending the event.

“When I came in today and I looked around and I saw every chair filled, I just couldn’t help but think this is like what Nephi saw when he saw in our time that God would pour out righteousness and his power is upon his covenant people,” he said. “That’s what this is. This is a gathering of covenant women and there’s power here. That’s why this is so important.”

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A panel discussion moderated by journalist Jane Clayson Johnson explored what it means to be a Latter-day Saint woman in the United States Northeast Area. The panel also touched on topics such as the power of covenant women and how to navigate the challenges of modern life.

“How do you stay immersed and anchored in spiritual truth?” Johnson asked.

“I love the question, ‘Whose voice will have the most influence in my life to combat the wind?’” responded panelist Leslie Lords Robbins, educator and former dean of instruction and general education at Ensign College. “Every one of us should ask that. Friends will move and parents will pass away, but that voice of the constant Spirit — it holds me steady when those winds blow.”

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Elissa Gifford, director of Humanitarian Services for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke about the Church’s humanitarian efforts and the transformative power of loving and serving others.

“Becoming a humanitarian is not about where you work. It is about who you become,” Gifford said.

The goal for the women’s conference was to transform those messages into personal action, aligning with direction from Church President Dallin H. Oaks, who taught, “In contrast to other preaching, which teaches us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.”

And Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson has said, “We’ve received prophetic direction that as sisters we can and should change the world.”

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Terry Peterson, a member of the Milford Ward, watched the broadcast from her local meetinghouse in Cincinnati. She said she walked away with a commitment to be more aware of the way she is using her time, especially while on social media and technology.

Jennifer Wilcox, one of the conference organizers, encouraged attendees to do something with what they learned.

“We are covenant women who know who we are, who know of our divine worth, and our heritage and our potential,” Wilcox said. “What are you going to do with it? Let’s get up and move.”