We the Area Seventy for California want to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for your participation in the California YSA Conference.  It was a tremendous success.  Through your commitment over the past 12 weeks, the results surpassed even our high expectations for attendance at the Conference (approximately 11,000), temple ordinance work (more than 75,000 ordinances) and visits to the less active YSAs (more than 7,500.)   We are reminded of President Hinckley's recounting in 2006 of President Brigham Young's call to rescue the saints in the Martin Handcart Company.  He told the story as follows:
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As a young Boy Scout, I learned to follow the scout motto—“Be Prepared.” As we come to the closing days of preparation for this first ever, historic California YSA conference, I want to confirm that thousands of hours have been expended over the last months by Bishop Larry Eastland, the Statewide YSA committee, the steering committees centered around the seven Holy Temples in California and all of the adults who will serve on August 8-9, 2009. All have worked tirelessly to prepare ever detail to bless the lives of the YSA’s in California. We are so thankful to all who will make this conference successful.

I have considered, though, our responsibility of being prepared as we are taught and learn by the Spirit this weekend. The Lord said, “Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.” (D&C 50:22). So what should our preparations be as “he that receiveth” in the last days prior to this great conference?

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I recently read a talk given by Elder Marion G. Romney, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. He gave this talk at BYU and was addressing an assigned topic. He said,

I assure you that I approach this discussion with a great deal of trepidation. I hope that my conclusions will be at least as sound as the researchers’ who had the project to determine how far and how long a flea would jump. They first trained the flea to jump when it heard the word "jump." Then they pulled off a pair of his legs and said, “Jump,” and he jumped. They repeated that cycle and he jumped, until they came to the last pair of legs. When they pulled them off, they said, "Jump," but he didn’t jump. They concluded that when all the legs of a flea are pulled off, he becomes deaf. 

That type of reasoning and the conclusion of the researchers leave a lot to be desired. Yet, this type of thinking is all around us today. The “educated” and “knowledgeable” world sets aside, and very quickly, the things of God. Today, as in Book of Mormon days, the world says, “it is not reasonable that such a being as a Christ shall come…” But, nevertheless, He has come and He will come again.

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Are you ready? A few more days and we will all be together in this wonderful conference! We surely have been impressed and inspired with the work and effort of so many to make this conference a success. We hope and pray that all who are able will COME and attend the conference.

We have also been extremely grateful for the service that has been rendered in the temples. Tens of thousands have been blessed by your efforts.

As you make all of the preparations that are necessary in order to attend the conference I would ask you to think again about why this conference is being held and ask yourself “Why am I coming?”
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