This is a pretty neat email coming from Salt Lake after the All California YSA Conference. Yes there was some frustration and sacrifice along the way, but we didn't have "some 200 die" and I know some souls were rescued from wandering the lonely plains of inactivity to having friends enfold them. Nothing was in vain if that is the result. Kenny made the website that is still up with some cool videos and info if you want to see it. www.californiaysa.org

Z

Subject: [CA YSA] Gratitude and Appreciation

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. [included below]

You accepted the mission that was set in May, and now it is time to carry this further. Please go out and reach and rescue the thousand -- in this case the 60,000 less actives who are prepared to heed your call. The theme of "No More Strangers" has been just that, and this Conference has been a joy to see unfold, and humbling to witness the exercise of Priesthood power by all of the YSAs.We gave you a wallet size card with three goals on it: to reach out to the less active, to rescue those who respond, and to be temple worthy with an active recommend being used monthly. We hope that you will be personally committed to this effort on an on-going basis.

Please be sure to share any stories or inspirational moments from this experience with our Statewide Committee at stories@californiaysa.org. Again, many, many thanks for being a part of this great Conference. And may you know of our testimony that this opportunity came to us from the presiding Brethren by inspiration, and the result demonstrates once again that you are a member of a choice generation prepared to accept your mission to your fellow YSAs. It is the Lord's desire, and our desire, to lose not even one.

The YSA Conference Committee,
Elder Donald P. Tenney, Area Seventy
Elder Larry R. Lawrence, Area Seventy
Elder William F. Reynolds, Area Seventy
Bishop Larry L. Eastland, Santa Monica 3rd Ward

Other Area Seventy,
Elder John C. Dalton
Elder Nelson D. Cordova
Elder Scott D. Whiting
Elder Frank V. Trythall



President Hinckley recounted President Brigham Young's call to rescue the saints in the Martin Handcart Company:

"This is an important anniversary year in the history of the Church, as all of you know. It is the 150th anniversary of the coming of the Willie and Martin handcart companies and the Hunt and Hodgett wagon companies which accompanied them.Much has been written concerning this, and I need not go into detail. All of you are familiar with the story. Suffice it to say that those who set out on the long journey from the British Isles to the valley of the Great Salt Lake began their travel in faith. They had little or no knowledge of what they were getting into. But they moved forward. They began their journey with great expectation. That expectation gradually failed them as they moved west.

As they commenced the tedious journey following the Platte River and then up the valley of the Sweetwater, the cold hand of death took its fearsome toll. Their food was rationed; their oxen died; their carts broke down; they had inadequate bedding and clothing. Storms raged. They sought shelter, but they found none. The storms beat about them. They literally starved to death. Scores died and were buried in the frozen ground.

Fortunately, they were passed by Franklin D. Richards on his way from England. He had a lightweight conveyance with horses and was able to travel much faster. He came on to this valley. It was this very season of the year. The general conference was in session. When Brigham Young received the news, he immediately stood before the congregation and said:"I will now give this people the subject and the text for the Elders who may speak to-day and during the conference, it is this, on the 5th day of October, 1856, many of our brethren and sisters are on the plains with hand-carts, and probably many are now 700 miles from this place, and they must be brought here, we must send assistance to them. The text will be, 'to get them here.'

I want the brethren who may speak to understand that their text is the people on the plains, and the subject matter for this community is to send for them and bring them in before the winter sets in. . . ."I shall call upon the Bishops this day, I shall not wait until to-morrow, nor until [the] next day, for 60 good mule teams and 12 or 15 wagons. I do not want to send oxen, I want good horses and mules. They are in this Territory, and we must have them; also 12 tons of flour and 40 good teamsters, . . . 60 or 65 good spans of mules, or horses, with harness. . . ."I will tell you all," said he, "that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the celestial kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains, and attend strictly to those things which we call temporal, or temporal duties, otherwise your faith will be in vain; the preaching you have heard will be in vain to you, and you will sink to hell, unless you attend to the things we tell you" (Deseret News, Oct. 15, 1856, 252).

Immediately horses and mules and strong wagons were offered. Flour in abundance was forthcoming. Warm clothing and bedding were quickly assembled. Within a day or two the loaded wagons were moving eastward through the snow.When the rescuers reached the beleaguered Saints, they were like angels from heaven. People wept tears of gratitude. The handcart people were transferred into wagons so they could travel more quickly to the Salt Lake community.

Some two hundred died, but a thousand were saved."