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Summers Are Full of Youth Conferences

Youth conferences are known for their ability to help young people make friends, build testimonies, accomplish service, lose sleep, gain instruction in everyday living, and learn gospel principles. Summers are full of them—at home and away. And winters, too. All it takes is hundreds of hours of planning, some good adult supervision, and youth.

On June 18, 19, and 20, 1976, the Brigham City Utah Box Elder Stake held a conference for over 200 youths ages 14 to 18. The conference began on Friday evening with a banquet. The guest speaker, Brother Arnold Stringham of the Department of Seminaries and Institutes, told the young men to prepare for missions and the young women to help them “do it now.”

Saturday’s workshops included a dating panel, auto mechanics, and how to be a good conversationalist—among lots of others things. Following lunch, a baking contest was held. Brian Baugh’s prize winner got him a five-pound bag of flour. In the afternoon the young people worked on the grounds of the new Box Elder Stake Center. They finished the day with a dance—not an ordinary dance. They learned some round dances and some square dances and even laughed all the way through the Virginia Reel.

Beehives and Scouts were invited to Sunday’s meetings. The day began with priesthood meeting for the young men and a special young women’s meeting. The young men heard from Brother Selvoy J. Boyer, former president of the London Temple. Then the young people had what is almost always the highlight of any youth conference—a testimony meeting.

All the conference participants attended their own sacrament meetings and afterwards attended a fireside at the Brigham City Tabernacle. The speaker, Dr. Snell, was one of the doctors sent by the Church to help the injured in the Guatemala earthquake.

June 18 and 19 also found another group of young Latter-day Saints from ten stakes in Spanish Fork, Utah, together in Santaquin Canyon. By 3:00 P.M. Friday many had already arrived. Registration continued until 6:00 P.M. with over 350 people signing up to spend the next two days together.

After a full day of registration and other activities, the youth filled the lodge to hear Elder Marion D. Hanks. Using the opening song as a springboard, he explained the difference between moving your arm up and down to the piano and really leading the music. “It’s all in the spirit of the song,” he said. “You need to feel what you are leading and make it a part of you. So it is with the gospel. We need to live it.” After Elder Hanks’ address, the youth cleared the lodge of chairs and made ready for a dance.

Six o’clock in the morning came too early, but everyone made it out of bed after some struggle. After the posting of the colors the Spanish Fork youth gathered in the fresh canyon morning to listen to one anothers’ testimonies. A breakfast of sausage, scrambled eggs, hot cakes, and hot chocolate was ready to eat as soon as the closing prayer was given. High councilors and their wives from all the stakes prepared the breakfast. It only took 30 minutes to fill all the plates once, but that didn’t account for the many return trips. The rest of the morning was jam-packed with workshops.

As the group finished lunch, a master of ceremonies took over, and a talent show was underway. Skits, songs, readings—many different talents were presented. Soon everyone in the lodge was laughing as hard as those on stage. As soon as the talent show ended, everyone got in on the act. Teams of ten were formed, and relay contests opened with nail driving. Three-legged races are common, but has anyone ever tried a four-legged race with three people tied together? As the last relay ended, so did the fun of the two-day conference.

[Bountiful Beehives Present “Apple Seeds” Script]

Scripts Available

Dramatic talents are sometimes their most vibrant and enjoyable among young women; so in planning the activity night calendar for the coming year, perhaps the interest of class members should be surveyed to determine whether or not girls would like to get a taste of the theater.

Many scripts are available through the General Church Distribution Center, 1999 West 1700 South, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84104. Some that are specifically for Young Women include:

“Apple Seeds” (PCYW2570, 25¢) Short musical production about the benefits of service.

“Land of Promise” (PSJM0071, 40¢) Readers theater about the heritage of Joseph Smith—about 1 1/2 hours.

“For Such a Time as This” (script: PCYW25WA, 15¢; music: PCYW25XO, 15¢) Readers theater dramatizing the story of Esther—about 1/2 hour.

“Let’s Campromise” (script: PCWY25L7, 25¢; music: PCYW25M8, 50¢) A short dramatic skit about camping.

“The Old Family Album” (PCYW2548, 5¢) A standards night script—about 1 1/2 hours.

“A Bee in Your Bonnet” (script: PCYW25G0, 20¢; music: PCYW25H1, 5¢) A short musical production especially written for Beehive girls.

New Filmstrip

A new filmstrip has been produced especially for the 1977 commemoration of the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood. The filmstrip entitled “Ordination—the Impact of the Aaronic Priesthood on the Life of a Young Man,” together with a suggested outline for its use, was sent in April of 1977 to English-speaking stakes. One should be placed in each ward meetinghouse library. It is suggested that the filmstrip be used as part of the commemoration observances held in the wards and stakes.

No Reservations Concerning the Gospel

American Indians in Nottingham’s Old Market Square?! Someone must have their history mixed up. But no, it’s all part of a program to help teach the British people more about the Book of Mormon.

President Eldon J. Callister of the England Birmingham Mission realized that one of the biggest hindrances to missionary work in England is the misconception the people have of Mormons. “Oh yes, you have more than one wife and think it wicked to drink tea” is what missionaries hear when they ask the question, “What do you know about the Mormon church?”

The Book of Mormon is one of the greatest tools for missionary work, so in order to help people become interested, President Callister assigned two elders to produce an entertaining and educational show that could be used to teach about the Lamanite people. Within the mission was an elder with considerable experience with Indian dances and customs, Elder Kim Larson. Another elder, Tom Spencer, who had theatrical experience was assigned to help with the program, and the two elders wrote “Ancient America Speaks.”

Elder Larson sent for his handmade Kiowa Dance costume, which he had used in the U.S. while performing with the Koshare (pronounced co-shar-ee) Indian dancers of LaJunta, Colorado. Elder Spencer sat down and began to write. Their production showed the modern American Indian in his rightful position as a descendant of a once-Christian people. They tell about the legends and dances that illustrate how the Indians changed their form of worship from Christianity to those of a more pagan nature.

During their first year of performances, the elders danced and spoke before thousands. During the summer months they performed in town fairs and carnivals. Open houses were held in all of the four stakes within the mission boundaries. Countless shopping centers, market squares, town centers, and colleges were the stages for the tom-toms and storytelling. A slightly modified program was written for public schools. More than 100 schools were visited, which resulted in a good feeling toward the Church. Many have asked for the program to return next year.

The program has been such a success in introducing the British to the gospel that two more elders were assigned to carry on the presentations after Elders Larson and Spencer were released.

The elders have appeared on TV twice, and newspaper articles have continued to be published. The British find the American Indian story interesting, but it’s the gospel story they learn that really affects them. The Indian program seems to make it easier for many to want to learn more. So for these Indian-missionaries there are no reservations concerning missionary work.

No one ever counted the apples in an apple seed. And that is the way it is with service—once given it multiplies and benefits beyond measure. This group of young women from Bountiful, Utah, presented the script prepared by the Young Women organization of the Church, demonstrating the joy of service. The script, “Apple Seeds” (PCYW2570), was written especially for Beehive girls and costs 25¢.