Gary Young, president of Young Living Essential Oils, on the Frankincense trail

For thousands of years, frankincense was transported across the most desolate wilderness on earth: the Empty Quarter. This vast desert covers some 250,000 square miles and spans part of Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

I grew up in an Idaho wilderness area, packing horses and mules and traveling across treacherous terrain. So it wasn’t so difficult for me to understand life on a camel caravan, as rugged men left their homes and loved ones to take their precious cargo of frankincense and myrrh north to market.

To travel with a caravan was a dangerous and sometimes deadly occupation. The desert itself could be a vicious opponent with violent sandstorms that could change the landscape, covering precious waterholes, creating huge new dunes and possibly burying a caravan. There were poisonous snakes and scorpions as well. But the most dangerous adversary of all came on two legs: robbers, thieves, and marauders determined to steal the resins worth more than gold.

I have walked and driven over the majority of the frankincense trails that brought the prized resins from southern Arabia to the ports of Gaza, Alexandria, and Damascus. I have such an appreciation for the rugged men who risked their lives to bring such a treasure to the world. That same spirit of adventure has inspired me to bring the very best frankincense and myrrh to today’s seeker of physical and emotional wellness.

I can’t wait to join you all next week at International Grand Convention where audiences will get to see the marvels of the Frankincense Trail on the big screen with the premiere of my frankincense documentary, The One Gift.

—Essentially Yours,

D. Gary Young

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Gary Young, president of Young Living Essential Oils, in Oman

The process of collecting frankincense happens two times a year—once in the spring (March to May) and then in the fall (September to October). To harvest the resin, you have to take a little axe and chop the hardened resin crystals off the branches—but there’s a process that comes in the week before that. To begin the process, you cut the bark of the frankincense tree and then it allows the liquid resin to ooze out onto the external part. Then, when it hits the oxygen, it starts to crystallize and harden. Naturally, the longer it is left on the tree, the longer it is present in the oxygen and the harder it gets. It takes about a week before you can actually come back and cut it off as a hardened resin crystal. So this is a week to two-week process from when you go in and you cut the tree to when you come back and collect the crystal resin. Then the crystal resin goes into the distillery where it is crushed into powder, put into an oil bath, and steam distilled to extract the oil from the crystal resin.

This process produces different types of frankincense resins. The one that is very white is called Hojari. Now, when I was collecting frankincense years ago and they said “Hojari,” I thought they were being very friendly and saying, “How, Gary?” And I said, “With an axe.” But this was Hojari. There are actually five grades of frankincense resin. The first grade is brownish resin. It has a lot of bark particles in it, and that’s very commonly used because there’s more of it available. But the Hojari is what was selected just for the kings and queens because it was the purest of the frankincense.

I can’t wait to join you all June 16–19 in Salt Lake City where I can share more of my experiences from the Frankincense Trail. This is one Young Living convention you don’t want to miss!

Essentially Yours,

D. Gary Young

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This documentary is the definitive history of the Frankincense Trail where caravans carried resin across the deserts. It also outlines the story of the twisted, deformed frankincense tree that lives 10 months of the year without water, but yields a life-giving resin more valued than gold.

Please join me for the premiere showing of The One Gift, a documentary that answers why frankincense was more precious than gold in the ancient world, what modern scientists are discovering about its vast wellness potential, if it can really calm you and lift your mood, and more.

I look forward to sharing this remarkable resin and its story with you.

Free show times open to the public:

Thursday, June 17, 2010
4:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.

Friday, June 18, 2010
7:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 19, 2010
11:00 a.m.
3:00 p.m.

All showings will be held at the
Salt Palace Convention Center
100 S. West Temple
SLC, UT 84101

Young Living distributors attending the Young Living convention will also be treated to exclusive distributor-only showing.

Essentially yours,

D. Gary Young

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Just take a look at corporate’s new look:

As visitors arrive they are transported to the Middle East.

Anyone can take a moment to soak up the scenery.

The entire first floor is decorated to the hilt.

This is just a preview of what attendees can expect at this year’s convention!

We hope you are getting ready to join us for a journey through the Middle Eastern deserts of the Empty Quarter, experience the Frankincense Trail, and discover The One Gift. International Grand Convention 2010 is your opportunity to experience wellness, purpose, and abundance—all in one place. We can’t wait to see you there!

—The Young Living Team

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The biggest problem is that the majority of us go at it already with the belief that we’re going to fail. True or false? We go at it—we approach it like: “Oh, I don’t know whether I should do this, but my sponsor’s going to be upset if I don’t talk to somebody this month. Well, I’ll try that person over there.” And you already have got yourself geared for rejection. True or false? Now ask yourself this: If you feel rejection before you sponsor, you feel rejection before you talk, how in the world are you going to teach your people different? You’re not! How are you going to teach someone who also has the same fear how to overcome it?

You have knowledge that can benefit the health and well-being of everyone on this planet. Remember that when you open your mouth! Some people may choose to ignore you, but you can always share the message of Young Living with confidence. Keep that in mind the next time you have the opportunity to change someone’s life with essential oils! And make sure to join me at International Grand Convention in June where there will be workshops and information about Young Living products, sharing opportunities, and growing your business. Convention is one of the greatest opportunities to get the education you need so you can share with confidence!

Essentially Yours,

Gary Young

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