Why was Christ the only child recorded in historical writings to receive frankincense, myrrh, and gold at his birth? Yet, even that was shrouded with mystery as the definition in the Sabaic Dictionary, published by the University of Sana’a in 1982, states: “Gold, a type of incense.” That was a clue to something new that really piqued my interest.

Historically, at that time, incense was far more prized than gold. If frankincense and myrrh were given as precious gifts, why would gold, a much lesser commodity, be given as well? How did frankincense and myrrh equate to gold? As I started putting together what I had learned with what had been written, it just didn’t make sense.

Through my research and in asking questions in that part of the world, I learned that balsam oil was anciently called “liquid gold.” That seemed to be common knowledge in the Arabian world. So then I had to ask myself, “Did the translator leave out the word liquid because it didn’t seem important, or was it simply not understood?”  I was fascinated with it all and was driven to find the truth.

To be continued . . .

You can find more Egyptian photos here.

Tourism had already been greatly restricted in Egypt when I heard the announcement in the London airport requesting that all passengers traveling to Egypt report to the Customer Service Counter of Egypt Air immediately. All nonresidents were being advised not to travel there because there was tremendous tension and upheaval in the country, and it was extremely dangerous. Tickets were being changed and refunded for all foreigners except one. I knew I had to go, and I just couldn’t let this stand in my way of what I felt was to be a great adventure into the discovery of the unknown.

As I boarded the Egypt Air flight to Cairo, all eyes of the 38 Egyptian citizens were on me as I placed my camera bag in the overhead compartment. As the plane lifted off the ground, I had a strange feeling of anticipation, wondering what would happen to this lone American. When the jet landed and came to a stop, the stairs were rolled up to the door, but as I moved towards the exit, the head flight attendant asked me to let all the Egyptian citizens off first.

As the last passenger to leave the plane and walk down the stairs, I saw why I was detained. A military escort was waiting on the tarmac to go with me to pick up my luggage and take me through immigration, customs, and then into a black car waiting in the taxi lane. The military police drove me to a downtown hotel where I was checked in and told not leave the premises until my departure two weeks later.

To be continued…

Lavender harvest time in Mona, Utah, and St. Maries, Idaho, is the perfect time to reflect on all that this fragrant flower gives us.

A 2009 study at the Department of Biosciences of Saurashtra University in Rajkot, India, tested essential oils from palmarosa, evening primrose, ruberose and lavender. The scientists noted that “gram positive bacteria are more susceptible to essential oils than gram negative bacteria.” But lavender and palmarosa oils had a potent effect on gram negative organisms at all concentrations tested.¹

Lavender has so many more applications than that! I was told that the August issue of O: The Oprah Magazine has a nice recipe for fighting the stress that surrounds our busy lives:

“Take a whiff of lavender. In 2008 Japanese researchers reported that the aroma reduces stress levels in people forced to do tough math problems. Keep a small bottle of lavender oil or lotion in your purse for when you’re feeling overwhelmed.”²

Like frankincense, lavender has properties that adapt to your body’s needs. This is one essential oil you should always have on hand!

^{1. MH Lodhia, et al., “Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oils from Palmarosa, Evening Primrose, Lavender and Tuberose,” Indian J. Pharm Sci. 2009 Mar-Apr; 71(2):134-136.}

^{2. “Find Your Best Stress Zone,” O: The Oprah Magazine, August 2010, p. 138.}

Writing historical fiction can be difficult, but it seems that the story I wrote has kept a few of you reading until the wee hours of the morning—even though I wove factual history into the storyline.

On one of my trips to Oman in 2009, I interviewed the world-renowned archaeologist Yuri Zarins. I asked him about the ancient canal that linked the River Nile in Egypt with the Red Sea. He seemed surprised that I knew about this canal. There’s not much about the frankincense region that I haven’t studied.

There is a kidnapping in my book and the lead character, Shutran, thinks fast about why the people were kidnapped and where to ambush them. “These pirates are after slaves to sell to the Pharaoh in Egypt . . . the pirates will take the slaves and a few horses and head to Aila to put them on a boat to go up the Red Sea, taking the canal over to the Nile, and sailing up to Luxor.”

I was able to document that waterway existed anciently. A study by Carol A. Redmount, The Wadi Tumilat and the “Canal of the Pharaohs,” was published in the Journal of Near Eastern Studies, and Alan B. Lloyd’s “Necho and the Red Sea: Some Considerations” was published in the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology. The One Gift is a fictional tale of caravans but because it’s based on historical fact, reading it will be like traveling back in time!

Omani hojari is beloved of Omani royalty and the royal family of Saudi Arabia. It grows in the Dhofar region of Oman. In meetings with trade officials in the Ministry of Agriculture in Salalah, Oman, I learned that the only species of frankincense that grows in the kingdom of Oman is Boswellia sacra. This species has a higher content of the constituent alpha pinene than frankincense oil from Boswellia carteri, even though both varieties carry frankincense’s therapeutic power.

Because Young Living has established two distilleries in Oman and fulfilled all Omani government requirements, for the first time in modern history frankincense is being exported from Oman. REAL Omani hojari!

At the Young Living Product Expo at the Young Living convention, distributors swarmed the single oil booths and were thrilled with the new frankincense oil from Oman: Sacred Frankincense. Young Living staff who shared samples of the oil reported that our distributors were surprised by the lighter, sweeter scent of Boswellia sacra and many actually experienced its uplifting, spiritual effect. I am gratified to know that prayer and meditation for thousands of Young Living distributors will now be enhanced thanks to the use of Sacred Frankincense.

My heartfelt thanks to the Young Living distributors who so warmly embraced this new Young Living essential oil!

I just wanted to say “THANK YOU” to everyone who came to 2010 International Grand Convention and everyone who supported us from afar. Convention was a huge success. I have heard so many wonderful and complimentary comments from distributors. Please know how much I appreciate all of you. Whether you were with Mary and I at convention, or at home, we wouldn’t have had a convention without each and everyone of our valued distributors and customers. Thank you for being part of the Young Living family.

Warm Regards,
Gary Young

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

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

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

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