We were loading up to go to the morning session of Conference when the phone rang and Pam (Nina’s sister) asked for additional directions to Dawnmarie’s house. As she was talking, she exclaimed “Oh dear! Oh my!” That was followed by a couple of thumps and then silence. Eventually she responded that her car had been hit by a deer. The animal had literally jumped into the driver’s side of the car, leaving a couple of big dents in the car and taking the side mirror with it as the deer bounded away.

I’ve really enjoyed this conference. We’re in the final session, watching and listening to the session with some nine other members of the New Castle Branch. Dawnmarie and Kirk’s children are a delight to be with at conference. Modern technology has made Conference a different experience over the years.

I grew up watching Conference on KSL TV at home. In those days Conference was three days long. In the April Conference, one of those sessions was always on April 6th, even when there was a gap of a day or two when the 6th was in the middle of the week. In the Fall, the baseball World Series always came during Conference and I remember when the TV switched from Conference to Yankee Stadium instantly when “Amen!” was said in the closing prayer to pick up the final Series game in the middle of the third inning. I don’t remember who won, just that at 2 pm, the TV switched back to Conference. When I was 12, I then went to the chapel at 7 pm on Saturday evening to listen to the Priesthood session which came in on the telephone.

Years later when we were living in Ohio, we would take all of the children to the Stake Center. By then Conference was held on the first Sunday in April and October and on the immediately preceeding Saturday — two days instead of three. The proceedings still came in on the telephone. A great innovation came when each Stake was sent a set of slides with the pictures of the General Authorities so we could see a picture of the speaker projected on a screen while he was speaking.

Then came the next step. The Saturday morning session was taped and sent out by airplane to cable TV stations who would broadcast that two-hour session on Sunday morning as a public service. Eventually some stations would pick up the video feed and show the Sunday morning session as it was broadcast from Salt Lake City. Then we would go to the Stake Center for the other sessions. I am still in awe of Nina’s faithfulness in marshalling the children and getting them all to the sessions of conference. Some of that seems to have gone down a generation as we see some of that same devotion to Conference in our children and grandchildren.

Now in almost all parts of the United States we can watch Conference from the comfort of our homes. I have come almost full circle. Almost, because while I still go to the Stake Center for Priesthood Meeting, the proceeding come in over a satellite video transmission rather than by telephone.

What will come in the future? I can imagine holographic images where it will seem that the speakers and the choir are right in our room. Will we then go to the Stake Center for that experience? Will it then go full circle back to our homes?

As usual, the music of this conference has been beautiful. The Tabernacle Choir has provided the music at all sessions except Priesthood Meeting where the music was by a choir from BYU. The closing song was the Sibelius hymn “Be Still, My Soul” with different words, “I Love The Lord”. I would love to hear that arrangement again. It was very moving.

Our visit is coming to an end. It has been a good weekend, a lovely baptism, and a delightful conference. It was also punctuated by a deer! No lions, no tigers, no bears, Oh Dear!