What follows is a brief retelling (from my Journal) of the visit by then President Harold B. Lee to Italy in 1972. The primary purpose of his trip was to meet with the Italian youth members who were gathering for a country-wide conference (in Rimini if I recall).

Initially, President Lee was going to have a missionary conference with only those missionaries working in the two Milano zones. I can imagine that things have since changed, but in those days there were perhaps three missionary apartments in all the Italy North Mission that had phones. On transfer day, ZLs and some DLs had to go to a phone and call the office to see who was moving. Other urgent communications were handled by telegram. Notwithstanding the lack of phones, news of the missionary conference spread like wildfire and many Elders and Sisters called the office seeking permission to participate (leaving your city without permission was strictly 'vietato'). President Jorgensen relented and called everyone in for the conference.

In the paragraphs that follow, I have tried to remain true to my original entries. Additional information and explanation are enclosed in parentheses.

Torino, 25 Settembre 1972 - We found out today that all the missionaries get to go to Milano tomorrow morning for a conference with the Prophet. We had a good Family Home Evening (with investigators) and then went to the station to catch the 22:30 train.

When we arrived, it was 'instant trunk-out' for me because I saw members from Trieste, including Sister Zuani, Fabiana, and Rita, and from Brescia, Sister Sina, Sister Dancelli, Leah, Wilma, Allessio, Bruno Contratti, Elder Toscano, and the former Elder Call. Some of the Elders slept on the steps in the station, but Elder Petrell and I went to Via Premura (the Assistants' apartment) and slept on the floor in the hallway.

There were already elders from La Spezia there, even one (Elder Merlin Wilson) with his overcoat on, asleep in the bathtub. (Others had taken the mattresses off the bedsprings and while some slept on the mattresses on the floor, others slept on blankets draped over the bedsprings!)

Milano, 26 Settembre 1972 - We woke up fairly early (05:15) and went over to the train station. When we arrived, there was a congregation of about 85 missionaries in the place and everyone was standing around talking and seeing old friends. Elder (Robert) Goodwin has lost about 40 lbs. it seems, but the others haven't changed much.

Finally, we went to the auditorium on Via Le Petite and stood around there gabbing until the conference started. For about two hours, the whole Italy North Mission was deserted of missionaries. I was standing in back when the Prophet, Harold B. Lee, Gordon B. Hinckley, (Mission) President Dan C. Jorgensen, and their wives arrived, and I was able to shake hands with each of them

Elder Hinckley spoke first and gave an inspiring message (I never was much of a note-taker!). He is really a very cool man and all the missionaries seem to like him a lot. Then the Prophet spoke and testified to the truth of the Gospel and the Family Home Evening as a tool for putting into practice the principles.

Sister Lee took all of our names and phone numbers and said she would call our folks when she got back to Utah and tell them "hi!" for us (which she did).

The conference ended and after talking a lot with old and new friends, we took off and went to Biffi's (in the Galleria - someone said it's a McDonalds now) for a root beer (in those days, there were two places in all of northern Italy where you could find a root beer; at Biffi's and in Venezia).

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