Preparedness

I used to hear quotes like the following and feel guilty: "The Lord said also, 'Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.' (Matt 7:21) And I was thinking that there are as many wards and branches in the Church as there are people in this room, one for one. And what great accomplishment there would be if every bishop and every branch president in all the world, wherever it's possible...had a storage such as has been suggested here this morning..and took to their three or four or five hundred members the same message, quoting scripture and insisting that the people of their wards and branches do the things the Lord has requested, for we know there are many who are fa... Read More

OK, I've been working on becoming prepared for a variety of contingencies. After all, the world we live in is not very stable. Unrest can happen at a moment's notice (think of Hurricane Katrina). Thus, as a wife and a mommy, I want to make sure I am a provident individual, intent on blessing the life of my family. Imagine my shock a week ago when our city issued an emergency "boil water alert". To my chagrin, I did not have water stored, for all my other preparations! Of course, a convenience store was near by, but that thought apparently was in the minds of many city folk. My friends next door found only three jugs left when they went to buy water. They promptly snatched those up. As grateful as I was for the boil water alert (who wants to brush your teeth with fecal co... Read More

What is a provident lifestyle? Most dictionaries will explain a provident person as having shown foresight, having prepared carefully for the unseen future. A provident family begins with provident individuals. And nowhere is there a better definition of a provident individual than in the scripture chapter found in Proverbs 31. For some reason, this chapter keeps coming into my head. I dunno. Perhaps it is the continuing coverage of pending, global wheat shortages. Perhaps it is the amount of wars in the news. Perhaps it is the quantity of peculiar weather patterns we are experiencing. Whatever the reason, Proverbs 31 seems to becoming faster and faster a recu... Read More

My heart sank as I read the news today about the plight of a homeschooling family in California. They were homeschooling because they did not want their children being taught immoral lifestyles in a public school setting. But because of political activism, their children can no longer be taught through homeschooling methods. Why? Because they are teaching children religious beliefs. In other words, their freedom has been impinged upon. The state of California has determined that they cannot teach their children about traditional marriage nor can the parents teach against homosexuality. The reach of this state is chilling as it continues to rewrite societal standards. Yet one need look no further than "... Read More

My heart sank as I read the news today about the plight of a homeschooling family in California. They were homeschooling because they did not want their children being taught immoral lifestyles in a public school setting. But because of political activism, their children can no longer be taught through homeschooling methods. Why? Because they are teaching children religious beliefs. In other words, their freedom has been impinged upon. The state of California has determined that they cannot teach their children about traditional marriage nor can the parents teach against homosexuality. The reach of this state is chilling as it continues to rewrite societal standards. Yet one need look no further than "... Read More

Debt. Ugh. What an ugly word. Just roll that word around on your tongue. Not only is it an ugly word, its impact in a person's life is heavy and unpleasant. Why is it that getting into debt feels so much easier to get into than to get out of? And yet in some ways that is an illusion. Debt can be a simple thing to remove from our lives. Here are a few suggestions: 1. Make "debt" hard. I knew a friend who froze her credit cards in a brick of ice. She kept the cards in her freezer. This way, if she really needed them (i.e. to rent a car on a trip), she could let the ice melt. But keeping them frozen prevented too-easy use from occurring. Personally, I've not tried this. I'm not sure I could even recommend it, since I'm ... Read More

I used to think that I couldn't grow anything. In fact, the only plant that stayed alive for me was a fern. I received that fern from a group of small children the year I did summer stock theater in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They gave me the fern as a going away present from the Primary (a children's organization in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - the "Mormons"). That fern went with me every where. I kid you not. I even took it with me to back to college. I just couldn't kill the thing! (Not that I tried, but you know, everything else I'd grown died.)... Read More

In a previous blog title, "Emergency Preparedness Tip - Inventory" I shared how having a supply of food and essential living items are so important in today's world. This is all well and good. In fact, having a supply of living necessities is so important in today's world. For example, my husband some years back was part of a company layoff. He did not have a job with benefits for nearly a year. The Lord helped us though. It is precisely for times like that that a food storage system can be so helpful. Or for a situation like a friend of mine is currently facing in the state of Washington. Schools are closed due to snow. In some areas, this might not be out of the norm. But for her area? H... Read More

Neil H. Leash tells us in his book, Prophetic Statements on Food Storage for Latter-day Saints, The first atomic bomb was tested on July 16, 1945. On the eve of that day, millions of Japanese people finished their labors and retired quietly to their beds completely unaware that in about three weeks hundreds of thousands of them were going to die or be horribly scarred from a weapon they had never even heard of. Two atomic bombs were dropped, one on Hiroshima on August 6th and another on Nagasaki three days later, on August 9th (Neil H. Leash, Prophetic Statements on Food Storage for Latter-day Saints, p. 25). Regardless of the appropriateness of the bomb, the point the author makes is that we do not know what tomorrow will bring... Read More

"Most often what we have chosen to do is right. [The Lord] will confirm the correctness of our choices His way. That confirmation generally comes through packets of help found along the way. We discover them by being spiritually sensitive. They are like notes from a loving Father as evidence of His approval. If, in trust, we begin something which is not right, He will let us know before we have gone too far. We sense that help by recognizing troubled or uneasy feelings (Elder Richard G. Scott, "Learning to Recognize Answers to Prayer," November 1989, p. 32)." What does this... Read More

What if a large calamity hit your country? What would you do? Are you ready? Do you have survival skills that would see your family through till help arrived? And more importantly, how are you doing spiritually? Being prepared for emergencies is not only prudent, it is obedience in action. For some time the Lord has spoken through his prophets to be prepared. In fact, preparedness has been a scriptural theme for some time. For example, in the Doctrine and Covenants we read: "And until that hour there will be foolish virgins among the wise; and at that hour cometh an entire separation of the righteous and the wicked; and in that day will I send mine angels to pluck out the wicked and cast them into unquenchable fire" (... Read More

Bishop H. Burke Peterson once told the church: "It is a serious issue. Let's not forget one of the most important lessons learned through the year's supply program is the lesson of obedience" (Church News, 4/12/1975). In my previous blog, "Emergency Preparedness Tip - Inventory," I overviewed the need to have a food supply for emergencies. And not just a food supply to get you through the weekend; no, we're talking a more extensive one (incidentally, the government recommends this also now). But what about medical needs? Are you prepared after this fashion? Of course, if you starve to death because you had no food during an emergency, medicine become... Read More

This quote is daunting and yet so essential as a wake-up call! Should the Lord decide at this time to cleanse the Church - and the need for that cleansing seems to be increasing - a famine in this land of one year's duration could wipe out a large perecentage of slothful members, including some ward and stake officers. Yet we cannot say we have not been warned" (President Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Ez... Read More

The Lord speaks through his prophets. Not only did He use prophets anciently, such as Abraham, Moses, Samuel, etc., but He also uses prophets today. Gordon B. Hinckley just passed away. He was the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon church) and the Lord's prophet. Now that he has passed away, the Lord will call another prophet to lead the children of God on the earth. ... Read More

Are we living in the "Last Days"? What exactly does the term mean, "Last Days"? As Mormons, we believe in the literal coming of Jesus Christ. We also believe that we are living in the "last days" prior to that coming. We read in the scriptures that the specific day is not known for that great event, but we can see all around us many signs of the pending arrival of Jesus Christ. An early leader for the Mormon church (officially called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Elder Orson F. Whitney declared long ago: "Earth's long week is now drawing to a close, and we stand at the present moment in the Saturday Evening of Time, at or near the end of the sixth day of human history. Is it not a time for thoug... Read More

The Preparedness blog here at LDSBlogs.com is meant to cover all kinds of preparedness issues and topics. As I cast my mind about thinking of what might be useful to you, I am mindful of something one of the Mormon leaders recently told the general church (officially known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Elder Holland was quoting Joseph Smith, prophet of the restoration, when he said: "The Prophet Joseph Smith deepened our understanding of the power of speech when he taught, 'It is by wo... Read More

Have you lived through an ice storm? The recent ice storms in the United States remind me of when I was a kid and a storm that hit the northern mountains of Arizona. One wouldn't normally think of winter storms and Arizona in one breath. But I remember the blizzard that hit one Christmas time near Pinetop, Arizona. We couldn't leave the property due to the amount of snow left by the storm. The ice cycles hanging from my grandparents' cabin were nearly as long as I was tall. Of course, I found the whole process fascinating. As a kid, the volumes of fallen snow were terrifically fun. But the adults of course had other thoughts on their mind. Fortunately we never lost power where we were at, but the potential had been there. Speak to anyone who has lived through aus... Read More

I remember when I found my baby not breathing in his crib. It was horrible. I tried to remember CPR and couldn't. "This can't be happening to me," I thought as I tried to find my cordless phone to call 911. Flash forward now nearly 14 years later. My baby did not make it (to view Mormons' perspective on death, visit these informational sites: "physical death" and "spiritual death." I will say that families can be togethe... Read More

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland serves as an Apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon church). As an Apostle for the Lord Jesus Christ (just like the ancient Apostle Peter, Paul, etc.) Elder Holland has the responsibility to teach of Christ and to prepare earth's inhabitants for the Savior's Second Coming. All Apostles have the responsibility to teach truth as given from God. Sometimes truth is given to chasten us. Sometimes truth is given to heal us. Sometimes truth is simply given for us to rejoice in. I'm not sure i... Read More

There are a variety of ways that a person can follow to build up a food storage system. I say "system" because storing food is rarely successful if you are not actually systematically using it. In other words, you need to store what you eat and eat what you store. This implies rotation or a "system." People sometimes decide to start their food storage by focusing on one food at a time. They store and store and store that food till it equals 12 months worth. This is NOT advisable. Reason being - if an emergency struck prior to completing your food storage program, your family's diet would be lopsided.... Read More

One of the things Mormons are known for is their interest in long-term food storage. The reasons for this are many. In fact, the reasons extend back hundreds if not thousands of years. Most people have heard of Joseph in the Bible. Remember the one sold by his brothers to be a slave (this was after they nearly killed him, but decided against it). Eventually Joseph served under the Pharaoh himself, overseeing a broad food storage program. The food storage program evolved because the Lord had revealed to Pharaoh in dreams (which Joseph interpreted) t... Read More

Here is a great quote as we contemplate the New Year upon us and any possible resolutions we might make. "We seldom perform to the level of our knowledge. This brings me to the subject of resolutions—resolutions to conform our lives more closely to what we already know about the gospel. While many of us take seriously our New Year’s resolutions, some of us may not have made any because of our prior problems in keeping them. We must not overlook the power that making good resolutions can have in helping make our lives happier and more successful—regardless of our past performance" (Elder... Read More

Many of us are setting resolutions for the new year. Some call the resolutions goals; others call them themes. Regardless of the title, aspiring to better ways of living - and setting goals to achieve them - is a good thing. For example, some people want to get healthy. For others, they want to build their bank account. For others still, they want to travel to some new and exotic place. Just remember as you are setting your New Year's resolutions, that there are "good" things in life, there are "better" things, and there are "best" things in life (a good discourse on this subject is Elder Dallin H. Oaks' talk, "Good, Better, Best"). As you set your personal goals for... Read More

"For many years, Church leaders have counseled members to prepare to care for themselves and their families in times of need. This includes, to the extent that local laws and personal circumstances allow, storing and saving a one-year supply of food." ("Food Storage", LDS.org) This quote above comes from the main website for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons). Elder L. Tom Perry (a church leader for the Mormon church) stated: "Acquire and store a reserve of food and supplies that will sustain life ....As long as I can remember, we have been taught to prepare for the future and to obtain a year's supply of necessitie... Read More

Is it possible to prepare for all eventualities? Fire? Flood? Earthquake? Job loss? Death? The list could go on nearly endlessly. And on the surface it might appear impossible to prepare for all eventualities. But the more one looks, the more one realizes that a little bit of preparation can go a long way. And before long, nearly every possibility could be handled in very much the same way. For example, just think of how a 72-hour kit could help you. If someone called, "Fire", in the middle of the night, in spite of blearily opening your eyes and stumbling out of your home, you could be clutching your 72-hour kit that you store near your front door in the hall closet. Within that 72-hour kit you have most every essential you might need, from important insurance p... Read More

Elder Marvin J. Ashton served in the Mormon church (officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. His service was much loved, as his soul was most gentle and his comments inspired. His teachings blessed the lives of many. During one of his discourses, he shared some very profound thoughts regarding financial preparedness. I'd like to share those with you. And you can visit this link to read Elder Ashton's full ... Read More