Preparedness

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 recurring theme in my head. So I turned to it this morning to look more closely at its words. Apparently there is something the Lord wants me to learn from this famous piece of scripture.

King Solomon in Old Testament time was known for his wisdom (that is, up until the end of his life when he turned to pagan worship). The Lord had given the gift of wisdom to Solomon per his request. Much of the book Proverbs in the Bible, and the wisdom therein, comes directly from Solomon's hand.

Proverbs 31:10-31 speaks directly about a virtuous woman. If we look up the definition of "virtue", we will find explanations of moral excellence, goodness, and the ability to conduct oneself with ethical principles.

If we compare the concept of virtue with a preparedness lifestyle, the two would strongly parallel each other. In other words, a preparedness lifestyle contains many of the same virtues as those listed in Proverbs 31:10-31.

Let's look at those virtues now. Of course, this set of scripture verses refers to a woman in particular, but in truth the principles apply to all who desire wise living:

"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life" (vss 11-12).

There is no spoil with a prepared person. No waste. Food is rotated and used wisely. Finances are handled appropriately.

"She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands" (vs 13)

A prepared and prospered person is not lazy; instead he or she spends their time working willingly. Is it not because in the pursuit of thrift and industry we find joys we find no other way?

"She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar" (vs 14).

A thriving food storage is full of items not only grown at home, but carefully gathered over time from many places - all with the purpose of blessing the family during a potential time of scarcity.

"She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens" (vs 15).

There is a scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants, a book of scripture held valuable by the Mormons (officially the church is called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), that speaks to getting up early in the morning, similar to Proverbs 31:15. That verse states:

"Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated" (D&C 88:124).

So many principles and concepts can be found in Proverbs 31:10-31! I think I will continue exploring this further in future blogs!

To read the full text, click here on this Proverbs 31:10-31 link.

To learn more about the Mormon church and what we believe, click here.

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 not sure how freezing might impact the security strip on the back of the card. But her point was well-taken. In other words, make getting INTO debt harder than getting out of it. I'm sure there are many creative suggestions for this! If you have one, I'd love to hear it.

2. Make "freedom" a goal.

Getting out of debt can be simple - if you love freedom. If you love freedom enough, you will live for that moment when you can tear into pieces the final credit card statement! Keep that moment ever most in your mind as you make your credit card payments each month. Just close your eyes and literally imagine that moment. If you imagine it clearly and distinctly enough, it will help your mind get you to that destination - freedom from financial bondage!

Along these lines, double your credit card payments. Did you know that this will more than cut in half the time to freedom (as long as you don't use that credit card again).

3. Make "change" from the cracks.

A fun new trend is taking over. There are clubs of friends who support each other in one-month-of-no-spending. Oh, of course they pay their bills. But they swear off of spending a single penny (that is not earmarked for bills) for one month. The more the merrier, it is said. And doing this in teams helps you control those urges to otherwise spend. Do this often enough during the year (say, every other month) and you will find so much extra "loose change" that paying down that debt may even triple in speed!

Summary.

In summary, listen to these words spoken by Joseph Smith, the Lord's prophet of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ - and the founder of the Mormon church (officially called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). The Lord says:

"Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear:

"Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh...

"Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him caommandments" (D&C 1:11, 17).

How amazing that the Lord would love us enough to once again use prophets to guide, teach and instruct us? The world is crazy. The financial institutions are reeling currently from the housing crisis, etc. But for those who heed the words of the prophets to get out of debt and to store up for a "rainy day," those are the ones who will be prepared for that which is to come preceding the Second Coming of the Lord!

[To learn more about living in provident ways, with easy tips, visit the Provident Living website, sponsored for free by the Mormon church.]

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 Joe J. Christensen, "Resolutions," Ensign, Dec 1994, 62).

I love that, don't you? "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." Wow. What a powerful thought.

Isn't it just like the adversary Satan [see footnote (1)] would want - to have us give up in discouragement? What a potent tool to keep good folks from striving to do more. Discouragement works to keep many from attaining self-improvement.

The whole point of a Christ-like life is to make ourselves more whole, more complete, more like Him. We don't have to do it overnight. Life is a process, so is growth. As you contemplate possible goals or resolutions for this new year, remember that a flower doesn't bud overnight from a slender stalk.

Here are several suggestions for New Year's resolutions or areas for growth during 2008 - at least for the category of "Preparedness" that this blog discusses.

Preparedness can encompass "emergency preparedness", "job preparedness", etc. so take your pick from the following suggestions:

1. Completing your family's 72-hour kits
   
2. Finding/reading excellent preparedness books
   
3. Aiding your community to become more prepared (i.e. establish a CERT group)
   
4. Educational preparedness (take a class to build your work knowledge or resume)
   
5. Learn a living-off-the-land skill (i.e. growing medicinal herbs, foraging for food, chopping wood)
   
6. Increase your physical preparedness (i.e. eat healthier foods, exercise)
   
7. Incorporate new food storage recipes (set a goal for a certain amount by the end of the year)
   
8. Increase your spiritual preparedness (i.e. read your scriptures a certain amount during the new year)
   
9. Add medical supplies to your year's supply by the end of the next year
   
10. Add pet supplies to your year's supply
    
11. Add toiletry supplies to your year's supply
12. Complete either your three months or one year's food supply.

These are simple suggestions. You might have better ones. Don't plan on accomplishing them all; just pick one. Decide on a goal that is simple, straightforward and easily achievable - so that by the end of next year you will have done it! You will have actually accomplished one of your New Year's resolutions! And in a life-saving category. The important thing is that you do it.

Your family will count you most blessed for it.
~~~~
(1.) "Satan lives. We must realize that he lives just as certainly as God lives and as we live. Those who teach that there is no devil are either ignorant of the facts or are deceivers" (ElRay L. Christiansen, “Power Over Satan,” Ensign, Nov. 1974, 22).

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 the new year, one goal that would be important to add is that of personal preparedness. Run some of these scenarios through your head:

ice storm
wind storm
tsunami
earthquake
job loss
community or civil unrest
drought
death of wage earner

None are pleasant, but they are happening or have happened in recent times to people -- and not just a small number of people, but to thousands and thousands. The likelihood of one of these events happening in a community near you seems statistically sure. If not those above, then perhaps these:

fire
strike
flood
etc.

Such unpleasant things! Yet even in unpleasant things, good things can surface. One woman on television, while being interviewed after evacuation from Hurricane Katrina, said that for the first time in her life she'd turned to God. Another said that they'd begun seeing goodness in people due to the amount of service they'd received. So out of tragedy some good can arise.

So let's discuss preparedness. For I think most of us at least imagine we'd like to be prepared for the bad things that might happen.

Walk over to your pantry. I'm serious. Do it now. Take a moment and look in your pantry. How many days could you go if the stores suddenly shut down around you? Three days? Two weeks? A month?

And a good question to ask is: how does one know how much food/supplies are enough for an unknown and unpredicted emergency?

The government in the United States used to recommend having a 72-hour kit. Now they've changed that to recommending a 2 WEEK kit. Anything is better than nothing. And many things stored are certainly better than a few things.

It's actually easier than you might think to get started in putting up a few things for an emergency. The Mormon church (officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has a website called Provident Living.org. Why not visit the site and learn a little bit of what you can do to prepare your family. That way if one of the unpleasant events mentioned above comes your way, you'll be able to fare better and feel at greater peace - both before, during, and after!

"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 necessities. I would guess that the years of plenty have almost universally caused us to set aside this counsel. I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over. With events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness" ("If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear," Ensign, Nov 1995, 36).

Here is another quote from a church leader in the mid 1900s on the subject:

"There is something in the Doctrine and Covenants, which says, 'And there shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth' D&C 29:16....What are you going to do when that happens?

"Ah, brothers and sisters,...when that happens and if you have your year's supply of food in your home, let the hails come, and the winds blow, and our storehouses in our homes...will be full just as they were in the days of Joseph, and we will be preserved....What good will be our greenbacks that we get from the government...when all the crops of the earth are destroyed by hail? ("Matthew Cowley Speaks," Deseret Book, 1954)

I fear personally that we in general have had too many years of easy access to grocery stores and convenience stores. Unless we are old enough to remember the scarcity during the Depression in the 1930s, we might not truly comprehend the urgent need to have established a lifestyle of provident living.

The prophets have foretold of a time when there will be a desolating scourge, there will be earthquakes, the seas heaving themselves beyond their bounds, etc. At what point does a society wake up and begin to prepare for that which has been prophesied?

I believe it begins with me. I believe it begins with you. I believe it begins as we join arms and begin aiding our loved ones to develop wise and prudent ways. It might not take a tsunami to wreak havoc in our lives like happened a few years back the day after Christmas near Sri Lanka. It might not take a Hurricane Katrina like a few years back near New Orleans.

But there are times which are coming which could become most bleak in our personal lives ... if we are not prepared. Thus, as the new year 2008 begins let's determine that by the end of 2008 we will have established wise and provident ways for our family. It starts by saving a little bit of money each month; it starts by setting aside a few extra food items every week. And before you know it, by the end of 2008 you will have heeded the words of the prophets by storing up and living a provident lifestyle. Your family will be so blessed by your wise actions!

In the Book of Mormon we read about a prophet named Lehi and a dream the Lord gave him. In the dream, Lehi viewed the raucous nature and calls of those in the world who seek to offset the path of those seeking God.

One of the current leaders for the Mormon church (officially called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has commented on this same topic. He said:

The current cries we hear coming from the great and spacious building tempt us to compete for ownership in the things of this world. We think we need a larger home, with a three-car garage, a recreational vehicle parked next to it. We long for designer clothes, extra TV sets, all with VCRs, the latest model computers, and the newest car. Often these items are purchased with borrowed money, without giving any thought to providing for our future needs. The result of all this instant gratification is overloaded bankruptcy courts and families that are far too preoccupied with their financial burdens.
(See Elder L. Tom Perry, "If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear," Ensign, Nov 1995, 35).

Regardless of whether this statement would describe us well in the past, what matters most is what we're doing now in the present. Are we more focused on designer clothing, the latest computers, or even the new Wii ... to the exclusion of preparing our families for difficult times ahead?

One would hope we would never need to know how to live off the land. Our pioneer forefathers knew such skills. Living in today's current world, though, we have grown soft with easy access to all kinds of convenience stores.

Thus, if we don't have the skills to live off the lands ... if times got hard ... we best be getting ourselves ready with ample storage of life-saving foods and other supplies.

Most people with access to electricity, computers, and modern conveniences have heard of the governments in the world talking about epidemics such as the bird flu ... and the enforced quarantines should such a thing breakout.

I would hate to starve to death in my home, wouldn't you? Yet, if the government couldn't allow people out on the streets, what is the reality of starvation for each family in your own neighborhood? What about for your own family? If you couldn't visit the grocery store for several months, how would you fare?

Thus, it would be really, really good to listen to the Lord's servants who advise us to prepare ourselves by storing up goods that would sustain life.

Even if the bird flu didn't hit the world in large fashion (oh, how glad an event to not have it come), there are other signs of trouble in the world today: the collapse of the housing market, inflation, shaky economies, etc.

Here's the basics in a nutshell. Mormon prophets and church leaders recommend that you need to have about 3 months worth of every day foods your family is used to eating. Once you have built up that amount of food stuffs (and medicines, toiletries, etc.), then it is recommended you begin storing other types of longer storage kinds of foods, such as rice, wheat, salt, sugar, yeast, etc. (Of course, each family needs to determine what is appropriate for them, given possible food allergies, etc., and actually cook with long-term foods to develop recipes for them.)

The apostle, Elder L. Tom Perry (as quoted and with a link to the full talk above), gives additional commentary on the subject of preparedness:

On a daily basis we witness widely fluctuating inflation; wars; interpersonal conflicts; national disasters; variances in weather conditions; innumerable forces of immorality, crime, and violence; attacks and pressures on the family and individuals; technological advances that make occupations obsolete; and so on. The need for preparation is abundantly clear. The great blessing of being prepared gives us freedom from fear, as guaranteed to us by the Lord in the Doctrine and Covenants: “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear” (D&C 38:30).

Let us all make sure we are praying, reading our scriptures, and seeking the Lord's guidance in these rocky times. We also need to make sure we are temporally prepared with long-term food, medicine storage, etc. Then, when unpleasant events happen in society around us, we will be prepared. Our families won't need to fear ... and even better? We will be free to then help others around us as Jesus Christ has admonished us to do! Now that is an awesome thing to think about!

To learn more about a provident living lifestyle and how to wisely prepare for the future, visit the Mormon church's provident living website.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes casually called the Mormon church), we believe in prophets. Prophets are men who are called by the Lord to lead and guide His children while they live on this earth.

Just like a very technical piece of equipment comes with an instruction manual, life too has come with an instruction manual of sorts: prophets.

The Bible even speaks of prophets in very specific ways. For example, in Amos 3:7 we read:

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

I'm so grateful to know about the Lord's spokesmen. They existed in ancient times; they exist now. To learn more about prophets, feel free to visit Mormon.org.

One area in particular for which I'm very grateful are the words our prophets have spoken regarding preparedness, especially financial preparedness. While so many in the world appear to voraciously seek for more and more goods, fancier cars, and bigger homes, here is what the Lord's spokesmen have said about all of this:

"We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. We urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt. . . . If you have paid your debts and have a financial reserve, even though it be small, you and your family will feel more secure and enjoy greater peace in your hearts."
—The First Presidency, All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances, Feb. 2007, 1

A few years back prior to the "dot com" financial explosion and before the housing market implosion, back when things were going great for the stock market, etc., our prophet was declaring the same thing as stated above. He urgently admonished people to get their financial affairs in order, because he saw a portent of stormy weather ahead.

Some may have shrugged and went about business as usual. But others who heard him took the instructions to heart and began clearing debt, etc. Now flash forward some years and where does the economic situation of the world rest? On stormy waters indeed.

Well, Christmas is one week away as I write this. There are still many who flurry about, trying to find Christmas gifts for loved ones. I just offer one thought: perhaps the best gifts are those that come from the heart and not from a store.

So as you make your final preparations for Christmas morning, make sure you remember the words of the prophets. Look to the condition of your finances. Be "modest in your expenditures." "Discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt."

Although I think many children might raise an eyebrow at a "Love" coupon book (instead of a remote car), but as the months go by, they might feel otherwise. If you follow through with coupon after coupon of time spent playing games, reading books together, and having walks together ... by the end of the year they just might enjoy Christmas 2007's gift from you the best of any Christmas ever. Kids want time with Mom and Dad practically more than anything (they just don't say it).

I'm not saying not to purchase gifts at all. But I do know that when we hearken to the prophets' words in all they say (and follow through), we are always grateful later. So make sure you have a Merry Christmas this year ... just don't get yourself in debt doing it!

What does preparedness mean to you? As we've discussed before, "preparedness" really can mean so very many different things. But in all categories, preparedness seems to imply that you are ready for the unexpected.

How does one go about this? How does one become ready for the unexpected, if he or she does not know what that unexpected is?

Another consideration is that for many people, budgets are tight. So in trying to be prepared for a variety of eventualities, most of those preparations cannot be overnight.

Thus, for most of us, we need to be wise in scheduling or handling any forms of preparedness. Here are at least a few categories to consider:

• Resume preparedness (should your job cease)
• Health preparedness (to avoid medical costs and difficulty)
• Short-term emergency preparedness
• Long-term emergency preparedness
• Community preparedness

These are just a few categories. There are more over in the column on the right near the top of this blog. But regardless of the categories of preparedness, any and all of them take forethought and effort to achieve some semblance of success within them.

So why be prepared? Perhaps 20 years ago that question would have brought a laugh. The natural disasters didn't seem to come as frequently as they do now. But now, in the 21st century, we only need think on recent years about the ever-increasing disasters that we've all seen to know the answer to the question, "Why be prepared?"

Most natural disasters hit with less than a week's warning (Hurricane Katrina, fires in California, etc.). Then there are the man-made disasters that also can occur without warning (the twin towers in New York, etc.).

Perhaps some families have budgets that allow them to go and purchase, all at once, everything they would need to live on for the next year, in addition to paying for emergency prep classes, etc. But many families do not have this ability. That is why it is even more prudent that at least weekly we make some small stride toward increasing our preparedness.

The Mormon church (officially called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) teaches its members to live provident lifestyles, including preparedness ways. In fact, the Church will often team with community groups to help local cities in these matters. The Mormon Church on many levels extends an outreach into communities to help all people with provident living skills, not just Mormons (here is just one of the many examples: see press release).

As Mormons, we believe in self-reliance. In fact, you can read further about the efforts of this Church to help not just members, but all of God's children by clicking on these two links:

"Welfare and Self Reliance"

"Provident Living Website"

As a Mormon, I've learned that the Lord desires that I not only be wise and thrifty for my family's needs and considerations, but also to be busy helping others to do the same. When Jesus Christ came to redeem us, He did it out of love for our needs. As we seek to follow Him, we become more like Him - prepared in all things.

So yes, how important it is to prepare for the unexpected. In fact, by expecting the unexpected and being wise in those preparations, life can actually go a bit more smoothly!

If you'd like to learn more about the Church and it's Provident Living counsels, feel free to click here.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), we believe in being prepared. Why? Well, frankly because we believe the scriptures. The scriptures were given to us through the Lord's mouthpieces, the prophets.

Those scriptures contain great words of wisdom, counsel, and yes, even admonishment. They contain warnings of what it would be like living in a time which many call the "latter days."

The term "latter days" simply is used to differentiate between now and the earlier time in history. In fact, there is even a more precise term, "the last days." I'm sure you've heard of it. It refers to the times leading up to just prior to Jesus Christ's return to the earth.

And He is returning! It will be a most glorious time - for those who are prepared. That is why as Mormons we work to prepare. We prepare for His coming by seeking to follow His teachings ... so that when He comes we will be found diligently serving as He taught to do.

But we also prepare physically, because the scriptures and prophets' words are replete with description of the raucous and perhaps even frightening times before Christ's return. Why frightening?

Here are a few scripture references to read to gain an understanding of what surrounds us and will continue to mount in the final days before the Savior's coming. It's why we prepare the way we do (or at least strive to). These references are taken from the Bible:

Genesis 49:1
Isaiah 24:20
2 Timothy 3:1

This is why even our modern-day prophets are so busy with words of wisdom such as these:

"We encourage Church members worldwide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings.

"We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve." ~The First Presidency, All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage, Feb. 2007, 1" (click here for easy access to statement.)

So how are you doing? Do you have a food storage? Water in storage (we can only live three or four days without water)? Do you have a financial storage of sorts?

Don't worry if you don't yet have these things begun. Just begin them today and then keep on keeping on in this pathway.

So here's your activity for today. Go get a glass jar. Then give everyone in the family the assignment to quickly find as many coins as possible throughout the house! Search through doors, coat pockets, old purses, etc. Make it a game.

And then keep it up. Every Monday night for a fun post-Family-Home-Evening activity, why not go on a "lost coin search." You'll be surprised how fast your stash-of-cash adds up. By the end of a year, you should have enough at least to pay for an air conditioner repair, a sudden root canal, or any other small emergency. And by living after this manner, you'll discover the truth about preparedness -- it brings peace.

To learn more, visit the Provident Living website.

As Latter-day Saints (or Mormons) we believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to His work.

As such, we gather twice a year to hear from our church leaders. These are men and women who seek the Lord and who have been called to teach us in His ways. Amongst these individuals are the Prophet and the Apostles, special witnesses for Christ. There are also other individuals who also speak to us at these General Conferences.

One individual who recently spoke serves on the Quorum of the Seventy. Elder Donald L. Hallstrom shared the importance of reconciling with God by seeking and incorporating the changes that Christ has taught us. In October of 2007 Elder Hallstrom said:

"We know what is right, but we delay full spiritual involvement because of laziness, fear, rationalization, or lack of faith. We convince ourselves that 'someday I'm going to do it.' However, for many 'someday' never comes, and even for others who eventually do make a change, there is an irretrievable loss of progress and surely regression" (Donald L. Hallstrom, "Do It Now," Ensign, Nov 2007, 50).

These words were spoken as regards to spiritual involvement with the things of Christ - especially as regards to repentance. But for me, they also speak to my heart regarding procrastination with things of temporal preparedness.

For example, how many of us could go for a month without a visit to the grocery store? Yet news has come frequently in the past year about the U.S. government's necessary plans should an outbreak of the bird flu occur. There will be a forced or mandatory quarantine of the majority of the nation. Word has been issued that people would be required to stay home.

Well, on the surface this perhaps does not sound too intense. Perhaps it does. Depends on your perspective. But the reality is, there will be many caught short-handed. I know individuals who live week-to-week with their grocery lists ... and not necessarily because they are short of cash.

No, they simply do not see the need to shop with long-term storage in mind. Yet reality is ushering in a cold new thought - self-sufficiency in times of difficulty.

So I ask you, along the theme of Elder Hallstrom's talk "Do It Now" - could you last a month without going to the grocery store? And yes, this means in every way - not just food, but in medical needs, hygiene needs, etc.

Why not pull out a piece of paper and tape it to the fridge. For the next week, jot down every item you use during the week that you've purchased. This means bread, this means toothpaste, this means toilet paper, etc.

At the end of the week, examine your list and then make a shopping list. Continue to do this for a month, with a new shopping list for each week. After four weeks, compile the four shopping lists. Make your plans. Visit the store.

You never know when it might become too late to go shopping. Do not procrastinate what you can do today. Your family will be so grateful should the time come that indeed, the government shuts down everything to curtail the spread of disease. You won't be the one starving within the walls of your own home if you are proactive today.

Again, to quote Elder Hallstrom, "Do It Now"! His talk may more fully address spiritual preparedness, but by listening well, you will also increase your temporal preparedness. Then you will avoid the dangers and problems of dreaded procrastination.

To learn more about provident living in every way, feel free to visit this link for simple and effective lifestyle tips.

We as Mormons believe the prophets. Whether those prophets are ancient ones or current ones, we believe them and that they speak the Lord's word. We base this on the scripture in Amos 3:7:

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."

Does this not speak of love from God himself? That He would teach us, warn us, help us in such a manner? For truly there will be terrible things happening just prior to Christ's return to earth. Terrible judgments are coming for those who insist on hurting others and themselves through sinful living. But the Lord desires that those who love Him and seek to follow Him be forewarned. So He does forewarn His children, and He does so through His mouthpieces, the prophets.

Both ancient and latter-day prophets speak the same message, to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord. In fact, that day of coming is referred to as both great and terrible - great for those who look forward to that coming and terrible for those who hate God and His ways.

For those who will live through those times, there will be an intensity of experience. It is for this reason the Lord warns His people to watch and to be prepared.

This is why we as Mormons are always speaking of preparedness, whether that preparedness is of a spiritual nature or of a temporal nature. We love the Lord and seek to do His bidding. We are not perfect in our paths, for there is and has been only One who lived on this earth who is perfect, even Jesus Christ the Savior and Redeemer of the world.

But we do try. And it is for this purpose we seek preparedness in all things. One of those important ways is through food storage. Another is through education. Another is through service, for how can we get to know the Master if we refuse to live His ways He taught?

Another aspect of preparedness is financial. Still another is strengthening family relationships. There are many, many parts to preparedness. Again this is why preparedness is not a one-time event ... it is a lifestyle.

The purpose of this blog is to discuss these matters, to share the words of the prophets with you regarding preparedness, to share ideas and subject matters to help you help your family get ready for the times we face, even today.

And by so living such a lifestyle, by heeding the words of God himself through His prophets, we can please Him by being children He can trust and look to. What a wonderful blessing and opportunity, then, to be prepared for Him.

Ok. Winter is coming. For many, this means below-freezing temperatures. If your house's heating system is working great, no problem. Your home will stay nice and toasty.

But what if your furnace goes out? What then? Or even worse, as has happened in various parts of the country (and the world), sometimes there is a larger crisis. A cold snap strikes an area and the power is suddenly out.

As a result, now there are hundreds, if not thousands of homes without power. Perhaps if you are of the lumberjack make, this becomes quite the adventure. It's a chance to pull out your little camp stove and toast marshmallows (remember never to do this inside), all the while telling the family about the cold snap of some previous year.

But for many, a cold snap can spell disaster. For those with fragile medical conditions, this becomes a dire situation. If you live in a location where temperatures drop like rocks, are you ready? Even if every previous year has been fine, what if this year isn't? Start discussing this week your family plan, even chatting with local city officials about various options.

To pass through a situation like this as an adult is one thing, but if you have small children, you must take care of their needs carefully to avoid potentially serious illnesses.

One of the best things you can add to your preparedness supplies are some sub-zero sleeping bags. This way, if your heating goes out this winter, you can unroll the bags out on the beds and snuggle down deep into their at-least-some-what-toasty interiors.

Better yet (if you purchase carefully), some sleeping bags will actually zip together, thus enlarging the space. Just know that even though each sleeping bag usually comes with a temperature rating, what is comfortable for one person might not be for another. So remember, you can always unzip a bag to cool down a bit, but it's rather difficult to make a sleeping bag get warmer. So buy warmer than you think you might need.

Finally, you get what you pay for with sleeping bags. Thus, you'll want to start watching for sales, keeping your eyes out to learn the range of prices available. But come a cold snap, you'll be glad to have made the investment. Thus, since Christmas is coming up, why not consider adding sleeping bags under your tree? Your family may quite thank you if you ever experience a heating outage.

Remember, even if you're not a diehard camper, sleeping bags can become one of your most valued items in your preparedness supplies!

I have to smile. While I'm sitting here blogging, my six-year-old son has changed the words to the tune "Deck the Halls" from the usual words, to ...

"Tis the season to be ready ...
La, la, la, la, la, la, la."

I'm not sure how he came up with this creative phrase, but I have to smile as I hear it - especially as I'm blogging about emergency preparedness issues. I'm realizing how inspired his little six-year-old mind is. The world all around us appears to be tumbling and falling down at an ever faster rate. Are we ready for that which has been prophesied of old - those events that precede the Second Coming of the Savior?

Look at this quote. In referring to the ten virgins mentioned in Matthew 25:1-13, an earlier church president, President Spencer W. Kimball, stated the following:

"I believe that the Ten Virgins represent the people of the Church of Jesus Christ and not the rank and file of the world. All the virgins, wise and foolish, had accepted the invitation to the wedding supper; they had knowledge of the program and had been warned of the important day to come.

"They [the foolish] knew the way but gave only a small measure of loyalty and devotion. I ask you: What value is a car without an engine, a cup without water, a table without food, a lamp without oil?

"Hundreds of thousands of us today are in this position. Confidence has been dulled and patience worn thin. It is so hard to wait and be prepared always. But we cannot allow ourselves to slumber. The Lord has given us this parable as a special warning.

"The foolish asked the others to share their oil, but spiritual preparedness cannot be shared in an instant. The wise had to go, else the bridegroom would have gone unwelcomed. They needed all their oil for themselves; they could not save the foolish. The responsibility was each for himself" (Faith Precedes the Miracle, p. 253).

So what does this mean to me? It means that I have been warned to be prepared. It means that, just as my son is singing at this very moment, "'Tis the season to be ready ... "

And if we are ready, we are more likely to feel that which my little guy has also added, "Tis the season to be jolly ... "

The point that all prophets have proclaimed is that the Lord loves us. That is why He speaks to us through His prophets - precisely SO we can be ready for the events which will precede His coming.

"Tis the season to be ready ... " Let's get busy making sure we are. Browse the Preparedness blogs, in addition to the other blogs, here at LDSBlogs.com. Read your scriptures. Pray. Put together your 72-hour kits. Develop a knowledge of God. Start tucking food items away for a "rainy day." Remember that it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

Whatever you do, make sure you include the Lord in your plans. He will guide you through and help you indeed be jolly during this season of preparedness. For indeed, "Tis the season to be ready ... "

"Now, brethren, I want to make it clear that I am not prophesying, that I am not predicting years of famine in the future. But I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order....That's all I have to say about it, but I wish to say it with all the emphasis of which I am capable" (Ensign, November 1998, p. 53).

Our prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, spoke these words nearly ten years ago. During that time, the stock market was going great. Conditions in the United States seemed prosperous for many. It may have seemed a far stretch to hear the President of our church urge people to prepare for that which is to come.

Times can take us by surprise, though. For those who are students of history, the Great Depression in the United States was one such time. Virtually overnight millionaires became paupers.

Lives changed drastically during the Depression. But if you'd asked the people on the evening before the change, most perhaps would have scoffed at such turmoil. Those who lived before that time with a preparedness approach, though, were able to make adjustments and make it through. When one is prepared, fear scarcely flits through the mind during times that otherwise topple people's ability to manage.

If one were to have taken a strong hold on President Hinckley's words nearly a decade ago and worked with all his might - slowly but surely he would have built a reservoir of preparedness in his life that would be thriving by today.

Quick - it's not too late to start, although the hours are stretching on. So how do we do this? The first steps are the easiest ones - yet the most integral. We start literally by getting up every day, kneeling in prayer, and petitioning the Lord for guidance. We also study the scriptures daily, for we know that the scriptures contained the living word of God. We also serve others, for it is when we serve others that the spirit grows within our heart.

These three steps form the foundation of preparedness. By praying, studying scriptures, and serving God's children, we will be more privy to the Holy Spirit of the Lord. Promptings will begin to come that otherwise we might miss.

As those promptings come, we will begin to see life in a different light. Suddenly the flat screen TV purchase becomes less desirable. Oh, we may still want the thing, but it's not so urgent or driving a "need." Instead, we start noticing ads from the local grocery store along the lines of "10 for a $10" and we pick up a few of those items.

We start lining our shelves with rows of spaghetti sauce and feel a warm stroke of peace as we walk by the pantry, noticing the plump jars' tidy little lines bringing a sense of security.

We actually start keeping our eyes open for recipes to use with whole foods, since whole foods are easier to store and last longer than canned items.

We begin exercising because as we've filled our lives with the spirit from reading our scriptures, praying, and serving, we start feeling better and actually want to be outdoors in the sun.

The entire process brings joy and a peace that is hard to define. So yes, maybe we didn't start preparing nearly a decade ago when President Hinckley strongly urged church members to do so (if you did, kudos to you!). But we certainly can start today! In so doing, we too will feel the peace promised to those that are wise and preparing, even today.

For remember, "Preparedness is a lifestyle - not a one-time event." Let's do it now!