Emergency Preparedness Tip – Strengthen the Family … While there is Time
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 “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” to understand God’s perspective on the subject of traditional marriage and homosexuality. President Gordon B. Hinckley was the prophet for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the year of 1995. He read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” at a church-wide gathering for women. It is a succinct document full of warning to today’s generation on earth. Its words are bold and unequivocally full of warning and faith.
Look at the very first paragraph!
We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
A prophet of God is solemnly declaring that God views marriage in a specific way: “between a man and a woman.” He also states that “family is central to the Creator’s plan.”
But the situation in California today is alarming, with a court forcing this family to give their children to be taught by state curriculum – a state curriculum which allows teens to use each others’ school bathrooms interchangeably and a curriculum that forcibly teaches transgender and homosexual lifestyles – starting in Kindergarten!
The Family proclamation in the next paragraph states another bold truth from God’s eyes, even if not in the world’s eyes.
All human beings – male and female – are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.
How far we have fallen in society to have lost these natural truths. What the prophet states so clearly now is being argued against so viciously by society. But in God’s eyes, “gender is an essential characteristic” of both before we came to earth, while we’re here, and for in the eternities!
And yet society continues to surge in the opposite direction. So why is this post the “Emergency Preparedness Tip” for the day? Because if we don’t wake up and speak up, the day will come when we won’t have any more opportunity to do so. Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.
President Hinckley was also crystal clear about the world’s sliding ways when he spoke to church members in California in 1995 a few months prior to giving the Family Proclamation.
Recovery . . . will not come about through legislative mandate. It is not likely to come about through the public schools, which some 40 years ago abandoned the teaching of moral and ethical values. If it is to happen, it will have to happen in the homes of the people, fortified by the Church.
We have made wonderful strides in many fields in this 20th century of which we have been a part. But in that field which is most fraught with consequences for the 21st century – the course of the American family – we have lost ground. There has been a perceptible and alarming unraveling.
The only possible long-term solution lies in redoubling our efforts to strengthen the families of America . . .
Is this not frightening enough to goad us to action? We are seeing the sour fruits of what he alluded to 13 years ago and 6 months prior to giving “The Family: A Proclamation to the World. He finishes with a prophetic moment and a call to action. Will we finally listen? We must get involved with our society or reap the final consequences when it is too late.
Otherwise, I fear, the future for the 21st century looks gloomy….As we face this new century, it is time we got on our knees and asked for direction, then to stand on our feet and follow it (source: Neil H. Leash in Prophetic Statements on Food Storage for Latter-day Saints)
Emergency Preparedness Tip: Strengthen the Family … While there is Time
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 “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” to understand God’s perspective on the subject of traditional marriage and homosexuality. President Gordon B. Hinckley was the prophet for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the year of 1995. He read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” at a church-wide gathering for women. It is a succinct document full of warning to today’s generation on earth. Its words are bold and unequivocally full of warning and faith.
Look at the very first paragraph!
We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
A prophet of God is solemnly declaring that God views marriage in a specific way: “between a man and a woman.” He also states that “family is central to the Creator’s plan.”
But the situation in California today is alarming, with a court forcing this family to give their children to be taught by state curriculum – a state curriculum which allows teens to use each others’ school bathrooms interchangeably and a curriculum that forcibly teaches transgender and homosexual lifestyles – starting in Kindergarten!
The Family proclamation in the next paragraph states another bold truth from God’s eyes, even if not in the world’s eyes.
All human beings – male and female – are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.
How far we have fallen in society to have lost these natural truths. What the prophet states so clearly now is being argued against so viciously by society. But in God’s eyes, “gender is an essential characteristic” of both before we came to earth, while we’re here, and for in the eternities!
And yet society continues to surge in the opposite direction. So why is this post the “Emergency Preparedness Tip” for the day? Because if we don’t wake up and speak up, the day will come when we won’t have any more opportunity to do so. Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.
President Hinckley was also crystal clear about the world’s sliding ways when he spoke to church members in California in 1995 a few months prior to giving the Family Proclamation.
Recovery . . . will not come about through legislative mandate. It is not likely to come about through the public schools, which some 40 years ago abandoned the teaching of moral and ethical values. If it is to happen, it will have to happen in the homes of the people, fortified by the Church.
We have made wonderful strides in many fields in this 20th century of which we have been a part. But in that field which is most fraught with consequences for the 21st century – the course of the American family – we have lost ground. There has been a perceptible and alarming unraveling.
The only possible long-term solution lies in redoubling our efforts to strengthen the families of America . . .
Is this not frightening enough to goad us to action? We are seeing the sour fruits of what he alluded to 13 years ago and 6 months prior to giving “The Family: A Proclamation to the World. He finishes with a prophetic moment and a call to action. Will we finally listen? We must get involved with our society or reap the final consequences when it is too late.
Otherwise, I fear, the future for the 21st century looks gloomy….As we face this new century, it is time we got on our knees and asked for direction, then to stand on our feet and follow it (source: Neil H. Leash in Prophetic Statements on Food Storage for Latter-day Saints)
To read the Proclamation in its entirely, click on The Family: A Proclamation to the World.
Emergency Preparedness Tip – Avoid “Hoarding Mentality”
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? Her area has not had to close the schools due to snow for over a decade. The situation currently is that bad! But now schools are closed, roads are closed, power is out, and snow plows are working long hours to free people from their homes.
If you were in a situation like this, would you be prepared? If the situation went on for more than two weeks, would you be starving?
Prophets for the Mormon church (officially called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) have for some time admonished people to wisely store up food, money, clothing, etc., for any difficult time that perchance may come. And how prudent this advice! Those who, like my friend, took the warning, listened to it, and obeyed eons ago now are doing fine – even though they are snowed in and people all around them are without power.
BUT there is a big difference between storing wisely in systematic fashion, and between “hoarding.” Prophets have never advised to hoard our goods. Instead, the instruction has come – to every month of every year simply have a preparedness mentality.
In essence, a person with a preparedness mentality understands that true preparedness is a lifestyle, not a one time event! That is why a person with a preparedness mentality does not go into debt building their food storage, etc. Instead, they take a little bit of money every month to recycle their food, medical needs, toiletries, etc., easily replacing in small quantities what was used during that month.
On the other hand, a “hoarder” is someone who sporadically stashes stuff and then is afraid to use it. Not only are they perhaps stingy with others, but they’re stingy with themselves in using their “hoard.” They’re afraid to use it!
Truly prepared individuals have acclimated to simply thinking in prepared ways. So why not try it this month? Why not do an inventory of your food, your toiletries, your medical needs, etc. Make a list and then a simple plan.
Decide to set aside $5, $20 (or whatever your budget suggests) to begin building your food storage to about three months supply. This way if the government were to quarantine everyone to their homes because of the bird flu, you will be ready.
Second, once you have about three months of normal food stuff, etc., begin storing long-term grains like wheat, rice, etc. When the depression hit in the 30s, people in Europe resorted to eating rabbits, etc., simply because there was no food!
Third, decide today that you will share. Share your knowledge, share your perspective on the importance of a prudent lifestyle, and if needed, share your food with others.
Jesus said:
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
The Savior set the example in this. And we can too. Once we grasp the wisdom of prudent living and a preparedness lifestyle, we can lay down our lives in the service of others – teaching them the joy that comes from being prepared!
Here is a great website to that instructs how to live a provident lifestyle. It’s called Provident Living.
Emergency Preparedness Tip – Involve your Neighborhood
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. And we DO know that there are horrific instruments of brutality that mankind insists on making to hurt other people.
So what does this have to do with us? When we go to bed this evening, what are our thoughts? What kinds of lives have we lived? Have we served and blessed our neighbors, family, and friends? And most importantly, did we include God in our thoughts that day?
Emergencies are exactly that – emergencies. They are unexpected and unintended crises. The communities that are prepared survive more easily than those who are not.
Thus, what kind of discussions have you held with your neighbors about unexpected disasters? If you’ve not talked with your neighbors about these kinds of topics, it might feel awkward. But better to push past those awkward feelings, than let them contain you and keep you from organizing a triumphant organization that is ready to help each other during difficult times!
Here are a few thoughts to go about setting this up:
1. Homeowners’ Association?
Some families live in a neighborhood ruled by a homeowner’s association. This almost makes things easier. Approach an individual on the board and suggest that the association offer an emergency preparedness portion during the next board meeting. Even volunteer to head it up, if this will help make sure it happens. Then you simply need to speak to the local fire department or Red Cross agency to see if they will come speak or at least give you materials to help get your neighborhood ready.
2. No Homeowners’ Association?
If you do not live in a neighborhood governed by an association, simply band together with a few neighbors and offer a block party. Everyone can bring some munchies, the kids can play in the yards, while the adults organize a system of co-operation if an emergency were to occur. C.E.R.T. is a wonderful way to go for this – being a process that helps local neighborhoods band together with important skills should an emergency occur. The neighborhood C.E.R.T. team “saves the day” until the firefighters or other professionals can arrive. (You can find more information about C.E.R.T. by doing a search online.)
In summary, there are some easy steps to take to make sure your neighborhood is ready for emergencies. Remember, the Lord will help your preparations as you seek His help in all things and as you remember to reach out to others. A prepared community or neighborhood can do much good when everything else “bad” seems to be breaking out!
The apostle John said:
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God….
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:7, 11).
As we seek to help our communities be prepared, we not only manifest the love of God to them, but we manifest our love to God!
[For other information on provident living in many different areas, feel free to visit the Provident Living website.]
Near Drownings
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 words … that every being works when he works by faith’” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Tongue of Angels,” Ensign, April 2007).
We use our words to demonstrate our faith, even in experiences such as drownings or near-drownings. Every year here in Florida there are reports in the newspaper about toddler after toddler drowning. Most often it is because the little one slipped away when no-one was looking and toddled off to a nearby pond or lake or swimming pool (there are a LOT of bodies of water in Florida with nearly as many alligators).
Sometimes the reports are less trying ones – where the child only experienced a near-drowning. Each time the parent is rejoiced to have their child back.
Near-drownings (and drownings) can happen in what seems like milli-seconds. A friend of mine lost her two-year-old to a drowning while visiting her mother’s. It happened in much the usual way. Just a two-minute absence and by the time the child is noticed missing, it is too late.
Yet with all the notifications in the paper and in the stores and at the doctors’ offices, drownings still occur. Is it because the parents don’t care? Not at all. It is just that little ones are tricky to watch at all times.
Faith can be like this, too, sometimes. We might think we’re doing ok in life, then something broadsides us. It might be a job loss, the loss of a loved one, or even a sudden bout of severe health. Perhaps it was something we could have prevented; perhaps it was not. But we are still left to deal with it.
What is one to do? Well, we might look at the drowning scenario. There are ways to prevent drownings and then there are ways to deal with it, if it still occurs.
Preventing Drownings
It is essential to know that there are a few things we can do and then we must leave the rest up to God. Remember Elder Holland’s words? We manifest our faith by our words – we even manifest our faith by our actions. Therefore, as parents we seek the best we can through our parenting words and actions … and then we trust in Him for the rest.
For example, if you live where there are bodies of water, here are a few preparedness tips you might not be aware of. By following these, you manifest faith in wisdom, which then makes it easier to trust in Him for the rest.
- In an effort to prevent near-drownings, we need to make sure there are protections and warning systems around the pool. If there is not a fence of some sort protecting the pool from the house, then get one. If you can’t afford it, figure out a way to barter or trade services with a pool fencing company so that your little ones are protected (or those of your neighbors). [The Lord provides a similar thing for our spiritual protection - He provides fences of safety called "commandments" to protect us if we will obey.]
- In an effort to prevent near-drownings, we can install a beep-beep system (as my little one calls it). A “beep-beep” system is really a security system that sounds when a house door is opened. This will alert you if a door opens. You then can immediately look around for your young children to locate them (these inexpensive systems can be found at most hardware stores). [The Lord provides a similar thing - He gives us a "beep-beep" system called a conscience or the Holy Ghost.]
- In an effort to prevent near-drownings during pool parties, have a designated “child watcher” complete with a labeled necklace placed around the protector’s neck (as a reminder). This has been proven fairly effective when there are a lot of people present with small children near a pool. The job can be rotated amongst cautious adults. [The Lord provides the same thing - He calls these protectors "prophets."]
- There are other possibilities that your local authorities can advise you about; make sure to contact them as this list here is only a beginning. [The Lord provides the same thing - He calls them congregational leaders, called Bishops and Stake Presidents.]
- Finally, know that no-one is perfect. Sometimes even with the best of care, a death will occur. This is when we need to trust the Lord. But just as Elder Holland shared, not only do our words manifest our faith but so do our actions. When we seek to be the best parent we can be, we are better able to leave the rest in the Lord’s hands. [The Lord allows us choice. Even with the best of His efforts, we might not listen - just like our children when we've told them not to stray ... but they still do.]
I lost my second child to SIDS. I know, it is not the same as a near drowning. But for a long time I second-guessed the experience. “What if I’d…” continued to fill my mind for a long time. But the Spirit of the Lord came with grace and peace to my mind, teaching me that some things cannot be understood in this life. It was also important for me to know that families can be reunited after this life, to remain together forever.
Mormons (officially known as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) teach that little children are without sin and if they experience death, they are received into the arms of the Lord.
An earlier Mormon prophet explained more fully the condition of young children who die:
“Children who die in childhood will not be deprived of any blessing. When they grow, after the resurrection, to the full maturity of the spirit, they will be entitled to all the blessings which they would have been entitled to had they been privileged to tarry here and receive them. The Lord has arranged for that, so that justice will be given to every soul” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation.
After the loss of my child, the Spirit came in full force witnessing to me that his death was not a mistake. I somehow then knew that there was something at work that I could not understand. But from the amount of peace that came, I knew that the Lord was in charge. (If you would like more information about this or other Mormon beliefs, Mormon.org contains some great information.)
Parents do everything in their power to prevent harm to their children, including water safety. But then comes the part of leaving everything else in the hands of the Lord. This requires faith, as mentioned by Elder Holland, which is manifested in both our words and our actions.
May the Lord help us all, everyone, to do the best we can while on this earth and to remember that the Lord will rescue every lost soul.
Caring for Those in Need
As Mormons, or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), we believe in Jesus Christ. As such we want to be His hands and His feet by serving others.
In fact, here is an essential scripture on the subject:
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).
To be ready and able to serve others implies one very important aspect of life: we need to be able to do so! This is an essential part of preparedness in many ways. And it means our own bodies need to be healthy and well-cared for.
Preparedness means many things to many people. But one very important aspect to preparedness is that of physical health. “Without our health we’ve got nothing,” or so the common societal statement goes. And in so many respects it is true. Without our health, how can we serve? Because in truth, service constitutes a large portion of a Christian lifestyle.
At the Church’s Provident Living website, we read:
“The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that we are ‘to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this church or in any other, or in no church at all” (Times and Season, Mar. 15, 1842, 732) (for more information, click here).
It’s interesting that ill has been spoken by some people about the Lord’s prophets. People ridiculed Noah as he was building the ark commanded by God. Moses’ own brother and sister were verbally caustic toward Moses (see this link), let alone all the other horrible comments thrown toward Moses (see Numbers 14:2-4 and Numbers 16 as just two examples)!
And thus it was that Joseph Smith was told by the Lord that even he would have ill spoken of him. Joseph Smith reported that he was told:
“…God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.”
Yet, let’s read these other words of his again:
“The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that we are ‘to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this church or in any other, or in no church at all” (Times and Season, Mar. 15, 1842, 732) (for more information, click here).
This indeed was a man who sought to do God’s work. And as we seek to follow that counsel, it is imperative that we keep our bodies healthy and full of vigor so that we can.
Yes, indeed to care for those in need, such as the widows and the fatherless, we need to make sure we stay healthy and live our lives in provident ways. To learn more how to live providently, feel free to visit this link.
Helping Others in Adversity
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), we believe in reaching out to others in adversity. It is what we stand for, because we believe Christ in His admonishments to serve and love others as He did. And we join in joy with all those throughout the world who live in the same way, regardless of whether they are of our same faith or not.
Say the word “disaster” and most anyone could name at least one huge one, just from the past three years alone! In many ways the disasters seem to be increasing. Some will say that increase is strictly due to increased awareness through internet and media; others will point to scriptures that prophecy of difficulties in the times leading up to Christ’s return upon this earth.
Regardless of the point, adversity impacts all countries, climes, and peoples. And we as Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, seek to lift those struggling under the burden of adversity.
Ever seen the Mormon Helping Hands t-shirts that so many of these Mormon volunteers wear while helping in different ways? I have. In fact, my husband owns two of these shirts. He’s been called up many times to help hurricane victims in the southeast (it’s a common occurrence, since we live in the southeastern portion of the U.S.).
My husband has been on many trips to help hurricane survivors. It’s hard work, sawing at felled trees for hours to clear roads, etc. All for strangers! The hard-work is sweaty and the experience is never pretty, but he always comes back so full of emotion that it is hard for him to describe what he saw, felt, or even thought while working in the devastated areas.
What a gift it is to offer service during these times! Did you know that, for example, in the year 2005 the Mormon church responded to disasters in 67 countries! From the tsunami-struck regions on one side of the earth to Pakistanian earthquake victims, the Church was there in many ways. And yet it does so quietly, without media-seeking attention … for that is not the reason the Mormon church and its members serve as they do.
In fact, the Mormon church was in many of the Hurricane Katrina areas, helping with water, food, clothing, etc., within six hours of the hurricane passing! This wasn’t seen on the news, but for those who were helped, it felt heaven sent.
What a joy it has been for the Church to link up with many international agencies to provide this kind of aid. For example, according to the Deseret News, the Church in 2005 alone distributed 7.6 million pounds of food, 1.3 million pounds of medical supplies, and 2 million pounds of clothing (see this link for the information the Deseret News reported).
Why do we do this as Mormons? Because we believe in Jesus Christ and we desire to be like Him. He served. And so we do too.
Preparedness – It’s a Community Effort
Being prepared is far more global than one might expect. Not only does wise preparedness cover such topics as financial preparedness, physical preparedness (i.e. dental exams, health exams), and food storage, but preparedness also addresses community preparedness.
Let’s say that your household is perfectly prepared for any eventuality that may come. Your spouse gets laid off. Fine, you’re prepared. You have several months savings in the bank, you have more than a year’s supply of food, so you rest a little easier than otherwise you might.
Let’s say that you find yourself in the hospital, leaving the older kids at home to care for the younger ones while your spouse is at work. Not a problem, because you’ve prepared them long ago with knowledge of what it takes to keep a household running. They know how to prepare simple meals, keep a somewhat tidy house, and how to love each other even during times of stress.
But now let’s say there is a large disaster that has impacted your entire community. Food is not available for weeks on end; neither is water. Angry crowds start roaming, looking for anything and everything possible to feed themselves (and/or their families). What then?
Even if you have weapons and ammunition to protect your little family, just how long would you be able to hold out?
No, common sense says that not only is preparedness a family thing – it is a community thing. We are not to be hoarders; instead we are to be provident members of the church, helping our family to be prepared in addition to teaching those around us preparedness skills.
What does this translate into in reality? Why not get your neighbors together to talk about the California fires, to talk about the Katrina disaster a few years back, to talk about the drought currently hitting the southeastern part of the United States (where one community has NO MORE WATER!). Talk about what you as a neighborhood community can do to help each other in a similar bind. Why not address the fact that if you all work together, there will less chance of angry mobs terrorizing each other?
One of the best things a neighborhood can do is to form or join a C.E.R.T. group. These are groups which have been trained (for free, I might add) how to handle small fires, how to prepare neighborhood homes against disaster and how to help each other until the professionals arrive.
I’ve joined a C.E.R.T. team and have been amazed at the camaraderie that exists when a group of people decide to team up and help each other during a disaster. Sure beats fighting over a few buckets of wheat!
The Lord Had Blessed Me In My Honesty
Ever since I was fourteen years old, I’d felt someday I would have my ham radio operator’s license. Not sure why. It wasn’t that I knew anybody with a ham radio, let alone anyone with a license. But that idea had been planted in my brain and so it stuck.
Through the ensuing years, the thought of getting my ham operator license would pop back up into conscious thought. “Oh, yes, that,” I would think and then hurry on my way. Always I meant to get to it, but eventually the thought would slip away into nothingness.
For years I would have the same re-occurrence. And for years I’d tell myself that there must be a reason the thought of getting my license kept coming back to me. But I’d tell myself how busy I was and that although there must be a good reason the Lord was so persistent in reminding me, I’d have to find time some other day.
Well, this year I joined a local C.E.R.T. team. C.E.R.T. teams will be a preparedness topic for another day for this blog; I can only say briefly here for this post that C.E.R.T. teams are urgently worth looking into. Do a Google search to find a local C.E.R.T team near you and join them. They will teach you better than practically any other institution how to prepare your family and friends for emergencies.
But it was precisely because I joined my local C.E.R.T. team that I once again felt reminded to obtain my ham radio operator’s license. My new C.E.R.T. team only had two “hams” and very much needed more. Sigh. This meant I needed to actually move forward on a decade’s old prompting.
To write it all now embarrasses me. I wish I could say that I was like Nephi of old, who immediately created a second set of plates when asked (even not knowing their purpose). I wish I could say that immediately after feeling prompted the first time that I sought out my ham radio operator’s license. After all, there isn’t an age limit for “hams”. Even as a fourteen year old, I could have obtained one. How good that would have felt . . . being that spontaneously obedient.
But flash forward to 2007. I still hadn’t obtained my license, but now needed to because of my C.E.R.T. team’s needs. So I dutifully downloaded information and began studying. Now mind you, I’m the farthest thing from a high-tech kind of gal. I know zilch about megahertz and all the other electronic information needed to pass the entrance level test for “Technician.” But I’m not dumb. I figured that by studying, I would be doing my best.
Well, again, life got busy. One month passed. Then another month began since I’d given my commitment to my C.E.R.T. team. Of course, all of those other “busy” activities were legitimate: church callings, homeschooling, etc. But that did nothing to erase my commitment I’d made to my C.E.R.T. team (and my sincere desire to follow the prompting given years prior).
The first available testing date had already passed by me since my agreement to help out my C.E.R.T. team. Now the second test had sped its way toward me and was that very evening. Yikes! I couldn’t go another month, it felt, without at least trying. I frantically printed out study materials and started cramming as quickly as I could in the few hours I had remaining till the test.
I crammed and crammed and crammed. Some things I understood; other things were laughable in their technological terms – I didn’t understand anything. But I was going to do my best!
I showed up that evening (dragging my husband along with me – the good sport had said he’d go wing the test with me). The test proctors passed out pencils, answer sheets, and the actual test. The first question frightened me. The next question did too. Ouch. These questions were tough! I had no idea as to how to answer them. “Oh, well,” I thought, “I’ll just do my best. If I have to come back next month, so be it, to take it again.”
I struggled through the questions for three of the nearly ten pages of multiple choice questions. On the third page, there right in front of me, was a question requiring the mathematical equation we were supposed to have memorized, to then apply to the test problems. But some previous person had scribbled the equation on the page, with all the final, mathematical results. The person’s handwriting looked assured and even correct.
The choice was clear – I really wanted to pass this test. It would mean I’d completed an obligation the spirit had laid upon me years before.
But then again . . .
I raised my hand. There was only one thing to do. “Excuse me?” One of the proctors looked up. “This test is written on.” I knew in my heart that even if I flunked the test, I was NOT going to cheat.
The man came over. He vigorously scrubbed at the pencil marks, attempting to erase them into oblivion. Then a thought came to him. He began to flip through the rest of the pages. Sure enough, there were more calculations. He closed the test packet, took it with him, and walked toward the front of the room.
In my heart I knew that if I’d not said anything the possibility existed that I could have passed that test. But in my soul I knew that I’d done the right thing. There was always next month and by studying harder, I could probably pass the test then. I sighed and sunk a bit in my chair, because I really had wanted the test behind me.
The man soon returned with a new test booklet in his hand. He laid it on the table in front of me. I breathed in deeply and began again.
To my astonishment, these questions were so much easier! And that was when I understood – that in being honest, what I’d really done was trade in a much harder test packet for a simpler set of questions. I blazed through the packet; sure enough, the 35 questions (from a pool of 350+ possible test questions) were simple, straightforward and “coincidentally” only required one math calculation!
The end result? I passed the test – with only four incorrect answers. I’d gotten one of the best scores in the room! The Lord had blessed me in my honesty.
I walked out of that room that evening with warmth in my heart. Now I had not only become a ham radio operator, but I also had become closer to my God because of the honesty I’d chosen. Now that’s a feeling of preparedness. Why? When we’re prepared in honesty, we will much better be able to face all things.
So as you make your emergency preparations today, tomorrow, and the next week, make sure to include honesty. The Lord will bless you and smooth your way by so doing. If I’d NOT been honest, chances are I would have walked out of that testing site not only having flunked the test for ham radio operators, but having flunked the test for daughters of God!
Now, I can say like Nephi that I have gone and done what was required of me. I’ve obtained my ham radio license, as prompted so long ago. I wished I’d been more quickly obedient like Nephi, but at least it is done. Whether I will use the ham radio license physically in this life does not matter; the point is I at least used the radio signal of honesty – a beacon I hope that reached to heaven.