When there is no income, it is reassuring to know you have plenty of food on hand, savings, and little or no debt. This can allow you to get through a time of unemployment, or if you’re paid hourly, to get through several weeks or months of illness that prevents you from working. My husband and I are both self-employed, with his income providing for most of our living expenses, so we’ve learned to always be prepared. When you’re self-employed, you know there isn’t a Friday paycheck. Clients are late, or a contract is slow in coming. You must always be ready to take care of yourself without income for a time. This has taught us to spend meaningfully.

In order to live providently, you must be willing to forego some of the things you want. When we insist on having everything we want right now, we are unable to save money and are tempted to put it on a credit card or payment plan. “No money down and nothing due until next April” is a dangerous cry. You don’t know where your life will be in April, and getting caught up in too many of these deals can unexpectedly leave you with too many payments because you didn’t realize how many delayed payments you had created.

The first step to living a self-sufficient lifestyle is to determine the difference between a want and a need. One teacher was often frustrated because her students invariably described cable television as a need. When the economy turned, many soon learned it was possible to live a happy life without cable television. Sit down and make a list of those things that are essential expenses—housing, utilities, food, and so forth. Include the payments for anything you are currently purchasing through credit.

Next, make a list of things you’d like to have but could live without if you had to do so. These might include supplies for your favorite hobbies, vacations, and meals out. Mark those that are the most important to you. Which ones are most essential to help you feel relaxed when times are hard? You will find it helpful to make a written, prioritized list. Everything at the bottom of the list is most likely non-essential and can be eliminated if needed.

The next step, now that you’ve prioritized your expenses, is to figure out if you’re living within your means. If you have credit card or other debt, or if you run out of money before the next paycheck or can’t handle small emergencies, you are probably not living within your expenses. It’s time to make some changes. Begin by eliminating some of your non-essential expenses, using the priority lists you made earlier. Start at the bottom and eliminate the last item. Then eliminate the new last item. Once you’ve eliminated enough to no longer require credit cards to make it through the month, you’ll have to cut out a few more things to come up with extra income. You need to be able to put some money into building a buffer in your bank account or savings account, and also to increase the amount you’re paying on your debt each month. Paying only the minimums will keep you from ever paying them off. Each time you pay off a card, apply those payments to another debt, to increase the speed at which you’re paying down the debt. If you come into extra money from time to time, apply it to the debt, not a treat.

When the debt is paid off, it’s time to focus all the debt repayment money you had budgeted on building a reserve. Aim to have a year’s supply of income put away, long enough to cover most unemployment, serious illnesses, or unexpected major expenses.

As you are doing all of this you can begin to put aside a year’s supply of food and commodities. Make a list of food that would sustain life if you were unable to shop at all, and begin by building those. Visit Provident Living.org to learn how to build a three month supply of things you normally use, and then to build a longer supply. You’ll also learn how to store water in case of a natural disaster, such as a flood, when water may not be available.

Don’t go into debt to build the supply all at once. Buy a little extra each week as you shop. As you focus on learning to shop less expensively, you’ll have extra money in your shopping budget, which can be partially used to build your supply. Watch for sales and buy in bulk when it makes financial sense to do so. Date the cans of food so you know when you bought them  and don’t buy more than you can use before it goes bad. Find out how long everything keeps. Rotate your supply so you’re always using the oldest items first.

Learn cooking techniques that will allow you to cook from scratch if you need to do so. Learn to bake bread even if you don’t do it often and make sure you have the materials needed to do it. Homemade bread is inexpensive and filling.

Learn to garden, even if it’s just a few pots on your balcony. Having a few vegetables growing gives you a living food storage, and access to fresh foods when you can’t shop.

Purchase for the long run. When you buy new things, think about how long and how often you will use them, and choose the best quality you can afford. This doesn’t mean you need the most prestigious brand, just that you should do your research. If reviewers say the item breaks after a few uses, don’t buy it. Try to buy things that last, even if they are less attractive or popular. This way, you aren’t replacing things as often. The less you shop, the less you spend in the long run.

Make a budget–a spending plan–and stay on it. If there is room in the budget, plan a few treats, but plan them. This makes it easier to plan a picnic in the park instead of an impromptu outing to buy a large-screen television.

Because of the current economy, there are many websites and books on provident living. Some are more reliable than others, so study them, choose what is useful, and discard the rest. Learning to live providently before you need to is always easier than doing it because you have no choice. It will soon become a way of life.

When people learn that Mormons are taught to compile a year’s supply of food and other necessities, they often picture paranoid people stockpiling for doomsday or a nuclear disaster of some kind. While some people have used their supplies in a crisis, such as Hurricane Katrina, most use it for much more ordinary moments, such as unemployment, illness, or even just to save money.
When there is no income, it is reassuring to know you have plenty of food on hand, savings, and little or no debt. This can allow you to get through a time of unemployment, or if you’re paid hourly, to get through several weeks or months of illness that prevents you from working. My husband and I are both self-employed, with his income providing for most of our living expenses, so we’ve learned to always be prepared. When you’re self-employed, you know there isn’t a Friday paycheck. Clients are late, or a contract is slow in coming. You must always be ready to take care of yourself without income for a time. This has taught us to spend meaningfully.
In order to live providently, you must be willing to forego some of the things you want. When we insist on having everything we want right now, we are unable to save money and are tempted to put it on a credit card or payment plan. “No money down and nothing due until next April” is a dangerous cry. You don’t know where your life will be in April, and getting caught up in too many of these deals can unexpectedly leave you with too many payments because you didn’t realize how many delayed payments you had created.
The first step to living a self-sufficient lifestyle is to determine the difference between a want and a need. One teacher was often frustrated because her students invariably described cable television as a need. When the economy turned, many soon learned it was possible to live a happy life without cable television. Sit down and make a list of those things that are essential expenses—housing, utilities, food, and so forth. Include the payments for anything you are currently purchasing through credit.
Next, make a list of things you’d like to have but could live without if you had to do so. These might include supplies for your favorite hobbies, vacations, and meals out. Mark those that are the most important to you. Which ones are most essential to help you feel relaxed when times are hard? You will find it helpful to make a written, prioritized list. Everything at the bottom of the list is most likely non-essential and can be eliminated if needed.
The next step, now that you’ve prioritized your expenses, is to figure out if you’re living within your means. If you have credit card or other debt, or if you run out of money before the next paycheck or can’t handle small emergencies, you are probably not living within your expenses. It’s time to make some changes. Begin by eliminating some of your non-essential expenses, using the priority lists you made earlier. Start at the bottom and eliminate the last item. Then eliminate the new last item. Once you’ve eliminated enough to no longer require credit cards to make it through the month, you’ll have to cut out a few more things to come up with extra income. You need to be able to put some money into building a buffer in your bank account or savings account, and also to increase the amount you’re paying on your debt each month. Paying only the minimums will keep you from ever paying them off. Each time you pay off a card, apply those payments to another debt, to increase the speed at which you’re paying down the debt. If you come into extra money from time to time, apply it to the debt, not a treat.
When the debt is paid off, it’s time to focus all the debt repayment money you had budgeted on building a reserve. Aim to have a year’s supply of income put away, long enough to cover most unemployment, serious illnesses, or unexpected major expenses.
As you are doing all of this you can begin to put aside a year’s supply of food and commodities. Make a list of food that would sustain life if you were unable to shop at all, and begin by building those. Visit Provident Living.org to learn how to build a three month supply of things you normally use, and then to build a longer supply. You’ll also learn how to store water in case of a natural disaster, such as a flood, when water may not be available.
Don’t go into debt to build the supply all at once. Buy a little extra each week as you shop. As you focus on learning to shop less expensively, you’ll have extra money in your shopping budget, which can be partially used to build your supply. Watch for sales and buy in bulk when it makes financial sense to do so. Date the cans of food so you know when you bought them and don’t buy more than you can use before it goes bad. Find out how long everything keeps. Rotate your supply so you’re always using the oldest items first.
Learn cooking techniques that will allow you to cook from scratch if you need to do so. Learn to bake bread even if you don’t do it often and make sure you have the materials needed to do it. Homemade bread is inexpensive and filling.
Learn to garden, even if it’s just a few pots on your balcony. Having a few vegetables growing gives you a living food storage, and access to fresh foods when you can’t shop.
Purchase for the long run. When you buy new things, think about how long and how often you will use them, and choose the best quality you can afford. This doesn’t mean you need the most prestigious brand, just that you should do your research. If reviewers say the item breaks after a few uses, don’t buy it. Try to buy things that last, even if they are less attractive or popular. This way, you aren’t replacing things as often. The less you shop, the less you spend in the long run.
Because of the current economy, there are many websites and books on provident living. Some are more reliable than others, so study them, choose what is useful, and discard the rest. Learning to live providently before you need to is always easier than doing it because you have no choice. It will soon become a way of life.

When people learn that Mormons are taught to compile a year’s supply of food and other necessities, they often picture paranoid people stockpiling for doomsday or a nuclear disaster of some kind. While some people have used their supplies in a crisis, such as Hurricane Katrina, most use it for much more ordinary moments, such as unemployment, illness, or even just to save money.
When there is no income, it is reassuring to know you have plenty of food on hand, savings, and little or no debt. This can allow you to get through a time of unemployment, or if you’re paid hourly, to get through several weeks or months of illness that prevents you from working. My husband and I are both self-employed, with his income providing for most of our living expenses, so we’ve learned to always be prepared. When you’re self-employed, you know there isn’t a Friday paycheck. Clients are late, or a contract is slow in coming. You must always be ready to take care of yourself without income for a time. This has taught us to spend meaningfully.
In order to live providently, you must be willing to forego some of the things you want. When we insist on having everything we want right now, we are unable to save money and are tempted to put it on a credit card or payment plan. “No money down and nothing due until next April” is a dangerous cry. You don’t know where your life will be in April, and getting caught up in too many of these deals can unexpectedly leave you with too many payments because you didn’t realize how many delayed payments you had created.
The first step to living a self-sufficient lifestyle is to determine the difference between a want and a need. One teacher was often frustrated because her students invariably described cable television as a need. When the economy turned, many soon learned it was possible to live a happy life without cable television. Sit down and make a list of those things that are essential expenses—housing, utilities, food, and so forth. Include the payments for anything you are currently purchasing through credit.
Next, make a list of things you’d like to have but could live without if you had to do so. These might include supplies for your favorite hobbies, vacations, and meals out. Mark those that are the most important to you. Which ones are most essential to help you feel relaxed when times are hard? You will find it helpful to make a written, prioritized list. Everything at the bottom of the list is most likely non-essential and can be eliminated if needed.
The next step, now that you’ve prioritized your expenses, is to figure out if you’re living within your means. If you have credit card or other debt, or if you run out of money before the next paycheck or can’t handle small emergencies, you are probably not living within your expenses. It’s time to make some changes. Begin by eliminating some of your non-essential expenses, using the priority lists you made earlier. Start at the bottom and eliminate the last item. Then eliminate the new last item. Once you’ve eliminated enough to no longer require credit cards to make it through the month, you’ll have to cut out a few more things to come up with extra income. You need to be able to put some money into building a buffer in your bank account or savings account, and also to increase the amount you’re paying on your debt each month. Paying only the minimums will keep you from ever paying them off. Each time you pay off a card, apply those payments to another debt, to increase the speed at which you’re paying down the debt. If you come into extra money from time to time, apply it to the debt, not a treat.
When the debt is paid off, it’s time to focus all the debt repayment money you had budgeted on building a reserve. Aim to have a year’s supply of income put away, long enough to cover most unemployment, serious illnesses, or unexpected major expenses.
As you are doing all of this you can begin to put aside a year’s supply of food and commodities. Make a list of food that would sustain life if you were unable to shop at all, and begin by building those. Visit Provident Living.org to learn how to build a three month supply of things you normally use, and then to build a longer supply. You’ll also learn how to store water in case of a natural disaster, such as a flood, when water may not be available.
Don’t go into debt to build the supply all at once. Buy a little extra each week as you shop. As you focus on learning to shop less expensively, you’ll have extra money in your shopping budget, which can be partially used to build your supply. Watch for sales and buy in bulk when it makes financial sense to do so. Date the cans of food so you know when you bought them and don’t buy more than you can use before it goes bad. Find out how long everything keeps. Rotate your supply so you’re always using the oldest items first.
Learn cooking techniques that will allow you to cook from scratch if you need to do so. Learn to bake bread even if you don’t do it often and make sure you have the materials needed to do it. Homemade bread is inexpensive and filling.
Learn to garden, even if it’s just a few pots on your balcony. Having a few vegetables growing gives you a living food storage, and access to fresh foods when you can’t shop.
Purchase for the long run. When you buy new things, think about how long and how often you will use them, and choose the best quality you can afford. This doesn’t mean you need the most prestigious brand, just that you should do your research. If reviewers say the item breaks after a few uses, don’t buy it. Try to buy things that last, even if they are less attractive or popular. This way, you aren’t replacing things as often. The less you shop, the less you spend in the long run.
Because of the current economy, there are many websites and books on provident living. Some are more reliable than others, so study them, choose what is useful, and discard the rest. Learning to live providently before you need to is always easier than doing it because you have no choice. It will soon become a way of life.

When people learn that Mormons are taught to compile a year’s supply of food and other necessities, they often picture paranoid people stockpiling for doomsday or a nuclear disaster of some kind. While some people have used their supplies in a crisis, such as Hurricane Katrina, most use it for much more ordinary moments, such as unemployment, illness, or even just to save money.
When there is no income, it is reassuring to know you have plenty of food on hand, savings, and little or no debt. This can allow you to get through a time of unemployment, or if you’re paid hourly, to get through several weeks or months of illness that prevents you from working. My husband and I are both self-employed, with his income providing for most of our living expenses, so we’ve learned to always be prepared. When you’re self-employed, you know there isn’t a Friday paycheck. Clients are late, or a contract is slow in coming. You must always be ready to take care of yourself without income for a time. This has taught us to spend meaningfully.
In order to live providently, you must be willing to forego some of the things you want. When we insist on having everything we want right now, we are unable to save money and are tempted to put it on a credit card or payment plan. “No money down and nothing due until next April” is a dangerous cry. You don’t know where your life will be in April, and getting caught up in too many of these deals can unexpectedly leave you with too many payments because you didn’t realize how many delayed payments you had created.
The first step to living a self-sufficient lifestyle is to determine the difference between a want and a need. One teacher was often frustrated because her students invariably described cable television as a need. When the economy turned, many soon learned it was possible to live a happy life without cable television. Sit down and make a list of those things that are essential expenses—housing, utilities, food, and so forth. Include the payments for anything you are currently purchasing through credit.
Next, make a list of things you’d like to have but could live without if you had to do so. These might include supplies for your favorite hobbies, vacations, and meals out. Mark those that are the most important to you. Which ones are most essential to help you feel relaxed when times are hard? You will find it helpful to make a written, prioritized list. Everything at the bottom of the list is most likely non-essential and can be eliminated if needed.
The next step, now that you’ve prioritized your expenses, is to figure out if you’re living within your means. If you have credit card or other debt, or if you run out of money before the next paycheck or can’t handle small emergencies, you are probably not living within your expenses. It’s time to make some changes. Begin by eliminating some of your non-essential expenses, using the priority lists you made earlier. Start at the bottom and eliminate the last item. Then eliminate the new last item. Once you’ve eliminated enough to no longer require credit cards to make it through the month, you’ll have to cut out a few more things to come up with extra income. You need to be able to put some money into building a buffer in your bank account or savings account, and also to increase the amount you’re paying on your debt each month. Paying only the minimums will keep you from ever paying them off. Each time you pay off a card, apply those payments to another debt, to increase the speed at which you’re paying down the debt. If you come into extra money from time to time, apply it to the debt, not a treat.
When the debt is paid off, it’s time to focus all the debt repayment money you had budgeted on building a reserve. Aim to have a year’s supply of income put away, long enough to cover most unemployment, serious illnesses, or unexpected major expenses.
As you are doing all of this you can begin to put aside a year’s supply of food and commodities. Make a list of food that would sustain life if you were unable to shop at all, and begin by building those. Visit Provident Living.org to learn how to build a three month supply of things you normally use, and then to build a longer supply. You’ll also learn how to store water in case of a natural disaster, such as a flood, when water may not be available.
Don’t go into debt to build the supply all at once. Buy a little extra each week as you shop. As you focus on learning to shop less expensively, you’ll have extra money in your shopping budget, which can be partially used to build your supply. Watch for sales and buy in bulk when it makes financial sense to do so. Date the cans of food so you know when you bought them and don’t buy more than you can use before it goes bad. Find out how long everything keeps. Rotate your supply so you’re always using the oldest items first.
Learn cooking techniques that will allow you to cook from scratch if you need to do so. Learn to bake bread even if you don’t do it often and make sure you have the materials needed to do it. Homemade bread is inexpensive and filling.
Learn to garden, even if it’s just a few pots on your balcony. Having a few vegetables growing gives you a living food storage, and access to fresh foods when you can’t shop.
Purchase for the long run. When you buy new things, think about how long and how often you will use them, and choose the best quality you can afford. This doesn’t mean you need the most prestigious brand, just that you should do your research. If reviewers say the item breaks after a few uses, don’t buy it. Try to buy things that last, even if they are less attractive or popular. This way, you aren’t replacing things as often. The less you shop, the less you spend in the long run.
Because of the current economy, there are many websites and books on provident living. Some are more reliable than others, so study them, choose what is useful, and discard the rest. Learning to live providently before you need to is always easier than doing it because you have no choice. It will soon become a way of life.

However, today, we seem more or less settled for a while and the gardeners have grown and moved on. Every year I talked about starting a garden, and this year I finally got brave enough to try. The Mormons are counseled to have a garden in order to increase their ability to be self-sufficient and it was time for me to get going on that part of the gospel.

I chose containers, in case we find ourselves moving again. I also chose plants that were already growing, to give myself a head start. I decided to start small, so I didn’t get overwhelmed. To my surprise, this is turning out to be fun. Maybe it helps to be older, or maybe it’s just that I have adapted a more relaxed attitude this year. My self-esteem is not at stake this time. If it fails, it fails.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

1. Start small. Grow just a few things the first year to see how it feels. If you like it, add more the next year. It has to be easy at first, or you won’t keep it up.

2. Plant things you really like, even if they’re not supposed to be easy. You’re more likely to enjoy caring for them. I picked the marigolds because they remind me of my mom, who died last year. The others are things I like. I just keep picturing chocolate covered strawberries as I work. Motivation is important.

3. Containers minimize the actual work. There isn’t a lot of weeding to do and my work takes just a few minutes a day, and less if it rains.

4. The plants I bought in peat pots survived the transplant process. You just put the whole pot into the larger pot with more soil (which I purchased to cut out the weeds) and that apparently helps them avoid shock. Do whatever it takes to increase your success. You can choose cheaper options after you have confidence, if you want to.

5. Put the containers where you can see them. My plants are near where I park my car, so I see them every time I come and go. I can also see them from my desk, where I work all day as a writer. It’s harder to forget about them that way. Often having a black thumb really just means being absent-minded about plants.

6. Do a fair amount of reading about gardening, but don’t try to follow every bit of advice. I read lots of things that contradicted each other. I just picked what sounded good and manageable, and tried it. If it doesn’t work, I’ll try a different technique next year.

7. Don’t give up if everything doesn’t grow. I started with tulips, tomatoes, strawberries, and marigolds. The tulips died practically the minute I transplanted them and the tomato plant doesn’t look great, but the marigolds-some of which fizzled at first, but came back– and strawberries are doing beautifully, at least to my untrained eye. I choose to see that as a success. After all, even though only fifty percent of my plants are thriving, that is two more plants than I’ve ever grown before. (Really, it’s more than that, since there are two strawberry plants and eight marigolds.) It’s a start.

8. Cultivate friendships with gardeners who can advise you, preferably the kind who will cheer when you produce your first less than perfect strawberry.

9. Keep a full watering can right by the plants. The easier it is to water them, the more likely you are to do it. Often, as I’m passing by, I remember to check the moisture and can water them without having to go in and get water. If I go to get water, I tend to get distracted and never return. Buy a really cute watering can if you think it will help, but for myself, I just bought one that was huge.

10. You can’t frame your first strawberry, or even save it for long, so eat it. Take a picture first, if you’d like, but then enjoy it.

However, while counseling its members to get all the education they can, both formal and self-directed education, they counsel them to keep their priorities in order.

In the Bible, Jesus commanded his followers to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) This suggests an appropriate pattern for our learning: First learn spiritual things, and then learn secular things. This doesn’t mean we have to put off secular learning until we’ve mastered the gospel. It means to make sure we don’t neglect our spiritual educations while achieving our secular education. When we have a firm foundation in spiritual knowledge, we are better able to discern truth from falsehood in our secular studies.

Henry B. Eyring taught: “Our first priority should go to spiritual learning. For us, reading the scriptures would come before reading history books. Prayer would come before memorizing those Spanish verbs. A temple recommend would be worth more than standing first in our graduating class. But it is also clear that spiritual learning would not replace our drive for secular learning.

The Lord clearly values what you will find in that history book. And He favors not only Spanish verbs but also the study of geography. His educational charter requires that we have “a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms” (D&C 88:79). There is also an endorsement for questions we study in the sciences. It is clear that putting spiritual learning first does not relieve us from learning secular things. On the contrary, it gives our secular learning purpose and motivates us to work harder at it.

To keep spiritual learning in its proper place, we will have to make some hard choices of how we use our time. But there should never be a conscious choice to let the spiritual become secondary. Never. That will lead to tragedy. Remember, you are interested in education, not just for mortal life but for eternal life. When you see that reality clearly, you will put spiritual learning first and yet not slight the secular learning. In fact, you will work harder at your secular learning than you would without that spiritual vision”

Mormon beliefs assure us we can take with us when we die what is in our hearts and what is in our minds. The knowledge we gain today will go with us into our eternal lives, and this should influence what knowledge we choose to gain. Knowledge that will help others live better lives on earth and knowledge that will be valuable in heaven are likely to be the most valuable types of education. Hours spent memorizing batting averages probably has very little value in either life, but finding out how to save a life in an emergency has great value in our earthly life. Memorizing scriptures will serve us both here and in heaven.

A secular education is important in furthering the Mormon teachings of self-reliance. Education in childhood, whether gained through a traditional school or a homeschool (the church is neutral on homeschooling) prepares a child for adulthood and college. A formal college education gives a person the credentials society currently requires to obtain good employment and can increase the likelihood of a family being able to support itself and of being able to earn enough money that the mother in a two-parent home will be able to remain home with the children.

Mormons are encouraged to create a habit of life-long learning in both secular and spiritual matters. It’s important, therefore, to teach children how to be self-directed learners.

When my children were young homeschoolers, they overheard a woman complaining that she’d always wanted to learn history, but couldn’t because she couldn’t go to school right now. On our way home, they asked, completely baffled, why the woman thought you could only learn history in a school. They were learning history right at home. Whether or not a child is homeschooled, they must learn how to learn. They should be filled with joy at the thought of learning something, not for a grade, or candy, or a reward, but for the pure joy of learning. If they don’t get this at school, they must get it at home. Help them find fun educational books to enjoy in their spare time, carry out science experiments that don’t “count” and memorize poetry. Then, whether or not their lives are currently allowing them to attend school, their adult lives will be filled with learning.

It can be challenging, in a busy life, to find time for learning. Often, goal oriented people will push aside spiritual learning to make more time to learn what they need for school or work. Mormons often study their scriptures first thing in the morning, before the challenges of the day begin to intrude. This literally puts spiritual learning first. During the course of a day, they might put on a talk by a church leader to listen to as they do housework, or read a spiritual book during lunch.

Secular learning can also be fit into a busy day. A poem taped over the sink can be memorized while the dishes are washed. A book on tape can educate during the morning commute. An ordinary conversation can provide an introduction to a new topic. When you meet someone new, find out what they know best and begin asking questions. Most people love to talk about their passions and a fifteen minute conversation can educate you in an entirely new field.

Periodically evaluate the types of learning you are doing. Are you achieving a balance? If you’re spending six hours a day on secular learning, it is wise to include more than fifteen minutes of spiritual learning into the day. Is there a way to blend the spiritual and the secular? For instance, when I taught my children ancient history during our homeschool, we combined it with Old Testament reading and the two types of learning complemented each other and increased our learning in both the secular and the spiritual. Someone studying medicine in college might supplement that with God’s teachings on health. A mother who is immersing herself in child development books might also read articles by church leaders on parenting. The two types of learning do not have to be placed into separate boxes and isolated from each other. Blend the two and achieve a richer and fuller education.

Today’s garden announcement was made to encourage healthy, organic, and locally grown eating, and the garden, placed near the Obama children’s swing set, is especially meant to encourage children to eat well. However, when the country is in the midst of a recession, a garden is also a way for families to cut food costs without resorting to cheap, but unhealthy alternatives.

The Mormons have been promoting gardening for many decades. They teach their members to build a food storage against hard times, and a garden is a part of that plan, creating a renewable food source that cuts costs and provides fresh food even in difficult times. A former Mormon prophet named Spencer W. Kimball said, “We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property. Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees-plant them if your climate is right for their growth. Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard. Even those residing in apartments … can generally grow a little food in pots and planters. Study the best methods of providing your own foods. Make your garden … neat and attractive as well as productive. If there are children in your home, involve them in the process with assigned responsibilities” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1976, 170-71; or Ensign, May 1976, 124).

President Hinckley, having spent his childhood summers on the family farm, was a strong advocate of gardening, but other leaders have also encouraged it. Growing your own food allows you to eat a healthier diet with food grown locally and in season. After the initial start up costs, which can be small, the costs are minimal. In a time when you might be too ill or too poor to shop, it’s reassuring to have fresh food right outside your door. Even if you keep a supply of food for hard times, people in this situation often find themselves longing for fresh produce.

In addition, gardening is good for children. It teaches them hard work and responsibility, since a garden cannot be neglected. It’s meaningful teaching with very tangible results the children can actually eat.

To get children excited about the new family garden, let them participate in the planning. When my children planted their first garden, each of them chose one food to plant and care for. Because it was something they enjoyed, they were eager to take care of it and to share the harvest with their siblings and parents.

If you’re able, grow enough for yourself and a little to share with your neighbors, a food bank, or someone in need. By doing so, you increase the value of your garden. Now, you’re not only teaching hard work, responsibility, and respect for nature, you’re also teaching Christ-like service. Document the project in pictures and make a fuss over the results. When a child grows his own food, he is more likely to eat it, and there is great pride in watching everyone else enjoy the food the child grew. Follow the harvest with cooking lessons, allowing the child to create a product from seed to table.

If you’re Mormon, teach your children the song, “The Prophet Said to Plant a Garden.” If you’re not, you might substitute the words “the prophet” with the words First Lady and sing the song anyway.

Mormons do teach people to trust God. However, God is a parent and a perfect one at that. Those of us who are parents know that if we wait on our children hand and foot, doing everything for them, we ruin their lives. They will never be able to live on their own, cook their meals, clean their homes, or do their own laundry. God loves us too much to do this to us. He wants us to become everything we are capable of being.

Of course, there are some things that are beyond us. No matter how carefully we prepare, we may find ourselves unemployed for too long, or ill and unable to work. At those times, we trust God, and God does His work through others, which is why we’re commanded to serve. However, before God steps in, He needs to know we were willing to make a few sacrifices to prepare ourselves as best we could. Before we make others sacrifice for us, we should be certain we did as much as we could.

To believe otherwise, to think we can plop ourselves onto a patch of ground and expect God to build us a home, put food on our table, or money into our bank account is to turn God into our personal servant, taking direction from us. This is not what the Bible teaches. It says we are to serve God, not the other way around. It is God who gives us everything, but He expects us to earn what we have as far as we’re able to do so, and then He makes up the difference. We can never repay God for what He’s given us, but we have to put in an honest day’s work for it.

”Well God, thanks for this great job you’ve given me. After paying the bills, there’s a lot left over, so I’ll buy a big screen television, a fancy car, and an overly large house, and when I lose my job, you’ll have to take care of it. I have no intention of sacrificing my pleasure when it’s your job to take care of me.” Would you talk to God this way? Of course not, and yet, this is what we do when we spend our money on extras without taking a moment’s thought to being responsible human beings.

Those who feel we must trust God and not prepare usually have jobs. They don’t expect God to pay the mortgage this month. If it’s okay to get a job so you can care for yourself, then it is equally okay to set aside food and money for a rainy day. It has nothing to do with trust, and everything to do with being a responsible child of God.

Let’s look at the Bible for some examples of this. When Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, they had everything provided for them without effort on their own part. This was the very last time God ever did this. It gave them time to adapt to mortal life and to build their relationship, taking the place of the childhood the rest of us enjoyed.

Once they left the Garden, they were told, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground.” (Genesis 3:19 ) Adam was told he was to work for his food, not sit around waiting for manna to fall from the sky. This is self-reliance, learning to grow his own food and take care of his own family. God made up the difference.

When it was about to rain for forty days and forty nights, God didn’t hand Noah an ark ready-made and filled with animals and food. He instructed him in how to build it. Now, it wasn’t raining at all. Noah trusted God-that’s where the trust scriptures come in to play. He did trust. He didn’t know how to build an ark, but God did. Noah did his part-he followed instructions. However, he had to have help in the form of instructions. Noah did his part and God made up the difference. Noah practiced self-reliance. He built the boat, gathered the animals, and stored away food. Manna didn’t rain down from Heaven with the water. Noah had to store food away, enough to last the entire time he was on board.

The story of Joseph emphasizes the need for self-reliance and preparation. Joseph interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream to mean there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. The Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of using those seven years of plenty to prepare for the lean years. They stored away food, and when everyone else was starving, they had food. Because of this, Joseph was able to save the lives of his own family, as well as the lives of some people who didn’t prepare. But someone had to be self-reliant for any of this to happen. If no one had stored food, everyone would have starved.

1 Corinthians 16:2 says: Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

Jesus taught the parable of the Ten Virgins. While this is, on one level, about spiritual preparation, it is also about temporal preparation. The women needed to have enough oil on hand to meet their needs even when something unexpected happened, in this case, the delay of the bridegroom. When the need arose, it was too late.

Mormons believe it is irresponsible to buy luxuries with our excess and then to expect others to use their hard-earned money to take care of us in times of unemployment or illness. If we’ve done what we can, then it’s appropriate for others to come and help us. While the giver must never decide who is or is not worthy of help, the receiver must be certain he isn’t living on someone else’s work when he could have taken care of himself with a little preparation and sacrifice of comfort.

Being prepared to care for ourselves as far as we’re able is one way we show our gratitude to God for all He has given us. He’s given us the ability to have a job and to plan. He gave most of us what we need to care for ourselves, and we use those gifts wisely, not asking of Him what we could do for ourselves or wasting the gifts. Then, in times of need, we go to Him for help and trust Him to make up the difference between what needs doing and what we were able to do ourselves. As a wise parent, this is what God wants of us.

Even if you haven’t prepared in the past, it’s not too late to begin to make small preparations for the future. Even a little preparation will build your confidence and peace of mind, and ease the harder times.

Start small. Don’t go out and put a year’s supply of food on your credit card. That defeats the point of preparedness. Instead, purchase a little at a time, taking advantage of small amounts of found money. It’s unlikely your budget will notice a few extra cans of food each week. If you buy something on sale, drop the savings into a jar and periodically use the fund to buy storage items. Try altering your lifestyle in small ways, such as skipping lunch out, or giving up a convenience food. Use the savings for your storage. Can you cut a dollar a day out of your budget? A single dollar saved each day can buy a surprising amount of storage if you shop carefully at discount outlets and watch for sales.

LDS.org suggests building a three month supply of foods you normally eat, buying a few items at a time as you can afford them. Rotate them regularly, shopping from your pantry for everyday use, and placing what you purchase into the food storage. Label foods so you know their age.

Build a longer term supply of wheat, white rice, beans, and other foods that would sustain life in a serious, long-term emergency where it might not be possible to shop. Many of these foods will keep for more than thirty years if they are stored properly.

You also need water storage for emergencies. Particularly in weather emergencies, there may be a lack of clean water.

Be sure to have enough non-food supplies as well—medicines, cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene items. Pay attention to the types of things you use in your daily lives and keep them in stock.

Savings is another aspect of preparedness. Even if you can only save a few dollars a week, do so. Over time, this money does add up and can be the difference between survival and failure in a temporary period of hardship.

Simple preparations will help you feel confident in the event you lose your income for a brief time, and allow you to minimize your expenses.

To learn more, visit Provident Living.

In today’s blog I want to present a practical part of preparedness and discuss a very needful thing. Having been through many different kinds of disasters, including being without employment or a paycheck for over eighteen months, I have a different perspective than many on what is needed to really be prepared. But prepared for what?

For hard times and down times it is extremely important that you are able to have comforting things, and that includes comforting things to eat.

With that in mind will you ask yourself a question? What will be your stash? Before any emergency arrives at your door, consider having a “stash” of goodies. (Not to be confused with supplies on the pantry shelf. “Stash” meaning kept in reserve, or as in kept from view or common knowledge.) Know what your comfort foods are whether they are chocolate covered raisins, hard peppermint candies or granola bars. Then when the worst of the panic calms down, the crisis is finally handled and the dust begins to settle you can sit for a moment and take stock of the situation with a comforting treat to help get you through. A rule while you munch is to be sure to count your blessings!

While going through the above mentioned financial disaster of “no work, no money”, one of the things we did as a family was to often have a fire in the fire place, spread a blanket on the floor in front of that fireplace, and then pop popcorn with an old fashioned, long handled popcorn popper. We would talk or tell stories or play “pretend,” play board games or anything else that came to mind. The only light in the room came from the fireplace while we munched. It was a together time. The important part was that it was a time to concentrate on something positive, be happy and be grateful for popcorn. ‘Tomorrow” we could return to dealing with the “no work, no money” situation. Today when our family gets together and we reminisce, our children mention the popcorn and fireplace evenings far more often than the “no money.”

A storage tip is to remember that chocolate or anything with chocolate as a main ingredient will melt, mush and warp if exposed to heat. Even an especially warm cupboard will be considered “being exposed to heat.” A stash in a box, large gallon bottle or large plastic bucket, labeled and kept in the coolest closet corner will keep your “comfort foods” much longer. Another keeping quality key is to make sure the items you are relying on are edible. For longer storageablitiy stash only items that are without nuts. Nuts have a high rancidity factor as well as a high “bug factor”. If you are counting on a treat to help lift your spirits, bugs and bad taste are not what you want to find.

Of course the hard part of this is keeping your family members and yourself out of the stash until it is needed. Perhaps you will need to specifically qualify need.

I think that even in the examples given to us in the scriptures such as found in 1 Nephi 17:6, where Nephi and his family ‘go down into the ship” with their “provisions,” surely they were blessed to have things that would allow them to have something that was a treat for them.

That’s what you need to do, as you try to be practical in preparation. Have something “stashed” or prepared to lighten your tough times, something that is a comfort food for you. Believe me, it will be needed.

I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.

Then I described a few of the experiences we had going through just one of the disasters in our life, the Loma Prieta earthquake. I indicated that even though we were prepared, I was still very frightened.

In today’s blog I want to make sure that you understand that it is okay to be frightened while being prepared. I also want to make sure you understand that preparedness is part of my DNA, including the testimony of obedience that is part of that.

Many times we, as well as many others, may have questioned, or struggled with the enormity of being prepared. Or perhaps we have not been able to find the creativity to pursue the work and effort required to be prepared. Or maybe we’ve just not been able to find the extra money that we thought it required. Whatever the reasons might be for not being prepared to take care of ourselves during the crises that come into our lives – I would like to suggest to you that none of them matter!

Now that is a pretty strong statement. But it is a very real statement. None of those reasons matter! Let me tell you why.

In my opinion, the principle of being prepared may just be the simple principle of obedience. I really don’t think that being prepared is a suggestion.

However, with that in mind, there is a resource or answer whereby you cannot fail to accomplish it; no matter how hard you think you may have to struggle.

We have been told in 1 Nephi 3:7

“… the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commanded them.”

I personally love that scripture and believe it wholeheartedly! The way will be prepared for you to accomplish it!

Then there is another guideline to follow, that of a Prophet of God. In October 2005 general conference President Gordon B. Hinckley reminded us of our need to be prepared, as well as it being a principle of obedience,

“We can so live that we can call upon the Lord for His protection and guidance. This is a first priority. We cannot expect His help if we are unwilling to keep His commandments … I have faith … that the Lord will bless us, and watch over us, and assist us if we walk in obedience to His light, His gospel, and His commandments. (“If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear,” Ensign, November, 2005, 62)

It has been my constant experience and that of my family, that over the years as we have struggled to be obedient, even when there was no visible money, even when there was no visible pantry space, no seemingly possible ways or means to obtain the commodities needed to fill our shelves … “preparedness” always happened. Being obedient to the principle of being prepared became a way of life. Finding sales to stretch one dollar to five dollars worth buying power happened. Learning to glean fields while living in the middle of LA, CA happened. Friends who would share special deals that they received happened. On and on the miracles followed. Not the parting of the sea for us, just seemingly slowly, seemingly impossible, until when our many crises and personal disasters descended we were always able to provide for our family. Our shelves were full enough to take care of us at each particular time.

When you are doing the very best you can with the resources you have to be obedient, you simply turn to Heavenly Father and request the help that you specifically need in order to be able to be prepared.

In a blog about preparedness this may sound like sermon # 3. It is!

A key point that I make is that “all kits are not created equal.” With headlines blaring about the natural disasters taking place world wide more and more newspapers and TV ads are touting their solutions for the best evacuation kits on the earth. For that reason I thought today’s blog should contain some words of caution to help you make your decisions – or even re-make – your evacuation kit decisions.

Emergency preparations can easily be driven by rumor, fad or panic. Before you let yourself get all stirred up, use your head and think!

For example, not too long ago I heard a very opinionated person in a store declare: “Never use a bucket as a kit container if you have small children because you can’t carry a bucket and carry your child – you’ll have to leave one or the other behind.” Talk about absurd! It was all I could do to keep quiet.

First, if your kits are ready and waiting to be grabbed in an emergency, you’ll have plenty of time to put both your kit and your kid in the car, stroller or wagon, or whatever mode of transportation you’ve already decided on.

Second, it is one of my recommendations that buckets make much better kit containers than many other options.

In “personal preparedness,” the operative word is personal (unless of course you are making a different point, and then the operative word is preparedness). You choose which container – of all the good choices – will best fit your needs and find the ways to make it work. (It sounded to me like someone had something to sell – and it wasn’t a bucket!)

Before you jump on any faddish bandwagon, think it through first and then sensibly make up your own mind.

To illustrate this point I just had to share the following story with you. It is a true one. For a long time “they” (and you know who they are) have continued to recommend that garbage cans should be used as a container to hold the contents for an evacuation kit. Read on:

During a mock disaster and evacuation drill in the summer of 1985 the following “garbage can incident” was reported by a Red Cross director in Provo, Utah. The mock evacuation center was established. As the drill progressed, it was brought to the attention of the authorities that an elderly, disabled lady who lived across the street from the command center, required help to evacuate. Three male volunteers were sent to “rescue” her. It took several more volunteers to bring out her evacuation kit. Their response was, “It weighed a ton!” “It” was a thirty-gallon garbage can, filled to the brim.” (Excerpt from Preparedness Principles, Salsbury, Horizon Publishers, 2006, p. 240)

We have been counseled many times to do what is necessary to be prepared. In the August 2007 Ensign, President Gordon B.Hinckley was quoted as saying, “Let us do all in our power to ‘walk in obedience’ and be prepared.”

And again I would add, in your preparations, “use your head and think.”

It is okay to admit that there are some things you cannot control, resolve or bring to an end. You just have to cope as best you can.

I still vividly recall, the conversation I was having with myself, as the floor pitched and rolled under me during the Loma Prieta earthquake, “Calm down Barbara. You have to find your shoes, Barbara. Try to calm down, Barbara. Think! What is it you have to do? CALM DOWN, BARBARA! Don’t scream – yet,” and so on. At that point I was beyond being scared silly, me the one who was supposed to be prepared. Yes, I was a total basket case. My bones had turned to Jell-O.

And so I repeat, you just have to cope as best you can.

Communication is the key in such situations. Let your family members talk about what they are feeling. Listen to their worries and dispel as many as you can, while still allowing them to deal with reality. And it’s OK to tell them “it’s Ok,” to be afraid when you don’t know what is going on. Sometimes the most important thing is to just be able to talk. One of the best things to do is to try to stick to what is “normal” as much as possible. Fixing “meals,” washing hands, saying prayers or reading stories: simple habits emphasized during difficulties create calmness. Decide before the need arises to make normalcy a priority.

Let’s consider the well known quote from the Doctrine and Covenants 38:30 “ … If Ye are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear …” Following is a bit of personal insight, Barbara doctrine, you might say. Many times this scripture is quoted with emphatic pronouncement (inferred) that if you have your 10,000 pounds of wheat under the bed (literary license taken here!), that you will (or should be) be as calm as the wind in the eye of a tornado when your disaster descends.

There is a great deal of difference between peace, confidence and the ability to move forward, doing the required tasks to get through a chaotic situation and the perceived state of euphoria while singing “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” as the other side of that tornado comes at you full force.

At midnight, the night of that Big One, I sat on the floor in the middle of the rubble in our living room. As the floor and I continued to shudder, I wrote in my journal by camping-lantern light, while tears streamed down my face. Prayers are answered and calmness comes … eventually.

Just remember, try to be practical in your preparedness, coping as best you can.