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Prophets have warned us for generations to prepare every needful thing for the future to be self-reliant. This includes home storage of food, clothing, fuel, gardening, preserving, and so forth. Many have taken this advice and designed scare tactics. In turn many fall prey and become frightened. Like all commandments, preparedness is a commandment to test our obedience and bring us peace, joy, health, comfort, and happiness. This is always true of God’s commandments.
The revelation to store food may be as important to our temporal salvation, today, as boarding the ark was to the people in the day of Noah" Ezra Taft Benson. Noah’s contemporaries could have prepared for life on the ark and pleased God with their obedience at the same time.
Let us put fear aside and not buy trouble. After all fear is not of God. As recent as October 2011 General Conference, God’s mouthpiece and prophet, Boyd K. Packer, told the youth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints that they can look forward to the future. "Sometimes you might be tempted to think as I did from time to time in my youth: ‘The way things are going, the world’s going to be over with. The end of the world is going to come before I get to where I should be’ Not so! You can look forward to doing it right—getting married, having a family, seeing your children and grandchildren, maybe even great-grandchildren." In essence today’s young people shouldn’t buy trouble but be optimistic for the future. Prepare? Yes. Fear? No. This is also true for today’s older people.
So if the world probably won’t come to an end next week, why do we need to store and learn to use necessities for at least a year and make a 72-hour kit? Why do we need to prepare spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally? Why do we need to get out of debt, save for the future, and become self-reliant? Why do we need to grow gardens and plant fruit vines and trees?
Obedience*Peace*Joy*Happiness*Health*Comfort
1. Remember the need to keep the commandment to prepare every needful thing.
2. Follow a thorough program of home and emergency preparedness.
3. Learn how to not only survive in unusual situations but how to THRIVE in all situations.
In just one year, you won’t believe the changes you can make. This preparedness schedule will help your family prepare to thrive in every situation spiritually, physically, financially, mentally, and emotionally. As you obey the words of God given through His prophets, you will find peace, joy, happiness, health, and comfort. These ideas were gleaned from numerous resources.
“No man is truly free who is in financial bondage. Think what you do when you run debt, you give another power over your liberty.” Benjamin Franklin
Spiritual Goal: Decide as a family how to focus less on stuff and more on Jesus Christ during the Christmas season. Avoid the holiday media blitz—you don’t need the junk they say you can’t live without. Remember Tickle Me Elmo and Wii? Revive old family traditions. Adopt a spiritual devotional Christmas countdown. Spend time serving in the community together. Consider family togetherness gifts like tents, sleeping bags, camp stove, thermal cooker, solar oven, camping supplies, guidebooks for great family camping destinations, and games. Consider wrapping up necessities like coats, clothing, mittens, boots, shoes, towels, underwear, socks, sheets, and so forth. This is a big joke but cherished tradition with my children.
Physical Fitness Goal: Physical fitness is important but sometimes neglected. Let’s not wait to realize how precious the gift of a healthy body is until after it’s gone. Consider a FHE to discuss adopting the LDS Physical Fitness Award Program in your family for a year.
Financial Goal: Avoid spending traps by eliminating anything that causes you to spend frivolously. Cancel catalogs. Stop window-shopping or wandering through stores. Avoid online shopping in tempting places. Make a list of desired purchases with the rule that it must be on the list for 30 days before buying. This will stop the adrenalin rush from impulse purchasing and you may decide you don’t want the thing after all. Clutter is a physical reminder of foolish purchases and as much mental burden as debt. Clutter makes every job take longer and costs money to store, guard, move, and own. Find one item of value that you no longer use, donate it, and get a receipt for tax purposes. Let it be a reminder of past mistakes.
Provident Living Goal: Learn to cook and enjoy food prepared from the things you store: dried beans and whole grains. It is rewarding beyond measure and much tastier than you think. Right here on this site, you can find articles to enlighten you about cooking with beans and whole grains, health benefits of eliminating fat and animal products, sprouting, indoor gardening, solar cooking, and so forth. Learn to refinish a simple piece of furniture.
Storage Goal:
40 pounds dried beans per person
Dehydrated onions, garlic, herbs, peppers, celery, and carrots plus salt and pepper to flavor beans
Batteries, Candles, Matches
Emergency Evacuation Goal:
Garbage bags
Can Opener
Enough instant oatmeal, creamy rice, grits, or cream of wheat for 3-5 generous servings per person
