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I know that "modern medicine" likes to pat themselves on the back and take credit for the "eradication of disease" and our longer life-span due to vaccines (and antibiotics)...but this is a falsehood. These diseases had been declining, some for more than 50 years before vaccines were even starting to be used. "The distinguished epidemiologist Thomas McKeown (1912-198 maintained that reductions in deaths associated with infectious diseases (air-, water-, and food-borne diseases) cannot have been brought about by medical advances, since such diseases were declining long before effective means were available to combat them." Porter, Roy, "The Greatest Benefit to Mankind", Harper Collins Publishers, 1997, p. 426 An introductory statement from the 1937 disease statistics indicates that death rates from infectious diseases declined greatly in the early part of the century. These declines occurred well before the advent of vaccines to treat these conditions. If you go back to the statistics kept by the British Isles you can see the steep declines in disease during the late 1800s through the early 1900s also. "The trend in death rates for specific causes, over the past 20 or 30 years, may be characterized by two general statements. In the first place, there has been a great reduction in the death rates for infectious and preventable diseases; in the second place, there has been an increase in the rates for certain diseases characteristic of older ages. Greatest proportional rate decreases have taken place for such diseases as typhoid and parathyroid fever, which has declined from a rate of 23.5 in 1910 to 2.1 in 1937; and diphtheria, which declined from a rate of 21.4 in 1910 to 2.0 in 1937. ... The rate reductions for infectious and preventable diseases can be largely attributed to the development of modern public-health practice." Vital Statistics of the United States 1937 Part I, U.S. Department of the Census, 1939, p. 11 "...The largest historical decrease in morbidity and mortality caused by infectious disease was experienced not with the modern antibiotic and vaccine era, but after the introduction of clean water and effective sewer systems." "Zinc, diarrhea, and pneumonia (editorial)", The Journal of Pediatrics, December 1999, Vol. 135, No. 6, p. 663 Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine arrived on the scene only after disease mortality rates already had been reduced significantly; measles, rubella, and polio vaccines did not become available until the middle of the 20th century, when most infant deaths were the result of other causes. The same holds true for sulfa drugs and antibiotics. Their contribution is unequivocal, but they did not affect mortality rates until the 1940s." Greene, Velvl W., PhD, MPH, "Personal hygiene and life expectancy improvements since 1850: Historic and epidemiologic associations", American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), August 2001, Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 203-206 "There was a continuous decline [whooping cough deaths], equal in each sex, from 1937 onward. Vaccination, beginning on small scale in some places around 1948 and on a national scale in 1957, did not affect the rate of decline if it be assumed that one attack usually confers immunity, as in most major communicable diseases of childhood. ... The steady decline of whooping cough between 1930 and 1957 is predictive of a linear exponential decay characteristic of a general and progressive lessening in the volume and spread of infection among the susceptible population. With this pattern well established before 1957, there is no evidence that vaccination played a major role in the decline in incidence and mortality in the trend of events." Steward, Gordon T., "Vaccination Against Whooping-Cough Efficacy Versus Risks", The Lancet, January 29, 1977, pp. 234-237 "...In 1869 there were 716 deaths from typhus in London; by 1885 this had been reduced to 28; and at the beginning of the 20th century there was none. Similar declines could be given for other infectious diseases. Tuberculosis began a remarkable disappearing act. Killing perhaps 500 out of every 100,000 Europeans in 1845, consumption slowly but continuously sank to 50 per 100,000 by 1950. Curative medicine played little part in that transition. The disappearance began before Koch discovered the tubercle bacillus. By the time antibiotics entered the picture, TB in cities such as New York had fallen to eleventh place in the death lists. And the mortality graphs for most of Europe's fatal crowd diseases all dived before antibiotics had been marketed. Whooping cough killed 1400 children out of every million in 1850, but one hundred years later whooping deaths were less than 10 per million. Scarlet fever behaved in the same way. Measles, typhus, pneumonia, dysentery and polio all share similar histories. Their retreat had a dramatic impact on the European population. By 1900 civilization had lost its biological population check: infectious disease. After centuries of hostile encounters, humans and microbes found a new adjustment with little interference from drugs or vaccines. In some cases the microbe became less virulent (measles and diphtheria) or the human host more resistant (tuberculosis)." Porter, Roy, "The Greatest Benefit to Mankind", Harper Collins Publishers, 1997, p. 427

I just talked to my local health department and the Lead RN who has 6 years of education and 18 years of experience assured me she knows what she is talking about. She said that the mercury free vaccines are only available at the health department for children under 3 for any vaccine. That they don't get a lot of the mercury free vaccinations for flu (the nasal spray and the mercury free for children under three) and run out very quickly and they have been out of those vaccines for a long time. The elderly, pregnant women and infants/children are given the '"multi-dose" flu vaccine and she doesn't know of any that are made without thimerosal. (She said to not worry though because thimerosal is not in any way related to the mercury we used to play with in thermometers and that it is as safe as eating tuna fish and won't hurt you.) She had never heard of any special vaccines for pregnant women or the elderly with no thimerosal. .

Mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired oxidative-reduction activity, degeneration, and death in human neuronal and fetal cells induced by low-level exposure to thimerosal and other metal compounds Abstract Thimerosal (ethylmercurithiosalicylic acid), an ethylmercury (EtHg)-releasing compound (49.55% mercury (Hg)), was used in a range of medical products for more than 70 years. Of particular recent concern, routine administering of Thimerosal-containing biologics/childhood vaccines have become significant sources of Hg exposure for some fetuses/infants. This study was undertaken to investigate cellular damage among in vitro human neuronal (SH-SY-5Y neuroblastoma and 1321N1 astrocytoma) and fetal (nontransformed) model systems using cell vitality assays and microscope-based digital image capture techniques to assess potential damage induced by Thimerosal and other metal compounds (aluminum (Al) sulfate, lead (Pb)(II) acetate, methylmercury (MeHg) hydroxide, and mercury (Hg)(II) chloride) where the cation was reported to exert adverse effects on developing cells. Thimerosal-associated cellular damage was also evaluated for similarity to pathophysiological findings observed in patients diagnosed with autistic disorders (ADs). Thimerosal-induced cellular damage as evidenced by concentration- and time-dependent mitochondrial damage, reduced oxidative-reduction activity, cellular degeneration, and cell death in the in vitro human neuronal and fetal model systems studied. Thimerosal at low nanomolar (nM) concentrations induced significant cellular toxicity in human neuronal and fetal cells.Thimerosal-induced cytoxicity is similar to that observed in AD pathophysiologic studies. Thimerosal was found to be significantly more toxic than the other metal compounds examined. Future studies need to be conducted to evaluate additional mechanisms underlying Thimerosal-induced cellular damage and assess potential co-exposures to other compounds that may increase or decrease Thimerosal-mediated toxicity. Taylor & Francis Online :: Mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired oxidative-reduction activity, degeneration, and death in human neuronal and fetal cells induced by low-level exposure to thimerosal and other metal compounds - Toxicological & Environment

Things like Berkey filters, rocket stoves and lifesprouts are all good products but are not really beginning preparedness items. The "peace of preparedness" site was made by a friend of mine for her stake . She has a LOT of good ideas on how to get started and the items she likes, ways to cook without power, and she covers some of the more advanced preparedness items as well. Peace of Preparedness

Water - the church recommends storing 2 weeks worth of drinking water. The Church has found a really great little filter that is very reasonably priced that can be used in an emergency when your two weeks of stored water is gone. Missionaries have used these in disasters I have heard. They are found at the Church distribution centers and in the LDS Catalog. Water Filtration Bottle - LDS Online Store

For three-month supply type ideas you might start small with something like the bag method where you put the ingredients for a meal (that is easy, quick and delicious) in a bag...and make as many bags as you might eat in a three month period and store those in your pantry. The people I know that do this only do two meals a day as in an emergency situation you probably would not be cooking more than that. They even add the bottled water, canned meat if appropriate for the recipe and put the spices in a tiny baggie. I find easy and delicious recipes on this site...usually if hundreds of people liked it, it won't be too hard and it will taste great. Rice Allrecipes - Search (page down to see recipes) Pasta Allrecipes - Search etc. Also, for my three month supply I store things like canned meats, vegetables, fruits and soups (both wet and dry). Oil, salt, sugar, dried milk, dried eggs, baking soda and powder, and spices. I also love tomato products like soups , chili and spaghetti sauce. Other sauces like alfredo and butternut are family favorites. Many of these things can be used with rice or cooked grains or pasta for a simple meal to make these "longer-term" storage foods a lot more palatable.

For longer-term storage you can walk into a "dry pack cannery" and walk out with cases of beans, wheat, rice, oats and mashed potatos without a canning appointment...they are ready to go home with you. Other things like carrots, dried apples, onions, other types of beans, milk, hot chocolate, etc. are also available but you might need an appointment in order to can those before taking them home ready for storage. How much grains/beans to get for basic survival is found here... Food Storage Calculator Perhaps sprouting could be a good place to start because sprouting is healthier for you than eating the seeds cooked for several reasons..more fiber, better digestibility, live enzymes, and even slightly more nutrition and is very easy to do. And beans and wheat when eaten in the same day make a complete protein... Some nutritional facts. Wheat sprouts Wheat Sprouts Bean sprouts Navy Bean Sprouts Vitamin C (mg per 100 grams) Orange has 53 mg Kidney bean sprouts 39 mg Pinto bean sprouts 22 mg Wheat 3 mg Vitamin A (IU per 100 grams) Carrots (easily grown) 17200 IU Broccoli 1967 Pea sprouts 166 Pinto beans 2 etc. There are many how-to videos on Youtube, here is one of them...but you can use just a large "nut milk" cloth type bag for sprouting as well. Some other good seeds that are sproutable include many types of beans, oat groats, millet, kamut, amaranth, corn, fenugreek, lentils, green peas, brown rice, sunflower seeds, broccoli, radish, alfalfa, etc. The Sproutpeople's Sprouting Device List Review on sprouters...I bought mine on Amazon but they are also available at many preparedness sites, stores. Some sites specialize on sprouting seeds. My friends buy a lot of theirs locally delivered using the Azure Standard co-op, I have bought sprouting seeds from Walton Feed as well. But any whole grain is sproutable and it doesn't have to be "organic" in survival/emergency situations. The various grains have different nutritional contents, so if you can, it is good to have a variety of whole grains and beans for better nutrition.

There are a lot of us here that would love to help you get started just ask! Also instructions can be found on-line in various places, here are a few... Food Storage Calculator Food Storage Calculator Dry ice method how to... http://providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/96278_PlasticBucketStorageInstructions_v4_pdf.pdf This lady likes to be organized and has some "how to" videos/forms/books, etc. Prepared LDS Family: How Much Food Storage Do You Want to Store? Lot's of how to's for visual learners on youtube...most really like the mylar bag method... various food storage How tos hereHere are some other great sites... Prepared LDS Family: Best Sites I really like "peace of preparedness" I posted my favorite stores and what I buy there in the preparedness forum... Again, where do you want to start? Just ask!

Except for the nasal spray I have never heard of a flu shot without thimerosal, if there is such a thing it would be news to me and I stay up on this kind of research. Even sick children are given flu shots with thimerosal at least at our health department last time I checked. Vaccines for pre-teens, teens and adults usually have the full amount of mercury in them which is a concern especially as they receive multiple "boosters," flu shots and VD vaccines. One time exposure for those who can detoxify is not an a huge issue. But there is a segment of society who's body's are so compromised that they cannot detoxify toxins well, and for some at all. It is for these people, particularly the old, pregnant women and children that I am most concerned. I believe that my son fall's into this category and test results concur. But our mercury burden doesn't come just from vaccines, it comes from our environment right now particularly volcanic ash, it comes from silver/mercury amalgams in mouths, in the air (from cremation) and eventually in our water, HF corn syrup, vaccinations, sea food, toxins released from manufacturers into the water and air, broken flourescent lightbulbs and flourescent lamps, coal and gold mines/refineries are particular polluters. "Other important human-generated sources include gold production, non-ferrous metal production, cement production, waste disposal, human crematoria, caustic soda production, pig iron and steel production, mercury production (mostly for batteries), and biomass burning. "Wiki Research shows that when mercury is combined with other metals such as aluminum and some chemicals it can be much more toxic for our bodies than mercury alone. I believe we can all agree that we live in a toxic soup and we have no idea how the thousands of man-made chemicals as well as natural elements etc. found in nature combine to effect our health. We will just have to disagree on the whole epidemiological research thing because when you follow the money particularly, you find many questionable practices, particularly with the researchers (and who they work for before and after their research and who funds it, etc.) and the statistical methods/data sets chosen, etc. etc. etc. It is my belief that many of a whole generation of children have been damaged...but I don't believe it is just mercury that is the culprit, but it is one of them. .

This is a place to keep my research regarding Vaccines/mercury. Vaccines have long been something that I have studied as I have a son who is autistic but who also has had many"autoimmune" (and other) issues such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, tourette's, seizures, etc. For years the medical establishment claimed that there is no association between auto-immune disease and autism. But I have known that there is an auto-immune link as many parents report similar issues in their child/children as I have seen in mine. Whether to give my son more vaccines has been a huge parenting decision for me and so I think this is probably the best place to put my research as I think other parents may be concerned with this issue also. So the mercury and vaccines safety debate is something that I have folllowed and studied for many years now. I have even read articles from "experts" saying that mercury has been found to be good for you as data is manipulated to "prove" that it is harmless, even though it is one of the most damaging "neurotoxins" existing in the world. In this most recent article you will notice that they talk of natural sources of mercury as well as that fish you eat can be contaminated with mercury. But they say nothing about vaccines, mercury/silver fillings or HF corn syrup which are also some of the major contributors to our "mercury load" of toxins in our bodies. HF Corn Syrup article... Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury. http://blog.foodfacts.com/index.php/...tains-mercury/ Vaccine/mercury article... This (flu shot) vaccine contains 25 micrograms of ethyl Mercury in one dose...The CDC believes that the average 110-pound woman is allowed to have 5 micrograms per day without adverse reactions. If she were to get a flu shot and have a tuna fish sandwich for lunch she would have just received 42 micrograms of Mercury, eight times the safe level...If you look at the MSDS for Thimerosal, it says, "Exposure to mercury in utero and in children can cause mild to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor coordination impairment." Eli Lilly MSDS June 13, 1991. Flu shot When mercury poisoned, women exposed to mercury when pregnant actually do better than most others in the population because the mercury goes into the fetus and so causes little damage to the mother herself. *** So here is a "blurb" from the article out this weekend... A new large study of more than 2,000 US women found an association between mercury exposure and elevated levels of a thyroid antibody that is often higher in patients with autoimmune diseases, conditions in which immune system mistakes some part of the body as a pathogen and attacks its own cells...Previous findings had tied mercury to certain health problems including heart and nervous immune diseases particularly in women of childbearing age and young children. Investment Watch Blog – 2012

LDS.org does have a direct link to Providentliving.org (the Church's site for all things related to the family's well-being including food storage) but you will have to look in the "menu" and then under "Family" and then press the "Family Well-Being" link. That will take you to Provident Living. Providentliving.org Then on the Menu found on the left side of the page press on "Home Storage." That will take you to links where you can "learn more" and at the bottom of the page it has links for: Food Lasting 30 Years or More Product Recommendations Packaging Recommendations Storage Conditions Again I would be happy to answer any questions any of you may have about food storage. If I were just starting out and were working on "longer-term storage" and I lived near Utah/Idaho/Arizona/So California, I would buy grains/beans at a warehouse such as Honeyville, Walton's, Costco, Sam's, Specialty Store, or a grain elevator location and then I would store the grains in a 6 gallon food grade bucket using the dry ice method. If I were going to buy it from the Church (their wheat is much more expensive right now) I would just buy it from the "home storage center" (previously known as the dry-pack cannery) already canned and in convenient case boxes and take it home and store it in as cool and dry of a place as possible. If I lived far away from these areas and would have to pay shipping I might ask friends who are travelling to conference to bring me back as many supplies as they could. Dry packed foods are available at Welfare Square, Walmart and Macey's to name a few...but if they were family I might ask them to go to Honeyville just past the airport to get the grains directly. If that wasn't an option you can always order through the LDS catalog and then the shipping is included in the price. Walton's will also ship using truckers to some areas but you may have to meet the trucks and be ready to haul off the food immediately. I know of people when given food storage for Christmas toss it or give it away. Other's because of weight limits must give it away when they move, but some have just taken it and thrown it in dumpsters. Other's when their parents die again just take food storage to the dump rather than find others that would use it. Even it if it is old and no longer "human" grade there are many with animals that would be happy to take it as animal feed (just post it someplace like KSL classifieds or on the free stuff sites.) It makes me sad to hear of people who care so little about obeying Heavenly Father's commandment to "prepare every needful thing" that they would leave food behind like not so nice people do old tires, gasoline, or toxic chemicals for the new owners to deal with. I could probably find someone to pick up "food storage" from those who don't want it...at least in the Intermountain West... While it is eventually necessary to "rotate" such things as whole grains and beans it isn't necessary if kept in a cool dry place for 25-30+ years...most people have not had their "longer-term home storage" that long. As for me, the oldest of my longer-term supply is still good for at least another 20+ years before it is necessary to start rotating it. Even the government has said that in case of a pandemic we may need to stay in our homes for 3 waves of sickness lasting 6 or more weeks, I have every intention of using my supplies for myself and others if that emergency should arise. But that it is for emergency and to me keeping such stores is not "hoarding" even though I have no idea when the need to use it will arise.

I have had several friends who have lost their food storage for one reason or another. One lost their food storage because they were scammed in a move, another in last years floods in Vermont, another's food storage was lost in the Idaho dam break, a lot of others have lost theirs because of vermin of one sort or another. All have been blessed to be able to replace their stores...some in miraculous ways. I think that is the key...if it is a commandment and you have it and lose it due to no fault of your own. you can call down the blessings of heaven because you have been obedient. At least that is my belief. When my ancestors left their oldest in Europe to serve a mission and came with their many children with the money for wagons and then were asked not to be in the Hunt wagon train, but to pull handcarts across the plains as part of the Willey company (with two adults that were invalids one being the father) they were promised that no one would be lost on the journey. They starved like everyone else but they were blessed with strength. They were often the ones who dug the graves for those who died as they were among the few that had the strength to do it and all made it and none lost limbs like so many others. I believe they had such amazing blessings because of their obedience.

What is the wisest course for your money is hard to say without a crystal ball. So I guess there is something to be said for diversity, e.g., money, stocks, precious metals, barter goods, food storage, tools to be able to be a producer when things get tough, etc. My concern is more for the dollar itself...if it "dies" as some say is the plan of some really bad guys in the future, then I would imagine it would take the stock market with it and so I do believe that it is going down...how fast that will happen I can't say, but I beleive it will happen...eventually. Although there will still be money created, it just will be called something else and controlled probably more globally than right now. So while I can't say if an EMP or war might take us back to third world type living, I believe the best investments are those where you are following the prophets...you know tithing, fast offerings, food storage, financial reserve, etc.

Yes we are blessed to have great wisdom from our leaders. Many of my friends tell me that last-days stuff is too scary to contemplate…I think Elder Bednar understood such feelings when he said, "Now brothers and sisters, these teachings from modern and ancient prophets about latter-day tests and trials are sobering and solemn. But they should not be discouraging, and we should not be afraid. For those with eyes to see and ears to hear, spiritual warnings lead to increasingly vigilant watching. You and I live in ‘a day of warning.’ And because we have been and will be warned, we need to be, as the Apostle Paul admonished, ‘watching …with all perseverance.’ As we watch and prepare, truly we have no need to fear.” BYU-I Address, 2010

You are right as the Lord has told us... D&C 38:30 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. The Lord tells us to "treasure up wisdom" and we can do that by reading the words of our prophets...President Uchtdorf said last conference, "Like two sides of a coin, the temporal and spiritual are inseparable...The Giver of all life has proclaimed, ‘All things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal.’...Unfortunately, there are those who overlook the temporal because they consider it less important. They treasure the spiritual while minimizing the temporal...The one complements the other. The one without the other is a counterfeit of God’s plan of happiness...This work of providing in the Lord’s way is not simply another item in the catalog of programs of the Church. It cannot be neglected or set aside. It is central to our doctrine; it is the essence of our religion. We must not turn aside our hearts or our heads from becoming more self-reliant...The temporal is intertwined with the spiritual. God has given us this mortal experience and the temporal challenges that attend it as a laboratory where we can grow into the beings Heavenly Father wants us to become."

Some people are expecting another big Earthquake between now and Monday...so especially if you live in the "ring of fire" check your 72 hour kits and know where your shoes are and make sure there is a flashlight where you can easily find it...and don't forget to wear pajamas or know where your robe is...and doorjambs are not always the safest place to be... start at 18 seconds...Preparing for various scenarios is another reason why I follow some of these predictions...I think if there were an earthquake tomorrow what would I wish that I had in my house today?

Brother Hall has been a frequent small fireside LDS speaker for well over ten years. People started asking him to speak because he is a scholar of the scriptures. I understand he often speaks for various wards, etc. and I have not heard of him being paid for his firesides over these many years. As his talks are always brim full of information many have asked him to make a recording for them. He has put doing that off for a long time. If any of you know the cost involved in putting out a DVD and the small audience that would be interested in such a topic...you would know that there is not a lot of money to be made in such an endeavor. This is the last bit of the description on his video... "This video recording is a journey through the scriptures and is done to assist the student of the scriptures to better understand the final history of the earth as laid out by the prophets of old and help the student to better understand the Apostles two questions and the Savior's two answers. It in no way represents any official doctrine of any church or organization and in no way is the author a spokesman for any organization. After a long pursuit of study it is just simply the testimony of Randy Hall." Again, if you will read my posts I have said that I don't agree with everything he says, however, his perspective is interesting and I don't believe his intent is to make others afraid or to "scare" them or to make a lot of money from his "journey through the scriptures." Seriously, how many people read their scriptures let alone have a desire to spend additional time "journeying" through them? .

Scaremongering. Doom and gloomers. Hoarders. Survivalists. Preppers. FEARer...particularly of Zombies and Aliens, people who believe in Armageddon, etc. All of these are derogatory "politically correct" names used to ridicule those who prepare in any significant way or believe last days prophecies (particularly if they believe that some or all could be fulfilled in their lifetimes.) Are there politically correct names to call people who don't prepare?...not really. But they get a lot of support from the mainstream media and others around them...as people who don't prepare (aren't "hoarders") are considered unselfish, caring, world citizens, etc. Wow, what is the source and purpose of such language and beliefs and who benefits when people accept it and use it?

I live in the country. Dozens of people have told my family that they are coming to our house when things get bad...and that doesn't include my extended family who confidently sit on their 72 hour kits feeling prepared for any eventuality, because they can always come to my house if things go South. The bishop's of the suburbs nearby (without even a major grocery store) with two stakes worth of people and many more non-members tell our small community of a few hundred that they are coming here when things get bad for food because they know, "the good people of (my town) would never let the members of our stake go hungry." The funny thing is that almost no one here even has a garden or animals and because they have unused land they feel even more confident in not having food storage in their homes than most. The soil here takes years to make produce...you can't walk outside and plant a seed and get a harvest (if you know what I mean) without expensive soil preparers/fertilizers, farm equipment and farm irrigation systems withpower to run them, and special seeds that no one has...although if you fortunate and it is the right season, and if you don't mind eating grass, and if he is willing to let his animals go hungry, you might survive for a short time when alfalfa is harvestable as one man in town grows a few acres worth for his beloved horses... Even my best friend has told me that she won't store food but she would, "beg borrow or steal before she would let HER children go hungry." Since that talk she has put in an in-ground swimming pool in her backyard because her children "need" it... We have all been blessed and I am truly grateful for those blessings. I hope for my children's (and hopefully grandchildren someday's) sake things will be well for us. But I hope we don't count on that so much that we look to others to provide for us in every circumstance...because our neighbors, our Church and our government won't be able to in the case of a widespread calamity. I cannot say why I suddenly feel such urgency...perhaps I am one of the only ones feeling this uneasiness...? or perhaps it's because my time of "preparing" is at an end as my husband's job was eliminated as the company he worked for was sold. So if you still have the ability to "prepare" I would be happy to help with any advice I can give...and if I can't answer your questions I may know someone who can. I would be happy (more like thrilled) to help if I can... ..

I have friends in 3,000+ square foot homes with full basements that tell me that they have no place to store food...seriously! As wheat/grains are so plentiful they consider it a "burden and a drudge" to buy it (and other "needful" things) and particularly to store it. We have indeed been blessed a lot!...for so long in fact that we cannot fathom having our lives any other way. We have had generations of prosperity. In fact many get angry and abusive at anyone that would suggest that "change" may not be so good in the future and call names like "gloom and doomers," "hoarders," "molly mormons," "unrighteous FEARers," etc. But history does not support endless growth in a wicked society. Those that close their eyes and hum and believe that things will continue to improve throughout their lifetime need to look at how few P and PG films are now available at Redbox... It is not my intent to be a "downer," just to wake people up. I do not know when it will be "too late" but I would encourage all my friends to be 10 years "too early" than five minutes "too late." The prophets have said that when we are prepared (self-reliant) we should do all we can to help our neighbors become prepared (self-reliant.) So...if you feel over-whelmed and don't know where to start I would be happy to message with you and give suggestions on how to get started! or even all done in a day!!! .

"Were I to ask the question, how much wheat or anything else a man must have to justify him in letting it go to waste...if the question were asked them if they considered their grain a burden and a drudge to them, when they had plenty last year and the year before, (they) would answer in the affirmative, and were ready to part with it for next to nothing.How do they feel now, when their granaries are empty? If they had a few thousand bushels to spare now, would they not consider it a blessing? They would. Why? Because it would bring the gold and silver." "But pause for a moment, and suppose you had millions of bushels to sell, and could sell it for twenty dollars per bushel, or for a million dollars per bushel, no matter what amount, so that you sell all your wheat,and transport it out of the country, and you are left with nothing more than a pile of gold, what good would it do you? You could not eat it, drink it, wear it, or carry it off where you could have something to eat." "THE TIME WILL COME that gold will hold no comparison in value to a bushel of wheat. Gold is not to be compared with it in value. Why would it be precious to you now? Simply because you could get gold for it? Gold is good for nothing, only as men value it. It is no better than a piece of iron, a piece of limestone,or a piece of sandstone, and it is not half so good as the soil from which we raise our wheat, and other necessaries of life. The children of men love it, they lust after it, are greedy for it, and are ready to destroy themselves,and those around them, over whom they have any influence, to gain it." "When this people are blessed so much that they consider their blessings a burden and a drudge to them, you may always calculate on a cricket war,a grasshopper war, a drought, too much rain, or something else to make the scales preponderate the other way. This people have been blessed too much, so that they have not known what to do with their blessings." Brigham Young, "The Use and Abuse of Blessings" Journal of Discourses 1 pg 250, June 5th 1853 ..

Yes, every morning I am grateful for food to eat and a warm shower and the relative peace and safety that my family enjoys so we can be busy doing many "good" things. Especially that my son's can be busy on missions and schooling rather than the wars other generations have had to deal with...some throughout their entire lives. .

This one still amazes me...highway robbery on the tracks...

I've been mentoring a girl who is not LDS but is working at DI. I just heard that she is now pregnant with her third fatherless child. Between her sister and her (who live with their mother in a trailer) they will soon have 5 children around 3 and under. I worry for the children, what will happen to them when they are no longer an economic asset to families that take advantage of the system. Another girl I know has been in four free government programs for education and eventually failed to show up for her classes and dropped out. She has drained all the available programs for her (although her parents are upper-middle class, her parents don't have a college education so she qualifies for many) and is now getting educational benefits through her dad's VA program. It is frustrating to see her abuse the system while we struggle to assist our four children in college.

My friend recently bought heirloom and other garden seeds in bulk from a mostly on-line seed company and when she went to the shipping found that she could pick them up near the SLC Costco. Wholesale, Bulk, Flower, Vegetable Seeds by Mountain Valley Seed of course farm supply stores also sell bulk seeds in the spring if you aren't looking for "heirloom" type seeds.