Be Not Afraid, Fall 2011

[lds2]

One Sunday morning in Relief Society I participated in a discussion of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In it we discussed the prophecies of Joel wherein he said the sun would be darkened and the moon turned to blood…and we wondered what that might look like when it happens. I vaguely recalled another discussion regarding this prophecy and after searching found President Hinckley’s talk entitled “Living in the Fulness of Times” (given shortly after 9/11.) He said that this vision, along with the words of Malachi, have been fulfilled, “The vision of Joel has been fulfilled wherein he declared: ‘And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come…’ (Joel 2:28–32).”1

I wonder if the twin towers were the pillars of smoke spoken of in Joel’s prophecy or whether the Gulf War may have fulfilled these or other prophecies. I do not know. However, knowing that the signs mentioned in the vision of Joel were fulfilled years ago makes me wonder where we are in time and how much longer we will have in order to prepare for the further prophecies of the last days.

Elder Henry B. Eyring once said, “Because the Lord is kind, He calls servants to warn people of danger. That call to warn is made harder and more important by the fact that the warnings of most worth are about dangers that people don’t yet think are real…Here is the charge given to each of the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: ‘Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor’…It’s easy to say, ‘The time isn’t right.’ But there is danger in procrastination.”2

My neighbors, I would like to share with you that I know that we are living in the fullness of times where the Lord has commanded us to prepare every needful thing because he loves us (D&C 109:8). He has directed us to, “Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus, who was on the earth, and is to come, the beginning and the end…Behold, I am Jesus Christ, and I come quickly. Even so. Amen” (D&C 49: 12, 28).

While we are instructed to “watch with all perseverance” we should do it with faith…not fear. Elder Bednar gave us this guidance, "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’ (D&C 63:58). And because we have been and will be warned, we need to be, as the Apostle Paul admonished, ‘watching … with all perseverance’ (Ephesians 6:18). As we watch and prepare, truly we have no need to fear (see D&C 38:30).”3

President Packer speaking in conference in 2009 said, “Your generation is filled with uncertainties. A life of fun and games and expensive toys has come to an abrupt end. We move from a generation of ease and entertainment to a generation of hard work and responsibility. We do not know how long that will last...the future will hold trials and difficulties for you...However, fear is the opposite of faith. Do not be afraid! I do not fear.”27

We truly have no need to fear, our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson gave us “a word at closing” at the end of General Conference in 2010, “My brothers and sisters, today, as we look at the world around us, we are faced with problems which are serious and of great concern to us. The world seems to have slipped from the moorings of safety and drifted from the harbor of peace…My counsel…is to look to the lighthouse of the Lord. There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. The lighthouse of the Lord sends forth signals readily recognized and never failing…The Lord loves us, my brothers and sisters, and will bless us as we call upon Him.”4

President Kimball in his book, "Faith Precedes the Miracle" wrote, “Do we lose faith, do we lose patience, do we lose hope, do we get weary in waiting, because the day is long and the event delayed? It is difficult to be prepared for an event so long delayed. Many have found it too difficult and they slumber without due preparation…But we cannot allow ourselves to slumber…I believe that the Ten Virgins represent the people of the Church of Jesus Christ…The wise had to go; else the bridegroom would have gone unwelcomed. They needed all their oil for themselves; they could not save the foolish. The responsibility was each for himself. This was not selfishness or unkindness.”5

A year or two ago I heard a stake president tell us in his testimony that at the regional leadership conference a general authority referenced President Hinckley's talk from 1998 regarding Pharaoh's Dream, the stormy weather ahead, and the need to have our houses in order. Then he asked them how many in attendance now wished that they had hearkened to President Hinckley’s words? Why does that matter? Because I believe Pharaoh’s Dream has great significance for our day. I’ll show you why…

The first time President Hinckley mentioned Pharaoh’s dream was in 1998 when he said, “I wish to speak to you about temporal matters. As a backdrop for what I wish to say, I read to you a few verses from the 41st chapter of Genesis. Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, dreamed dreams which greatly troubled him...And I saw in my dream…seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.” Then Joseph’s interpretation, “Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise after them seven years of famine…And God will shortly bring it to pass (Gen. 41:20, 26, 30, 32). Now, brethren, I want to make it very clear that I am not prophesying, that I am not predicting years of famine in the future. But I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order…There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed...That’s all I have to say about it, but I wish to say it with all the emphasis of which I am capable.” A portent means something of prophetic or ominous significance. President Hinckley also spoke of the fragile economy, how people are living off of their borrowings instead of earnings and how paying interest is financial bondage. He said that he hoped that there wouldn’t be a depression…twice, but then said he was concerned about all the debt our members are carrying. He talked about how Elder Faust paid off his mortgage quickly, and how content that has made him.6

President Hinckley again referenced Pharaoh’s dream just weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attack in his talk, “The Times In Which We Live.” Pres. Hinckley said, “The economy is particularly vulnerable. We have been counseled again and again concerning self-reliance, concerning debt, concerning thrift. So many of our people are heavily in debt for things that are not entirely necessary.” Then he talked about getting a modest home and paying it off as quickly as possible. He said, “We cannot provide against every contingency. But we can provide against many contingencies. Let the present situation remind us that this we should do. As we have been continuously counseled for more than 60 years, let us have some food set aside that would sustain us for a time in case of need…” He referenced Pharaoh’s dream when he said, “I do not know what the future holds. I do not wish to sound negative, but I wish to remind you of the warnings of scripture and the teachings of the prophets which we have had constantly before us. I cannot forget the great lesson of Pharaoh’s dream of the fat and lean kine and of the full and withered stalks of corn. I cannot dismiss from my mind the grim warnings of the Lord as set forth in the 24th chapter of Matthew. I am familiar, as are you, with the declarations of modern revelation that the time will come when the earth will be cleansed and there will be indescribable distress, with weeping and mourning and lamentation (see D&C 112:24). Now, I do not wish to be an alarmist. I do not wish to be a prophet of doom.”7

Said President Hinckley in October Conference in 2005, “What [calamities] we have experienced in the past was all foretold, and the end is not yet. Just as there have been calamities in the past, we expect more in the future. What do we do? Someone has said it was not raining when Noah built the ark. But he built it, and the rains came…We can heed warnings…the best storehouse is the family storeroom. In words of revelation the Lord has said, ‘Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing’ (D&C 109:8 ). Our people for three-quarters of a century have been counseled and encouraged to make such preparation as will assure survival should a calamity come. We can set aside some water, basic food, medicine, and clothing to keep us warm. We ought to have a little money laid aside in case of a rainy day…” This talk was given exactly seven years from the date that President Hinckley first gave (as I call it) his “seven years of plenty talk.” In it he again mentioned the dream of Pharaoh when he said, “Let us never lose sight of the dream of Pharaoh concerning the fat cattle and the lean, the full ears of corn and the blasted ears, the meaning of which was interpreted by Joseph to indicate years of plenty and years of scarcity.”8

President Eyring told us, “In our own time we have been warned with counsel on where to find safety...One of the keys to recognizing those warnings is that they are repeated.”9 Not only did President Hinckley warn us repeatedly, he also could not “forget” or “dismiss from his mind” this dream, he also warned us of a “portent” of stormy weather ahead for which his warning was most emphatic.

It is interesting to note what was happening in Egypt during the “years of famine.” In Genesis 47:15 it says, “And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.” As their money failed they gave the government all their remaining assets including their valuables, homes and lands in exchange for food and shelter. Eventually the people were gathered together and became slaves of the government.

We can see that financially we are in lean years and most agree that it will take years to come out of this recession…but could we experience an actual famine where there is no food or we can’t afford the food that is available? If you have been watching the news you will have heard of the extreme record breaking drought in Russia in 2009, at the beginning of 2010 we heard of a near 200-year drought which affected China, and record breaking floods (Mississippi, Vermont) and droughts (Texas and surrounding states) in the United States, Europe, Africa and Argentina; devastating floods and hurricanes have hit Australia, China, Pakistan, Brazil and Mexico, etc.; killer heat waves and freezes have been destroying crops all over the world. We will be looking at famine that could “wax sore” if things don’t improve in the next few growing seasons. China, Russia and the Middle East continue to buy vast amounts of food and other commodities and even global farmlands. Other countries have been increasing their food stores to prevent hunger induced chaos. Poor countries are begging to be given a bigger “piece of the pie” as their people starve because of failed crops and/or higher food prices.10 There are also many other food related issues such as animal and plant diseases, insect, rodent and other plagues, plant fungi, increased transportation costs, volcanic ash, declining bee populations, increased prices for fertilizers and seeds, farmers who no longer have the financial means or access to credit to replant, etc.

Unfortunately, years ago, the US government stopped storing emergency grain for its citizens. Fortunately, that doesn’t matter to those of us of the LDS faith because the Church has grains enough and to spare…at least that is what we tell ourselves. That is not what our leaders tell us however, from President Faust we hear, "Every father and mother are the family's storekeepers. They should store whatever their own family would like to have in the case of an emergency…The Church cannot be expected to provide for every one of its millions of members in case of public or personal disaster. It is therefore necessary that each home and family do what they can to assume the responsibility for their own hour of need… I believe if we are provident and wise…and are faithful, God will sustain us through our trials.”11

A friend in Northern Utah was called as the ward employment specialist in his ward a few years ago when there were two men who were chronically unemployed, two weeks later there were 11 families experiencing unemployment. Last we talked, he reported there were 56 members in his ward needing employment. Our prophet President Thomas S. Monson once observed that, "Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year's supply of food and clothing and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have at least a year's supply of debt and are food-free."12

Can the church feed us all? During the last recession Bishop Victor L. Brown told us, “Within the last twelve months, the distribution of fast offerings and commodities by the bishops has been alarming. At the present rate of demand, the Church resources will be almost expended in a short time...It would appear that in altogether too many cases the teachings about preparedness have been either misunderstood or knowingly rejected. Many of our members appear to feel that when difficulty comes, the Church will come to their aid, even when they could have prepared themselves had their priorities been appropriate…the welfare program rests on the basic principle of personal and family preparedness, not on Church preparedness…I feel our anxieties are justified. It is the opinion of many that more difficult times lie ahead. We are deeply concerned about the welfare of our people and recognize the potential privation and suffering that will exist if each person and family does not accept the word of the Lord when he says, ‘Prepare every needful thing’ (D&C 88:119) and ‘It must needs be done in mine own way’ (D&C 104:16).”13 In order to feed the members of the Church “longer-term supply” bare survival rations for one year it would currently require around 5 BILLION pounds of grains and legumes.

Calamities can happen to us all…even the “Saintliest” of Latter Day Saints. President Ezra Taft Benson told of his experiences with the righteous Saints in war torn Europe, “I shall never forget the Saints of Hamburg who appeared on the verge of collapse from starvation, or their small children…We saw the terrible physical and social side effects of hunger and malnutrition…Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine, and earthquake cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not acquainted with the revelations of the Lord, or they do not believe them. Those who smugly think these calamities will not happen, that they somehow will be set aside because of the righteousness of the Saints, are deceived and will rue the day they harbored such a delusion.”14

Brigham Young warned of the consequences of failing to prepare adequately for the possibility of famine caused by insects in his day, "I can see death, misery and want on the faces of this people. But some may say, ‘I have faith the Lord will turn them away.’ What ground have we to hope this? Have I any good reason to say to my Father in heaven, ‘Fight my battles,’ when He has given me the sword to wield, the arm and the brain that I can fight for myself?...I can pray the people to hearken to wisdom, to listen to counsel; but to ask God to do for me that which I can do for myself is preposterous to my mind."15

The First Presidency told us in, “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” “By divine design, fathers are…responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.”16 Over the years we have been told repeatedly that personal and family preparedness are the responsibility of the members, not the Church.

So what is our responsibility for ourselves and our family and what is expected of us? First we must gather a three-month supply of foods that we normally eat and a two week supply of water. Then we should gather a longer-term supply of grains and beans (and a financial reserve where possible.) What is meant by “longer-term” is left between us and the Lord. Brigham Young encouraged the Saints in his time to store seven years worth of provisions, then it progressively declined over the decades to just one year of provisions.15 This counsel stayed the same for over 70 years. I have read that some Christian denominations plan on storing food to last through seven years of tribulation. Most in our Church would agree that that is overkill, but we need to be close enough to the spirit to discern how much the Lord would have us store for our families and for others.

Edited September 19, 2011 by lds2

[lds2]

According to the food calculator on provident living a family of 6 needs 300 pounds of grains and 60 pounds of beans or other legumes per person to stay alive for one year...that means that family would need a minimum of 2,160 lbs. of food. (I say minimum because 1,400 to 1,500 calories per day is considered bare survival for adults…particularly for those that must labor or might experience extreme temperatures, etc.)

The church also recommends that, "You…add other items to your longer-term storage such as sugar, nonfat dry milk, salt, baking soda, and cooking oil…[and] foods containing Vitamin C and other essential nutrients."

A year's supply of food currently is $264 (for 12 “starter kits”…The starter kit is a one month supply of food for one person. Each box contains 2 cans wheat, 2 cans rice, 1 can oatmeal and 1 can of beans.) For a family of six this year supply could have 72 cases and would cost $1,584 (if bought directly from the dry pack cannery.)

A lot of people think if the government and church can’t feed their family they can turn to their neighbors for food; or that food will be “called in” and that there will be enough food to feed the ward or stake. This scenario is unrealistic…even if your neighbor has a year supply of food on hand, a meal’s ration of food is less than a cup per meal (1/3 C Beans and 2 cups grains per day). Since in many wards there are only a few families with such supplies it is unlikely that they would be able to feed their extended family members…let alone their friends, ward members, neighbors, work associates and all of the many other people that have said to them, “We know where to go when things get bad.” In other words, if your neighbor, ward or stake feeding you and your children is your calamity survival plan, you need another plan!

Many believe that it is pointless to store food since it would be gone so quickly…to them it seems better to continue on and use their money to “eat, drink and be merry” as much as they can, while they can. The reason I would give to prepare is probably different from most others. I believe we should prepare because the Lord has lovingly commanded us to do so. Being obedient to the commandment to prepare may be one of those irrevocable laws upon which our future blessings are predicated. A few years ago, Bishop McMullin told us to, “Be faithful. Unencumber your life. Lay up in store…As we do our very best, we can be confident that ‘the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail.’ We shall enjoy greater wisdom, security, peace of mind, and personal well-being. We shall be prepared, and because we are prepared, we ‘shall not fear.’”17 These are wonderful blessings!

Most people buy many types of insurance each year to help prevent unexpected loss, I would like to recommend a type of insurance that could actually save life. “Famine insurance” or food may not always be easily available and/or affordable. There is a saying that says, “I would rather prepare five years too early, than five minutes too late.” It only takes hours to clean out grocery store’s shelves when disasters are imminent…unfortunately we don’t always get advanced warning for when a natural or man-made disaster will occur. Also, roads can be impassible, fuel can run out, truckers can strike, foods can be out-of-stock, power outages can make food unobtainable in the stores as cards and registers cease to function. In many places the only local crop is hay…not fruit, vegetables or grains. It takes knowledge, good soil/land, water, fertilizer, seed, the right season and often many months to harvest your own food.

In 1856, Heber C. Kimball warned, "Yes, we think we are secure here in the chambers of these everlasting hills...but I want to say to you, my brethren, the time is coming when we will be mixed up in these now peaceful valleys to that extent that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from the face of an enemy against the people of God. Then is the time to look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall. For I say unto you there is a test, a test, a TEST coming."18

In 2010, Elder M. Russell Ballard speaking to the students at BYU-I said, “I [do not] want … to frighten you but to wake you up.” He then continued, “We’re in the last days—you can quote me on that. And it is moving more rapidly.”28

In April 2004, Elder Dallin H. Oaks declared, “Four matters are indisputable to Latter-day Saints: (1) The Savior will return to the earth in power and great glory to reign personally during a millennium of righteousness and peace. (2) At the time of His coming there will be a destruction of the wicked and a resurrection of the righteous. (3) No one knows the time of His coming, but (4) the faithful are taught to study the signs of it and to be prepared for it.” He goes on to say, “We are living in the prophesied time ‘when peace shall be taken from the earth’ (D&C 1:35), when ‘all things shall be in commotion’ and ‘men’s hearts shall fail them’ (D&C 88:91).”19

Elder Eyring speaking in 2005 believed, “The giant earthquake, and the tsunamis it sent crashing into the coasts around the Indian Ocean, is just the beginning and a part of what is to come, terrible as it was…and all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people (D&C 88: 88-91)...As the challenges around us increase, we must commit to do more to qualify for the companionship of the Holy Ghost.”20

About that disaster Elder Boyd K. Packer said, "If 9/11 was a wake-up call, then the earthquake and tsunami in Southeast Asia, was a kick out of bed. We need to pay attention to the Signs of the Times."21

In the June 2008 Ensign, President Eyring counseled us, “Another fallacy is to believe that the choice to accept or not accept the counsel of prophets is no more than deciding whether to accept good advice and gain its benefits or to stay where we are. But the choice not to take prophetic counsel changes the very ground upon which we stand. That ground becomes more dangerous. The failure to take prophetic counsel lessens our power to take inspired counsel in the future. The best time to have decided to help Noah build the ark was the first time he asked. Each time he asked after that, each failure to respond would have lessened sensitivity to the Spirit. And so each time his request would have seemed more foolish, until the rain came. And then it was too late.”9

How foolish do people who have stored a three-month supply of food and a longer-term supply for their families and others seem to you? Pres. Benson said, “The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah.”22 The door of the ark was shut to those seeking entrance once the rains began, the door was also closed to the five foolish virgins (whom we are told represent some of the Saints of our day.) So…if doors were “shut” for any reason would you be safely locked in? or would you be locked out?

Every prophet (until President Monson) over the last 70 years has talked about having the Church members get a bare minimum of at least one year’s supply of staple food items. This counsel has changed, the church now has put emphasis on gaining a three-month supply of foods your family will eat. To me this is interesting because twelve weeks is generally the accepted amount of time experts say most families would need to “shelter-in-place” in case of a pandemic in their area. At the government pandemic flu site it says, “In an affected community, at least two pandemic disease waves (about 6-8 weeks each) are likely over several months.”23 Experts agree that it is only a matter of time before the next pandemic hits. The 1918 flu took one week to spread across the country…with today’s travel it would be a matter of hours. It would be well if we were prepared to stay safely “sheltering-in-place” at home should this occur.

The major change in what we should store occurred several years ago when a new pamphlet, “All Is Safely Gathered In,” was distributed. It was first talked about by the Presiding Bishopric, then it was handed out to the Bishop’s to distribute to all the families in their wards, and later was included in the Ensign. It seems that it was important counsel meant for us to read and follow. The following message is from this pamphlet:

“Message from the First Presidency

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Our Heavenly Father created this beautiful earth, with all its abundance, for our benefit and use. His purpose is to provide for our needs as we walk in faith and obedience. He has lovingly commanded us to "prepare every needful thing" (see D&C 109) so that, should adversity come, we may care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops as they care for others.

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

We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve.

We realize that some of you may not have financial resources or space for such storage. Some of you may be prohibited by law from storing large amounts of food. We encourage you to store as much as circumstances allow.

May the Lord bless you in your home storage efforts. “24

Brothers and Sisters, the Lord sent us down in this blessed but difficult dispensation for a purpose and He has a plan for us. President Benson told us, “For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second Coming of the Lord…the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its head--even Jesus Christ. While our generation will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah…there is a major difference this time. It is that God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the Kingdom triumphantly. And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God…Make no mistake about it--you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time as there is of us. Never before on the face of this earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been as well organized…The final outcome is certain--the forces of righteousness will finally win. What remains to be seen is where each of us personally, now and in the future, will stand in this fight--and how tall we will stand. Will we be true to our last-days, foreordained mission?25

Fortunately, we have been prepared to meet the challenges of our day. President Monson said in his closing remarks from October Conference in 2009, "My brothers and sisters, He has prepared us. If we heed His words and live the commandments, we will survive this time…He is ever mindful of us. He loves us and will bless us as we do what is right."26 I believe “He has prepared us” both spiritually and temporally so that “we will survive this time” and the times ahead.

HEAVENLY FATHER has lovingly commanded us to prepare every needful thing. May the Lord watch over us, direct us, guide us and bless us with His miracles as we do our very best to do so…

1) Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, “Living in the Fulness of Times,” Ensign, Nov. 2001

2) Pres. Henry B. Eyring, “Let Us Raise A Voice of Warning,” Ensign, Nov. 1998; “Let Us Raise a Voice of Warning,” Ensign, Jan. 2009

3) Elder David A. Bednar, “Who’s on the Lord’s Side? Now is the Time to Show,” BYU-I Education Week Address, July 2010

4) Pres. Thomas S. Monson, “A Word At Closing,” Ensign, May 2010

5) Pres. Kimball, “Faith Precedes the Miracle,” pg. 253

6) Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, “To the Boys and Men,” Ensign, Nov. 1998

7) Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Times in Which We Live,” Ensign, Nov. 2001

8) Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, “If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear,” Ensign, Nov. 2005

9) Pres. Henry B. Eyring, “Safety in Counsel,” Ensign, Jun 2008

10) “Food Crisis 2011? 14 Disturbing Facts That Make You Wonder If The Coming Global Food Shortage Has Already Begun,” The American Dream, Feb 2011

11) Pres. James E. Faust, “The Responsibility for Welfare Rests with Me and My Family,” Ensign, May 1986

12) Pres. Thomas S. Monson, “That Noble Gift—Love at Home,” BYU Women’s Conference Address, May 4, 2001

13) Bishop Victor L. Brown, “Prepare Every Needful Thing,” Ensign, Nov. 1980

14) Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, “Prepare for the Days of Tribulation,” Ensign, November 1980

15) President Brigham Young, Mill Creek Ward Remarks, July 25, 1868, Journal of Discourses 12. Quoted by Bishop Victor L. Brown in, “Prepare Every Needful Thing,” Ensign, Nov. 1980

16) The First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles, “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” read by President Gordon B. Hinckley, Sep. 23, 1995

17) Bishop Keith B. McMullin, “Lay Up In Store,” Ensign, May 2007

18) Heber C. Kimball, 1856. Quoted by J. Golden Kimball, Conference Report, October Conference, 1930

19) Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Preparation for the Second Coming,” Ensign, May 2004

20) Elder Henry B. Eyring, “Raise the Bar,” Brigham Young University–Idaho Devotional, Jan. 25, 2005

21) Elder Boyd K. Packer, Meeting of the Twelve and the Seventy, Jan. 11, 2005. quoted by H. Aldredge Gillspie, LDS Business College Address, Feb. 9, 2005

22) Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, “To the Fathers in Israel,” Ensign, Nov. 1987

23) “School District (K-12) Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist,” Flu.gov

24) First Presidency, “All is Safely Gathered In, Family Home Storage,” Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 2007

25) Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, “In His Steps,” BYU Fireside, Mar. 4, 1979

26) Pres. Thomas S. Monson, “Closing Remarks,” October Conference, October 4, 2009

27) Pres. Packer, “Counsel to Young Men,” Ensign, May 2009

28) Pres. Ballard, "See M. Russell Ballard, “Treasure Truth and Prepare for the Future,” Church News, Feb. 13, 2010

Some of the thoughts and words of this talk? come from a talk given by Marti Grobecker around 2007. Really it is a compilation of my collection of quotes that I believe pertain to our day.

Best wishes my friends,

LDS2

Edited June 24, 2012 by lds2

[lds2]

This is a compilation of related quotes from the general authorities that I've been collecting for some years now...I find them pretty convincing when I read them all together...

Your friend who's LDS2

[shine7]

Too bad and very sad.......majority of Church members do NOT have even a year's supply of basic foods for survival. It just isn't their priority. In our ward, I'd say we have less than 15% (which may be a relatively high percentage) that have a year's supply of basic foods).

I have watched this last year as food prices in the U.S. have rapidly risen; steadily going out of reach for many families. If these families had food storage, just think of how much money they would NOT have to put out for basic food items? For example, the sugar I bought, last year, was $11.99 per 25 lbs. It is now $15.00 for 25 lbs. By going to my food storage instead of the store, I save $3.00 on 25 lbs. of sugar. To some that may seem like a small amount, but on our food budget, that is a huge savings. If God asks us to do something, He will open the way as we obey. Oh, how I wish 100% of the people in the church had food storage, not 10%. We as a whole are very disobedient to God's will in this vital area.

[RescueMom]

The way I look at it is this....the very worst thing that can happen is a person an die in sin. That is the worst thing that can happen, because death comes to us all. If it's via a terrorist attack or old age or starving to death or a car accident...we all die. Some of us will die from not having been prepared, some of us will die even when being prepared, some of us will die horrible deaths, some of us will die in our sleep.

However, 2,000 years ago, Christ won. So even if we die in sin, we can still be saved, even though it is much harder in the next life.

It isn't my preparation of food storage, or even my temple work that leads me to not be afraid. It's my testimony in the Atonement. For without that, there is nothing.

[RMGuy]

Too bad and very sad.......majority of Church members do NOT have even a year's supply of basic foods for survival. It just isn't their priority. In our ward, I'd say we have less than 15% (which may be a relatively high percentage) that have a year's supply of basic foods).

I have watched this last year as food prices in the U.S. have rapidly risen; steadily going out of reach for many families. If these families had food storage, just think of how much money they would NOT have to put out for basic food items? For example, the sugar I bought, last year, was $11.99 per 25 lbs. It is now $15.00 for 25 lbs. By going to my food storage instead of the store, I save $3.00 on 25 lbs. of sugar. To some that may seem like a small amount, but on our food budget, that is a huge savings. If God asks us to do something, He will open the way as we obey. Oh, how I wish 100% of the people in the church had food storage, not 10%. We as a whole are very disobedient to God's will in this vital area.

I'm sorry, but WHAT?!?! If you are maintaining a years supply of food, then you are NOT SAVING ANYTHING! You are simply using sugare that you bought for $12 and replacing it with sugar that you bought for $15.

If you don't replace it you don't have a years supply

If you wait until it is all gone to replace it....and commodity prices continue to increase then what you really did was eat your $12 sugar and replace it with 2 $18 sugars (one for storage and one for hte one you need right now.)

I'm all for a years supply. I think this is VERY good council from our church leaders. We have had an instance where we have used it during a time of financial crisis, and for that short term, yes it saved us money. But iin the end, if you are using your food storage and rotating it, it is NOT a money saving venture. To portray it as such is intellectually dishonest.

-RM

[lds2]

Enduring well without sin in the face of hunger would be a very difficult thing... I think righteous Saints could starve to death, but could they watch their crying children or grandchildren starve if another family had food? My best friend says that she has no intention to prepare for her own family but she would, "beg, borrow, or steal" others supplies before she would let HER children go hungry...with usually about 5 percent of actively involved LDS families having minimal food storage there just wouldn't be enough food for everyone in a ward let alone a community in a long-term or wide spread emergency. It would take miracles to survive...

My ancestors had a large family with two family members that were invalids the father and a sister. They were asked to leave their oldest son to serve a mission in Europe when they emigrated to Utah. They were well-to-do (they paid the ship passage for others) and had enough money to afford well stocked wagons with animals to pull their family across the plains. They were asked to give up the animals and wagons and pull their belongings as well as their family members to Utah in handcarts. As part of the Martin group they gave up their food and comfort and suffered starvation with the other handcart Saints. They were among those who dug the final mass graves and donated their last handmade linens for the burials. Because of their charity, faith and obedience all of their large family were healthy and LIVED which in itself was a miracle as they had the extra burden of pulling adult family members.

To me putting food aside in obedience is nothing compared to what they did out of obedience. I believe obedience and charity bring blessings...sometimes even miracles.

.

Edited September 19, 2011 by lds2

[Jennarator]

I huge problem with trying to obtain that much food is that either one can't afford it, ot they don't have spce or both....

[lds2]

A son recently bought a generous year supply of the basics "beans, rice, oats, popcorn, wheat and other grains" for $250 that we canned ourselves. Just a couple of cans a week adds up over the years...for those that took the First Presidency's advice to do that in 2007...they would have well over 300 cans by now.

**

I understand how difficult space is...I live in a "modest" home without a basement and it is difficult. Some of our solutions have been...

Some of my children sleep on food storage with bed skirts around the boxes to hide them in their rooms...other's have had canned goods. My children's TV/game stand was also made out of boxes with a matching sheet to their decor over it.

We have canned goods on shelves in our clothes and other closets, hidden in our living room, and some of our longer-term grains storage is outside where we keep it off the ground, mostly out of the sun and where it will stay dry.

My family and friends with more room help out...my mom has a small portion of our supply in her basement storage room and my friend has another small portion of perishables in her cold storage room.

Hope this helps!

.

Edited September 20, 2011 by lds2

[Traveler]

The point is twofold:

First we should do as commanded and store food - but we should not waist food in our storage nor should we be proud.

Second: There are a number of scriptures that indicate that the faithful have not run out of what was needed - even over "extended" periods of time and that they have shared.

I would suggest that those that think they have enough for themselves only and do not have faith to help others will run out of their supply even if they had 10 years stored.

Those that think not to store and that they will be provided for - will also find there is not enough for them.

The Traveler

[RMGuy]

I loved the slip of waist food. :-)

-RM

[mirkwood]

If you desire to be obedient to the food storage commandment, you will find a way to purchase and store it. It is about priorities. Even a modest income or house can obey this gospel principle.

[lds2]

I loved the slip of waist food. :-)

-RM

Yep, that was fun...

[lds2]

President Packer speaking in conference in 2009 said, “Your generation is filled with uncertainties. A life of fun and games and expensive toys has come to an abrupt end. We move from a generation of ease and entertainment to a generation of hard work and responsibility. We do not know how long that will last...the future will hold trials and difficulties for you...However, fear is the opposite of faith. Do not be afraid! I do not fear.”27

Some of my friends think that the reason why FS hasn't been talked about in Conference is because things are only going to get better and so there isn't a need for us to have it.

I must have been sleeping when President Packer said this, but it definitely tells us which way we are headed. But it is good to know if we obey His Commandments, including this one, we have no reason to fear.

[lds2]

I just discovered this today on LDS.org and thought that y'all might find it interesting as it is the current quote under the heading of "food storage" for the Church...

Food Storage

For many years, Church leaders have counseled members to prepare to care for themselves and their families in times of need. This includes, to the extent that local laws and personal circumstances allow, storing and saving a one-year supply of food.

Additional Information

Recently, Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

“Acquire and store a reserve of food and supplies that will sustain life. . . . As long as I can remember, we have been taught to prepare for the future and to obtain a year's supply of necessities. I would guess that the years of plenty have almost universally caused us to set aside this counsel. I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over. With events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness” (“If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 36).

[lds2]

Adding this to my "collection" of quotes here...

"To gain courage for what lies ahead, we need to be connected to the gospel of Jesus Christ."..."This is not a time to be naive, unprepared, or unaware."..."We need to have the Spirit and look to the prophets and our priesthood leaders for guidance."

Elder Allan F. Packer of the Seventy, Ensign, Aug. 2011, Solidly Anchored in Our Testimonies

[lds2]

Some great quotes from conference for my collection...from my notes not an official source...President Uchtdorf priesthood session...

"This very hour, there are many members of the Church who are suffering...they are hungry, stretched financially and struggling with all manner of physical, emotional and spiritual distress...they pray for succor and relief. Brethren, do not think this is someone elses responsibility, it is mine and it is yours. We are ALL enlisted..."

"In the Lord's plan there is something everyone can contribute. The lesson we learn generation after generation is that rich and poor are all under the same sacred obligation to help their neighbor."

"Since the beginning of time our Heavenly Father has spoken with great clarity on this subject, from the gentle plea..."If thou lovest me thou wllt remember the poor and consecrate of thy properties for their support", to the direct command, "Remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doth not these things, the same is not my disciple," to the very forceful warning, "If any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion according to the law of my gospel unto the poor and the needy, he shall with the wicked lift up his eyes in hell being in torment.""

So it makes me think...we don't usually get "forceful warnings" in General Conference like this and President Uchtdorf, when he read it, really said it in a "forceful warning" kind of way...so we have all taken of Heavenly Father's abundance but have we set anything aside "according to the the law of My gospel unto the poor and the needy" or for even our own families? If your thoughts are...I have savings that I would share with the poor...you might consider that there may be a time where our access to banks may be limited or non-existant, there are articles about currency problems everyday... Heavenly Father has commanded us to "prepare every needful thing" so that we can feed our families, help our neighbors and help the Bishop feed the poor and needy. President Uchtdorf's words and warning really "hit home" to me.

Edited October 4, 2011 by lds2

[Snow]

One Sunday morning in Relief Society I participated in a discussion of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ...

Some of the thoughts and words of this talk? come from a talk given by Marti Grobecker around 2007. Really it is a compilation of my collection of quotes that I believe pertain to our day.

Best wishes my friends,

LDS2

Oh brother...

You can read the original by Char Van Knouwenhoven (March 2011): HERE

It can also be found on an internet store saying disaster preparedness items.

Edited October 4, 2011 by Snow

[lds2]

Oh brother...

You can read the original by Char Van Knouwenhoven (March 2011): HERE

It can also be found on an internet store saying disaster preparedness items.

That would be Char Van Kouwenhoven and the reason why this says "Fall 2011" is because I first started compiling these quotations back in the summer of 2008 and I usually update it and add my new quotes from conference every January as sort of a New Year tradition for my family and friends. There is no other "fall 2011" version... I updated it for you guys and I also started putting my new "quote collection" on-line on this site which is something I haven't done before...in the past I just kept quotes on a word document. But I didn't think y'all would mind. It isn't like I belong to or have posted this on a whole bunch of others sites...I've belonged to three other sites in the past and still post on one regularly.

A friend took this compilation and added the beautiful pictures and so a couple of sites asked permission to post/print it in the last few years and I responded back that since I dont really feel like I authored this work they could use it if they wanted to...so there are a few other versions "out there." FWIW I didn't know it was on the site you linked to.

There are several members on this site that could vouch for me...but I would hate to ask them to do it as it doesn't seem to be a popular thread or topic. The funny thing is that I have never made as much as a dime for this and it has only been given freely to share with any that might want to read this information...

I think if you look at my other posts, you will find my style of writing matches the "compilation" above...I hate to say I wrote it as really it is a bunch of great quotes strung together to make it more readable.

It's been a labor of love for my family and friends, and I shared it here because I thought my friends here might like to read it...

This is a funny site for being LDS, I've gotten more mean-spirited type posts than thanks for my threads...at least so far. I guess I'm just not funny enough...

Edited October 4, 2011 by lds2

[Snow]

That would be Char Van Kouwenhoven and the reason why this says "Fall 2011" is because I first started compiling these quotations back in the summer of 2008

You mean that you are Char Van K?

[lds2]

I am the person who wrote this long, long, "whatever it is" called "Be Not Afraid" (other titles came from those who posted/printed/e-mailed it)...

:)

Edited October 13, 2012 by lds2

[lds2]

Also notice that the pamphlet that I spoke about above that they talked about in conference, then sent out to the Bishops to make sure every family received from the home teachers and then printed in the Ensign..."All is Safely Gathered In" has changed titles and is now called "Prepare Every Needful Thing"...

I think they did that because the first title implied that the Church has already safely gathered in everything so you don't have to. The new emphasis ties back in to Heavenly Father's commandment for ALL Latter-Day Saints to "Prepare Every Needful Thing."

See the emphasis from the pamphlet here...

https://lds.org/family/family-well-being/home-storage?lang=eng

New Pamphlet...

https://lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/04008_eng.pdf?lang=eng

[sister_in_faith]

Something else we need to think about adding to our emergency supplies is medication. If you are on any kind of medication, imagine what would happen if suddenly you didn't have access to that? It can be hard to build up a supply, but this is what I have done... I always refill a couple of days (2-3 days) early. They ususally will do that for you, then I count whatever I have left over, put the old pills into the new pill bottle and put the excess (from the new pill bottle, so you don't accidentally keep medication that is expired) into my reserve. It takes some time to get up a months supply, but I think that is something that I have to do. I don't have a years supply, but I have saved up at least a couple of months worth.

On point, I think that watching what happened in Katrina is a good guide for what could happen in any disaster. We need to know that the gov't ISN'T necessarily going to spring into action to come save us. Also, looking at those houses, submerged in water, I'm sure that most food storage didn't survive the flooding. We need to know how to take care of ourselves if something like that happened. If there was a major incident in my town I would grab my backpacking pack and put in what food I could, a couple of blankets, medication, all the ammo we have (which would be heavy), and our guns, my boyfriend, my dog, and I would go get my mom, and we would drive as far away from the city as our gas would get us. My goal would be to get into the mountains where we could live on game and fish. I don't think I would stick around town where the population is large and food and water is scarce.

I have to admit my home storage is pitiful. I have one of the emergency kits from the church, and some pasta and canned beans, and a few gallons of water. I am kind of fighting the tide on this tho, because my non LDS boyfriend makes fun of me when I try to buy extra stuff for home storage. He throws my water out, and takes stuff out of the food basket in the grocery store if I tell him what I'm getting it for. Jerk. :) I have to remind myself that even IF I were able to get a good amount of home storage, I couldn't necessarily rely on it being there when I need it (ie flooding - katrina). I think it's more important to be able to survive in the mountains on our own. We just really don't know what is coming or what disaster we might face. Flexibility is important.

Oh, and don't forget your pets when it comes to food storage, our puppies and kitties need to eat too!!! You may want to look into the cat evacuation kit that was mentioned in an earlier thread... lol!

[sister_in_faith]

found it! too funny!

I saw a link to this one, and it looks cool, but after reading the customer reviews, I wonder if it may not be the best one out there for my needs. What do you guys think? Is it worth the money?

[lds2]

It looks like a fairly good 72 hour to go bag transport kit...you might want to vary the meals a little more...what kind of cat are you and have you arranged for someone to carry you yet? That might be important.