An LDSBlogs extra by Valerie Steimle
Because I belong to several emergency preparedness websites and blogs,I have seen a question presented many times from many different people: Why should anyone do any kind of preparing for the future? What’s the purpose?
From television shows to major food chain stores, emergency preparedness has become more popular than ever over the last ten years. Emergency preparing has now “morphed” into a whole subculture of people in our society called “Preppers”.
Years ago, before the turn of the century, (1940) members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were encouraged by their church leaders to stash away a year’s supply of food and water. Self-reliance and thrift had always been taught from the pulpit, but this push for storing food and water had a purpose.
In a talk given in 1980, Ezra Taft Benson, one of the twelve apostles in the LDS Church leadership at the time, encouraged members to renew their resolve in self-reliance and to be prepared for any emergency.
Read Prepare for the Days of Tribulation
Trials and tribulations were definitely foretold in helping members to realize the wisdom of being prepared for anything thrown our way. And boy, were we thrown trials our way: terrorist attacks, economic recessions, natural disasters and the list goes on. Not to be a Debbie Downer but the reality of life in these modern times has its challenges. So why not be prepared? Anyone who knows the Boy Scouts know how helpful they are when they follow their motto, “Be Prepared”. We should be too and be prepared for all contingencies. It just makes sense.
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If we want to be self-sufficient and not have to depend on anyone else but ourselves to be fed, clothed and comfortable at home, then stashing away supplies in case of an emergency can be the only answer to the reality of our modern life.
Creating a plan for our safety and supplies for storage makes good sense and we can be prepared during difficult times. Whether we lose our job and have no income for an extended period or find ourselves in the middle of a category five hurricane, we can be prepared for the worst.
So the next time someone asks why you are keeping extra canned food in your pantry, extra toilet paper in the cabinet or bottled water in the closet, just tell them it’s the sensible thing to do…. and you know it is.
Valerie Steimle has been writing as a family advocate for over 25 years. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she promotes Christian living in her writings and is the mother of nine children and grandmother to twelve. Mrs. Steimle authored six books and is a contributing writer to several online websites. To her, time is the most precious commodity we have and knows we should spend it wisely.
To read more of Valerie's work, visit her at her website, The Blessings of Family Life.
