This quote is daunting and yet so essential as a wake-up call!
Should the Lord decide at this time to cleanse the Church – and the need for that cleansing seems to be increasing – a famine in this land of one year’s duration could wipe out a large perecentage of slothful members, including some ward and stake officers. Yet we cannot say we have not been warned” (President Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 265).
How are you doing? If you are a Mormon (a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), you most likely have heard (more than a few times) that prophets have urged preparation – both spiritual and temporal. And part of that temporal preparation is to include a food supply. So if you are indeed a Mormon, how are you doing?
If you are not a Mormon, a food storage system might be news to you – although perhaps not completely. Even the government has been urging citizens in the United States to stock up on essentials should a crisis arrive.
Some years ago the government recommended having a 72-hour kit – something that could get you by in the first few days of an emergency. THEN the government changed that and began recommendations that citizens have a 2-week kit – something to see a family through two weeks on their own until government officials could respond. NOW the government is stressing having a three month supply of life-saving necessities – should the bird flu breakout and a forced quarantine lasting weeks be declared.
Isn’t it interesting that the Lord’s prophets have all along indicated provident plans such as these (and broader)? Ever since ancient times, the Lord has spoken through His prophet. And it continues today. In the early days of the Mormon church – the 1800s – the Lord speaks through His prophets. He has taught through them provident living. Part of that provident living has been a food supply.
In fact, back in the 1800s, Brigham Young (the second prophet for the Mormon church), admonished church members to have a 7 year supply of wheat. Wow. 7 years? But they used wheat like crazy back then.
Here is what the Lord through His prophets recommends today: have three months of food on hand that your family is used to eating every day. But the church doesn’t stop there. Through revelation the leaders also counsel strongly several other facets:
- add long-term food items (i.e. wheat, rice) to complete your food supply to one year’s worth
- get out of debt
- have money in reserve for difficult times ahead
Even just seven years ago, when the stock market was going like gang-busters and people’s equity in their homes made them feel like millionaires, the above counsel through the Lord’s prophets might have seemed so odd … and a bit Noah-esque. “There’s no flood coming. Why bother with all that stuff?”
How quickly things change. People are in a panic as the stock market tumbles and the mortgage crisis is in a huge mess. The lesson from it all? Listen to the prophets. The Lord speaks to them. Do what they recommend. So the Emergency Tip for today …
- Take inventory of your pantry today.
- Every week add ten new items (at least) until you have three months of “normal” food stuff in reserve.
- Then begin on obtaining food that stores longer (do a search on the web for “wheat storage”, etc.).
You do not know how much time is left until the reason for which the prophets have spoken is here!
Here is an additional link to help you learn more about provident living, provided by the Mormon church.
