Are We Prepared?
By President Thomas S. Monson
In the vicinity where I once lived and served, the Church operated a poultry project, staffed primarily by volunteers from the local wards. Most of the time it was an efficiently operated project, supplying to the bishops’ storehouse thousands of fresh eggs and hundreds of pounds of dressed poultry. On a few occasions, however, being volunteer city farmers meant not only blisters on the hands but also frustration of heart and mind.
For instance, I shall ever remember the time we gathered the Aaronic Priesthood young men to give the project a spring-cleaning. Our enthusiastic and energetic throng assembled at the project and in a speedy fashion uprooted, gathered, and burned large quantities of weeds and debris. By the light of the glowing bonfires, we ate hot dogs and congratulated ourselves on a job well done.
However, there was just one disastrous problem. The noise and the fires so disturbed the fragile population of 5,000 laying hens that most of them went into a sudden molt and ceased laying. Thereafter we tolerated a few weeds so that we might produce more eggs.
No member of the Church who has helped provide for those in need ever forgets or regrets the experience. Industry, thrift, self-reliance, and sharing with others are not new to us.
We should remember that the best storehouse system would be for every family in the Church to have a supply of food, clothing, and, where possible, other necessities of life.
Of course there may be times when our members are in need of help from the Church. The Lord’s storehouse includes the time, talents, skills, compassion, consecrated material, and financial means of faithful Church members. These resources are available to the bishop in assisting those in need.
We urge all Latter-day Saints to be prudent in their planning, to be conservative in their living, and to avoid excessive or unnecessary debt. Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had a supply of food and clothing and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have a supply of debt and are food-free.
I repeat what the First Presidency declared a few years ago:
“Latter-day Saints have been counseled for many years to prepare for adversity by having a little money set aside. Doing so adds immeasurably to security and well-being. Every family has a responsibility to provide for its own needs to the extent possible.
“We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. We urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from this bondage. Save a little money regularly to gradually build a financial reserve.”1
Are we prepared for the emergencies in our lives? Are our skills perfected? Do we live providently? Do we have our reserve supply on hand? Are we obedient to the commandments of God? Are we responsive to the teachings of prophets? Are we prepared to give of our substance to the poor, the needy? Are we square with the Lord?
We live in turbulent times. Often the future is unknown; therefore, it behooves us to prepare for uncertainties. When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past.
I felt good and validated in my feelings to be prepared in all things. But it also made me think A LOT about how prepared I really am....
Am I prepared for the emergencies my life? Are my skills perfected? Does my husband and I live providently? Do we have enough reserve supply on hand? Are we obedient to the commandments of God? Are we responsive to the teachings of prophets? Are we prepared to give of our substance to the poor, the needy? Are we square with the Lord?
We need to get all things in order now more than ever before. We need to put in place the things that will insure safety and peace in both temporal and spiritual ways for us and our children.
***
This morning I found a website that I absolutely loved. Not only does it have lists and lists of every needed temporal thing, but it has websites and information on where to go to learn the skills needed to be totally self -reliant. I really want to learn and perfect skills that I don't have yet, like cooking without electricity, and like learning more first-aid skills.
*Do you have feelings inside, or thoughts in your head about learning new skills that can help you in emergency situation? Listen to your feelings. Listen to those thoughts. They are there for a reason. And someday you will be so glad you followed those promptings!
Here is the site. Have fun. And I learn a lot!
http://www.happypreppers.com/home.html
Copy and save this site. Then go back and back again to learn how to prepare yourself in every way!
On the home page it firsts lists reasons why it's not being "'crazy" to be prepared in all things. I'm going repost the whole thing here.... because it's AWESOME!
25 Reasons to Prep *Reasons why Preppers are not crazy!Preppers prep to “live happily ever after” and yet prepping causes many people to
think they’re insane “Doomsday Hoarders.” You’re not crazy for prepping! Need a list
for reassurance? Here are the top reasons preppers prep (and why they’re not crazy)...
Twenty Five Reasons Preppers Are Not Crazy
Reason #1. Ebola.Indeed fear is a motivator (and no one is immune). The fear of pandemics, including
Ebola in particular, spurred sales in personal protective equipment, such as gas masks
N95 respirators, nitrile gloves, Tyvec Chemical suits and bleach. No one wants to be
caught without the survival tools they need.
Reason #2: Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.
"Hurricanes are the most destructive natural weather occurrences on Earth," according
to hurricane-facts.com. Preppers have learned from the past how unprepared the
masses are for the inevitable, because a hurricane will strike again!
Reason #3. Fukushima.
The problem at the Fukushima has not gone away after the March 11, 2011
earthquake, subsequent tsunami and the resulting Fukushima nuclear power plant
disaster. Worldwide contamination of our food supply as a result of Fukushima is
something not often talked about. Certainly, preppers have not forgotten Fukushima!
Radioactive elements are being released into the sea and air, recorded as far away as
California, Utah, Oregon and Washington State. Fukushima affects not only the fish
and seaweed products, but the crops on the West Coast supplying the entire nation.
Livestock are affected as well as they eat the grass and cops affected by the air.
Currently, Japan is building an ice wall to limit the contamination of waters in the Pacific
Ocean. Americans living in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, the U.S. Atlantic,,
Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands are in Tsunami territory.
Reason #4: A nuclear reactor is in your midst.
Fukushima may hit closer to home than you may think if you live near a nuclear reactor.
Not sure how close you live to a nuclear facility? CNN has prepared the answer for you.
Just type in your ZIP code to see how close you live to a nuclear power plant.
- Do you have enough Iodine? Protect your thyroid gland against radiation with Thyrosafe. ThyroSafe, pictured right, is the only FDA-approved 65 mg. Potassium Iodide (KI) tablet. It's used to protect your thyroid gland against radioactive iodine released during a nuclear emergency. It does this by flooding the thyroid with stable, safe iodine, which blocks the absorption of dangerous radioactive iodine. Emergency government stock piles of potassium iodide are only available in limited supplies in Alabama, Arizona, Maine, and Tennessee. In NY and NJ some tablets have been handed out to residents closest to Nuclear power plants. Preppers take protective measures into their own hands with thyrosafe potassium iodide tablets.
John D. Rockefeller once said, "Depressions have come and gone. Prosperity has
always returned and will again." This is true, and remember that depressions will
come again! We are a bit overdue! Indeed, History has a habit of repeating itself. The
Great Depression was a worldwide economic downturn brought about by the stock
market crash of Oct. 29, 1929. That was bad enough, but the problem of the dust bowl
made the situation worse. The dust bowl caused by drought in the 1930s displaced
the people of Oklahoma, most of whom closed their family farms. It didn't just affect
farmers in Oklahoma. Farmers of the past were usually safe from a depression
because they could at least feed themselves, but by 1933 many farmers, like all
consumers of the time, were severely into debt and couldn't afford to harvest their
crops. What caused the Great Depression? What can you do about it? Plenty!
Reason #6. The Big One is coming: (earthquakes)!
Seismic zones are everywhere however, in the West Coast we often think of the 1906
Earthquake and know the “big one” is coming; while preppers who are “awake” in the
Eastern United States think of the 1811-12 New Madrid Earthquake, which will be
coming again soon as well. Want to know more about the New Madrid Earthquake?
Missouri is preparing for the big one!
- Read also: Earthquake Preparedness.
Swine Flu was tame compared to the threat of Ebola. Then there are current cases of
the Plague, along with West Nile virus, Avian Bird Flu and Spanish Flu, among countless
other pandemic situations.
- Read: Pandemic Prepping and setting up a quarantine.
The solar storm of 1859 was a geomagnetic storm first observed by Richard C.
Carrington. His namesake has given rise to the Carrington Effect, a term coined by
Lloyds of London, who delivered the sobering news to the insurance industry that this
kind of an event happens every 150 years or so and the cost would be an enormous
$2.6 Trillion in financial impact on the world. Threat of an EMP is also a man-made
catastrophe as it would take only a nuclear detonation in the atmosphere to annihilate
a regions supply of water, electricity and gas, and thereby send a country back to the
dark ages. Whether a natural disaster or a man made one, there's always something
you can do. You do not have a "crazy doomsday philosophy" because you want to
prepare for an EMP.
Reason #9: Cyber Attack and Terrorism.
Today, Americans are more dependent than ever before on the electronic flow of
information. As a result we are more vulnerable than ever not to individual cyber crime
and as a country to cyber warfare and cyber terrorism. According to the book Cyber
Attack, written by a former hacker, Paul Day, "In times of economic crisis, cybercrime is
a growth industry." The "digital mafia" seeks monetary gain from you and it's easy not
to get caught! It's possible that the next great Depression will be from a coordinated
attack on the stock market, ATMS and banking systems and electronics to lock ordinary
citizens away from their money, and that's just the initial stock. A cyber attack
threatens our water, electricity and gas. You need a plan! A good book is Game Plan,
pictured at the top right hand of the page, by Kevin D. Freeman. Game Plan is the first
"how to" investment handbook of its type. It will explain the emerging risks and
provide a complete game plan of response for investors at all levels.
- Do yourself a favor and watch National Geographic's American Blackout.
The natural disaster that hits closest to home for a prepper is the death of a family
member or breadwinner. Having adequate life insurance provides only half the answer.
A breadwinner may also be the firearms expert or perhaps the food preserving expert.
When you loose a family member, you also loose prepping skills, a vital link in your
survival chain. Like they say, nothing is more certain than death and taxes. And
someone in your family who suffers from a major illness or injury can provide a burden
on the family finances, which is why it's so important to plan for the best of times, even
in your darkest hour.
Reason #11. Terrorist Attacks (threats to Homeland Security).
The threat of Biochemical war has been looming since Agent Orange (an herbicide and
defoliant used during the Vietnam War from 1961-1971). America has been on high
alert since 9-11, and preppers can take a measure of control. The next attack could be
financial or crippling of our resources for gas or electricity. Since anything is possible,
preppers are ready for what is possible.
- Here is the link to the National Terrorism Advisory System.
People have forgotten how close we were in the 1950s to a nuclear war. In the atomic
age, it was quite standard to have a fallout shelter. In fact, it was your patriotic duty
to stash supplies and consider building a shelter. Schools routinely practiced what to
do in the event of a strike (not that the old duck and cover would have had much
protection against nuclear annihilation, but at least they had a plan and encouraged
it). If people weren't considered crazy then, why are they considered crazy today?
Reason #13: Power outages.
In Winter, power outages are fairly common, but even a high gust of wind can knock
out the power. Preppers will have enough heat, light, food and water even in ordinary
power outages. Food safety is another concern as a result of power outages.
Reason #14: Floods.
According to FEMA, floods are the #1 disaster in the United States, and everyone lives
in a flood zone. In the past 5 years, all 50 states have experienced floods or flash
floods. Homeowners insurance does not cover flood. It requires a special insurance.
Reason #15. Tornadoes.
Tornadoes often develop quickly and without warning. A tornado watch means that
tornadoes are possible, while a tornado warning means that a tornado has been
sighted by weather radar.
- Download the American Red Cross Torndado App.
Snow storms, thunderstorms (even monsoons in Arizona), inclement weather happens
and there's no shame in preparing for it.
Reason #17: Landslides
.Landslides happen because of heavy rainstorms, but also because of earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, fire and even man's modification of the terrain. To prevent
landslides, avoid building your homestead near steep slopes or the mountain's edge.
Your homestead should also steer clear of natural drainage pathways and areas
known to erode. Planting proper ground covering can help minimize the threat.
Reason #18: Wildfires.
Wildfires can ruin your local economy if not your own home! The raging California
Wildfires of the Summer of 2014 is another devastating hit for a state already
inundated with the expense of illegal immigrants amidst concerns of drought. Learn
more about preparedness for fire.
Reason #19. The Amero
Word of the Amero surfaced around 2007. If you haven't yet heard of the Amero,
now's the time to delve into the threat of the new currency introduced by the
formation of the North American Union.
Reason #20. Monsanto (poisoning of the food supply).
Monsanto threatens control of the world's food supply. As Kissinger said, "He who
controls the food, controls the world." Preppers avoid soy and corn products most of
all. They also buy and save heirloom seeds for the future.
Reason #21. Unemployment and Job Loss.
Stashing away food and provisions is a good way to prepare for a rainy day. Your
preparations will help compensate for the lean times of unemployment.
Reason #22. National debt and hyper inflation.
- Here's the National Debt Clock, just to scare you a tad.
Things are crazy now as it is: do you want to wait for the grocery stores to be empty?
Does the name Rodney King ring a bell?
Reason #24. Your Great grandparents were preppers.
Back in the day, everyone was a prepper. People canned food and set aside provisions
to last the Winter. Victory gardens were patriotic (and even encouraged by the
government to support the war effort). Thankfully the idea of prepping and survival gardening is making a comeback. Prepping is in your ancestral blood. Your ancestors
weren't crazy. They were prepared!
Reason #25. The government is prepping.
Whether or not you want to believe it, politicians are all on the same side. It doesn’t
matter who is in office.
Enough said!
So there you have it – you’re not a crazy misfit or freak. You're not an eccentric
screwball, crackpot or geek. You're not a fruitcake, nut-cake, odd bird, strange bird or
buffoon. The real weirdos are the Sheeple (the ones not prepping because they
believe in the grocery fairy)! No, that's not you. You're not the crazy one.
More Reasons Preppers Aren’t Crazy
Aside from the reasons above, prepping makes life more convenient.
Here are the everyday conveniences of prepping:
1. Never run out of toilet paper again!
You’ll also never run out of pasta sauce, bandages, milk, eggs, butter, and ammunition
again. Be it snow, rain or the midnight hour, you’ve got what you need.
2. Tonight’s dinner.
Not sure what’s for dinner? Don’t feel like heading to the grocery store? Tonight’s
dinner is as easy as looking in the prepper’s pantry for a homemade dehydrated meal
in a jar, home canned stew, freeze dried taste test, or eating up an almost expired
MRE. Whether headed to the pantry or the garden for your salad ingredients, preppers
always have something good to eat. Yes we can!
3. Peace of Mind for Personal Emergencies.
Whether it is shampoo or toothpaste, tampons or diapers you need, preppers have
enough stash to cover their personal emergencies for months on end. Someone is sick
at home? You’ve got enough soup to feed an army. Have unexpected company? You
have the ingredients to whip up some delicious homemade cookies or bread. Prepping
is peace of mind for your personal emergency.
4. Save money.
Buying in bulk and stocking up on two for the price of one is among the many benefits
of being a prepper. Prepping certainly saves money. Want to save more?
Here are 99 ways to spend a buck prepping at the Dollar Stores.
- See more at: http://www.happypreppers.com/25-reasons.html#sthash.IKf69OHu.dpuf
