PREPAREDNESS BY TIM WOOLF
Priesthood Lesson Manual 2001 In the "teaching of the Presidents of the Church Joseph F. Smith" Priesthood Manual Lesson 44, President Smith warned "in regard...to judgments of God that are about to be poured out upon the nations, if the people will...read the prediction of the prophets concerning them, if they have any faith at all, that these coming judgments are no matters of mere speculation or supposition, nor of tradition handed down from remote ages, but that they are matters of fact, or will be ere long, when God shall consummate his designs against the wicked. ... It was declared to Joseph Smith that these scriptures had not been fulfilled, but that the set time had come when they would be fulfilled, every whit, and the ... Execution of the judgments should be consummated in this dispensation.
(page 390)
Common Sense Ideas Learned About Storage & Preparedness There are two types of Crises we must prepare for. One is a "short term" emergency, such as an earthquake, unemployment etc.
The "long term" crisis is the "judgment of God that will be poured out upon the nations". For this long-term crisis, we are commanded to obtain "at least a one year supply". The commandment was originally
7years. In planning a Stake Goal, we wish to be prepared in the event of either crisis. Usually, preparations for the "long term" offer great coverage for the short term as well. Don't believe in Myths - stick with fact and truth Why are they important? People do not buy food because of these myths. True Story... We must first dispel the untruths so that the saints see clearly and can make better decisions.
Examples... "Missouri Myths" "Won't be able to tell seasons apart" "We are a Faith-Promoting Rumor Church."
There are so many myths that float around in the Mormon culture and these myths sometimes get in the way of our getting prepared. We have all heard them so I will only remark on a few...
GOD WON'T LET ME OR THIS PEOPLE SUFFER. Remember the story of the Jaradites. With a little less thought and less preparation, this people would have been crossing the great deep in total darkness. Think of it, a whole year in pitch-black darkness.
SOMEONE WILL WARN ME JUST BEFORE IT HAPPENS- Michael Harden President and CEO of Century Technology Services speaking at a recent meeting pointed out this belief that some people carry "Someone will warn me just before it happens" to escape the responsibility of direct action. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a talk to BYU Faculty "When will these things be" warning them that they will not be given special warning.
I NEED NOT BE CONCERNED; NEIGHBORS, THE CHURCH THE GOVERNMENT,OR THE BISHOP WILL GATHER IN THE FOOD AND SHARE IT OUT EQUALLY. NO! - forcible confiscation of personal property has never been part of the gospel. And there are some clear examples in Church history that drive the point home. Read about the Famine of 1856. The Lord would not allow it then. However, the brethren did encourage sharing. The problem comes in that most people do not store enough for themselves let alone storage to share. And when they share, it will go to a needy family member before ward members. This is the Lord's program even today. You can see the problem; you would need a lot of food stored before ward members would get some. I have never seen anyone with this size of storage. I have to make it all better with all the suffering around me during a crisis - No you don't. This is between those people and the Lord. Maybe, this is their test. Maybe this is how the Lord is going to get their attention. You do have to make it as "good" as you can for your own family and those whom the Lord has given you stewardship. President Marion Romney explained, "The Lord claims the earth as his, that it is not yours and mine to own and manage independently of him. He further says that this responsibility "it must needs be done in mine own way." (D&C
104:15-16) THE LORD WILL SAVE US AT THE LAST MINUTE - The Ensign reports in an article of lessons we should have learned in past trials in Oct.
2002, when the saints first planted their crops, a huge grasshopper plague threatened to destroy the crops and thus the saints would have starved the first winter. We all know the story of the seagulls. In 1850, Brigham Young began warning about a coming event and ordered the saints to store the extra grain from their harvests and not sell it. Nothing happened in 1853 and the harvest was fine, again came the warning in 1854. Again, nothing happened. Then it happened in late fall of 1855. Heber C. Kimball records in his journal that "only 3 out of every 10 families were following the order of the prophet". In 1855, SaltLakeValley endured a 90% crop failure caused by a grasshopper plaque as told above but this time the seagulls did NOT come. The crops were destroyed. Still, the seagulls still did not come. Perhaps, the seagulls were not planned because the saints had been warned and were capable of managing this crisis on their own because of forewarning of a prophet. Perhaps we were just being taught not to take lightly the council of the Brethren. History bears this concept out.
GOD RAINED MANNA FROM HEAVEN ON ALL ISRAEL. 6 DAYS A WEEK FOR 40 YEARS. "Lest they perish for want of bread" but the manna ceased on the morrow after they ate of the parched corn of cannon. The Israelites were then required to supply their own food.
DURING THE 40 YEARS IN THE HARSH WILDERNESS THE CLOTHES WORN BY ALL ISRAEL "waxed not old and their shoes wear not out" but when they entered their promised land, then the Lord required them to provide their own wearing apparel.
WHEN THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE LAND at Elijah word, a certain barrel of meal did not waste and a certain cruse of oil did not fail. Until the Lord sent again rain upon the earth. And it is worthy on note as Jesus said, "although there were many widows in Israel, unto one only was Elijah sent"
I'M TOO OLD AND IT DOES NOT MATTER TO ME- Story of Brother Hatch. 93 years old and dieing of cancer with less than a month to live. He asked me to see what "holes" he had in his food storage program. I was unwilling because of his condition and I didn't want him to spend money on this. I told him the Lord spells out certain people whom the Lord expects the priesthood to look after if we are to continue to receive the blessings of the priesthood. He shook his bony finger at me and said "Brother Woolf; if I don't buy storage, my children will not buy storage, or their children. Sooner or later, this event will happen and my seed will be wiped from the face of the earth. And it will be my fault." His sons lived in different states so he had them come for a fathers blessing and arranged the wheat to be delivered at the same time. They were then asked to carry it down stairs and the message and lesson was well engrained. Now, learning and applying this principle, I have seen many Elderly Mothers and Fathers give food to their married sons and daughters instead of plastic toys.
"OK, DO IT, GET FOOD STORAGE, BUT DON'T GO OVERBOARD.JUST GET A MONTH OR TWO." The world is on a kick right now of reliant living, if you don't believe it, just look up the fema website listed below or read the article below.. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand the wisdom of this doctrine right now. The Baptists teach up to 2 months, the Catholics teach 1 month, the Methodists teach up to 6 months, in fact, almost every religion in America is teaching people to have an emergency food storage at hand. but all have the same theme. Do not be a radical. Just store enough to last a week, at the most a month or so. A year is way overboard. I have even heard local church leaders on the local level take this stand. We are all worried if we don't fully understand some commandment, living it somehow degrades our intelligence and us. Some people must explain it to our minds before we can get behind it heart and sole. We quickly forget the lessons of the past. The Lord is the one who commanded the year's supply. In the last few months, news anchors such as Dan Rathers told us it would be "OK to have just a couple of weeks of supplies". Whom are you following? Only part of the ward needs to do this commandment and that will carry the rest of the ward. Well.... first do the math.
WHEN I SHOW MY FOOD STORAGE, PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY SOMETHINGLKE THIS "WELL, NOW I KNOW WHERE TO COME IF TROUBLE HITS". Yes, that is my experience as well. And either way you answer that, you get yourself in trouble. If you answer "Sure, come on over", they feel you have just made some type of commitment to them that requires them to do nothing and they are covered in an emergency. If you say no, you have made an instant enemy and they will view you from that day on as an uncharitable person. During the questions and answer session at a ward in Logan not too long ago, I was hit with this question. "What do you say to people who say this to you?" I was fumbling for some inspiration to find something to say because I really did not have a good answer for this and the Bishop raised his hand and asked if he might inject a thought or two. I was very relieved and invited him to speak. He taught me something. This is what he said, "I imagine that the people at the time of Noah said the same things. Perhaps it sounded something like this, "Noah is just a kook, but, if it goes wrong and this kook is right about the flood, that boat is big enough to carry us all." Little did they know what the Lord had in mind in saving the animals. Second, there must have been some that condemned Noah because he put animal life before human life. That must have been a real trial for Noah. He must have been called uncharitable, ungodly, and it's a good bet the people outside the ark did not view themselves as "disobedient" so they really made it hard on Noah. What these type of people fail to understand is that the test may not be to see if we are charitable but rather to see if we are obedient. Third and most important, like Abraham, Noah had to give his all and prove the Lord was more important to him than anyone else. Those were not strangers out side the ark dieing, those where sons and daughters, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Only, unlike Abraham who was spared his sacrifice at the last minute, Noah was required to go through with his."
WHEN THE BAD TIMES COME, THE WARD FAMILY WILL JUST COMBINE THE FOOD THEY HAVE AND SAVE US ALL ANYWAY. - Has the church and the Lord told us to have a "Ward Storage" or have we been commanded to have a "Family Storage"? To assume that we can save the disobedient with our charity has two fallacies. One, it allows mercy to rob justice. The second flag that is thrown is that it gives the disobedient a false sense of security in that they assume they can be lax on the commandments because they feel that others will carry the slack of their disobedience. This has not been the practice of the gospel to this point so it is a big gamble to risk all on the idea things will change. If hard times come upon a family now, how is it handled? First the family, and then the government and last the church. Are members asked to give up all I.E.: their savings, children's mission accounts, mortgage their homes etc, to help the family in hard times? No! They are only asking to fast and the Bishop divides the moneys raised by this once per month event. If he had to divide with 20+ families, each would not likely get they're needs covered.
THE WAR IS OVER- SO WE DON'T NEED THIS COMMANDMENT RIGHT NOW - Hard to believe anyone would believe this, but this very month
(04/06/03-04/25/03) I have had RS presidents call and cancel the talks I was scheduled to give to their wards or stakes. They all had this in common. "The war is ending and nothing has happened so we are going to go back to doing fun things like crafts." On a personal thought, I wonder if the brethren know how much trouble we are really in because we are really talking about values.
There may not be a lifeguard hired at the beach to protect those in the water because God has told his saints to not go to the beach. In other words, there may have no manna from heaven planned because it is not needed. The saints have been told to get a 1-year supply of food.
Finding Safety in Counsel Henry B. Eyring, Because He First Loved Us, Deseret Book, 2002 (from a talk given at general conference, 5 April 1997 "There seems to be no end to the Savior's desire to lead us to safety." "When tensions ran high in northern Missouri in the fall of 1838, the Prophet Joseph Smith called for all the Saints to gather at Far West for protection. Many were on isolated farms or in scattered settlements. He specifically counseled Jacob Haun, founder of a small settlement called Haun's Mill. A record of that time includes this: "Brother Joseph had sent word by Haun, who owned the mill, to inform the brethren who were living there to leave and come to Far West, but Mr. Haun did not deliver the message." Later, the Prophet Joseph recorded in his history: Up to this day God had given me wisdom to save the people who took counsel. None had ever been killed who (had abided) by my counsel." In our own time, we have been warned with counsel of where to find safety from sin and from sorrow. One of the keys to recognizing those warnings is that they are repeated. For instance, more than once in general conference, you have heard our prophet say that he would quote a preceding prophet and would therefore be a second witness and sometimes even a third. When a prophet speaks, those with little faith may think that they hear only a wise man giving good advice. Then if his counsel seems comfortable and reasonable, squaring with what they want to do they take it. If it does not, they consider it either faulty advice or they see their circumstances as justifying their being an exception to the counsel." 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. It 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. The Savior holds responsible those to whom He delegates priesthood keys. With those keys comes the power to give counsel that will show us the way to safety. Those with keys are responsible to warn even when their counsel might not be followed. That blessing generally requires the faith to follow counsel when it is hard to do or unclear as to why we should follow the counsel. An example from Church history is that of Reddrick Newton Allred. He was one of the rescue party sent out by Brigham Young to bring in the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies. When a terrible storm struck Captain Grant, captain of the rescue party, they were forced to leave some of the wagons by the Sweetwater River as he pressed ahead to find the handcart companies. With the blizzards howling and the weather becoming life threatening, two of the men left behind at the Sweetwater decided that it was foolish to stay. They thought that either the handcart companies had wintered over somewhere or had perished. They decided to return to the SaltLakeValley and tried to persuade everyone else to do the same. Reddrick Allred refused to budge. Brigham had sent them out and his priesthood leader had told him to wait there. The others took several wagons, all filled with needed supplies, and started back. Even more tragic, each wagon they met coming out from Salt Lake they turned back as well. They turned back seventy-seven (77) wagons, returning all the way to Little Mountain, where President Young learned what was happening and turned them around again. Every ward and stake I have ever spoken at has a few people who have planted their heals into the ground and will not buy food storage no matter what, but what I find interesting is that they can not do it quietly. They must get as many people to follow them as possible. They must "turn around as many wagons" as they can so they feel like "we are all in the same boat". If we could just ignore them and just follow the brethren... http://www.fema.gov/areyouready
(The following is from Government NOT the Church. Interesting. Just a couple of days of food. Don't go overboard and become a "kook".)http://www.usatoday.com
OK -- Lets Get Started This presentation may feel a little like trying to get a sip of water from a fire hydrant but we must start somewhere... Prepare items in the same order that life may be endangered A real one-year supply of food. Just a thought to remember: This first came out as a 7- year storage plan. In the next few decades, when it was plain the saints were not living it because it was "too much for them" it was changed to a 3 year plan. Under Pres. George Albert Smith, J. Ruben Clark changed to a 2-year plan because the saints were not living it again because it was "too much for them". Under President Ezra T. Benson, it was changed to "at least one year supply of food" in general conference priesthood meeting along with a heart-tugging plea for the saints to do as least this much. It has not been changed to a 72-hour kit as some leaders are teaching. I really believe that we need a true one-year supply of food! WATER, HEAT, LIGHT, COOKING
WATER-The supply. A good filter or chlorine to purify water can mean the difference in life or death. Without this you only have a couple of days. Drinking "bad" water can be fatal and usually is fatal if the Medical system is down. Lack of water will kill in three days... but after 36 hours, your judgment is seriously impaired. The church has set guidelines to store one gallon/per person/per day for two weeks. This means you need to store 14 gallons for each member of your family. Folks, this is not enough water to meet the needs of most families in crisis. We use more water than that. The average person uses 72 gallons per day for all their needs including cooking, drinking, and cleaning. Our family has tried to store at least one 55-gallon drum per person for our needs in a crisis. But you must also store the ability to purify water after your initial supply has been exhausted. This can be as simple as chlorine and a simple pool testing kit. This is inexpensive and very effective. Be sure to store you water supply in a cool dark area on pieces of wood (not directly on concrete or dirt). Be sure to use the right storage container. A good water container is airtight, breakage resistant (no glass), and is made of material that won't rust or affect flavor. Bacteria growth will be discourage if the container is both airtight and opaque, as bacteria needs both air and light to grow. Algae is green, but isn't harmful, just unsightly. Green coolaid will disguise it. Remember that water weighs approximately 8 lbs per gallon... Do not store more than 15 gallons of water (about 125 lbs) in any container that is meant to be portable. Rotate water storage every year. The water does not go bad; it just gets flat and tastes bad. It can get green algae and makes the water a "hard sell" to children and even some husbands. This storage is of course a band-aid on the big problem. After your storage is used up, you will need to replenish the supply. A good filter or chlorine to purify water can mean the difference in life or death. Storage methods; 55 gal. Plastic barrels are a great way to store water because they store the most water in the least space and require the least effort for rotation. You need a hose or siphon pump to get the water out and these barrels are great to collect new water such as rainwater from your roof downspout. Use only brand new barrels. Used barrels will continue to leak out the product that was first put into those barrels. Water purification methods; Clorox Bleach - Please do not use; unless you have nothing else! At best - it will cause diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, and on the worst side, bleeding ulcers. Your great, great, grandmother might have had to use this product because it was all they had to make water pure but this is not true today. The part of Clorox Bleach they sought was Chlorine. That is the part we want. But there are so many other ingredients in this product that hurts and does not heal.
Boiling - min of 10 and up to 20 minutes so you must have stored a lot of fuel. 20 minutes or more to kill giardia. Water tastes very flat after this kind of boiling. Very effective if done long enough. Needs a huge storage of fuel.
Iodine - bad side effects such as thyroid storm in some women. Has a peculiar odor and taste some people cannot tolerate. Never use for more than
72 hours at any one time. During a nuclear crisis, iodine may provide the added benefit of preventing the thyroid gland from radioactive disruption.
Purifiers - cost lots of money and very slow. .02 microns or no good for giardia. Porcelain type is used by the Red Cross to the Green Berets. This will take out types of Radiation (Alpha and Beta).
Chlorine - this is the way almost all cities do it - very cheap and works - available at any spa & pool store. In the "Joint Chief of Staff Anti-Terrorism report of October 2002, put out at the start of the war February 2003. This is what they report works and is what they recommend. You must buy a measuring kit as well. It is very slow acting so time is needed to allow it to work. It needs about 24 hours to work and repeated if there is no measurable free-floating chlorine. To remove the chlorine taste, cover loosely and let stand for another 24 hours and the chlorine evaporates. Be sure to measure the chlorine before you allow it to evaporate. If there is no measurable chlorine, there may still be bacteria in the water. Store flavoring for your water: tang, peach drink, milk, kool-aid --- something! Colloidal Silver The Micro Silver Bullet of the past AND the future. History: In the milking industry they often use a silver milk pail on a warm day, the milk will not spoil quickly. Plaques in Europe, wealthy Families gave their children silver spoons to eat with and they did not catch the "Black Death". Pioneers used to put silver dollars in canteens and water containers. Pioneers used to suck on silver dollars when they felt ill. Proven that it works with water purification now as well and against many diseases. The following is a study done by BYU on the Provo River in 1999. This was done in an effort to find ways to clean the water for the saints in Africa and was found to be the most effective way to clean water but problematic in measurement. If they find a way of measurement to determine if the water is clean, this could very well become the new standard. Microbiology Department, Brigham YoungUniversity, 775 WIDB, P.O. Box 25253, Provo, Utah84602-5253May 13, 1999 American Silver's Antibacterial Product (ASAP Solution) Testing Results Summary The following results suggest that American Silver's ASAP solution is a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent - it is able to effectively stop the growth of, and in fact kill, a variety of bacteria. American Silver's ASAP Silver Supplement has been tested against many organisms. There is an instrument called a MSR (MIRX - Mirox) used by the military for water purification. It is about $150.00. In Honduras
9,000 people died in the hurricane. In the 5 weeks following, 35,000 people died from bad water. Heat: Cooking, Light & Heating
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Choose your fuel well. It must give off safe CO2 gas. (CO gas kills.) Must not explode so your fuel must not vaporize easily. We take heat and cooking and light for granted. Store the basics in heat. Pack matches or lighters and lots of them. Keep them sealed in plastic bags and protect them from the elements. Wood: 5-6 cords of wood (That's your whole back yard) Coal: gives off CO gas, you need 1 ton per month. Propane: Gives off CO and is very dangerous and explosive. White gas: Gives off CO and is very dangerous and explosive. Charcoal briquettes: gives off CO gas. Candles: little light and little heat. They tip easily and make a fire danger. K1 has worked so well, we recommend it. Only two barrels
(110 gallons) will see you through a Utah winter. You can solve light and cooking with this product too. It gives off CO2 gas if effective burners are used. K1 Cooker only (Not heater) 10,000 BTU's will save fuel and produce less heat in the home for summer cooking. Can be made stable with additive.
FOR HEATING-Use a kerosene heater. They are relatively inexpensive (about
120.) for a 23000 BTU heater and are effective for heating a room or two.
(about 1,000 sq. ft.) Kerosene gives off carbon dioxide which isn't harmful. Two 55 gallon drums will be enough for one kerosene heater for one year (one winter) It must be stored off of concrete floors, or it will not be good. You can extend the life 2 to 5 years in a drum with a diessl fuel additive such as Sta-bil that you can get at hardware stores. All glass windows will be broken in an earthquake
(hurricane, tornado, etc.) If it is winter you will need to keep at least one room warm. For this you will need rolls of clear plastic(6 mil) and a manual staple gun and staples. Plastic will be worth a fortune in a disaster. Greenhouse plastic is heavier and good for 2 1/2 years, but is expensive. Staple the window both on the inside and outside. This causes a dead air space between and that will act like a thermal window. If and when the plastic rips, just put another one over the top of it. The clear plastic will let in light. Kerosene lanterns are good for light as well as solar lights are. COOKING:We have been told by the church to have a 3 months supply of every day food. Food we normally eat such as peanut butter and jam, macaroni and cheese, etc. Be sure to rotate as most every day food will not be long term storage items.
Also have a true years supply of food. This should be grains, beans, rice, etc. You can cool on the top of most Kerosene heaters if it has a flat top. You can also use a Sun Oven.
Originally the Saints were told to have a 7 years supply, then is was reduced to 3 because people said it was too difficult to have so much. Then it was reduced to 3, then 2, and now one year supply and grow a garden. Heavenly Father has not changed his plan. We simply have not been obedient. "Right Now" Foods
The human spirit is a remarkable piece of art; we can adjust to almost any circumstances given time. Disasters have proven it. But it does take a lot of time. In about 90 days we can adapt to any circumstance. The human spirit is famous for adapting, improving, and overcoming. So plan some simple meals that require very little cooking for at least the first 90 days of the crisis. The more you can make meals "normal" or what the family is used to eating, the better. Younger children really need this. "Right Now Foods" will help you minimize the stress of the moment and help every one adjust. Soups, Tuna, Peanut Butter, Stews, Macaroni and Cheese, top Ramen noodle meals (62.00 will buy a year's supply for one person), canned goods, popcorn, banana slices, etc.
Now to the "follow the prophet" part. Long Term Foods- Truly have a 1-year supply of food. Remember, it is a myth to have or teach less than a 1-year supply! President Harold B. Lee has wisely counseled that "Perhaps if we think not in terms of a year's supply of what we ordinarily would use, and think more in terms of what it would take to keep us alive in case we didn't have anything else to eat, that last would be very easy to put in storage for a year. Just enough to keep us alive if we didn't have anything else to eat. We wouldn't get fat on it, but we would live, and if you think in terms of that kind of annual storage rather than whole year's supply of everything that you are accustomed to eat which, in most cases, is utterly impossible for the average family, I think we will come nearer to what President Clark advised us way back in 1937." (Welfare conference address October 1 1966) Start with the Basic Foods Wheat, grains, beans, leaving, honey sugar, powdered milk, cooking oil, shortening and salt. Basic foods are less expensive, last a long time and do not require a lot of space. In a disaster, they are the hardest to come by. Did you read that? It really is true. Lots of vegetables can be grown in any yard space, but grains are so "land intensive" to grow. It is doubtful that they will be obtainable by most people. Consider the wisdom of the Lord in suggesting we should start with these items.
14 Gallons of water per person (2 week supply)
Between 400 lbs of grain per person (wheat/rice/oats/corn can be mixed to reach these levels.) (Was 300 lbs)
60 lbs (was 75 lbs) of honey or sugar (white and brown)
60 lbs of beans always store a pressure cooker for these. They go very hard but 5 minutes in the cooker and they are soft again. Not an electric pressure cooker right!?! One that goes on a heat source.
16 lbs (was 75 lbs) of milk
10 gals (was 20 gals) of Oil (virgin oil stores the longest and the best)
8lbs (was 10 lbs) of salt--Redman mineral
Thoughts of importance: Variety - Most people don't have enough variety in their storage. Almost all of the people I have worked with have stored only the four basic items: wheat, milk, honey, and salt. Many people are allergic to wheat and may not be aware of it until they are eating it meal after meal. Statistics show that about 20% of America's populations have this allergy. More over, wheat is often too harsh for young children. They can tolerate it in small amounts but not as their staple. Another problem is we get tired of eating the same foods over and over and many times prefer to not eat, than to ample that particular food again. This is called appetite fatigue. Variety is the key to a successful storage program. It is essential that you store flavorings such as tomato, bouillon, cheese, spices to cook with and onion. Few people get beyond storing the four basic items but it's extremely important that you do so. Store dehydrated and/or freeze dried foods as well as home canned and store bought canned goods. One of the best suggestions I can give you is buy a good food storage cookbook.
Vitamins- Vitamins are important, especially if you have children, since children do not store body reserves of nutrients as adults do. Vitimins and minerals extracted from herbs and whole foods are best. Many other items of food can, of course, be added to your storage. Again the choice of how rough your "rough times" will be and what you want to endure is all up to you. It is left up to you and your agency. The greater one's desire to "suffer in comfort", the more storage and better storage one might put away. My family likes pasta, and so we stored about
130 lbs per person of pasta, and that will provide a pasta dinner for each person once each day for a year. The cost? About $90.00 per person. A cookbook on using the basics will prove to be a good investment.
Grain Mills (wheat Grinders) - Bags vs. Buckets vs. Cans? Whatever you choose, remember it is waterproof, mouse proof, crushproof and stackable that you seek. Buckets with a thick seal seem to make food last the longest right now. Do not store food on the concrete floor. We like #10 cans because you only open a little food at a time. Cans store in less space than buckets as well. They allow for more of a change in food storage too. Wheat Grinders: Don't buy a cheap one. If this breaks in just a couple of months, you will have lots of time to regret your decision. Back to basics has the best hand grinder on the market that I have found. When the food in stacked in your basement, it will look like you can feed the ward and all your family. Everyone has seen the results of the World War 2 Concentration Camp photos. How much food do you think they ate? One small roll of black bread and one small bowl of watered down soup. The size of the roll is about the size you could make if you had about 250 lbs of grain to feed the person!! This should be quite a revelation to you. Your food might seem and look like a lot, stacked in the corner, and you might be tempted to invite the whole ward over in time of crisis, but it really is just a minimum amount for one and only one person for one year. No other family members, no strangers, no neighbors. Just one person for one year. In this area, planning for "how much do I store?" consider this question: "do I have relatives in the area that would seek relief from me in times of crisis?" If the answer is yes... plan for them.
The "Straw that Breaks the Camel's Back" or the "5th Chamber of the Titanic" Hot showers, soap, treats, clean clothes etc. whatever it may be that you or someone in your family needs to keep from "breaking" emotionally when everything else has changed.
Hot Water and Clean Clothes Washing Machine: the washer uses a "steam pressure process" to wash a 5lb load super clean in just a couple of minutes Hot water showers in just minutes http://www.zodi.com <http://www.zodi.com/> or the Trading Post 435-427-9390
Where do you buy these things??? We encourage you to shop around, remembering that saving pennies is not a great concern to the Lord. Having the product is! If you need a great source that is approved, great prices and honest: Maple Leaf Trading Post:
435-427-9390 -- 362-9748 ask for Becky. We do not care where you buy, Emergency Essentials, Maple Leaf, the cannery or Walton's. Just do it. Each company might offer things you want. We find most of the leaders use at least two or three venders over the course of their callings. You may find you are more comfortable with one over the other, fine. Just do it. A Possible Ward Preparedness Schedule
1.Organize yourselves and Prepare every needful thing
(D&C 88:119) Take inventory of what you have, what you need and how and where you are or will be storing everything. Prepare a financial budget to set aside money each year to purchase a true 1-year supply.
2. Neither shall ye Thirst (Alma 32:42) Purchase the desired new, blue
55-gallon water containers. Purchase chlorine additives and testing kits. Plan water filters and replacement cartridges if desired for the instant manufacture of clean drinking water.
6. Let there be light (Genesis 1:3) Purchase kerosene fuel in either 55 or 5 gallons drums. A year supply is about 100 gallons for a Utah Winter and may be used for alternative sources of light, heat and cooking. You need to plan on purchasing preservation additive for the kerosene. You will need a K2 heater and lanterns, replacement wicks, mantels, flashlight bulbs, light bulbs, batteries, and maybe candles. Have fire sources to light candles and fires. A supply of chemical hand warmers for emergency cases will be useful.
4. Man does not live by bread only (Deut. 8:3) Buy N2 packed garden seeds that are non-hybrid. Watch for sales such as Macey's case lot sale. Become active in sharing information on "good buys" that will help families get fruits and vegetables. Do not become a coupon clipper for your ward. Do not lose focus on your calling
7.Sweet is the Work (hymn 147) Purchase whit e, brown, powdered sugar and honey, molasses, corn syrup and dry milk. Purchase baking needs and supplies
(yeast, salt, baking soda, baking powder, dried eggs, peanut butter, vinegar, shortening, vegetable oil, mayonnaise, cocoa, and gelatin.
8. All wholesome herbs and.. grains God hath ordained for the use of man
(D&C 89:10, 14) Purchase of spices, & herbs. Consider if your budget allows a supply of medicinal herbs that will help your family through physical ailment. Purchase of Grains (White Wheat, oats, flour, rice, beans, corn, corn meal, barley and pasta.
9.The Word of the Lord is... as Pure as Silver (Psalms
12:6) Purchase of colloidal silver makers or liquid. Call Becky. Purchase books on preparedness and ideas to use the products. Look at the testing BYU has done...Hummm....
10. Two Women shall be grinding at the Mill (Matt 24:41) Purchase hand wheat grinders, purchase lots of hand can openers--heavy duty
11. Be ye therefore Clean (Isaiah 52:11) Purchase of port-o-potty's, 10 gal. Garbage bags for the port-o-potty's, toilet paper, shampoo, anti bac. Soaps, Laundry soaps and laundry o mates for small loads, cleaners, and diapers, feminine needs, paper towels, and lots of garbage bags. Clorox wipes for the hands would be useful. You should not plan on burden families with purchases in December (Christmas) or July (Vacations) We have found these times unproductive in this arena.
Garden Seeds-- "What is your plan after the first year?"
Elder Orson Hyde "...Store up all your grain and take care of it. And I tell you it is almost as necessary to have bread to sustain the body as it is to have food for the spirit; for the one is as necessary as the other to enable us to carry on the work of God upon the earth." (JD vol5 p17) Sanitation Problems
10-gallon bags fit just right in bucket type toilets and are sold at places such as Costco and Sam's club for the price of $7.95 for 500 bags. More than a one years supply. Wipes and soap to kill germs in such times are very good investments and become very critical in keeping the family healthy and well. If the medical system is down, this can mean the difference of life or death for family members.
Items you might like to share ABC SOUP FOOD Items that might easy the suffering of others in short term disasters. Think of family members and special needs they might have. Imagine the way your children act when they are hungry. I mean really hungry. They become cranky and unruly. Moods of fighting, crying, anger prevail. Irrational thoughts appear normal and justified. Think of adult behavior when we get really hungry. Husbands bark at wives and children and wife's behave the same. Anger and tempers are the order of the day. Now imagine a whole neighborhood behaving this way. Now imagine one person that is the loudest in the group and he has a gun. When feelings are this raw, a person can actually justify in their mind acts that they would have never entertained just days earlier. Wouldn't it be better to feed them rather than fight with them? For this very reason the church invented a soup called "ABC Soup". It contains all the nutrition needed to keep a body healthy in a crisis and comes in containers of various sizes. For example: a 5-gallon bucket will cost retail about $30 and will contain about 300 meals. That's a lot of food. There is no flavor at all added to the soup so you can store bouillon of different types and have different soups each day. One day beef, the next day Chicken and so on. This goes a long way in defeating appetite fatigue. Wouldn't this be easier than fighting with people you have lived with so long? One stake president spoke to his stake after I was finished my presentation and said some profound thoughts. "Many of you have come to my home and have seen my food storage and right away you say something like this "Wow I know where I am coming if the world gets into trouble." "Well", said the stake president, "I have a lot of food and if you need to you can come on over". Then he paused. About 20 seconds passed in complete silence. Then in a quiet tone, strong and steady he said "you will work for me and you will not enjoy working for me. The message got through loud and clear.
PREPARE AND STORE THE FOOD RIGHT -- NO SHORT CUTS. There is an old saying "if you don't have time to do it right the first time, when are you going to find time to do the job again?" "Don't step over dollars to pick up pennies."
WHEN YOU STORE "TOO MUCH"-- YOU ARE PROBABLY JUST RIGHT Living on 400 lbs of grain for one year, the LDS church guide line, you WILL BE HUNGRY ALMOST ALL THE TIME. Humans use a lot of food. Most folks get unemployed and their family eats their "one year food storage" in about 2-3 months. They stand in shock. I hear this story over and over again. Folks... we eat a lot of food in the course of one year. )
Start using your food supply Use these times of peace and plenty to find out what you do not like about your supply and what you want more of. Try meals around your supply. you will find many "holes" in your program. supplies you need to buy to be able to make meals that your family expects from your storage. This is important to start now. For example you may have sorted the wheat, but have you stored yeast? Without yeast, the bread will be as hard as a brick. Yuk! You only find the "holes" in your food storage ark if you use the products.
Your food storage does not have to be like Everyone Else's. Have courage and faith. My experience has taught me that you will get the confirmation form the Lord's spirit on this matter only after you have finished getting a full year's supply for you and your family. "Working on it" does not seem to count.
Please remember, that 72-hour kits are from the Civil Defense Dept, not the Lord. That's why the Brethren don't talk about them. It is considered good common sense, but not a commandment of the Lord. A one-year supply of food however, IS)
After you have the basic food storage, the spirit is very helpful in custom fitting a food supply to the needs of your family. Only the Lord knows what those needs will be. Because each family will got through different trials, each family may be inspired differently...different needs and of course, different storage needs. Only the Lord know for sure what trials you and your family must endure. Maybe this is why the church has never come out with a concrete storage program of what items to store. The spirit will help you customize a program to fit your needs. I do not get very excited and worried when I see families storing different items than what I have stored. http://www.providentliving.org <http://www.providentliving.org/> (Web page opened 2/12/03 by LDSChurch)
Emergency Preparation We should be prepared for the future. Only preparation, both spiritual and temporal, can dispel fear. Individual members and families should prepare to be as self-reliant as possible in times of personal or widespread emergency.
President Gordon B. Hinckley has suggested "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" (in Conference Rep ort, Oct,
1998, 70; or Ensign, Nov. 1998, 53).
The primary responsibility to prepare for and respond to emergencies rests with individual members and families. To help, Church leaders have counseled families to:
Prepare spiritually through fasting, family and personal prayer, family home evening, and honoring their covenants.
Prepare financially by staying out of debt, saving for the future, and obtaining insurance if possible.
Maintain physical health by practicing wise eating habits, observing the Word of Wisdom, and exercising regularly.
Acquire a year's supply of food. Families should start by.....[blanked out] They may then choose to store other foods that they are used to eating.
"How on the face of the earth could a man enjoy his religion" said George A. Smith "when he has been told by the Lord how to prepare for a day of famine, when, instead of doing so, he had fooled away that which would have sustained him and his family" (JD vol.12 p.142)
"The days ahead are sobering and challenging. Oh, may we be prepared spiritually and temporally." Ezra T. Benson "Prepare Ye"
Elder Faust Leadership Meeting 11 Stake Area Conference
1-15-99 "The blessing for obedience to this commandment (food storage and debt) is contained in D&C 21:4-6. I will not read it to you now because I want you to go and read it on your own in a quiet moment, when you can meditate on the subject. Let the Spirit talk to your mind. The promise is in verse 6."
Elder Packer: In Ezekiel 3:17 the Lord calls Ezekiel as a "watchman" according to D&C 88:81 what is our personal responsibility to be a watchman? Elder Packer "when the Teton dam broke, 790 homes were at risk and about
7800 people were in danger of being killed. When it was all over, 6 people were dead. How could there be such a terrible destruction with such little loss of life? Because they were warned! They didn't have very long, but they were warned; and every man who was warned, warned his neighbor. What about the six that drowned? One of them was just below the dam and had no choice. Two of them wouldn't believe the warning until it was too late. They later found them both in their car, but they hadn't heeded the warning. Three of them, died in their car, but they hadn't heeded the warning. Three of them went back to get some material possessions, and they lost their lives. But it was a miracle of tremendous proportion. As Latter-day Saints we learn to heed warnings. Now, I see a great similarity in what is happening in the world, a great tidal wave of evil and wickedness in the world. We have been warned by a prophet. Will we heed the warning, or will we be as those six in Idaho whole thought the warning was not for them?
Stake Presidency Message, Cedar hills Stake July 12, 2001 carried throughout the stake Quoting President Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference, October,
1998 "We are carrying a message of self- reliance throughout the Church...I urge you brethren, to look to the condition of your finances. I urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt to the extent possible. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from bondage. This is part of the temporal gospel in which we believe. May the Lord bless you, my beloved brethren, to set your houses in order. If you have paid your debts, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then should the storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wives and children and peace in your hearts. That's all I have to say about it, but I wish to say it with all the emphasis of which I am capable." As your stake presidency, we feel that this is a call to arms from a prophet of God. It must being with the leaders of our stake, wards, and quorums so that they can lead by example and teach with power. This is the season to prepare, so that when the storms sand tempests howl without, we may have peace within our homes and hearts. Cedar Hills Stake Presidency
If you read the D&C 84:54-61, you understand that the Lord really becomes angry when his servants take lightly the light and true and light he has shared with them. He withholds his blessings to individuals, to wards and the to church when we are casual about the thing he has given us. The Lord has said, "The Lord's scourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report there so shall vex all people yea it shall not be stayed until the Lord comes. Nevertheless Zion shall escape if she observes to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her saith the Lord. but is she observes not to do whatsoever I have commanded her, I will visit her according to all her works. With sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, and devouring fire." "Paul (speaking to leaders) teaches that if the trumpet has an uncertain sound who shall prepare for battle". Let me sound that trumpet with a very certain sound tonight AND forever... "God said", 'Though shalt not kill', at another time He said, "thou shalt utterly destroy". This is the principle on which the government of heaven is conducted-by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are places. Whatever God requires is RIGHT, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire". (teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith , Joseph Fielding Smith (1976,256)
May we be found prepared at his coming and the events that shall surely precede that coming. Filled with the spirit of promise, having the angels watching over us, our hearts full of faith and wonderment at seeing the hand of the Lord, fearing nothing, still able to perform service to others and not out of game....
Those exempt from having food storage are: Missionaries and Military personnel.
Freeze Dried vs Dehydrated. FD is more nutritious and tasty. Dehydrated is less expensive. You won't care which you have in a crisis. You will just be glad to have food.
Wheat - Store red or white hard wheat. In 1986 white wheat was invented by LDS. It is the most popular as it looks and feels most like white flour. It also has more protein than red wheat. 400 pounds is the minimal amount. The Germans stored 350 lbs of hard black grain per prisoner in Dachau and they were starving. Lentils - get too hard and will ruin a grinder. A pressure cooker will soften them. ABC soup mix from the dry pack cannery is made without flavor so you have to add flavor. Bouillon cubes are good for that. A 5 gallon bucket of ABC soup mix has 300 servings. Store for starving neighbors. Salt - Use salt with minerals (Real Salt) Showers - Propane bottle type (small bottles). 23 bottles will take care of a family of 5. Toilets - Luggable Lu. Can get at Costco and use #10 garbage bags. If you don't have a septic tank you will need toilet facilities. Anything requiring batteries will also require rechargeable batteries. Use a Solar Charger. Ill charge 14 batteries in 2 hours
(6 hours if cloudy). When you add batteries to the equation there is an increase of things you can do. If you are not going to store food, you take the risk of losing your life and that of your family. The Saints in Nauvoo were told to store a years supply of food, but were not given a reason. When they were forced to leave Nauvoo, how much better off were those who had the food? (Church History in the Fullness of Times pg 310)
List of things to get: Powdered Chlorine Rolls of clear plastic (6 Mil) Manual Staple Gun and Staples Kerosene Heater and Kerosene (Two 55 gallon drums minimum) Sta-bil (enough to treat Kerosene)
3 months supply of everyday now foods
1 year or more supply of basics (wheat, other grains, rice, beans, etc. Don't forget cooking oil) Garden seeds (I threw this in)
Here is a source for things listed in this talk. Neighborhood Necessities, Connie & Jim Cheney. Phone: (801)763-1096 Email: nn@airwired.net <mailto:nn@airwired.net> You can also do an internet search Solar light kit include 12 watt solar panel, super fast battery charger, very bright florescent lantern and 4 D NMH ultra high capacity batteries $299.00 (lantern alone $25.00 - batteries D $8.70 ea, AA $2.15 ea, AA $2240/12 pack, C $5.20 ea. 9V $5.30 ea.
Kerosene Heater : 23.000 BTU heats 1,000 Sq. Ft $129.00 Hand Crank Blender: $74.00 Sid's Chlorine Generator for water purification (Like the MSR): $65.00 Sun Oven: $219.00 Solar Generator: Available soon. Do internet search. HotMan Shower: $139.00
3 comments:
I just don't have the courage to read it. Sorry.
Thanks, Shannon. I read the whole thing :)
I read some-to-most of that.
We are woefully unprepared. In every imaginable way.
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