A wise bishop said this to me after I sent him the quote below: "food storage is just as important to us as Latter Day Saints in the physical aspect as the Word of Wisdom and just as important spiritually as the law of Tithing. It is also the most disregarded counsel we have been given."
Consider this comparison. In the welfare program we have been counseled for generations by the leaders of the Church to secure for ourselves a year's supply of food and clothing, and if possible fuel, and to be concerned for our shelter. This is a responsibility laid upon the individual memebers of the Church, upon each family. The commodities are to be stored at home. They are to be privately purchased, privately stored, and in time of crisis privately used.
It is not ever suggested that because we have bishop's storehouses there would be no need for individual families to maintain their year's cupply. The counsel for the individual to protect himself and his family has never been withdrawn. It has been continually emphasized.
I like that quote. It's especially damning for people like one guy my brother talked to, who said, "I'll get my food storage when the Prophet tells me that it's time to." Also, maybe I'm just seeing things through the lens of my prejudices, but it seems that the phrase "privately used" means that, contrary to what many teach, the Bishop won't be pooling the food storage of everyone in the ward and doling it out to those in need. Besides, as my brother is fond of saying, no one can live a commandment for you. It is a commandment to get your food storage. You need to live that commandment for your family. You can't depend on others to gather food storage for you and hope to have them just open their stores to you when the fecal matter hits the rotary oscillator.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
I'm certain this will get some folks thinking along the lines of mowing down food rioters and whatnot. It certainly gets me thinking along these lines.
We've seen umpteen scenarios put out there. They're usually quite full of melodrama - roving hungry hoardes of armed bad guys, made-for-tv'ish action adventures involving loading supplies up and making it through all sorts of highly rated action sequences to get behind the heavily fortified walls of the stake center, adventuresome instances of government's attempts to sieze private property by force. And from a few scattered stories I've gathered about Katrina, and the short-term lack of essential supplies, I must say that I can't rule out such fireworks.
And yet, I can't keep them out of my mind - my Catholic neighbor's eight children. Our kids occasionally play together, and our families share a halfway decent bond of friendship. They don't do food storage. And no matter how I become aware of their need, be it looking at their hollow cheeks, or in seeing their dad in the mob that's approaching my door, their need is real.
It will be an easy enough decision to make, if we have a good understanding that we have enough to share. If we're trapped for 2 weeks by snow, brother, bring them all - there's plenty to share. If a storm knocks down every tree within 30 miles - they'll eventually clear the roads - please come in. Flood waters recede. Snow melts. Power comes back. We can share without worry.
But what if the avian flu makes it to humans, and is 80% fatal? We'll want to just stay home for 4-6 months - nothing to share. What if any of the melodramatic scenarios happen? Destroyed economies, no jobs, breakdown of social order - who knows when it will end? Should I be uncertain that my family will have enough, what decision do I make about the starving kids next door? Should I not share, and it turns out I could have, did I really do what Jesus wanted me to? Are my hands completely free of their blood? If I do share, and it turns out we all starve anyway, is that not the right way to go?
I dunno. Guess my wife and I'll have to see what's actually happening, and make our decisions at that time.
LM
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And I'd discuss the holy books with the learned men, seven hours every day. That would be the sweetest thing of all.
I think the point is to not to make yourself a burden on others and testing their charity when you could've taken care of yourself and your own but didn't because of whatever lame reason.
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
Great point, Coco. Ultimately we all fall short of providing for ourselves, at least on a spiritual level. And civilization is by its nature a cooperative thing.
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I'm not slow; I'm special. (Don't take it personally, everyone finds me offensive. Yet somehow I manage to live with myself.)
And beyond just removing yourself from the parasite list, you may even become someone who is in a position to help others if you follow the counsel to store up. That's even more Christ-like.
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
I dunno. Guess my wife and I'll have to see what's actually happening, and make our decisions at that time.
This is where I tell people in my presentation that spiritual preparedness leads the way. It will help you make the right decisions when that time comes.
Yes. The bishop and his wife came over to our house last year for some advice on getting their food storage started. When I was called as the Welfare/Emergency Prep specialist this summer he asked me to go into every members home and teach them the same things. I eventually wrote it down and you can read it at the link in my sig line below.
Oh, I thought it was more like... This Saturday night at 11pm, meet in mirk's backyard "Situation Room" for some highly classified yet pertinent information...
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
Oh, I thought it was more like... This Saturday night at 11pm, meet in mirk's backyard "Situation Room" for some highly classified yet pertinent information...
Loudmouth, these are my thoughts on the matter: I'd only share with someone who is very well known to me and who legitimately had no chance (wasn't told, led a subsistence existence, etc.) to get a year's supply. Even then it will be a judgment call. Will I share with an LDS who has been told for years to do it and bought a boat instead? Not by the hair of your chinny chin chin. Remember the parable of the 10 virgins? I think that has application to food storage as well.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
We have a continual battle in trying to emphasize gathering food storage without the panic and attitude that seems to doom the idea from the start.
While we as a family are striving to not only gather the stuffs, but learn how to use it, rotate it and keep it safe for long term, short term or somewhere in between, we do fall short of the complete year's supply.
Our ward as a whole is working toward a food storage initiative to help particularly those who are new in the church to develop an attitude of self-reliance and self-sufficiency without becoming some sort of neo-nutjob when it comes to preparedness.
I have also seen a few postings regarding weaponry as part of the storage program. We are armed for bear around here. The reason being is that the menfolk of my village HUNT, FISH AND CAN TRAP. And this "little sister don't miss when she aims her gun".
The idea of defending one's family and home is always part of the equation.
But having said that, don't think we are all 'Dukes of Hazzard' and Jed Clampett around here. While "Granny Get your gun' may indeed be part of what we are called upon to do at some point, I prefer to believe my targets will represent what goes into the stewpot instead of the notches on my gun belt.
And I have also heard that claptrap about the Bishop gathering up everyone's food and doling it out to the ward membership. Zero points on that one.
Fact is, that would be usurping the authority of the head of the household to prepare and no one would save a lick of salt if they thought 'the ward will take care of me'.
Years ago when I still had a baby with a pacifier, we held a ward preparedness seminar that was also open to the community. I could not believe how many people just ASSUMED that when hard times came that they would show up on MY DOORSTEP and be cared for.
While I believe that we SHOULD care for our neighbors and friends and ward family, I do NOT believe that means we should store their years' supply FOR THEM.
WE MUST WARN OUR NEIGHBORS!! When we fail to help them see that food storage isn't about doomsday but rather, more frequently, about job loss, protracted illness, downsizing at the company, just running short of milk with three sick kids at home . . . then they can see why food storage isn't about 'hunkering down with the shotgun behind some cases of wheat'.
The panic thing has been, I think, a bit of an issue in my area. The cannery has not had wheat, even with extra ordered. Basically, people have done nothing, ever, then go in all paniced and buy 600-1,000 pounds of wheat and clear it out. While it might be good for them, those that need to buy at intervals to build up or use it as part of their regular food have been unable to get some things.
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Lo, there I see my mother, my sisters, my brothers Lo, there I see the line of my people back to the beginning Lo, they call to me, they bid me take my place among them In the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live...forever
But what do you do if people won't respond to the level-headed, reasonable approach when encouraging them to food storage? I'm not totally advocating a panic/doom and gloom thing, but some people it seems don't even understand some of possible scenarios we face.
It makes you want to say, "WAKE UP!" if nothing else works...
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
It is incredibly hard to go to the cannery as a YSA. I've been trying for 5 months. The cannery tells me I have to coordinate through my ward, but my ward doesn't typically do this sort of thing. They tried once, but the cannery forgot and weren't there. I've tried going through other wards, but that is very tough. At least I have my year's supply of water, which very few others have. They go for the easier route of 14 days worth. In case of catastrophe, I could definately barter clean water for more than its weight in gold.
edited to add: This thread has caused me to remember a thread called "Head Count" in late May-early June, which said that widespread terrorist attacks would come before mid-summer, resulting in communication losses and possible food supply disruptions. Martial law was a possibility with severe restrictions on travel outside the house.
I don't remember any of that happening.
The thread was closed becasue of an inflammatory nature.
Going to the cannery as an 'old person' ain't so easy either.
And we are given lists each month of what they are out of because of panic buying.
I am no fan of fear as a motivator because they will buy stuff then just huck it into a corner and never learn how to use it.
then they still show up on someone's doorstep whining about not knowing what to do.
I have sympathy for people who are unable to do for themselves. but I have limited tolerance for people who CAN do and simply refuse to because 'the Church will take care of me since I have always paid my tithing'.
Gee, I must have missed that sermon from GBH.
Food storage is only as good as your ability to use what you store.
The cannery is a great help, but it isn't the only way to get a food supply. For instance, you can order everything you need from www.waltonfeed.com They have some great stuff, and the prices aren't bad. They aren't as good as the cannery, because they're trying to make a profit. But they aren't expensive, either.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
We order from Walton feed quite regularly. We have a friend who moved to Kennewick, and their stake gets a semiload of stuff... then when we're on family vacations we go and pick up the supplies on the way home from Utah. I've got nonLDS neighbors who like their stuff too. One swears by their regular oatmeal.
--Ray
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I'm not slow; I'm special. (Don't take it personally, everyone finds me offensive. Yet somehow I manage to live with myself.)
They have many ways to save on shipping. Groups get together and consolidate orders. If you order enough at one time, you can get a semi to drop it off for you on its way to deliver another load. You can ask preparedness people in your stake and see if anyone has formed a local Walton's ordering group.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
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