Seeking Higher Ground

Have you seen the Mormon Messages that appear on the LDS.org web site and on YouTube? I have recently become a fan of these short messages that are so uplifting, spiritually helpful, and well done. And they’re only a couple of minutes each, so it’s easy to fit one into your day. Don’t you love the Internet for the cool things it makes possible? Today I watched one entitled Seek the Higher Ground. In it, Elder Cook talks about how our lives can be enriched and we can do all the Lord needs us to do when we seek higher … Continue reading

Is Your Family Prepared?

My first experience with talking about food storage to someone who was not a member of the church came just after 9-11. She pulled me aside to let me know that she had purchased extra groceries just in case something happened. She was quite proud of herself, but then she went on to explain the other ways and reasons that she purchased in bulk and in advance. She felt that food storage was a good thing especially for the disasters that may come in our lives. She was right, but sometimes people look at our food storage and provident living … Continue reading

Sharing the Concept of Preparedness with Others

Preparedness is a concept that we have been taught over and over. Many people outside of our church often regard our preparedness concepts one of those strange things that Mormons do. However, I have found that the times that this is great way to have a discussion and help people around us. I have been approached, by more than one person who knew I was a member, and asked about the concept of preparedness and food storage. Many people embrace this concept as they see how it can benefit them in their lives. One example is the way that the … Continue reading

Follow the Counsel to Be Prepared by Starting Simply

With the downturn in the economy, and the beginning of the severe weather season in the Midwest, it is an excellent time to be prepared. The church leaders have established the counsel of preparedness and provident living to help us during difficult times and to give us peace as we face unknown situations. As you prepare for your family you should pray and make sure that you catering to your family’s individual needs. One of the easiest you can do to begin preparing for food storage is to set up a 72-hour kit for each member of your family. Simply … Continue reading

Preparing for Tough Economic Times

My sister and I were talking today about the importance of being prepared. She is worried about losing her job, and about how she would provide for herself if that were to happen. She also talked about the possibility of not losing a position, but everyone losing hours in order to save people’s jobs. As members of the church we have been counseled repeatedly to live within our means and to stick to a budget, and in these economic times it is even more important to begin doing these things. You can start by taking steps now to reduce the … Continue reading

Preparing for Hard Times

This last session of General Conference has several talks that focused on how to survive trials. The talks were on spiritual, emotional, and physical trials. They all talked about the importance of being spiritually prepared to handle the hard times that will come into every person’s life. They also talked about the importance of being physically prepared for trials. One way to be spiritually prepared is to build a network of people that can help you during difficult times. Sometimes you simply need a shoulder to cry on, or a friend to drop in and check up on you. Other … Continue reading

Recent Reasons for Personal Preparedness

We’ve all watched with awe and horror as Ike ripped through the southern portion of the United States, bringing residents of Texas and surrounding areas to their knees. Our hearts go out to those who have been devastated by this event and to those who have lost homes and family members. My mother is serving a mission in Houston right now and shared with me some of her experiences. Working in the employment center, she has been able to help many displaced persons find what they need in order to keep going. Other friends of mine also live in the … Continue reading

June 2008 Preparedness Goals

For June’s preparedness goals, we are going to focus on what you need to store. This is really just getting a plan together. You will store different things then I store. Each situation is unique. You should put together an overall plan, but I a going to divide it into three sets of questions you should ask yourself, and then give you a challenge on what you should purchase this month. 1) First think of your three month food supply. The church counsels us to store three months of food that we eat on a regular basis. This food should … Continue reading

Preparedness and Finances

One important aspect of preparing yourself and your family is financial preparedness. The church urges us to avoid debt, and to get out of debt as quickly as possible. It also teaches us to take financial responsibility for ourselves by saving money for emergencies and planning for retirement. If you have a lot of debt, it is important to focus on getting out of debt as much as you can. You can limit your discretionary spending and begin to budget to do this. If you need help setting up your budget or learning how to manage your money, you can … Continue reading

May 2008 Preparedness Goals

I have gotten off track on the food storage goals. This month we are going to focus on our emergency kits. If you already have one you can focus on something else that you need, or you can add to yours or update the supplies. Emergency kits are commonly used in disasters, and it is important that everyone has one. You should start with the basics and move up. Here are three basic goals you should work in regards to your emergency kits. 1) Ideally you should have an emergency kit for each member of your family. The one exception … Continue reading