William G. Hartley, “Sturdy Shoes and a Waterproof Tent,” Ensign, Oct 2001, 38
Church history teaches many lessons about personal preparedness.
“If men could learn from history, what lessons it might teach us!” wrote Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1831. 1 While it may sound surprising, a look at Church history can teach us about preparedness for our day.
Lessons from Crossing the Plains
For more than 60,000 Saints who journeyed to Utah during the wagon train period (1846–69), outdoor trail realities tested their preparation and showed what worked and what didn’t.
Lesson 1: When we ignore preparedness counsel, we can expect unhappy consequences.
Before leaving Nauvoo, members had Church-published lists of what to take with them. But when the first companies left in February 1846, several hundred members panicked and crossed the Mississippi River without proper clothes, food, or shelter. As a result, they brought suffering upon themselves, slowed down others, and drained resources from those properly prepared.
Lesson 2: Protect against nature.
Trail death tolls reveal that the highest numbers of deaths were among infants and the elderly. Some pioneers became cold and wet because wagon covers and tents were not waterproof. Others suffered sunburns when they lost their hats. Their lips chapped from the dry air, wind, and sun. Many suffered diarrhea and lacked medicine to stop it. Some travelers, while dressed properly for summer heat, lacked coats and gloves for the cold mountain temperatures experienced before reaching the Salt Lake Valley. In addition, pioneers had to guard against wildlife, particularly snakes and wolves. In many campsites they suffered from swarms of mosquitoes that badly hurt children and angered horses and cattle.
. . . . There is lots more to this article, if you want to read more go to http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=7986759235d0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1
It really has some good information about being prepared. It also gives you some good things to think about to help you decide what is best for your family.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Food Storage-- not a matter of money but of faith!
Having a year's supply of food is not a matter of money, it's a matter of faith. If you are determined to obey the Lord and you ask for His help, the Lord will help provide a way. We just have to do our part.
Monday, September 15, 2008
I've started my food storage... where do I go from here?
~ Food Storage: Achieving your Goals~
Many of you have already started your food storage. You already have a plan, you’ve already made progress…Here are some important points I’d like to make to help you fine tune what you may already be doing.
1) Tracking your food storage. This helps you know how much you have of each item in your food storage, what you’ve used and what you need to buy. A good tracking plan goes hand in hand with rotation.
2) Rotation is the key for a successful food storage plan. Label your containers with the date you purchased it. Learn to cook with the items you store, it makes rotation easy. Rotate as many items as you can by using your food storage at least twice a week. This will allow complete rotation of a years supply about every three to four years and will help your family become accustomed to the items you have stored.
3) Store foods properly. Try to keep a minimum exposure to light, heat, moisture and air. The shelf life can be greatly diminished if foods are not stored properly.
4) Grow a garden so you can have fresh produce.
5) Don’t forget about non-food items. Have an extra supply of vitamins, medications, diapers, toiletries etc...
6) Variety. Adding variety to the items you store will help give you more options as you use your food storage. Psychological foods. Psychological foods are the goodies—Jello, pudding, candy, etc. - These may sound frivolous, but if you needed to live on your storage for an extended amount of time, these items would help normalize the situation. These are especially important if you have children.
Many of you have already started your food storage. You already have a plan, you’ve already made progress…Here are some important points I’d like to make to help you fine tune what you may already be doing.
1) Tracking your food storage. This helps you know how much you have of each item in your food storage, what you’ve used and what you need to buy. A good tracking plan goes hand in hand with rotation.
2) Rotation is the key for a successful food storage plan. Label your containers with the date you purchased it. Learn to cook with the items you store, it makes rotation easy. Rotate as many items as you can by using your food storage at least twice a week. This will allow complete rotation of a years supply about every three to four years and will help your family become accustomed to the items you have stored.
3) Store foods properly. Try to keep a minimum exposure to light, heat, moisture and air. The shelf life can be greatly diminished if foods are not stored properly.
4) Grow a garden so you can have fresh produce.
5) Don’t forget about non-food items. Have an extra supply of vitamins, medications, diapers, toiletries etc...
6) Variety. Adding variety to the items you store will help give you more options as you use your food storage. Psychological foods. Psychological foods are the goodies—Jello, pudding, candy, etc. - These may sound frivolous, but if you needed to live on your storage for an extended amount of time, these items would help normalize the situation. These are especially important if you have children.
Help! Where do I even start?
~Getting started with Food Storage~
When creating your food storage plan 3 things to consider are: space, cost and the food your family eats. Here are two examples of starting with basics:
1) Start with one week of food on hand—food you regularly eat; and plan a family menu for the week
2) Experiment with basic foods that can be easily stored—keep recipes your family likes so you can cook meals from stored items. Using those recipes you can more easily plan meals using your stored foods.
3) Learn the basics of food storage. Doing so will save you time, money and effort. www.providentliving.org or www.ready.gov are good websites to review.
4) Have a family meeting including all children and make an oral commitment to do food storage.
5) Inventory food on hand including perishables.
6) Rotate the stored foods using a carefully thought out plan.
7) Plan on storing 7 gallons of water per person for a one week supply.
A three month supply of food should mainly consist of the food you routinely eat as a family. Here’s another example of how to get started:
1) Make a list of foods you eat on a regular basis, and determine how much you would go through in three months.
2) Gradually purchase these foods in bulk as they go on sale
3) It’s important to use and rotate these foods in all your daily cooking.
4) Constantly replenish the stocks of these foods as they go on sale again. Food storage becomes more manageable when you break it down into individual steps. Remember, even if your budget allows just buying an extra can or two of vegetables each shopping trip, you are working towards your goal
When creating your food storage plan 3 things to consider are: space, cost and the food your family eats. Here are two examples of starting with basics:
1) Start with one week of food on hand—food you regularly eat; and plan a family menu for the week
2) Experiment with basic foods that can be easily stored—keep recipes your family likes so you can cook meals from stored items. Using those recipes you can more easily plan meals using your stored foods.
3) Learn the basics of food storage. Doing so will save you time, money and effort. www.providentliving.org or www.ready.gov are good websites to review.
4) Have a family meeting including all children and make an oral commitment to do food storage.
5) Inventory food on hand including perishables.
6) Rotate the stored foods using a carefully thought out plan.
7) Plan on storing 7 gallons of water per person for a one week supply.
A three month supply of food should mainly consist of the food you routinely eat as a family. Here’s another example of how to get started:
1) Make a list of foods you eat on a regular basis, and determine how much you would go through in three months.
2) Gradually purchase these foods in bulk as they go on sale
3) It’s important to use and rotate these foods in all your daily cooking.
4) Constantly replenish the stocks of these foods as they go on sale again. Food storage becomes more manageable when you break it down into individual steps. Remember, even if your budget allows just buying an extra can or two of vegetables each shopping trip, you are working towards your goal
