family home storage: a new message

the march 2009 ensign has a great great great and encouraging section on self-reliance - everyone read it. no, everyone read it twice. but in case you don't have time to read it twice, i'll serve up the highlights:

We can begin ever so modestly, President Hinckley explain[s], We can begin with a one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months.


this is so perfect for families that are getting started on their food storage programs... if you're feeling overwhelmed, or like you don't really know how to get started, just don't! it's just not that difficult - i think that sometimes in our minds we psych ourselves out and say that we can never really have a year supply, so we do nothing.


A New Approach

in light of president hinckley's remarks, the church has published the pamphlet all is safely gathered in: family home storage. this new program is so simple - we can all do it.


so here are the steps:

(1) gradually build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet until it is sufficient for three months.

(2) store drinking water.

(3) establish a financial reserve by setting aside a little money each week, and gradually increase it to a reasonable amount.

we encourage you...to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. we encourage you to be modest in your expenditures and save money gradually. all is safely gathered in: family finances.

(4) once families have achieved the first three objectives, they are counseled to expand their efforts, as circumstances allow, into a supply of long-term basic foods such as grains, legumes, and other staples.

i think that step 4 is the one that can be the real kicker - but do not despair. it is step FOUR. so get going on steps 1-3. and by the time you've mastered those, step 4 will be shan't be so daunting at all.

to sum it up, bishop burton encourages us: the new program is within everyone's grasp... the first step is to begin. the second is to continue. it doesn't matter how fast we get there so much as that we begin and continue according to our abilities.

so get started!