Have you stocked up on food storage and haven’t used it, possibly even thrown away stored food? Maybe you have not heard a conference talk about emergency preparedness in a while, so you are wondering if it is still crucial. Recently, I witnessed a news story about a woman in a country that had been hit by an earthquake. She had been standing in line for water all day. I couldn’t help but think, “if only she had prepared for such an event.” Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, sudden loss of employment, or health crises from natural disasters can disrupt essential life-sustaining systems.
Are you ever overwhelmed when considering food, water, and other storage needs? It’s important to start small and be consistent. By gradually adding items to your grocery list each week, you can incrementally improve your emergency preparedness. “. . .by small and simple means are great things brought to pass;” (Alma 37:6). Your peace of mind will grow each time you add an item to your storage needs.
Beginning with the basics is key when considering food storage: water, flour, grains, oil, salt, sugar or honey. When purchasing canned goods, I buy a few extra of the items I frequently use.
The importance of being prepared was also taught during Old Testament times. 'Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them' (Ezekiel 38:7). Today, our dear prophet still echoes the same message. “For decades, the Lord’s prophets have urged us to store food, water, and financial reserves for a time of need. . . . I urge you to take steps to be temporally prepared.” President Russell M. Nelson
However, food storage isn’t the only area to consider. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has outlined four areas: Emergency Preparedness, Home Storage and Production, Financial Preparedness, and Emotional Preparedness. There are numerous resources available to help you with all four of these areas. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a great resource and has some other sites listed on churchofjesuschrist.org as well.