Prepare Every Needful Thing

We encourage Chruch members worldwide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings. -The First Presidency "All is Safely Gathered In"

I must give the reason by which I am posting on this topic. My wife and I went to Temple Square on April 26th, 2007 for the Saturday. One of the places that we stopped was the Church Distribution Services at the bottom of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. One of the prodcuts that they had advertised was the Family Home Storage Starter Kit produced and sold through the Welfare and Humanitarian Services. This had spawned a conversation between my wife and I, one in which she felt that we needed to start our food storage and I didn't think we had or have enough space in our current living situation, a studio apartment. But it seemed as if the Starter Kit could do just that for us, get us started. Well, I went this last Friday to the Storehouse Centers and picked up a Starter Kit and while I was there I really caught the spirit and the truth of Food Storage.

Thousands of years ago, in the land of Egypt, Pharoah had a dream. He dreamt that he had seen seven cows, fat and plump, rise from the ocean, after those seven cows came seven more, which were lean and malnourished. The malnourished cows devoured the plump and fat ones. Pharoah then awoke, a little disturbed, but fell back to sleep. He dreamt again, but this time there were seven, full ears of corn followed by seven withered and dried ears of corn. Once again the withered and dried ears devoured the full ears. Pharoah was upset and agitated by this dream and had his magicians adn sooth-sayers try to interpret the dream, but they couldn't. But there was one Joseph, son of Israel, who at the time was in prison, who could translate the dream. In his interpretation, Joseph answered, "Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous." Joseph was then appointed to head, what I like to call, the Ministry of Food Storage, for the Egyptian, he was almost second in command to the Pharoah. The Seven Years of plenty happened, followed by Seven Years of famine. Yet Egypt was saved because the prepared every needful thing. (this entire story can be found in Genesis 41)

In his 2002 General Conference address, entitled, To Men of the Priesthood, President Hinckley said, "We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with a one week's food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. . . . I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all." As members of the Church, and knowing the revelation and nature of the world prior to the Second Coming, this is only the beginning of things. Is it not mindful to heed the promptings of the Prophets? Even the Prophet said begin small, just one extra week's worth of food, but we must begin.

No matter where a person lives, there is room enough for a few months of food storage. The time of famine and pestilence, wars and rumours of wars, plagues and tempest, are around the corner, but the Lord has said, in Doctrine and Covenants 38:30,

If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.

What a promise! It is scary news, watching and reading the news can fill one with foreboding and fear, stories of wars, earthquakes and floods, rice shortages and illnesses. The world groans for the return of her Master. But we should not fear, but be prepared! Food shortages or not, the Lord is with His people, he has commanded in the past that we be prepared the commandment stand today. We can hear of rice shortages, but the Lord's people should have a storage of rice and other basic food stuffs.

For help in beginning your food storage and beginning to prepare all needful things, Provident Living: Self Reliance and Welfare Services, is a great site to begin. There you can find addresses and phone numbers to local storehouses, read talks and articles by general authorities, and other well-needed preparational items as well. Be prepared and ye shall not fear, is my humble prayer!