Self-Reliant Saturday-- Food Storage Experts

Water purification, Dutch oven cooking, solar cooking, how much wheat to store, gardening, living off the grid....it can all get a little intimidating and that leads to frustration.  Just keep slowly adding to your food storage and emergency preparedness. Pray to know what you need to work on for you and your family. There's no need to be stressed out over food storage :)

Self-Reliant Saturday-- I Can't Afford Food Storage

It's all about PRIORITIES. As with most things in life that we can't seem to get to, or finish, it's all about how important it really is in our lives.  Maybe take a minute and reprioritize the things you feel are most important in your life, and see how to fit food storage in.

Self-Reliant Saturday--God Will Help Us If...

Self-Reliant Saturday -- Learning From History

Today is July 4th, Independence Day here in America, and with this holiday comes quite a bit of history.  There is a lot to learn from those whom have passed on before us and hopefully we take the time to learn these life lessons from our ancestors.  

 "Church history teaches many lessons about personal preparedness"  

"Lessons From Crossing The Plains"

• When we ignore preparedness counsel, we can expect unhappy consequences
• Protect against nature (sun, cold, snow, wild animals, sickness)
• Be accident cautious (falls, burns, children wandering off, carelessness, knife injuries)
• Protect against discouragement (maintain good health, don't be afraid to ask for help, make friends with like-minded people)
• Be creative and adaptive in difficult times (let the wagon bumps turn cream into butter)

"Lessons From the Pioneer Famine of 1868"

• In times of dire food shortages, we should be willing to share our personal food storage with others
• During times of famine we might choose to fast more often to provide for the needy
• When the course of our normal life is disrupted, it helps to fill free time with constructive activities 

"Lessons From the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake"

There were 120 Church members, missionaries, etc in the city at the time and they wrote about  how they survived the quake.

• Have sturdy shoes and durable clothing nearby in case of a sudden nighttime emergency
• Have fire extinguishers in our homes
• Have emergency water on hand in sturdy, non-glass containers
• Have minimal cleaning items, such as moist towelettes, toothpaste, deodorant, face towels, and even small bags of detergent
• Have emergency food as we have been taught
• It is important to have 2-3 meeting places where family members can find each other in case disaster strikes and family is scattered
• Be prepared to leave cherished belongings
• Ignore wild rumors that spread in panics and don't pass them on

All of these ideas, and more, are from an article written by William G. Hartley in the October 2001 Ensign, "Sturdy Shoes and a Waterproof Tent". Click HERE to read the entire article.     

Self-Relilant Saturday-- "Thou Shalt Not Be Idle"

"The Church cannot be expected to provide for every one of its millions of members in case of public or personal disaster.  It is therefore necessary that each home and family do what they can to assume the responsibility for their own hour of need.  If we do not have the resources to acquire a year's supply, then we can strive to begin with having a one month's supply.  I believe if we are provident and wise in the management of our personal and family affairs and are faithful, God will sustain us through our trials.  "For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves."  -James E. Faust General Conference 4/1986 (bold and underline added)

Self-Reliant Saturday-- We Cannot Allow Oursleves To Slumber

Do we find it hard to wait and be prepared always? Sometimes it is hard to not really know why we prepare.  Sometimes it is just best to obey.

Self-Reliant Saturday

Self-Reliant Saturday -- Learn, Prepare, Live

LEARN FROM THE PAST:

• Look up Depression Era cookbooks and find simple recipes that use basic foods, like potatoes and onions, for meals. Click HERE for some ideas.
• What foods grow in your area?  Look up the history of your town to find out how farmers or gardeners grew food in your area.
•  Learn about cold storage rooms/root cellars and how food was stored without refrigeration. Click HERE for a quick overview of a root cellar.

PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE:

• Every time you go to the store you should be buying extra food and storing it. 
• How many long-term grains do you have stored?  
• Do you have money in a savings account for a rainy day?

LIVE IN THE PRESENT:

• Be grateful for the life that you have and the many wonderful blessings that occur in your life every day!
• Use the food storage that you do have and rotate through it regularly.  Store what you eat....eat what you store!
•  Exercise, eat healthy foods and take care of yourself.  If we did have an emergency you might have to walk a long distance, lift/carry more than you're used to, dig holes, rebuild/fix your home, manually cook a lot of food (kneading bread for 15 minutes isn't easy), work in a garden/field to grow food, etc.  Many things we're not used to physically doing in today's world.