Emergency Preparedness

Our church has taught its members for many years to be prepared for emergencies and we believe this was revelation from the Lord.

Included in this counsel is the importance of getting out of debt, having a 72 hour kit, a year supply of food storage and other supplies, and enough savings to sustain you for at least a few months (including some cash for an emergency situation).

We aren’t taught to go out and get everything at once, but to build our storage little by little.  Food storage is a blessing not only in emergencies, but also during periods of unemployment.  It also helps guard against inflation, making the rising cost of food a little less painful.

Being prepared gives you peace of mind.  It’s also a good idea to have a 72 hour kit in your car in case it breaks down or you run into another unexpected situation.  A First Aid Kit is also included in this, which could benefit you, your family, or a complete stranger.

In our church, we have emergency drills in our stakes (this is a local region which could be compared to a diocese) with scenarios to test how prepared we are.  There might be a pretend pandemic, which would involve taking an inventory of how much food you have in the house and whether your family has enough to survive on for a month inside the house, both physically and mentally.  Another one might be your water supply being contaminated and learning how to stop the flow of water to your house and use what you have in your water heater.

With our country’s current economic crisis, it has become even more apparent why these things are valuable and necessary.  Our church has a great resource for planning out your food storage and financial needs at www.providentliving.org.

Whether you are Mormon or not, we believe this is a great plan for anyone.