Last Week of 72-hour Kits

It is officially the last week to get our 72-hour kits finished! This last week is really just a miscellaneous/finalizing week - it's the time to get the last few items that you need for your personal 72-hour kits. Some of these items might include:

• Tarp or Tent
• If you end up either having to spend the night outside or if your roof is leaking, it's always good to have something to keep water and other elements off of you. Wal-Mart has an all purpose tarp that is 6' by 8' for $6.00, and you can also get a two-person tube tent that's already packaged pretty small for only $7.00.
• 
• Book of Mormon (pocket size)
• You don't actually need the pocket size, but it's really nice to have if you're worried about space (though the soft-cover regular sized Book of Mormon is really not that big either). A Book of Mormon may not seem like the most necessary item in a 72-hour kit, but I can't imagine a more comforting book during a time of emergency. Emergency preparedness is not just for physical/temporal needs - we also need to be spiritually prepared for the future, and keeping a Book of Mormon can really help our spirits in a time of need. At store.lds.org you can order a pocket size Book of Mormon for only $4.00, and lds.org always provides free shipping.
• 
• Whistle
• A whistle or some other type of noise maker can come in handy when trying to keep track of family members and their safety. It is good to have some type of alerting noise each member can make in case they find themselves in trouble. A whistle can be extremely cheap, and it does not have to be very high quality - it just needs to make noise. Some whistles, however, can also have a small compass, mirror, flint, or waterproof container connected to it - there is one of these multi-purpose whistles at Wal-Mart for $4.00
• 
• Notebook and pen/pencil
• This is not a necessity, but more of an option. Having something to write down your thoughts, draw out a map, or write down important information can be very beneficial. Also, it can be good for children and adults to have something to calm the mind, even if it's just drawing pictures or playing simple games.
• Deck of Cards/Sudoku/Crossword Puzzles/small game
• Along the lines of a notebook, it is always good to have something small that is just for calming the mind of both adults and children. Emergency situations can be very stressful, and having something that can distract you for even just a few minutes can really help keep a calm head.
• 

Do you have any other ideas of miscellaneous items that would be good to have in a 72-hour kit? If so, please comment and let us all know!

Light and Power

Flashlights

• Battery powered LED Flashlight - LED flashlights have better battery life, are usually smaller and brighter, and can be cheaper depending on when and where you get them. At Walmart you can get small LED flashlights that run off of 3 AAA batteries for around $2. 
• Hand Crank - These flashlights are powered by a built in crank that you turn to generate the power. They are generally more expensive, but they do not require batteries, which may be more convenient for some people. 
• Headlamp - head-mounted flashlight. This could be convenient if you foresee that you would need light while also needing both hands free. 

Batteries

• We''re not talking about that extra pair for the TV remote. Make sure you have storage of every type of battery that your battery-powered objects use: If your flashlight takes D batteries and you only store AA batteries, then you'll be out of luck. Batteries are sometimes even more expensive than the flashlights themselves. This is the most expensive portion of the next two weeks, so plan accordingly. 

Glow Sticks

• 12-hour emergency glow sticks are good for kids or if you don't need a source of bright light. You can also get the dollar store ones, but they won't last as long and are more susceptible to unintentional breaking. 

Candles and Lighter/Matches

• The go-to source of light when no power is unavailable: fire. It would probably be a good idea to store matches or a lighter whether or not you have candles, but if you are relying on candles for light it would obviously be a necessity. If you use matches, be sure to get waterproof ones in case they get wet. 

Other Ideas

• If you have solar-powered walkway lights outside your house, those can also be brought inside at night and used as a light source. While not a source of bright light, they can be helpful if you already have them. 

If you have any other ideas for light or power, please share!

72-Hour Kit Sanitation Supplies

For this next week we will be focusing on obtaining our sanitation supplies for the 72-hour kits. You could consider some of these things as medical supplies,  but we thought we'd give you some extra time to get these last items. Some ideas include:

• Hand sanitizer
• Your hands can get extremely filthy in a natural disaster, and you don't want to eat or drink with the chance of ingesting all those germs. You can buy the small travel-sized hand sanitizers at Walmart or the dollar store for a very small price.
• Wash wipes
• Similar to your need for hand sanitizer, but some type of wash wipes can clean the face or other parts of the body too.
•  Shampoo and Soap
• Depending on the emergency situation, you may have the time and water to clean yourself, but it is much better if you can use soap and shampoo also. The travel sizes work well as they are cheap and small. 
• Toilet Paper
• Bathrooms may or may not be available in emergencies, and it's always nice to have some backup. It's a really good idea to unroll part of a roll and refold it and put it in a Ziploc bag. That way it takes up less space and is water proof.
• Feminine products
• Unfortunately, women can't guarantee that an emergency won't happen at that time of the month. You probably don't need brand names for emergency situations, and Walmart sells the off brands for pretty cheap.You may even want to see if you can find some at the dollar store.
•  Alcohol swabs/wipes
• I understand these were also in the medical supplies section, but I added it again just to reiterate the importance of having something to clean out cuts or to disinfect. 

Do any of you have good ideas for sanitation supplies? If so, please share!

72-hour Kit Cash

So for this week we're going to be working on collecting cash for our 72-hour kits. It can be extremely beneficial to have some type of financial reserves during a crisis, especially if you cannot get access to an ATM or bank. We highly suggest getting small bills for your 72-hour kit reserve because an emergency might make it difficult to find change.

Exactly how much you set aside for your 72-hour kit will depend on your family circumstances and what you can afford. Personally, we think a good benchmark would be to have enough to fill up your car with gas plus a small amount of extra for supplemental needs. As with the other areas we've discussed, start small with what you can do right now and add to it as you can.

This is a much shorter post because it's very simple, but it's not any less important, and it still can take time to accumulate enough cash.




Does anyone have any other ideas of where emergency cash could come in handy? Please share!

72-Hour Kit Clothing

Alright, we have officially moved on from medical supplies and are on to clothing! With this section, there is only one week to get everything together for your kits. Now it's not necessary to have multiple outfits available in a 72-hour kit, but it is important to have at least a couple things:

• Socks
• You can't really have too many socks. Especially if it's wet or cold, you may need to wear multiple pairs at once or replace the ones you wear fairly often. These are often very cheap at most stores (they don't have to be fancy), and they can fit into pretty small places.
• Poncho
• This is one of those things where there isn't a reason not to get it. You can find this at many stores from $.50 to $1.00, and they come so small you can fit them in the tightest of spaces. But being able to stay dry during a major storm is priceless.
• Hat or Beanie
• This is important for cold or hot weather. In hot weather, you may prefer a lightweight billed hat that will protect your head and face from the sun without over-heating you. In cold weather, you may prefer a beanie or other hat that reaches down to your ears so you can keep in as much heat as possible. If you don't want to add both at the same time, then when you do a check-up on your 72-hour kits twice a year (which we highly recommend doing at least just to make sure your food and water are still good), then you can switch out which hat you have for each season.
• Shirt and pants
• This may or may not be at the top of everyone's priority list, but having a spare pair of jeans and an old t-shirt could really come in handy. During spring cleaning or simply looking through your closet, find a pair of jeans and a shirt that you haven't worn in a while or that are getting a little old and add them to the kit (they don't have to be new clothes).
• Shoes
• This one is a little trickier since they are so bulky and tend to be heavy, but there can be emergency situations where you don't have enough time to grab durable shoes before leaving the house. There are multiple ways to store these if there isn't room inside your kit. One way is to tie them on the back of your kit (if you're using a backpack or duffel bag) and just let them hang outside. Another way is to just store them right on top of or next to your kit. That way, if you have to grab your kit and go, you will see your shoes and remember to grab them as well. We suggest a pair of sturdy tennis shoes or hiking boots, but make sure that they are not new shoes - you want these to be already broken in by the time an emergency comes around.

There may be some other items you want to add to your kit, but these were just the basic necessities that we thought of. Please comment and let us know if you have any other ideas of clothing items you think would be good for your 72-hour kits!

72-Hour Kit Medical Supplies

Sorry for the slightly late post, but for the next two weeks we will be focusing on getting a first aid kit for our 72-hour kits. There are a lot of different items that you may or may not need, depending on your personal circumstances, so we will add a list of items that we personally think should be considered by most people.

(We understand that some of these items can be a little costly when you add it all up, which is why we are giving two weeks to collect the items. One nice thing about medical supplies is they often come in bulk, so you could team up with other people to divide the items and the cost - I don't think you need a whole bottle of Tylenol for one person for only three days)

• -Prescription Medicine
• Many people don't really think about it, but this is vital for your 72-hour kit. If you take a daily perscription medication, you should be able to find a way to get just three extra days of your prescription, but especially if it's something you can't live without, then make sure you get it in there.
• Contact Solution/Spare Contacts/Spare glasses
• Similar to the prescription medicine, you may not immediately think of this when considering items for a 72-hour kit. However, if you are someone who needs contacts or glasses, this could be life-changing. You never know if an emergency will happen in the middle of the night and you only have time to grab your kit, but if you have pretty bad eyesight (like myself) then you wouldn't be able to last very long without glasses or contacts.
• Tylenol/Advil (some kind of over-the-counter pain relief)
• This may seem small if there is a larger injury, but if you are hurt, any form of pain relief will be welcome. Both Tylenol and Ibuprofen can be found at *Walmart for $7.00 for a 500 count bottle.
• Band-Aids
• You can find a 100 count box of Band-Aids at Walmart for only $4.00
• Hand Sanitizer
• You can usually find a two or three pack at the dollar store. Hand sanitizer can be very helpful if you are stuck somewhere unsanitary but need to eat the food already in your pack.
• Cough Drops
• A bag of 70 can be found at Walmart for $4.00. This may not seem necessary for some, but it could really help out you or a member of your family if an emergency happens when you're already sick (unfortunately most disasters don't wait for you to get healthy)
• Knife/Scissors
• I can name countless reasons to have something that can cut, including freeing someone who is caught and can't move or cutting off material to become a bandage or sling. You can find either at the dollar store.
• Sunscreen/Sunglasses
• You may just save your skin and eyes with this because you can never guarantee that an emergency won't happen in the summer or even just when it's sunny. You can look in the travel section of Walmart for a smaller and cheaper container of sunscreen, and sunglasses can be found at the dollar store.
• Alcohol Wipes/Swabs
• You can find a 50 count of Alcohol prep pads at Walmart for $4.00. Emergency situations are rarely completely sanitary, so an open wound could get pretty intense without something to clean it.

Like I said, there are many other items that you may want or need, but the medical supplies can sometimes be very individualized. So feel free to use these suggestions, and if you can think of any other items that you feel would be important, please comment and let us know!

*I do not think Walmart is the only option for buying these items, nor can I promise that the prices I give will stay the same at your chosen Walmart location. I simply wanted a commonly found store that most often had the cheapest price. If you find any other places that have better deals, please share :)

Water Purifiers for 72-Hour Kits

Now water filters should not replace your 72-hour supply of water - you should still have already drinkable water in your kit. Filters are more often for the purpose of an emergency that lasts more than 3 days, when something happens to your normal drinking water supply that requires it to be filtered. There are many options for water filters or purifiers, and the more sophisticated the filter the more expensive it will be. Here we'll just discuss a couple ways of purifying your water that are quicker and easier for a 72-hour kit:

 One option for a water filter that is not as expensive is the LifeStraw water filter found on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Vestergaard-Frandsen-LifeStraw-Personal-Water-Filter/dp/B006QF3TW4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1372210582&sr=8-6&keywords=water+purifier). It's about $20, but it doesn't require any preparation, which may be extremely beneficial for those with small children who don't know how to work water filters. Just instruct them to only drink water from the straw and they should be okay.




Also, other items to consider are water purification tablets. Each tablet allows you to purify one pint of water, and it only takes 30-35 minutes. On Amazon.com, you can buy a bottle of 50 tablets for only $6.50. (http://www.amazon.com/Potable-Aqua-Water-Treatment-Tablets/dp/B001949TKS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372642942&sr=8-1&keywords=water+purification+tablets) They are fairly inexpensive, but one thing to consider is that you will need to find a way to measure your water so you have the right proportions.















We will discuss other water filters/purifiers after we have finished our segment on the 72-hour kits, but hopefully these two can give you an idea of some items that may be nice to add to your kit. Good luck on continuing to add the water and other liquids to your kits!

72-Hour Kit Water

Sorry about the delay in posting, but with the combination of traveling and hectic work days, this post had to be just a tad late. But now we can move on to water - the most important item of a 72-hour kit. You can survive for a while without food, but with no liquids coming into your body, you won't last very long.

So for the next two weeks (technically from June 23 to July 6) we want everyone to focus on obtaining 3 days' worth of water for each member of the family.

There are multiple resources for water, and you may not want to choose just one. For starters, there is the simple water bottle, which you can buy a 24 to 30 pack of water bottles at Wal-Mart or some other store for $4.00. What's nice about these is they're not hard plastic, so they can be slightly molded or squeezed into tight fits. This means that if you are squishing and smashing them they will have to be rotated pretty often (we suggest every 6 months), but since much of the food needs to be rotated as well, then it wouldn't be any more difficult.

Another option is canned water. This makes the water container more durable, but unfortunately it weighs more and takes up more space since it can't change shape at all. It also has a longer shelf life in a can, which can go up to 30 years. It is also pricier, with the exact numbers depending on where you buy it. Also, the canned water would require a can opener for your 72-hour kit - not necessarily a bad thing, but another factor to consider.


Finally there are water pouches. Many who sell these say it's best to use the water within five years, so the shelf life is medium. They are much lighter and easier to fit in small places, but again, even though the pouch is pretty durable, it can still be pierced or ripped in the right circumstances. Emergency Essentials will sell a 4 oz. pouch for 35 cents each, so the price is very doable.



Another option for liquids is to actually use something other than water. Options like Gatorade or Capri Sun are good to add flavor and sugar to a 72-hour kit. Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade are especially good because they can replace the electrolytes and other minerals your body loses throughout the day. A 12 pack of Gatorade can be found in Wal-Mart for only $6.00, and often Powerade can be even cheaper.



There is also the option of water purifiers. These can be very handy in an emergency situation, and there are multiple ways to add it to your 72-hour kit. However, we do not want to overwhelm you with information at the moment, so we will wait to add a separate post about water purifiers at the beginning of next week (which will still be the middle of the allotted time for gathering water). So until then, good luck on collecting your water, and let us know any questions or ideas you have!




Do any of you have specific preferences for how you add water to your 72-hour kits? Feel free to discuss!

72-Hour Kit Food

Alright, so now that we've got IDs and a container for our 72-hour pack, we're going to spend the next two weeks working on getting our food supply!

As with everything we will talk about, there are several options for what you can store in your 72-hour kits for food. We've detailed some of the pros and cons of some different options so that you can determine what is best for you and your family's needs:


MREs
One of the easiest items to store for food is the MRE, or Meal Ready to Eat. These are meals designed for the military that can be eaten without any water or preparation. This comes in handy when water sources are scarce (and you won't be able to reconstitute dehydrated food), or when there is no way to cook due to lack of fuel, electricity, or other means to cook. The convenience does come with a trade-off: expense. MRE's are more expensive than their counterparts, but have a long shelf life and are ready to go no matter what the emergency is.

Cans/Boxed Goods
A cheaper and more familiar alternative is to use canned or other non-perishable goods. The food items should be easily edible, meaning little to no preparation required. Cans of soup, chili, or other prepared canned meals are good starting points. These items are also convenient since they are easy to rotate. If you check these items every 6 months, then you can be assured that the food in your 72-hour kit is always fresh. One of the biggest downsides to cans is their weight - if you plan to carry your 72-hour kit anywhere, the weight of cans definitely adds up. As for boxed goods, one of their biggest downsides is their lack of durability - they aren't as strong as cans and are very non-waterproof. However, boxed goods are much better if the goods are inside a plastic bag that is in the box.

Remember, IF YOU ARE USING CANS, YOU WILL NEED A CAN OPENER! Go to the dollar store and buy a cheap can opener that you can just keep in your 72-hour kit, that way you will never be stuck in a situation of having canned food but no way to open it. The other option would be to have pop-top cans. That would mean you wouldn't need a can opener, but pop-top cans are also slightly less durable and the tops could come off with enough force. 

Emergency Rations/Calorie Bars
These 3-day Calorie Bars come in a small brick and have enough calories to sustain life for 3 days. With a 5 year shelf life and little cost, these are an effective way to make sure you will at least survive for 3 days since they provide the basic nutrition you will need. The main trade-off with these is taste. In an emergency, many people would prefer to be opening a can of soup or something similar as compared to eating a 400 calorie protein bar, but again it is a cheap and effective way to insure survival.

The bottom line, it is vital to have enough food to survive for 72 hours. No matter what option you choose, make efforts to collect 3 day's worth of food for each member of your family over the next 2 weeks.

72-Hour Kit Container and IDs

So the first thing you need when making a 72-hour kit is somewhere to put all the supplies. We will be focusing on obtaining containers and IDs for every family member this week. There are multiple options, and we'll discuss the pros and cons of a few of them.

The Backpack. A backpack can be anywhere from extremely cheap to pretty pricey. Using a backpack can allow for your 72-hour kit to also become a flight kit - if you need to get out of the house immediately, you can just grab it, put it on your back, and get out with your arms still free. Also, you don't have to worry about weight as much as other containers because it distributes the weight between your shoulders and back. If the backpack has multiple pockets it can also help for organization. One thing to think about when getting a backpack is it not as durable and more susceptible to wear and tear.

The Duffel Bag. Duffel bags are pretty similar to backpacks, but they are often more expensive (thought you can still get one for pretty cheap). Duffel bags can also usually allow for more room, so you may be able to hold more things. When carrying the duffel bag, the weight is either on one shoulder and the back (this is neither good nor bad, it just depends on personal preference), or it must be carried in one hand.

The Bucket. Buckets are usually pretty cheap and don't get extremely expensive. Using a bucket allows for more durability in your container. However, it isn't as organized without different compartments, and it also isn't as portable in a hurry. If you have to carry it around, it leaves you with one less hand and it can be heavier for just one hand to hold.

The Plastic Tote. Plastic Totes are like the duffel bag of the backpack category. They can be bigger and hold more things, they are also quite durable, but they may be more expensive. The plastic tote is likely the hardest container to carry as it usually requires both hands.

After deciding which type of container to use for a 72-hour kit, it is a very good idea to add some type of ID to each of them. This doesn't need to be (and probably shouldn't be) a government issued ID, but instead something to let others know how to help. For example, if a child is lost or a family member is unconscious, someone trying to help can still do so by knowing either food allergies, medical conditions, family members' names, etc. One really neat idea we found just on the internet is to include a picture of each family member with the ID. That way a child can have help finding family if he or she is lost, and it can also serve to calm the nerves to see pictures of loved ones.

At this point, if you cannot yet obtain a container or need more time, a cardboard box is honestly just fine. You will want to work up to a more sturdy and reliable container, but anything is great to start out with. The IDs, however, would be beneficial to complete as soon as possible. (As a reminder, we have a link to the IDs and items of a 72-hour kit here)



Good luck with getting the containers and IDs together, and let us know how it's going for you! (next week we'll focus on food for 72-hour kits)

72-Hour Kits

Now that we're done with the three main points of President Benson's talk, we want to talk about some of the finer points of preparation. The first item up for discussion: 72-hour kits!

A 72-hour kit is one of the most basic means of preparedness, and it's probably the easiest thing to put together (it's much easier than the year supply of food anyway). Every member of your family should have their own 72-hour kit, including infants and pets.

Here is a link of the basic items needed in a 72-hour kit, and there are also ID cards included in in the PDF. We would encourage everyone to either use these ID cards or to make their own so if a child gets lost or someone is unconscious, someone else would still be able to render assistance. The items on this list for a 72-hour kit are all suggestions - whenever you are making preparations for emergencies, you should tailor it to your own individual and family needs.

A 72-hour kit is meant to provide relief for the first three days after/during a disaster. It needs to have three days of food and water, a first aid kit, light and power, and other necessities for each individual and family. Remember, this kit is for an emergency. Keep that in mind when deciding what to include in your kit.

Probably not necessary...

The Lubbock, Texas Stake would like every person possible to have a 72-hour kit by August 31st, which gives each of us three months to put one together. We have created a list that breaks down the 72-hour kits into sections so you can just focus on one aspect of the kit each week.(By the way, these can be very easy Family Home Evening activities for the next three months). If you want to follow along our 72-hour kit plan, then we will start in the first week of June (which gives us 13 full weeks) and continue as follows:

June 2-8 - Fill out the ID cards and obtain a container for the kit (1 week)
June 9-22 - Obtain 3 days worth of food and snacks (2 weeks)
June 23-July 6 - Obtain 3 days worth of water (2 weeks)
July 7-20 - Add a first aid kit (2 weeks)
July 21-27 - Add necessary clothing (1 week)
July 28-August 3 - Add money (small bills) (1 week)
August 4-10 - Put together sanitation supplies (1 week)
August 11-24 - Gather sources of light and power (2 weeks)
August 25-31 - Finalize the kit with any extra emergency items (1 week)

At the beginning of each section we will highlight different methods and options for the items that each person needs; so on June 2nd, we will write a post on ID cards and the different containers you can use to hold your 72-hour kit.

Now, for those of you that already have a 72-hour kit or at least have already started on it, you are not excluded! Now would be a great time to update your kit and re-assess your needs to make sure your kit will serve those needs.

If any of you have different or additional ideas on any of the things we discuss, please comment on the post and share your knowledge! I'm sure some of you have ideas that others would find valuable.

At the end of each section we'll follow up and see how it went with everyone. This is not meant to be a guilt trip if you didn't get it done, we just want to keep tabs on how everyone is progressing so that we can have an accurate report to give to the stake. We're excited to help get the ball rolling on 72-hour kits!

Let Us Have Enough Food, Clothing, and Fuel on Hand

Alright, we're finally at the last point of President Benson's talk: Food, Water, Clothing, and Fuel Storage. Now President Benson specifically says to have enough for a year, but not everyone is in the position to do that just yet. Building a year supply of storage can take a very long time, and we shouldn't kill ourselves to get there. On the lds.org page, "Food Storage" we are given very good advice from our leaders:

"We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings...it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once."

Sometimes, in our zeal to build up our food storage and get prepared, we may feel like it's okay to spend tons of money to do it. This, however, would go against our last post to be financially prepared, so we need to be wise in our storage building. On the "Food Storage" page, we are told to start small - buy just a few extra items each week until we have a one-week supply of food. Then we can gradually increase to a three-month supply, which is supposed to contain food that's part of our daily diet. From there, we can (as slowly as needed) grow our storage to a longer-term supply.

One of the hardest things for us to store in a desert is drinking water. No matter how you do it, it's going to take some time deciding how to best store water (we will have a post later on going over various water storage ideas). But water is vital, and it is recommended that one person will need an average of one whole gallon per day, and that's only for drinking and cooking, not washing or cleaning.

So why do we need to build this food storage?

"We encourage members worldwide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings." (food storage, emphasis added)

We need to build our food storage to prepare for adversity. Adversity is not limited to natural disasters like tornadoes and earthquakes, but also for our own smaller personal emergencies that only affect us or our families. This is a wonderful video explaining what our storage is meant for:

I have a strong testimony that we will be blessed as we follow the commandment to build up our food storage. Even just having a small supply and working toward more storage can bring comfort and give us courage to face whatever may come our way. Whether we use it for a devastating tornado or for the loss of a job, I know that it will be a great blessing to everyone who makes food storage a priority in their lives.



Has anyone else noticed the blessings in their lives from building up food storage?

"Let Us Avoid Debt...Let Us Get Out of Debt"

In the talk "Prepare Ye" President Benson showed the steps to being prepared. The first two steps were follow the counsel of the prophets and live righteously. The next one was to avoid debt and get out of debt if you are already in it. After that it says to live strictly within our incomes and save our money. I think this video is my favorite way to explain how to avoid debt and live within our incomes:

Yes, it's meant to be funny, but at the same time it teaches a very valuable lesson that many people in this world don't fully understand. Now many people here in Lubbock (us included) are students struggling to pay for living expenses, while at the same time constantly getting more and more into debt with student loans. Some people may be blessed financially, and some may just feel like they got the short end of the financial stick. But what's great about this teaching is that it's applicable to anyone, no matter where they are in life. We are taught to avoid debt, but there are a few exceptions, as told in this talk by Joseph B. Wirthlin:

Some debt—such as for a modest home, expenses for education, perhaps for a needed first car—may be necessary. But never should we enter into financial bondage through consumer debt without carefully weighing the costs. (emphasis added)

On the main "Debt" page of lds.org, we are also taught that "the debt should be repaid as quickly as possible." Sometimes, "as quickly as possible" is a very different amount of time for one person than for someone else. This is perfectly fine as long as we are doing what we can to get out of debt and become financially prepared.

This web page from lds.org is extremely helpful in teaching how to manage finances and live within our means. I won't talk about the whole thing on this blog (it's your job to click on the link and read the whole page yourself), but I will highlight the main topics.

First and foremost to becoming financially stable is to pay an honest tithe and a generous fast offering. An honest tithe is simply 10% of your income, and a fast offering is simply at least the price you would have paid for the two meals you don't eat when you fast.The "generous" part of a fast offering is completely up to the individual.

Next, we need to distinguish between wants and needs. I once heard a talk given in a church meeting that addressed this distinction, and one big message I got from it is if you really work to distinguish between your wants and needs, there are often many "weeds" that are mixtures of wants and needs. If you completely take out the "weeds" in your life, you can find that most of them were really just wants anyway.

The next topic is to use a budget. There are many different ways and philosophies to budget out money, but we'll post about that later.

Next is to build a reserve. Many times this reserve will start out small and grow slowly, but no matter where we are in life, be it wealthy or not, we can start saving a reserve.

Finally, we need to teach family members about financial management. We should inform our spouses or children, or even siblings or parents about the importance of being financially stable. When we obtain this knowledge, it is our responsibility to help our family understand it as well.

I know that many people are in different stages of life, and some reading this blog might be thinking well this is easy for some people to talk about, but I can't afford to live like that. My question to you is how can you afford to not live like this? There are so many blessings from doing what the prophet asks us to do, including more blessings than we can even handle (Malachi 3:10). These are not just my opinions, but the teachings of the leaders of our Church. As we discussed earlier, the first step to being prepared is to follow the counsel of our prophets. I know that even if you have to start small and it's a very slow process, as long as you are striving to live the teachings of the prophets you will be blessed for it in ways you may not even be able to imagine. I have seen the blessings in my own life, and I know you can too.



Do any of you have any experiences where following the financial advice of the prophets has brought blessings to you or your family?

Let Us Live Righteously and Look to the Prophets

The first two steps to becoming prepared are follow the counsel of the prophets and live righteously. It's interesting, but many people do not understand that being physically prepared and being spiritually prepared go hand in hand. Luckily for us, we just had our wonderful General Conference, which is the perfect time to find out what the prophet wants us to do and to know how to follow it.

In this last April 2013 session, there wasn't a whole lot specifically about physical preparedness. However, there were tons of talks that mentioned our spiritual state. One image that I loved was given in President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk during the Priesthood session. As a side note, even though this talk was given to brethren and he was specifically talking about the four titles of Priesthood holders, I firmly believe that the titles he gave can be applied to anyone in the Church. One title he gave is that of a "healer":

As home [and visiting] teachers, we are healers....we should be committed and dedicated healers. We carry in one hand a vial of consecrated oil for blessing the sick; in the other we carry a loaf of bread to feed the hungry; and in our hearts we carry the peaceable word of God, "which healeth the wounded soul" (Jacob 2:8).

I love this image of bread and oil in the hand and the word of God in the heart. It shows how closely physical and spiritual matters should work together. It shows that even though we may want to just focus on physically preparing for upcoming emergencies, it is just as important to be spiritually prepared.

So what did we learn at conference? For me, the overarching theme was obedience to God's commandments. President Thomas S. Monson's talk titled "Obedience Brings Blessings" focused on a few specific commandments that he found very important. One commandment was home and visiting teaching. He told a story of how two home teachers living in east Berlin right after the Second World War received an assignment to visit a brother in Hungary on a regular basis. The trip would take a whole week, and because of the political climate, they were not certain they would even return. Even so, they fulfilled their duty and helped another member of the Church. Now I know that no one here in Lubbock, TX, is asked to visit someone in a completely different country with the uncertainty of even returning, so my question is "What can we do better?" No, I am not perfect at my visiting teaching (which is why this applies to me just as much as it does to everyone else), but it's a really good question to ask ourselves.

Another commandment President Monson focused on was paying tithing. This man in Hungary was unable to pay his tithing because of how far away he was from the Church, but instead of saying, "well it's not my fault I can't pay, so I just won't" he consistently set aside 10 percent of his earnings, not even knowing when or if he might "have the privilege of paying it" (emphasis added).  How often do we look at paying tithing as a privilege? It may not seem like it at first glance, but we have been promised that if we do pay our tithing that we will be given so many blessings that there won't be room for it (Mal. 3:10). I think if we could have a better attitude towards paying our tithing that we can see it more like the privilege that it really is.

Finally, the talk right before President Monson was titled, "Obedience to Law is Liberty" by Elder L. Tom Perry. He mentioned that there are four of the Ten commandments that are still taken seriously in society: don't murder, don't steal, don't lie, and honor your parents (obvious paraphrasing). However, Elder Perry explained that as a society we routinely dismiss the other six: 1) looking at worldly priorities, we certainly have "other gods" we put before the true God, 2) if we make idols of celebrities, of lifestyles, of wealth, then we have graven images, 3) we use the name of God in all kinds of profane ways, 4) We use the Sabbath day for our biggest games, our most serious recreation, our heaviest shopping, and almost everything else but worship, 5) we treat sexual relations outside marriage as recreation, entertainment, and normal, 6) coveting has become a far too common way of life. In another talk from conference by Elder L. Whitney Clayton, he says that we shouldn't consider the commandments to be a "buffet from which [we] can pick and choose only the most appealing." The point of the Ten Commandments is to follow all ten of them.

So why do we have all of these commandments? Not only do we have the Ten from Moses, but there are others like tithing and home and visiting teaching and fulfilling our church callings and assignments...Why? To quote Elder Perry, the reason is because "they are loving counsel from a wise, all-knowing Heavenly Father. His goal is our eternal happiness, and His commandments are the road map He has given us to return to Him."

Our Heavenly Father has given us these commandments out of love so we can return to Him. Living the commandments is a blessing, not a burden. If we listen to the counsel of His servants, we can learn what God wants us to know. And if we truly strive to follow those teachings, then we can be more prepared to meet Him.



What other teachings and messages from General Conference did you like that showed how to be more spiritually prepared?

How and What to Prepare

The title of this blog is inspired by the General Conference talk by President Ezra Taft Benson, "Prepare Ye." If you have the time, I would advise everyone to click on the link and read the entire talk. Many people may ask, "How should I be prepared?" or "What should I prepare?" Here are some of my favorite quotes from President Benson's talk that answers what we should do to prepare.

In response to the question of how to prepare for the earth's calamities, President Benson quotes from the Doctrine and Covenants:

“Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;
“And also gave commandments to others. …” (D&C 1:17-18.) He has also said: “Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.”(D&C 1:37.) Here then is the key—look to the prophets for the words of God, that will show us how to prepare for the calamities which are to come. (emphasis added)

President Benson quoted President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. when he asked what we, as individuals, should do to prepare for "this oncoming disaster, which God in his wisdom may not turn aside from us"

"First, and above and beyond everything else, let us live righteously. …
Let us avoid debt as we would avoid a plague; where we are now in debt, let us get out of debt; if not today, then tomorrow.
Let us straitly and strictly live within our incomes, and save a little.
Let every head of every household see to it that he has on hand enough food and clothing, and, where possible, fuel also, for at least a year ahead." (Conference Report, April 1937, p. 26.)

So there is the answer - we need to listen to the prophets' counsel, live righteously, avoid debt, live within our incomes and save that income, and have a year's supply of food, clothing, and fuel. Obviously there are many other aspects to being prepared, but these are the main topics that this blog is going to focus on. 

My husband and I are the authors of this blog and we hope this will be an ongoing tool to help others, including ourselves, follow the words of the prophets in taking care of our temporal and spiritual preparedness.