Mormon Food Storage

[KillerDog]

Not to get involved, but didn't GBH explicitly say that he wasn't predicting any impending calamity when he last counseled the Church to get their finances and food storage in order?

I think there have been a number of statements to that effect that's why I find the member's insistence to the contrary so funny.

[Donuthole]

I can make jokes all day long about my dad dying, but I still can't find Katrina jokes made by people who didn't suffer through it in some way funny. I'm not faulting you, but I'll tell you that my original reaction to your joke wasn't very appreciative.

I'm in a foul mood today.

Duly noted. As a follow up, is it more difficult to swim in 21 feet of water than in 6 feet? I meant to ask that in my initial post, and I'm not about to let your foul mood put a damper on my curiosity.

[wuapinmon]

Duly noted. As a follow up, is it more difficult to swim in 21 feet of water than in 6 feet? I meant to ask that in my initial post, and I'm not about to let your foul mood put a damper on my curiosity.

That depends on if the 21 feet of water has been fouled by gas leaks, sewage backup, rotting bodies, chemical spills, and is full of submerged obstacles and flotsam, oh, and in certain places, sharks.

In a swimming pool, 6 feet vs 21 feet is the same. Katrina was not the same.

[Soccermom]

The thing that bugs me about food storage discussions in the church is how fearful people can become about it. I know several ladies who are working on a food storage and feel like they are failures in life because they only have a 3 month supply. Food storage is a good idea as are financial reserves. I just hate how some members think if they don't have it all right now, they are somehow less righteous and in pending danger. I don't think the counsel for avoiding debt, saving money, or having food storage is because of some major calamity. It is just good, sound advice.

I am glad I don't feel guilty about how much food storage I have. Aristides and I do our best. That is all we can do. I feel bad for people like my parents who are living in fear and guilt. My parents hear about doomsday scenarios at church and then they go home listen to Glenn Beck. I don't know how they dare go outside. And thanks to the doom and gloom they have heard from Glenn Beck, they recently bought a 6 month supply of food storage for $3000. Some dry pack stuff that Glenn Beck claims will be easy to carry out in evacuation situations. I don't think God wants us to live in fear and the gospel isn't a message of doom and gloom. Yet, many members seem to interpret it that way.

[JohnnyLingo]

I am glad I don't feel guilty about how much food storage I have. Aristides and I do our best. That is all we can do. I feel bad for people like my parents who are living in fear and guilt. My parents hear about doomsday scenarios at church and then they go home listen to Glenn Beck. I don't know how they dare go outside. And thanks to the doom and gloom they have heard from Glenn Beck, they recently bought a 6 month supply of food storage for $3000. Some dry pack stuff that Glenn Beck claims will be easy to carry out in evacuation situations. I don't think God wants us to live in fear and the gospel isn't a message of doom and gloom. Yet, many members seem to interpret it that way.

I fail to understand why people view others who give a message of "be prepared" as doomsayers. Can you explain how someone can encourage people to prepare for disaster without being criticized for it?

[UtahDan]

I fail to understand why people view others who give a message of "be prepared" as doomsayers. Can you explain how someone can encourage people to prepare for disaster without being criticized for it?

I don't view them as doomsayers at all, but I think it is inescapable that as long as we teach this it will feed an apocalyptic view among some. That is not a critique, just is what it is. I don't personal think there is a calamity coming, but I'm not so confident in that that I don't keep food and water stored. With as cheap and convenient as it is now to acquire pretty complete supplies I can't justify not doing it. Just like lots of things in life we prepare for that never come to pass. I think that my house burning down is even less likely than a calamity where I would need food storage, but I still send that premium in.

[Soccermom]

I fail to understand why people view others who give a message of "be prepared" as doomsayers. Can you explain how someone can encourage people to prepare for disaster without being criticized for it?

Didn't you read the part where I said that being prepared is good sound advice? My point is that many in the church believe that if they don't have food storage they will suffer some major calamity. Where does this common attitude come from? I contend that part of the problem is the way some people deliver the message. It seems like, at least in my ward, that food storage is an obsession and is mentioned and/or discussed on Sundays more often than the Atonement, repentance, forgiveness, faith, revelation, etc. To me, there is something wrong with that and it is no wonder that many members of the church get stressed about it. I have a food storage and we have reserves and the notion of being prepared is not doomsday. But do you seriously not see how it can be presented in a doomsday fashion?

[JohnnyLingo]

But do you seriously not see how it can be presented in a doomsday fashion?

I understand that it can, yes, but I'm looking for your definition. From your post, I gather that frequency can be an indicator; if you spend too much time talking about preparedness you can become a doomsayer.

Are there other factors?

[UtahDan]

Didn't you read the part where I said that being prepared is good sound advice? My point is that many in the church believe that if they don't have food storage they will suffer some major calamity. Where does this common attitude come from? I contend that part of the problem is the way some people deliver the message. It seems like, at least in my ward, that food storage is an obsession and is mentioned and/or discussed on Sundays more often than the Atonement, repentance, forgiveness, faith, revelation, etc. To me, there is something wrong with that and it is no wonder that many members of the church get stressed about it. I have a food storage and we have reserves and the notion of being prepared is not doomsday. But do you seriously not see how it can be presented in a doomsday fashion?

I have seen it presented this way too but view it as a well intentioned error. That fact that people have been taught their whole lives to have a food storage and 99.99% of them have never needed it leads to some indifference for many, I believe. Which in turn leads to someone feeling they need to say "hey, there are still good reasons to have food storage", but then sort of overselling it. I have not ever been called on to teach it, but this would be one issue where I could say with a very straight face "I know not, save the Lord commanded me."

[TripletDaddy]

Didn't you read the part where I said that being prepared is good sound advice? My point is that many in the church believe that if they don't have food storage they will suffer some major calamity. Where does this common attitude come from? I contend that part of the problem is the way some people deliver the message. It seems like, at least in my ward, that food storage is an obsession and is mentioned and/or discussed on Sundays more often than the Atonement, repentance, forgiveness, faith, revelation, etc. To me, there is something wrong with that and it is no wonder that many members of the church get stressed about it. I have a food storage and we have reserves and the notion of being prepared is not doomsday. But do you seriously not see how it can be presented in a doomsday fashion?

I have seen them sold as "disaster kits." Or "72 hour kits," as in the first 72 hours after a disaster or calamity strikes.

Of all the people that are stockpiling wheat, how many know how to process and prepare it? I think that is going to be the big shock in the event of a disaster....people have supplies that they might not even know how to use.

"Don't worry kids, we have a ton of rice here! We will be eating in 20 minutes! Now where do I plug in the Zojirushi fuzzy logic rice cooker?"

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Some places me be closed when the world comes to an end. Also, I would imagine that the open places will be packed.

I guess you have never heard of making reservations?

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

And thanks to the doom and gloom they have heard from Glenn Beck, they recently bought a 6 month supply of food storage for $3000. Some dry pack stuff that Glenn Beck claims will be easy to carry out in evacuation situations. I don't think God wants us to live in fear and the gospel isn't a message of doom and gloom. Yet, many members seem to interpret it that way.

If Glenn Beck was in the Book of Mormon I think the word used to describe what he does would be; priestcraft. I wish he could at least try to be entertaining, I don't get the draw to his version of selling limited twisted aspects of the gospel. But a lot of mormons sure do.

[Soccermom]

I understand that it can, yes, but I'm looking for your definition. From your post, I gather that frequency can be an indicator; if you spend too much time talking about preparedness you can become a doomsayer.

Are there other factors?

My definition is simple. A doomsayer about food storage predicts eminent disasters and catastrophes over and over again. Their whole reasoning in being prepared is that we will face a disaster. A non-doomsayer teaches us to be prepared just in case something goes wrong. The non-doomsayer doesn't feel the need to bring it up every single week.

[beefytee]

My son's school had 72 hour kits for them at school, until the snow storm struck last year at point of the mountain and some of the kids got stranded at school overnight.

At that point they judged them useless and got rid of them.

[JohnnyLingo]

My son's school had 72 hour kits for them at school, until the snow storm struck last year at point of the mountain and some of the kids got stranded at school overnight.

At that point they judged them useless and got rid of them.

What happened?

My definition is simple. A doomsayer about food storage predicts eminent disasters and catastrophes over and over again. Their whole reasoning in being prepared is that we will face a disaster. A non-doomsayer teaches us to be prepared just in case something goes wrong. The non-doomsayer doesn't feel the need to bring it up every single week.

So rational people preach food storage just in case there's a need for it, while doomsayers preach food storage because there will be a need for it.

Seems like a fine line, but I understand. Thanks for explaining.

If Glenn Beck was in the Book of Mormon I think the word used to describe what he does would be; priestcraft. I wish he could at least try to be entertaining, I don't get the draw to his version of selling limited twisted aspects of the gospel. But a lot of mormons sure do.

Interesting take. What exactly do you mean by "selling limited twisted aspects of the gospel"?