Food Storage and Dreams of Snakes
Last night as I was leaving a family party, I was stopped by a relative who put his arm around my back and proceeded to warn me. He said that in 2-3 weeks there will be a worldwide flu that starts in China. He said we will all need at least 3 months of food storage to survive, because the flu is passed by contact. If you go to the store or pump gas, you’ll contract it. So you can’t leave your home. Then priesthood leaders will lead us to safe places that they’ve been amassing.
All who are left behind will face civil war, then WW3 will break out. He told me I would probably think he’s crazy, and he’s right, I do. Then last night I drempt of snakes - cropping up from the ground all over. I wish I could say I was making all of this up, but I’m not. I didn’t stick around to ask who told him this - I prefer to get news like that from the prophet. Do you think he’d know about it and not tell us?
However, food storage has been a somewhat growing theme lately. It’s one that troubles me. The stats say that most of us don’t have food storage as we’ve been commanded to for years. Whenever I hear information about it, the advice is constantly changing and it all seems a bit doom/gloom. I think I’ve seen more food and water wasted in the name of food storage. I also wonder if there’s a better way to amass and store it. I have so many questions.
If you rotate your food storage and make sure it’s not out-of-date, you better buy it in intravals and have a well-laid-out plan. You must eat it frequently (except for grains, which can be stored for 20-30 years and still be useable - and that should be your basis). If you’re a single parent or single or even poor and live in small places, your home could get overwhelmed by food. Stashing food under the bed and everywhere possible makes me feel like there is no space - it’s crowded out.
Also, consider that most people move at least every 5 years. Try moving that food storage! I remember a move from Oregon - we had so much wheat that we almost needed a semi for just the wheat - which was for our family of 8.
I wish there was a communal solution - a storage place in the basement of the church which you could buy into. Or, set up space in neighborhoods or areas. Some sort of co-op that stays when you move (and you participate in one where you live). Maybe you could buy shares and elect officers. I’m not sure. All I know is I don’t believe people don’t live this because they are disobedient or unfaithful. In fact, the families I’ve seen live it the best have large homes (basements and pantries) and tend to be more wealthy overall. I’m not saying that you have to be rich to have food storage, but that these are often families that are stable in other ways.
What do you think? What could we do better to encourage food storage? Do you think you’ll have to rely on your food storage in some major calamity in coming days? Why or why not?
How do we as faithful members of the church.
I’ve been a lurker on this blog for a while but felt like I needed to respond. I’m a single LDS gal who has struggled with food storage too. I think the thing that has helped me the most is to be informed. There are lots of really great blogs and websites available to help you get started. One of my favorites is http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/. They have steps to getting things done and have a number of women contributing their ideas.
I think its also helped to realize there is a difference between a 3 month supply and a years supply. My 3 month supply is stuff I eat regularly, canned and boxed type of stuff that will expire if you don’t eat it within 6 months to a year. I’ve even heard it suggested that you figure out the 7 meals you eat most frequently and then buy enough to make it 13 times to get your 3 month supply. The year supply of food should be stuff that can be kept for longer amounts of time and are basics which can be used to make other things. The church has a great list of that info on their website and there are some websites that have calculators to help you on your way.
Just for what its worth, my sister-in-law is someone I trust implicitly about all things spiritual and she told me a few months ago she’s been having dreams about the future and the need to prepare now, that something big is coming soon. She doesn’t share that information lightly, she’s only shared it with me. I think the brethern do know there is something big coming soon (maybe not the specifics) because they have been telling us more and more about food storage and listening to the prophets. It might come down to the ultimate in how well did you listen to the prophets type of experience. If you go to the provident living website, there is a large section on there about pandemic flu and how to prepare. Its been very helpful for me to feel like I’m “prepared.” I’ve heard from a number of very different sources that the pandemic flu isn’t an “if” scenario but a when. But honestly, there are so many things going on in the world around us these days that might precipitate needing food storage, I wouldn’t want to begin to say which one is going to get us first. It makes me wonder if the 3 months supply is to help with a “known” problem of pandemic flu and the year supply is for just the sheer number of other things that might happen.
For me personally, the 3 month supply has been pretty easy since its stuff I normally eat and buy. The longer term storage is harder because I don’t have a lot of money to buy stuff in bulk and I don’t need as much as some others. It doesn’t make sense to open a #10 can or 50lb bag of something for just one person. Its something I’m still struggling to figure out how to make it work for me. My best bet has been to order those kits the church makes that is supposed to be for one person for one month. Maybe I should get on that part instead of fretting about customizing my long term food storage to fit my food choices.
A comment I heard a while back changed my mind about the space problem….a quote from a general authority said something to the effect that we shouldn’t worry about having to walk around our food storage if we need to because there will be a day when we will be glad to have our food storage to walk around. Sorry for the long comment/post. Its definitely something that has been high on my thought list these days.
Comment by Jen — August 18, 2008 @ 7:07 am
Hi,
I have been thinking a lot about food storage lately too. Honestly, I’m not sure what I think about your friends story. However, the same issues that you have with food storage, I also run in to.
I think water is an immediate necessity. After that, I like to think as long term food supply, emergency, and short term food supply. Its easy to get everything all mixed up and categorized as the same.
-J
Comment by azide — August 18, 2008 @ 2:51 pm