“Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their . . . supply of food . . . and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse:they have at least a year’s supply of debtand are food-free.”President Thomas S. Monson, “That Noble Gift—Love at Home,” Church News, May 12, 2001, 7.
“Everyone who owns a home recognizes the need for fire insurance. We hope and pray that there will never be a fire. Nevertheless,we pay for insurance to cover such a catastrophe,should it occur. We ought to do the same with reference to family welfare.”President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008),“To Men of the Priesthood,” Liahona and Ensign,Nov. 2002, 58.
“There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed…No one knows when emergencies will strike…Set your houses in order. If you have paid your debts, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then should storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wife and children and peace in your hearts. That’s all I have to say about it, but I wish to say it with all the emphasis of which I am capable” (CR, Gordon B. Hinckley, Oct. 1998, 70-72; Ensign, Nov. 1998, 53-54).
“No true Latter-Day Saint, while physically or emotionally able will voluntarily shift the burden of his own or his family’s well-being to someone else. So long as he can, under the inspiration of the Lord and with his own labors, he will supply himself and his family with the spiritual and temporal necessities of life ( 1Tim 5:8) Spencer W. Kimball, CR Oct. 1977.
While we consider when to begin, it becomes too late. Latin Proverb
“Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine, and earth quake cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not acquainted with the revelations of the Lord, or they do not believe them. Those who smugly think these calamities will not happen, that they will somehow be set aside because of the righteousness of the Saints, are deceived and will rue the day they harbored such a delusion.” (Ezra Taft Benson - October Conference, 1980 Ensign, Nov 1980:32-33
"...when we really get into hard times, where food is scarce or there is none at all, and so with clothing and shelter, money may be no good for there may be nothing to buy, and you cannot eat money, you cannot get enough of it together to burn to keep you warm, and you cannot wear it." (President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. - Church News, November 21, 1953, p.4.)
“We continue to encourage members to store sufficient food, clothing, and, where possible, fuel for at least one year. We have not laid down an exact formula for what should be stored. However, we suggest that members concentrate on essential foods that sustain life, such as grains, legumes, cooking oil, powdered milk, salt, sugar or honey, and water. Most families can achieve and maintain this basic level of preparedness. The decision to do more than this rests with the individual. We encourage you to follow this counsel with the assurance that a people prepared through obedience to the commandments of God need not fear.” The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Ezra Taft Benson, Gordon B. Hinckley, and Thomas S. Monson) June 24, 1988 in a letter to General Authorities and the following Priesthood leaders in the United States and Canada: Area Authorities (formerly Regional Reps.); Stake, Mission, and District Presidents; Bishops and Branch Presidents.
"How on the face of the earth could a man enjoy his religion, when he had been told by the Lord how to prepare for a day of famine, when, instead of doing so, he had fooled away that which would have sustained him and his family." (Elder George A. Smith - Journal of Discourses, vol. 12, p. 142.)
“The principle of the fat and lean kine is as applicable today as it was in the days when, on the banks of the Nile, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream. Officials now warn us, and warn again, that scant days are coming.” (President Heber J. Grant, J. Reuben Clark, Jr., David O. McKay (First Presidency), Conference Report 1942 as quoted in We Believe, by Rulon T. Burton)
“The time will come that gold will hold no comparison in value to a bushel of wheat.” (Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, p. 250, 1943 ed., p. 298.)
“Maintain a year's supply. The Lord has urged that his people save for the rainy days, prepare for the difficult times, and put away for emergencies, a year's supply or more of bare necessities so that when comes the flood, the earthquake, the famine, the hurricane, the storms of life, our families can be sustained through the dark days. How many of us have complied with this? We strive with the Lord, finding many excuses: We do not have room for storage. The food spoils. We do not have the funds to do it. We do not like these common foods. It is not needed -- there will always be someone to help in trouble. The government will come to the rescue. And some intend to obey but procrastinate.” The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.375
"Let us avoid debt as we would avoid a plague...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...Let every head of household aim to own his own home, free from mortgage. Let us again clothe ourselves with these proved and sterling virtues--honesty, truthfulness, chastity, sobriety, temperance, industry, and thrift; let us discard all covetousness and greed." (President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. - April 1937 General Conference - Welfare conference address, October 1, 1966).
“Should the Lord decide at this time to cleanse the Church -- and the need for that cleansing seems to be increasing – a famine in this land of one year's duration could wipe out a large percentage of slothful members, including some ward and stake officers. Yet we cannot say we have not been warned.” (God, Family, Country, p. 383.)
"As we have been continuously counseled for more than 60 years, let us have some food set aside that would sustain us for a time in case of need. But let us not panic nor go to extremes. Let us be prudent in every respect. And, above all, my brothers and sisters, let us move forward with faith in the Living God and His Beloved Son" Gordon B. Hinckley, in Conference Report, Oct. 2001, 89; or Ensign, Nov. 2001, 73.
“We encourage families to have on hand this year's supply; and we say it over and over and over and repeat over and over the scripture of the Lord where he says, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46.) How empty it is as they put their spirituality, so-called, into action and call him by his important names, but fail to do the things which he says. A man should not only be prepared to protect himself physically, but he should also have on hand sufficient supplies to sustain himself and his family in an emergency. For many years the leaders of the Mormon Church have recommended, with instructions, that every family have on hand at least a year's supply of basic food, clothing, fuel (where possible), and provisions for shelter. This has been most helpful to families suffering temporary reverses. It can and will be useful in many circumstances in the days ahead. We also need to get out of financial bondage, to be debt-free.” (God, Family, Country, p. 331.)
“You do not need to go into debt to obtain a year's supply. Plan to build up your food supply just as you would a savings account. Save a little for storage each paycheck. Can or bottle fruit and vegetables from your gardens and orchards. Learn how to preserve food through drying and possibly freezing. Make your storage a part of your budget. Store seeds and have sufficient tools on hand to do the job. If you are saving and planning for a second car or a television set or some item which merely adds to your comfort or pleasure, you may need to change your priorities. We urge you to do this prayerfully and do it now. I speak with a feeling of great urgency.” (Conference Report October 1980, Ensign 10 [November 1980]
"...If we are to be saved in an ark, as Noah and his family were, it will be because we build it… My faith does not lead me to think the Lord will provide us with roast pigs, bread already buttered, etc., He will give us the ability to raise the grain, to obtain the fruits of the earth, to make habitations, to procure a few boards to make a box, and when harvest comes, giving us the grain, it is for us to preserve it--to save the wheat until we have one, two, five or seven years' provisions on hand, until there is enough of the staff of life saved by the people to bread themselves and those who will come here seeking for safety." (Marion G. Romney (Quoting Brigham Young) - April Conference, 1976)
"Remember the counsel that is given,” “...Store up all your grain,' and take care of it!” “...And I tell you it is almost as necessary to have bread to sustain the body as it is to have food for the spirit; for the one is as necessary as the other to enable us to carry on the work of God upon the earth." Elder Orson Hyde (Journal of Discourses, vol. 5, p. 17)
“For over forty years, in a spirit of love, members of the Church have been counseled to be thrifty and self-reliant; to avoid debt; pay tithes and a generous fast offering; be industrious; and have sufficient food, clothing, and fuel on hand to last at least one year. Today there are compelling reasons to reemphasize this counsel.” Ezra Taft Benson - October Conference, 1980
"There is more salvation and security in wheat than in all the political schemes of the world." - Ezra Taft Benson (Journal of Discourses 2: 207)
“More than ever before, we need to learn and apply the principles of economic self-reliance. We do not know when the crisis involving sickness or unemployment may affect our own circumstances. We do know that the Lord has decreed global calamities for the future and has warned and forewarned us to be prepared. For this reason the Brethren have repeatedly stressed a “back to basics” program for temporal and spiritual welfare.” - Ezra Taft Benson, “Prepare for the Days of Tribulation,” Ensign, Nov. 1980, page 32
“Church members can begin their home storage by storing the basic foods that would be required to keep them alive if they did not have anything else to eat. Depending on where members live, those basics might include water, wheat or other grains, legumes, salt, honey or sugar, powdered milk, and cooking oil.” … “When members have stored enough of these essentials to meet the needs of their family for one year, they may decide to add other items that they are accustomed to using day to day.” … “Families who do not have the resources to acquire a year’s supply can begin their storage by obtaining supplies to last for a few months. Members should be prudent and not panic or go to extremes in this effort.” – The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in a letter to General Authorities; Area Authority Seventies; Stake, Mission, and District Presidents; Bishops and Branch Presidents January 20, 2002
"It is better to prepare and prevent than to repair and repent." – Ezra Taft Benson
“How on the face of the earth could a man enjoy his religion when he had been told by the Lord how to prepare for a day of famine, when, instead of doing so, he had fooled away that which would have sustained him and his family.” - Elder George A. Smith, Journal of Discourses, Volume 12, page 142.
“Life is made up of small daily acts. Savings in food budgets come by pennies, not only by dollars. Clothing budgets are cut by mending stitch by stitch, seam by seam. Houses are kept in good repair nail by nail. Provident homes come not by decree or by broad brushstroke. Provident homes come from small acts performed well day after day. When we see in our minds the great vision, then we discipline ourselves by steady, small steps that make it happen.” (Barbara B. Smith, former Relief Society General President - Ensign, Nov. 1980, p. 86.)
"For the moment we live in a day of peace and prosperity, but it shall not ever be thus. Great trials lie ahead...and we must prepare ourselves temporally and spiritually." -- Bruce R. McConkie
"Consider the important (food storage) program which we must never forget nor put in the background. As we become more affluent and our bank accounts enlarge, there comes a feeling of security, and we feel sometimes that we do not need the supply that has been suggested by the Brethren. . . . We must remember that conditions could change and a year’s supply of basic commodities could be very much appreciated by us or others. So we would do well to listen to what we have been told and to follow it explicitly" (Spencer W. Kimball, in Conference Report, Apr. 1976, 170; or Ensign, May 1976, 124).
"We want you to be ready with your personal storehouses filled with at least a year’s supply. You don’t argue why it cannot be done; you just plan to organize and get it done" (Spencer W. Kimball, August 1976).
Avoid Debt: “Few things erode happiness more quickly than debt. In some cultures, debt is becoming both more available and more accepted. But as Church members, we have long been advised to avoid unnecessary debt. The hunger for worldly goods must be bridled just as any other appetite. Applying the pioneer motto ‘Fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without’ can help us live within our means.” - Visiting Teaching Message: “Living within Our Means,” Ensign, Feb. 2001, 69
"Say I, Wake-up, ye Saints of Zion, while it is called today, lest trouble and sorrow come upon you, as a thief in the night. Suppose it is not coming, will it hurt you to lay up the products of the earth for seven years? Will it hurt you, if you have your house in order? I want the world to know that we are ready for anything that comes along. If it is good, we are ready for that; and if it is evil, we are ready to stand against it." -Heber C. Kimball
"As long as I can remember, we have been taught to prepare for the future and to obtain a year’s supply of necessities. . . . I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over. With the events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness. . . . Create a plan if you don't already have one, or update your present plan . . . We are not in a situation that requires panic buying, but we do need to be careful in purchasing and rotating the storage that we're putting away." (L. Tom Perry, in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 47; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 36).
"Let every head of household see to it that he has on hand enough food and clothing and, where possible, fuel also for at least a year." J. Rueben Clark 1937
"We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property. Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees—plant them if your climate is right for their growth. Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard" (Spencer W. Kimball, in Conference Report, Apr. 1976, 171; or Ensign, May 1976, 124).
"Those families will be fortunate who, in the last days, have an adequate supply of food because of their foresight and ability to produce their own" (Ezra Taft Benson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1980, 47; or Ensign, Nov. 1980, 33).
"There is a wise old saying 'Eat it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without'. Thrift is a practice of not wasting anything. Some people are able to get by because of the absence of expense. They have their shoes resoled, they patch, they mend, they sew, and they save money. They avoid installment buying, and make purchases only after saving enough to pay cash, thus avoiding interest charges. Frugality means to practice careful economy." James E. Faust
"The Lord has warned us of famines, but the righteous will have listened to the Prophet and stored at least a year's supply of survival food." Ezra Taft Benson
"Recent surveys of Church members have shown a serious erosion in the number of families who have a year’s supply of life’s necessities. Most members plan to do it. Too few have begun. . . . It is our sacred duty to care for our families, including our extended families" (Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, Sept. 1986, 4; emphasis in original).
"The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah." Pres. Ezra Taft Bensen
"We will see the day when we live on what we produce." Pres. Marion G. Romney
"Let us be in a position so we are able to not only feed ourselves through home production and storage, but others as well" (Ezra Taft Benson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1980, 48; or Ensign, Nov. 1980, 34).
"Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year’s supply of food and clothing and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have at least a year’s supply of debt and are food-free" (Thomas S. Monson, "That Noble Gift—Love at Home," Church News, 12 May 2001, 7).
"Ye Latter-day Saints, learn to sustain yourselves, produce everything you need to eat, drink or wear,..." Pres. Brigham Young
"The Lord has warned us of famines, but the righteous will have listened to prophets and stored at least a year’s supply of survival food" (Ezra Taft Benson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1973, 90; or Ensign; Jan. 1974, 80).
"Every father and mother are the family’s storekeepers. They should store whatever their own family would like to have in the case of an emergency. . . . Some have said, “We have followed this counsel in the past and have never had need to use our year’s supply, so we have difficulty keeping this in mind as a major priority.” Perhaps following this counsel could be the reason why they have not needed to use their reserve. By continued rotation of the supply it can be kept usable with no waste" (James E. Faust, in Conference Report, Apr. 1986, 26; or Ensign, May 1986, 22).
"There is no person who knows the real purpose for which this welfare program is being instituted but hardly before sufficient preparation has been made the real purpose will be revealed and when that time comes it will challenge every resource of the church to meet it." Harold B. Lee
"When people are able but unwilling to take care of themselves we are responsible to employ the dictum of the Lord that the idler shall not eat the bread of the laborer". Elder Boyd K. Packer
"No man is truly free who is in financial bondage. 'Think what you do when you run in debt', said Benjamin Franklin, 'you give another power over your liberty.'" Ezra Taft Bensen
In Matthew, chapter 24, we learn of ‘famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes,…’ (Matt 24:7) The Lord declared that these and other calamities shall occur. These particular prophecies seem not to be conditional. The Lord, with his foreknowledge, knows that they will happen. Some will come about through man’s manipulations; others through the forces of nature and nature’s God, but that they will come seeks certain. Prophecy is but history in reverse – a divine disclosure of future events.” Ezra Taft Benson, “Prepare Ye,” Ensign, Jan 1974, 68).
“If in 1936 we had told the Saints, ‘You would better prepare, because the time is coming when’ – remember, in 1936 the problem was money, - there was always enough to buy, but the problem today is something to buy, not money – if we had told you then that the time would come when you could not buy all the meat you wanted, and perhaps not any at times; that you could not get butter, and that you could not get sugar, and that you could not get clothing, and that the farmers could get no machinery, and so on down the whole list of things that you can not get now and that therefore you should prepare for a stormy day, we would have been laughed to scorn. But I say to you again, the advice then given is good today, and you would better prepare for the times ahead, that you may not be like the five foolish virgins with no oil in your lamps. (J. Reuben Clark, Jr. “Church News,” March 2, 1946)
"We encourage you to follow this counsel with the assurance that a people prepared through obedience to the commandments of God need not fear" (First Presidency letter, 24 June 1988).
"Perhaps if we think . . . of what it would take to keep us alive in case we didn’t have anything else to eat, that . . . would be very easy to put in storage for a year . . . just enough to keep us alive if we didn’t have anything else to eat" (Harold B. Lee, quoted in Ezra Taft Benson, "Prepare Ye," Ensign, Jan. 1974, 81).
"We suggest that members concentrate on essential foods that sustain life" (First Presidency letter, 24 June 1988).
Scriptures
D&C 1:12-Prepare for that which is to come
D&C 29:8 – Be prepared in all things against the day when tribulations and desolations are sent forth
D&C 29:16 – A great hailstorm sent to destroy the crops of the earth.
D&C 38:30 – If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear
D&C 45:31 – An overflowing scourge, for a desolating sickness shall cover the land
D&C 63:33 – Decreed wars upon the face of the earth
Gen 41: 15-36 – Pharaoh’s dream of seven good and bad years
Matt 24:7 - Famines and pestilences, and earthquakes
“Everyone who owns a home recognizes the need for fire insurance. We hope and pray that there will never be a fire. Nevertheless,we pay for insurance to cover such a catastrophe,should it occur. We ought to do the same with reference to family welfare.”President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008),“To Men of the Priesthood,” Liahona and Ensign,Nov. 2002, 58.
“There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed…No one knows when emergencies will strike…Set your houses in order. If you have paid your debts, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then should storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wife and children and peace in your hearts. That’s all I have to say about it, but I wish to say it with all the emphasis of which I am capable” (CR, Gordon B. Hinckley, Oct. 1998, 70-72; Ensign, Nov. 1998, 53-54).
“No true Latter-Day Saint, while physically or emotionally able will voluntarily shift the burden of his own or his family’s well-being to someone else. So long as he can, under the inspiration of the Lord and with his own labors, he will supply himself and his family with the spiritual and temporal necessities of life ( 1Tim 5:8) Spencer W. Kimball, CR Oct. 1977.
While we consider when to begin, it becomes too late. Latin Proverb
“Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine, and earth quake cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not acquainted with the revelations of the Lord, or they do not believe them. Those who smugly think these calamities will not happen, that they will somehow be set aside because of the righteousness of the Saints, are deceived and will rue the day they harbored such a delusion.” (Ezra Taft Benson - October Conference, 1980 Ensign, Nov 1980:32-33
"...when we really get into hard times, where food is scarce or there is none at all, and so with clothing and shelter, money may be no good for there may be nothing to buy, and you cannot eat money, you cannot get enough of it together to burn to keep you warm, and you cannot wear it." (President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. - Church News, November 21, 1953, p.4.)
“We continue to encourage members to store sufficient food, clothing, and, where possible, fuel for at least one year. We have not laid down an exact formula for what should be stored. However, we suggest that members concentrate on essential foods that sustain life, such as grains, legumes, cooking oil, powdered milk, salt, sugar or honey, and water. Most families can achieve and maintain this basic level of preparedness. The decision to do more than this rests with the individual. We encourage you to follow this counsel with the assurance that a people prepared through obedience to the commandments of God need not fear.” The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Ezra Taft Benson, Gordon B. Hinckley, and Thomas S. Monson) June 24, 1988 in a letter to General Authorities and the following Priesthood leaders in the United States and Canada: Area Authorities (formerly Regional Reps.); Stake, Mission, and District Presidents; Bishops and Branch Presidents.
"How on the face of the earth could a man enjoy his religion, when he had been told by the Lord how to prepare for a day of famine, when, instead of doing so, he had fooled away that which would have sustained him and his family." (Elder George A. Smith - Journal of Discourses, vol. 12, p. 142.)
“The principle of the fat and lean kine is as applicable today as it was in the days when, on the banks of the Nile, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream. Officials now warn us, and warn again, that scant days are coming.” (President Heber J. Grant, J. Reuben Clark, Jr., David O. McKay (First Presidency), Conference Report 1942 as quoted in We Believe, by Rulon T. Burton)
“The time will come that gold will hold no comparison in value to a bushel of wheat.” (Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, p. 250, 1943 ed., p. 298.)
“Maintain a year's supply. The Lord has urged that his people save for the rainy days, prepare for the difficult times, and put away for emergencies, a year's supply or more of bare necessities so that when comes the flood, the earthquake, the famine, the hurricane, the storms of life, our families can be sustained through the dark days. How many of us have complied with this? We strive with the Lord, finding many excuses: We do not have room for storage. The food spoils. We do not have the funds to do it. We do not like these common foods. It is not needed -- there will always be someone to help in trouble. The government will come to the rescue. And some intend to obey but procrastinate.” The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.375
"Let us avoid debt as we would avoid a plague...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...Let every head of household aim to own his own home, free from mortgage. Let us again clothe ourselves with these proved and sterling virtues--honesty, truthfulness, chastity, sobriety, temperance, industry, and thrift; let us discard all covetousness and greed." (President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. - April 1937 General Conference - Welfare conference address, October 1, 1966).
“Should the Lord decide at this time to cleanse the Church -- and the need for that cleansing seems to be increasing – a famine in this land of one year's duration could wipe out a large percentage of slothful members, including some ward and stake officers. Yet we cannot say we have not been warned.” (God, Family, Country, p. 383.)
"As we have been continuously counseled for more than 60 years, let us have some food set aside that would sustain us for a time in case of need. But let us not panic nor go to extremes. Let us be prudent in every respect. And, above all, my brothers and sisters, let us move forward with faith in the Living God and His Beloved Son" Gordon B. Hinckley, in Conference Report, Oct. 2001, 89; or Ensign, Nov. 2001, 73.
“We encourage families to have on hand this year's supply; and we say it over and over and over and repeat over and over the scripture of the Lord where he says, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46.) How empty it is as they put their spirituality, so-called, into action and call him by his important names, but fail to do the things which he says. A man should not only be prepared to protect himself physically, but he should also have on hand sufficient supplies to sustain himself and his family in an emergency. For many years the leaders of the Mormon Church have recommended, with instructions, that every family have on hand at least a year's supply of basic food, clothing, fuel (where possible), and provisions for shelter. This has been most helpful to families suffering temporary reverses. It can and will be useful in many circumstances in the days ahead. We also need to get out of financial bondage, to be debt-free.” (God, Family, Country, p. 331.)
“You do not need to go into debt to obtain a year's supply. Plan to build up your food supply just as you would a savings account. Save a little for storage each paycheck. Can or bottle fruit and vegetables from your gardens and orchards. Learn how to preserve food through drying and possibly freezing. Make your storage a part of your budget. Store seeds and have sufficient tools on hand to do the job. If you are saving and planning for a second car or a television set or some item which merely adds to your comfort or pleasure, you may need to change your priorities. We urge you to do this prayerfully and do it now. I speak with a feeling of great urgency.” (Conference Report October 1980, Ensign 10 [November 1980]
"...If we are to be saved in an ark, as Noah and his family were, it will be because we build it… My faith does not lead me to think the Lord will provide us with roast pigs, bread already buttered, etc., He will give us the ability to raise the grain, to obtain the fruits of the earth, to make habitations, to procure a few boards to make a box, and when harvest comes, giving us the grain, it is for us to preserve it--to save the wheat until we have one, two, five or seven years' provisions on hand, until there is enough of the staff of life saved by the people to bread themselves and those who will come here seeking for safety." (Marion G. Romney (Quoting Brigham Young) - April Conference, 1976)
"Remember the counsel that is given,” “...Store up all your grain,' and take care of it!” “...And I tell you it is almost as necessary to have bread to sustain the body as it is to have food for the spirit; for the one is as necessary as the other to enable us to carry on the work of God upon the earth." Elder Orson Hyde (Journal of Discourses, vol. 5, p. 17)
“For over forty years, in a spirit of love, members of the Church have been counseled to be thrifty and self-reliant; to avoid debt; pay tithes and a generous fast offering; be industrious; and have sufficient food, clothing, and fuel on hand to last at least one year. Today there are compelling reasons to reemphasize this counsel.” Ezra Taft Benson - October Conference, 1980
"There is more salvation and security in wheat than in all the political schemes of the world." - Ezra Taft Benson (Journal of Discourses 2: 207)
“More than ever before, we need to learn and apply the principles of economic self-reliance. We do not know when the crisis involving sickness or unemployment may affect our own circumstances. We do know that the Lord has decreed global calamities for the future and has warned and forewarned us to be prepared. For this reason the Brethren have repeatedly stressed a “back to basics” program for temporal and spiritual welfare.” - Ezra Taft Benson, “Prepare for the Days of Tribulation,” Ensign, Nov. 1980, page 32
“Church members can begin their home storage by storing the basic foods that would be required to keep them alive if they did not have anything else to eat. Depending on where members live, those basics might include water, wheat or other grains, legumes, salt, honey or sugar, powdered milk, and cooking oil.” … “When members have stored enough of these essentials to meet the needs of their family for one year, they may decide to add other items that they are accustomed to using day to day.” … “Families who do not have the resources to acquire a year’s supply can begin their storage by obtaining supplies to last for a few months. Members should be prudent and not panic or go to extremes in this effort.” – The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in a letter to General Authorities; Area Authority Seventies; Stake, Mission, and District Presidents; Bishops and Branch Presidents January 20, 2002
"It is better to prepare and prevent than to repair and repent." – Ezra Taft Benson
“How on the face of the earth could a man enjoy his religion when he had been told by the Lord how to prepare for a day of famine, when, instead of doing so, he had fooled away that which would have sustained him and his family.” - Elder George A. Smith, Journal of Discourses, Volume 12, page 142.
“Life is made up of small daily acts. Savings in food budgets come by pennies, not only by dollars. Clothing budgets are cut by mending stitch by stitch, seam by seam. Houses are kept in good repair nail by nail. Provident homes come not by decree or by broad brushstroke. Provident homes come from small acts performed well day after day. When we see in our minds the great vision, then we discipline ourselves by steady, small steps that make it happen.” (Barbara B. Smith, former Relief Society General President - Ensign, Nov. 1980, p. 86.)
"For the moment we live in a day of peace and prosperity, but it shall not ever be thus. Great trials lie ahead...and we must prepare ourselves temporally and spiritually." -- Bruce R. McConkie
"Consider the important (food storage) program which we must never forget nor put in the background. As we become more affluent and our bank accounts enlarge, there comes a feeling of security, and we feel sometimes that we do not need the supply that has been suggested by the Brethren. . . . We must remember that conditions could change and a year’s supply of basic commodities could be very much appreciated by us or others. So we would do well to listen to what we have been told and to follow it explicitly" (Spencer W. Kimball, in Conference Report, Apr. 1976, 170; or Ensign, May 1976, 124).
"We want you to be ready with your personal storehouses filled with at least a year’s supply. You don’t argue why it cannot be done; you just plan to organize and get it done" (Spencer W. Kimball, August 1976).
Avoid Debt: “Few things erode happiness more quickly than debt. In some cultures, debt is becoming both more available and more accepted. But as Church members, we have long been advised to avoid unnecessary debt. The hunger for worldly goods must be bridled just as any other appetite. Applying the pioneer motto ‘Fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without’ can help us live within our means.” - Visiting Teaching Message: “Living within Our Means,” Ensign, Feb. 2001, 69
"Say I, Wake-up, ye Saints of Zion, while it is called today, lest trouble and sorrow come upon you, as a thief in the night. Suppose it is not coming, will it hurt you to lay up the products of the earth for seven years? Will it hurt you, if you have your house in order? I want the world to know that we are ready for anything that comes along. If it is good, we are ready for that; and if it is evil, we are ready to stand against it." -Heber C. Kimball
"As long as I can remember, we have been taught to prepare for the future and to obtain a year’s supply of necessities. . . . I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over. With the events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness. . . . Create a plan if you don't already have one, or update your present plan . . . We are not in a situation that requires panic buying, but we do need to be careful in purchasing and rotating the storage that we're putting away." (L. Tom Perry, in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 47; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 36).
"Let every head of household see to it that he has on hand enough food and clothing and, where possible, fuel also for at least a year." J. Rueben Clark 1937
"We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property. Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees—plant them if your climate is right for their growth. Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard" (Spencer W. Kimball, in Conference Report, Apr. 1976, 171; or Ensign, May 1976, 124).
"Those families will be fortunate who, in the last days, have an adequate supply of food because of their foresight and ability to produce their own" (Ezra Taft Benson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1980, 47; or Ensign, Nov. 1980, 33).
"There is a wise old saying 'Eat it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without'. Thrift is a practice of not wasting anything. Some people are able to get by because of the absence of expense. They have their shoes resoled, they patch, they mend, they sew, and they save money. They avoid installment buying, and make purchases only after saving enough to pay cash, thus avoiding interest charges. Frugality means to practice careful economy." James E. Faust
"The Lord has warned us of famines, but the righteous will have listened to the Prophet and stored at least a year's supply of survival food." Ezra Taft Benson
"Recent surveys of Church members have shown a serious erosion in the number of families who have a year’s supply of life’s necessities. Most members plan to do it. Too few have begun. . . . It is our sacred duty to care for our families, including our extended families" (Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, Sept. 1986, 4; emphasis in original).
"The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah." Pres. Ezra Taft Bensen
"We will see the day when we live on what we produce." Pres. Marion G. Romney
"Let us be in a position so we are able to not only feed ourselves through home production and storage, but others as well" (Ezra Taft Benson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1980, 48; or Ensign, Nov. 1980, 34).
"Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year’s supply of food and clothing and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have at least a year’s supply of debt and are food-free" (Thomas S. Monson, "That Noble Gift—Love at Home," Church News, 12 May 2001, 7).
"Ye Latter-day Saints, learn to sustain yourselves, produce everything you need to eat, drink or wear,..." Pres. Brigham Young
"The Lord has warned us of famines, but the righteous will have listened to prophets and stored at least a year’s supply of survival food" (Ezra Taft Benson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1973, 90; or Ensign; Jan. 1974, 80).
"Every father and mother are the family’s storekeepers. They should store whatever their own family would like to have in the case of an emergency. . . . Some have said, “We have followed this counsel in the past and have never had need to use our year’s supply, so we have difficulty keeping this in mind as a major priority.” Perhaps following this counsel could be the reason why they have not needed to use their reserve. By continued rotation of the supply it can be kept usable with no waste" (James E. Faust, in Conference Report, Apr. 1986, 26; or Ensign, May 1986, 22).
"There is no person who knows the real purpose for which this welfare program is being instituted but hardly before sufficient preparation has been made the real purpose will be revealed and when that time comes it will challenge every resource of the church to meet it." Harold B. Lee
"When people are able but unwilling to take care of themselves we are responsible to employ the dictum of the Lord that the idler shall not eat the bread of the laborer". Elder Boyd K. Packer
"No man is truly free who is in financial bondage. 'Think what you do when you run in debt', said Benjamin Franklin, 'you give another power over your liberty.'" Ezra Taft Bensen
In Matthew, chapter 24, we learn of ‘famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes,…’ (Matt 24:7) The Lord declared that these and other calamities shall occur. These particular prophecies seem not to be conditional. The Lord, with his foreknowledge, knows that they will happen. Some will come about through man’s manipulations; others through the forces of nature and nature’s God, but that they will come seeks certain. Prophecy is but history in reverse – a divine disclosure of future events.” Ezra Taft Benson, “Prepare Ye,” Ensign, Jan 1974, 68).
“If in 1936 we had told the Saints, ‘You would better prepare, because the time is coming when’ – remember, in 1936 the problem was money, - there was always enough to buy, but the problem today is something to buy, not money – if we had told you then that the time would come when you could not buy all the meat you wanted, and perhaps not any at times; that you could not get butter, and that you could not get sugar, and that you could not get clothing, and that the farmers could get no machinery, and so on down the whole list of things that you can not get now and that therefore you should prepare for a stormy day, we would have been laughed to scorn. But I say to you again, the advice then given is good today, and you would better prepare for the times ahead, that you may not be like the five foolish virgins with no oil in your lamps. (J. Reuben Clark, Jr. “Church News,” March 2, 1946)
"We encourage you to follow this counsel with the assurance that a people prepared through obedience to the commandments of God need not fear" (First Presidency letter, 24 June 1988).
"Perhaps if we think . . . of what it would take to keep us alive in case we didn’t have anything else to eat, that . . . would be very easy to put in storage for a year . . . just enough to keep us alive if we didn’t have anything else to eat" (Harold B. Lee, quoted in Ezra Taft Benson, "Prepare Ye," Ensign, Jan. 1974, 81).
"We suggest that members concentrate on essential foods that sustain life" (First Presidency letter, 24 June 1988).
Scriptures
D&C 1:12-Prepare for that which is to come
D&C 29:8 – Be prepared in all things against the day when tribulations and desolations are sent forth
D&C 29:16 – A great hailstorm sent to destroy the crops of the earth.
D&C 38:30 – If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear
D&C 45:31 – An overflowing scourge, for a desolating sickness shall cover the land
D&C 63:33 – Decreed wars upon the face of the earth
Gen 41: 15-36 – Pharaoh’s dream of seven good and bad years
Matt 24:7 - Famines and pestilences, and earthquakes
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