Elder Wirtin food storage quote

[arbilad]

Elder Joseph. B Wirthlin, April 2004:
"Brothers and sisters, the preparations you make today may one day be to you as the stored food was to the Egyptians and to Joseph’s father’s family."

[DMGNUT]

Yes!

[DMGNUT]

Rereading the above quote makes me wonder why so many members now tell me I need to gain my direction from our most recent conference talks.
I agree that what we're being told now (in most recent conferences), has immediate application to the situations we face today... our current events.
But they make it sound like past counsel (even fairly recent ones, like the one above from 2004), no longer apply.
It's like, "If they don't say something about food storage in the last or next talk, then obviously we don't need food storage anymore." What!!!???
Where did this idea come from?
We still read and hold to everything in the scriptures, and they're pretty darn old.
Why are we still heading that very, very old counsel, if something a Prophet or Apostle said 20 or 30 years ago in a conference talk, doesn't matter anymore?
Just thinking out loud... but feel free to chime in.

[Earthling]

Signseeker and I have actually been discussing this lately - and concerned that past prophets and scriptures are still given proper credence. I told her about the discussion - maybe she'll drop in.

Also if we don't need food storage then why is the church selling it - even at Deseret Book now? I think people just want any excuse they can get.
A dear friend of mine was told in a blessing a few years ago (she is 70) that her storage would be a blessing as she would need to live on it to survive.
I also had a blessing and was told that some church members would be repenting in sack cloth for not obeying the counsel to store food. I think people find it expensive, inconvenient, plus a learning process of what to store, how to use it, etc. and none of it do they want to spend their time on. Also most of the younger generation doesn't know how to cook let alone from basic foods like rice, flour (let alone wheat!), oatmeal, etc. That group is going to have a very difficult time.

[iggy]

Signseeker and I have actually been discussing this lately - and concerned that past prophets and scriptures are still given proper credence. I told her about the discussion - maybe she'll drop in.

Also if we don't need food storage then why is the church selling it - even at Deseret Book now? I think people just want any excuse they can get.
A dear friend of mine was told in a blessing a few years ago (she is 70) that her storage would be a blessing as she would need to live on it to survive.
I also had a blessing and was told that some church members would be repenting in sack cloth for not obeying the counsel to store food. I think people find it expensive, inconvenient, plus a learning process of what to store, how to use it, etc. and none of it do they want to spend their time on. Also most of the younger generation doesn't know how to cook let alone from basic foods like rice, flour (let alone wheat!), oatmeal, etc. That group is going to have a very difficult time.

I have stressed this at church, in RS, at RS Evening Meetings, to individual members - YW, YM, RS Presidencies, etc. Not only do the youth need to know how to cook from *scratch*, but so do the younger generation, 21 to 40 year olds. The High Schools in my area no longer have Home Economics. What a shame!

I have offered to teach how to make and bake bread from grinding the wheat, to mixing it in a stand up mixer w/dough hook, then forming the loaves and then baking it. Since my home kitchen is a postage stamp, an older sister (she is 78) graciously offered her kitchen. Her home was built for a Kosher Jewish family who then never lived in the home. Thus the kitchen is HUGE and double everything. There is even four ovens - two double built in the wall ones!!! A bakers dream! We would grind, sift and measure everything one day. The next day - arriving at 7 AM we would mix, knead, and wait for the bread to rise. While we wait, then we will braid torn strips from old towels that we sew on the ends - thus preparing to make braided bath mats, and learn how to put buttons back on & even how to make & trim button holes. This would NOT be exclusive to just the women, but to the men as well.

Four of our sisters have offered to teach the youth - Male and Female - how to put buttons back on, mend minor rips & tears AND how to properly hem clothes by hand sewing AND on a machine, as well as properly iron them. So far three terms of YW/YM Presidencies have not so nicely refused. Yet the YW Presidencies have gone out of their way to get the sisters to teach the YW how to crotchet. For a little branch we have three portable sewing machines, two irons and two ironing boards. These have only been used to sew quilts! Why not sew blouses, shirts, skirts, dresses and jammies??? Teach our youth how to do this. Teach ANYONE who wants to learn how to do this???

We recently had two older couples and two families (parents are in their late 30's-mid 40's) move into the branch. THEY also asked why the auxiliaries are NOT accepting these offers? That learning how to crotchet is fine, BUT in a shtf situation can knowing that help one to prepare a meal from scratch? Can knowing that hem a pair of pants, skirt, dress? Put a button back on?

[DMGNUT]

A thousand times thanks to you both.
I actually know how to mend minor rips and tears and put buttons back on... by your standards it might be frightfully ugly, but I can get the job done.
In our preps we have thousand of yards of thread, and dozens and dozens of sewing needles.
One of the purchases since arriving in Idaho was a 1917 Singer treadle sewing machine with all the attachments and it works... not that I know much about it.
But I have it... just like I'm not a farmer, but I have acres worth of seed stock.
I don't understand people these days.
I'd love to be in the class for making bread from scratch... starting from wheat... and then cook it in my solar oven.

[signseeker]

This was one of my worries with the new curriculum that came out this year. Not one Sunday is spent on scriptures in RS. I'm worried that many members get their only scripture study in during GD class, one hour a week, not considering wasted time, irrelevant tangents and ignorant grandstanding. (Do some people really only read the BOM once every four years?)

I don't know what the answer is. I'm certainly nowhere near having any influence on the curriculum committee up at the COB, so I must look out for myself. That's self-sufficiency. And that means spiritual self-sufficiency, too. We aren't going to be spoon-fed everything in the 3-hour Sunday block. The purpose of church, imo, is more to fellowship and invite members and non-members to become converted to Christ. Sometimes church isn't all that uplifting. Sometimes the only doctrine we hear in sac mtg are the words of the hymns. My point is -- So what? We must be responsible for our own spiritual growth. We must take responsibility for saving our own souls, and that includes temporal salvation. We here on GLO have felt the "bug" if you will. We get it and we gravitate toward others who get it. If others don't feel it, what really can we do? That's an honest question. What is the way we get people to realize the importance of preps? I'm thinking it's by getting them to read the scriptures. And not just read them. Feel and know what those men of bygone days are trying desperately to tell us. If they can begin to feel that, they will begin to see clearly what lies ahead. They will begin to see things as they really are. At least that's my opinion. Have you ever wondered why we as a people have access to more scripture, more words of the Lord to great and faithful men, than any other people who've ever lived on the earth? We're gonna need it, folks. Read the words of Mormon and Moroni again (the end of Ether 12 is a kicker) and see if you don't feel the urgency in their voices from the dust. They agonized, sweated and wept, getting the message to us. It's coming... the worst times this planet has ever seen (JST Matthew 24 is a kicker on that point) and few will survive. Not most. Not many. Few. Look at how many people the Lord brought out of Jerusalem in 600BC. Look at how many survived the Flood of Water. Another problem is we assume, because we are baptized into the church, we are chosen. Let's not make that mistake.

The Book of Mormon is for us. Everything in there. It's like our manual for what we are facing. How to conduct Christian warfare. How to act when cut off from the church "headquarters". How to live in accordance with the will of God.

So yeah... why don't the 15 talk about food storage more? Honestly, I don't know. But to me, it doesn't matter.

[libertygranny]

Well, I'm in Primary, but I would hope that the new curriculum in RS and priesthood would afford more scripture study because the talks from General Conference have plenty of scripture references to use.

[DMGNUT]

I guess the part that aggravates me the most (perhaps "disappoints" is a better word), but anyway... based on King Benjamin's talk to his people, I'm gonna have to take care of all these unprepared dim wits, and I feel like I'm pulling my hair out, trying to get through to them to have something... or even anything, set aside.
Perhaps you're right Sign, that reading the scriptures is the answer, but in some cases, getting them to do that is just as difficult as getting them to buy a few prep or food storage items.
But then even if you can get more scripture study/reading accomplished, good luck getting them to "feel", what those in the book felt.
Don't get me wrong, I know you're absolutely right, but it's not gonna be a quick fix... its gonna take a lot of time... time which I feel we no longer have.
Also... if these people have really read the Book of Mormon at other times in their lives... why do they still not get it today... this late in the game?

[iggy]

This was one of my worries with the new curriculum that came out this year. Not one Sunday is spent on scriptures in RS. I'm worried that many members get their only scripture study in during GD class, one hour a week, not considering wasted time, irrelevant tangents and ignorant grandstanding. (Do some people really only read the BOM once every four years?)

Our new RS/PH meetings are along the same line as the teacher council meetings. As for no scriptures being referenced/taught during this hour - well yes there easily can be. Here is the link at lds dot org regarding just RS https://www.lds.org/manual/come-follow-me/relief-society?lang=eng Read it all, click on all the links. Then go to two, or three conference talks and see if there aren't scripture references there.

We had our first RS Council last Sunday. Because our RS Presidency really didn't know exactly what to do or say, our instructor presented the lesson she had prepared for December, but didn't because she was sick. She used her bullet points as a guide for our Council. How has Christ's atonement helped us or can help us in dealing with our neighbors, friends and or family who are not LDS or are negative towards any of the teachings/council of the First Presidency?

Personally for me, it is my neighbors - out of the eight homes on my road, one family are members, one is a faithful member of another church and is NOT anti-LDS, and the gal on one side of me is no faith and is a good neighbor and not anti-lds. The others are druggies, are pissed off with the LDS church because they can't get rent/utility payments, groceries or their Rx paid for.

So, how does Christ's atonement help me in dealing with them? I pray for them. I keep my feelings about them to myself, I smile when I see them and am pleasant. I invite them to Thanksgiving dinner, and Easter breakfast on the saturday before.

We all came up with scriptures to help explain our thoughts & feelings.

We have a 23 yo investigator - she didn't understand about Christ's atonement. Out came the scriptures, and over 1/3 of us explained to her the Atonement. That could have been quite a loud, messy explanation, but it was so smooth. When one sister started to flounder for words, another stepped in to help. It was GREAT!

For the next two Sundays, we will be discussing conference talks “ A Yearning for Home”, by Elder Uchtdorff. & “The Trek Continues”, M. Russell Ballard. It was suggested by our Stake Pres. that the instructor put bullet points on the black or white board, and then turn the sisters/brothers loose in discussing them. Of course we have to read or listen to the talk before Sunday - but when the talk is linked in our Branch FB page - it tends to get read by more of us.

In the first talk, here are the scriptures that are referenced:

See Matthew 4:19 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/4.19?#18); Luke 18:22 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/luke/18.22?#21).
Deuteronomy 30:10 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/deut/30.10?#9).
Matthew 5:45 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/5.45?#44).
Galatians 5:22 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/gal/5.22?#21).
Proverbs 3:5–6 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/prov/3.5-6?#4).
Doctrine and Covenants 90:24 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/90.24?#23).
Isaiah 40:29, New International Version.
Proverbs 24:16, New International Version.
See Philippians 4:7 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/philip/4.7?#6).
Doctrine and Covenants 64:33 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/64.33?#32).
1 Corinthians 1:27 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/1-cor/1.27?#26).
Doctrine and Covenants 35:14 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/35.14?#13).
Hebrews 11:13 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/heb/11.13?#12); 1 Peter 2:11 (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/1-pet/2.11?#10).

[DMGNUT]

The way our high priest group leader (with input from the bishopric and stake presidency) has interpreted the plan for us (but mind you he says he was given pretty much, as much leeway as he wanted as for where to go);
First Sunday; Council about the needs of individuals, the ward family, and the community... topics to be discussed were those suggested by anyone present at the Council.
Second and Third Sundays; Lessons were to be (were suggested to be) chosen from the most recent Conference Talks (out of the Insign), which best reflects the ideas discussed in First Sunday's Council, (but it was not a requirement for lessons to come from the Insign or Conference Talks).
Fourth Sunday; Lesson chosen by the high priest group leadership from inspiration (preferably from a recent Insign, but again, not a requirement).

My suggestion was emergency preparedness... the only other 4 suggestions were (out of a group of 32 men);
1) time management (specifically in regards to balancing work, family life, callings, home teaching)
2) prioritizing our lives (are we putting Christ first?),
3) helping youth build a stronger testimony (to ward off attacks from the adversary, specifically pornagraphy), and
4) how do we bring back wayward children (or other family members and friends)

Keep in mind the average age in our high priest group is 70+ (many even in their 80s or 90s... I'm considered a youngster at 55).
I think at this point, most of these men have perfected the time management, and prioritizing of their lives, but these ideas were considered worthy ideas for discussing possible ways to help younger married couples (maybe a lesson will come from this).
Helping the youth build stronger testimonies, was probably the most accepted topic for having a lesson on, and I would guess at least one lesson will be about this.
I think most everyone present had someone who was "wayward" (many became tearful when speaking about this, which is understandable)...
But my thoughts are... other than family and private prayers, adding the individual's name to the Temple rolls, continually inviting them to your home, activities and/or church, sending them spiritual thoughts via electronics (facebook, email, text, etc)... what more can you do?
Most of the wayward people spoken of in our counsil were in their 40s, or older.
And as a convert, other than my wife and 2 sons, my entire family is non-members, so I don't dismiss this topic lightly, but...
These wayward people have their agency (and the adversary knows this)... it's like the old adage, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink".
So... not really sure what purpose having a lesson on this topic would actually serve.

My point to this post being... other than my suggesting it, no one said a word about my idea of emergency preparedness as a topic.
I'll keep you posted, but I'm less than optimistic that any lesson will result from my suggestion.

[libertygranny]

DMGNUT, sorry but your HPGL has what is to be taught on the 4th Sunday wrong. It states in the Nov 2017 Ensign what the topic is to be and it is actually chosen by the First Presidency and Q of 12. They also give suggestions of ways the topic can be discussed each Sunday. For the next 4 or 5 months the focus is on 'Keeping the Sabbath day holy'. You may want to print out or copy from the Ensign what it states. https://www.lds.org/ensign/2017/11/come-follow-me-for-melchizedek-priesthood-and-relief-society/fourth-sunday-meetings?lang=eng

[DMGNUT]

Thanks Libertygranny, but for what it's worth, I'm really ok with any lesson that comes from prophetic words or the scriptures.
However, keeping the sabbath holy is probably an area that really does need attention... considering how many members up here are very devout sports nuts and consider Sunday afternoon football to be a great "family activity" for the Sabbath.

[libertygranny]

But the 4th Sunday lesson should come from prophetic words as it is the topic picked by them, not the local leaders.

[Dr.Jride]

Last Sunday in our HP Group we had a discussion about preparedness. Shock, I know! It was focused on talking about this every first Sunday with the goal to get everyone prepared by the end of the year. It was a little misguided as the first step was to get camping equipment in case we need to "bug out". I'm not complaining, mind you, as any discussion on preparedness is a step in the right direction. Some of the older men took exception with buying tents and sleeping bags as they couldn't get on the floor to roll out a bag let alone put up a tent. One step forward!

[DMGNUT]

Holy Moly! That's amazing Dr Jride.
I'm kind of speechless.

[signseeker]

From Handbook 2:
"Church organizations and programs exist to bless individuals and families and are not ends in themselves."

The Church is in place as a support to the families. The Church is there to serve the families. The families do not serve the Church. I've had to remind presidents I've worked under of this who would get out of hand with time demands. When the Church, like the government, gets too big and intrusive, it needs to be scaled back.

Again, if "the church" isn't pushing preparedness, who cares? If we know it's importance, then we act. As the hymn goes... God will force no man to heaven.

Another point comes to mind... "For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward." (D&C 58:26) Note the use of the word "wise"... makes me think of the wise virgins. Did the wise virgins have to be told to bring extra oil? Apparently the foolish ones did.

Maybe looking on the organization/programs as a help or an aid, rather than the end-all be-all, we can see more clearly.

[DMGNUT]

Sign, I agree 100% with what you're saying...
It's just that most members are short sighted (at least when it comes to preparedness)... what is out of sight to them, is out of mind to them, as well.
If the Ward/Church doesn't remind them on (a regular) occasion to prep, then they won't, and that leads me back to a comment I made in a previous post...
"I guess the part that aggravates me the most (perhaps "disappoints" is a better word), but anyway... based on King Benjamin's talk to his people, I'm gonna have to take care of all these unprepared dim wits", myself.
That's why I always seem to be pushing so hard for "Leadership" led or inspired preparedness...
I agree that perhaps many of these folks would most likely fall under the "slothful servant" category, but if there isn't motivation from local leaders, then nothing "preparedness minded" will happen in most households.
:willy_nilly: