Preparation for Domination
Posted in: What's the Buzz
We’ve introduced a new column to the mix this issue: The Ready Hive, by my beautiful bride Grace O’Brien. Grace has taken a peek around the world and decided that it’s time to get serious about our preparation. As I’ve watched her learn about preparing food via dehydration, freezing, hot-bath canning and pressure cooker canning, and then storing it all, it occurred to me that offering a column in The Arizona Beehive Magazine written by a prep expert would be a good idea. Vee oh la, a column is born!
I’ve been a Church member for going on 41 years. Right after my new member lesson on “Setting Up and Taking Down Chairs For Church Functions,” I learned about preparedness. Seemed like a good idea. At the time I did wonder: Prepare for what? Job loss? Power outage? War? Pestilence?
One thing I have noticed: the emphasis on preparing has diminished. Of late, we talk in terms of self-reliance, which seems to include the aspects of preparing I heard about in the mid-1980s. But our local canneries have closed; no more ward trips to can wheat or fish or tomatoes. The last two wards I’ve lived in did not have (an active) person who passed around lists of #10 cans of food available to purchase from the local Home Storage Center. No Sacrament Meeting talks about this, no Elders Quorum lessons. With the aligning of Relief Society lessons with Elders Quorum lessons, I assume that preparedness and self-reliance are not as emphasized in Relief Society, either. Which we quietly celebrate, because let’s face it: talks and lessons about this topic are bore-ring! Ranking right under “Tithing” as thee most sleep-inducing talk subject known to all Churchdom.
Time for an attitude change. Because as we all take a look-see around our world in commotion, it’s apparent that the Brethren and Sisters weren’t lyin’ about being ready.
Elder Bednar recently stated that “some Church members opine that emergency plans and supplies, food storage, and 72-hour kits must not be important anymore because the Brethren have not spoken recently and extensively about these and related topics in general conference. But repeated admonitions to prepare have been proclaimed by leaders of the Church for decades. The consistency of prophetic counsel over time creates a powerful concert of clarity and a warning volume far louder than solo performances can ever produce.”
OK. Message received. Let’s do it! Finally. And we are here to help with The Ready Hive, to at least inspire to begin to think about preparing for commotion related results. At most to dominate preparation. Because, if we are prepared, we shall not fear. Thank you for reading…
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