Why Prepare?

Why be prepared?  Natural disasters, unemployment, storms, hazardous material spills, national terror threats are all good reasons to think ahead and be prepared.

What areas should I be prepared in?  Consider spiritual preparedness and temporal preparedness.

-----Spiritual preparedness are those actions that will bring us back to the Father.  They include:

     o   Scripture study—personal

     o   Scripture study—family

     o   Prayer—personal

     o   Prayer—family

     o   Family Home Evening

     o   Obedience to His commandments to be blessed by the Holy Ghost

     o   Temple worship

-----Temporal preparedness has also been commanded since the beginning.  It includes:

     o   Water

          *  Storage

          *  Purification

          *  Filters

          *  Containers

          *  Pumps/Siphons

     o   Food

          *  3-month supply

          *  1-year supply

          *  Shelving and rotation

          *  Gardening

          *  Canning

          *  Freezing

          *  Smoking/Curing

          *  Dehydrating

          *  Sprouting

          *  Wheat grinder

     o   Finances

          *  Inventory of possessions

          *  Budgeting skills

          *  Reduce, reuse and recyle

          *  Emergency cash (small denominations)

          *  Savings

          *  Debt-free except for mortgage

          *  Career training/Education

     o   Documents

          *  Vital records/documents binder

          *  Family photos

          *  Scrapbook transportation

          *  Family history

     o   Cooking

          *  Sun Oven

          *  Rocket stove

          *  Dutch oven

          *  Propane grills

          *  Butane stoves

          *  Tin foil cooking

          *  Thermos cooking

          *  BBQ

     o   Heating/Light—crank or solar only

          *  Keep gas tank ½ full at all times

          *  Flashlights

          *  Kerosene/Gasoline/Butane/Propane heaters/lanterns

          *  Candles

          *  Generators

          *  White gas

     o   First Aid

          *  CPR and first aid training

          *  Family kit

          *  72-hour small kit

          *  Medical cards in each kit

     o   Communication

          *  Family escape plan

          *  School escape plan

          *  Work escape plan

          *  Contact cards

          *  2-way radios

     o   72-hour kits

          *  72-96 hour kits

          *  Baby kits

          *  Car/office kits

          *  Pet kits

          *  Family kit

     o   Clothing

          *  Layers

          *  Polypropylene

          *  Fleece

          *  Foam clothing

          *  Waterproof

          *  Hand-powered washer

     o   Shelter

          *  Shelter in Place

          *  Seal off a room

          *  Turn off utilities

          *  Secure water heater

     o   Sanitation

          *  Latrines

               ·         Pit

               ·         Trench

               ·         Water sealed

          *  5-gallon bucket port-a-potties

          *  Chamber pots

          *  Chemical toilet