LDS Freedom Forum

momto5 wrote:

Jason wrote:The dilemma is in reconciling Mosiah 4:16-23 (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/mosiah/4/22#22) with D&C 42:42 (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/42/42#42)....but ultimately the Spirit will dictate the appropriate action at the appropriate time if we are in tune and looking for guidance.

Great point Rensai!

Mosiah 4 tells us exactly what we should do with our food storage but who are we to judge whether the beggar has been idle or not. Mosiah 4 explains how we are all beggers esp. for forgiveness for our sins. Does Heavenly Father tell us thanks for asking for forgiveness, but before I forgive you have to bake bread for your neighbor, call so and so and go clean so and so's house then I'll forgive you? Why we would do that to someone else? Mosiah 4 doesn't say we are commanded to give of our substance as long as they work for it and earn it.

I wish many of you lived in my area, glad that some of you don't ! As a community, We're far more prepared than the vast majority of the church. I would give all my years supply to my bishop if he ask for it, And I would not question what he did with it. I would allow myself to perish to save a child of one of my neighbors or my family from suffering from hunger pangs. I learned a lot from all that survival training, keeping something in my stomach will stop the hunger pains, the extra year supply I wear around my waist will keep me going until the Lord blesses us with Manna!

I'm an old man, I know what's on the other side and have a great desire to get there, but I know it has to be at the Lord's schedule.

My time is spent now with further preparations in all "needful" things, So my family, friends and neighbors will have a greater chance of surviving the coming calamities and going into the millennium as a tried and tested people.

Plans for clay baking ovens, woodgas generation for emergency power, ammunition reloading supplies, my job is to concentrate on shotgun reloading, although I have the tools to reload much more.

Even "if" we were not prepared, 300 yards below my cabin is a vast marsh, there's enough food available in that marsh to keep the people of our town alive for a year and longer if necessary. Survival training has taught me there's more available food in a marsh than in a forest. Learning how to prepare and use that food is the trick. I'm printing all that information for the use of my family and townsfolk. At least they'll have the instructions, the townsfolk training may have to come in harder times, my family is trained.

I read some of these posts and I wonder, are not your towns preparing? I mentioned before of my experiences during the Rodney King riots, how those riots will be a spit in the ocean if "our" current "dear leader" is somehow bumped off.

To be brutally honest, if I didn't live in a town that wasn't preparing for whats coming, I would get the hell outa there!!

Bob

serenitylala wrote:

momto5 wrote:

Jason wrote:The dilemma is in reconciling Mosiah 4:16-23 (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/mosiah/4/22#22) with D&C 42:42 (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/42/42#42)....but ultimately the Spirit will dictate the appropriate action at the appropriate time if we are in tune and looking for guidance.

Great point Rensai!

Mosiah 4 tells us exactly what we should do with our food storage but who are we to judge whether the beggar has been idle or not. Mosiah 4 explains how we are all beggers esp. for forgiveness for our sins. Does Heavenly Father tell us thanks for asking for forgiveness, but before I forgive you have to bake bread for your neighbor, call so and so and go clean so and so's house then I'll forgive you? Why we would do that to someone else? Mosiah 4 doesn't say we are commanded to give of our substance as long as they work for it and earn it.

I don't care if they've been idle or not, because everyone is idle in their own way. But I have a hard time helping drug addicts... if you give them food or help they turn around and sell it for drugs. So, then you end up contributing to their drugs... and what happens if they OD on the drugs that your help enabled them to purchase. Are you not then liable in part for their death?

So how does one reconcile that? HOw does one reconcile the mercy verses justice in that situation?

Mosiah Ch 4
17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—
18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

When I was younger my parents gave money to a homeless guy and he went and bought liquor from the store. We know this because we saw him do it. After that I had a hard time giving any money to any homeless person. It took me a few years to understand that he was the one who made the wrong choice with the blessing he had been given. I'm reminded of part of a song by Mark Wills that goes:

I lost my wife and little boy when
Someone cross that yellow line
The day we laid them in the ground
Is the day I lost my mind
And right now I'm down to holdin'
This little cardboard sign...so

Don't laugh at me
Don't call me names
Don't get your pleasure from my pain
In God's eyes we're all the same
Someday we'll all have perfect wings
Don't laugh at me

We never know why someone has chosen to do what they do. We're commanded to love everyone even our enemies. It would be tough call though knowing for sure they were doing drugs. My husband would offer to buy them food or water and they can then choose to turn it down. So he puts the decision on their shoulders. If they were really hungry they would accept the food or water. I gave a guy a granola bar once because he asked for money for food. I didn't have any money on me at the time. I think in the drug situation as in any other it's important to go buy the spirit. If you don't feel go about it don't do it. For all you know they might want to do you harm. You won't get in trouble for obeying the spirit.

I think what the latest discussions (on this thread) boil down to are how to help versus being an 'enabler'. Apparently there is no clear line between the two, since the other person has their agency. I keep running into this with family. We also get stressed thinking about 'what if' we have even more limited resources available, with more demands on them. I know it will work out, as we follow the Spirit in preparing with the knowledge and material things we may need. In the book They Knew the Prophet by Hyrum Andrus (your friend, Bob, I assume?) page 70, Oliver B. Huntington (who knew him) says that Joseph was once asked, 'If a person does a good act, a kindness, or perhaps a charitable act, to a very bad, wicked man, will that person receive a reward of good for that act as if he had done it to a good man?" Joseph said,"Yes, he will receive a reward for that good act to a wicked man, as surely as if he did it to a good man, but not as quick." On a related note, he (Oliver) also heard Joseph say "that he hoped the spirit of invention and improvement would rest upon the Saints, as it was upon the Gentiles, for unless it did there would many useful and important inventions be lost to the world when the great destruction of nations comjes. It would then probably take hundreds of years to reproduce them again among men; yes, and perhaps thousands of years before they would get back upon the earth."

I guess the answer, about sharing, for now is (1)listen to the Spirit really well, (2)follow your church leader's counsel, and (3)don't worry about the "what if's" very much, except as it helps us prepare.

Or maybe it's better said by remembering what the Lord said were the two greatest commandments.

I've said it before and Ill say it again, Preparedness is a lifestyle, not a fetish you can shake at the darkness and hope it makes the boogeyman go away.
That idea is an early thought process by those that begin preparedness, often preparing for some "event", be it Y2K, 2012 or the black helicopters. Then that event never happens (yet) and they feel foolish.
We as LDS have a higher charge. We have been warned to have have home production skills and food storage (and other needful things) as a measure of faith.
Many often think if they just get the "stuff" they think they need, and then go back to sleep for a while, they will be ok.
If we instead realize that we will be better off having slowly attained skills, knowledge and experience in preparedness by being wise stewards of our resources (time and money), not getting into debt, and attaining what measure of food security we feel is needful for our families, we will not have fear and will instead have freedom.
The evil folks of the world know that people can be controlled by fear and controlling our needed resources. Since we cannot live long without food and water, if those things are not available, who's slave are you going to be? What will you be willing to do? Will you compromise your principles for a mess of pottage?
I say the prophets know this and have prepared a way for us. We are taught the principle of Home Production and Storage. People forget the "Home Production" part, and just get some recommended "stuff" and think "we'll use it when the time comes" and stick it in the garage.. What a waste of your resources!
If you do not know how to use your food and how to sustainably (meaning have a renewable source) produce your own food, what will happen when the food runs out? There might also be several other events that occur in your life that might require you to use your food storage and home production skills. Know how to garden. Understand how permaculture works. You will be well rewarded, perhaps in unexpected ways.
Tough times that we prepare for will not be a quick event. It will go on for quite some time. Perhaps a year or many more's supply of needful items will help you by while you get serious on the home production part. If you are good with it already it wont be such a fearful time.

I'm not so worried about the problem with starving neighbors. If it gets to that point, think we will naturally migrate to where we can be safe, wherever that may be. We will be guided there by the spirit. If that's home because you already are in a safe place, then ok. If needed, you should be ready to go when you are prompted. If you really listen those promptings will probably come years ahead of whatever may happen.

I'll say this about location- when you really sit down and think about it in the quiet for a minute, and turn off the tv and the computer, you would be better off among fewer people than more, among fewer support systems that you are dependent on than more, and among more farm animals in your town than less.
The more people near you who are are living with less dependencies on systems and government the better. The shock will be much less, people will tend to pull together and help each other, and if they have similar values, goals and principles, they are less likely to have problems with each other. I see that in my own family: some parts of my family to not share our values and goals. It can be uncomfortable and cause friction because of this. Wait till a really stressful situation and see what happens.

That said, this is a goal to have in mind, and not something you can achieve right away. You may find yourself stuck somewhere you don't want to be, but if you have a goal and stick with it, you can get there. Do what you can with what you have and be an example to those around you. Most importantly DO IT. NOW. Stop reading about it. Translate all that info into action.

The more you teach others how to take care of themselves and put on the path to freedom, the better off we all will be.


Dustin

Singourwayhome wrote intriguingly:

On a related note, he (Oliver) also heard Joseph say "that he hoped the spirit of invention and improvement would rest upon the Saints, as it was upon the Gentiles, for unless it did there would many useful and important inventions be lost to the world when the great destruction of nations comjes. It would then probably take hundreds of years to reproduce them again among men; yes, and perhaps thousands of years before they would get back upon the earth."

I love that quote! can you pls provide the page number in Hyrum Andrus' book?
I had him for a teacher years ago when a student at BYU... great fellow!

technomagus wrote:I've said it before and Ill say it again, Preparedness is a lifestyle, not a fetish you can shake at the darkness and hope it makes the boogeyman go away.
That idea is an early thought process by those that begin preparedness, often preparing for some "event", be it Y2K, 2012 or the black helicopters. Then that event never happens (yet) and they feel foolish.
We as LDS have a higher charge. We have been warned to have have home production skills and food storage (and other needful things) as a measure of faith.
Many often think if they just get the "stuff" they think they need, and then go back to sleep for a while, they will be ok.
If we instead realize that we will be better off having slowly attained skills, knowledge and experience in preparedness by being wise stewards of our resources (time and money), not getting into debt, and attaining what measure of food security we feel is needful for our families, we will not have fear and will instead have freedom.
The evil folks of the world know that people can be controlled by fear and controlling our needed resources. Since we cannot live long without food and water, if those things are not available, who's slave are you going to be? What will you be willing to do? Will you compromise your principles for a mess of pottage?
I say the prophets know this and have prepared a way for us. We are taught the principle of Home Production and Storage. People forget the "Home Production" part, and just get some recommended "stuff" and think "we'll use it when the time comes" and stick it in the garage.. What a waste of your resources!
If you do not know how to use your food and how to sustainably (meaning have a renewable source) produce your own food, what will happen when the food runs out? There might also be several other events that occur in your life that might require you to use your food storage and home production skills. Know how to garden. Understand how permaculture works. You will be well rewarded, perhaps in unexpected ways.
Tough times that we prepare for will not be a quick event. It will go on for quite some time. Perhaps a year or many more's supply of needful items will help you by while you get serious on the home production part. If you are good with it already it wont be such a fearful time.

I'm not so worried about the problem with starving neighbors. If it gets to that point, think we will naturally migrate to where we can be safe, wherever that may be. We will be guided there by the spirit. If that's home because you already are in a safe place, then ok. If needed, you should be ready to go when you are prompted. If you really listen those promptings will probably come years ahead of whatever may happen.

I'll say this about location- when you really sit down and think about it in the quiet for a minute, and turn off the tv and the computer, you would be better off among fewer people than more, among fewer support systems that you are dependent on than more, and among more farm animals in your town than less.
The more people near you who are are living with less dependencies on systems and government the better. The shock will be much less, people will tend to pull together and help each other, and if they have similar values, goals and principles, they are less likely to have problems with each other. I see that in my own family: some parts of my family to not share our values and goals. It can be uncomfortable and cause friction because of this. Wait till a really stressful situation and see what happens.

That said, this is a goal to have in mind, and not something you can achieve right away. You may find yourself stuck somewhere you don't want to be, but if you have a goal and stick with it, you can get there. Do what you can with what you have and be an example to those around you. Most importantly DO IT. NOW. Stop reading about it. Translate all that info into action.

The more you teach others how to take care of themselves and put on the path to freedom, the better off we all will be.


Dustin

Well said, Dustin! are you the one who related the 'story of two families' several months back? If so -- PLEASE post again that wonderfully instructive narrative.

Yes that was me.
I'll have to find the thread I posted in and re-post.

technomagus wrote:Yes that was me.
I'll have to find the thread I posted in and re-post.

Hurray! thank you.

Dr. Jones,

The quote is on page 70. I never had Dr. Andrus as a teacher there, but I had Richard Draper....

singyourwayhome wrote:Dr. Jones,

The quote is on page 70. I never had Dr. Andrus as a teacher there, but I had Richard Draper....

I used to stop and see Hyrum when I was delivering top soil in his area, I was blessed to receive his council on a one and one basis many times. As I would ask him questions, he would carefully respond in a way to discover at what level I was at with the subject in question. When I figured that out, I would tell him what I knew about the subject before I ask the question, saved us both a lot of time.

I had an interesting experience with one of his neighbors, delivered a load of soil to her house just around the corner from Hyrum's house. I mentioned Hyrum and how much fun it must be to live so close to a man with such great knowledge, she replied "well, he thinks he knows a lot!" I was stunned! I took the check for the soil and left without saying a word. "Thinks he know a lot?" Hyrum assisted Joseph Fielding Smith when JFS was church historian. Hyrum had "his" one on one time with JFS. I was blessed to have mine with Hyrum, and several others of equal caliber. I have close to a hundred of Hyrum's cassette tapes recorded during class time. I listen to all of them over a years time, he's still teaching me.

I was once told by a member of my Stake Presidency "That Hyrum didn't know when to stop!" And he didn't even know Hyrum--- I'm sure happy Hyrum didn't know when to stop with me!

Bob

Ok, Dr. Jones, this is for you:

There is a reason our prophets have warned us and created in us a culture of preparation, even far before the events that will come where they will be most sorely needed. We needed time to figure out how to be the best stewards of the bounty that He provides, to make best use of our "seven years of plenty" to survive our "seven years of want". Isn't it great to live in a time and place when you can walk into our local Walmart here in Utah and buy buckets of rice, dehydrated berries, grain grinders, LED lights, and so on? (and if not Wal-Mart, click on the internet and have whatever you want delivered right to your home) Would there be a market for these things at affordable prices if we had not had among us a culture of preparation for many years now, with many talented minds bent towards making difficult things possible? Is this an accident? I don't think so. My pioneer ancestors would have loved to have some of the needful things we can obtain for our families today.

But someday, that "seven years of want" will come. When that time is, no-one will know. But don't you think that the Lord will direct his servants to prepare to help as many of those as will listen to a quiet warning as he can? Will He not prepare places of refuge for his Saints in places all over the world where they are needed when the time comes?

This must be done quietly. Why would anyone in the church leadership speak out on such a plan before it is needed? Would not the adversary and his servants attempt to turn those preparations against us if the church were open about it? Think about it. Why would they goad those that oppose us? Especially now, when it seems that things are falling into place to give as much power to the Gadiantons as they want?

The scriptures say:
“And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety." D&C 45:67–69

We are now among the wicked. I do not wish to take up my sword against my neighbor, unless I have to defend my family. But what if you don't have to be there? We will not be able to hunker down in our bunker for long. We will end up taking swords against our neighbors if we do. How long will it take for your neighbors to notice you have food and they don't? When the time comes, we must flee to safe places as directed by the Spirit. We priesthood holders have the right to personal revelation for our families. Until then we must make our homes those safe places, and seek out communities of people in safe places.

I don't believe that some "chosen" of us will be whisked away in the night before the difficulties that lay ahead. I believe that we will all experience great hardship. During Joseph Smith's time, he and the Saints endured many hardships, heartache, and grueling trials, even though he had such close communication with the Lord! Do we really believe that we will be spared all the hardships and they were not? If it is our generation's place to stand when the Lord comes, we will all bear the pains of His coming. We know that some of the hardest difficulties will be visited upon the members of his church first, in order to chastise and concentrate them. Because we have been given much we are held to a much higher standard. Only after a time of trouble will we be led to safety, to Zion, to places of refuge, and only if we have the courage and the faith and the means that we have prepared ahead of time to survive until then. If those means are not prepared, we may be forced into slavery or worse in exchange for some food.
Would you be forced to sell your birthright for a mess of pottage?

It will not be easy. Why else have we been told over and over again to prepare to be self-reliant and take advantage of our freedoms, means and opportunities now. To also get right with Him now.

I can easily say that I am a sinner and I have ignored many of these warnings myself.

We must prepare for those that we have stewardship over. We must be wise stewards of the things the Lord has given us. Beyond that, we must prepare to become the Saints the lord would have us be. Why worry about anything else?
We must listen when He directs. Until then, again, prepare as you feel you are directed, not by any guru or expert, though there are many that have a lot of great ideas to use and benefit from. Pray about it. Do what you feel you can do, and let the Lord fill in the rest. If it means forgoing those expensive toys you were going to buy, to save instead for some more food, some more camping gear, whatever you think you might need to help your family feel safe when the storms come....do it. Change your lifestyle now, move around your priorities, make self-reliance a hobby, learned over time and many years of planning, practice, research, prayer, and deliberation.

The prophets have also said to be wise in our preparations. To not get into debt doing these things. To use the extra you have. To re-evaluate your priorities, but to NOT do things out of fear or panic, but in a slow, well-reasoned manner, asking for instructions the whole way.

I think this is what the leadership in the church are most concerned about when people get all riled up in a panic and ask them if they are preparing safe places for them and if they should get all their food storage or whatever NOW.

Try this thought experiment: What do you think would happen if the prophet got up in conference and announced that everyone must get their food storage and prepare to leave their homes within 30 days?
Would this be the wise and orderly process and pattern the Lord has laid out for us, over and over?

OF COURSE they are going to say, slow down, don't panic, we are just doing the same as we always have. Make sure you do your home teaching, go to church, read the scriptures, get your food storage slowly when you can, fulfill your callings, have family home evening, pray often, follow the program and your family will be ok. This is more important right now. this is the priority. No-one knows when tough times will come. Until then, follow the program. Keeping the most families working on the program is tough enough right now with the influences we have today. The church is losing more members to drugs, porn, apathy and other influences every day.

I would like to give you an example of what I am talking about.
This is a tale of two families.
One family felt the promptings of the spirit 10 years ago and slowly began to plan how they would be able to survive a long period of tough times. They did not know when or if tough times would happen during their lifetimes, but they wanted to make sure their family could endure a long period of strife if needed.

This family slowly and carefully devoted a portion of their means, time and energy towards this effort. This meant some measure of self denial on their part. While some friends were upgrading their cars, computers, TVs, and home theaters, buying ATVs, boats and ski-doos, they replaced cars after they fell apart, their kids did not get the latest gadget or fashionable clothes, they shopped at discount stores for food, off-brand clothes, furniture and whatever else they might need. Sometimes they even felt a bit jealous of their friends and a bit ashamed when their friends kidded them for going to "Big Lots" instead of "Pottery Barn".

They did research on self-reliance and survival. Once they had a rough idea of some goals and lists to fulfill, they slowly ticked off the list. They found that when they focused on this goal with an eye open towards these ends, they found things and opportunities that they might otherwise not be able to. They took advantage of seasonal sales, store closeouts; they made a habit of shopping at yard sales, discount and thrift stores to find the things they might need. Sometimes they had to look through a lot a junk to find a treasure. They tended to stop at every used book store every town they visited for research materials. They eventually built up a sizable library of discounted books on a variety of related subjects, from gardening to cooking to solar electricity to homesteading. When they got extra money they made the big purchases they planned on.

They attended local classes on woodworking, shooting, first-aid, and cooking. They purchased and organized the best camping and fishing supplies they could find over time and used them every year. Those experiences became the most positive and strongest family memories their kids would have. They went camping for vacation while their friends went off to Hawaii and left their kids with grandma. By using their gear every year, they learned what stuff was junk and what was useful to them, and replaced or upgraded as needed.

They took up gardening, sewing, canning, cooking and breadmaking, hunting, shooting and hiking. They bought groceries in bulk and built up a substantial pantry with spices, canned and dried foods by stocking during case lot or discount sales. Their kids were used to eating fresh veggies, whole wheat bread, home made pasta with home canned spaghetti sauce, and soups made from scratch. It became a hobby or sorts, and this lifestyle they developed benefited them in many ways.

When the economy made a turn for the worse and the father's job cut back his wages to keep him on, they discovered that they had a good savings account to fall back on. Earlier, they were able to actually put away some money every month because they saved so much on food by making it at home, buying in bulk, and not going out as much.
They enjoyed camping so much they purchased some recreational land to camp on (and even planned for a cabin on) after making some extra money by selling a home to move to a smaller town. They bought a house on a well and septic, heated by a wood stove, with a couple acres to try experimenting with raising some small animals. They had some friends who offered to sell them some chickens and a couple of miniature milking goats at a discount, after promising to teach them everything they knew about them. They were pleasantly surprised to meet neighbors who were interested in some of the same things they were and were able to learn from them. Tending their garden became a pleasant distraction from the stress of the world.
There was no panic. There was only preparation and careful use of all the things and skills they have learned.

Another family felt very worried about the state of the world and started doing some reading on the internet. They panicked and bought $3000 "years supply" of freeze-dried food on credit because the flashy catalog said this was all they were going to need. They read there was going to be a "call out" and were of the opinion that they had to have a laundry list of stuff to make it to this "call out". So they cashed in their 401k and spent more money on credit and bought a bunch of stuff and stuck it in storage.
They tried serving some of the freeze dried stuff to their kids who promptly refused to eat any of it. They bought a load of guns, but never did anything with them. The father spent so much time and effort on these efforts that he stopped several of his church obligations.
They started to have money problems when there were cutbacks a work, and family unity slipped even more. Credit card companies started calling.
The mother and father both had to work now with the economy being bad. Since they were hardly at home, they never had time to learn how to cook, instead relying on store bought mixes, pizzas, fast food and microwave food. Some of their kids occasionally got into trouble after school since no-one was home when they got there.
Eventually, they sold the majority of the guns, the trailer, the freeze dried food nobody would eat, the deluxe tent and camping supplies (since they had never been camping and the mother and daughters thought being in the woods too spooky and dirty) for much less than what they bought them for to pay bills. Finally, after demanding that their bishop tell them if the church is going to have a "call out" and getting a flat "I don't know what you are talking about and why haven't I seen you at elder's quorum lately?", the father decided to forget all this "last days stuff".

Now these are extreme examples, but you get the point.

Every generation tries to figure out if the great calamities of the day signal His coming. We should just be ready and try not to worry. Be glad for all the great opportunities we have now and take advantage of them. Make the best use of the time given unto us.

You must read this in it's entire form. I just snipped some of the more relevant parts.
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?l ... 82620aRCRD

Prepare Yourself for the Great Day of the Lord
by President Ezra Taft Benson
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

“And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.

“And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.

“And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.” (D&C 45:67–69.)

"Youth of Zion, do you realize you are living in the days of the fulfillment of these signs and wonders? You are among those who will see many of these prophecies fulfilled. Just as certain as was the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem and the scattering of the Jews, so shall these words of the Savior be certain to your generation.

We know not the day nor the hour of His coming, but of this you may feel assured: You stand close to the great day of the Lord! In His words of modern revelation, we say to you, “Seek the face of the Lord, always” (D&C 101:38).

You will live in the midst of economic, political and spiritual instability. When you see these signs—unmistakable evidences that His coming is nigh—be not troubled, but, “stand … in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come” (D&C 87:8). Holy men stand in holy places and these holy places include our temples, our chapels, our homes, and the stakes of Zion, which are, as the Lord declares, “for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth” (D&C 115:6).

Heed the Lord’s counsel to the Saints of this dispensation: “Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord” (D&C 133:10).

This preparation must consist of more than just casual membership in the Church. You must learn to be guided by personal revelation and the counsel of the living prophet so you will not be deceived. Our Lord has indicated who, among Church members, will stand when He appears:

“And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.

“For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.

“And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation.

“For the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver.” (D&C 45:56–59; italics added.)

_________________
Being intelligent is not a felony. But most societies evaluate it as at least a misdemeanor.
-Robert A. Heinlein

Somehow it re-posted twice. Sorry about that. It's probably related to my slow internet that I'm using right now.
I just edited this post to take care of it.

In my opinion, I really feel that the hard times we will see in the future will last over a long period of time. It will not be a sudden Hollywood style event (see 2012 the movie). Those type of things may happen after a long slow downturn however, since we have been promised some pretty horrible things will happen. Again, look at the model we have in the BoM. We have been told that what happens here will be very similar.

Think about what the Lord would counsel us to do. He would want us to be good stewards of the resources that we have been given to save when we have plenty. Far fewer of us have plenty now. He would also want us to teach others about how to conserve, produce and prosper. Be an example. Spend more time practicing things that will help your family survive, whatever it may be. Too many people hide their light under a bush, maybe because they are afraid.
Even though times have been very hard for my family lately, I have a goal this year to use what I know to figure out a way to teach people. I have hoarded my research for way too long and now is the time. I am hoping that by doing this, showing that I care and love my brothers and sisters, some of that good will come back to us and things will settle down for us. It will be doubly difficult in the situation we are in right now, but I feel I need to do it somehow.

Thank you!

Bob