3 month supply...

[Geeswell]

I was having dinner with a few couples in the ward on sunday and we were chatting about some last days stuff, and someone mentioned that the church is admonishing 3 month supply instead of a years supply now.

Did i miss something or are they misinformed? or do they tell you to make sure youhave at least 3 months supply then dig in and get your 1 year?

i kinda tend to think they are wrong about the 3 month.

anyone?

thanks

[will]

Most Members ignored the whole year supply thing, 90% - 95% to be exact, Just like many in the beginning ignored the Law of Consecration; The result = tithing a lesser Law. Ignoring a Year Supply of food has been dumbed down to a three month Supply in many Stakes and Wards. In my Ward it was dumbed down to a 72 hour kit.

Seeing what is going on in the World, Are three Months going to get anyone through what is about to happen? I doubt it. What was given to us by past Prophets seems to have fallen on deaf ears and ignored, even by Many Ward and Stake Leaders today. Gee go figure.

[BroJones]

The brochure on food storage by the Church should be referred to, Geeswell. I have read it carefully -- it speaks of the need for a 3-month food supply which is ROTATED, AND in addition a long-term or year's supply of food consisting of grains and other foods that will store for a long time.

"Three-month supply items are foods that you normally eat, including canned and commercially packaged foods. Longer-term supply items are basic food items like grains and beans that have very low moisture content (about 10% or less), can be stored for long periods of time (20–30 years), and would sustain life if nothing else were available to eat. A portion of longer-term supply items may be rotated into the three-month supply."
ProvidentLiving.org

See also http://www.providentliving.org/fhs/pdf/ ... 08_000.pdf

[Original_Intent]

It is worth noting that even the year's supply is the "dumbed down" version. At one point it was a two-year supply. It may have even been longer than that at one point.

At the price that you can get wheat at Macy's (about $12 per 50 lb. bag) it wouldn't hurt to invest an extra $240 and have 1000 lbs. available to help those less prepared. An easy way to be a "savior in Mt. Zion". If I can find the room for it and the money, I would like to build up to having 5,000 lbs. and a good mill.

[Mahonri]

yes, the admonition was 7 then 2 then 1 then 3 months and now many Wards are just telling folks to get a 72 hour kit.

72 hours... just enough time in most places for the FEMA trucks to arrive

[NamasteMama]

I called the church head quarters when this first came out. they told me very clearly that the 3 months was for everyday food, ketchup, hamburger, what every you normallly eat and then you were to still get a full year of the long terms stuff. Beans wheat etc. I'm working on two years right now. I will not let my family starve, nor anyone who comes to my door for food.

[braingrunt]

I have never heard just "3 months" as drJones pointed out. We're supposed to have both. If you have a year supply but not a 3 month rotating supply you may regret it.

I really think it's brilliant and a higher law than we've received in the past. Consider:

efoodsdirect warns direly the extreme dangers of diet shock, food fatigue, and nutritional incompleteness. That people and especially kids have been known to starve rather than to eat food that is unfamiliar, and that without variety you will at the very least be unhealthy and sick if not dead after a while.
Now, you can buy more expensive supplies like theirs, or you could even spend 2-3x that as you venture into the land of freeze dried everything. That may do the trick but at a price many people would find hard to conceive of.

I'm not saying getting those kinds of supplies is not even better but here's the church's more accessible alternative:

You buy the dirt cheapest year supply imaginable. Wheat beans etc. Dirt Cheap, do it NOW! This supply won't be good to live on so you start to buy supplemental food you already like and know how to use, an extra can here and there as you are able. If you eventually accomplish the 3 month thing then if TSHF you start eating 3/4 long term storage and 1/4 short term... it will last a year and maybe that familiar food will give you the cheer and variety you need to keep going strong enough.

Once in this position by all means start introducing dehydrated food and freeze dried

[Scarecrow]

yes, the admonition was 7 then 2 then 1 then 3 months and now many Wards are just telling folks to get a 72 hour kit.

72 hours... just enough time in most places for the FEMA trucks to arrive

What is interesting is nowhere in talks by leaders, nor on the provident living site is the 72 hour kit advocated by the Church. Yet many wards, as you pointed out, have adopted the Red Cross' standard as viable option for food storage. Sure get a 72 hour kit (or bug out bag), but if that's all you got, then you're going to be hungry really fast.

[Mahonri]

When my wife and I first got married 10 years ago, I mentioned the importance of a year supply of food etc.

Now this wonderful woman, being raised her entire life in the Church, having very active parents, a HP group leader and a RS president, HAD NEVER HEARD OF GETTING A YEARS SUPPLY OF FOOD, IN HER LIFE, up until that point.

She thought I was some crazed lunatic for suggesting such a thing. She thought anything beyond a 72 hour kit was "looking beyond the mark".

She is fully on board now, and is more gung ho (if that is possible) than me about these things.

But it really shows how if something is not emphasized, it is almost as if it never happened.

[A Me]

I have never heard just "3 months" as drJones pointed out. We're supposed to have both. If you have a year supply but not a 3 month rotating supply you may regret it.

I really think it's brilliant and a higher law than we've received in the past. Consider:

efoodsdirect warns direly the extreme dangers of diet shock, food fatigue, and nutritional incompleteness. That people and especially kids have been known to starve rather than to eat food that is unfamiliar, and that without variety you will at the very least be unhealthy and sick if not dead after a while.
Now, you can buy more expensive supplies like theirs, or you could even spend 2-3x that as you venture into the land of freeze dried everything. That may do the trick but at a price many people would find hard to conceive of.

I'm not saying getting those kinds of supplies is not even better but here's the church's more accessible alternative:

You buy the dirt cheapest year supply imaginable. Wheat beans etc. Dirt Cheap, do it NOW! This supply won't be good to live on so you start to buy supplemental food you already like and know how to use, an extra can here and there as you are able. If you eventually accomplish the 3 month thing then if TSHF you start eating 3/4 long term storage and 1/4 short term... it will last a year and maybe that familiar food will give you the cheer and variety you need to keep going strong enough.

Once in this position by all means start introducing dehydrated food and freeze dried

I agree. It also helps if you make sure your family is used to your longer-term food supply now (beans, rice, wheat, etc.) instead of relying on that 3 month supply to transition. That way you find out who's allergic (if any) to wheat or corn, you find out that wheat shouldn't be used extensively for little kids without the right kind of processing (immature systems you see), and how much basic grains and beans your family really goes through (it's more than most people think).

[Jason]

I have never heard just "3 months" as drJones pointed out. We're supposed to have both. If you have a year supply but not a 3 month rotating supply you may regret it.

I really think it's brilliant and a higher law than we've received in the past. Consider:

efoodsdirect warns direly the extreme dangers of diet shock, food fatigue, and nutritional incompleteness. That people and especially kids have been known to starve rather than to eat food that is unfamiliar, and that without variety you will at the very least be unhealthy and sick if not dead after a while.
Now, you can buy more expensive supplies like theirs, or you could even spend 2-3x that as you venture into the land of freeze dried everything. That may do the trick but at a price many people would find hard to conceive of.

I'm not saying getting those kinds of supplies is not even better but here's the church's more accessible alternative:

You buy the dirt cheapest year supply imaginable. Wheat beans etc. Dirt Cheap, do it NOW! This supply won't be good to live on so you start to buy supplemental food you already like and know how to use, an extra can here and there as you are able. If you eventually accomplish the 3 month thing then if TSHF you start eating 3/4 long term storage and 1/4 short term... it will last a year and maybe that familiar food will give you the cheer and variety you need to keep going strong enough.

Once in this position by all means start introducing dehydrated food and freeze dried

I agree. It also helps if you make sure your family is used to your longer-term food supply now (beans, rice, wheat, etc.) instead of relying on that 3 month supply to transition. That way you find out who's allergic (if any) to wheat or corn, you find out that wheat shouldn't be used extensively for little kids without the right kind of processing (immature systems you see), and how much basic grains and beans your family really goes through (it's more than most people think).

LOL....yeah sudden transitions to whole wheat will give a whole new perspective to colon cleansing!

[Geeswell]

Thanks, for the info ive only been married jsut over 1.5 years, and my folks have a years supply for them and my 4 sibs plus some still being rotated. However, I feel the need to start our own.

I'm in charge of FHE 1 time a month in our student ward, and last monday I had my mom come in and give a dry pack canning demo. she bought some cans and some unground wheat and let all there pack their own.

sad to say, out of our whole ward, only 4 couples came.

My mom wasn't the one who mentioned the 3 month supply. I knew that sounded like only part of the deal.

anyway, thanks a lot for the input all, i really appreciate it. I just have to find the cash to get this done now

[Rose Garden]

efoodsdirect warns direly the extreme dangers of diet shock, food fatigue, and nutritional incompleteness. That people and especially kids have been known to starve rather than to eat food that is unfamiliar, and that without variety you will at the very least be unhealthy and sick if not dead after a while.
Now, you can buy more expensive supplies like theirs, or you could even spend 2-3x that as you venture into the land of freeze dried everything. That may do the trick but at a price many people would find hard to conceive of.

When I got pregnant with my 4th here in Korea, we went to the doctor and had the usual tests and it came back that I was having liver problems. I had completely changed over to a Korean diet when I got here, which was about 3-4 months before that. However, about the same time as I got that test taken, I suddenly could not eat Korean food at all. Even rice turned my stomach. It was about a month later that we finally got to the liver specialist, who did another round of tests, that showed up as everything being fine. When my husband asked what might have happened he explained that a sudden complete change of diet can cause liver problems. After a few months on American food only, I was able to gradually phase back in Korean food, but even now I can't do a full Korean diet without losing my appitite. I got to have at least 1 American meal per day.

[kathyn]

The church advises a three-month supply of food we normally eat daily, as well as long-term storage. But they also admonish us to have a two-week supply of water and a cash reserve on-hand. The pamphlet that originally told about this was inside the Ensign magazine about 4-5 years ago....the July issue, if I recall correctly. Plus, we've had those same pamphlets distributed to us in our ward.

I find it incomprehensible that LDS have not heard this information. Food storage has been taught for years and years.

Now this wonderful woman, being raised her entire life in the Church, having very active parents, a HP group leader and a RS president, HAD NEVER HEARD OF GETTING A YEARS SUPPLY OF FOOD, IN HER LIFE, up until that point.

Again, this just blows my mind! (Maybe people in the mission field haven't been taught this principle? )

I think it is the duty of every Latter-Day Saint to teach this to our friends and neighbors.

[Mahonri]

(Maybe people in the mission field ... )

I first heard this term on my mission in Idaho. It blew my mind, and I still find it funny. It makes me think the attitude (and I am sure it is the same for everyone) is one of there is no need for missionary work outside of predominantly Mormon areas.

cracks me up

[sbsion]

who cares.............just get all you can get and get it now for as many people as you can get it for..........WE ARE HAD.........WAKE UP

[Stephen]

The church has discontinued saying "years supply" and instead been saying "Longer term supply".

They have stepped away from giving any sort of guideline regarding the quantity for your longer term supply.

I regularly watched the providentliving site and found it interesting to see references to years supply disappear. You can still find it in older quotes.

[singyourwayhome]

Stephen,

You seem to be right, at least as far as the "All Is Safely Gathered In" pamphlet goes. See it at http://www.providentliving.org/fhs/pdf/ ... 08_000.pdf
I'm shocked. I had assumed things were the same. I searched through lds.org for quotes, articles, talks, news releases, etc. to find more- I found absolutely NOTHING mentioning a year's supply after early 2007. the closest I found was an article in 2008 from a person (non G.A.) who said it was a good idea to bottle enough produce for the coming year. Here's something else, too- I had read this last year, but not noticed the absence of 'year supply' in it. The article is "Family Home Storage: A New Message", March 2009 Ensign/Liahona
In fact, one of the quotes they used LEFT OUT that phrase: “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 debt and are food-free.”-President Thomas S. Monson, “That Noble Gift—Love at Home,” Church News, May 12, 2001, 7.
Looks like I need to change my focus a bit as I'm the ward (and stake) food storage specialist....
The link is http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?h ... 82620aRCRD
A New Approach
In the spirit of President Hinckley’s remarks, Church leaders decided to closely reexamine their approach to self-reliance, looking for ways to reinforce the concepts of home storage and financial preparedness. As a result, the Church published the pamphlet All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage,outlining new guidelines for home preparedness that give Church members a simplified, four-step approach to building their home storage.
They are as follows:
1. Gradually build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet until it is sufficient for three months.
2. Store drinking water.
3. Establish a financial reserve by setting aside a little money each week, and gradually increase it to a reasonable amount.
4. Once families have achieved the first three objectives, they are counseled to expand their efforts, as circumstances allow, into a supply of long-term basic foods such as grains, legumes, and other staples.

Of the new guidelines, Presiding Bishop H. David Burton says, “Our objective was to establish a simple, inexpensive, and achievable program that would help people become self-reliant. We are confident that by introducing these few, simple steps we can, over time, have more success.”

[Jason]

The church has discontinued saying "years supply" and instead been saying "Longer term supply".

They have stepped away from giving any sort of guideline regarding the quantity for your longer term supply.

I regularly watched the providentliving site and found it interesting to see references to years supply disappear. You can still find it in older quotes.

One of the possible reasons is they have a world wide audience.....and in some areas of the world you can go to jail for hoarding food. Thus it is left to individual abilities and inspiration.

We ought to be in tune and not need to be told over and over and over!

[bobhenstra]

I never fail to chuckle over the idea that people will starve to death rather than eat unfamiliar food. Hunger hurts, bad! You'll eat! During my survival training days I was hungry many times. Greatful to see a tree that I could remove the bark from and eat the cambiam layer beneath the bark, scrape it off with my knife and lick it clean.

Simple soaked, softened grain of any kind, with a little bit of sweetener, and cinnamon will be eaten with relish by the hungry. It'll taste like the best steak, you'll wonder why you haven't enjoyed it before.

Don't kid yourselves, you'll eat! Grubs, ants, worms, what ever it takes to put something in your stomach to stop those pains. The trick is to swallow without chewing some small critters like grubs and worms. They go down pretty easy! Lightly fried ants are actually pretty good.

During WW2, Japanese soldiers ate salt to keep their hunger pains down. Why in the world would you place yourself and your family in that position, that condition?

Best to be prepared!

Bob

[SmallFarm]

I never fail to chuckle over the idea that people will starve to death rather than eat unfamiliar food. Hunger hurts, bad! You'll eat! During my survival training days I was hungry many times. Greatful to see a tree that I could remove the bark from and eat the cambiam layer beneath the bark, scrape it off with my knife and lick it clean.

Simple soaked, softened grain of any kind, with a little bit of sweetener, and cinnamon will be eaten with relish by the hungry. It'll taste like the best steak, you'll wonder why you haven't enjoyed it before.

Don't kid yourselves, you'll eat! Grubs, ants, worms, what ever it takes to put something in your stomach to stop those pains. The trick is to swallow without chewing some small critters like grubs and worms. They go down pretty easy! Lightly fried ants are actually pretty good.

During WW2, Japanese soldiers ate salt to keep their hunger pains down. Why in the world would you place yourself and your family in that position, that condition?

Best to be prepared!

Bob

Make hunger thy sause be thou neuer so nice, For there shalt thou finde none other kind of spice.
[1530 A. Barclay Eclogues (EETS) ii. 743]

[English Saint]

I was HT to an elderly couple who have been in the church for years. They are both die hard socialists who think Ezra Taft Benson was selfish. The sister became quite angry when I mentioned his name or criticised socialised medicine. Criticism of the NHS is far worse than blasphemy in the UK. Anyway, I used to ask them how their emergency preparations were progressing and if their 1 year supply was in place. All I got back was comments like "I can't drink plain water", "I don't like canned food", "I don't have anywhere to keep wheat", "I don't like wheat"... It was clear that they had no interest in even attempting to store up enough food for 3 weeks, let alone 3 months. I meet a lot of families like that. Who's going to help them when society goes to hell? I'm going to show The Road to my family down south. Alex Jones says that people become thieves and murderers after 10 days without food, and after 15 days they begin eating each other! Presumably church members will be no different. I think it's important to urge members to get their food storage in place, without giving away too much info on what you have. We don't know how long we will need to live off our food storage. As the collapse progresses and people become more desperate, I reckon it's going to become less and less likely that even the most generous LDS will be willing to jeapardise his family's welfare and security. I think most of us will keep our heads down and leave the foolish virgins to the consequences.

Did members really have a 7 year supply?

[singyourwayhome]

I was HT to an elderly couple who have been in the church for years. They are both die hard socialists who think Ezra Taft Benson was selfish. The sister became quite angry when I mentioned his name or criticised socialised medicine. Criticism of the NHS is far worse than blasphemy in the UK. Anyway, I used to ask them how their emergency preparations were progressing and if their 1 year supply was in place. All I got back was comments like "I can't drink plain water", "I don't like canned food", "I don't have anywhere to keep wheat", "I don't like wheat"... It was clear that they had no interest in even attempting to store up enough food for 3 weeks, let alone 3 months. I meet a lot of families like that. Who's going to help them when society goes to hell? I'm going to show The Road to my family down south. Alex Jones says that people become thieves and murderers after 10 days without food, and after 15 days they begin eating each other! Presumably church members will be no different. I think it's important to urge members to get their food storage in place, without giving away too much info on what you have. We don't know how long we will need to live off our food storage. As the collapse progresses and people become more desperate, I reckon it's going to become less and less likely that even the most generous LDS will be willing to jeapardise his family's welfare and security. I think most of us will keep our heads down and leave the foolish virgins to the consequences.

Did members really have a 7 year supply?

Relating to the 'socialists', my experience has been that they are generous with others' food, money, and time, and less so with their own. Sounds like your HT couple.As to the 7 years' supply, my understanding was that that was taught during Brigham Young's time; seems like I'd read something in Journal of Discourses about it.
As to whether the saints followed the counsel, I wouldn't be surprised to find out the percentage following it was about the same as the ones who have a years' worth now- 6-15 % is the range that I've heard.

[familyman]

Interesting how the church's recommendations have changed. 2002 guidelines allowed just under 2400 calories per day for an adult. The current calculator on providentliving.org recommends 25 pounds of grain and 5 pounds of beans per month. This ends up as 1479 calories a day. If you calculate 12 months and add then add the 3 months of short term food so once the 3 months of short term food is used first and the 12 months of long term food were rationed for the remaining 9 months rather than 12 months then the calculation would be 1973 calories per day. Still not a diet that you will get fat on. And anyone will definitely lose weight on 1479 calories a day.

http://providentliving.org/content/disp ... -1,00.html

[singyourwayhome]

If you look below the beans and wheat suggestions on the providentliving.org 'product recommendations' page, it also says "You may also want to add other items to your longer-term storage such as sugar, nonfat dry milk, salt, baking soda, and cooking oil. To meet nutritional needs, also store foods containing Vitamin C and other essential nutrients." For quantities on those, I refer back to the 1978 handbook/booklet "Essentials of Home Production and Storage", which IS still available through the Distribution Center.
Oil is one of those, and it packs a calorie punch. Remember the WWII stories about how valuable cooking oil became? Still, I'm planning on supplementing with my garden, continue using neighbors' wasted fruit on their trees (though they may suddenly decide it's worth the effort of picking), and wild edible plants. It's amazing how many 'weeds' in my yard are edible. Some are even tasty. And I've been eating more of them this year, so I've discovered one I'm allergic to. Good info to know. Still, you're right about the weight loss issue- I think we won't be 'waxing fat' anymore.