LDS Freedom Forum

So, first time post but I regularly follow this board. This is a question I have had on my mind for a few weeks and am just seeing what others think. I will try to be as anonymous but descriptive as possible, if possible. It's just my wife and I. We live in Oregon, Salem to be precise. We are thinking/prompted about moving to downtown Portland for a variety of reasons. I have a steady job, can commute by auto or public transportation relatively easy. I plan on looking for employment in Portland but, as it is obvious, the job market has seen better days.

That is the basic current situation, but what are your opinions about living downtown in these troubled times? We don't plan on making it permanent, but we have both had unique feelings about making the move. What issues do you think might arise that I should be watchful for and prepared for? We have family that has land but both areas are about a 3-4 hour drive from the city if needs arise. I am trying to balance that, and live in the current situations and thoughts such as these predictions http://www.survivalblog.com/2009/01/mor ... _by_r.html.

Any thoughts you have would be welcome.

If you think these feelings and thoughts are from the prompting of the Holy Ghost, by all means follow them. But I think it would be wise not to buy a house, but rent, and keep a watch for anything coming, so that you could get out of Dodge before anything big goes down.

If the HG is prompting you to go to the city, and if you keep in tune with him, you would also be prompted to leave when necessary. It may be that the church needs to be strengthened in the city, or that you and your wife have special skills and abilities that are needed at this time.

Things that I feel are needed by all of us to get through these times are faith, follow the prophet, and live so that we can have the companionship of the HG at all times

believer

Follow the spirit.

My opinion is to stay out of the big cities, if possible. If I couldn't stay out of big cities because of work or what not, then I would rent an apartment. If trouble happens, you could easily terminate the rental contract (not so with a mortgage) and move to parents place out of the city; so make sure they also have a food supply.

One thing to think about is the number of people in the cities. This board do predict many nasty things that will happen in the future.
What will happen if food is limited? The grocery stores will have a run and then mobs will roam looking for food. The hungry mobs will not travel very far from the cities before they get kind of weak, so they will stay near the cities.

What will happen if the electricity goes out? Water only goes up hill so far before gravity takes over. Big tall buildings will not have water above the 3rd floor, unless there is an emergency generator. These days, during lack of electricity, looting will occur more frequently.

I am sure there are more negative things about cities as well as the positive.

Thank you very much for the reply. I do appreciate it.

I also need to mention that we would be renting. Buying right now makes zero sense to me.

@ Prew:

Yeah, those also are some issues I have with cities. However, as weird as it sounds, a city might be more reasonable in such times than some suburbs. Individual houses are much more vulnerable than an apartment in a building to be looted and broken into. Also, in cities the odds of being targeted I think would be less. There are more restaurants, markets, businesses and stores, etc. Easier to hide if things turn. In the burbs it is well defined. Houses, and supermarkets. If the supermarkets run out, where is the next place to turn? Houses. I also feel that people in the suburbs will be the first to turn because many are already over-extended and will be the first to feel the pinch. However, if food riots ever hit that would be a pretty big warning signal.

Personally, I like farmland...to be surrounded by lots and lots of farmland

How I wish this was my situation! I live in suburbs and that's likely where I'll have to stay. With several invalids in my home, I can't manage a farm by myself. If I could get some of my children to move to a farm with me, I would, but the ones that would are not in a financial position to do so. So we are storing our food and our arms and living the gospel the best we can.