Church advises members to maintain a year's supply of food
Toledo OH Blade 21Aug99 C7
By Judy Tarjanyi: Blade Religion Editor

This article focuses on Church advice to members to "Be prepared... long before talk of a Y2K crisis was woven through the mainstream media" Mentioning both 72 hour kits and recommendations of a year's supply, the author notes:

"Organized in 1830, the Mormon church developed its own welfare services plan in 1936 urging members and their families to become self-reliant in such areas as financial and resource management and home food and clothing supplies. When individuals or families do not have enough of their own resources, the church promises to provide aid, but leaders emphasize that their aim is to help people help themselves.

The church continues to recommend to its members that they avoid debt and save during times of plenty for times of need and that they maintain a year's supply of food, clothing, and fuel. Members also are encouraged to plant gardens, to sew, and to can, freeze, and dry foods.

In addition, the welfare services plan includes a system of regularly checking on every family in the church to make sure their needs are being met."

The article uses the ability to respond quickly to the recent tornado in Salt Lake as well as an interview with a local member to illustrate its points.

Then it quotes Michael Purdy, the church's media relations manager, who explains that the Mormon habit of being ready for anything goes back 100 years. "It's an attitude of preparedness for any type of situation that might arise. It could be loss of a job, natural disaster, any type of emergency situation."

Noting that the church's preparedness guidelines have nothing to do with Y2K or the end of the world, he says, "It's really just a directive to be prepared for whatever life might bring my way," and explains that the church's history as a pioneer people and a persecuted minority likely gave rise to the self-sufficiency goals. "We are very self-reliant and have been taught to be that way."