Message this week taken from LDS.org

MESSAGE FROM THE FIRST PRESIDENCY

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Our Heavenly Father created this beautiful earth, with all its abundance,

for our benefit and use. His purpose is to provide for our needs

as we walk in faith and obedience. He has lovingly commanded us to

“prepare every needful thing” (see D&C 109:8) so that, should adversity

come, we may care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops

as they care for others.

We encourage Church members worldwide to prepare for adversity

in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in

savings.

We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your

savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into

debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you

can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve.

We realize that some of you may not have financial resources or

space for such storage. Some of you may be prohibited by law from

storing large amounts of food. We encourage you to store as much as

circumstances allow.

May the Lord bless you in your home storage efforts.

The First Presidency

THE BASICS OF FAMILY HOME STORAGE

THREE-MONTH SUPPLY

Build a small supply of food that is part of your

normal, daily diet. One way to do this is to purchase a

few extra items each week to build a one-week supply

of food. Then you can gradually increase your supply

until it is sufficient for three months. These items

should be rotated regularly to avoid spoilage.

DRINKING WATER

Store drinking water for circumstances in which the

water supply may be polluted or disrupted.

If water comes directly from a good, pretreated

source then no additional purification is needed;

otherwise, pretreat water before use. Store water in

sturdy, leak-proof, breakage-resistant containers.

Consider using plastic bottles commonly used for

juices and soda.

Keep water containers away from heat sources and

direct sunlight.

FINANCIAL RESERVE

Establish a financial reserve by saving a little money

each week and gradually increasing it to a reasonable

amount (see

All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances

guide).

LONGER-TERM SUPPLY

 For longer-term needs, and where permitted, gradually

build a supply of food that will last a long time

and that you can use to stay alive, such as wheat,

white rice, and beans.

These items can last 30 years or more when properly

packaged and stored in a cool, dry place. A portion of

these items may be rotated in your three-month supply.