Being Independent; Being Prepared

Being Independent; Being Prepared

How some young adults are applying principles of preparedness to their busy, mobile lives.

This is a great article put out by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this month. Here are some highlights:

". . . Jocelyn Winter attends medical school. Much of her time and energy go into balancing schoolwork with meeting financial obligations. Marcia Brisson is finished with school for now and is working full-time. Abby Croshaw is also working full-time but is considering a career change. And Emily Hardman is planning to move across the country to go to law school. All are finding that by applying the principles found in All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage and Family Finances they are better able to adjust to the shifting demands of young-adult life. Not only do they feel better prepared for new stages of life, including marriage or career changes, they also feel more secure about the future, no matter what it brings. As the Lord said: “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear” (D&C 38:30).

Furthermore, as these women apply the principles of provident living to meet their current needs, they find greater peace and have more faith as they seek emotional, spiritual, and temporal blessings."

. . . Abby, too, knows the blessings that come from obedience. She recalls that when a series of bad rainstorms hit her city, she was grateful she had followed the counsel of the prophets to build up a short-term home storage supply. During the inclement weather, she was safe in her home while others in the community were rushing on crowded roads to the grocery store for supplies. “Even if you made it to the store, the shelves were completely empty,” she says. “My roommates and I didn’t even feel the stress because we had food stored at our house. I was grateful we had listened.”

. . . Jocelyn says, “It really gives me a sense of security to know that the teachings in the Church focus on things to help us succeed, especially in times of trial.” Years ago, Jocelyn’s stake in Texas temporarily housed members displaced by a hurricane. Her personal resources proved valuable. Even though she didn’t use them for herself, someone else needed them. “I gave away what I had to others. Just helping one person can make a difference if everyone pitches in,” she says."

. . . I took a job in a new city and began to build a small reserve of food and household necessities, as well as a savings account. Later, I broke my foot and became helpless for nearly two months. Help from good friends and having that small reserve in place allowed for far fewer trips to the grocery store. Although this was not the type of disaster I was anticipating, I was grateful for the counsel to be prepared.” -Shannon Wilson, Texas, USA

“. . .Thankfully, there hasn’t been any major disaster or need for me to rely solely upon my food storage or other supplies, but I consider it a blessing to have the security of knowing I could live on my storage if needed. It is also a blessing to be able to partially rely on it when I don’t have as much income at a particular time due to extra expenses or fewer hours at work. I know that implementing provident living principles in our lives is a commandment from the Lord that helps us be more fruitful and independent.” -Jaci Smibert, Australia"