Buy Low, Eat High? Thoughts on Preparedness

This is a crazy time, with food prices and shortages and all.

I'm recalling President Hinckley's talk in 1998 when he read from Genesis 41 and then said:

I want to make it very clear that I am not prophesying, that I am not predicting years of famine in the future. But I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order.

So many of our people are living on the very edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings.

We have witnessed in recent weeks wide and fearsome swings in the markets of the world. The economy is a fragile thing. A stumble in the economy in Jakarta or Moscow can immediately affect the entire world. It can eventually reach down to each of us as individuals. There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed.

Of course, I cannot interpret the prophet's words for anyone else, but I can't help but feel that we are experiencing a glimpse of what stormy weather can look like, and what the impact of an interconnected worldwide economy can be. As he said, if something happens in one part of the world, it can affect us all.

I remember when a big storm hit the East coast when I was living there. It only shut things down for three days, but people went crazy and bought the stores out of bread and produce. I was stunned when it took a month for the produce to really come back up to a normal supply.

We are seeing similar panicking now. You can't just walk into Costco (or any grocery store, for that matter) and get a 25 bag of rice. You can't go to your cannery and pick up more than a couple of bags of food. And prices of what you can buy (such as wheat) continue to go up.

President Hinckley also talked a lot about avoiding consumer debt, about not living on the edges of our incomes. This situation we face now to me seems like a simple example of why this is wise counsel. If one has a fixed food budget, one cannot simply go and pay premium prices for commodities, unless one has some extra money tucked away...which is yet another element of preparedness counsel we have received.

I've also been struck by how the focus for food storage has changed from storing commodities first, to storing three months' worth of what our families regularly eat. Might such a focus also help us at times like this? If we are working on our three-month supply, do we really need to go out and pay premium prices for commodities right now? Might this be a good time to stock up on other foods that aren't getting so much attention? Plant a garden? Learn how to make bread? etc....

I dunno. I suppose for each family, the solution might be a little different, depending on budget and existing storage and typical eating patterns. But I've been thinking about the idea of 'Buy Low, Eat High.' If prices continue to soar, will I really want to pay bookoo bucks for a loaf of bread, or should I just make some (I need to use up that flour that is getting old anyway....)?

It is clear to me that prophetic counsel has the power to protect us from times of panic. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

How are you approaching things right now? Are you buying high? Are you going to ride it out and live on your storage? Are you ignoring the panic and storing other things?

The Problem of Generalizing the Personal

Life is a journey, a process, a challenge. At the core of the plan that God has created for us is agency, and that means that a key part of the journey is making choices. Lots of them. Every day, every minute, we make choices - some small, some big.

Sometimes, especially with important decisions, we, of course, put lots of effort into making those choices. As members of the Church, we also often will seek guidance through prayer and personal revelation. Through the process, it's easy to become passionate about the answers we receive, about the decisions we make.

And with passion often comes the desire to share, even to proselytize. Herein lies a weakness I have seen in myself and in others. We sometimes assume that because our answer was right for us, that it will be right for others.

And yet, how often is there really One Right Answer?

There are truths that we are taught by our prophets, and I don't believe that doctrine is up for grabs. It is not within our stewardship to receive revelation about doctrine for the Church, or about the responsibilities of others' callings. We are told repeatedly that we receive revelation for our own stewardships, but not for others'.

But this principle applies to others' personal lives as well. We cannot take the revelation we have received for our own lives and apply it to others. That is not to say there is never a time and place to share our personal experiences and testimonies. There are also times and places to testify of true principles. The Spirit can help us know when and where these things may be appropriate. But I think we need to be careful about taking specific, personalized answers and trying to make them generally-applicable, especially when prophets of God have not done so. In the end, I am coming to believe we cannot do this without risking the violation of the principles of agency, and thus violating the plan of God at some level. Part of becoming like God is allowing for the agency of others.

How much room is there for personal revelation even with laws/commandments/counsel we know to be divinely inspired? Consider the following examples:

• Word of Wisdom (have you ever met someone who wants to convince you that they are living the 'higher law' of the WoW by some specific that has never been preached over the pulpit? I sure have...)

• Sabbath Day -- Have you ever actually met two Mormon families who apply this law in exactly the same way?

• Multiply and Replenish -- As important as the commandment to multiply and replenish is, we simply cannot know what is right for another couple, another family. Even something as simple as "You'll just know when you're done" is not something that can be generally applied. We were recently reminded in the Worldwide Leadership Broadcast that we are not to judge others on decisions such as this.
  

• Following the Prophets -- As passionate as I am about this topic, I see over and over again how each of our perceptions of what this means differs. My husband and I, as relatively close as we are on the topic, will sometimes find that we apply and interpret prophetic counsel in different ways.
  

• Preparedness -- Again, we have some pretty clear counsel on this topic, but none of us is in a position to receive specific guidance for others on how to apply this counsel.
  

What about life choices, challenges, and situations, such as the following:

Public vs. home school -- Oh, my. Here again, the passion is intense. How many of you have heard a homeschooling family insist that there is no other righteous way to teach children, particularly when we live in such challenging times? Or, on the flip side, have you heard a public schooling family condemn homeschoolers for any number of reasons? Oh, my.

Work-life-family balance questions -- Even as the prophets have been clear about the ideal, for example about the general roles and responsibilities of fathers and mothers as outlined in the Proclamation and repeatedly taught by our leaders, there is still room for personal adaptation and revelation, and thank goodness for that, since there are so many variations in life situation, culture, needs, etc.

Intimacy in marriage -- Have you ever heard someone complain that we don't receive more guidance on this topic? I think that part of the reason we don't is because we are supposed to figure this out, with our spouses and with the Lord. I have heard professional counselors giving specific guidance about frequency, for example, and I just don't think that is appropriate. Of course, there is some good general guidance out there, but I think we need to be careful about taking on anyone else's specific answers in this tender, private, sacred element of married life.

Home birth vs. hospital birth -- A post I just read today explores the process of making such a decision. This is another one of those hot topics that I have seen sometimes bring out the worst in women. How I wish we could respect each other's space to make choices and trust that we are each doing our best! There is most certainly no One Right Answer in this regard.

Discipline of children, or dealing with marital or other family challenges -- There are, of course, spiritual and legal laws that draw some boundaries in these regards, but, usually, there is a lot of variation on how we can deal with the various kinds of challenges that can emerge in family relationships. This is likely one of the most important areas in life where we need the power of personal revelation, and where we need to be ever-so-careful about generalizing our approaches and answers to others. We can offer support when requested, but often, giving advice or counsel can be problematic. The best advice I think we can give is to encourage our loved ones to seek spiritual guidance through prayer, and, if necessary, through professional help.

These are just a few examples of many.

As someone who has always preferred nice, clean, clear-cut answers to questions in life, I have struggled with all of this. I still believe there are certain things that are Right. (I suppose there will always even be debate about where those lines are.) But still, even there, I realize I cannot take away what God has freely given -- the gift of agency. God will freely give us when we ask, and we can only hope that those we love and care about will seek God's guidance in all of their important decisions - and even ones that may not be so important. God wants to be involved in our lives, and He wants us to care about and be involved in each others' lives. But there are limits to that involvement, I think. We need to be careful about generalizing personal revelation or even simple personal choice. We need to respect the agency of others, and rejoice in the plan that allows us to discover, by our own experience, the good from the bad. And to discover the power of the Atonement when we/others make mistakes.

Am I generalizing too much? :)

The Mantle of an Apostle

OK, here's another thing that stuck out at me from Conference. I don't remember who it was (and I'm feeling too lazy to look it up) who mentioned that Elder Christofferson would be ordained (in other words, that he was not yet ordained). Perhaps that future ordination explains something I have noticed for years when our new apostles have been called. They speak the day they are called. They always give a sweet, humble talk. You can feel they are overwhelmed, and that they love the gospel and the Savior with all of their hearts.

But I have noticed, without exception that I can think of, that there is a difference the next time they speak. They are bold. They speak with authority and power. Of course, some of that probably comes with six months of experience, but I couldn't help but wonder if it also was that the mantle of the calling had descended on them.

Has anyone else sensed something like this?

Spirit to Spirit

I have so much running through my head and heart since General Conference. And I have lots I want to write, but it is easier to do that with the transcripts.

But there is one thing that I wanted to capture for now. I loved what Elder Christofferson said about how he had received revelation, spirit to spirit -- he learned and felt things that words could not express. Moments like that are what cement my convictions of the truthfulness of the gospel. And they make life so sublime; they bring me so much joy.

I also think that simple, almost passing comments like his are sometimes the greatest gems of Conference. The older I get, the more I want to find those gems that I am convinced we get more than perhaps we realize.

Ah, I love General Conference!

If you just can't make it to the cannery....

...you can now get some of the items shipped to you! Cases of pinto beans, quick oats, wheat, and white rice can now be purchased and shipped (in the US) for about $8.00 more per case than you would pay at the cannery. Not a bad option for those times when you want to stock up but have a hard time getting to the cannery (or don't have one close).

I still just like working at the cannery when I can, though....

Seeking Balance as a Mommy

This is my comment that got too long on Segullah's recent blog post.

First, I want to say that for me, those early stages of motherhood were the hardest. I'm willing to bet that even with teenagedom ahead of me, I will still say that later on in the process. Being physically exhausted, dealing with cute but completely irrational little creatures...it drained me to my core on many, many days. And I've never been a fan of bodily fluids. :)

But I am having SO MUCH FUN with my kids now (three of them, ages 6-9). This stage of mothering involves a totally different mode, a totally different level of intrinsic satisfaction. I can see and feel the difference I make in their lives, and it's not just about their physical needs anymore. (I know there is more to little ones than just their physical needs, but it's not nearly as obvious as it is when they are turning into little people, becoming accountable, and all of that.) Does that mean I do nothing else but be a mom? No, I still have some things I do on the side, but I am constantly striving to remind myself that what comes "naturally" and what gives me my biggest ego boost is usually not what is most important.

I think we need to always, always remember that the Lord's servants have encouraged us to be educated and prepared and to develop talents. The trick is not to use that counsel as an excuse to do what we shouldn't do. And the real trick is really figuring out what we should and shouldn't do. And that, imo, will change at each stage of life.

I know from personal experience that the Lord can and will open doors of opportunity for us to keep our skills current-ish. I have seen that time and time again. But by so doing, He also has tested me and my heart and motives. In the end, I have had wonderful opportunities that I totally and completely loved, and have felt I should walk away from them. Other things I have felt ok about continuing. And I'm always, always revisiting these things with God, even on a daily basis. I can think of nothing else that is more important to me as a mom than figuring out that balance thing. And I think it is something we should revisit every day, and is something about which we should seek the Lord's guidance constantly.

I'll just say it. For each woman, of course the specifics will look different. But my opinion is that if we truly have our errand from the Lord, and we feel Him guiding us in whatever our balance looks like, then guilt should be gone and so should comparing, worrying about what others think, etc. (Theory is always easier than practice, but still, I think this is true.)

I also agree wholeheartedly with Maralise. The drive for external validation is something we should seek to root out of our lives, because in the end, these decisions are so critical, and that balance is such an important one, that the key to figuring it out and doing the best we can with that balance is to have our 'eye single to the glory of God' not to what gives us our biggest sense of personal satisfaction alone. I have found that God's plan for me is always better than my plan for me anyway. I just need all the help I can get and I think the more I am seeking to really do what God wants me to do -- and not just what I want to do -- will increase my chance of really hearing the Spirit and getting it more right.

Another thought: This opinion may not be hugely popular, but my view is that one of the reasons I think motherhood is so important in the plan is because of what it does to us as mothers. It causes us to really look upward and inward and rely on our eternal sense of value and worth and purpose. I think this also applies to seeking to know the place of education and continuous personal improvement and developing our talents in our lives. I think we should always be seeking to understand and consider the eternal impact and growth potential of our decisions. Some may criticize the martyrdom syndrome of motherhood, and of course we shouldn't be reminding everyone how much we sacrifice as mothers, but isn't sacrifice fundamental to our spiritual growth and part of our test?

In our traditional roles, men get to go out and be validated, and are tested by needing to remember that that validation is not what they should seek or care about most. Women see hubbies get that validation and often ache for it, but are invited to spend most of their time and energy nurturing their eternal relationships, which doesn't always have its immediate reward. In fact, the work we do is really a work that only fully bears fruit across generations.

And then those who are single (or who ache for parenthood and don't yet have that blessing in their lives) have their faith tested by aching for something that is so eternally important (having children) and not yet realized in their lives, and by trusting in the promises of God and seeking to do eternal good in their opportunities and responsibilities and roles.

So there are some quick thoughts on that topic...one I will likely write about more when I have more time to really think about it. :)

Sister Beck's CES Talk, Take 2

I listened to Sister Beck’s CES fireside talk again. Wow, again. I wept as I felt the Spirit so strongly. There is such power in her words, in true and direct teaching.

I heard and noticed different things this time. Last time I listened, I heard much about claiming the blessings of Abraham. This time, I listened more carefully for the specific counsel she gave for those who are not yet married. She gave clear and simple counsel.

She spoke to these young adults as their aunt. She gave them four ‘keys’ that they could use to actively move the work of the Lord forward, have the Spirit more fully in their lives, and increase their likelihood of meeting someone with whom they could form an eternal family. The four keys were as follows (you need to listen to the talk to understand the significance of the keys...what a great image she created!)

BTW, these are not all going to be verbatim…I'm writing from memory:

• Serve
• Preach the Gospel
• Do Family History and Temple Work
• Prepare for the Future

Isn’t there wonderful counsel for any of us in those keys?

One of the elements of her talk that stuck out to me was her emphasis and re-emphasis on doing the things that allow the Spirit to flourish. As we do the things that bring the Spirit most abundantly, as we choose to spend our time engaged in the work of the Lord and more fully fulfilling our covenant responsibilities, our lives will be filled with the Spirit. And then the Spirit can more easily guide us in the specifics of all the counsel our leaders give. Good, better, best. We have gotten this reminder often the past few years. We need to be sure we spend our time in the best ways possible so that we increase the chance for the Spirit to be with us to guide and bless us.

There is much more she said. Once again, I commend her talk to you. I think I might just listen to it again, for I’m sure I will glean something every time I listen to it. I am so grateful to have such a strong and faith-filled woman leading the Relief Society organization for the Church.