Not long after I become a member of the Mormon Church I started learning about the LDS principle of food storage. In every General Conference broadcast, at least one LDS leader would use words like preparedness and self-reliance in their talk on planning. . Their talk would usually include the verse from the Mormon scripture Doctrine and Covenants 38:30 that says; “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” Their message conveyed that storing food and other essentials was a commandment from God. If we didn’t heed this warning then we were somehow less righteous then the rest of our fellow Latter Day Saints who did. Not long ago, the members were told to have a year’s supply. Now they are to have at least three-month supply to begin with, then they can work on getting their year supply. If this idea of food storage were from God, why would he change the amount of food he wants us to store? If the Mormons believe that their god is an all-knowing god he would be able to give them an exact amount of food they should store for the exact amount of time they would need it.

    The Mormon leaders tell the members that they will need this food and supplies before the second coming. They are told that there are going to be many wars, and calamities that will make it impossible for them to get to a store to buy food. This sounds like they have an absence of complete faith and trust in God in their religion. They are putting their trust in mortal men to tell them what to store, how to store it, and how much of it to store. They aren’t trusting in the creator of the universe to provide for them. When I think about all the ways God has taken care of his follows in Biblical times, I can’t understand why the LDS think he wouldn’t do the same now. We need to look no further then the Israelites in Exodus to see how God provides for his people. If we believe in an all powerful, caring, loving God, why would he not see to it that our needs are meet when we ask?

   Matthew 6:30-33 reads;

     “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore, take no thought, saying What shall we eat? Or What shall we drink? Or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But see ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

    Recently I learned about a man by the name of George Muller. Pastor Muller was an awesome man of God. He spent most of his life in England where he pastored many churches. He had a heart for the orphans of England and established many orphanages. He never went out and asked people for money, nor did he go into debt to keep the orphanages going. Pastor Muller simply relied on God to provide, and he was blessed mightily for his faith. In one of his sermons he said;

“Think not, dear reader, that I have the gift of faith, that is, that gift of which we read in 1 Corinthians 12:9, and which is mentioned along with “the gifts of healing,” “the working of miracles, ”prophecy,” and that on that account I am able to trust in the Lord. It is true that the faith, which I am enabled to exercise, is altogether God's own gift; it is true that He alone supports it, and that He alone can increase it; it is true that, moment by moment, I depend upon Him for it, and that, if I were only one moment left to myself, my faith would utterly fail; but it is not true that my faith is that gift of faith which is spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12:9.”

    It concerns me the LDS don’t feel that they can rely on Jesus Christ to help them in times of need, but on their own righteousness and obedience. In a letter to the LDS people the First Presidency of the LDS Church said;

“We encourage you to follow this counsel with the assurance that a people prepared through obedience to the commandments of God need not fear.” – First Presidency Letter, 24 June 1988

   Past president of the LDS Church Ezra Taft Benson said; “The Lord was warned us of famines, but the righteous will have listened to prophets and stored at least a year’s supply of survival food”. (Ensign, Jan 1974, page 68)

   So if someone could not afford to have a year’s supply of food they are not “righteous”?  The “survival food” Mr. Benson is speaking of doesn’t have to be food that you or your family will eat. Mr. Faust explains it this way;

“Every father and mother are the family’s storekeepers. They should store whatever their own family would like to have in the case of an emergency. Most of us cannot afford to store a year’s supply of luxury items, but find it more practical to store staples that might keep us from starving in case of emergency.” (James E. Faust, ‘The Responsibility for Welfare Rests with Me and My Family,’ Ensign, May 1986, 20)

     Wouldn’t storing food this way create waste? If it’s only food that you and your family would eat in case of an emergency what happens when there is no “emergency” and the food, expires? What is the point in storing the food in the first place, if its food their family will not eat unless they are starving?

    In closing, I just want to say that I think that having a little extra food and essentials on hand would be beneficial depending upon where you live. Some of us may live in climates’ where we receive a lot of snowfall. Having some extra food, blankets, alternative heating, and power supply would be very helpful. What have to keep in mind is that throughout the Bible God tells us not to fear but trust in him. No matter what lies ahead of us, He will provide for us.

     Psalm 56:4 reads; “In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.”

     I pray that the LDS people will bring to trust in God more and know that he will watch over them.

In Christ,