The value of preparedness

In the last few months, and recent days, there have been devastating natural disasters that have tested the people of the world and their preparedness. The massive earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, the widespread blizzards and power outages on the eastern coast of the US, and the severe storms in Europe have shown us how important it is to be prepared. Many of us have been preparing in the event of job loss, disability, or economic factors. These personal disasters will often times still leave us with the luxury of running water and electricity. Natural disasters are not so kind. They often leave their victims not only without their homes, but without clean water and electricity. These people often lose all their belongings. I have asked myself the question recently, "How would I cope? Could I cope? Would my family be prepared?" The brutally honest answer to that is no! We have some food storage, but no emergency kits. We have camping gear, but not organized into a 72-hour evacuation kit. We have money in the bank, but not in cash for an emergency. These are things that we need to be aware of as we prepare our homes and families for emergencies. We are doing this, not just "in case" we lose jobs or have medical problems, but for all unforseen disasters that may befall us. Now is not the time to panic and hoarde like squirrels. Through careful, thought out planning we can each have what we need to sustain our families through crisis. I pray for those affected by the natural disasters we have had, and pray that we may all be "safely gathered in" as we are directed by the First Presidency of the church.