Stake Focus Areas - Personal & Emergency Preparation

The Oakland California Stake

4. Personal and Emergency Preparation - President Marion G. Romney said: "Can we see how critical self-reliance becomes when looked upon as the prerequisite to service, when we also know service is what Godhood is all about? Without self-reliance, on cannot exercise these innate desires to serve. How can we give if there is nothing there? Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves. Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come from the scripturally unlearned. And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak." The more self-reliant we are, the more able we are to serve our families, our wards, people we associate with, and others among us. We have been counseled to make preparations in six areas:

Education - when we have knowledge and wisdom, we are able to discern truth from error and can make better choices. We are better able to excel in our activities and to be a light to others in the world. We are also better able to defend truth and promote it above the enticing arguments that deceive many of our brothers and sisters.
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Health - One of the reasons we came to earth was to gain a body, a critical part of becoming like our Father in Heaven. With this great gift has come important guidance to keep our minds and bodies healthy; when we do, we are much more able to take care of our own needs and serve others.
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Employment - Honest work enables us to provide for our families, others, and ourselves. Desires and righteous effort to improve our employment situation are honorable as we seek to better fulfill these responsibilities. Suitable employment also gives us opportunities to improve our talents and develop the divine attributes within us.
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Home Storage/Emergency Preparedness - In a letter last year to be read to all church members (www.templehill.com/emergency_proclaim.html), the First Presidency instructed: "We continue to encourage members to store sufficient food, clothing, and, where possible, fuel for at least one year . . . Member preparations require wise planning, diligence, and provident living . . . We encourage you to follow this counsel with the assurance that a people prepared through obedience to the commandments of God need not fear."
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Resource Management - We have each been greatly blessed with many things, abilities, and circumstances. In this world, our stewardships are small, but with these resources, we can learn to use our time, talents, and means to accomplish the Lord's work on the earth, preparing us for our eternal work and inheritance. There is much we can each do here to further the kingdom of God on the earth, and establish Zion. Our prophet and apostles have counseled us recently and repeatedly to direct more of our time and resources to things which will have a lasting, eternal value to ourselves, our families, and others. They express tremendous concern that the growing indebtedness of members of the Church is binding us, and limiting our ability to be of greater service in building the Lord's kingdom.
- Key Areas for Focus:
Social, Emotional, and Spiritual Strength - A lot can be said about each of these areas. Our spiritual strength is a foundation for all else we do. As we make that foundation strong, that which we build emotionally and socially can be stable and substantial. Our lifestyles are hectic, and can get overly filled with demands from many very good causes (including the efforts outlined here)! We need to be sensitive to our emotional needs, and more likely than not, make some lifestyle changes to simplify the many activities we - and our families - are involved with, to make sure that we choose the causes of most worth, and leave time for personal introspection and enjoyment. This can be done with even the most hectic situation, though it might require scaling back your children's involvement in things as well as your own. If we continue "running faster than we have strength," we will wear down our ability to emotionally stay on top of our pursuits, and we will loose our enjoyment of this wonderful life. Much of that enjoyment comes as we create and deepen good relationships with family members and others. These relationships are also the basis for our most meaningful service and deepest affections.
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