Self Reliance Tip #64 - July 24 The 6 Elements of SR

Woah! Where does the time go?? My week long camping trip has knocked me off my schedule to the point that I forgot what day it was. So - we're back :).

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A big thanks to Sister Alissa for her help in getting information about the 20% off Honeyville Grain order last week! 

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Here's a quote for ya...I found it in a pamphlet with a 1980 date...I was like...two years old? 

"Home production and storage is a very necessary element of personal and family preparedness; however, it is not the only element, nor is it necessarily the most significant element. Some people have reacted to the theme of preparedness as if it were a doomsday matter. In reality, all six elements of personal and family preparedness are to be emphasized so that the Latter-day Saints may be better prepared to meed the ordinary, day-to-day requirements of successful living.

"Our emphasis on this subject is not grounds for crisis thinking or panic. Quite the contrary, personal and family preparedness should be a way of provident living, an orderly approach to using the resources, gifts, and talents the Lord shares with us. So the first step is to teach our people to be self-reliant and independent through proper preparation for daily life" (Victor L. Brown, Ensign, Nov 1976)

It doesn't matter how long ago these words were written, they are still true today. So, what exactly are the six elements of Personal and Family Preparedness he talked about?

• Literacy and Education
• Career Development
• Financial and Resource Management
• Home Production and Storage
• Physical Health
• Social-Emotional and Spiritual Strength

We want to be an industrious and independent people. The society we live in today teaches us to be dependent on someone else. "As long as I can prove that I am disabled (financially, physically etc.) in some way...someone else will take care of me." Don't get me wrong, there are those we need to help take care of as part of Christlike living; however, the adversary would have us think that we are "entitled" to whatever we want.

All of these elements are strictly important to self-reliance. I listened to a returned missionary speak this last Sunday. He said something related to gospel preparation that, in my opinion, relates to these six elements. He said, " Your first basketball game is not the time when you learn how to dribble and pass the ball." In other words, "prepare yourself well before you need to use these elements."

In most of our "tips" we focus on the Home Production and Storage. Remember, there is so much more to self-reliance. 

..... And another thing....

When was the last time you couldn't use your debit card to buy groceries? Mine? Today. When the electricity goes out at a grocery store, gas station or anywhere else you buy things, you can be put in a pickle fast if you don't have extra cash or checks on you. 

With the storms we've been having recently, it doesn't take much to loose electricity. 

So this is just another reminder to have a little saved for a rainy day...literally.