The Blast Shelter

[ Reading time: 20 - 34 minutes ]

Subject: LDS Prophets on “Survivalism” Prt 5
From: Oiled Lamp
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 1997 22:07:22 -0500

Spencer W. Kimball
Scandinavian Area Conference
Copenhagen, Denmark, August 1976

Now you probably have read of the terrible disaster in Idaho since
our last conference. Brother Packer and I visited the scene of the
disaster. A big dam burst and flooded many communities. The water that
reached as high as twenty or thirty feet deep swished through the homes
and farms and the Church buildings and wreaked great damage. Thousands
of head of cattle and other animals were destroyed. We were grateful
that the warning came in the daytime when all people could be warned. I
think only seven people lost their lives, but the destruction was
terrible. We just mention that so you will be prepared in this area.
There are famines and dry periods. There are earthquakes and cyclones
and divers problems that arise in the various parts of the country. The
think that pleased us was that our people were partly ready. Even though
their own personal supplies were washed away, yet we had a surplus in
our storehouses. And almost as soon as the word went out, our trucks
were moving to Idaho filled with tons of relief commodities. Ricks
College, [a Church-sponsored college - A.S.] which was just above the
water line, was used for homes and for the feeding of the people. Beds
were made all through the college, and tens of thousands of people were
taken care of. I suppse hundreds of thousands of meals were supplied.
When we visited the President of the United States recently, I told
him, “We are prepared.” The Lord said, “If ye are prepared ye shall not
fear.” (D&C 38:30.) Our Relief Society organizations and our bishoprics
and our stake presidents all knew what to do. And the work went forward
immediately while the nation was trying to get together and plan and
organize.
We want you to be ready with your personal storehouses filled with
at least a year’s supply. You don’t argue why it cannot be done, you
just plan to organize and get it done.

Boyd K. Packer (Asst. to the Twelve, 1961; Apostle, 1970)
Scandinavian Area Conference
Copenhagen, Denmark, August 1976

I would like to mention in more detail the flood in Idaho. President
Kimball has mentioned our visit there were seventeen miles of water
backed up behind it. All of that water was released on the valleys
below. It was a quiet Saturday morning, a beautiful sunny day. There
were 7,800 people livingin the immediate path of the flood, and another
25,000 or 30,000 further down the valley. Almost all of them are
Latter-day Saints.
ishoprics
…Wilford Ward, which was at the mouth of the canyon, was washed away
- all of it – all of the houses, all of the barns, all of the gardens,
everything – a whole ward gone. The chapel was gone. A mile or two
downstream, Sugar City was washed away. The stake center and a few
houses stood, but they were subject to terrible destruction. In all, 790
homes were completely destroyed. Most of them disappeared without a
trace, except for the cement foundations. Eight hundred others were
severly damaged, along with churches and schools and houses of business.
…President Kimball has mentioned what happened to the people. Only
six died by drowning – six of about 35,000. How could there be such a
terrible destruction with such little loss of life? They couldn’t go up
on theroof and be saved, because the houses were washed away. Most of
them had several miles to go to high ground. Now, why did they live?
prics
Because they were warned! They didn’t have very long, but they were
warned; and every man that was warned warned his neighbor.
…But it was a miracle of tremendous proportion because as Latter-day
Saints, we learn to heed the warnings. When there is a terrible
destruction, we will warn our neighbors. There is page after page of
miracles. Of how a father heard of the warning, but his children were
scattered over the farm. He was in town, and his wife had no car. But
they were saved. Miracles of how the aged and the infirm and the
children were rescued. One expert said that there should have been about
5,300 people killed. But there were six, because they were warned and
they heeded the warning.

Spencer W. Kimball
Amsterdam Area Conference, August 1976

Elder Packer spoke to us in Copenhagen about a warning. The recent
flood in Idaho, caused by the breaking of a great dam, overflowed many
LDS communities. But the dam broke on a Saturday morning, so it gave an
opportunity to get the warning out. Men rushed to their telephones and
called all the people they could think of. The people rushed from their
homes, leaving everything, and went to Ricks College, where they were
housed and fed for many days because their homes and supplies were
destroyed. But because they were warned early, most of the people were
saved. Only six people were destroyed, and they were generally people
who did not heed the warning. For instance, one older couple said they
weren’t going to move out of their home. They had a car that they could
have gotten out with; but when the floods subsided, they were found
drowned in their car. After it was too late and the flood was upon them,
they tried to get out; but they were drowned. That is true of numerous
youth and others if they will not listen to the warnings. And that is
why we are here-to bring the warnings. And that is why we are here-to
bring the warning message to all the people.

Boyd K. Packer
Amsterdam Area Conference, August 1976

It was a beautiful, calm, Saturday morning, all the farmers were
getting their crops in and working on their farms. There came a break in
the dam, up in the mountains, seventeen miles of water backed up behind
it. And finally it collapsed. The first community at the mouth of the
canyon was Wilford. There were 7,800 people living just below the
mountains, and down the valley a ways 25,000 or 30,000 more, almost all
of them Latter-day Saints. Wilford Ward washed away – all of it, and all
of the houses. The chapel stood, with just the walls and the sagging
roof. But there was not a home, or a barn, or a garden, or anything left
of Wilford Ward.
A mile ot two downstream, Sugar City was washed away. The stake
center and a few houses stood, but they were terribly damaged. In all,
790 homes disappeared, most of them without a trace. Some cement
foundations were all you could find. Eight hundred other homes were
badly damaged, as were schools and churches. Fourteen of our chapels
were damaged or destroyed. But then you know about floods here, from
your history, and sometimes you may be anxious about them.
…Now what about the people? As President Kimball told you, there were
six lives lost by drowning. The experts say there should have been 5,300
deaths. But there were six: one fisherman just below the dam; two heard
the warning but wouldn’t leave until it was too late; three went back to
get something.
What about the other thousands? They were all saved. Why? Because
they heeded the warning. They had almost no time when the warning first
went out, but Latter-day Saints are trained to heed the warnings. We are
a people who are trained to be obedient. We sustain our leaders. We
uphold them and we obey them and we heed the warnings.
…You know, it is a great experience to listen to the miracles that
took place in Idaho. One fourteen-year-old boy was in Rexburg when he
heard the warning. He knew his little sister was home on the farm, sick
in bed. When it was all over with, they were both up at the college
safe.
One of the teachers at the college was in his office that morning,
and someone tapped at the door and said, “Turn on your radio. There is
something happening.” He thought of his wife out on the farm and his
boys out irrigating, and he had the only car. There was no possible time
for him to get there. How were they saved? They were warned by their
neighbors. They were rescued by their neighbors. He prayed them out of
the flood. Did you know you could do that?

Spencer W. Kimball
October 1976 Regional Representatives
Seminar Address

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden,
spectacular program.

Spencer W. Kimball
October Conference, 1976

Our pride is great in the people who have listened and who have
planted gardens and orchards and trees in the past months. From all
directions we hear of gardens which have made an outstanding
contribution. A couple in Alabama wrote, :We had vegetables all during
the year. We feel it saved us quite a bit of money.”
One authority estimates there will be about 35 million home
vegetable gardens this year, up from about 32.5 million last year, and
he says that probably 41 percent of all American households will do some
home canning this year, as against 37 percent a year ago. Many of the
numerous gardens are found in hanging baskets, in containers on
stairways, on trellises, and in window boxes.
In Oklahoma a state university makes 240 plots available to married
students. In Long Island some 400 plots have been turned over to
residents. In Pennsylvania some 200,000 plots were under cultivation.
One authority says, “I have my own garden and have found it’s my
sanity away from work.”
We would add to the garden-orchard project the clearing of yards and
homes. We have mentioned it before. Still there are numerous homes with
broken-down fences and barns, outbuildings that could probably be torn
down or rebuilt, ditch banks that could be cleared. We congratulate all
who have listened and followed counsel.
From Frankfurt, Germany, this comes:
“We are two families in the Frankfurt Mission, and we tell you about
our garden.
“It was not very easy to find a piece of land in a large city like
Frankfurt-it is a tiny garden-and when we rented it, it looked like a

October 1wilderness, with a broken fence, a broken cottage, and wild grass all
over. It did not discourage us.
“First we made a new fence, repaired the cottage, and digged the
whole garden. In the springtime we planted vegetables and the neighbours
told us that it would not grow. There is a little stream where we can go
on our bikes hanged with cans, and this way we carry our water. We
prayed to the Lord that he would bless our garden. The Lord did answer
our prayers. Every kind of vegetable came. It is so wonderful to see the
plants grow. We take turns now to go to our garden and water our plants.
We are happy to have a garden.”
…We express our affection and sympathy to all those who have suffered
in great calamities in the past months. The flood caused by the breaking
of the Teton Dam brought misery and loss and suffering to numerous and
good people. With its high wall of water, the flood took nearly
everything before it. We are grateful that Ricks College facilities were
just above the flood line and served to make a home away from home for
many who had lost their homes and to furnish hundreds of thousands of
meals during their dilemma. We are very proud indeed of the
organization, the faithful work, the hospitality, and the self-sacrifice
of numerous helpers in this great tragedy.

Victor L. Brown
October Conference, 1976

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 meet
the ordinary, day-to-day requirements of successful living.
esentatives
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.

Barbara B. Smith
October Conference, 1976

My dear brothers and sisters, last July six stake Relief Society
presidents visited me in my office; they were all from Idaho stakes
affected by the Teton flood.
The spoke of the labor and love given by thousands of priesthood
volunteers and also of the service of countless Relief Society women who
washed, scrubbed, cleaned, prepared food, cared for children, and
performed other essential services for victims of that terrible
disaster.
today requiremen As those sisters spoke, several images came to my mind. I was
reminded of one the beautiful sculptures of the Relief Society’s Nauvoo
monument – a woman with hands outstretched in an attitude of compassion,
typifying the woman described in Proverbs:
“She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her
hands to the needy.” (Prov. 31:20.)
…I recalled my own visit to the flood area, where I saw a cultural
hall with tables with good clothing, clearly sized and marked; another
room with neatly stacked food-cans of wheat, dehydrated milk, bottled
fruit, nonfood items-all donated by individuals acting in spontaneous
compassion and generosity. I remembered the spirit of love and unity, as
members in nearby areas not affected by the flood opened their homes and
shared their food and other supplies with flood victims.
I thought at the time what a blessing it was that those who had been
obedient to the counsel of the Brethren had sufficient personal supplies
to share with the flood victims. Through this hard experience, lessons
in preparedness and provident living were learned for the entire Church.
…1. Basic Food Storage. Included in the year’s supply of basic foods
should be life-sustaining foods that store well for a long time: grains
(wheat, rice, corn, or other of the cereal grains); dried milk, dried
fish or protein vegetables such as beans and peas and other fresh,
canned, dried, or pickled fruits and vegetables; sugar or a sugar
substitute such as honey; some form of fats; salt; and water. Fresh taro
or sweet potato, and live pigs, chickens, or fish might be considered as
a supply in some area of the world where it is difficult to store food.
Remember that regular use of whole grains is important in building a
digestive tolerance for roughage.
2. Basic Clothing and Fuel Storage
3. Emergency Storage. You may wish to consider storing, where they
could be picked up at a moment’s notice, such items as water, food
needing no refrigeration or cooking, medications needed by family
member, a first-aid booklet and first-aid supplies, an ax, shovel, and
blanket. These would be used when a family or individual only has a
short time to flee a disaster or needs to stay in a sheltered area
within the home. It is also wisdom to have the family’s important papers
and documents together where they could be picked up at a moment’s
notice.
4. Expanded Storage. Families may also wish to expand their basic
storage to include foods and other daily essentials that would supply
total nutritional needs and allow for variety and personal preferences
in diet and living. These would be things normally used every day, for
which frequent shopping is done.
…I repeat, home storage should consist of a year’s supply of basic
food, clothing, and where possible, fuel. After this goal is reached,
emergency and expanded storage is desirable.
In all of our storage, quality products, proper containers and
storage facilities, proper storage temperature, and regular rotation are
important considerations. Some of the recent disasters in which Church
members have been involved show that there is a need for diversification
in _places_ of storage and in types of containers. Perhaps not all
storage should be concentrated in one area of the houses, not all should
be stored in tin or plastic containers, not all in glass containers.
I outlined in the April 1976 welfare services meeting eight suggested
topics for Relief Society homemaking mini-classes. I repeat these by way
of review:
How to save systematically for emergencies and home storage.
How to, what to, and where to store.
How to store seeds, prepare soil, acquire proper tools for gardening.
How to grow your own vegetables.
How to can and dry foods.
How to teach and help your family eat foods needed for physical
health.
How to do basic machine and hand sewing, mending, and clothing
remodeling.
How to plan and prepare nutritious, appetizing meals, using the
resources available and foods from home storage shelves.
May I also strongly urge stake and district Relief Society leaders to
encourage miniclass instruction on how to use the basic food storage
items in daily diets. I ask Relief Society leaders to secure and study
approved materials on home storage appropriate to local culture,
climate, and area; to counsel with local priesthood leaders and make
realistic storage plans available to the people in their area. Plans for
storage may vary according to the circumstances of individuals or
families. But always the guidelines will be helpful that are set forth
in the Church Welfare Services Department bulletion, “Essentials of Home
Storage,” available through Church Distribution. Local university and
government departments could also be a source of help.

Ezra Taft Benson
April Conference, 1977

Economic and social conditions appear most ominous worldwide today.
With revelation and prophecy as our guide, I think it is not extreme for
me to say that when all is written about our present generation, it may
truly be said that we had hardly enough time to prepare. To meet the
impending crisis, I venture to say that all our spiritual and temporal
resources will be taxed to the very limit. The Lord has declared: “If ye
are prepared ye shall not fear.” (D&C 38:30.)
…Great blessings come to us as individuals and to His Church as we
support the Lord’s program for the care of the poor and needy. I have
experienced these blessings firsthand in distributing food, clothing,
and bedding to the suffering members of the Church in Europe following
Word War II. I witnessed the starving, the emaciated, and the barefoot.
It was a piteous sight. My heart went out in compassion to all our
Heavenly Father’s suffering children.
I remember so well the arrival of our first Church welfare supplies
in Berlin. I took with me the acting president of the mission, President
Richard Ranglack. We walked to the old battered warehouse which, under
armed guard, housed the precious welfare goods. St the far end of the
warehouse we saw the boxes piled almost to the ceiling.
“Are those boxes of food?” Richard said. “Do you mean to tell me
those are boxes full of food?”
“Yes, my brother,” I replied, “food and clothing and bedding, and, I
hope, a few medical supplies.”
Richard and I took down one of the boxes. We opened it. It was
filled with the commonest of common foods-dried beans. As that good man
saw it, he put his hands into it and ran it through his fingers, than
broke down and cried like a child with gratitude.
We opened another box, filled with cracked wheat, nothing added or
taken away, just as the Lord made it and intended it to be. He touched a
pinch of it to his mouth. After a moment he looked at me through his
tearful eyes-and mine were wet, too-and he said, while slowly shaking
his head, “Brother Benson, it is hard to believe that people who have
never seen us could do so much for us.”

Spencer W. Kimball
April Conference, 1977

The Lord goes further and says:
“I will…destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your
highways shall be desolate.” (Lev. 26:22.)
Can you think how the highways could be made desolate? When fuel and
power are limited, when there is none to use, when men will walk instead
of ride?
Have you ever thought, my good folks, that the matter of peace is in
the hands of the Lord who says:
“And I will bring a sword upon you…” (Lev. 26:25.)
Would that be difficult? Do you read the papers? Are you acquainted
with the hatreds of the world? What guarantee have you for permanent
peace?
“…and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.” (Lev.
26:25.)
Are there enemies who could and would afflict us? Have you thought
of that?
“And I will make your cities waste,” he says, “and bring your
sanctuaries unto desolation….
“Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as longas it lieth
desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land
rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.
“As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest
[when it could] in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.” (Lev. 26:31,
34-35.)
Those are difficult and very serious situations, but they are possible.
…The Lord uses the weather sometimes to discipline his people for the
violation of his laws.
…We deal with many things which are thought to be not so spiritual;
but all things are spiritual with the Lord, and he expects us to listen,
and to obey, and to follow the commandments.

Spencer W. Kimball
October Conference, 1977

As you know, in the recent past we have placed considerable emphasis
on personal and family preparedness. I hope that each member of the
Church is responding appropriately to this direction. I also hope that
we are understanding and accentuating the positive and not the negative.
I like the way the Relief Society teaches personal and family
preparedness as “provident living.” This implies the husbanding of our
resources, the wise planning of financial matters, full provision for
As that good man personal health, and adequate preparation for education and career
development, giving appropriate attention to home production and storage
as well as the development of emotional resiliency.
…I hope that we understand that, while having a garden, for instance,
is often useful in reducing food costs and making available delicious
fresh fruits and vegetables, it does much more than this. Who can gauge
the value of that special chat between daughter and Dad as they weed or
water the garden? How do we evaluate the good that comes from the
obvious lessons of planting, cultivating, and the eternal law of the
harvest? And how do we measure the family togetherness and cooperating
that must accompany successful canning? Yes, we are laying up resources
in store, but perhaps the greater good is contained in the lessons of
life we learn as we _live providently_ and extend to our children their
pioneer heritage.
In like manner we could refer to all the components of personal and
family preparedness, not in relation to holocaust or disaster, but in
cultivating a lifestyle that is on a day-to-day basis its own reward.
Let’s do these things because they are right, because they are
satisfying, and because we are obedient to the counsels of the Lord. In
this spirit we will be prepared for most eventualities, and the Lord
will prosper and comfort us. It is true that difficult times will
come-for the Lord has foretold them-and, yes, stakes of Zion are “for a
defense, and for a refuge from the storm.” (D&C 115:6.) But if we live
wisely and providently, we will be as safe as in the palm of his hand.
I hope that in our priesthood quorums and Relief Society meetings
the concepts of personal and family preparedness are being properly
taught and wit the kind of positive approach that we all respond to.

Spencer W. Kimball
October Conference, 1977

…_Gardens can provide savings and pleasure._ We are highly pleased
with the response to the planting of gardens. It is health-building,
both from the raising of crops and the eating of them. It is delightful
to see so many gardens all over the land, and reports come on from
numerous families and individuals who have obtained much saving and
pleasure in the planting of gardens. We hope this will be a permanent
experience of our people, that they will raise much of what they use on
their table.

A. Theodore Tuttle (Seventy 1976-1986)
April Conference, 1978

Let every head of every household see to it that he has on hand
enough food and clothing, and, where possible, fuel also, for at least a
year ahead….Let every man who has a garden spot, garden it; every man
who owns farm, farm it.” (Conference Report, Apr. 1937, p. 26.)
Cash is not food, it is not clothing, it is not coal, it is not
shelter; and we have got to the place where no matter how much cash we
have, we cannot secure those things in the quantities which we may
need….All that you can be certain you will have is that which you
produce.

Spencer W. Kimball
April Conference, 1978

With the arrival of spring we hope all of you will put in your
gardens and prepare to enjoy their produce this summer. We hope you are
making this a family affair, with everyone, even the little ones,
assigned to something. There is so much to learn and harvest from your
garden, far more than just a crop itself. We also hope that you are
maintaining your year’s supply of food, clothing, and where possible
some fuel and cash savings.
…Would you see to it that in your quorum and Relief Society meetings
the principles and practices of personal and family preparedness are
taught.
…_Gardening brings us close to nature._ Even if the tomato you eat is
a two-dollar tomato, it will bring satisfaction anyway and remind us all
of the law of the harvest, which is relentless in life. We do reap what
we sow. Even if the plot of soil you cultivate, plant, and harvest is a
small one, it brings human nature closer to nature as was the case in
the beginning with our first parents.
…_Free agency requires self-reliance._ No amount of philosophizing,
excuses, or rationalizing will ever change the fundamental need for
self-reliance….With this agency [agency = freedom to choose - A..S.]
we can rise to glory or fall to condemnation….The principle of
self-reliance stands behind the Church’s emphasis on personal and family
preparedness.

Spencer W. Kimball
April Conference, 1978

…_Plant gardens._ Many have done much to beautify their homes and
and family yards. Many others have followed counsel to have their own gardens
wherever it is possible so that we do not lost contact with the soil and
so that we can have the security of being able to provide at least some
of our food and necessities.
Grow all the food that you possibly can on your own property, if
water is available; berry bushes, grapevines, and fruit trees are most
desirable. Plant them if your climate is right for their growth. Grow
vegetables and eat those grown in your own yard. Even those residing in
apartments or condominiums can generally grow a little food in pots and
planters.

Victor L. Brown
October Conference, 1978

A couple serving as welfare services missionaries were asked to
assist members in planting family gardens. Seeds were obtained by
President Castaneda through community resources and distributed to the
members. He took the lead by planting the first garden. Almost all of
the members followed his example.
It was soon found that in order to raise a garden, provisions had to
be made to keep the pigs from running loose. Pens also had to be
constructed for the chickens; it seemed that there were able to scratch
out the seeds and young plants faster than they could grow.
In addition to the gardens, storage also became a part of the
program. Members were taught how to dry fruits and vegetables, and
canning was done on a small scale. Jams and jellies were made, using
appropriate local methods. Part of their year’s supply included grains
grown in their fields and then stored. They had to learn how to keep
them from being infested by insects and rats. Wood which was brought in
from the mountains and stored was later used as fuel for cooking as well
as for heating water to wash dishes and clean the house.
As cleanliness and sanitation were emphasized, the members began
den. Almost abuilding bathrooms adjacent to their homes. Prior to the project,
members in Bermejillo had no bathrooms.
In this small building [slide shown], the first flush toilet in
Bermejillo was installed with a septic tank dug in the courtyard to
contain the waste. A shower was also built. It consisted of a
fifty-gallon drum on the roof which was filled with water in the
morning, warmed by the sun during the day, and was ready for a warm
shower in the evening.
…Members in Bermejillo had access to water which was piped from a
nearby city but which was unsafe to drink. Boiling the water was too
difficult because of the scarcity of fuel. So mothers were taught to
purify it by putting three drops of chlorine bleach in each quart of
water. Purifying the water has reduced illness due to diarrhea, amoebae,
and typhoid fever.

H. Burke Peterson
October Conference, 1978

In the area of home production and storage, we still have the year’s
supply room in the basement with the sign designating it as the
“Peterson Family Store.” However, our garden and our year’s supply
program is not the same as it was fifteen years ago. Our family store
reflects the needs of two adults, one child, and many visitors instead
of the needs of two adults and five children, as it did in years past.

(cont.)