Food Stroage. The belief that Latter-day Saints should have sufficient storage of food and water along with other supplies to survive disasters. According to the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, “In their homes, members are encouraged to have food storage sufficient for a year and other essentials of emergency preparedness: clothing, bedding, fuel (where possible), and the like. Church members are also advised to have sufficient supplies to enable them to be completely self-sustaining for at least fourteen days without the benefit of electricity and clean running water” (Encyclopedia of Mormonism 1:246). In a General Conference message, Barbara B. Smith explained, “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 fruit or 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 areas 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” (“She Is Not Afraid of the Snow for Her Household…”, Ensign (Conference Edition), November 1976, p. 121).

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