Answering the "WH" Questions

I still remember the week my elementary school teacher spent teaching us all about the five "WH" questions, and how to answer them through critical thinking: who, what, when, where, and why. I still use these five question anytime I need to apply critical thinking in order to complete a task, solve a challenge, or finish a daunting project. I have found these "WH" questions very applicable to provident living and self reliance, especially with respect to food storage.

WHO - Who should be participating in creating food storage?

• Everyone! The entire family needs to be involved in preparing food storage, not just those who are married, and not just women. "We encourage members world-wide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings." - The First Presidency in All is Safely Gathered In
  

WHAT - What is "Three Month Supply" and "Longer-Term Supply"?

• "Three-month supply items are foods that you normally eat, including canned and commercially packaged foods. Longer-term supply items are basic food items like grains and beans that have very low moisture content (about 10% or less), can be stored for long periods of time (20–30 years), and would sustain life if nothing else were available to eat. A portion of longer-term supply items may be rotated into the three-month supply." - providentliving.org

WHEN - When should I begin?

• NOW! The counsel to have food storage has been given since well before the Great Depression. You will never accomplish anything if you don't start somewhere and stick with it. Remember, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. However, once you take that initial step, you must keep moving forward, otherwise you won't accomplish anything more that just that first step. As counseled in All is Safely Gathered In, start by working to build a Three Month Supply, and then continue from there.
  

WHERE - Where do I begin?

• This exact question and the answer are found at providentliving.org "Start by adding a few storable items that you typically eat, storing some water that is safe to drink, and saving some money, if only a few coins each week. Then over time, expand these initial efforts—as individual circumstances allow and where permitted—by storing a longer-term supply of basics such as grains, beans, and other staples."

WHY - Why should I have food storage?

• The simplest answer to this is that you should have food storage because it is a commandment. "He (Heavenly Father) has lovingly commanded us to “prepare every needful thing” (see D&C 109:8) so that, should adversity come, we can care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops as they care for others." - The First Presidency

My teacher also taught us the critical importance of answering the question "how" when applying our newly developed critical thinking skills. "How?" in relation to food storage is much lengthier to answer, though it is not inherently difficult. Many of these "how" questions are answered at in the FAQ's section on providentliving.org, and will also be addressed in the upcoming Food Storage 101 class.

Additional counsel from Church leaders can be found in the All is Safely Gathered In pamphlet, as well as here.