On April 23, 2005, members of the Stake met together to share wisdom and knowledge on the importance of emergency preparedness and self-reliance. Pres. Chen opened the event by giving some general information. He quoted Doctrine & Covenants 104:11-13:

“ It is wisdom in me; therefore, a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall organize yourselves and appoint every man his stewardship;

That every man may give an account unto me of the stewardship which is appointed unto him.

For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures.”

Pres. Chen said that we are all given stewardships in the Church in which we are asked to contribute our time, talents and resources. “We cannot do this unless we are self-reliant”. He referred to the 6 areas of focus mentioned on www.lds.org under the heading of “Provident Living”:

*Physical Health
*Social and Emotional Strength
*Education and Literacy
*Employment
*Resource Management
*Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness

He assured the attendees that they would always have the basics of food, clothing, and a place to live if they will practice basic principles of self-reliance and specifically observe the law of tithing.

Josiah Chan spoke specifically on financial management. He quoted Heber J. Grant as saying, “As we avoid debt and pay our tithes and offerings, the Lord blesses us financially and spiritually and gives us the opportunity to help build His kingdom”. Bro. Chan discussed ways to get out of debt, to make wise money decisions, to build a savings, and to keep our skills updated.

David Lai spoke on medical and public emergencies. He offered an analogy between having storage of food, clothes, and medical supplies to that of the ‘contingency fuel’ on airliners. “On an 18-hour flight from New Your City to Singapore there is always a supply of contingency fuel in case of an emergency. Ninety-nine percent of the time this fuel is never touched, but it is always important to be prepared—to have a plan B and a plan C.” He said we should be like Noah who by faith, “being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house….”.

At the conclusion of the general meeting, participants were invited to visit various stations to gather information and samples on the following subjects:

*Short Term Emergencies
*Education & Employment
*Medical/First Aid Kits
*Will, Budgets, & Debt Management
*Food Storage
*72 Hour Emergency Kits

The Stake hopes to offer a similar Open House to the general public in either September or October. Watch for details in the near future.