Preparedness

This week I listened to some of the conference talks that I had missed. One theme that struck me and then was reinforced to me this weekend at our ward camp out is the theme of preparedness. Right now I sit in my apartment, munching on food (which is plentiful), in comfortable clothes, where the temperature is easily adjusted and there is water and electricity. I am in good health, I have a great job that I enjoy, I have a wonderful husband and my family is doing great. However, I know that trials are inevitable. I have learned through the wise counsel of our prophets that we should prepare for trials by physically having the things that are necessary. They have recommended that we have 72 hour kits and food storage. I have been motivated by this counsel and I am working on getting myself prepared temporally. While I know this is important I was touched by a second principle. The idea that spoke to me was the importance of SPIRITUAL PREPAREDNESS. Elder Ballard discussed the lessons learned from the scriptures. In the scriptures we see a pattern of people who are blessed by Heavenly Father and because the have all they need they stop looking to the Lord for help and become prideful and start to sin and eventually they are "compelled" to be humble. I have seen this in my own life by my scripture study habits. When I am having a hard time in my life I do a better job of staying up on scripture study than when everything is going perfect. One of the way I can be spiritually prepared for hard times is to keep up on my scripture reading and my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I am going to work hard at preparing myself for hard times, by learning how to feel the comfort and peace of the Holy Ghost. By getting the habits of pondering scriptures and likening them to myself, I will be more prepared for trials. I am grateful for the apostles and prophets of our day who have reminded me and warned me to prepare for trials.