Comments on: The Importance of Provident Providers http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/the-importance-of-provident-providers Rants and musings about things political, philosophical, and religious. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:34:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Connor http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/the-importance-of-provident-providers#comment-63725 Connor Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:51:17 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=795#comment-63725 Here's the latest "Mormon Messages" video on this subject: <object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fC7pPAyrSSg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fC7pPAyrSSg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object> Here’s the latest “Mormon Messages” video on this subject:

]]> By: loquaciousmomma http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/the-importance-of-provident-providers#comment-60644 loquaciousmomma Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:26:14 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=795#comment-60644 Rod's Brother: Your frustration is palpable! I hope you can appreciate the diversity of levels of spiritual maturity in the church. Unfortunately many will be caught unprepared, thus the importance of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. I do believe the Brethren are aware, thus the intense push made from their level through the Ensign and talks at General Conference last year to instruct the members on preparedness. Our stake has been taking surveys periodically to see what percentage of our stake is prepared, the results are dismal despite repeated teaching and reteaching of this principle. I think this goes back to the Ten Virgins parable. My bishop years ago pointed out to me that exactly 50% of our ward did their visiting and home teaching each month, just as half of the virgins were prepared for the marriage. Half of the church will be hearers of the word and not doers. This is heartbreaking, but we all have our agency, the Savior gave his life so that we would be able to have the choice to obey or not. Sadly, many will choose poorly. I would simply encourage you to bear your testimony of the importance of provident living in all its forms as often as you have people around listening. Connor: Thanks for another wonderful, insightful post! Rod’s Brother: Your frustration is palpable!

I hope you can appreciate the diversity of levels of spiritual maturity in the church. Unfortunately many will be caught unprepared, thus the importance of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins.

I do believe the Brethren are aware, thus the intense push made from their level through the Ensign and talks at General Conference last year to instruct the members on preparedness.

Our stake has been taking surveys periodically to see what percentage of our stake is prepared, the results are dismal despite repeated teaching and reteaching of this principle.

I think this goes back to the Ten Virgins parable. My bishop years ago pointed out to me that exactly 50% of our ward did their visiting and home teaching each month, just as half of the virgins were prepared for the marriage. Half of the church will be hearers of the word and not doers. This is heartbreaking, but we all have our agency, the Savior gave his life so that we would be able to have the choice to obey or not. Sadly, many will choose poorly.

I would simply encourage you to bear your testimony of the importance of provident living in all its forms as often as you have people around listening.

Connor: Thanks for another wonderful, insightful post!

]]> By: rod's brother http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/the-importance-of-provident-providers#comment-60641 rod's brother Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:58:08 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=795#comment-60641 I started to prepare by storing food and supplies and learning certain skills back in the mid 90's, years before I became a member of the church. I now struggle with the membership that is not aware and awake to the reality of the situation we are facing in this country. They have allowed themselves to be decieved and I see them as potentially part of the problem not the solution. I do understand the call to be a provident provider and know that I will need the Spirit of the Lord to guide me on how to most effectively fulfill this assignment. But, I see very few people in the church in this area preparing themselves and see no nonmembers in my circle that are either. Heck, the leadership in my branch has convinced the members that 3 months food storage is all that is required now and only if it is convienant. It appears to me that in western PA the the provident providers are few and far between and that a lot of pain and suffering is ahead. Sometimes I wonder If the brethern Fully understand the situation within the church in many areas, and if so why more direction is not given to units that are clearly off track.All is not well in Zion. I don't get warm fuzzys as I ponder the future while looking at my priesthood quorum. P.S. the church employment specialist program has been a joke in the units I have been in in Maine and PA. If they havn't noticed the jobs are going away, I'm all set on writing a resume! I started to prepare by storing food and supplies and learning certain skills back in the mid 90′s, years before I became a member of the church. I now struggle with the membership that is not aware and awake to the reality of the situation we are facing in this country. They have allowed themselves to be decieved and I see them as potentially part of the problem not the solution. I do understand the call to be a provident provider and know that I will need the Spirit of the Lord to guide me on how to most effectively fulfill this assignment. But, I see very few people in the church in this area preparing themselves and see no nonmembers in my circle that are either. Heck, the leadership in my branch has convinced the members that 3 months food storage is all that is required now and only if it is convienant. It appears to me that in western PA the the provident providers are few and far between and that a lot of pain and suffering is ahead. Sometimes I wonder If the brethern Fully understand the situation within the church in many areas, and if so why more direction is not given to units that are clearly off track.All is not well in Zion. I don’t get warm fuzzys as I ponder the future while looking at my priesthood quorum. P.S. the church employment specialist program has been a joke in the units I have been in in Maine and PA. If they havn’t noticed the jobs are going away, I’m all set on writing a resume!

]]> By: Carborendum http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/the-importance-of-provident-providers#comment-60639 Carborendum Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:24:49 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=795#comment-60639 I'd like to focus on the relationship of the word "provident" with the word "Providence". Providence is not just the noun form where provident is the adjective. Providence includes the role of God. In fact, in older dialects, Providence WAS God. While being provident means that we watch out for ourselves and look to and prepare for the future as best as our mortal abilities allow, Providence is the hand of God watching out for us with a perfect eye to the future. God helps those who help themselves. We must also recognize that in both last conference and this conference, the two speeches did not focus on food storage as they have in years past. They talk about making wise financial decisions and learning to do without. We need to remember that the Joneses will always be ahead of us. Why are we competing with them anyway? Let's regain a <a href="http://consumerist.com/consumer/clips/snl-skit-dont-buy-stuff-you-cant-afford-252491.php" rel="nofollow">common cents</a> way of thinking of money. I’d like to focus on the relationship of the word “provident” with the word “Providence”.

Providence is not just the noun form where provident is the adjective. Providence includes the role of God. In fact, in older dialects, Providence WAS God.

While being provident means that we watch out for ourselves and look to and prepare for the future as best as our mortal abilities allow, Providence is the hand of God watching out for us with a perfect eye to the future.

God helps those who help themselves.

We must also recognize that in both last conference and this conference, the two speeches did not focus on food storage as they have in years past. They talk about making wise financial decisions and learning to do without. We need to remember that the Joneses will always be ahead of us. Why are we competing with them anyway?

Let’s regain a common cents way of thinking of money.

]]> By: Connor http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/the-importance-of-provident-providers#comment-60637 Connor Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:41:17 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/?p=795#comment-60637 I feel that I should explain my selection of the photo for this post. I'm reading a book right now that illustrates what can become of American society through an EMP attack. In short: when the lights go out, the riots begin. We depend immensely upon the electricity and fragile distribution grid we so easily take for granted. If/when that stops, and we're left on our own, how will we provide? How long will our food last? Will our neighbors, unprepared for whatever event may happen, feel entitled to the food we have stored? Do we have any skills that will allow us to continue to provide for basic needs once stored supplies run out? What obligation do those who have prepared have to a community that is woefully unprepared? The photo is a stark reminder of the hundreds of millions of children living in poverty right now, and our obligation to the poor and the needy. But it also paints a picture of what may one day be a local and more personal circumstance: our neighbor's children, formerly cheerful primary children, or, worse yet, or own children looking expectantly at us, wondering where the next meal will come from. Provident providers must take into account the immediate future, but all sorts of contingencies for future trials of possible privation and need. I feel that I should explain my selection of the photo for this post. I’m reading a book right now that illustrates what can become of American society through an EMP attack. In short: when the lights go out, the riots begin. We depend immensely upon the electricity and fragile distribution grid we so easily take for granted. If/when that stops, and we’re left on our own, how will we provide? How long will our food last? Will our neighbors, unprepared for whatever event may happen, feel entitled to the food we have stored? Do we have any skills that will allow us to continue to provide for basic needs once stored supplies run out? What obligation do those who have prepared have to a community that is woefully unprepared?

The photo is a stark reminder of the hundreds of millions of children living in poverty right now, and our obligation to the poor and the needy. But it also paints a picture of what may one day be a local and more personal circumstance: our neighbor’s children, formerly cheerful primary children, or, worse yet, or own children looking expectantly at us, wondering where the next meal will come from. Provident providers must take into account the immediate future, but all sorts of contingencies for future trials of possible privation and need.

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