March: FOOD STORAGE

Emergency preparedness reminder: maintain food storage. 

Week 1: Build a 3-month supply using foods you already eat. Add a few extra items each grocery trip.

Week 2: Focus on protein: beans, peanut butter, canned meats, lentils — they sustain energy better in stressful situations.

Week 3: Add long-term staples like rice, oats, pasta, or wheat. These stretch budgets and store well.

Week 4: Rotate older food into regular meals to avoid waste. Storage works best when it’s part of daily life.

Week 5: Make a simple inventory list so you know what to buy next instead of guessing.

For more tips, visit the food storage page on BeReady.Utah.gov. Let’s also prepare spiritually through meaningful prayer and time in the scriptures.

April: 72-HOUR KIT

Emergency preparedness reminder: have a 72-hour kit. 

Week 1: Check clothing in your go-bag — season-appropriate layers and sturdy shoes matter.

Week 2: Replace expired food or water in your kit.

Week 3: Review medications, first aid items, and copies of prescriptions. Replace anything expired.

Week 4: Test flashlights and batteries; recharge power banks.

Week 5: Add one morale item (cards, photo, small book). Stress is easier when comfort is included.

This disaster supply kit page from Be Ready Utah has a full checklist. Remember the Lord’s word that “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear” (D&C 38:30). This is applicable to spiritual preparedness as it is to physical.

May: POWER OUTAGES

Emergency preparedness reminder: be ready for power outages. 

Week 1: Make sure each family member has a flashlight. Phone lights drain batteries quickly.

Week 2: Add a hand-crank radio/charger like the JOUALY Emergency Weather Radio so you have news and power even if the grid is down.

Week 3: Identify a safe backup cooking method (dutch oven, outdoor grill, or camp stove). Store extra propane or charcoal in a safe, dry place (like a shed).

Week 4: Learn how to manually open your garage door during outages. It’s simple but often overlooked.

Week 5: Make a simple outage plan: lighting, heating/cooling, food, communication.

Use this one-page overview from the Red Cross for ideas on how to better prepare. “As we seek to increase our love for God and strive to love our neighbor, the light of the gospel will surround and uplift us” (Uchtdorf, April 2013). 

June: FINANCIAL PREPAREDNESS

Emergency preparedness reminder: be ready for job loss or unexpected expenses. 

Week 1: Start or add to an emergency fund. Even small, consistent amounts matter.

Week 2: Learn one practical skill (plumbing repair, budgeting, cooking basics). Skills often matter as much as money.

Week 3: Create a simple debt payoff plan. Clarity reduces stress during hardship.

Week 4: Consistent tithing and disciplined financial habits strengthen long-term stability.

Week 5: Identify one expense you can reduce this month and redirect it toward savings or debt reduction.

Review these guidelines to find a focus area. And remember that “Jesus Christ knows how to succor each of us, whatever our trials,” (Henry B. Eyring, March 2022).

July: FIRE SAFETY

Emergency preparedness reminder: fire prevention. 

Week 1: Test smoke alarms and replace batteries if needed.

Week 2: Confirm fire extinguishers are charged and accessible.

Week 3: Review family escape routes from each room and practice once.

Week 4: Clear clutter near heat sources, outlets, or furnaces.

Week 5: Store important documents in a fire-resistant container or secure digital backup.

See this Home Hazard Hunt sheet for a full list of things to look for around your home. As we think about being prepared, let’s remember President Nelson’s reminder that “now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority” (Nelson, October 2024).

August: CAR EMERGENCY KIT

Emergency preparedness reminder: car emergency kit. 

Week 1: Refresh or add a first aid kit, flashlight with batteries, phone charger, and multi-tool in your car.

Week 2: Add water bottles and non-perishable snacks to your car.

Week 3: Include blanket, gloves, and weather-appropriate clothing.

Week 4: Check spare tire, jack, jumper cables, and tools. Consider a ready-made option like the Slime Deluxe Roadside Emergency Kit.

Week 5: Adjust your car kit seasonally — sunscreen in summer, ice scraper and traction aids in winter.

Emergencies in your car can be more dangerous than those at home. And while we’re preparing for physical danger, let’s not forget that President Nelson pleaded with us “to increase [our] spiritual capacity to receive revelation” (Nelson, April 2018).

September: Earthquakes

Emergency preparedness reminder: earthquake readiness. 

Week 1: Secure tall furniture, water heaters, and water storage to walls. Most injuries come from falling objects, not collapsing buildings. If you’re not sure how to do this, ask a ministering brother or sister for help.

Week 2: Know how to shut off gas, water, and electricity if lines are damaged. A few minutes of preparation can prevent fire or flooding.

Week 3: Practice “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” with your family so it becomes automatic. These drills help people react faster under stress.

Week 4: Keep shoes, a flashlight, and a phone charger by your bed. Broken glass and darkness are common after quakes.

Week 5: Build or refresh a basic emergency kit (water, food, meds, documents). 

Let’s also remember what President Nelson said in October 2021. “When renovations on the Salt Lake Temple are completed, there will be no safer place during an earthquake in the Salt Lake Valley than inside that temple. Likewise, whenever any kind of upheaval occurs in your life, the safest place to be spiritually is living inside your temple covenants!”