An Example of Provident Living

by Miriam Caldwell | More from this Blogger

There was a family in the ward I grew up in that was almost entirely self-sufficient. Looking back as I a child I did not realize how impressive this was. In fact I thought it was strange that they gardened so much. They were a large family, the mom stayed home and the dad worked for the post office. They needed to make the best of the resources that they had. They truly embraced provident living.

They grew almost all of their fruits and vegetables. Their garden was at least half an acre. I grew up in Utah, so it is important to water your garden at least once a day. It was always well cared for. It produced a lot of food. They canned the food that they grew so that it would carry them through the winter months.

In addition they hunted for their own meat. They owned their own property up in the mountains, and they would hunt every winter to get most of their meat for the rest of the year. This allowed them to conserve resources. In fact they knew they would be okay if they did not have an income coming in.

This family saved money by sewing their own clothes. The mother was an excellent seamstress. In fact she made my prom dress for me. They also baked their own bread. The children helped out by having a paper route that they were in charge of. Through careful planning they were able to use this money to send several of their children on missions.

As an adult I look at the hard work that this family did. The parents were kind and giving people. They helped others. It really impresses me that they were able to follow President Kimball's counsel so well. It is possible to completely embrace provident living and still live as a normal member of today's society. In many ways it is essential to do this, so that you will be able to continue to provide for your family during times of crisis.

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Learn more about Miriam Caldwell

Miriam is a SAHM mom of three children. She has a daughter who is seven, and two sons, four and two. She loves being a parent and spending time with her children.

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