“Sturdy Shoes and a Waterproof Tent” is one of my favorite preparedness articles from the Ensign magazine. It offers many preparedness lessons we can learn from Church history (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). It’s perfect for this year when we are studying the Doctrine and Covenants and Church history in Come, Follow Me.
Lessons from Crossing the Plains
“For more than 60,000 Saints who journeyed to Utah during the wagon train period (1846–69), outdoor trail realities tested their preparation and showed what worked and what didn’t.
Lesson 1: When we ignore preparedness counsel, we can expect unhappy consequences.
“Before leaving Nauvoo, members had Church-published lists of what to take with them. But when the first companies left in February 1846, several hundred members panicked and crossed the Mississippi River without proper clothes, food, or shelter. As a result, they brought suffering upon themselves, slowed down others, and drained resources from those properly prepared.”
