Elder Ronald A. Rasband made this statement in his April 2025 General Conference address:
“The more prepared we are temporally and spiritually, the more we can thwart the adversary’s cunning attacks.”
He echoed Pres. Russell M. Nelson who said in October 2020:
“The adversary never stops attacking. So, we can never stop preparing! The more self-reliant we are—temporally, emotionally, and spiritually—the more prepared we are to thwart Satan’s relentless assaults.”
Remember that temporal preparedness and self-reliance is more than food storage and 72-hour kits. It also includes:
• Developing Physical and Emotional Health through obeying the Word of Wisdom, eating nutritious food, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, practicing good hygiene, receiving proper medical care, and developing healthy relationships
• Gaining Education and Employment that provides adequately for personal and family needs
• Increasing Financial Preparedness by paying tithes and offerings, minimizing debt, living within a budget, and saving for the future
• Having Home Storage which includes not just food but also water and other basic non-food necessities
Satan’s assaults include fear, discouragement, despair, anxieties, chaos, confusion, contention, distraction, deception, and temptations to disobey the commandments of God.
How does being temporally prepared help us thwart Satan’s attacks? I would like to suggest the following ways:
• When you have a good job and adequate savings, there is less temptation to cheat and/or steal for monetary gain.
• When you have a good education, there is less temptation, and it shouldn’t be necessary, to take less than desirable employment.
• When you have education and experience that qualifies you for a variety of jobs, there can be less temptation to take a job that requires that you work on Sunday.
• When you have a goal of obtaining an education, there is less temptation to forgo an education because you can make money now.
• Having home storage helps eliminate or reduce fear of not having enough food, water, or….toilet paper.
• Good employment and good financial habits can eliminate discouragement over not being able to pay bills.
• Having plenty to share, both financially and in goods, helps protect us from selfishness.
• An attitude of frugality helps protect us from impulse purchases which are often followed by regret.
• Home storage and disaster preparedness help reduce anxiety over natural disasters, chaos, and other events out of our control.
• A good education and good financial habits help reduce the temptation to not marry until you have “enough” money.
• When we are temporally self-reliant, we have more time to spend becoming spiritually self-reliant which helps us be better able to recognize Satan’s attacks.
• Education enables us to read and understand the scriptures better to increase our spiritual preparedness.
• When you have good health habits, there is less temptation to indulge in addictive substances.
• Developing healthy work practices and attitudes lessens the temptation to be idle.
• Keeping your environment clean, orderly, and in good repair invites the Spirit which repels Satan’s influence.
If you have more to add, please email theark@simplyprepared.com and we’ll add it to the list!
