“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 the Mormon Battalion’s March
In 1846–47, the majority of the Mormon Battalion, an infantry unit of nearly 500 men in the U.S. Army of the West during the Mexican War, marched about 2,000 miles from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to San Diego, California.
Lesson: Bread or other grain products are important.
In January 1847 at Warner’s Ranch in southern California, previously famished battalion men received four pounds of beef a day as their ration. Beef, however, did not satisfy their hunger. The men craved bread, which was unavailable.
The recommended amount of grains for a year’s supply is 300-400 lbs. per person.
