In this week's cover story about survivalists, I speak with a man who identifies himself only as "Bowreeguard," who hails from hard-granite New Hampshire and says that prepping was a way of life for his family when he was growing up.
The eldest son of his family, Bowreeguard learned to keep supplies on hand, use a gun, and plan ahead. Sometimes this will prove you wrong -- he sadly recalls how he spent years working on an underground bunker for Y2K, only to see nothing happen -- but there's that same good feeling in preparing.
One day, toward the end of a phone conversation, Bowreeguard mentioned the Mormons. He said that all members of the church are supposed to have at least a year's supply of food on hand -- also the standard for most secular preppers -- and that there's a publication, The LDS Preparedness Manual, that makes the rounds of prepper communities and contains sage advice on all aspects of prepping. It's geared toward members of the Mormon church, but it's not an official church document.
There's a section titled "Do You Really Have a Year's Supply??," detailed lists of recommended foods, and tips about preparing for terrorist attacks. And this:
In a massive social collapse, law and public order break down and the truth about human rights is revealed: An individual has rights only as long as he can defend them. This is the subtle logic of violence. It has always been true but it's something to which most of us have never given a moment's thought. It's also a concept that makes some Saints uncomfortable because it contradicts much of the illusions by which we have lived all of our lives. However, unless you understand and accept this basic fact of life, you may not survive the coming challenges.
I called some Mormon community leaders for more information about this little-discussed segment of their practice that seems to be rooted in the faith's pioneer past. They didn't know about the manual, and seemed caught off-guard by the speculations of violence contained in the book, but they did invite me down to the LDS Bishop's Storehouse and Cannery in Davie, just off State Road 7. And thus I entered a whole other facet of preparedness.
I was met by Elder Mark Brown, who runs the local storehouse that covers the whole South Florida Region. This is more about seeing church members through tough times than it is about preparing for the future. The kitchen smelled like dough and cooking, and I saw big walk-in refrigerators full of meat, cheese, and vegetables. Grocery items like dish detergent and toilet paper were stacked neatly on shelves, and ready-made food items sat in broken-open cardboard boxes.
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