President Gordon B. Hinckleys talk from the Priesthood Session of General Conference

If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear
President Gordon B. Hinckley
“We can so live that we can call upon the Lord for His protection and guidance. . . . We cannot expect His help if we are unwilling to keep His commandments.
My dear brethren of the priesthood, wherever you may be across this broad world—what a tremendous body you have become, men and boys of every race and kindred, all a part of the family of God.
How precious is His gift to us. He has given to us a portion of that which is His divine authority, the eternal priesthood, the power by which He brings to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. It follows that when much has been given to us much is required of us (see Luke 12:48; D&C 82:3).
I know that we are not perfect men. We know the perfect way, but we do not always act according to our knowledge. But I think that for the most part we are trying. We are trying to be the kind of men our Father would have us be. That is a very high objective, and I commend all of you who are trying to reach it. May the Lord bless you as you seek to live exemplary lives in every respect.
Now, as all of us are aware, the Gulf States area of the United States has recently suffered terribly from raging winds and waters. Many have lost all they had. The damage has been astronomical. Literally millions have suffered. Fear and worry have gripped the hearts of many. Lives have been lost.
With all of this, there has been a great outpouring of help. Hearts have been softened. Homes have been opened. Critics love to talk about the failures of Christianity. Any such should take a look at what the churches have done in these circumstances. Those of many denominations have accomplished wonders. And far from the least among these has been our own Church.
Great numbers of our men have traveled considerable distances, bringing with them tools and tents and radiant hope. Men of the priesthood have given thousands upon thousands of hours in the work of rehabilitation. There have been three and four thousand at a time. There are some there tonight. We cannot say enough of thanks to them. Please know of our gratitude, of our love, and of our prayers in your behalf.”
…”We have built grain storage and storehouses and stocked them with the necessities of life in the event of a disaster. But the best storehouse is the family storeroom. In words of revelation the Lord has said, “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing” (D&C 109:8).
Our people for three-quarters of a century have been counseled and encouraged to make such preparation as will assure survival should a calamity come.
We can set aside some water, basic food, medicine, and clothing to keep us warm. We ought to have a little money laid aside in case of a rainy day.
Now what I have said should not occasion a run on the grocery store or anything of that kind. I am saying nothing that has not been said for a very long time.
Let us never lose sight of the dream of Pharaoh concerning the fat cattle and the lean, the full ears of corn, and the blasted ears; the meaning of which was interpreted by Joseph to indicate years of plenty and years of scarcity (see Genesis 41:1–36).
I have faith, my dear brethren, that the Lord will bless us, and watch over us, and assist us if we walk in obedience to His light, His gospel, and His commandments. He is our Father and our God, and we are His children, and we must be in every way deserving of His love and concern. That we may do so is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
President Gordon B. Hinckleys talk from the Priesthood Session of General Conference
This was an excellent talk given to the men of the priesthood. I highly encourage everyone to read it, ponder it, and pray about it.
Recently Michael Chertoff, head of The Homeland Security Department said:
“Stockpiling supplies and developing family response plans in case disaster strikes not only might save lives — it’s also a civic duty, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press.
Two months of hurricanes ravaging the Gulf Coast should prove that people need to make preparations so emergency officials can focus on those who are poor, elderly or otherwise can’t help themselves, Chertoff said.
“For those people who say, ‘Well, I can take care of myself no matter what, I don’t have to prepare,’ there is an altruistic element — that to the extent that they are a burden on government services, that takes away from what’s available to help those who can’t help themselves,” Chertoff said. “That is a matter of civic virtue.”
Chertoff’s comments mark a new stage in Homeland Security’s “Ready” campaign — which was widely ridiculed two years ago for urging homeowners to stock up on duct tape and plastic sheeting to safeguard their homes against a chemical or biological attack.
Now, Chertoff said, the department plans to reach out to school students to carry the preparedness messages home to their parents. Additionally, Homeland Security and the Ad Council launched a newspaper and radio campaign Monday pitched at small businesses to develop disaster plans for workplaces.”
I made a similar point in a newsmax article written just after 9-11
“Imagine if every person in America had a two-week supply of food, water and supplies to survive a nuclear blast. Those at ground zero would certainly lose their lives, but the authorities could focus on the needs of people in the locales around the blast site, while the rest of America confidently took care of itself.
Please move beyond terror in your own mind and let a little fear motivate you to buy the things necessary and master the skills needed for surviving a nuclear incident.
One person at a time, we can win the war on terror using our wits and remembering the legacy of our patriot ancestors, who sacrificed so much to provide us with freedom.
If you will take personal responsibility for your own safety rather than depending on others, you will be one less person or family the authorities have to worry about during an attack.”
Jenny Hatch

Today I learned about a new Mental Health Resource web site for LDS church members. They asked for links to books and online resources for the mentally ill and so I sent them this email…
A Mothers Journey, My story of healing after Post Partum Psychosis. Jenny M Hatch online e-book written by an LDS mother.
title
I had a post partum psychosis after the birth of my first baby in 1989. I was diagnosed manic-depressive and was court ordered to take medications. After 14 months on the meds, I knew there had to be a better way, so I started looking for alternatives to traditional medical treatment. I found my answers in
Orthomolecular Medicine, nutrition, and natural birth. I have since given birth to four additional children, without experiencing psychosis or major depression, and now am actively working against the psychiatric model of care, which I believe is damaging to families. The pioneering work of Ann Blake Tracy, who is also LDS has been a great resource for me as well as the books by Peter Breggin.
Here is my heartfelt take on recent Admissions by the Psychiatric Professions cozy relationship with Big Pharma recorded on my natural living blog.
We Have a Credibility Problem
Because of my personal experience with psychiatry, I feel passionate that families need to be exposed to all of the options available to help them when mentally ill. I have felt somewhat disheartened by the church’s focus on drugs in terms of books recomended, articles published in the Ensign, and talks given on the topic both here in our local area and in the various things I have read and studied in terms of church publications.
I would love for this web site to incorporate some of these other resources if possible.
Jenny Hatch

“But here’s a wrenching fact: 41 countries have better infant mortality rates than the US.
In 2002 our infant mortality rate went up, not down.
What about these infants’ mothers? Women in the United States are 70% more likely to die in childbirth than women in Europe. Although we are in no position to export our style of health care, finding examples in many countries where we have influenced the way of caring for pregnant and birthing women and their babies is not hard.
The Global Evolution of Birthing Practices
In order to understand why exporting a very flawed US maternity care system is a global disaster, we need to begin by looking at the evolution of maternity care practices. This evolution of global birthing practices is diagrammed in the graph below.
Two hundred years ago midwives were autonomous care providers who assisted women during childbirth. Essentially, the woman and midwife worked together without outside interference. Then as men and doctors began to interfere in childbirth and childbirth came under the control of doctors and hospitals, both the woman and the midwife gradually but surely lost more and more of their autonomy. Under this model, birthing women are no longer allowed to decide what happens during their pregnancy and birth and midwives are nothing more than slaves to the doctors.
Today, urban areas in developing countries are in this early part of the evolution of maternity care. This is what one sees in those parts of the world where the West has been able to penetrate, such as big cities and in places like China, Russia and much of Latin America, where they are so eager to be “modern.”
Marsden Wagner
Go Here, and here, and here
World Fact book
“U.S. Babies Die at Higher Rate
Infant Mortality Rates Are Rising in U.S., While Rates in Other Countries Are Improving
By MARC LALLANILLA
Nov. 1, 2005 — – What’s causing the increased death rate among babies in the United States?
While the health of infants in many countries is improving, babies born in the United States now face an increased risk of dying in the first year of life.
The U.S. infant mortality rate is on the rise for the first time since 1958, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2001, the infant mortality rate was 6.8 deaths per 1,000 live births — in 2002, the rate rose to 7.0. (2003 data is not yet complete.)”
The author of this ABC article implys that the socialized medicine of Cuba is the reason the infant mortality rates there are improving. I completely reject that notion, because the underlying implication is that more medicine will mean better outcomes. No, what will give the US better outcomes is for women to take personal responsibility for their own health, and not be so dependent on doctors who know nothing about prenatal nutrition. Then the prematurity rates will go down, and mothers of multiples will be able to carry twins to term.
We also need to move away from medicated birth to more natural birth.
AND, we need to more fully educate our mothers on the benefits of breastmilk.
This year it was reported that more babies than ever are being born to single mothers. I don’t know what effect this fact has on the infant mortality rate, but I do know that it will have a profound effect on the bonding between mother and baby and the ability of a mother to breastfeed her child.
I have described myself as a strong ANTI-feminist. What this means is that I completely acknowledge my dependance on my husband to provide me and my children the necessities of life, especially when I am pregnant and nursing.
Because the raging feminists have dismissed the need for a husband and father for children, claiming that they do just as well with a single mother, our young women are not being taught the truth about what intentionally bringing a child into the world will mean for them as single mothers.
For most it will mean lonliness, poverty, and the mother not being able to give the baby the best of herself in terms of bonding, breastfeeding, and a full time mother for the first three years. I found this article to be interesting. It was written with a very biased perspective towards single motherhood, and yet the undercurrent message, even from the four mothers who were profiled was; “I would not want to do this alone ever again”.
Motherhood is difficult. Nursing a baby on demand for years at a time has proved to be one of the most difficult tasks I have ever personally taken on. I have spent 12 of the 17 years of my marriage with one or two babies on the breast, and it is my husband who has enabled me to have the luxury to raise our kids this way. I know how completely dependant I am on him, and I honor and praise him for his clarity, and willingness to get out of bed every day and go to work for our family.
About 25% of the time I have absolutely hated breastfeeding. Sometimes it is annoying and bothersome to have a toddler constantly begging to nurse. What kept me going was my childrens clarity that I was what they wanted most. They simply wanted to be with me. And how could I forget them? Isaiah knew what he was talking about. I have tried to wean my babies when I was ready (and when the child was not ready) and it never worked out. They were just so sad.
Recently I tried to wean Ben, and he just moped around for a week. Finally I just let him back on, and his whole day revolves around when he gets to nurse. I figure if it means that much to him, then we’ll just proceed and let him self wean.
I would hope that smart women would take the time, energy, and effort to prepare themselves emotionally and physically for motherhood. Prepare yourself by staying morally clean. Go looking for a mate at church. Do you honestly want the person who is the father of your child to be someone you met at a bar? Look for a man who has a strong desire to be a good father, and is willing for you to stay at home to mother the children while he provides food, clothing, and shelter. This is the ideal situation to raise children, and it is one that I unapologetically promote as the best way to lower our infant mortality rates in America.
This set up coupled with good nutrition, gentle birth, and breastfeeding is the foundation for long term health in our nation and babies living healthy and happy lives.
Jenny Hatch

“A twenty-eight-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, Paul Bishop currently directs a Sexual Assault Detail with responsibility for investigations in more than twenty-five percent of the city. His career has included a tour with the department’s Anti-Terrorist Division and more than twenty years’ experience investigating sex crimes.”
“Using Information Wisely
The proper use of sex offender registration laws and technology can provide a wonderful tool to protect those who are dearest to us. As mention earlier, using the Megan’s Law computers or web sites can provide information on adults whose criminal actions should red flag any contact with our family members – especially our children. Don’t rely on another organization or individual to do this checking. Do it yourself.
Sports coaches (especially for travel teams), music teachers, dance instructors, new personal relationships — don’t let that new love use you to get to your kids — karate instructors, and the adult neighbor down the street who lives with his mother and always has teenage boys hanging around, should all be checked. Is the last one a stereotype? Absolutely. But even if the individual has never been convicted of a sex crime, the described situation is far too often a recipe for disaster.
Make sure your children avoid it at all costs. Don’t be conned into thinking the individual is just somebody who likes kids. He does like kids — far too much. Normal male adults do not have the kind of tolerance for young male testosterone that makes them want to spend all their time with them. Sooner or later somebody like me is going to be starting an investigation into the individual. This will inevitably lead to neighbors in the area saying in wonder, “But he was such a nice man.”
If you are concerned about sex offenders living in close proximity to your home, there are a number of appropriate steps you can take. These don’t necessarily depend on Megan’s Law technologies, but are guidelines designed to protect you and your family.
Make sure your children and teens understand it is wrong for adults to touch them inappropriately, engage them in sexual conversation, or attempt to get them to participate in overt sexual activity. Make your children feel comfortable telling you anything, especially if it involves an adult (even if that adult is another parent or relative). Teach your children about their bodies, giving them the correct language to use when describing their private parts. Stress the importance of those parts remaining private.
Always make an effort to know the people with whom your children interact. In our busy lives this is difficult, but nonetheless imperative. You need to observe first-hand how other ‘in charge’ adults in interact with your children. If you become concerned about any behavior you consider odd, report it to the sponsoring organization.
Know where your children are at all times. Be clear about the places and homes they may visit. It should be a requirement for your children to check in with you when they arrive or depart a location and when there is a change in their plans. They will hate you for this. TOO BAD. Your job is to be their parent first, then their friend — sometimes you can’t be both. Conversely, you should also let them know when you are running late or your plans have changed. This helps your children realize this rule is for everyone’s safety — not just a way of depriving them of freedom.
If your children tell you they don’t want to be left with somebody or go somewhere, it is imperative to listen. Trust their intuition. This reluctance may indicate far more than a personality conflict or a lack of interest in an activity.
Help your children understand they have the right to say, “No,” to any unwelcome touching and to report it to you immediately. It is important to remember the vast majority of child molest cases involve somebody the victim knows, so do not allow yourself to focus exclusively on stranger danger.
The single most important thing you can do is trust your instincts. For those of us in the Church, we know this is truly part of communing with the Holy Ghost. If you feel uncomfortable with someone in an isolated situation (an elevator, a car, even in your home) get out. Do not talk yourself out of feeling uncomfortable being alone with somebody simply because they are an acquaintance. Be wary of friends or dates who test your boundaries by making unwanted physical advances and then attempting to minimize your protests.
All of the above does not mean you must live your life in fear, never trusting anyone. It is simply a call for awareness. Tools such as the Megan’s Law computers and web sites are designed to help us keep our families safe. Used as designed, they can help prevent tragedy and heartbreak. Misused or ignored, the results can be problematic.
Take care of yourselves and your children out there in the world. My unit and our counterparts across the nation are here if you need us. Hopefully, however, our contact will not be from a professional prospective, but through fellowshipping and a shared love of the gospel.”
Sexual Offenders

“It is time to come to grips with what all too many have denied for all too long, namely, that all disconcerting news about adverse effects cannot be attributed to low-quality care, which has been more or less the mantra of the field of child development and the child-care advocacy community for decades,” Belsky said.
But advocates of universal preschool insist that quality is key. The Preschool for All initiative in California calls for offering every 4-year-old access to half-day preschool three hours a day, five days a week from teachers holding bachelor’s degrees.
“You have to look at all the research together and draw from it the lessons that have been clear for quite a while — that the quality of the program makes an enormous difference, and it makes a difference in terms of the social and emotional development of young children,” said Alan Simpson, spokesman for the National Association for the Education of Young Children in Washington, D.C., which accredits preschool programs nationwide. “A quality program has teachers and staff that know how to nurture children’s social and emotional development.”
Sorry to disagree with a “spokesperson for the National Association for the Education of Young Children”, but what gives children proper social and emotional development is an intense bond with Mom for the first three years, and a nurturing family environment until the child is eight.
One of the other telling points in the article, and this is important for those families who may be feeling the need for mother to work outside the home to purchase more “stuff”….
“Children from lower-income families lagged behind their peers who didn’t attend preschool an average of 7 percentage points on the measure of social behavioral growth. But children from higher-income families lagged 9 percentage points behind their peers. These wealthier children did even worse when they attended preschool for 30 hours or more: They trailed their peers by 15 percentage points.
It’s not clear why children from higher-income families exhibit more negative behaviors than their stay-at-home peers. Fuller speculated their peers might be in enriching home environments that include things like trips to the library as well as dance and music lessons.
Other studies have found childcare centers negatively affect children’s social development, said Jay Belsky, director of the Institute for the Study of Children, Families and Social Issues at Birkbeck University of London, in an e-mail interview.”
Mommas! Stay home! And take care of your own babies! You will never regret the time you spent or the investment you make in your children! If you don’t think you can manage it financially….ask your friends to give you some cloth diapers and a good book on Breastfeeding for a baby shower gift. Get a good cook book, and start making meals from scratch. You will be amazed at what these simply measures will do for your home budget. Baby formula, plastic diapers, prepared foods, and day care/preschool are the major reasons mothers feel the need to work. Please, just stay home with your babies and give them the best of yourself….every day…
Preschool study…
Jenny Hatch