"How to survive a crisis" Night--Ask Lorenzo Snow

It is Tuesday again at the Odense Young Adult Center and we are taking a chance on food that you might eat during a financial crisis. Have you ever had spaghetti soup or zuchinni squash casserole? Have you ended your meal with "Peanut Butter Balls dipped in chocolate?" This is what Rene, Laura, Daniel (Mark's brother) and Mark are eating. They lived to tell about it..true survivors. It is Lorenzo Snow "How to survive a crisis" Night at the center.

Lorenzo Snow became the fifth President of the Church in the middle of a serious financial crisis for the Church. It was the turn of the century, our first prophet had been martyred, our second prophet courageously led thousands of people across the plains, the next prophets helped settle and build a new zion in the middle of the desert. Temples dotted the land, but all was not well in Zion. By the time Lorenzo Snow became our prophet, the Church was indebt in the amount of $2.3 million..The U.S. Government had seized most of the Church's assets, including the tithing funds. The members of the Church reacted by holding back their tithing donations.

What would you do if you were a prophet during this dark time in the history of the church?

We are pretty comfortable here in Odense. We often hear about the "crisis" that has turned our world upside down and left many without jobs-

unprepared for financial emergencies. Through the years we have been warned and forewarned to "Prepare ye, Prepare ye for that which is to come." (D&C 1: 12). We have been reminded "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." (D&C 38: 30) .

These are some of the great men who prepare themselves everyday to serve the Lord in our mission. Because the members are so generous with their time, and good food, Elder Barnard and Elder Smedley are able to spend their time bringing a sense of hope, instead of fear to the people in Odense. What a group !

Even in the midst of a crisis, of calamities, of chaos all over the world--the Lord has blessed us. Our Elders and Sisters in Odense are cheerful, optimistic, hard workers. They begin the day in search of miracles (and they find them). Life is good here in Denmark.

But what would Lorenzo Snow say about these last days, or Ezra Taft Benson, President Kimball, or President Hinkley ? Are we prepared for "that which is to come?" What are we really doing to be ready for a down turn in the economy, a lost job, crop failures, or lack of rain?

So this week we remembered, with Lorenzo Snow, that we don't always know how long we will be comfortable, well fed, and prosperous. We have been warned "In the day of plenty, prepare for the day of scarcity."

Here are some of the frugal recipes that we served this week at the center.

There is always room for peanut butter balls during a crisis. We had no left overs.

Lorenzo Snow was a prophet for only three years, but he served as an apostle for almost fifty years.

He had known and been taught by every latter-day prophet up to that time.

He often dined with the Prophet Joseph and had private interviews with him.

At the end of his life, President Snow, with some of the twelve, traveled from Salt Lake to St. George to a conference. It was a long, hot journey in the middle of a deadly drought. President Snow did not know why he was to attend this meeting, but while he was speaking, he recalled the verses at the end of the Old Testament in Malachi 3: 8-10.

"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Where in have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith ,...if I will not open you the Windows Of Heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

Lorenzo Snow then promised the people of St George that if they would begin to pay their tithing, the windows of heaven would literally rain down blessings that would cause their land to produce crops before the end of the year.

President Snow traveled all over Utah with the same message...within days the people began to pay an honest tithe. Soon the windows of heaven did open, clouds gathered and watered their parched land. There was a harvest that very season.

From 1898 to 1951, four prophets presided over an expanding Church--

Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. Smith, Heber J. Grant, and George Albert Smith.

"These Presidents witnessed the transition from horse and buggy to travel by air. Two world wars and global depression challenged the Saints, During this time, nine temples were built. In 1901, there were aproximately 300,ooo members in 50 stakes." (Our Heritage, pg 105) By 1951 the Church had over 1, 111,000 members gathered in 180 stakes throughout the world.

These charts will let you compare the lives of all four of these great men. (for a better view of each chart, click on each chart).

Where were they born? What did they do for a living?

How tall were they? Some say that Lorenzo Snow weighed only 140 pounds, others say he weighed more? I guess it depends on his age.

What did they love to eat? Fix a favorite Presidents dessert for family night.

What did they like to do for fun? What were their favorite hymns?

When were they ordained apostles?

How old were they when they died? Where were they buried?

What are some unusual facts about these men? What memorable things did they accomplish? I hope that you will get better acquainted with these good men during the summer. We have enjoyed learning about the lives of these men.

President Snow look forward to the future, even in times of crisis. He said: "It is well for us, once in a while to look away ahead and see what will be the result of all the sacrifices and labors that we endure and perform in this life... The time has come for every Latter-Day Saint, who calculates to be prepared for the future and to hold his feet upon a proper foundation---

To Do The Will of the Lord ..!

Our Prophet, President Monson, is still reminding us today to be

prepared for that which is to come. The church leaders have tried to simplify their admonition to begin a food storage, preparedness program in our homes.

There are new guidelines to help us be successful in these efforts-- no matter how small our homes are. There is a new pamphlet that has been prepared called "All Is Safely Gathered In." It breaks down the "Be Prepared" tasks into small tasks. Let's get started.

When Lorenzo Snow was asked to establish a city in northern Utah-- (later named Brigham City), he asked the people to plant peach and apple trees and grape vines. Some of the people asked why that was necessary-- they thought that they would be traveling back to Jackson County soon. Elder Snow's response then was: "We are not going tomorow, nor the next day, this week or next week." They began to follow their leaders. They built a mill, a wool industry, a boot and shoe shop, a harness shop, a butcher shop, a sawmill and a carpentry shop. They had hat shops, a brush factory, a pottery store, a tailor and clothing shop, and a brick and adobe yard.

They had many problems- grasshoppers, drought, a mill burned down. They followed the warnings of the prophets.."If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

Now is the time to get busy. Let's start with a few more peanut butter balls.

See you next time with a message or two from the prophet who was the son of Hyrum Smith and the nephew of Joseph--Joseph F. Smith. What an amazing man. Try fixing the zuchinni squash casserole, it is delicious.