27 February 2008
Bumps in the Road
Posted by Joy Bischoff under: Emergency Preparation; World Economy .
Some of you have asked our opinion regarding your feelings that there may be some hard bumps in the road soon. After giving this a lot of thought, I have decided to share my views. In order to do this, I have to reference something that is more pertinent to the LDS reader.
In October of 1998, President Hinckley shared the story of Joseph of Egypt and the seven years of plenty followed by seven lean years of famine. At that time we were living in a day of economic plenty including low food prices. Exactly seven years later, he repeated the story and gave strong warning about getting food storage. We can’t be sure exactly what this means but we decided to simply do what he asked. Always a good idea.
I find it very interesting that the second seven years ends in the fall of 2012, on the verge of the next presidential election and at the end of a 26 thousand year cycle of rotation for our polar cap which scientists tell us creates a wobble effect at the end of the cycle. We have no idea what to expect but after hearing President Hinckley in 2005, I told some of those close to me that we had become more serious about putting away food storage because the seven years in Egypt did not hit all at once. Food became gradually harder and harder to come by as the famine increased. So we assumed the economy would worsen and food would become more expensive the longer we waited.
I don’t know if we will have a famine in the next few years but we are seeing food prices rise and thankfully, many we are close to began putting away more food before that happened. It will only get harder from here on out.
Here is part of an article by a financial website I like to read:
In trying to put a floor under the housing and stock markets, the Bernanke Fed has cranked up the growth of the MZM money supply to an explosive 15.4% annual rate, which is also depressing the US dollar and pumping up the commodities markets to astronomical heights. The Fed has unleashed a speculative frenzy in commodities, and traders have lost faith in the central bank’s credibility.
The Bernanke Fed’s aggressive rate cuts have doing more harm than good for the US economy, by leaving the US consumer with slumping home prices on the one hand, and soaring food and energy prices on the other hand, otherwise known as the “Stagflation” trap. According to Bill Gross, chief investment officer at Pimco, the Fed’s rate cuts of 2.25% since September have not brought mortgage rates lower, with the Fannie Mae 30-year mortgage rate stuck at 5-3/4 percent.
“Here is the startling point, the markets that the Fed is trying to affect haven’t changed,” he said. Gross thinks the housing downturn is still in its early stages, and expects a 20% decline in total. “A 20% decline in housing prices is confidence destabilizing, its credit imploding,” he added. And how long can US Treasury yields stay under the exploding rate of inflation, or negative rates of interest?
Last and hardest of all, to answer the question on our feelings concerning harder times coming. At the risk of sounding extreme, how would I feel knowing I had the chance to warn others and didn’t take it because of pride? So yes, we don’t know when or what, (though we have a few ideas) we strongly feel it is time to prepare because there are prophecies that will be fulfilled in our lifetime. We don’t expect the end of the world any time soon but there are a lot of events foretold that need to happen first. We would encourage each of you to study the prophecies in the Bible and make this a matter of prayer.
Even if nothing drastic happens within the next few years, there are benefits to preparing, the greatest being peace of mind. If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear. It is easier to have faith and it is easier to face events head on if we have prepared.
Anytime I see someone say they think a certain prophecy will happen at a certain time, they almost always end up looking silly. I’m not doing that. But I no longer feel comfortable saying “don’t worry about it, you have plenty of time.” Not comfortable at all.
Food Prices Have Definitely Turned Upside Down Lately
8 Comments so far...
Angela Rogin Says:
27 February 2008 at 9:10 am.
So it isn’t just us. I’m glad you shared your thoughts on coming times. I used to think the Mormons were a little silly stocking up on food but not any more. I just wish it wasn’t so expensive already. That pepsi truck is funny with the cases hanging upside down. Was that photo shopped?
Sharon Anderson Says:
27 February 2008 at 9:55 am.
Here is a link to an interesting page called “Food Riots Much Closer than You Think” ( I know it sounds extreme, but I think it is worth checking out.) Here you can learn about how tenuous our food supply is and how a disruption in any part of the path from field to table (eg transportation) could cause major problems.
Mac Says:
27 February 2008 at 10:13 am.
With oil over a hundred a barrel this is only going to get worse. You are right about not fearing if we are prepared. I think people who aren’t doing anything to get prepared are the ones who ignore all the signs that there is trouble on the horizon.
E.E. Says:
27 February 2008 at 10:17 am.
That truck is so cool. That was interesting about President Hinckley. I remember him talking about Pharaoh’s dream but hadn’t done the math. I feel the same you do about it, Joy.
E.E. Says:
27 February 2008 at 10:21 am.
Sharon, that article was disturbing. I wish there was no logic there.
Joy Bischoff Says:
27 February 2008 at 10:27 am.
The pepsi cases aren’t photo shopped. In Europe there is a new trend to paint the outside of some of the trucks to make it look like the back is open and you can see what is inside but it is just a fabulous paint job. They do funny things to freak people out.
Cavetrollhead Says:
27 February 2008 at 11:30 am.
That is a cool truck. So that is just painted on?
You all are scaring me a little bit. Thanks, I think we could all use a good sobering up. Think about this, if you have a rotating food store, it really saves you money because of reduced trips to the store and you by your food at a cheaper price.
Carrie Says:
27 February 2008 at 12:10 pm.
My parents keep me up on who is saying what. Lots of people they really respect a lot have said things that go along with this but they aren’t scared. They taught us to be excited about living in the time that all the ancient prophets saw in vision.
Cave, plus if you rotate your food storage you actually learn how to use it and you will be better off when you need it and healthier now.
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