President Kimball said to plant a garden. Why? We can just buy food cheaper and easier from the store. Perhaps we need the skills. Perhaps we need to work.
In walking to Zion our family has realized that we are too lazy to walk. Mmm. That's a problem. We have realized one aspect of walking to Zion means we need to literally gain physical strength. Our world is filled with a life of physical ease and comfort. As a result we have become a fat and lazy people, and while our family is not fat we are definitely lazy!
In my long time favorite quote from Brigham Young he said,
"If we are to be saved in an ark, as Noah and his family were, it will be because we built it." (JD 8:354-355)He also said,
"Everything connected with building up Zion requires actual severe labor. It is nonsense to talk about building up any kingdom except by labor; it requires the labor of every part of our organization, whether it be mental, physical or spiritual, and this the only way to build up the Kingdom of God." (JD 3:122)So we are changing. We have physical goals.
Walk more. Be more active. Plant and take care of a garden. Eat less. Serve more. Move our body. Get fresh air.
In walking to Zion our family has also been identifying 'lost arts' that we feel we need to gain some basic knowledge in. One child said the other day, "What happens if we don't actually need them because we aren't called to Zion." Even if we don't physically remove ourselves to Zion these arts are being lost and the succeeding generations need these skills. I feel duty bound to make sure my posterity has possession of these skills.
Here is a working list we have been making of possible skills. We aren't necessarily going to learn all of them. We do know some of these skills and want to refine them. Other skills we may only obtain a general knowledge. It has been mentioned that learning these skills as a family would be pursuing "wholesome recreational activities." I couldn't agree more!! What would be more fun: campfire cooking as a family or watching Biggest Looser? I mean come on! These ideas are in a total random order.
Milking a Cow
Fishing
Cheese Making (butter, cottage cheese, cream cheese, yogurt)
Gardening
Canning
Spice Growing
Herbal identification and remedies
Chicken and Other Poultry Care
Killing and butchering animals
Shooting a Gun
Tracking animals
Sewing clothes
Knitting (socks, sweaters)
Wool processed to yarn
Flax production
Change water/irrigation
Growing wheat/grains and harvesting
Seed reproduction transplanting to garden
Bee keeping
Carpentry
Car care/ mechanics
Fruit Trees
Soil health
Cooking basics (molasses, vinegar, pickling, breads, mayonnaise, …)
Food drying
Quilting
Swordsmanship/knives
Archery
Tanning hides
Leather making
Coopering
Washing Clothes in bucket
Whittling
Masonry
Blacksmithing
Felling Trees and chopping wood
Animal husbandry
Plumbing
Electrical Work
Campfire cooking
First Aid
Sanitation
Water location
Desert/mountain survival
Crocheting
Tatting
Drying/smoking meat
Natural Cleaners
Wheel Making
Horse care
Trapping
Fire Building
Cement/Mud work
Going to Zion requires actual physical preparation. It is one more thing that I think is important in my Walk to Zion.
6 comments:
I spent 18 months washing my clothes in a bucket while on my mission. May I never have to do that again.
Great list. We have been praying that our next assignment will be a place where we can do more self-reliant things - have a garden, raise some chickens, build fires, etc.
Let me know when you are ready to learn to tat, I'd gladly teach you :)
Wonderful list! So inspiring! It is sometimes difficult for me, not to be overwhelmed at all the things I should be learning to do. One day at a time, right?! :0) Thank goodness that we all have different talents and abilities and can teach one another! You have inspired a friend and me, to start a "Lost Arts" group in our homeschooling community, to teach each other what we know! :0)
I love your posts. You are fantastic.
This is one of the many reasons we've decided we will not rent an apartment again (at least not a high rise with no access to land!). We feel spoiled here. There are groundskeepers, maintenence men, a pool in the back. For awhile, it was nice. Then spring came...I longed to play in dirt. My kids were getting more unruly (not horrible, they are great kids) because the hardest chore I had for them was to vacuum after scripture reading. Thanks!!!
Cooking on a campfire is fun... when you don't live in an apartment in the middle of a huge city. ;) Watching Biggest Loser in our household is the ONE and only show we watch on American television (online, though, as we canceled the cable subscription years ago). It inspires us to eat healthy and exercise, plus to share the blessings of weight loss and health with others. :)
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