Gathering Seed

1 Nephi 8:1 And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind.

I love this verse for so many reasons! Whenever I think of what to do next in my preparations, or if I don't have much money and want to do something, or if it's mid-winter and I'm having a bit of seasonal blues, this scripture always comes to mind.

It is very significant to me because it clearly states some of the preparations Lehi and his family have taken to prepare for their futures. It's interesting to note that they were in the wilderness for 8 years before they reached the seashore. There they spent time resting up and building a ship. After that, they traveled over the ocean to the promised land and upon the death of Lehi, the Nephites and Lamanites separated themselves. The Nephites built cities and planted those seeds and grew food for their families. This was thirty years after Lehi and his family left Jerusalem.

To me, this little part of the story tells the importance of storing seeds to grow in the future. Carrying seeds for 30 years ensured that Nephi and his descendants would have familiar foods to eat when they arrived in a new home. This would give them nourishment and comfort when they would need to begin again.

When Vance and I were first married, we lived with the two oldest boys (and later #3) in a small, downstairs apartment. We really wanted to follow the counsel of the prophets and become more self reliant, but our housing situation presented challenges. In this case, the challenge was not having a place to grow a garden. I had read that Pres. Kimball encouraged members of the church to grow food in containers in windows if that was all that was available. So we tried. We got a few outdoor pots, filled them with soil, planted some tomatoes, and placed them outside our front window. They were pathetic. They didn't get enough sunlight, and the few tiny tomatoes that actually began to grow were soon picked and smashed by the neighbor children. It was very discouraging.

Eventually, we moved through the parking lot into a bigger apartment, where we got permission to use a strip of dirt in the back for a garden. We spent a long Saturday digging and weeding. We didn't get things planted in this little area very quickly, but... let's say the neighbors plants sure appreciated our efforts. :) After this, I became pregnant with #4 and gardening stopped. I was discouraged because I had grown up with a gardening guru dad, and all my efforts were seemingly failures.

During the apartment years, we put lots of effort into other preparations, and the gardening waited until we had our own house, where after a few years of more failures, I can now feel good about my gardening skills.

I wish that during those times I had been familiar with this verse of scripture. What it tells me now is that it doesn't matter if you can keep a garden right now! Nephi had to wait 30 years to plant his seeds! What matters is that you try and that you begin somewhere. Gathering seeds is a perfect place to start. It's springtime, and seeds are on sale everywhere. They range from a few cents to a few dollars a packet. For about $50, you can also purchase canned seeds, which have multiple varieties of seeds in hermetically sealed envelopes, which are then sealed in a #10 can. These last indefinitely. You can find all kinds of varieties, like vegetables, culinary herbs, medicinal herbs, salsa mixes, fruits, etc. You can find these online HERE and HERE (or with a google search). Both of these companies are fairly local and are a short drive away if you'd rather pick them up instead of paying shipping. You can even purchase the canned seeds at health food and preparedness stores.

If you want to prepare for the future, but only have a dollar or two, you can buy a packet of seeds that will feed your family in the future. Seeds actually stay good and will sprout for years after purchase. The cooler the temperature they are kept in, the longer they will last. They need to be kept away from moisture, warmth, and light (to prevent germination and spoilage). You can keep your seed packets in closed mason jars or zip-top bags in the fridge or freezer to keep them dry and cold. And then, one day when you're ready, you'll be that much closer to a garden and the ability to grow food for your family.