You’ve probably heard by now that some members of the Church have been stockpiling food, water, and other emergency supplies in preparation for what they suspect is the pending apocalypse. In answer to many questions and actions from members who have interpreted the experiences of members like Julie Rowe as statements of doctrine, the Church has released the following statement:
The Church encourages our members to be spiritually and physically prepared for life’s ups and downs. For many decades, Church leaders have counseled members that, where possible, they should gradually build a supply of food, water and financial resources to ensure they are self-reliant during disasters and the normal hardships that are part of life, including illness, injury or unemployment.
This teaching to be self-reliant has been accompanied by the counsel of Church leaders to avoid being caught up in extreme efforts to anticipate catastrophic events.
The writings and speculations of individual Church members, some of which have gained currency recently, should be considered as personal accounts or positions that do not reflect Church doctrine.
So it looks like the world won’t be ending this week, but at least we get to enjoy a rare lunar eclipse anyway! Check out Mormon Newsroom for the full press release.