Personal preparedness and self-�����reliance have been themes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-�����day Saints since its early days as an organized religion. These themes are still strong and vibrant today and one of their key aspects is the practice of food storage. Personal and familial preparation for problems that may be encountered in the course of life are an integral part of the discourse around food storage, as well as the need to be obedient to the admonitions of their church leaders. Though most informants involved in this study would agree that obedience is a key aspect behind their keeping of a storage, there is great variation in their commitment and interpretation of the "Word" as they see it pertaining to their own families. Other key themes that emerged from the data were that a food storage offers peace of mind and security, and that it will be needed to help others as well as their own families. These themes and others are what comprise the Unofficial Word of food storage. This thesis specifically presents research on the differences between the Official and Unofficial Word as they pertain to the practice of food storage by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-�����day Saints. As the practice of food storage among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-�����day Saints has not been previously studied anthropologically, this thesis will attempt to show how an overarching hierarchy, such as religion, can so deeply affect the way people view, think about, and practice common tasks such as food choice, food consumption, and food preservation. / Graduation date: 2013