FOOD SOURCES
AND LDS CHURCH POLICIES

1. Grocery stores

2. Wholesale clubs

3. Whole foods stores

4. LDS Church Home Storage Centers
In order to maintain tax exempt status, the Church prefers that food items purchased from them be dry packed on site or, if the food is to be stored in larger containers or dry packed at home, that the purchaser perform some labor at the center to aid others working there before taking their bulk purchases home.

5. Food co-ops
Individuals may join a co-op for a fee and some shared labor in order to be able to buy bulk items at a lower price.

6. Mail order
Sources are often listed in whole food or natural food cookbooks and emergency preparedness books.

7. Internet order
Web sites may be found by searching for “food storage,” “preparedness,” “year’s supply” or by individual food name.

To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Wards, stakes, and quorums are not to be involved in buying and selling food and nonfood commodities for storage purposes. Individuals may work together to buy and sell food and nonfood commodities for storage purposes, but such activities should not be Church-sponsored in ANY way.--Welfare Services Resource Handbook, p. 19

Wards and stakes are not to enter into a buying and selling program to their members,...--Harold B. Lee, Welfare meeting, Oct 1966.

Merchandising activities not related to the exempt purposes of the Church are not to be conducted by stakes, wards, or quorums. Stakes, wards, and quorums are not to be involved in purchasing and selling items such as food, storage containers, or nonreligious books. If individuals or groups wish to form independent organizations to obtain group discounts on home storage items, they may do so. These independent groups should abide by local laws and should not be identified with the Church.
--Essentials of Home Production and Storage, p. 9