Mormons Prepare For Y2K Worst...12/20/99

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - As the countdown dwindles, people across the country are scrambling to stock their larders ahead of Jan. 1, preparing, sometimes frantically, for potential Y2K disasters that range from a harsh winter storm to societal breakdown. But not at Salt Lake City's Temple Square, home of the Mormon Church, where the calm of knowing you're prepared is the dominant sentiment. For decades, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been encouraged to store a year's worth of food in their homes, not just for Y2K, but for any hard times. Seventy percent of Utah's residents are Mormon. Church officials don't know exactly how many families stockpile food, but it's clearly a popular practice to judge by the advertisements in Utah newspapers for bulk food sales.