by Douglas Stambler

Many college students come to towns across America to study as undergraduates; they become comfortable with those towns, but they feel like they have to go out to the big cities to earn big incomes after they graduate. Rexburg is no different. There are lots of BYU-Idaho graduates who want to return to Rexburg and live here permanently. It’s a hard thing to do if you are looking for someone else to create a job for you, but if you follow your God-given talents, you can end up here in no time.

Here are 20 ways to return to Rexburg and make it work financially, too; here are ways for you to start a family and live here permanently.

1. Start up your own business on the internet that will allow you to live wherever you want and will not be affected by the ups and downs of the American economy.

2. Since Rexburg’s housing is controlled by a few property companies, be more creative and look outside Rexburg 5-10 miles for housing. It’s more affordable and you can grow your own food, too.

3. Use social networking sites to start a group dedicated to moving back to Rexburg. Pool your talents, start businesses, even consider starting your own community in the Rexburg area. Most of the little towns outside of the immediate Rexburg city limits were started by people looking to begin their own communities.

4. Get back to basics: Look to alternative agriculture and becoming self-reliant as a way to support yourself and your family. Rexburg needs its own food supply beyond potatoes, and anyone who focuses on teaching and practicing self-reliance will be successful in the Rexburg area.

5. Look beyond what you were taught at BYU-Idaho for answers on how to survive economically in these times. Eastern Idaho is an incredible place: You have to think big and act locally at the same time in order to earn income here. Look up RELOCALIZATION on Google and start a relocalization effort in the Rexburg area.

6. Avoid Utah-based companies in eastern Idaho for employment and income. These companies are not likely to survive the current worsening of the American economy. If you become dependent on Utah-based companies for income, you might find yourself without an income in the near future.

7. Think Idaho: What is Idaho? What did the pioneers do here when they got to the Rexburg area? How can you continue the path that they started many years ago? Why did God send all these people here? Are you a part of that plan? If so, what does that mean to you?

8. Start a business, hang a shingle and just start providing a needed service to the Rexburg community. Starting a business in Idaho is only about $100 to do. Once you have your LLC license, you can advertise to people in the Rexburg community for everything from daycare to babysitting, landscaping, personal care for the elderly, a catering service: Use your imagination.

9. Email me if you want to run ideas by a professional. I am a
business consultant, and have found out how to live in a rural area without working a wage job. My email address is wcsl.02@gmail.com.

10. Act upon the advice of the LDS Church: Become self-reliant, become more useful to others and serve others on a daily basis. Get to know God better by helping others get closer to God.

11. Speak God’s name in your daily labors.

12. Separate the useless information that you’ve picked up along the way from the things that can actually earn you an income in Rexburg. For example, you have to be a self-starter to be successful in Rexburg, and it’s going to take a lot of effort and a lot of energy to find that special place for you in this community that God wants you to be a part of. If you’re supposed to be here, God will make sure that it happens. You have to be willing to take the steps that God has you take, and you will succeed.

13. Throw away the old ideas that don’t work like “saving enough money in a couple of years to get back to Rexburg.” Just follow God’s will in your life, and you will be here in no time. No time like the present to just pick yourself up and move back here and make a difference. If you have enough faith in God, you will find an easy path back to the place of your dreams.

14. Take the time to do the spiritual work to make coming back to Rexburg a reality. God has lessons for you along the way in life. Make sure that you look at the uncomfortable lessons, too, because that will make you stronger and more able to live anywhere you want, even if it isn’t Rexburg.

15. Find businesses in Rexburg that will trade housing with you in exchange for employment. There are plenty of homes and apartments here that are vacant. Get yourself some kind of a sponsor and secure your housing. Once you do that, you will find a way to feed your family and get back into the swing of things here. Be creative, very creative to achieve your goals.

16. Understand that BYU-Idaho was never supposed to be so large. The students who are here now are mostly interested in the following: a) starting a family; b) getting out of here as soon as possible; c) playing video games; d) following Church leadership in their lives. In this kind of environment, you can do well by using your experience in life to gain employment in Rexburg, because 15,000 people who are here to study are really just passing through. Rexburg businesses are looking for permanent employees. Pick up the yellow pages and start calling. Don’t just send a resume out to people who you don’t know. Go talk with them in person or on the phone.

17. Consider living in Rigby, Newdale, St. Anthony or even Pocatello first before you make your move to Rexburg. Rexburg is somehow a place with a higher level of energy. It’s like training for a marathon on the top of a mountain. Not everyone likes it here or wants to return to live here. If you have what it takes to be positive and realistic, then your energy fits in here. I have seen many people with negative attitudes here lose their jobs and have to leave. You must maintain the purest of thought, the purest of intention and be as close as you can be to God at all times. This means constant prayer and constantly following God’s will in your life.

18. Move to Menan. There are lots of people out there who are growing their own food, raising chickens and leading the simple lives that their Mormon pioneer predecessors led. Self-reliance is key to living in the country. Rexburg is country, too, there are miles and miles of farms just a few miles out of the city limits.

19. Start a canning facility. Rexburg doesn’t have one. The closest one is in Idaho Falls, and not everyone wants to travel down there to can. Charge a modest amount to help people with their food storage needs.

20. Visit Rexburg once a month or as often as you can. Network with people and pray, pray, pray for your next step.Many college students come to towns across America to study as undergraduates; they become comfortable with those towns, but they feel like they have to go out to the big cities to earn big incomes after they graduate. Rexburg is no different. There are lots of BYU-Idaho graduates who want to return to Rexburg and live here permanently. It’s a hard thing to do if you are looking for someone else to create a job for you, but if you follow your God-given talents, you can end up here in no time.

Check out the music of D. Glas at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSLdglas