Conference tecrus::mormonism

    In church today, we had a lesson about home teaching. One of the
    thoughts that struck me was the following passage: 
    
         Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; 
         
         For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the
         flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all
         men might repent and come unto him. 

         And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring
         all men unto him, on conditions of repentance. 
         
         And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth! 
         
         Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people. 
         
         And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying
         repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul
         unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom
         of my Father! 
         
         And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you
         have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great
         will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me! 
             
         D&C 18:10-16
         
    We must never forget the worth of each soul! 

    Witnessing of Christ,    
    Rich

    
    When I was EQ president, HT was the the one thing I loved and hated
    at the same time.  Now that I'm retired into the bishopric, I see
    it has the same effect on the bishop.  The way that I came into
    the church is through my wive's home teachers.  I have seen many
    people reactivated through the HT.  I have seen families helped
    in times of stress by their HT.  And I have seen members lost that
    could have been retained if there had been a good relationship between
    them and a HT.
                    
    And unlike most people, I have always used my home teachers, I like
    to give them the opportunity to lay up rewards where dust and moth
    can not corrupt.  One of my best friends is my home teacher in fact.
                  
    The only calling were i have had more spiritual experience than
    being a home teacher is while I was EQ president.  And then it was
    probably because I had more opportunity to get involved in more
    home teaching.   
                 

    A few random thoughts on home teaching:
    
    Never underestimate the importance of home teaching responsibilities.
    I've seen numerous examples of new converts who have strong home
    teachers become strong members themselves. New converts who have weak
    home teachers become weak members. 
    
    By all means give your own home teachers a chance to help *you*. Think
    of ways that they can be of service. My home teaching companion was
    never more enthused than when people would actually ask us for help,
    whether large or small. This kind of enthusiasm is contageous. 
    
    One such way to help your families this time of year is to help with
    taxes. All home teachers must have at least a few families that would
    appreciate the help. Share info & tips, go get forms, etc. 
    
    Use the First Presidency message in the Ensign. We discussed the
    message on our first visit with someone once, not thinking that it was
    anything terribly special to do this. We later learned that she called
    the Quorum President after our visit to thank him, and that she was
    thrilled with the lesson beacuse it was the first time her home
    teachers brought the First Presidency message in years! 

    /kevin

    
    I have been a home teacher.I was very active for 4 years and gave
    a lot of myself.Here in Maine,we have a small membership spread
    out over a large area.People sometimes travel 60 miles to the nearest
    ward.I have been in the Elders Quorum Presidency of 2 wards,and
    had a lot to do with the home teaching program.Right now i am being
    visited by A high Priest once a month for about 15minutes.He has
    offered very little about church functions or activities.He seems
    to know very little about what is going in the church.I wonder about
    why he is coming to visit,other than the fact that he was asked
    to do so.I think home teaching becomes home visiting.You have got
    to really care and want to do it.If you are a leader you must be
    willing to put the time in to do the job.I have been inactive for
    about 2years and have NEVER had a member of the church visit me
    UNOFFICIALY in that time.I go by what people DO not by what they
    SAY.
    
    Peace
    Michael
    

    Some times HT can be very difficult.  I have just been given a couple
    of people.  I know the history of all of them and it makes me hesitant
    to go and visit.  I think my hesitancy comes from knowing that
    there is a great deal of need in all the families I have.  And right
    now I have a lot to do myself.  But as I review the list of others
    that could do it, I find myself dropping off the list. (A common
    occurrence when your in a small ward.)  So last week I finally forced
    myself to get on it and set up the appointments.  Usually I try
    to do the hardest one first, but in this case there seems to be
    equality. 
    
     I think the thing that bothers me the most is that I
    want to have a positive impact on these peoples lives, and at the
    same time I don't want to have a negative impact on my own.   I
    could, an my bishop has suggested this, go in and just teach a lesson
    and leave, ignoring everything else.  I have never done this before
    without first finding out what the people were about and what lessons
    they would benefit from so just going in and giving a lesson would
    be foreign to me.  on the plus side I would be doing my duty, getting
    it done, and anything is better than nothing.  But I wonder if it
    is the right thing to do?
    
    Anyway, I know what the answer is.  It doesn't make it any easier.
    I once read a book in which the main thought was that to progress
    in the gospel you must do things you really don't want to do and
    work with people you would not normally choose to work with.  
    
    richard
                                    

    
    
    I am presently inactive,but,God is telling me he needs me and wants me
    to continue my training for when I cross over.
    
    I have been involved in the Elders Quorum several times,and,therefor,
    Home Teaching.
    
    My experience as a Home Teacher has told me several ways to be
    effective:
    
      Make the Families part of your own family,that is,bring them into
    your life,make them a part of it.
    
      Teach by example. Teach by the way you live,and,the way you treat
    them. You can do this by doing the first thing I listed.
    
      This takes Love,work,time,committment. 
    
    Peace
    Michael
    

    
What are the responsibilities of a Home Teacher or actually a Home Teaching
Companionship????

I have been taught that the responsibilities of Home Teaching is:

	--Teach my assigned families the gospel.
	--Discern the spiritual and temporal well-being of my assigned
	  families.
	--Acting as the official representative of my Bishop, convey any
	  messages from him, as well as taking messages too him.
	--Provide priesthood blessing/ordinances as asked for.

Now the question is, How do I accomplish all of the things in an effective
manner?

1.  I do not feel that one priesthood holder can accomplish all of these
responsibilities in an effective manner.  I feel that only Home Teaching
Companionships can effectively fulfill this calling.  I have seen throughout
most of my life in the church that usually only one member of the companionship
visits my family on a regular basis.  But, the most effective home teaching
that I have ever experienced has been when both companions have been in the
home.

2.  I think that one must be committed to the principle of Home Teaching, one
must want to fulfill these responsibilities.  One must be motivated to prepare
for the visit. 

3.  One must truly be communicating with Heavenly Father, so that the spirit
will be able to tell us what needs to be done.

4.  Study the Scriptures--I have found out that I am a more effective Home
Teacher, when I am studying the gospel, then when I am not.

5.  Pray with your companion and with your families.

6.  Has stated in the previous note (274.1) it is crucial that one become very
close with the assigned families, be genuine in your concern for their problems
and spiritual well-being.

These are a few of the things that help me fulfill my responsibility as a Home
Teacher, I hope more is to follow to help me become a great Home Teacher.

Rick

    This sounds like a priesthood lesson.
    
    scott

    
    Ref .2
    
    You can accomplish ALL those things with LWTC.
    
    Its simple to teach what you should do,the key is,Commitment.
    Dont talk about it,do it!
    
    Dont accept the calling,unless you plan to make the time and effort to
    accomplish the work!
    
    Peace
    Michael
    

    				   -< LWTC >-

    Dear Mike,

    I agree with your philosophy of Love, Work, Time, and Commitment.  My
    question is how do you implement it, and should not the Lord and your
    Home Teaching companion be involved?

    I do not know why you are inactive at this time, I have been through the
    Nephi cycle too, but would not good, effective Home Teachers help you
    and others stay active??

    I personally have a hard time figuring out how my quorum members can
    justify themselves when our Home Teaching percentage is 50%.  Not only
    must we preach the gospel to all nations, kindreds, and tongues, but
    must we not be shepherds for Christ's flock and attend to their needs
    and spiritual growth as well?

    Some individuals who might read this discussion will disagree or make
    light of the topic and comments, my intent with this discussion is to
    become a better and effective Home Teacher along with anyone else who
    is interested in doing the same.  So if this is accomplished I feel
    that this discussion is worthwhiled.

    Thanks for your comments, and keep them coming.

    Sincerely,

    Rick

    
    Rick,
    
       Home teaching has always been an activity I have spent much time
    involved with. Implimenting it is the hard part. Talking about
    it,and,how we should do it is easy. It starts with the individual. To
    me,lack of committment is worst than none at all. Follow the guidance
    of the Lords spirit,you will know what to do. Many times we fall short
    of what HE would want,even though we KNOW what it is. 
       A program that shows 50% Home Teaching most likely,is much lower if
    you consider if it is EFFECTIVE or not. 
       If you have a companion,then,you should work out your official visit
    with each other,but,other times you should fellowship the family. This
    is up to the individual to decide. You may have more time,or,different
    times that you can fellowship. Your families should be an extension of
    your own.
        As you do your responsibilities,you will be an example to others.
    By sharing the feelings and rewards of fellowshipping your families,you
    will inspire and motivate others to do the same. Jesus taught as much
    by actions as he did words. He spoke,then he did that which he taught.
    This is how we can succeed.
    
        Peace
        Michael
    

	As an elders quorum president, I wish my quorum were able to
	visit the families assigned to them on a more regular and more
	effective basis.  I agree that time and sincere concern are the
	keys to effective home teaching.  This should not be surprise,
	since these are also the keys to being a good father, husband,
	employee, citizen, etc.

	The problem is, where should a member of the church spend his/her
	time ?  When I was an elders quorum president in Maine (I am currently
	an elders quorum president in Georgia), when we had every family
	assigned, each home teaching pair had 6-7 families assigned to them.
	You cannot effectively home teach 6-7 families, develop your own
	career, and fulfill your most important callings of husband and father
	(for those who are married).  If a quorum member comes to me with
	personal problems in his own home, and he needs help, I cannot really
	expect him to be able to meet the needs of others effectively, and
	especially not 6-7 other families besides his own.

	The question then comes, whom shall I serve ?  Each home teacher, in
	consultation with his priesthood leaders, has to make decision
	regarding his home teaching on where best his time can be spent.  While
	the very active should be visited, in most cases they shouldn't be the
	families receiving the most attention and time (i.e., if you have to
	miss someone one month, don't visit the "easy" family just because they
	are easy and fun to visit.).  Also, you probably won't be doing much
	good in visiting those who are very estranged from the Church, as
	compared to those who are not very active but can be brought back into
	the fold with a reasonable amount of concerned effort/fellowshipping.

	While the ideal would be to have all home teachers have ideal home lives
	and only 2-3 families, this isn't very realistic in any quorum I have
	been in.  We need to bring back those we can now, and strengthen
	ourselves so our quorums will be able to bring back everyone at some
	point in time.  Without focusing on those we truly can help today, we
	risk losing them without any realistic return on the investment of our
	time.

    
    REF -1
    
     You describe the exact situation I have always faced in my Elders
    Quarom callings. Another problem is Geographics. We did the best we
    could,but,not enough. There is an answer. I will continue this
    tommorrow,I have work right now.
    
    
    Peace
    Michael
    

I've heard some people say that Home Teaching is not a calling.  I'm
wondering about this.  Is it a calling?

Allen

    Re: Note 274.9 by CACHE::LEIGH

    Hi Allen,
    
>I've heard some people say that Home Teaching is not a calling.  I'm
>wondering about this.  Is it a calling?

    I'll take a stab at this...
                                                                       
    It depends on what we mean by "a calling". In once sense of the word, a
    calling is a specific invitation from a church leader to serve in some
    capacity. A home teacher can only be a home teacher to those families
    to whom he is assigned, though he can and should provide meaningful
    service to any and all others, as well. As with other callings, he
    cannot take it upon himself to be a home teacher without having been
    invited by his priesthood leader to do so. Therefore, it is a calling.
    
    However, it is a different sort of calling than most others. It is also
    an inherent duty of the priesthood. For this reason, some might think
    of it as "not a calling", because of this difference.
    
    How did I do? Did I get it right? :-)
    
    Rich 

    I'd say it is a calling.  You get set apart when you receive any
    priesthood position equal to or greater than that of Teacher in
    the Aaronic Priesthood.  But, you may or may not receive an assignment
    at any given time.

    An interesting question arises as to visiting teaching.  Is that
    a calling or an assignement?  I'd say it's an assignment since
    Priesthood does not tend to get involved.  Not all Relief Society
    sisters are expected to be visiting teachers, but all Priesthood
    brethren are expected to handle some form of home teaching 
    assignment.
        

    Steve

    
    I would say it was a calling. A very important one. You must be
    prepared to do it. A Priesthood leader should make it clear what the
    expectations are for any calling,so that a person can decide whether he
    can fullfill it. Too many times this is not clear. 
    
    If I had to administer the Home Teaching program,I would make sure I
    had the time to committ to it. I would limit the number of families
    assigned according to the individuals ability. I would make the
    expectations clear,and,hold the person accountable. I would ask the
    Lord for assistance in accomplishing our goals. I would take into
    account geography,so the families would be close. 
    
    Peace
    Michael
    

	Many are called, but few are chosen.  All things are a calling, it
	is just that they are different in their implementation.  If you
	consider an offer from the bishop as the only means of obtaining a
	calling, then I do not consider home teaching a calling.  This kind
	of calling is something that I have the option of refusing.  Right or
	wrong, I still have that option.

	Home teaching is something that is inherent in the calling the Lord
	offers us in the priesthood.  If you do not want to home teach, then 
	you should not have that priesthood.  In 1 Peter chapter 5, he starts 
	off by telling us some of our responsibilities, which have been used
	to identify home teaching.  In D&C 84 : 33-39 the Lord tells us how 
	to obtain eternal exaltation through the oath and covenant of the 
	priesthood.  Home teaching is nothing more than magnifying our calling
	in the priesthood.  Next to being a husband and father in the home,
	THE most important calling an Elder can have is home teaching.  How
	well he does in that calling will be determined in how valiant his
	testimony of Christ is.

	Charles

    		-<Is Home Teaching a Calling???>-

    It has been interesting reading the last few replies on Home Teaching,
    "Is it or isn't it a calling".  It seems to me that it is a calling
    within the priesthood of God.  In the previous note the person says
    that Home Teaching is a calling one can refuse to accept, for that
    matter all callings in the Church can be refused, Ezra Taft Benson
    could have refused to be the Prophet after Spencer W. Kimball died if
    he so desired.  The Lord forces no one to accept his callings, and Home
    Teaching is one of his callings.

    I was surprised to see no mention of SERVICE in this discussion.  All
    of God's Calling are one of service to his people.  I was glad to hear
    Elder David B. Haight approach this topic in his conference talk, He
    said that one can complete his service to God and his people as a Home
    Teacher or as a Stake President.  

    I also agree that Home Teaching is the most important calling within
    the priesthood structure, it is the way the Lord wants the gospel
    taught to his people.

    I hope that whether or not Home Teaching is a calling or not, does not
    mean how important it is or isn't.  The Church has stated throughout
    that Home Teaching is the most important tool in keeping the Saints
    together and spiritually healthy.

    Rick

There is an interesting paradox in the Church.  A brother who is called as
a Sunday School teacher, for example, may do a fine job in that calling but
do a poor job as a Home Teacher.  In general, I don't think the reason is
the person's willingness to serve or to spend quite a lot of time in Church
service.  I've been thinking about this situation quite a lot in recent
years, and I think part of the problem involves my question in a previous
reply whether Home teaching is a calling or not.

I think most people would agree that Home Teaching is a calling, but I think
that many of us behave as if it were not.  Let me give some examples.

Suppose a friend whom I haven't seen for many years stops by my place.  He
asks, "Well, Allen, what are you doing in the Church?"  I answer, "I'm
serving as Scoutmaster", and we talk about that for a while.  I make no
mention of being a Home Teacher. It appears that in my mind, I'm called as a
Scouter but my role as a Home Teacher is "just there", i.e. to me it isn't
a calling.  This is a real situation that has happened to me in the past.

I think Bishoprics also ignore Home Teaching as they consider the callings that
people have.  When I served in Bishoprics, we would discuss various people and
their callings as we considered the staffing needs of the Ward.  We never
brought Home Teaching or Visiting Teaching into our conversations as we
considered the workloads that the Ward members had.  We behaved as if Home
Teaching was not a calling.

Sometimes we talk about the ideal situation of "One calling for each person".
Again, we are ignoring Home Teaching in our thought process.

I think that by and large, we give lip service to Home Teaching being a
calling, but our behavior says that we don't consider it as such.  I have
even been told by some of my Priesthood leaders that Home Teaching isn't a
calling.  In saying this, I think they are putting Home Teaching down to a
lower level of importance than "our callings", and the dismal records that
some Wards have in Home Teaching indicate that in the minds of the members
it is lower in importance.

Allen

    
    
    Allen,
    
      I have had the same experiences. To me,it is one of the most
    important callings in the church. Jesus said we were to "Love one
    another",what better way than thru home teaching. Home teaching is more
    than just teaching,it is loving those around us,sharing and giving of
    ourself. 
    
    Peace
    Michael
    

    Re .15
    
    Before I moved physically into my present ward (we were waiting to close
    on our house), my children and I visited this ward.  We attended
    the Sabbath meetings and introduced ourselves.  Before my first "official"
    Sunday in the ward I was called as a Visiting Teacher.  I remarked
    to my new companion, "What a Ward -  we're not even here yet and
    already I have a calling!"
    
    She asked me if I could share with her what the new calling was.
    Somewhat surprised, I said I was referring to my call as her Visiting
    Teaching companion...
    
    Allen, I think you're correct and that these very special opportunities
    to serve are not generally viewed as callings.            
    
    aq

As far as I am concerned, a calling comes from a Priesthood leader, 
typically a member of the bishopric, Stake Presidency or High Council, but there
are several others that issue callings in different situations, Therefore the
Quorum Leader Assigning the first set of families to a Home teacher is in my
mind just as legitimate a calling.  However unfortunately it is not necessarily 
handled with du respect. I think that it is very important to deal with the 
person being assigned in a private, face to face setting and discuss the assign-
ment.  Further I think that the leader that tells the new home teacher about the
families and helps that teacher set plans and goals is further enhancing the
sense of a calling and responsibility of the home teacher.

As to asking others about their callings.  That kind of question is usually meant
to start a conversation.  Asking about a person's home teaching is not too good
for that purpose for two reasons. 1. If the person replies that they are not a
home teacher then suddenly the conversation is awkward and excuses are being
made. 2. Even if they are a home teacher, the realtionship between a HT and the
families is always to be treated with confidentiality and respect, therefore it
does not help lead a conversation.  In other words, that fact that people don't
ask each other about their home teaching does not mean that it is less of a 
calling but is a result of the very special nature of the Home Teaching calling.

RE: The origional question:

Currently am an assistant Ward Clerk, Name Len Winmill.

I think the great secret to effective Home Teaching is effective Delegation and
Follow up.  It has gone by names such as "Oral Evaluation", "Personal Priesthood
Intervew", "Stewardship reportings"... and others.  But I believe that if the
priesthood leaders really work closely and caringly with the quorum members and
the youth are assigned too, there are enough teachers that no one has more than
five families (per pair). The numbers are there that except in an unusual ward,
two teachers per five families would mean that 40% of the families would have to
supply a teacher. But when you add the youth to it, the numbers just work out
very comfortably.  But it means that you have to really use your people.

Then to make these people effective, the leader has to have regular meaningful 
interviews, that show a real genuine concern for the Teacher and the Families.
This is unfortunately not done very often, probably due to being a less visible
thing, the kind of thing that can be put off. And due to it requiring a behavior
that seems to be hard for men to learn and hard to acknowledge. That being of
expressing genuine concern for people that you may not normally have cared to
associate with.

I have truly had some wonderful experiences as a home teacher. I think it is THE
MOST fantastic plan for reaching and helping people ever known on the earth.
If you consider the Joys of Misionary work, the same joys are there in HT when
done with the same love and concern.  If you have ever talked to a Church 
leader of  an organization other than the LDS Church about the tack of keeping
in touch with their congregation then you will see even more clearly the beauty
of the HT plan.  

Once I was a HT to a young man that I would not ever have had anything to do 
with if I had chosen.  During the years that I visited him, I saw so many prob-
lems, and the progress seemed so slow, the backsliding so frequent, but I 
managed to remember that my responsibility was not to change his behavior but
to create the opportunity for him to change it.  In other words, the backsliding
was not my failure, but another opportunity for me to accept him. Over the years
since he has moved from our ward, I have touch with him many times. I have had
lots of joy at his progress, and lots of pain at his lack of it.  Then came a
time when he seemed to be at the breakthrough of making a real career for himself
and really getting himself together and he developed a cripling disease that
made his new career impossible for him. He was crushed again.  Well the particu-
lar experience that I wanted to share here, is that there came a time when I 
was trying to do some repairs to my car and having a hard time with them, I 
called my normal sources of help for this kind of task and they didn't work out.
Just then this young man called me and as we chatted he learned what I was trying
to do. So he drove an hour out to my place two different times to
help me, and he was indeed sucessful where I would not have been. I had to
swallow my pride a bit to think of him driving so far when driving is sometimes
a difficult problem for him, just to help me.  But as I watched him have the
chance to offer real service to someone that he felt had given him help in times
passed I saw that this too was part of his growth in learning to serve and my
growth in learning to recieve.  I even saw a minor miracle during one of the
sessions. I had to go check on the kids so was away from the car for about 10
minutes. While I was gone he completed somethings that would have taken a half
hour the way things were going. He said that he had ask for some divine help
and we both acknowledged we had recieved it.

In Summary, the Visible part of home teaching is a contact and sometimes a
lesson.  The part below the surface, is developing real genuine friendship and
learing things about Faith, Prayer, Obedience, Relationships and other such
key things of life, in a setting that really works in a way that won't be 
forgotten. I firmly believe that Home Teaching really is the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, in action. And it is a two way thing. The teacher learns as much as the
family.  I am greatful for my opportunities to do it, but at the same time, 
when there is not good followthrough with the priesthood leaders sometimes I 
get really slack too.

I bear this wittness in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

    Re .18, thanks, Len, for your testimony.  I, too, have made friends
    through the Visiting Teaching program - some of whom I would not
    have sought without that special responsibility.  I'm reminded of
    a Mormonad poster (but since I don't have it with me, this is not
    an exact quote) which says:  Eternity lasts a long time, so take
    along a friend.
    
    aq
    

The following five replies have been brought from note 29 to consolidate
this note and that one.