Home Teaching: Take the Initiative

When the Ward Executive Secretary sent an email to the ward to report their home teaching for November, I asked if I had a home teaching assignment yet, and I did. I was to teach with Brother Burk. I immediately sent off an email to Brother Burk to ask if he was available to make visits. We agreed that I would make the appointments and he would teach the lesson. So, I called our families and got our appointments made. No big deal.

I don’t know about you, but I do what I do. It’s not out of the ordinary or in any way special. It’s just what I do.

Well, what I had done was, unbeknownst to me, quite noteworthy. Brother Burk was quite impressed with my initiative in contacting him when I could have just let him do all the work, since he’s the senior companion and all. He spent several minutes talking about it.

Then I thought about it. Why did I take the initiative?

Brother Burk is moving next month. I don’t know anybody in the ward very well. I’m busy with work and school. It’s the Christmas Season and people are busy. Taking initiative scares me. Etc. Etc. There are a million reasons I could make up, none of them good of course.

In order for me to take the initiative and call Brother Burk I had to supplant the natural man. I had to jump through all my personal hang-ups and excuses, and just do what I had to do. Would my lack of home teaching have gone unnoticed by my Priesthood leaders? Likely not, as Home Teaching percentages are low in most wards. Would I be in trouble with anyone? No. Would I notice I hadn’t done my Home Teaching? Yes. Would my families have known? Yes. Would Brother Burk have known? Yes.

So, my decision came down to four considerations: 1. Personal accountability, 2. Accountability to/Respect for those I serve with, 3. My basic obligations to those whom I’ve been given Priesthood Authority over, 4. My love for my Savior and his Children.

To the Elders of the church: If you are lacking in your Home Teaching, then I ask you to begin now. Stop making excuses. Be of good courage, and push past the fears, the apathy, and the excuses. Get out there, and serve your families. Whether or not you are a good Teacher, you are providing service to people whom you will come to love, and call friends. This is the work that will outlast this mortal life. It is a good work, and you should make yourself a part of it.