Home teaching — the holy grail of church programs. If the secret code could be broke, think of the problems it would fix. Because it is a great challenge for so many leaders, any time we can take another swing at solving it I think it is worth our time. Even though we are speaking in the context of home teaching everything in the following posts can be applied to visiting teaching as well.

Hopefully many of you have taken the time to read Change Anything. It is one of the most applicable books for LDS leadership. The core theme of the book is applying the Six-Source Model to difficult personal problems. The same authors of Change Anything wrote a similar book Influencer: The Power to Change Anything. This book teaches how to use the Six-Source Model to correct organizational problems or movements on a larger scale–like home teaching. Let’s see what we can do by applying the Six-Source model to the king of elder quorum problems–home teaching.

Start from the beginning

When you have a problem like home teaching that has been a consistent problem for such a long time, it is important to be willing to turn the problem on its head and try ideas that are new and different. If your monthly home teaching percentage is in the 20 s what do you have to lose?….really.′

The objective of home teaching

Before we try and solve a problem we need to make sure we agree on the objective. Are we trying to watch over individuals and be willing to mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort and invite all to come unto Christ? (Mosiah 18:9) Or is the objective to simply justify checking a box next to a name so that we feel credible in turning in a home teaching report? We would all agree that the purpose of home teaching is much more than turning in numbers that somehow reflect the effectiveness of the quorum. With that being said, understand that some purposed solutions below are in an effort to fellowship rather than checking off visits.

This will be the first of many posts that will apply the Six-Source Model of influence to home teaching.

In order to effectively create change you must apply each of the six sources. Don’t look at a single source as the only response. These suggestions are not absolute so please add your suggestions by commenting below.

Source 1

Personal Motivation: Make the Undesirable Desirable

Source1The main focus is to make home teaching intrinsically satisfying. We would all love to see quorum members take action because they WANT to do it. When home teaching becomes a chore that is reported at the end of each month there isn’t much intrinsic satisfaction there. The majority of individuals that are assigned to home teaching do not have a personal MOTIVATION problem with home teaching–it’s more of an ABILITY problem relating to their social life and their environment. However, there is a percentage of people in the group that simply do not find intrinsic satisfaction in chasing people for a monthly visit. In those situations, personal motivation is needed to create effective influence. The Influencer book gives the following strategies with how to approach this problem. Most are applicable and other might not be the best method.

Get People to Try It: This strategy worked for me on my mission when I was encouraged to “just try the cow tongue taco.” I tried it and now I love cow tongue tacos. With home teaching it is a matter of getting companionships out the door and visiting. This is typically done by pairing up the apathetic individual with Brother Go-Get-Em. He will do all the scheduling, preparing, and then be by at seven o’clock to pick up Brother Indifferent. This has seemed to be the typical solution that has been tried since the inception of home teaching. It may work in some cases but don’t make it your ONLY strategy.

Make It a Game: I have heard stories of leaders motivating their quorums through food, activities, and stars on foreheads in order to accomplish home teaching. Making it a game may work in some influence strategies but maybe not home teaching. Can you imagine an elder’s quorum president in front of his quorum showing the top leaders of home teaching on a big poster board? Or rewarding you with a candy bar if you reached 100% for the month? Maybe “making it a game” works for personal weight loss but it seems this strategy would take the sincerity out of it and feel more like a bribe.

Connect Behaviors to Moral Values: Many times the individual doesn’t think he is having an impact on lives by visiting a family and therefore feels no negative impact when he does NOT visit a family. This does not mean he is lazy or lacks moral values. The reason why quorum members go to work 40 plus hours a week is because it is against their moral values to live without a paycheck and let their family go hungry. In their work situation their moral values are very much connected to their behaviors. So with

home teaching they need to feel like they are making a difference. Here are a few ways to make this happen with home teaching.

Consider assigning the unmotivated a family that truly needs home teaching. Talk to them about some of the struggles the family has and how the home teachers can really make a difference (see bullet 3). Typically an EQP starts by assigning the active members and then if there is room left they assign some less-actives. Try starting with the less-actives and then if their is room left add the active. This will make the need for home teaching more obvious and motivate those in the quorum more effectively.

Humanize the problem. Each month invite a family/single member/ widow into your quorum meeting to share a five minute testimony of home teaching. This helps the quorum members humanize home teaching and see that they are much more than a list of names.

The elder’s quorum president should interview companionships each month and focus on the needs of the family rather than just making sure a visit was made. When the home teacher gets to strategize with their priesthood leader on how to REALLY help the family they will again feel apart of a life changing work. (More on these interviews HERE)

Honor Choice and Surrender Control: Many EQP’s look at their quorum and determine those that are not home teaching are accidentally disengaged. Leaders assume they simply have not captured the vision yet and need further explanation in order to fully understand the blessings they are missing. Would you consider for a moment that these individuals might actually be PURPOSEFULLY disengaged. They purposely feel like home teaching is a farce and think your constant reminders are an annoyance? Their past leaders have tried to connect their moral behaviors through methods that seem preachy and controlling and therefore create resistance. By TELLING them how to home teach rather than ASKING them how to home teach the leader monopolizes the control of the situation and gives them no chance to connect their moral values — which encourages resistance. Once leaders stop forcing an agenda on quorum members and start surrendering control they create engaged teammates. Instead of TELLING the quorum what home teaching is and how to fix it — ASK the quorum what home teaching is and how to fix it. Do you tell them what you want them to get out of home teaching? Do you ask them what they want to get out of home teaching?

For example…

President Control: I’m giving you this list of families because it is important that they be visited each month. There are many blessing that come to those that home teach 100% each month.

President Choice: What is it you would like to get out of home teaching?

President Control: There are seven days left in this month. Please make sure to contact your home teaching families.

President Choice: Brethren, I have a list here of some people we haven’t seen in years. What do you think we could do to help them know we are thinking about them.

Once leaders stop telling the group how it is going to be done and begin asking them how to get it done — Engagement happens and fellowship begins.

Please share below what has worked for you in order to motivate the individuals of a quorum.

Personal Ability: Surpass Your Limits

In part 1 we talked about how to influence someone’s personal motivation which is a big step. However, it might not

be motivation they are lacking. In the past we have talked about the fundamental attribution error. We see that home

teaching is not getting done so we conclude it is because the quorum members do not WANT to do it or they are lazy.

What if in reality they do not know HOW to do home teaching?

Imagine teaching someone with no experience how to play basketball by simply telling them, “All you need to do is

take this round ball and put it in that basket”You then sub them in during an intense church ball game and wonder

why they are not “putting the round ball into the basket.”  It is easy to see home teaching as a very basic task that

does not need practice. “All you need to do is take this list of names and start fellowshipping!” Some need very little

direction, but others would be no better off than the rookie basketball player.

When a leader recognizes someone with a lack of ability we generally solve the problem by putting them with a

companion that always gets it done. Unfortunately there is only a limited number of Brother Go-get-em so you cannot

rely on such a plan.

The wonderful authors of Influencer: The Power to Change Anything teach us a few principles that we can apply to

home teaching.

Deliberate Practice

Going back to the example of our rookie basketball player. You would not simply tell him to throw the ball at the

basket until he learns the fundamentals of shooting. You would show him where to place his hands on the basketball,

how to keep his arm straight, and his elbow in. This is DELIBERATE practice. The fundamentals are important in

basketball and home teaching. The fundamentals in basketball may include—Keeping shooting arm straight, aiming

for the back of the rim, using the back board for lay-ups. The fundamentals in home teaching include—Calling each

family before the 5th of the month, praying before each home teaching appointment, preparing a lesson for each

appointment, acknowledging assigned families during church, etc. When you meet with each quorum member it is

important to ask questions that will determine if they understand the fundamentals of home teaching.

EQP: Why did you only visit half of your assigned families this past month?

Brother Fiddypercent: I called very few before the 5th of the month. I’m sure that was a factor.

This is a good response. However, if Brother Fiddypercent gave a response that was two general, “I just didn’t get

around to it” or “I don’t know, I’ll do better next month” it is more difficult to help resolve the issue because focus is not

on the fundamentals. Continue asking questions until the quorum member sees the fundamentals that are lacking.

Provide Immediate Feedback

Once the quorum member knows how to practice the fundamentals he then needs feedback. This again shows the

dramatic need for monthly home teaching interviews. (See here) By giving them constant feedback it keeps them

accountable and persistent. “So tell me what happened when you called the Johnson’s on the 5th of the month? Did it

work? What do you think you need to do next month?” Even professional basketball players are receiving immediate

feedback on their fundamentals—so should home teachers.

Break Mastery into Mini Goals

What do you think would happen if you changed the way you recorded home teaching? Instead of calling each

companionship at the end of the month to gather a report of whom was home TAUGHT– what if you called each

companionship on the 10th to see whom they have CALLED. There are many ways to break the goal of home

teaching into mini goals. Who did they call? Who did they say hello to during church? Whose door did they knock on?

 

Remember, focusing on personal ability is just one of six sources of influence that need to be considered. You are not

going to solve home teaching just by focusing on personal ability. Once we review each of the six sources of

influence it will be clear how personal ability fits in to find the solution.

You cannot solve all problems simply by relying on personal motivation and ability. Have you ever lied down at night

telling yourself you will go running in the morning? Did it work? Did it lead to consistent exercise and weight loss? For

many, consistency will not happen until others get involved. Motivation happens when a friend tells you they will be

waiting at 5:30 sharp because you do not want to disappoint them by not showing up.

Involving other in motivation and ability can create dramatic effects which lead to permanent change. The power of

peer pressure has a long history. When dealing with peer pressure it is important to leave manipulation out of the mix.

The Elder’s Quorum President would never want to abuse his influence and pressure an action simply to acquire a

number.

The Power of Everyone

You do not need to create consistent home teachers you need to create a movement (social motivation). This

requires you to teach the quorum how to work as a team (social ability). Many perceive home teaching as an

assignment that ends with a phone call at the end of the month asking how you did. When someone is part of a

movement they do remarkable things in order to achieve the goal. This is the desire of all quorum presidents and the

place to begin is making the “undiscussables” discussable.

Discussing home teaching in quorum meeting can quickly turn awkward. Stop telling them what they are doing wrong

and start asking them how the quorum can succeed. Here are some questions that might start such a discussion:

Does the way we assign home teaching seem useless?

Why does home teaching feel empty at times?

Does anyone feel nothing would change if we stopped trying to home teach?

What do you really want out of home teaching?

Get to the heart of the matter and create safety in the discussion. Let them know it is okay to say things like, “I hate

the constant nagging from the quorum presidency.” “It’s frustrating when my home teaching families change every

other month.” “I don’t think anything is being accomplished with home teaching. I ask them what we can do for them

and they say ‘nothing’.” When you start having an honest discussion with your quorum you begin fixing the problem

together – you move towards a solution together. When you have a mutual solution motivation is more likely.

Creating a mutual purpose is the first step in social influence. You now have an army that is fighting for the same

cause. Here are a few ideas to integrate social motivation and ability into home teaching:

Instead of assigning families to companionships assign a group of names to a group of people. When you

allow a group of people to determine how to watch over those families their brainstorming will likely be more

successful than anything the quorum president can think of on his own.

Allow quorum members to pick their own home teaching companion. (This has been mentioned

before HERE) When they are given such autonomy they generally pick someone they feel comfortable

working with. This will lead to more coordination between the two which will lead to more visits.

Seek out positive home teaching experiences during your one-on-one home teaching interview. Ask those

that have a motivating experience to share it during the next quorum meeting. Hearing these from their

fellow quorum members can have a stronger impact than hearing it from the quorum leader.

Organize a quorum/district blitz. Split the quorum up into districts and give them a portion of the list of

families to be visited. Pick a Saturday when most can participate as a group and knock on the door of each

family. When they hear a knock at the door and see the small army of priesthood outside they will never

forget it. Have someone share a quick scripture and testimony and then move on to the next house. I am not

purposing this be done every month — maybe try it a few times a year as a fun activity and to show the ward

the support they have. It helps unify the quorum in the home teaching cause.

How about a pizza party, an ice cream party, a big yellow star on your forehead? Many leaders have experimented

with the art of incentives and rewards — and many do so at their own peril. If they get a pizza party this month for

boosting their home teaching by 20% then what do they get next month? And the month after that? If not used

correctly, incentives can turn home teaching from a sacred work that changes lives into a silly game.

Reward Vital Behaviors, Not Just Results

Incentives are not totally off the table when it comes to home teaching. The important focus is to reward vital

behaviors and not results. If you are simply rewarding 100% home teaching for the month then it misses the point of

home teaching. However, by finding ways to reward vital behaviors of home teaching (calling each family before the

5th, contact with companion, personal contact with families during church) it is more sincere and helps achieve the

overall purpose.

How do you reward? Avoid extrinsic rewards (activities or physical rewards) that make quorum members feel like you

are throwing them a bone. Instead focus on intrinsic rewards. Here are some ideas to consider:

During quorum meeting recognize specific individuals by explaining a positive experience they had while

home teaching. When recognizing an individual in front of their peers it becomes more rewarding than any

slice of pizza.

Accompany them (or have one of your counselors do so) on their next home teaching appointments and

spend some time explaining to the family how influential their home teacher is. Again, recognizing the

individual in front of others is powerful.

Celebrate every bit of progress. As you meet with these brethren one-on-one point out the change that has

happened with the families they home teach. By pointing out these details it helps remind them of the

intrinsic rewards they are receiving from home teaching.

Take time to share quorum progress in relation to home teaching with the entire quorum. Instead of just

showing home teaching visit percentage focus on results such as how many reactivations happened or

special help that may have been given to a specific family that made a difference.

The pizza party is not totally off the table. In his book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, author

Daniel Pink talks about using “now that” rewards rather than “if-then” rewards. Instead of offering the pizza party

before the desired result–offer it after the task is completed.

President Pepperoni: Brethren, I am so impressed by the impact your home teaching efforts had this month it would

be wrong for us not to celebrate such a feat. This Wednesday let’s get together and have some pizza at my place.

What are other intrinsic and extrinsic rewards that can help motivate home teaching?

The tricky thing about changing home teaching results for the better is the fact that

human beings are involved. This leads to tough conversations that most Elder’s Quorum Presidents would rather

avoid. What if a large part of the problem resided not in the people but rather in the environment? Maybe the fact they

have to drive 45 minutes to home teach plays into the discouragement. Instead of training individuals to become

more able at home teaching you should just make the task easier. This seems unnatural because we feel home

teaching is not supposed to be easy — therefore we make it difficult without even realizing.

Many of us don’t think of the task of home teaching to have an environment — let alone do we think the environment

is actually working against us. Let’s analyze some of these barriers and see what steps could be taken to make it

easier.

MAKE THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE

The Home Teaching List

We all know the drill. Near the beginning of a new month the Elder’s Quorum President stands in front of the quorum

while he clenches little strips of paper that are still warm from the clerk’s office printer. He’s ready to deal out the

home teaching assignments! The excitement is like Christmas morning…..right?

Um…NO. Not even close.

Each person gets their slip of paper and this is how the commentary goes inside one’s head.

Brother Puzzled: Let’s see….my companion is Brother Nevabinhere….I’m not sure who that is. Looks like we home

teach the Fernsby’s, the Karbashewsky’s, and the Bartoszewicz. Who on earth are these people?

These smalls pieces of paper with names become just small pieces of paper with names — nothing more.

Power of Pictures

Imagine if each strip of paper also had attached pictures of their companion and each family they are assigned?

Think of the clarity this would give when Brother Puzzled realizes the Karbashewsky’s are that family he always sits

behind in sacrament meeting and the Fernsby’s are the couple that share their testimonies every single month.

Suddenly he has a starting point. Just by making the assignment more visible it is more likely to be done.

Are you telling me I have to take a picture of everyone in my ward?

For the sake of improving home teaching taking pictures sounds pretty easy and many wards already do it. Young

Single Adult Wards are known for their picture directories. If it wasn’t for the picture directory of my YSA ward I would

have never learned my wife’s name. I guess I could have asked her but that is so old fashion.

Encourage your bishopric to call someone with the responsibility of taking pictures of everyone on the rolls.

SPACE: PROPINQUITY

It’s time to add another word to your vocabulary. Propinquity — which is another way to refer to physical proximity.

The same power that makes you workout more often because your treadmill is in front of the TV also works for home

teaching. Where things are located and how they relate play a large roll on whether someone is visited or not. The

fact that someone has to drive 45 minutes just to home teach someone might be a huge barrier. Even the fact that

they have to get in a car might be too much for some.

Assign by geographic location

If they could walk to all the families’ homes this might change their lack of motivation. People naturally watch over

each other when they live close; you might as well allow them to home teach one another. This also benefits your

emergency preparedness program. If a natural disaster hits it’s important to be familiar with the people close by.

Plot every person on a map and see which assignments would make the most sense based on geographic location.

This may not work for every single assignment but you may be surprised by the boost it gives home teaching results.

Propinquity can play many roles in a quorum’s effectiveness. Having home teaching districts sit in groups during

quorum meeting might be a good idea.

MAKE IT EASY

Many times the solution so plainly in sight that you can’t see it all.

What came first the friend or the home teacher?

The LDS church website defines home teachers as someone with “responsibility to watch over the members of the

Church, home teachers visit their assigned families at least once each month to teach and strengthen them. Home

teachers establish a relationship of trust with these families so that the families can call upon them in times of need.”

Many ward members already have friends that naturally do this. When they get sick they tell their friend. They visit

them many times a month. They already have a relationship of trust and always receive a call in times of need. Some

friends don’t cover all these bases but when they receive the assignment to be their home teacher it won’t take much

to get to that point. The more friends they have on their list the less likely they will feel like they are “home teaching”.

That means they can be assigned more families that may not fall into the “friend” catagory…..yet.

When seeking vital change never forget about what surrounds you in your environment.

 

Solving Home Teaching Through the Six-Source Model is a series of posts based off of the bookInfluencer: The

Power to Change Anything.

How To Be Better Home Teaching Companions:

Become friends

Keep in touch

Remember each other’s birthdays

Socialize together at church and at activities

Support each other

Get along

Encourage each other (especially those who are new to home teaching)

Be a motivator, even if it means doing most or all of the work

Decide in advance who will make the assignments and who will plan the lesson (one brother can do

everything one month and the other can do it the next month or you can split the assignments and

then switch them each month)How To Be Better Home Teachers:

"Just Do It"

Plan early

Listen to your families and get to know them

Pray for your families and pray for inspiration to help them

Be aware of their needs (look beneath the surface) including health concerns

Don't make them a statistic, love them

Don't give up or be discouraged, have faith

Respect them, don't judge them

Have a message prepared but be open for spiritually inspired messages or other teaching

opportunities

Remember their birthdays

Socialize with your home teaching families at church and at activities

One monthly visit/contact should be the minimum not the maximumHow to Have Better Home Teaching Visits:

Teach with love

Pray with your companion before the visit

Begin and end each visit with a prayer

Leave your own troubles at the door

Learn to listen, don't just talk

Cultivate Christ-like attributes

Don't gossip during or after your visits (center conversations around those present)

Keep your visits confidential (unless something important should be reported to the Bishop)

Be positive and upliftingHow to Home Teach Less Active Families: Including many of the ideas above here are some additional ideas to help you home teach those families who are less active or who don't want to be home taught:

Make an effort to contact them more than once a month

Invite them to activities/church

Serve them

Try all kinds of ways to contact them (notes, cards, treats, phone calls, flowers, small gifts, etc.)

Leave a copy of the monthly message or other inspired thoughts/scriptures (it might be their only

spiritual contact for the month)

Pray for inspiration for other types of approaches you could use, such as humor or other special

type of service

Talk to their family or friends (if available) to see if they have any special concerns (such as

health/allergies)

Talk to their visiting teachers to see if they have had contact with them and if so see if you can

accompany them on their next visit so the families can get to know you

Always pray for themWhen we do our best the Lord will do the rest. Remember this is his work and if you are willing he will use you as a tool to accomplish his work. 

How can I become a better home teacher?As priesthood holders, we are commanded to “learn [our] duty” and “act …

in all diligence” (D&C 107:99). One of the most important duties of Aaronic

Priesthood holders is the duty to invite all to come unto Christ (see D&C

20:59). Priests and teachers have the additional duties to “visit the house of

each member” and “watch over the church always, and be with and

strengthen them” (D&C 20:47, 53). One way we fulfill these duties is by

serving as home teachers. We are most effective as home teachers when we

love, watch over, and strengthen those we are assigned to teach. 

Prepare yourself spiritually

What have you done to become a better home teacher? How has home teaching blessed your life and

the lives of others? What experiences could you share with the young men?

How do the young men feel about home teaching? What experiences could they share with each other?

Note: In preparation for this lesson, you might consider asking the quorum members who serve as home

teachers to invite their home teaching companions to attend this quorum meeting and participate in the

discussion on becoming better home teachers.

Prayerfully study the following scriptures and resources. What will help

inspire the young men to become better home teachers?

Fulfilling My Duty to God (2010), 28–29, 52–53, 76–77

Alma 18:12–40; 22:4–18 (Examples of Ammon and Aaron)

D&C 20:46–59 (Aaronic Priesthood holders have a duty to invite all to come

unto Christ)

Thomas S. Monson, “True Shepherds,” Ensign or Liahona,Nov. 2013

“Responsibilities of Home Teachers,” Handbook 2: Administering the

Church (2010), 7.4.1

“The Teaching Part of Home Teaching,” Teaching, No Greater Call (1999),

145–46

Video: “Home Teaching: Encouraging Aaronic Priesthood Holders”

Teaching in the Savior’s way

In every setting, the Savior was the perfect example and mentor to those He taught. How can the young

men learn from your example—and the examples of other Melchizedek Priesthood holders—as they

strive to fulfill their duties as home teachers?

Let the young men lead

See a sample quorum meeting agenda.

A member of the quorum presidency (or an assistant to the bishop in the

priests quorum) conducts the quorum meeting. He leads the young men in

counseling together about quorum business, teaches them their priesthood

duties (from the scriptures and the Duty to God book), encourages them to

share their experiences fulfilling their duty to God, and invites an adviser or

other quorum member to teach a gospel lesson. He could prepare by filling

out a quorum meeting agenda during a presidency meeting.See an example of a quorum president conducting a quorum meeting.

Video: “Aaronic Priesthood Quorum Meeting”

Begin the learning experience

See other learning and teaching ideas.

Choose from these ideas or think of your own to review last week’s lesson

and introduce this week’s lesson:

Invite the young men to report on what they did to fulfill any assignments they received during last week’s lesson.

Invite the young men to share experiences they have had as home teachers or being visited by home teachers. Why does the Lord ask priesthood holders to visit families as home teachers?

Learn together

See other learning and teaching ideas.

The purpose of this lesson is to help each young man make a plan to

become a better home teacher. Give the young men time during quorum

meeting to write plans in theirDuty to God books. Encourage them to share

their plans with each other. In future quorum meetings, invite them to share

experiences they have serving as home teachers. Read together Doctrine and Covenants 20:53, and invite the young men

to make a list (or draw a picture) of ways home teachers can “watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them.” How can the young men improve as home teachers? Consider inviting the bishop, high priests group leader, or elders quorum president to talk to the quorum about how to be a good home teacher. (See Duty to God, 52, 76.) Consider asking the young men to think of questions in

advance that they could ask these leaders about home teaching. Invite the young men to turn to the “Act” section of their Duty to God books (page 55 or 77) and make plans to become better home teachers.

Ask each young man to read one of the stories from President Thomas S. Monson’s talk “True Shepherds.” Ask each to come to the front of the room, retell the story in his own words, and share what it teaches about how he can be a better home teacher.

Divide the quorum into two groups, and ask each group to make a list of ways they can improve as home teachers. After a few minutes, invite one group to add to their list by reading “The Teaching Part of Home Teaching” in Teaching, No Greater Call, 145–46. Invite the other group to add to their list by reading section7.4.1 of Handbook 2. Ask the groups to share their lists, and encourage each young man to select one thing from the list he will work on before his next home teaching visit. Invite the quorum members to role-play an effective home teaching visit.

Show the video “Home Teaching: Encouraging Aaronic Priesthood Holders,” and ask the young men to look for ways Aaronic Priesthood holders can participate in home teaching. What experiences can the young men share that are similar to what they see in the video? What do the young men learn from this video that can help them improve as home teachers?

Ask half of the quorum to read about Ammon in Alma 18:12–40; ask the other half to read about Aaron inAlma 22:4–18. Invite them to look for and share things they learn from Ammon and Aaron that could help them become better home teachers—for example, the way they taught by the Spirit, taught with love, adapted their teachings to meet needs, bore testimony, used the scriptures, asked questions, and so on. (This activity is adapted from a personal study activity on page 193 of Preach My Gospel).

Ask the young men to share what they learned today. Do they understand

how to become better home teachers? What feelings or impressions do they

have? Do they have any additional questions? Would it be worthwhile to

spend more time on this doctrine?

Teaching tip

“You can help those you teach feel more confident about their ability to participate in a discussion if you

respond positively to every sincere comment. For example, you might say, ‘Thank you for your answer.

That was very thoughtful’ or … ‘That is a good example’ or ‘I appreciate all that you have said today’”

(Teaching, No Greater Call [1999],64).

Videos: “Using Pictures”

Watch more

Invite to act

See other learning and teaching ideas.

The young man who is conducting concludes the meeting. He could:

Help the quorum prepare a short presentation about home teaching based on what they learned today. They could share it with the elders quorum in a future quorum meeting.

Explain that in the upcoming weeks, they will be invited to share the experiences they are having.

A woman named Christa once worked for a small seed company. She loved her job. It was a source of immense wonder that each tiny seed she sold had the capacity to transform itself into something quite miraculous—a carrot, a cabbage, or even a mighty oak tree.

Christa loved sitting at her computer taking orders and answering questions. But one day she received a complaint that puzzled her.

“The seeds don’t work,” the customer said. “I bought them two months ago and still nothing.”

“Did you plant them in good soil and give them enough water and sunlight?” Christa asked.

“No, but I did my part,” the customer replied. “I bought the seeds. After all, they are guaranteed to grow.”

“But you didn’t plant them?”

“Heavens no. That would mean getting my hands dirty.”

Christa thought about this and decided that planting guidelines would have to be written. She resolved what the first guideline would be: “You must follow planting instructions for the seeds to sprout. You can’t set them on the shelf and expect them to grow.”

It wasn’t long before another complaint puzzled her.

“The seeds aren’t producing,” a customer claimed.

“Did you plant them in good soil?” Christa responded. “Did you give them the appropriate amount of water and sunlight?”

“Oh, yes,” the customer insisted. “I did all that―exactly as it says on the package. But they don’t work.”

“Did anything happen at all? Did they sprout?”

“Nothing happened,” the customer said. “I planted them just as directed. I was hoping to have tomatoes for dinner. Now I am very disappointed.”

“Wait,” Christa replied. “Are you saying you planted the seeds today?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” the customer replied. “I planted them a week ago. I was not expecting to see tomatoes on the first day; I was patient. Let me tell you, there has been a lot of watering and waiting between then and now.”

Christa knew she would have to add another guideline: “These seeds conform to the laws of biology. If you plant the seeds in the morning and expect to eat tomatoes later that week, you will be disappointed. You must be patient and wait for the work of nature to unfold before you.”

All went well until Christa received another complaint.

“I’m very disappointed in your seeds,” the customer began. “I planted them just as the package recommended. I gave them water, made sure they had sunshine, and waited until finally they produced their harvest.”

“Sounds like you did everything right,” Christa said.

“That’s all very fine,” the customer replied. “But what I got was zucchini!”

“My records show that those were the seeds you ordered,” Christa said.

“But I don’t want zucchini; I want pumpkins!”

“I’m not following.”

“I planted the seeds in my pumpkin patch—the very same soil that produced pumpkins last year. I praised the plants every day, telling them what beautiful pumpkins they would become. But instead of large, round, orange pumpkins, I got long, green zucchini. Tons of them!”

Christa knew then that guidelines might not be enough and that it was necessary to state a principle: “The seed you plant and the time of the planting determine the harvest.”

The Law of the Harves