Home Teaching; GAK 614; Mosiah 23:14–18

Accessed February 4, 2017 from the LDS Media Library.
Home teaching is one of the responsibilities assigned to priesthood holders. In the Mormon Corridor the program tends to work pretty well. However, outside of it, things can and do go wrong.

New members are not going to become adept at it if they have bad examples to follow. What is more, those being home taught can frustrate the process just as easily because they don't know how to be home taught. Below are the responsibilities of home teachers and the corresponding responsibility of the person, or persons being home taught.

Information is taken directly from Handbook 2, 7.1-7.4, The Latter-day Saint WomanHome Teaching|Vising Teaching topic page and various scriptures.

Home Teachers should:

Remember that you represent the Lord, the bishop, your quorum and quorum leaders when you home teach.

Visit members in their homes. Home teaching should be done in member's homes at least monthly. Other locations are not as desirable and should be avoided. This is explicit in D&C 20:52. You must visit the house!

Make certain each visit is planned with a purpose such as a lesson.

Home teachers should be with home teachees and watch over them and strengthen them in many ways.

Contact their home teachees in other meaningful ways, including via home, email, text message, etc.

Ensure that home teachees are performing their spiritual and family duties. This includes praying.

Render service to their home teachees when needed.

Consult with home teachees about their needs and special events in their lives.

Make certain their home teachees are progressing in the gospel and the priesthood by assisting them in making and keeping covenants.

Offer assistance when your home teachees are unemployed, ill, lonely, moving, or have other needs.

Make your home teaching reports in a timely manner. If your home teachee's needs are urgent, report them immediately.


Whatever you do, avoid the following bad example:



Home Teachees Should:

Remember that home teachers represent the Lord, the bishop, the quorum and quorum leaders when they home teach. Give them the respect their important office represents.

Allow the Home Teachers to come to your homes. Forget whether your house is clean or as presentable as you would like it to be. Home teachers must visit your house so you need to let them.

Listen and respond to the message the home teachers bring. Try to faithfully implement their guidance.

Assure your home teachers that you are praying and do it regularly. Brief them on how you are doing with other spiritual and family duties.

You should allow your home teachers to watch over and strengthen you. Encourage them to teach you lessons and follow up on what they exhort you to do.

Supply your home teachers with all your contact information. Respond in a timely manner to every communication they send you. Ignoring them makes it impossible for them to faithfully discharge their priesthood duties. You seriously hinder and undermine the work when you do not respond.

Allow your home teachers to render you service. Remember that they need to render it and you need to receive it.

Tell your home teachers about your needs and the special events in your lives.

Update your home teachers when you or your family members are progressing in the gospel and the priesthood, especially with making and keeping covenants.

Tell your home teachers what your needs are and especially if they are urgent. Do NOT go directly to the bishop, otherwise you are circumventing the home teaching program.

#HomeTeaching

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