Episode 29: Home Teachers of the Church

Couple of things -

It's always interesting that the media will focus on the religion of someone who "goes postal" IF they are LDS. You always know if the serial killer is Mormon, but not if he/she is any version of Protestant.
Maybe one exception - I guess we did know the religion of the priests who committed all that sex abuse.

Re: home teaching. I'm the secretary of our High Priest group. Recently we installed a new group leadership and it's been a chore to get the home teaching straightened out. Nothing in the MLS was up to date.

Finally, if a letter is acceptable contact.....how about emailing your families? You could set up an automatic email to go out on the last week of the month.

Hi John,

You are right about Mormon's being identified as such when something big happens, I suggest two reasons:

1) We are a small subset of the population, and because of your history are viewed as something of a 'curiosity' much like the Quakers, the Amish, etc.

2) Based on the stereotype that Mormons are shy introverts who keep to themselves, and who hold themselves to a high-standard of moral behavior, people are shocked when someone with an LDS background is shown to be human and just as susceptible to the temptations, maladies, and madness that affects other people.

On MIS... a church leader once told me, don't use your own system, use MIS. If you don't, you are not being fair to the person who is called after you, and who then has to make sense of all your silly spreadsheets, post-it notes, and other miscellaneous fragments left behind. I have tried to follow that counsel.

Mitch

Elder Mitchell
Can you please let me know who my husband supposte home teach?and his companion.?
I would really appriaciate .
Brother Mitchell's wife.
PS:i'm on him like or not he will do it.

Dear Sister Brother Mitchell,

I would be happy to send that information under separate cover. Please keep in mind, Brother Mitchell's reports to his District Leader are due no later than the 5th of each month.

There are also a number of families that will need help moving over the next couple months... shall I contact you with the details of these assignments as well?

Thank you for your help. I believe you may have accomplished what no EQ President, Bishop, Stake President, or Prophet of the Lord could do. :)

Elder Mitch

Elder Mitchell
Count me in ,i can be really persuative on thing,i tell like it is.
Give me the name and it will be done.
Sister Brother Mitchell.
PS:my husband included.

I don't like this ganging up on me without me knowing. I'll be contacting the Relief Society Prez to find out who your visiting teaching families are!!
-Brother Mitch

Hello Dear! I'm glad to see you are taking an active participation in the Potluck. Thanks for blowing my cover. I guess you know where I'll be the last day of each month!
-Brother Mitch

New listener, love the show. I guess it was somewhat refeshing to know that home teaching on your side of the country isn't much different than on our side. I've been in the church almost 30 years now and the song remains the same, "brethren you still have a couple days to get your home teaching done". While I believe it to be a correct principle, I'll be the first to admit that I'm more of a brother Mitchell style home teacher. One, I'm an introvert. Two, I have families 20 mintues and 40 minutes away, as well as an inactive (excuse me, less active) home teaching companion. Third, as a native New Englander, it runs against our culture to invite ourselves to someone's home. Keep up the good work with the podcasts.

Welcome to the Potluck!

Home teaching seems to be a struggle with quorums everywhere (with some exceptions). It seems to follow the 80/20 rule, with some stellar performers in every group, but by and large, home teaching seems to be a challenge month in, month out. But I guess that's why we keep trying... it's all about "perfecting the saints", right?

Mitch

Anyone else have a family that makes an appointment, then refuses to come to the door or even acknowledge that you're there? I contact that family at Wal-Mart, the gas pump, or y going to Wendy's for a burger (the father is the GM at the store).

I know that so-called casual contacts probably shouldn't count, but some contact in public is better than none at all in the home.

Oh, our ward's boundaries are huge. I drive 28 miles south to visit one family, and 15 miles to the west to visit another. I have 8 families total, but the bishop is carrying 14 right now. We also write letters to the inmates in the local correctional facility, and count anyone who attends Sunday or Wednesday services at the prison as home taught.

Wow! 8 families... You guys are rock stars! Most of our HT companions have 2-3 families, and our ward boundaries are within a couple miles. You make us look like slackers!

Our stake president has defined the standard for a home teaching visit as "doing the maximum the family will allow". I other words, if you have a family who does not accept a visit, after you have done all you can to make an appointment, and after all your efforts to make a personal visit to the family have failed, you have been successful as a home teacher. If a family has made it clear that home teaching visits are not welcome, but a monthly phone call is OK, then that phone call is counted as a successful home teaching visit. But of course, if the family would have accepted a visit, and through lack of follow through, or your own procrastination that visit was not made, then you did not complete your assignment. No phone call, no visit in the church halls, and no other form of contact may be counted as a successful visit for that family.

So... long story short, in our stake, the family you mentioned would be
considered visited if contact was made under some of the circumstances you describe.

Thanks for the input, and for listening to the podcast

Elder Mitch

I still like RC. Call me a fool (please don't I have mother issues) but my mission to NC turned me on to it and I still love it.

Last comment. As a liberal I have to agree with the study (read the article a couple of days ago on the infamous Huffington Post). Although I am happy I have a hard time justifying anything that this administration has done. Seems to me those crazy born agains in the White House love death, war, and destruction (I know simplistic, I could go into details i.e. Project for the New American Century). How Christ like. Let the fire storm begin. I hope I haven't started anything here. In fact no comment on my comment is needed. I am hopped up on Africa Kola.

Actually it tastes nothing like Coke. It tastes like Africa Cola. Can't describe it. We have a shop in Scottsdale that deals in nothing but pop. In fact it is called Pop the Soda Shop. If you are so inclined they have an online store. Don't know the URL but you can google it. They have over 400 varieties. They will mix and match a case of anything you want and deliver it to you.

Well John, I have to say Pop the Soda Shop looks like a winner! I found the site (http://www.popsoda.com) and they have a great selection. They stock our favorites, and a many more that look tempting. The Potluck dudes may just have to place an order once the weather warms up!

Thanks for your comments,
Mitch

You guys need to try, if you can find it, Africa Cola, The best I ever had. Tastes like Coca Cola but much better.