Positive Home Teaching Experiences

[Craig Johnson]

I would like to ask for some home teaching experiences that increased your faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My intent is to have posted experiences that you don't mind others sharing in appropriate settings to teach and motivate others, myself included. I have a few which I will include should there be an interest in this developing. Please don't post anything that you don't want others to share in this manner as I would not wish to share a story without your permission.

[David13]

I think all of my home teaching experiences have been opportunities to learn about the gospel and other factors of the church, and also to get to know the teached, as well as let the teached get to know me.
I can't recall any particular time that was real memorable, tho' there have been some comical ones. It's a learning process for me.
dc

[LucianAMD]

My home teachers haven't shown up in a few years. It has been amazing and has given me more time to read the scriptures or do more important stuff. Trying to plan for two guys to come over and interrupt your evening just to read you something you could have read yourself is worthless.

Doing service for others with no expectation in return is one of the most worthwhile things in this world we could do. However, home teaching seems to be rarely this and we should probably focus on it becoming this instead of 'lessons'. Anytime you plan to head over to someone's house just to share a message, maybe you should rethink it. Unless you know that visit actually means something to them, such as a lonely widow.

[Craig Johnson]

My home teachers haven't shown up in a few years. It has been amazing and has given me more time to read the scriptures or do more important stuff. Trying to plan for two guys to come over and interrupt your evening just to read you something you could have read yourself is worthless.

Doing service for others with no expectation in return is one of the most worthwhile things in this world we could do. However, home teaching seems to be rarely this and we should probably focus on it becoming this instead of 'lessons'. Anytime you plan to head over to someone's house just to share a message, maybe you should rethink it. Unless you know that visit actually means something to them, such as a lonely widow.

I agree with much of what you say:
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... e?lang=eng
I believe your message is also in this link which was written by President Thomas S. Monson.

[Alaris]

I had a wonderful home teacher years ago who taught my family about the 5 love languages. It was then the spirit touched me deeply it was time to move on from my then wife who showed love in exactly zero of the love languages.

[Craig Johnson]

One positive experience that has stuck with me was back in the 80s. The family I was assigned to experienced a tragedy when the brother was accused of something that he swore he did not do and the accusation was ruining his reputation and forced him to go to court to defend himself. He could have gone to prison over it During this time he asked me to give him a blessing. I prepared for this and when I went to visit with my companion we went ahead and gave him a blessing. This brother was promised that he would be completely exonerated. After the blessing was over I looked at my companion and knowing he had heard what I had voiced I looked at him for a reaction. He looked like, 'yep, that was the thing I felt.' You can imagine how I felt in the ensuing days as we waited for confirmation that the blessing proved true. Later, on a subsequent visit, this brother let us know that he had completed the court case and that he wanted to tell us about it. The only part I heard was that he had been exonerated. It was such a relief to know I had not misstepped in that blessing and this experience has taught me that if you have time make certain you prepare before giving any blessing.

[David13]

I think any human encounter has a lot to do with what you make of it. Which has a lot to do with your attitude going into it. So ...
dc

[e-eye2.0]

I have seen the benefit for home teaching and it's inspired and I try to do mine. I have had some good experiences where a part member family was baptized some 10 years ago and are still active today - "home teaching played a part" I have built good relationships.

I don't care a whole lot for my home teachers to come over although they are very kind and share a good message - this says more about me than it does about home teaching. It's good for my kids to see home teachers and know that it's the Lords work. The need may go up or down based on the family but it's important to build the relationship and be there when called.

[sushi_chef]

whenever (almost) goes to/does ht, feels kinda feelings of love. sushi_ became aware of those kinda exciting feelings of love come inside was in 1980s, and yes, still has those in ht and toward home teachees subsequently and feels become close each other at least from sushi_s view point....
and sushi_ likes to start ht with prayer....

[marc]

I have been consistently Home Teaching in every ward I have every lived in. There were folks who did not want us to come in, but would let us chat at the door. Some don't want visits, but are fine if I send a text wishing them well and asking if they need anything. I always try to make sure that they know someone loves them and is there in case there is nobody else.

[brianj]

I NEVER teach the home teaching lesson from the Ensign or Liahona. Instead, I pay attention to what the message is communicating and create my own lesson to teach the same concept.

Regarding experiences...
There was a family I hope taught. The first couple months they were cordial but there was obviously something wrong in the home. Then the husband moved out and one of them filed for divorce. The now single mother and her kids should have been reassigned to the high priests, but for some reason that didn't happen and through changes in routes and companionships I remained as their home teacher until I moved out. I was shocked to find out that I was as great of a blessing to them as I found home teaching them to be for me. And she was engaged when I moved out. A month later I returned for her reception.

Being there for her and her children, coming to know her struggles, and seeing the success of what has become a very happy marriage, were really helpful when my wife left me.It was a preparation I didn't recognize until months after she left, and which is still helping me through this ongoing trial.

[True]

Our home teacher always brought one of his sons and stayed exactly 10 minutes, the outer limits of my kids attention span. He either brought a weapon, tool, rock, leather or fur something or other and had a great personal story that he related to the kids. He brought gum or mints or something like that and asked the kids questions.

My kids are getting older and now he has a companion that is also a grown man who gives the actual lesson. It changes things a bit and they probably stay 30 minutes now. He still makes his own lesson still and is great about keeping the kids attention.

I love that he teaches to the kids because it is reinforcement of the gospel from another source. I couldn’t have asked for a better home teacher.

[Craig Johnson]

I NEVER teach the home teaching lesson from the Ensign or Liahona. Instead, I pay attention to what the message is communicating and create my own lesson to teach the same concept.

Regarding experiences...
There was a family I hope taught. The first couple months they were cordial but there was obviously something wrong in the home. Then the husband moved out and one of them filed for divorce. The now single mother and her kids should have been reassigned to the high priests, but for some reason that didn't happen and through changes in routes and companionships I remained as their home teacher until I moved out. I was shocked to find out that I was as great of a blessing to them as I found home teaching them to be for me. And she was engaged when I moved out. A month later I returned for her reception.

Being there for her and her children, coming to know her struggles, and seeing the success of what has become a very happy marriage, were really helpful when my wife left me.It was a preparation I didn't recognize until months after she left, and which is still helping me through this ongoing trial.

I'll probably get slapped for saying this but for years I used an even more NEFARIOUS method for home teaching. I would take a one sentence concept about the gospel, such as, TIthing Brings Blessings, and that would be all I had for the lesson. I don't do that anymore but I get very good results, particularly when I took the time to prepare myself spiritually for the visits.

[diligently seeking]

Chuckle----"nefarious" (ii know you are joking) we have come a long way since the days and spirit of going without "purse or script" So much has become scripted for us that in many cases it has taken the passion for hungering and thirsting after the words of Christ through the scriptures and receiving personal revelation to levels of concern. At least thiis is my opinion. One of the best case studies of validating this fact is in your Sunday school relief society and priesthood meetings. In this correlated setting look at the scriptures Before & After the scriptures being shared / spoon fed points that are being made ---and in many cases Because of the omission of Said Before & After scriptures--- full and vital context is not shared understood and Benefited from. An example of this was last Sunday in my priesthood meeting where we spoke of the gifts of the spirit. we broke off into groups and read the different scriptures moroni 10 and also I believe D &c 46 and somewhere else I believe in The Bible where it specifies the different gifts of the spirit. The whole purpose of the lesson was to outline the gifs explain what's available ---encourage the receiving and conclude lesson. With the lesson quickly nearing its conclusion I raised my hand and asked that we please read the versus right before the delineating of the gifts of the spirit in the d&c section. I believe the verses were 7,8,9 where the Lord tells us that we should seek earnestly these best gifts and that by doing such we can avoid deception and falsehoods that are perpetuated by satan.... I whent on to explain / ask the class how often have we been told that we should stick to the basics that there is safety in the basics? Truth is If we are earnestly seeking to obtain the gifts of the spirit and unravel through the grace of Christ the mysteries of his Kingdom we will not be led astray...(alma 12: 9,10,11) Satan wants to take us wrapped up in all is well in Zion... or being engaged in abject sin etc ---crafty clever fellow he is. My feeling is we can know we are getting it right Personally and within the church when we move forward following the patterns encouraged in moroni 6.

[Craig Johnson]

Chuckle----"nefarious" (ii know you are joking) we have come a long way since the days and spirit of going without "purse or script" So much has become scripted for us that in many cases it has taken the passion for hungering and thirsting after the words of Christ through the scriptures and receiving personal revelation to levels of concern. At least thiis is my opinion. One of the best case studies of validating this fact is in your Sunday school relief society and priesthood meetings. In this correlated setting look at the scriptures Before & After the scriptures being shared / spoon fed points that are being made ---and in many cases Because of the omission of Said Before & After scriptures--- full and vital context is not shared understood and Benefited from. An example of this was last Sunday in my priesthood meeting where we spoke of the gifts of the spirit. we broke off into groups and read the different scriptures moroni 10 and also I believe D &c 46 and somewhere else I believe in The Bible where it specifies the different gifts of the spirit. The whole purpose of the lesson was to outline the gifs explain what's available ---encourage the receiving and conclude lesson. With the lesson quickly nearing its conclusion I raised my hand and asked that we please read the versus right before the delineating of the gifts of the spirit in the d&c section. I believe the verses were 7,8,9 where the Lord tells us that we should seek earnestly these best gifts and that by doing such we can avoid deception and falsehoods that are perpetuated by satan.... I whent on to explain / ask the class how often have we been told that we should stick to the basics that there is safety in the basics? Truth is If we are earnestly seeking to obtain the gifts of the spirit and unravel through the grace of Christ the mysteries of his Kingdom we will not be led astray...(alma 12: 9,10,11) Satan wants to take us wrapped up in all is well in Zion... or being engaged in abject sin etc ---crafty clever fellow he is. My feeling is we can know we are getting it right Personally and within the church when we move forward following the patterns encouraged in moroni 6.

I have used my one sentence method teaching in all kinds of Church meetings. It works remarkably well if I prepare spiritually and feel this is what I should do coupled with letting the persons in the audience give their input without doing the lecture-well thing, you know, just me talking. I rarely learn anything from a lecture, due to my conceit I think and hatred of taking lots of notes and then having to read them later, because if I am in the audience and I get to give my input I tend to pay much closer attention to what is going on and being said. I believe nowadays this is harder to get away with unless you state at the beginning that you are teaching what you felt the Spirit was guiding you to and of course if this is true they will feel it also. I'm not a rebel, I really want to get true spiritual concepts into people's minds and get them to feel the Spirit because that will build their testimony.

[mirkwood]

I have always worked to become friends with my home teaching families. Then I really care about them and what goes on in their lives. It has been quite the blessing to me to have done HT in this manner.

[EmmaLee]

The most positive home teaching experience I will mention was several years ago when my husband became suddenly and gravely ill and was in the hospital for a week. Our sons were on missions at the time, so it was just me and my husband at home (our extended family lives 1,500 miles away, so no family help/support nearby). Our home teacher at the time came to visit my husband in the hospital every single evening for seven nights in a row, which meant the world to my husband. This man was very busy in his own life, with a demanding career, an even more demanding church calling, and a wife and seven children at home - yet he somehow found the time to drive into the city every evening to visit me and my husband in the hospital. He was our home teacher for many years. I don't remember even one of his formal 'lessons' that he gave in our home, but I will always remember the time he took, and the care he showed our family when we needed it most.

[mirkwood]

I don't remember even one of his formal 'lessons' that he gave in our home, but I will always remember the time he took, and the care he showed our family when we needed it most.

That is what home teaching done properly looks like.

[seer stone]

I started attending the church again after having a faithful home teacher. One day he taught my wife and I about temples, which turned our life towards the gospel and eventually becoming sealed to one another. That was 12 years ago.

Now I'm actually contemplating a planned vacation with my family and a family I home teach to Disney World in Orlando Florida.