2016 October General Conference thread

[creekster]

I wasnt aware that there were a lot of people who felt like a HT visit still had to be a formal in the front room visit and that nothing else counted.

[myboynoah]

I don't get all this angst about reporting HT numbers. It's like tithing settlement to me.

[jay santos]

I don't get all this angst about reporting HT numbers. It's like tithing settlement to me.

I'm curious, in what way.

Tell them you did it?
Ignore the phone call asking if you did your home teaching?
Look them in the eyes and unflinching say you didn't do it?
Lie and say you did it when you didn't?
Tell them you did it, but don't elaborate with details of how you did it in a way that probably doesn't meet their expectation?

[Goatnapper'96]

I'm curious, in what way.

Tell them you did it?
Ignore the phone call asking if you did your home teaching?
Look them in the eyes and unflinching say you didn't do it?
Lie and say you did it when you didn't?
Tell them you did it, but don't elaborate with details of how you did it in a way that probably doesn't meet their expectation?

Probably the last one. In my experience you can pretty much report your conscience. However, I think what can drive the numbers driven approach is an overemphasis on what constitutes a HT visit in PPI's. It isn't going to go away, but if we don't emphasis some stupid checklist of what constitutes hometeaching and leave that up to the individual then it is all good and it essentially remains between them and God.

[myboynoah]

Probably the last one. In my experience you can pretty much report your conscience. However, I think what can drive the numbers driven approach is an overemphasis on what constitutes a HT visit in PPI's. It isn't going to go away, but if we don't emphasis some stupid checklist of what constitutes hometeaching and leave that up to the individual then it is all good and it essentially remains between them and God.

Pretty much.

[Uncle Ted]

I don't get all this angst about reporting HT numbers. It's like tithing settlement to me.

Very different for me... The leadership never asks me how I paid my tithing. It is just an yes or no answer. Even when my tithing summary says "0" at the bottom the bishop doesn't ask how I paid it.

[Northwestcoug]

I wasnt aware that there were a lot of people who felt like a HT visit still had to be a formal in the front room visit and that nothing else counted.

Well then why do you think this talk is being heralded as such a 'game changer'? I understand your personal experience might be different, but there is still the widely held perception that in order to count as an official visit, a prayer with a spiritual message in a home has to happen. That hasn't changed in the last few years has it?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Well then why do you think this talk is being heralded as such a 'game changer'? I understand your personal experience might be different, but there is still the widely held perception that in order to count as an official visit, a prayer with a spiritual message in a home has to happen. That hasn't changed in the last few years has it?

Huh? This talk directly addressed and debunked that very perception.

[Katy Lied]

I think one could make the argument that Home Teaching as traditionally conducted is becoming as anachronistic as the dark suit, white shirt traveling salesman missionary outfit.

How do people hang out and communicate these days? Through social media, text messaging, and maybe getting together for a barbecue or swim or going out to dinner or something.

Having a scheduled, formal sit-down visit in the parlor (talking room) is fast becoming a relic of a bygone era. Wonder how many decades it will take the Church to adapt.

Exactly how I feel.

[jay santos]

Huh? This talk directly addressed and debunked that very perception.

I didn't take it that way.

I thought it was a great message, and showed how home teaching was more than the stat. But I assume the stat will continue to be tracked and will continue to be defined as a home visit.

[Northwestcoug]

Huh? This talk directly addressed and debunked that very perception.

That's what I was saying. Creekster said he wasn't aware of a lot of people who held that perception. My point is that since this talk is being so well received it's evidence that the perception is/was widely held.

[Uncle Ted]

Huh? This talk directly addressed and debunked that very perception.

So what counts as an official visit in light of this talk?

(1) In-home visit with prayer, spiritual message (1st Presidency message), song, etc.

(2) In-home visit with a nice discussion and maybe a prayer. No spiritual message but maybe you help them with something around the house.

(3) BBQ in your backyard with HT families invited over. They bring the potato salad, chips, and/or the Big Red. No way you trust them with bringing the beans.

(4) A phone call, email, and/or Facebook chat with HT families. In short, some kind of contact with the family outside of church.

When I was teacher/priest my father and I HT a widow in the ward. My father would make me always prepare the spiritual message but most of the time he never gave me the nod to give it. In fact, a lot of the time we never had a prayer. We would visit this widow and find that she needed something done around the house so my father would get his tools out of the truck and we would work on her broken door, leaky faucet, or whatever. As far as I know the HT visit always counted even if we didn't give a prayer or spiritual message. About every fast Sunday she would get up and thank her home teachers and say what a blessing they were to her.

[Jeff Lebowski]

You guys are killing me. Direct quotes from the talk:

"Brethren, the appeal I am making tonight is for you to lift your vision of home teaching," he said. "See yourselves as emissaries of the Lord to His children. That means leaving behind the tradition of a frantic, Law of Moses-like, end-of-the-month calendar in which you rush to leave a scripted message from the Church magazines that the family has already read.

"We would hope, rather, that you will establish an era of genuine, gospel-oriented concern for the members, watching over and caring for each other, addressing spiritual and temporal needs in any way that helps.

"As for what 'counts' as home teaching, every good thing you do 'counts,' so report it all!"

I know of at least one bishop that will use this to teach a healthy vision going forward for both VT and HT. Focus on fellowshipping, love, service, and forging relationships. Teach EQ and RS leaders to ask for reports in a manner that emphasizes care and concern for individuals, not stats.

I am surprised that some of you are so worried about what "counts". Sounds like the members are as big of a problem as the leaders. Do what is best for your families and if your EQP or HPGL has a problem with that, just ignore him.

[myboynoah]

You guys are killing me. Direct quotes from the talk:



I know of at least one bishop that will use this to teach a healthy vision going forward for both VT and HT. Focus on fellowshipping, love, service, and forging relationships. Teach EQ and RS leaders to ask for reports in a manner that emphasizes care and concern for individuals, not stats.

I am surprised that some of you are so worried about what "counts". Sounds like the members are as big of a problem as the leaders. Do what is best for your families and if your EQP or HPGL has a problem with that, just ignore him.

Edit: I don't recall a EQP or HPGL going all nazi on this topic. They just asked if the HT was done. Sadly, they didn't always ask about the families. Still gotta work on that.

[Bo Diddley]

I know of at least one bishop that will use this to teach a healthy vision going forward for both VT and HT. Focus on fellowshipping, love, service, and forging relationships. Teach EQ and RS leaders to ask for reports in a manner that emphasizes care and concern for individuals, not stats.

I am surprised that some of you are so worried about what "counts". Sounds like the members are as big of a problem as the leaders. Do what is best for your families and if your EQP or HPGL has a problem with that, just ignore him.