Come, Follow Me
How can I become a better home teacher?

How can I become a better home teacher?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

As priesthood holders, we are commanded to “learn [our] duty” and “act … in all diligence” (Doctrine and Covenants 107:99). One of the most important duties of Aaronic Priesthood holders is the duty to invite all to come unto Christ (see Doctrine and Covenants 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” (Doctrine and Covenants 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.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

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.

What can the young men do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

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?

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

  • Our quorum: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?

  • Our duties: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?

  • Our lives: Remind the quorum of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a quorum presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the quorum; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help quorum members understand the doctrine.

  • 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 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 53 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” or Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk “Emissaries to the Church.” 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. What else stands out to the young men from these talks?

  • 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 portions of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk “Emissaries to the Church.” Invite the other group to add to their list by reading section 7.4.1 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 in Alma 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 ).

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

  • Ask the young men to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a quorum to apply what they have learned?

  • Give the young men a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.

  • Remind the young men that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.

Related Youth Activities

Plan a Mutual activity that will help the young men apply what they learned in this lesson.