The Blessing and Mission of the Seed of Abraham

By Elder Shayne M. Bowen

Area Presidency

One night in ancient times three horsemen were riding across a desert. As they crossed a dry riverbed, out of the darkness a voice called, “Halt!” They obeyed. The voice then told them to dismount, pick up handfuls of pebbles, put the pebbles in their pockets, and remount.

“If you have done as I commanded,” the voice then said, “tomorrow at sunup you will be both glad and sorry.”

The horsemen rode on. When the sun rose, they reached into their pockets and found that the pebbles had been transformed into diamonds and other precious stones. Just as they had been warned, they were glad they had taken some pebbles but were sorry they had not taken more.

In this tale, the quantity of pebbles is everything. But in real life, the quality of the pebbles we pick up on our journey is what’s most important. I pray that we may identify which pebbles are of greatest worth. When we understand who we are, identifying those pebbles becomes easier. And when we know who we are, we are empowered to act in accordance with the potential within us and to avoid deception. The father of all lies—Lucifer, the great deceiver—would have you believe otherwise.

Rightful Heirs

To avoid being deceived, I have found great protection in personal revelation I received when I was only 17 years old. That personal revelation is called my patriarchal blessing. In that blessing I have found the answers to some of my most profound questions.

I would like to share one example. When faced with a choice, my blessing counsels me, I am to harmonize that choice with the teachings of my parents, leaders of the Church, and the scriptures. Otherwise, because the world’s temptations are both camouflaged and enticing, I could be deceived.
Another way my patriarchal blessing has helped me is by telling me who I am. I testify that you and I are the seed of Abraham and chosen members of the house of Israel. This great truth means we are rightful heirs of all that the Father has. It also means we are heirs of Abraham. In the book of Abraham, we get a glimpse of who Abraham was and therefore who we are.

“Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;

“And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born” (Abraham 3:22–23).

Abraham was “chosen.” When the scriptures say that “many are called, but few are chosen” (D&C 121:40), I believe that obedience and faithfulness are what cause those who are “called” to become “chosen.” Many are called, but few are faithful and obedient. God says to Abraham that he was one of the great and noble ones because of his obedience before he was born (see Alma 13:3).

Not only do we see our father Abraham in the verses above, but we see ourselves as well. The Prophet Joseph Smith said: “Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was. I suppose that I was ordained to this very office in that Grand Council.”

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) said to young men: “You have been born at this time for a sacred and glorious purpose. It is not by chance that you have been reserved to come to earth in this last dispensation of the fullness of times. Your birth at this particular time was foreordained in the eternities.”

Sisters, do not think you are any less exceptional. I testify that all of you were there in the Grand Council and that you are part of the great and noble ones we learn about in Abraham chapter 3.

Who is Abraham? He is an ancient prophet and the father of many nations. But he is much closer than that to me. He is my grandfather. I know that fact by reading my patriarchal blessing. Abraham is your grandfather too. If you read your patriarchal blessing, you will see that you too are of his lineage.

If you don’t have a patriarchal blessing, prepare for it and get it. Our Heavenly Father has some amazing things He wants to share with you. One of the greatest things is the knowledge that you are the seed of Abraham.

Our Mission

Jesus Christ, Jehovah of the Old Testament, promised Father Abraham specific blessings.

“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations.” Then follows the part that talks specifically about you and me and our mission: “And thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed [us] after thee, that in their hands [our hands] they [we] shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations” (Abraham 2:9).

Why is it so important to our Father in Heaven and the Savior that we bear this priesthood unto all nations? Because “this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. . . .

“And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh” (D&C 84:19, 21).

Without the ordinances of the higher priesthood, received in the holy temples of God, we will never return home to Father. We do missionary work to take the priesthood and the temples to the world. When President Thomas S. Monson called for more missionaries during general conference in October 2010,3 he was echoing words the Savior uttered thousands of years ago to Abraham, our father:

“And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father;

“And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee (that is, in thy Priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy Priesthood), for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee (that is to say, the literal seed, or the seed of the body) shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal” (Abraham 2:10–11).

Blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant

The covenant God made with Abraham blesses us in at least four ways:

1. We are blessed through Jesus Christ, who came through the lineage of Abraham.

2. We are blessed through the priesthood conferred upon Abraham and his descendants.

3. We are blessed through the scattering of Israel, by which the blood of Israel was sprinkled among the nations. Thus, the nations partake of the leaven of righteousness on condition of repentance and are entitled to the promises made to the children of Abraham.

4. We are blessed “that after [Abraham’s] time all who embraced the gospel should be called by his name, . . . should be numbered among his seed, and should receive the Holy Ghost.”

Everyone who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a descendant of Israel either by bloodline or adoption. If you magnify your callings and receive all of the ordinances offered by our Father in the temple, you are entitled to all the promised blessings—the inheritance. What is promised to the faithful, obedient seed of Abraham, the inheritance received together by a worthy priesthood bearer who magnifies his calling and a worthy woman who magnifies her calling?

“For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.

“They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God. “And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord;

“For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me; “And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father; “And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him” (D&C 84:33–38; emphasis added).

This is the promised inheritance: “all that [the] Father hath,” the ability to be like Him. By making and keeping sacred covenants, we will receive all that God has, and He will allow us to return to live with Him the kind of life that He lives.

God has allowed us, through His love and grace, to enter into a sacred covenant with Him, the Abrahamic covenant, which includes the baptismal, priesthood, and temple covenants necessary for exaltation. These covenants and associated blessings flow today through the house of Israel.

We are the house of Israel. We are the seed of Abraham. We are the covenant people of God. Because we know who we are, we must act accordingly. There are places we can never go. There are websites we can never visit. There are thoughts we can never entertain. There are impure practices we can never be part of. Those things are not worthy of who we are.

Precious Pebbles in Our Path

Sometimes as we move through our journey here on earth, we underestimate the value of the precious pebbles Heavenly Father places in our path. To help us know which pebbles are of most worth, He has given us fasting, prayer, and scripture study. He has placed living prophets on the earth to guide us. He has given us patriarchal blessings. He has sent His Only Begotten Son to pay the price we can’t pay, to atone for what we can’t atone for. He has provided the plan of happiness. He has told us who we are.

Sometimes the pebbles seem small and insignificant. When He says fill your pockets, we sometimes hear another voice say, “Don’t worry. They are only pebbles. They will slow you down. They will be heavy and cumbersome to carry. They’re not worth the hassle. Besides, if they are that important, your friends will have some extras.”

Those who follow that other voice often wander in strange paths that promise excitement and thrills but always deliver hollow, cheap, and regretful consequences. Brothers and sisters, now is the time to prepare to meet God. Now is the time to act according to the knowledge He has given us.

Because of the goodness of God, the important things “are made known unto us in plain terms, that we may understand, that we cannot err; . . . therefore, we are thus highly favored, for we have these glad tidings declared unto us in all parts of our vineyard” (Alma 13:23).

As we wander in this wilderness below, the pebbles we gather will be transformed, and on that glorious, light-filled morning when we see Him again, the precious gems we
possess will give us rightful entry into His presence. May we be wise enough and diligent enough to accept, understand, and apply all that the Father has  prepared for us.

From a devotional address, “Out of the Wilderness into the Light,” given at Brigham Young University–Idaho on March 1, 2011.

For the full address, visit web.byui.edu/devotionalsandspeeches.

NOTES
1. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 511.
2. Ezra Taft Benson, “To the ‘Youth of the Noble Birthright,’” Ensign, May 1986, 43.
3. See Thomas S. Monson, “As We MeetTogether Again,” Ensign, Nov. 2010, 5–6.
4. See Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. (1954–56), 3:246–47.

Attendance Roll: Primary Class

Home Teaching / Visiting Teaching Report

Attendance Roll: Young Women

Attendance Roll: Young Men

Attendance Roll: Relief Society

Attendance Roll: Elders Quorum

Missionary Progress Record

Quick View Report

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Calendar: Month June 2016

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			1	2	3	4
5 Fast and Testimony Meeting	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30

Becoming a Better Home Teacher or Visiting Teacher

By Kellene Ricks Adams

Flexibility, creativity, and commitment help us to fulfill our callings as home teachers or visiting teachers.

Becoming a Better Home Teacher or Visiting Teacher

My mother was ill most of my growing-up years, but when I was about 15, her health deteriorated and she almost never left the house. During this time many ward members dropped by, but no one came more often than her visiting teachers. Each Sunday Colleen Goodwin took notes at every Church meeting. Later, she’d visit my mother and tell her about every talk and every lesson while Marian Eubanks massaged Mom’s sore and swollen legs and feet.

Now, these sisters didn’t just do this once or twice. They did it for years! They both worked and had families of their own. But we knew if we ever needed anything, we could call on Mom’s visiting teachers. They went more than the extra mile—they became Mom’s friends. And they taught her young daughter about true charity.—Tracy Wright, Prairie Fifth Ward, West Jordan Utah Prairie Stake

Wain was a big, strapping ex-football player, an outgoing, caring, and demonstrative elder. Don was a wonderful complement—the epitome of quiet spiritual strength.

The first time they visited us as home teachers, we knew they cared. They stated it forthrightly and sincerely. As a less-active member, I had previously been skeptical of anything to do with the Church and frequently questioned the motives of ward members, but I knew that these two were here for the right reason. I knew they weren’t visiting just to satisfy statistics. I knew they weren’t here just to check on us because the bishop asked them to. I knew they came because they believed in modern-day prophets and they valued their home teaching call as an opportunity to magnify their calling in the priesthood.—Dennis Peacock, Kearns 34th Ward, Kearns Utah South Stake

Obviously, home and visiting teachers can change lives. Many members treasure memories of warm shoulders, tender hearts, and caring hands offered as a result of these inspired programs. Yet, with all the powerful impact that home and visiting teachers can make in the lives of others, the actual process of going out in order to be able to “bear one another’s burdens” (Mosiah 18:8) can be challenging.

Sometimes it is difficult for companions to find the time when they are able to get together and visit their assigned families. Yet it is important for this service to be accomplished in pairs, a pattern for home teaching having been established by revelation for the priesthood to go by twos (see D&C 20:47, 53;D&C 42:6). It is often a greater challenge to merge those two schedules with the available schedules of persons to be visited. Sometimes the number of families to be visited seems to outweigh the workload that home and visiting teachers are able to carry; sometimes the distance or time and cost it takes to reach persons is daunting. And, sometimes the challenge is in motivating home and visiting teachers to seek the Spirit in resolving the unique circumstances they are facing. Consequently, these stumbling blocks and others can deter members from actually doing the Lord’s work of changing lives.

However, sharing ideas, suggestions, and solutions that others have found to be helpful can inspire flexibility, creativity, and commitment—key ingredients as members strive to “teach … and watch over the church” and “visit the house of each member, and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties” (D&C 20:42, 47). The principles discussed below may well be applicable in areas throughout the worldwide Church.

Establishing a Set Appointment

One of the most challenging parts of home and visiting teaching can be scheduling appointments. It’s difficult enough to find a time when two companions are free, but when a third party is introduced, the task becomes even more difficult.

“Some people work this out by setting up a regular time every month for the visit,” reports Bertram C. Willis, president of the Cherry Hill New Jersey Stake. “The families and individuals know that the appointment is the afternoon of the first Sunday or the evening of the third Wednesday.”

Kathleen Berger, a visiting teacher in the Palm Bay First Ward, Cocoa Florida Stake, agrees. “We have several sisters we visit, and they all know that we always come on the first Tuesday morning of every month,” she says. “We all live far apart and sometimes feel cut off, so these visits are important, and the sisters enjoy them. These Tuesday morning visits are something they can count on.”

Home and visiting teachers say that it is important to express to those you visit a sincere desire to be a help and resource in their lives. This might best be accomplished by setting a standing appointment or by asking for two or three possibilities of times that would be convenient (noting the days that are not) both for you and those you visit. As possibilities are discussed, express love and concern for the family. Flexibility and compromise might be necessary, but the security of having an established appointment removes a surprising amount of pressure regarding home and visiting teaching.

Mid-Month Reporting and Subsequent Visits

Many wards encourage home and visiting teachers to complete their assignments by mid-month. “At that point, Relief Society and elders quorum leaders make their phone calls,” reports Walter Fife, first counselor in the Eureka California Stake. “If a companion has been ill or out of town, or if scheduling really is an issue, there are designated sisters and elders who are asked to visit them.”

As far as home teaching reporting goes, these back-up visits by priesthood leaders or others count on the records as home teaching completed only if in each instance they are done in conjunction with one of the home teachers assigned to the missed family. This is in accordance with general Church policy. Thus, in some stakes if a family is not being home taught and it is not possible for a priesthood leader to visit that family along with one of the assigned home teachers, the priesthood leader and another priesthood holder try to visit them. Although such visits do not count as home teaching and the records do not reflect that effort, a greater goal reflective of stake leaders’ genuine love and concern is met: keeping all members in regular contact with their wards or branches.

In this light, home teaching reports in the Carey Idaho Stake are turned in by the 20th day of the month. “The names of families and individuals not visited at that time are put on a list for a priesthood leader or others to visit as needed,” explains R. Spence Ellsworth, stake president. “The home teacher understands that the priesthood leader is not doing his home teaching for him but is only fulfilling the Church’s responsibility to each member—to regularly contact them. The home teacher is still encouraged to do his home teaching and to report it to his leader.

“After the 25th of the month, a list of members not visited is given to the bishopric, and they may become involved in visiting some of the families. We have seen amazing results from this approach. Home teachers see that visiting these members is a priority, and they begin to take the responsibility very seriously. The bishopric has not had to make very many visits,” President Ellsworth concludes.

Flexibility to Meet Special Needs

In many areas, there are more individuals and families to visit than there are active members who can reasonably handle that responsibility. In the Fort Payne Branch, Chattanooga Tennessee Stake, there have been only three active priesthood brethren, including branch president Roman Lilly. Yet, the three men are responsible for home teaching 48 families—and they usually visit at least 45 of them.

“We spend two Saturdays a month home teaching, and we each go with our wives—they do the visiting teaching at the same time,” President Lilly explains, referring to a practice of visiting members that, where a special need exists in a family and when implemented with a bishop’s or branch president’s approval, can be reported in each instance as both a home teaching and a visiting teaching visit (see Melchizedek Priesthood Leadership Handbook, 1990, 5). “We leave in the morning and usually return by afternoon. Sometimes we’ll set an evening aside to visit the families we aren’t able to see on Saturdays, and on rare occasions we’ll visit with someone after or before church. Our ward covers 70 miles, but we understand the opportunity and responsibility home teaching is.”

As is demonstrated in the Fort Payne Branch, the need for husbands and wives to visit in a combined capacity as both home and visiting teachers is not the usual circumstance.

In the Carey Idaho Stake, “we don’t have enough active members to visit everyone, but our home teachers have had great success when they let the Spirit guide their thinking on who needs a visit,” explains Michael Chandler, first counselor in the stake presidency. “Each year we ask ward leaders to reevaluate the assignments, praying for inspiration about which families need assigned home teachers. Over the course of time, all members get visited.”

Home and visiting teachers report that when visiting all their families is not possible, the Spirit helps direct them to the families most in need of visits. In visiting teaching only, telephone calls and notes can substitute for personal visits on occasions when it is not possible for visiting teachers to meet with those whom they are assigned to visit.

In some cases when there is a high ratio of less-active members to active members, and where priesthood approval has been given by leaders, full-time missionaries serving in the area may act as companions for Melchizedek Priesthood brethren.

Presenting the Message

For some home and visiting teachers, presenting a formal message in an informal environment sometimes can be an awkward experience. Even when all involved are fully active in the Church, questions arise about how to move from casual conversation to the sharing of a spiritual message and about how to appeal to adults, teenagers, and Primary-age youngsters alike. When home or visiting teachers are visiting individuals who are reluctant to talk about the gospel or who have even requested no gospel discussions, the awkwardness can increase dramatically.

However, there are many nonthreatening ways to present a spiritual message to members who are less active. If individuals are uncomfortable talking about the gospel, Larry W. Watkins, president of the Cape Girardeau Missouri Stake, suggests leaving pamphlets or copies of articles with them to read on their own. Another possibility would be to invite these members to a specific party, fireside, activity, program, or meeting and perhaps discuss what the theme or subject will be and why it might be important for them to attend.

“Listening to the Spirit becomes essential as you go home or visiting teaching,” says Jack Cook, a high councilor in the College Station Texas Stake. “We have a high priests group leader and his companion who were visiting a single mother and her daughter. The family was active but talked of feeling spiritually ‘empty.’ There was just not a lot of spiritual movement.

“While visiting one day, this man felt prompted to suggest that this sister might consider attending the temple. Her eyes lit up. She’d never considered the possibility.

“With attending the temple in mind, she set goals, made progress, and grew tremendously,” Brother Cook says. “The day she attended the temple she was ecstatic. Her home teacher had listened to the Spirit and made a difference in her life.”

Receiving the Message

Patience on the part of families and individuals being visited can also bring the Spirit into a home. “I have always done my visiting teaching, and I have always let my visiting teachers come visit me,” shares Lynda Stout, a member of the Lehi Third Ward, Lehi Utah West Stake. “But it wasn’t until Alene Hardee and Wanda Johnson became my visiting teachers that I learned why the Lord had inspired this program to watch over, bless, and teach his daughters.

“Sure, Sister Hardee and Sister Johnson brought treats for my children on the holidays and remembered my birthday, but the thing that impressed me the most was the way they read the visiting teaching message to me every month. These sweet sisters were in their seventies, and sometimes it was hard for them to see the words, or sometimes they stumbled when they tried to pronounce a word. But I could tell by the diligent way in which they read each message that they took their responsibility in delivering the message as a very important assignment from the Lord.”

While some members may have been bothered to have the monthly message simply read aloud, Sister Stout recognized the importance of accepting the gospel message in whatever form it came. Her humble acceptance of that message allowed her to feel the Spirit and the love her visiting teachers felt for her.

Geographical Distance

While some Church units in areas heavily populated with Latter-day Saints cover only a few blocks or square miles, many Church units measure their area in hundreds of square miles. The North Slope Branch in the Fairbanks Alaska Stake covers more than 8,000 square miles. In addition, a night sky blankets the area 24 hours a day for several months of the year, and temperatures can dip to 50 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit). “During the winter months we have problems with polar bears as well,” wryly observes Gaylin Fuller, who served as branch president for about five years.

“We may have the largest branch geographically in the Church,” he continues. “We have members near the Canadian border and others living near the Russian border. The only way to get to some of those areas is a $500 airplane ticket.

“Needless to say, we do our visiting over the phone to those areas,” he says. “But we make sure we call our families monthly. If there are youth in the family, the Young Men and Young Women presidents will call as well. Sometimes these families will get several calls a month. We also send them conference materials and updates on Church policy and information.”

But whether contact is made in person or by phone, members are contacted. “It’s extremely important; we all know that,” says President Fuller of the 10 pairs of priesthood holders who shoulder the home teaching assignments.

Although not as large as the North Slope Branch, the Duluth Minnesota Stake covers a substantial area. “Our area is going through an economically depressed time right now, and many of our members are living on tight budgets,” explains Gabriele Pihlaja, stake Relief Society president. “Gas money is tight, and visiting teaching can make huge dents in that figure.

“Our sisters know that a monthly visit is best,” she continues, “but the bottom line is whatever you do, please don’t do nothing. If circumstances make it impossible to visit everyone once a month, we encourage the sisters to visit at least one or two of the people on their list. The other sisters need at least a phone call or a letter. And then the next month the companionship visits one or two different sisters. That way at least everyone gets a quarterly visit.”

Several older sisters who can no longer drive are also involved in home visiting—through the mail. “We ask these sisters to write monthly to various members, including some of the less-active sisters,” Sister Pihlaja says. “The letters include information about Relief Society homemaking night and upcoming ward activities, and the sisters always invite the recipient to attend these events. One sister just received a grateful thank-you from a woman she’d been writing to for years. It made the effort worth every minute.”

Training Teenagers

Home teaching carries with it a unique challenge when Melchizedek Priesthood brothers are assigned Aaronic Priesthood brothers who are busy with school activities, jobs, and friends. Sometimes they haven’t yet experienced enough of home teaching to understand the impact or importance of the assignment. Training them properly and involving them as equals are crucial.

“One day my companion, Jared Barrott, is going to be the one in charge,” observes Rick Youngblood, a member of the Hixson Ward, Chattanooga Tennessee Stake. “He was just ordained a teacher, but he already understands that as a home teacher, his calling is to look out for the members of our ward.”

Brother Youngblood and Jared take turns presenting the monthly message. In addition, the two have compiled a list of all the birthdays and anniversaries celebrated by the six families they home teach. “We get together every month and we write a note for special occasions,” Brother Youngblood says. “Then Jared mails them. And I always ask him for ideas on how we can better meet the needs of our families and help the families feel the Spirit.”

President Watkins encourages the bishops in his stake to discuss the importance of home teaching with the Aaronic Priesthood brethren, as well as their parents. “Parents can offer guidance and encourage the young man to fulfill his calling,” he explains.

He also counsels Melchizedek Priesthood brothers to get to know their companions. “It doesn’t take a lot of time to show interest,” he says. “And when you find out about your companion’s life and activities, you find out what his schedule is like. You are both more likely to try to find a time that works for both of you.”

Taking the Aaronic Priesthood brother out for ice cream after a visit is one suggestion offered by Myron Arthur Peterson, president of the Cardston Alberta Stake. “And always pray with them before you leave to go home teaching. It invites the Spirit and helps you both have a positive experience.”

Watching the Children

Visiting teaching also has its unique aspects. “Sometimes visiting teachers don’t like to take their young children with them on a visit, yet finding baby-sitters can be expensive and frustrating,” says Karrie Hoopes, Relief Society president in the Duchesne Second Ward, Duchesne Utah Stake. “In our ward, we have some sisters who actually baby-sit children while the mothers go visiting teaching. It’s their monthly visiting teaching responsibility.

“We also have an evening district, where both the visiting teachers and the individual being taught have requested evening appointments. This accommodates visiting teachers whose husbands watch their children after work, and it also accommodates the working sisters who cannot teach or be taught during the day.”

Flexibility is a must, adds Sister Hoopes. “We have one sister who requested visits at 7:00 A.M.; that’s simply the time that worked best for her. Two sisters agreed to that assignment. We have other sisters who do their visiting on lunch hours during work or at other times to meet the needs of various sisters.”

Christine Willis, former Relief Society president in the Moorestown Ward, Cherry Hill New Jersey Stake, reports that many sisters in her ward take turns baby-sitting. “They’ll say, ‘You tend my children while I go visiting, and then I’ll tend yours.’ That way everyone benefits, and the visiting teaching gets done,” she explains.

Regular Interviews Help Significantly

Overwhelmingly, local leaders also agree that another solution to successful home and visiting teaching is an understanding by leaders and home and visiting teachers alike that the calling is from the Lord.

As early as New Testament times, prophets were exhorting members to diligently help and serve one another. “Feed the flock of God which is among you,” taught Peter in 1 Peter 5:2–4 [1 Pet. 5:2–4], “taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind.

“Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

“And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

In early Church history, priesthood brethren were told to “visit the house of each member, exhorting them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties” and “to watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them” (D&C 20:51, 53).

One of the best ways to help home and visiting teachers grasp the sanctity of their calling is regular interviews (see Melchizedek Priesthood Leadership Handbook, 1990, 9–10 and Relief Society Handbook, 1988, 4, 15.) “There must be a method of accountability, preferably through leader interviews, which demonstrate to the teachers that what they are doing is important,” says President Ellsworth. “They need to know that the information they are providing about their families is getting back to the people and is being used to bless lives.”

While serving as elders quorum president, Dan MacClain of the Manchester Ward, Concord New Hampshire Stake, and his counselors interviewed an average of 30 home teachers a month. “The interviews didn’t last long,” he says. “We’d schedule time before or after church and sometimes during the week.

“First, we asked the priesthood holder how he was doing, how he felt about home teaching. We tried to use this time to show appreciation, motivate him, help him understand the importance of his calling as a home teacher, and tried to resolve any concerns he had related to home teaching, companion challenges, scheduling conflicts, things like that.

“Then we’d review together every family on his list to evaluate the needs of the family. The key was that the communication didn’t stop there. If we found a family that was having difficulty with a daughter who was struggling in school, through the proper channels, we’d involve the Young Women president. If a family was experiencing financial difficulties and needed some assistance, the bishop and Relief Society president were informed. We took the information we got in our home teaching interviews somewhere where it became effective.

“As home teachers see the program begin to work, they realize they really do make a difference,” Brother MacClain concludes.

For the past two years, every month home teachers in the Chattanooga Tennessee Stake have visited about 90 percent of the members assigned to them. “The key is accountability through home teaching interviews and phone calls to some home teachers,” says James L. Barrott, first counselor in the stake presidency.

“However, while we’re pleased with this success, we’re not satisfied,” notes stake president Dallas Rhyne, “because we believe that quantity precedes quality. It is tough to have quality home teaching if visits are not being made. Once priesthood holders are in the home, then quality begins.”

Time, distance, personalities, attitudes—the list of challenges goes on. “These are all real issues,” acknowledges President Willis. “However it may be that many answers are really found in helping our home and visiting teachers accept and live the covenants they’ve made at baptism and in the temple.

“When we reach that point, we are fulfilling these callings because we’ve covenanted to do so and not because of numbers and reports. Yet, even at that, we need to report and share with others our experiences and what we’ve learned. But ultimately, the reason we do home and visiting teaching is because we love the Lord and his children.”

Let’s Talk about It

This article may furnish material for a family home evening discussion or for personal consideration. You might consider questions such as:

1. Why is home and visiting teaching so important?

2. Have we had an inspiring, exemplary home or visiting teacher in our lives? If so, what made him or her so outstanding?

3. What challenges do we find in our lives as we try to complete our home and visiting teaching assignments? How could we effectively handle those challenges?

Calendar: Month May 2016

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
1 Fast and Testimony Meeting	2	3	4	5	6 SRS Trade Fair and showcase	7 SRS Trade Fair and showcase
8 Primary Presentation (Mother's Day)	9	10	11	12	13	14 Relief Society Sports fest
15	16	17 Temple Worship	18	19	20 Youth Sport Fest	21 Youth Sport fest
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31

Calendar: Month April 2016

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
					1	2 A Night w/ the DP & YSA
3 Fast and Testimony Meeting	4	5	6	7	8	9 General Conference
10 General Conference	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23 District Primary Activity
24 Taugtog Branch Conference	25	26	27 District Youth Conference	28 * District Youth Conference * National Day of Service	29 District Youth Conference	30

Institute of Religion

What promises has a prophet made about institute?

 

 Importance of Institute

The Purpose of Institute
The objective of Institute is to help young adults understand and rely on the teachings and Atonement of Jesus Christ, qualify for the blessings of the temple, and prepare themselves, their families, and others for eternal life with their Father in Heaven.

 

What are the requirements for institute graduation?

The following certificates are available to honor students who complete institute of religion courses with credit:

• A Graduation Diploma may be earned by students who complete fourteen semester hours (or twenty-one quarter hours) in approved institute courses, including at least eight semester hours (or twelve quarter hours) in the scripture-based courses. These eight semester hours are to include at least four semester hours (or six quarter hours) in Book of Mormon studies.
• A Certificate of Advanced Achievement may be earned by students who complete eight additional semester hours (or twelve quarter hours) after meeting the graduation requirements.

 

What recognition is available for participation in institute?

• A Certificate of Course Completion may be earned by students for their completion of each institute course of study.
• A Certificate of Achievement may be earned by students who complete eight semester hours (or twelve quarter hours) in approved institute courses, including at least four semester hours (or six quarter hours) in scripture-based courses.

 

Institute Quotes

President Thomas S. Monson “If you are a single college student, I ask you to make participation in institute a priority. Married students and other young adults are also welcome and encouraged to attend. Think of it. Friends will be made, the Spirit will be felt, and faith will be strengthened. I promise you that as you participate in institute and study the scriptures diligently, your power to avoid temptation and to receive direction of the Holy Ghost in all you do will be increased. Divine favor will attend those who humbly seek it. That is a promise which I leave with you.” President

Thomas S. Monson (April 21, 2009)

President Gordon B. Hinckley “We urge all for whom [institute] is available to take advantage of it. We do not hesitate to promise that your knowledge of the gospel will be increased, your faith will be strengthened, and you will develop wonderful associations and friendships.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley (in Conference Report, April 1984, 69; or Ensign, May 1984, 47)  

Elder Boyd K. Packer “Students, if your values are in place, you will not hesitate to forego an elective class that may decorate your life in favor of instruction which can hold together the very foundation of it. Then, once enrolled, attend, study, and learn. Persuade your friends to do the same. You will never regret it; this I promise you.”

Elder Boyd K. Packer (in Conference Report, Apr. 1983, 91; or Ensign, May 1983, 67)  

Elder L. Tom Perry “I know the power that comes from associations in the seminary and institute programs. It has enriched my life, and I know it will do the same for you. It will put a shield of protection around you to keep you free from the temptations and trials of the world. There is a great blessing in having a knowledge of the gospel. And I know of no better place for the young people of the Church to gain a special knowledge of sacred things than in the institute and seminary programs of the Church.”

Elder L. Tom Perry (in Conference Report, Oct. 1997, 82; or Ensign, Nov. 1997, 61-62)

Calendar: Month of March 2016

March

6

Fast and Testimony Sunday

March

11

Elder Bagion Departing Day to MTC

March

12 - 13

District Conference

March

19

Relief Society Activity

March

20

Sacrament / Sunday School / Meeting

March

26

Institute Activity

March

27

The Holy Ghost as Your Companion
General Women's Session

The Blessing of the Spirit
"We can, if we live worthy of it, have the blessing of the Spirit to be with us." —President Henry B. Eyring

New Beginnings

Young Women
Logo

Purpose

Help young women and their parents learn about the Young Women program.

 

Description

 

New Beginnings is an annual event for all young women and their parents. Young women who will reach the age of 12 in the coming year are also invited to attend with their parents. It may be held during Mutual. This event provides an opportunity for leaders to express their love for the young women, encourage parents to help their daughters in Personal Progress, and introduce new young women to the young women program.

 

Possible subjects to address include:

• Explanation of Personal Progress.
• Presentation of the young women theme, logo, and motto.
• Recognition of the young women and their accomplishments in Personal Progress.
• Overview of the youth theme and a discussion of activities planned for the year.

2016 Youth Mutual Theme

2016 Mutual Theme
“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:20).

Calendar: Month of February 2016

February

2 - 3

Youth Temple Trip

February

7

Fast and Testimony Meeting

February

13

Gold & Green Ball

February

14

Sacrament / Sunday School / Meeting

February

20

District Seminary Activity

February

21

Sacrament / Sunday School / Meeting
Botolan Branch Conference

February

28

Sacrament / Sunday School / Meeting

What Lack I Yet?
By Elder Larry R. Lawrence
If we are humble and teachable, the Holy Ghost will prompt us to improve and lead us home, but we need to ask the Lord for directions along the way.

January 24 Sunday Service

Sacrament Program
1. Speaker - Sister Kimberly Espenoza
* Why do we need Sacrament Meetings.

2. Speaker - Melvicson Aledo
* Importance of Sunday Schools and Scripture Study in our Conversion.

Sunday School
* Book of Mormon Class Member Study Guide Chapter 4 (1 Nephi 12 - 14)
The Things Which I Saw While I Was Carried Away in the Spirit
* Gospel Principles - This course is for investigators, new members, members returning to activity, and others who need basic gospel instruction

Priesthood Quorum Instructions
* Fourth-Sunday lessons are to be taught from selected addresses in the latest conference issue of the Ensign or Liahona. Stake presidents may choose which conference addresses should be used, or they may assign bishops to select the addresses.

Relief Society Class Instructions
* Fourth-Sunday lessons are to be taught from selected addresses in the latest conference issue of the Ensign or Liahona. Stake presidents may choose which conference addresses should be used, or they may assign bishops to select the addresses.

Young Women Instructions
* Come Follow Me: Learning Resources for Youth

Young Men Instructions
* Come Follow Me: Learning Resources for Youth

Primary Instructions
* 2016 Outline for Sharing Time: I Know the Scriptures Are True
Lessons for January 2016 The Scriptures Are the Word of God

Temple Worship

Temple Worship on February 2 - 3, 2016

Youth who were interview and qualified to enter to the temple are schedule on this date. Prepare spiritually, Mentally, Temporally and much more. They will be doing proxy baptism in behalf of the dead ancestors.

Called to Serve: Philippine Bacolod Mission

What an honor to have a missionary serving in a place where the Lord wants him to serve. He will be a servant to those children wandering from the truth.

Good Luck Elder Bagion, you will be blessed together with your Family.

Meet the Errands of Philippine Bacolod Mission
from Bulawen Branch

Calendar: Month of January 2016

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
					1	2
3 Fast and Testimony Meeting	4	5	6	7	8 Young Women New Beginning	9
10	11 CES Devotional	12	13	14	15	16 Home / Visiting Teaching Convention
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24 Sunday Service Program	25	26	27	28	29	30
31