BEING A GOOD EXAMPLE TO AN AARONIC PRIESTHOOD COMPANION

    If you have served a full-time mission, it would be beneficial to share worthwhile, positive, and spiritual experiences with your Aaronic Priesthood companion, especially if he is unsure of serving a mission. One word of caution is to not overdo it, but let the Spirit guide - a pressured youth is a rebellious youth.  We want to show the youth that they are loved.

    Another benefit is to allow the companion to share the messages and to offer insight.  Give him a chance to share his testimony, but make sure he knows you are going to ask him.  If he feels uncomfortable about sharing it then putting him on the spot isn't going to help.

    Also, you can make him in charge of keeping track of birthdays, et cetera, and allowing him to buy birthday cards or writing notes.  Get well cards, for example would also be something he could be in charge of.

    It is a blessing to have the refreshing ideas of youth to be shared in home teaching visits and this valuable resource should not be overlooked.

Kim Siever, Elders Quorum President,
Surrey First Ward, Surrey British Columbia Stake, Canada


Recently I had been reading the scriptures with the young men and home teaching in mind when I came across D&C84:106-109. What I love about this is how the Lord says that this is how the Apostles built up his church in ancient times, by having the strong Melchizedek Priesthood holders take out the Aaronic Priesthood. I believe strongly that these boys must be trained. On a mission the most important calling you can receive isn't Zone Leader or AP. It is to be a trainer. That trainer has the greatest impact in shaping the future on that missionary. It is the same in the Home Teaching program. If our home teachers would catch the vision of this verse and realize that by effectively teaching and training these youth they are setting up a lifetime of hometeaching we could drastically effect the church.

A hometeacher isn't to just go into a home and read the 1st presidency message and then ask "is there anything we can do for you?" and then leave. We are the representatives for the Bishop to see to their spiritual, mental and physical well being. We should know where each person stands spiritually. We should, in effect, be interview them, using D&C 20 as a guideline: Do you pray every day as a family? Do you read the scriptures daily as a family? Do you hold a weekly family home evening? We would like to challenge you to do so and the spirit of the Lord will rest more strongly in your home and their will be greater love and harmony in your home. We would like to check up on your progress as you do this. Would that be OK?

I feel very strongly about the Lords way of watching over the church and hope that we will have a greater understanding and commitment of Home Teaching.

Steve Reed, Young Men's President,
Ward, Everett, WA, USA

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