“And I leave this message with you in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen,” concluded Brother Johnson.

Brother Taylor added in right on cue, “Is there anything we can do for you Brother and Sister Smith?”

The Smiths looked at each other, then Brother Smith assured them there was nothing; that everything was fine.

“Great,” Brother Taylor exclaimed. “Well, then may we leave your home with a prayer?”

Does this sound familiar? Have you seen this scene played in your own home? Have you been one of its actors during your own visits? Ever felt like it wasn’t effective?

It seems odd in a funny sort of way that many of us who have served full-time missions and were encouraged to ask such thought-provoking questions as “What is resurrection?” rather than easy-answer questions as “Do you know what resurrection is?” come home and start asking those yes-or-no questions all over again when we go home teaching.

It seems just as odd that for those who are “to watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them”, we aren’t too intent on doing so.

My article this month is brief; its message simple. If nothing else, we need to show our intent to serve and strengthen with our language; we need to show our genuine concern for their needs by illustrating our observances through our words.

For example, if we walk up the sidewalk and notice the lawn is a bit straggly, then we recognise something’s amiss - a broken lawnmower, a busy schedule, no money for gasoline - and reflect that by replacing the usual “Is there anything we can do for you Brother and Sister Smith?” with “On our way up the sidewalk this afternoon, we noticed your lawn was a bit longer than usual. What can we do to help you?”

And for those other visits where the needs seem less apparent, perhaps a better question would be, “What can we help you with this month?”

Providing our families with an opportunity to talk rather than answer may be just what we need.

Posted by John in Feature Articles