Many years ago Elder Ballard gave a conference address where he used the metaphor of a car not running on all cylinders. The loss of each cylinder weakened the engine and the overall performance of the car. Elder Ballard was specifically referring to meetings, but it can apply to any area of ward operations. If only the Bishopric is trying to make sure that everyone is doing well, they will quickly be bogged down. If each member of the ward (working in pairs) is doing it, then we can quickly learn who is sick and who is sad and who needs temporal assistance. With combined effort, things work.
That is all well and good, but how could home and visiting teaching could possibly relate to emergency preparedness? Sure, it’s something we are supposed to do, and perhaps the most concrete iteration of our baptismal covenant to “mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort” (Mosiah 18:9), but based on the low rate of completion it would seem that it is often not viewed as necessary.
In the area of Provident Living specifically, home and visiting teaching fit well under Social and Emotional Strength. Emotional strength is built by obedience, and fulfilling assignments is an important part of obedience. Social strength is developed as we build relationships. Working with a companion, becoming acquainted with new people, and thinking about the needs of others are all elements of social strength that can be developed through home and visiting teaching. You will find that improving relationships will also increase emotional strength.
I was reminded of the importance of this recently when watching a presentation on earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest. The geographic record shows that there have been severe earthquakes with tsunami that affected the coast, but many of the native tribes also have oral traditions about this. In one legend shared by multiple tribes, high flood waters came. The people took shelter in their boats. Those who had followed the counsel of their elders had prepared long ropes, which they used to tie the boats to the tops of strong trees. Those with no ropes, or short ropes, ended up drifting away.
Repeated multiple times in the story was the phrase “They no longer knew each other.” The land was changed by the storm, and those who drifted randomly may have ended up surrounded by strangers. Relationships were broken. New relationships could be formed, but the people were scattered and something valuable was lost.
Catastrophic events can be alienating. Trauma can have a huge effect on personality (another reason why you want to have a built-in reserve of emotional strength), but as it disrupts infrastructure it can also make communicating and reuniting with loved ones difficult (which is another reason why you want to have a family communication plan).
As important as it is to be prepared for the large scale disasters, the daily ups and downs of life can still have similar affects. Financial struggles, loneliness, and dissatisfaction with one’s state can be alienating too. The personal issues may actually be more alienating. When everyone is in the earthquake it can inspire them to work together and help each other, but with personal issues you tend to feel like you are the only one. With home and visiting teaching we can figuratively build long ropes to keep us from drifting too far apart.
You probably know the basics, but here are some tips:
Knowing your route: You will usually be given a slip with the names of your companion and the people that you will teach. If you have not received one, you can check with someone in the Elders Quorum or Relief Society presidency, or the coordinator.
Sometimes the names on your slip will be unfamiliar. You can ask around, or look them up on Facebook to see if there is a picture that rings a bell, but this may not work. Fortunately, the slips tend to come with phone numbers and often e-mail addresses. You can then call or write and say, “Hi. I don’t think we have met, but I am your new home teacher (or home teaching companion).” Don’t let this intimidate you. If they don’t want you to visit, hey, you have still made contact, and now you have something to report.
Planning ahead: A month goes by really quickly. Start thinking about times early. With some people I have had to plan the next month’s visit during the current visit because our schedules were that hard to coordinate. Technology can be helpful, but there are still some people who don’t check e-mail often, or Facebook, so don’t rely on those things.
Keep your eyes open: You should know if your people are in church, or if they seem troubled (even if they are reluctant to talk about it), or if they seem to have physical needs (like becoming malnourished or wearing threadbare clothes). It is hard for people to ask for help, but there is help available, and your sincere caring and preparation can make it easier to bring all of that together. You may also find through observation that some things are more important than others for each person, and can adapt to that. I remember one sister for whom it was so important that I would bring the spirit into her apartment each month, and another who needed phone calls for a while to help her achieve a goal. What do they really need?
Remember that this is the Lord’s work: You should be developing feelings of love for the people on your route, but the Lord really loves them, and is interested in them, so you can ask for help. I have found it helpful to include the people on my route in my prayers, because that means that I am thinking of them regularly, and open to inspiration. Companions can also pray together before heading out, and of course, pray with the people you teach.
Report when you are done: Your slip should also have the name and phone number of a supervisor. They may try and hunt you down for the information, but it is even better if you beat them to the punch. This is when you can report that someone needs a job, or a roommate, or some encouragement. If you don’t feel comfortable telling the supervisor but someone still needs to know, that’s okay too. Just tell the supervisor that you went and say what you need to say to the appropriate person.
It’s all so simple. Yes, it takes time and effort, but it is also fun and rewarding. It helps us to build each other up, until we are mutually anchored and cannot drift away.
