My grandmama died recently after a faster-than-expected onset of lung failure, subsequent discovery of advanced cancer, and then several strokes that accelerated her final decline. I visited her in her home a few months ago when her lung problems were just beginning to manifest. Then another visit a few weeks later at the hospital where her lungs were constantly being drained of accumulating fluid. I made the long drive home from both visits feeling heart-broken and powerless to help as a loved one struggled to get the care she needed and tried to navigate difficult end-of-life decisions.
What my grandmama needed in her somewhat-lonely-at-times situation were home teachers and visiting teachers that would have been "an important source of help" in the absence of more family members close by to help her. I hope that the home teaching program is alive and well in the spirit world because that means she may yet have the opportunity to know the joy of receiving caring home teachers and visiting teachers (you can be sure her temple work will soon be performed vicariously).
According to section 7.4.1 of Handbook 2 home teachers do the following kinds of things for their assigned families:
- visit the house of each member
- exhort them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties
- watch over...and be with and strengthen them
- invite all to come unto Christ
- find other meaningful ways to watch over and strengthen the families they are assigned
- render service to the families
- contact family members by mail or telephone
- they can be an important source of help to members
- consult with the head of the household about the family’s needs and about ways to be most helpful
- become acquainted with family members’ interests and needs
- recognize special events in their lives
- help parents ensure that their children are blessed, baptized, and confirmed
- ensure that sons have the Aaronic Priesthood and Melchizedek Priesthood conferred upon them and are ordained to priesthood offices at the appropriate ages
- offer help when members are unemployed, ill, lonely, moving, or have other needs
- strengthen their faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and encourage them to make and keep sacred covenants
- companions pray together
- they discuss ways they can strengthen those they will visit
- they share a message, usually taken from the scriptures and the First Presidency’s message in the Ensign or Liahona magazine
- home teaching visits typically include a prayer
It's apparent to me that the responsibilities of home teachers to their assigned families represent the kinds of things that are done naturally among loving family members. I am implying with this statement that, as home teachers, we are to open our hearts to these families as if they were now part of our extended family. I challenge you to read section 7.4.1 of Handbook 2 and reflect on your assignments with these ideas in mind.