One thing that isn't inspired + a Monday Haiku

I feel impressed to speak to you about a priesthood program that has been
inspired from its inception—a program that touches hearts, that changes lives,
and that saves souls; a program that has the stamp of approval of our Father in
Heaven; a program so vital that, if faithfully followed, it will help to
spiritually renew the Church and exalt its individual members and families.
I am speaking about priesthood home teaching. With all my heart, I pray that
you will understand, by the Spirit, exactly my feelings about home teaching.


Ezra Taft Benson

April 1987

Now I realize that a lot of my readership is LDS and they know all the vernacular associated with that, but not everyone is. Home Teaching is a program where members of the congregation meet monthly with other members to deliver a message and find out how everyone is doing. When done effectively, Home Teaching helps the church run smoothly, and makes sure that the temporal and spiritual needs of the members are met.

I am not a great home teacher, I used to be. I had a companion named Nelly Chung, and we were a good team. We would do our monthly visits and share our message. I have no excuses for my poor performance, I mean I literally live next door to the girls I home teach and about ten steps from Burke. I guess since I feel like I know what is going on in the lives of the people I home teach I am not as concerned about making a formal visit, I should be.

I have good home teachers, Andrew Jensen and Brian Barker. They come every month and deliver a message and they are good friends. So don't get me wrong I like home teaching, I think it is very important, however there is one thing I don't like, and it continues to chaff me every time I hear it, and that is the phrase "home teachee".

It is used like this: "Hey guys, it's the 15th of the month, so make sure you have contacted your home teachee's."

What? Teachee's? What is a teachee? It's nothing, it's a made up word. So let's break it down like a fraction.

I believe that people use the word teachee to describe the relationship between the Home Teacher and the individuals they visit. Now if I am at school being taught by my teacher, I am called a student or perhaps a pupil. I have never been referred to as a teachee. Why? Because teachee is not a word, it is nothing, it doesn't exist.

Now I am of course not going to bring this up without offering a solution, that would of course be add in the phrase "...that I home teach." The guys I home teach, the girls that I home teach, my friends that I home teach, my pals that I home teach, the peeps that I home teach etc. Any of these will do.

I've heard the complaints, it takes effort to use that phrase, it's easier just to say teachee's. Yeah it takes effort to put on deodorant, and it's easier not to brush your teeth, but as you know life is much better for yourself and those around you if you do.

So consider this my plea to all of you to stop using the term Home Teachee, and come up with something better.

If we do this combined with my quest to have people say Doctrine and Covenants instead of D&C (a feminine procedure) I think we will be well on our way of standing a little taller and being a little better.

House back in session

Eagles Wins wife to Tampa

Thanks little Buddha