The Federalist: How Mormon Leaders Taught Me To Forgive Media For Bungling Stories About Religion

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What a fascinating article to be carried by a national publication. Here is an inspiring quote from President Monson shared in the article: "As we move toward the future, we must not neglect the lessons of the past. Our Heavenly Father gave His Son. The Son of God gave His life. We are asked by them to give our lives, as it were, in their divine service. Will you? Will I? Will we? There are lessons to be taught, there are kind deeds to be done, there are souls to be saved."

Let me tell you about my friend, Ron. For 52 years, with the exception of an 18-month mission to Australia, Ron has visited a neighbor family at least monthly. He quietly helps with yardwork and sometimes negotiates family issues. He delivers religious messages and prays with families, some of whom have not shared his faith.

He watched over a family when the father died, when the mother lay in a hospital bed, and when a relative sat in. I have seen him break down in tears describing his affection.

Ron is a good neighbor and may well have done much of this service regardless. Believing in Jesus Christ has that kind of effect on people. But Ron also did it because those decades ago, he received a home-teaching assignment.

Home-teaching is a remarkable program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormon church. All men receive assignments to each minister to a handful of families each month. They deliver spiritual messages and attend to temporal and spiritual needs. Women also receive assignments to visit other women in the congregation monthly—they visit-teach. . . .

Why am I writing about home-teaching? Because my guess is most Americans have never heard of it. I think most Americans don’t know a lot of things about Mormons. They seem to miss what I really believe and how I really live, even as I would share those things.

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