Love, Zion, and Home Teaching (talk I gave in Sacrament meeting today)

Good morning brothers and sisters I am grateful for the opportunity to speak to you today. It's always difficult to speak after Jessica because she is able to bring the spirit in so strongly. But I'm very happy to be speaking on a such an important subject.

I would like to start by reading an incredible scripture that turned the world, as it was then, upside down.

In Matthew Chapter 22 verses 35-39 we read:

35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.


With these powerful words Jesus summed up the entire law.

Let's start by talking about the first commandment... Loving God.

The apostle John the beloved said in 1 Jn. 4:19
19 We love him, because he first loved us.

God has given us every reason in the world to Love Him. He created us, He helps us in our daily lives, and He redeems us through the matchless atonement of His Son Jesus Christ.

He has given us every opportunity to succeed. Just like a Child cannot comprehend the love their parents have for them, we cannot fully comprehend His love for us.

The way we come to Love God is through experiencing the Atonement of Jesus Christ for oursleves. We experience the atonement by excercizing faith, repenting of our sins, making a special covenant such as Baptism or renewing our covenants through the partaking of the sacrement, and recieving the Holy Ghost in our lives.



Alma asked the question:

Alma 5:26
26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?

Your personal answer to this question makes all the difference in the world in your ability to feel true love towards God. When we feel of His redeeming Love, we will naturally Love Him back. That Love will motivate us to not only Love God, But our to love our neighbors.

If you want to experience the Love of God, it is there for the taking if your will excerise the atonment in your life.


That brings us to the second great commandment.. that of loving your neighbor.


Consider the story of Enos in the Book of Mormon.

His first concern was for the welfare of his own soul, but after he had recieved forgivness of his sins, he immediately was concerned about his bretheren.


In James 2:18 it says:
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.


So good works are a natural outgrowth of our faith and our love in and for God. If we have true faith in Jesus, have repented, and made the proper covenants we are entitled to the
gift of the Holy Ghost in our lives... then as the apostle Paul taught in Galatians chapter 5 we gain the fruits of the Spirit. Namely, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith.

These attributes spring up out of us like a well of living water as we follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.


In the Gospel of Jesus Christ Love should be our ultimate motivation for doing good works. If we are doing good works for any other reason, we will soon tire of it.

I would like to apply these principles to a very specific good work that is Home and visiting teaching.

The larger goal of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been talked about from the begining of the restoration. That goal is simply to establish Zion.

Zion is the gathering place of those who truly Love God and truly love their neighbors.

I believe that this ward has the greatest potential to establish Zion than any other ward I have ever lived in.

Let's be united in our effort and become one as a ward so that we can truly establish Zion.

The Lord said, "If ye are not one, ye are not mine."

The bench is deep in this ward. We have a high level of people who are motivated by the love of God.

Let's use that Love to motivate us to action. Let us turn our hearts towards God and towards each other.

Brethren, let's live up the our privileges as priesthood holders and lead the ward in service and care towards our home teaching families.

The Home teaching program has been around in different forms since the early days of the church.

In the Doctrine and Covenants it describes some of the duties of an Elder:
D&C 20:42
42 And to teach, expound, exhort, baptize, and watch over the church;


Interestingly, President Monson, our current Prophet, was on the committee that was put together by President David O. Mckay that organized the Home Teaching program of the church as we have it today.

Doing our home teaching or visiting teaching is an excellent way that we can show the Lord we are willing to follow His living prophet on the earth.


I have had some of my most sacred experiences since my mission while doing Home Teaching. Other than in your own home, Home teaching will provide you with more opportunities to use the priesthood than any other setting I know of.

I was blessed to have a father who was a great home teacher. I used to marvel at how much he knew about each family he home taught. He was often given the hardest assignments.

He would memorize birthdays, names, and other events. He would reach out in love and end up re-activating many different families in the ward. More importantly, he helped others either make or renew sacred covenants with the Lord through the Ordinances of the gospel.

His influence has followed me in the church.

When I first moved into this ward I went home teaching with brother Watson to a member in the ward. When they heard my last name they asked if I was related to Ron Tanner.

I told them yes that's my Dad. Then they went on to say how much they love him and the he had been a great influence on them in a previous ward they had lived in.

I was proud to be his son that day. But what was more surprising was that I could instantly feel Love from that member in our ward. I could see the Love in their eyes as they spoke of my Dad.

I had felt that love before and recognized it as the Love of God. God had loved my Dad, my Dad took that love to his neighbors, and now I was feeling that same Love extended towards me.

Brothers and Sisters, there are people in our ward that need to feel that love. You don't need to have a father who was a great home teacher to become a great home teacher or visiting teacher yourself.

There are people among us who need the redeeming love of the Savior in their lives. They need access to the ordinances of the gospel and to feast at the table of the Lord. There are others who are amoung us today who just need a helping hand, or someone to help shoulder their burdens.

If you have felt the redeeming love of our Savior, please extend that Love to your neighbor through the Home and visiting teaching programs of the church. President Ezra Taft Benson said that Home Teaching is not just an assigment, it is a sacred calling.

As I have loved you, love one another. This new commandment, love one another. By this shall men know, ye are my disciples. If ye have love, one to another.

In The name of Jesus Christ, amen.