Make home teaching/visiting teaching a priority in your life. Some less-important matters may need to be postponed or forgotten.

- Visit families early in the month. It is hard to be impressed with a home teacher's/visiting teacher's interest with a hastily arranged meeting the last few days of the month. Remember to make an appointment with the family ahead of time to be considerate of their schedule.- Call your families frequently between visits to see how they are doing. If you do not know their phone numbers by heart, you are not close enough to them.

- Bring a spirit of optimism and enthusiasm into the homes you visit. Never act like home teaching or visiting teaching is a chore or duty. It isn't!

- Pay attention to all the members of the family. Ask each family member what is new with him or her since your last visit.

- Remember each family member's birthday with a phone call, a card, a small present or a plate of goodies.

- Contact your families on special occasions, such as holidays, weddings, etc.

- Genuinely love and enjoy your families. Get to know their interests. Be a friend.

- Be sure to share a spiritual message each month. Bear your testimony; let your families know how much they and the gospel mean to you.

- Always leave the families you teach with a prayer; ask the head of the household who should be voice. Also pray for those you teach.

- Invite your families to your home once in a while for a barbecue, dessert, game night or family home evening. Make them part of your life.

- Try to be sensitive to the needs of your families. At times they may need more help with yardwork or gaining employment than with spiritual matters.

- Pray about the needs of your families; be sensitive to the Spirit. When you feel directed to do something, don't hesitate. Do it! - Romney Burke, West Linn, Ore.

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How we did it

Wonderful times

Several years ago as a student at BYU, I was assigned as a visiting teacher to a Relief Society sister much younger than I was. At first, she was not too responsive to my visits or phone calls, but I prayed diligently and felt prompted to keep trying.

She was ill for about a week, so I called every day, took her some oranges and stopped by twice to check on her. I found out she was a ballet dancer, so I asked lots of questions about that and other hobbies. She invited me to several dance recitals, which I attended. All of these efforts plus continued prayer changed our relationship. She was quite shy and kept to herself, but I started inviting her to movies, dinner and to do things with my roommates. We were all surprised when she accepted and had some wonderful times. - Vicky Rogerson, Kiev, Ukraine

Some suggestions

At the beginning of the year, we, as visiting teachers, were given a visiting teaching calendar. Behind each month of the year was a flap (similar to Christmas Advent calendars) to open and ideas given to help us draw closer to those we are assigned.

Some suggestions were the following:

- Pray for them.

- Share a recipe.

- Take them your favorite "love" scripture.

- Go walking together.

- Share your testimony.

- Give children rides to school.

- Can food together.

- Share a family home evening idea.

- Share good books.

- Call and talk. - Susan Siddoway, Springville, Utah

Unique calling

Visiting teaching is one of the most unique callings in the Church. It provides an opportunity to get close to a person that you might not have chosen to know on your own. I especially grew close to one sister who was diagnosed with breast cancer. I fasted for her when she had her surgery. I baby-sat for her son every week when she had chemotherapy. Another sister is not a member but requested visiting teachers. She has had the missionaries give some discussions, and we talk freely about the gospel. - Debbi Compton, Green River, Wyo.

Bonds of friendship

Sharing a simple meal, especially in the visiting teacher's or home teacher's home, is a boon to drawing closer to the person or family we're assigned to serve. We have thereby made many friends and felt more comfortable when visiting in their homes. Another way to feel closer is sitting together in Church, especially if the person is single, with or without children. There is something about eating and worshiping together that forges bonds of friendship. - Joyce Wolfgang Williams, Tampa, Fla.

Give a lesson

Larry Gilbert came with his young home teaching companion the first part of the month when they were first assigned to us and asked us what we expected of him as our home teacher. We told him we wanted him not to think that once a month was fine. We wanted him to remember our birthdays, bring a lesson he thought applicable to us as an individual family and to really be a part of our family. He complied.

Not only did he bring a boost in spirituality in our family, but he would personally bake and ice cakes for birthdays and holidays. He never overstayed or rushed off. If he was in the neighborhood, he would stop and say, "Hi." - Laural Saunders Phelps, Heber City, Utah

Pray for them

I have found praying to see others' hearts as the Savior sees them and to love them as He loves them helps me do just that. I have come to love those people I've been assigned as a visiting teacher when I pray for them. - Terry Olsen, Los Cruces, N.M.

Arms outstretched

A few weeks before this past Christmas, my husband died in a violent, tragic way. After the family was notified, my first thought was to call my home teacher, Ray Burton, and his wife, Louise. Immediately, they were at my door with loving, comforting arms outstretched. Each morning immediately after my husband's death, Brother Burton would call and make sure we were all right and had made it through another night. Then he would ask what was on my list of "To Dos" for the day and offered help in any way. His inquiries helped me stay focused on what was immediately necessary. - Linda Williams, Madera, Calif.

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How to checklist:

1 Make home teaching, visiting teaching a priority in your life.

2 Pray for and with those you teach; be sensitive to needs.

3 Be involved in their lives; seek ways to serve them.

4 Genuinely love and enjoy your families; be a friend. *****

Write to us:

May 20 "How to find joy in work."

May 27 "How to turn trials into blessings."

June 3 "How to protect your home against evil influences."

June 10 "How to be tolerant of others' lifestyles without compromising your standards."

June 17 "How to become a greater asset at your place of employment."

June 24 "How to rid yourself of self-pity."

July 1 "How to overcome personal barriers to making friends."

Had any good experiences or practical success in any of the above subjects? Share them with our readers in about 100-150 words. Write the "How-to" editor, Church News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110, or send fax to (801) 237-2121. Please include a name and phone number. Contributions may be edited or excerpted and will not be returned. Due to limited space, some contributions may not be used; those used should not be regarded as official Church doctrine or policy. Material must be received at least 12 days before publication date.