Reprimanded for 70% HT
By Over-achieving Elder’s Quorum President
I was serving as a president of the Elder’s Quorum in my ward several years ago. I was working hard and having some success. Through following the handbook and working hard, we got monthly home teaching percentages over 70%! That is unheard of in most quorums. It was an over 40 point increase!
I went in for my priesthood interview with a member of the stake presidency and the high councilor. I shared with him what we were doing and he began to berate me. He told me that this was not good enough and that 100% home teaching was the only thing acceptable in the church. He then told me that if these men did not make all of their visits in a month, then it was up to me before the end of the month to visit everyone that was missed. He told me he would only accept 100%. I politely told him I was unable to do what he asked and shared my circumstances. He began to yell. He cursed me and told me I lacked faith and was not worthy to be in my calling. He continued to berate me and yell at me for the next 20 minutes or so.
He did this in front of the high councilor who did nothing to stop him and looked rather sheepish about the whole experience. I was humiliated, angry, confused, and more. I could not believe what had just happened.
Would you believe that at the literal next General Conference, Elder M. Russel Ballard told the church that the kind of visits just demanded of me were not home teaching and should not be done or expected? Did I get an apology in the next priesthood interview? Was there any effort to correct it? None.
**With the new ministering guidelines, how can we be more sensitive to those in ministering positions? How can we be more concerned about truly reaching the “one” and not so much about checking people off of our lists?
