Chapter 42

Honey, When Will You Be Home for Dinner?

What exactly is Church work?—Establishing Zion in the home arms us with the Spirit to then go
out into the world and do amazing things.

What shall I do today?

A fantastic question.

To ask oneself this question in the manner asked by James is the first step on the road to
perfection in life. It is also a question that we might consider adding to the top of the list in the
temple recommend interview process, for it tells us a lot about ourselves—our priorities in life,
our hopes and dreams, and all that we believe in. Repentance can be achieved quite easily if we
are on the move towards excellence in gospel living. This is the preferred and better route to the
celestial kingdom, rather than just doing the minimum of what is asked of us and then hoping
that things will work out ok on judgment day.

To answer James's question, we might rephrase it and ask it in another way: What exactly
is Church work?

In the story thus far, we have seen James discover the indescribable beauty of the gospel,
like one who finds a treasure chest of precious jewels that fills their eyes with wonderment. This
discovery was not triggered by an assignment from James's parents, from his bishop, or from his
Sunday School teacher. He acted on his own without waiting first to being acted upon. So, when
he was later asked to do those few things normally asked of members of the Church, he was
prepared and ready, and more than happy to do his part.

Perhaps the image of Church work we have in our minds is one of a ward clerk of past
decades. We see a kind and dedicated family man like Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s underpaid clerk,
coming to the church building early on a Saturday morning. He camps out in his office all
weekend long, particularly around Christmas when tithing settlement is going on, immersed in
the extensive paperwork of statistical reports, ward membership, and financial records. The
Church Handbook allows for ample coal to be put upon a raging fire inside the clerk’s office, so
he stays warm. But he longs to be home with his family.

Another common image of Church work we may have is of a bishop. We see a bishop
spending many hours on Sundays and weekday evenings in the role of the human resources

manager of the ward. Frequently absorbed in staff meetings and counseling interviews, he hires
persons into new callings and performs the exit interviews when they leave; and then, when he is
finally able to get home for a quick bite to eat, he may find himself inevitably interrupted by
calls or unannounced visits from people in need. The wonderful bishop! Christian service has no
better example in the modern world than that of an Latter-day Saint bishop serving his members,
all of which is done without pay. If this is the image we have in our minds of Church work, then
it’s a fine one.

Improved technology and the splitting up of ward clerk duties have helped improve the
lives of the Bob Cratchits in our midst. But it has accomplished much more than that. It has
helped us learn an important truth—Church work that undermines an individual’s opportunity to
spend quality time with his or her family frustrates the Lord’s goals in the gospel. If that,
ultimately, is the outcome of our routine Church service, then we have gone one step forward
and two steps backward. And if a disproportional burden of duties falls upon just a few members
in a ward, then all of us have lost sight of the responsibilities every member has within the
covenant of baptism. For surely, every member of the Church has the very same responsibility as
even the President of the Church to establish the kingdom of God on earth and to bring about
Zion. The accountability and stewardship for the souls of mankind is the same for all. It’s
certainly true that where much is given, much is expected. But it is also true that every one of us
has been given much. The Atonement of Christ easily qualifies as “much.” Therefore, much is
expected from all of us.

To return to the opening question. Church work––the work of the gospel, the work of
Zion––begins in the home. It is here, and not in an office at church, where we have seen James
and Beth setting up shop to begin the work of the five-dollar lawn.

One of the most important goals of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that all children on earth
grow up having the constant companionship of not only the Spirit, but of a mother in the home––
to watch over, love, and care for them. The father’s role in the workplace, and within the context
of Church service, is to love the Lord, to love his wife and family, and to love and serve his
fellow man. But more than anything, it is to come home speedily after work to be on time for the
evening dinner.

And what’s being served for dinner?

It might be roast beef hot from the serving pan, steamed carrots and peas, rice or
potatoes, beef gravy, freshly made bread with butter or margarine, and very often something
delicious for dessert.

And when the father sits down at the table, who is seated there with him ready to eat?

The mother of the family will be there—although she tends to watch that others eat ahead
of, or sometimes even instead of her; the small children and young teenagers will certainly be
there; and for many families, older teenagers will be there, too. So, there is a lot waiting at home
for the father to look forward to at dinner time: food to eat, people to talk to, fun things to do,
relationships to enjoy, and memories to cherish. Suppertime is helpful in setting the tone for

family events the rest of the evening. On Monday night, it is family night; on Sunday night, it
might be a time for relaxing from the week’s labors, as well as from Church services; on the
other five evenings of the week, there might be a mix of activities planned for inside the home or
out. But we should always try to err on the side of having things planned inside the home as
much as possible. That’s the safer play. The Spirit has greater influence on children and
teenagers within the controlled environment of the home, much more so than when they are off
with friends at other places. Regular employment for older teenagers and youth activities in the
Church are good and necessary exceptions to that rule.

The work we do in the home is the primary work of the Church. We raise families, we
learn to live the gospel, and we build long-lasting relationships with our friends and neighbors.
Once that important work is accomplished every day, we are then armed with the Spirit to go out
into our places of work, into our communities, into our Sunday services, into the mission field,
and into the many exquisite Latter-day Saint temples worldwide to work miracles and further
establish Zion.