I was once teaching in a Stake Priesthood Leadership Training. I purposed the question, “Why don’t people do their home teaching?” Someone in the back of the room exclaimed without hesitation “LAZINESS!” Since then I have asked many Elders Quorum Presidents and other leaders this same question. 8 times out of 10 they give me the same answer–laziness.
Leaders are asked to accomplish tasks that require others to follow through with action (i.e. home teaching, visiting teaching, helping people move, canning random fruit for hours, etc). When the desired result is not manifesting itself some leaders move towards motivational tactics that have been used since before Joseph Smith turned to James 1:5. When those tactics don’t work they simply conclude, “They’re lazy. And lazy can’t be fixed.”
If you think people in your quorum are lazy you might want to look at your leadership and figure out what you are doing wrong.
Take a look at this research study:
So are people truly lazy or are they exhausted? When approaching someone that isn’t doing their home teaching, approach with the thought that this person is just exhausted. And exhausted people don’t need home teaching guilt trips.
Thanks for the post. Very interesting study. I'm struggling to make some changes in my own life (diet, exercise, regular temple attendance, scripture study, etc.) and it can get overwhelming when you trying to create too many habits. I can't decide whether I should focus on one at a time or just really work hard and make a complete change.