Timothy Goes Visiting

By Sherrie Johnson

Timothy heard the THUMP! BANG! CLANG! of his dad’s tools come to a stop.

“I don’t think I’ll ever finish this room,” Dad told Mother. “I’ll have to stop and go home teaching this evening, and there’s still so much to do!”

“It’ll all get done, eventually,” Mother said encouragingly.

“You’re right, dear. I just wish I had more time,” Timothy heard his dad say before the banging, thumping, and clanging began again.

Five-year-old Timothy knew how he could help his dad: He’d do the home teaching! He’d gone with his dad and Brother Chun twice before, and he knew just what to do.

Timothy ran to his room and got his Scripture Stories. In the kitchen he grabbed the sack of oranges Grandma had brought him the day before. Next, he wet his hair down with water and carefully brushed it into place. Then he put on his best blue sweater. “I’m going for a walk,” he called to his mother.

“Don’t be too long,” she said.

“I won’t.” Timothy skipped down the sidewalk. First he went to Sister Back’s house. She lived right next door. He climbed the three steps to her porch and knocked on the door.

“Hello, Timothy,” Sister Back said as she greeted him with a pleasant smile.

“Hi,” Timothy said. “My dad’s real busy today, so I thought I’d help him. I’m here to do his home teaching.”

“My, my,” said Sister Back. “How very nice of you. Come in.”

Timothy sat in the green-flowered rocking chair. He put the sack on the floor and opened his Scripture Stories.

“I thought today we’d talk about Daniel,” Timothy began.

“That’s one of my favorite stories,” Sister Back told him.

“It’s one of mine, too,” Timothy said. Then he told Sister Back all about Daniel in the lion’s den and about how important it is to pray even if kings say you can’t.

“That’s a good thing to remember,” Sister Back said.

“Now,” Timothy asked, “is there anything I can do for you?”

“No-o-o,” Sister Back started to answer, then stopped. “Oh, yes, there is!” she exclaimed. “I dropped my purse behind the couch. I can’t reach it, and the couch is too heavy for me to move.”

Timothy smiled. “I can get if for you,” he said and quickly crawled behind the couch and pulled out the bag.

“Thank you, Timothy,” Sister Back said, her blue eyes twinkling. “I was wondering how I’d ever get it out from there. Now how about helping me eat some chocolate chip cookies.”

Timothy smiled. “I can do that too!”

“Good.” Sister Back gave Timothy a hug and got the cookies and two glasses of milk.

Before he left, Timothy and Sister Back prayed together, and Timothy gave her three oranges from his sack. “If you need anything else, you can call my dad or me, all right?” Timothy told her as he went down the steps.

“I sure will. Thank you for coming,” Sister Back called.

Next, Timothy went to Brother Lelac’s. He was planting violets in his greenhouse. While they talked about Daniel, Timothy helped him fill pots with rich brown soil. Then Timothy went to Sister Harper’s. She had a cold and wasn’t feeling very well. Timothy gave her three oranges and told her they would make her feel better.

When Timothy got home, the smile on his face stretched from ear to ear—but it wasn’t nearly as big as the smile he felt inside. Mother was just getting dinner started, and Dad was still banging and thumping and clanging in the new room.

“Did you have a good walk?” Mother asked.

“Yes,” Timothy answered, his smile twinkling happily in his eyes. “And I helped Dad.”

“How did you do that?” Mother asked.

“I did his home teaching. I visited Sister Back, Brother Lelac, and Sister Harper. They’re all doing fine, except Sister Harper. She has a little cold, so I told her I’d visit her again tomorrow. I taught them all about Daniel and prayer and gave each of them three of my oranges.”

Timothy’s mother smiled. “That was nice of you! But I’m sure your dad and Brother Chun will want to check on Sister Harper and the others tonight. It’s really their priesthood responsibility. When you grow up, you’ll probably be a home teacher too.”

Timothy smiled back. “I can’t wait until I can go home teaching all the time,” he said. “It’s fun!”

Illustrated by Preston Heiselt