[All-American]

I'm not terribly concerned over the question of internal vs. external service, but I do wonder how effective our internal service is. How much does the average member of the church benefit from the service activities you listed? Home teaching is as much of a chore for the home teachers as the home teachees. If people go to the activities, they do so out of obligation, not because they think they will benefit at all. We give talks and lessons knowing that few if any will benefit, hoping that it will touch at least one soul.

We are a duty driven people, which characteristic per se ought to be praised, but with aim, directive, or objective absent, it is simply less effective, less edifying, and less vivifying.