Visiting Teaching

                    Families grow stronger as the adult female members of the family participate in the visiting teaching program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Being a visiting teacher strengthens a woman as she forgets her own troubles and ministers to other women.  Receiving visiting teachers strengthens a woman as she receives watch care and ministering from other women.  The two parts of the visiting teaching program support and strengthen homes and families.

In 1843, Church members in Nauvoo, Illinois, were divided into four wards.  In July of that year Relief Society leaders appointed four sisters in each ward to serve as a visiting committee.  The responsibilities of the committees were to assess the needs of their sisters and to collect donations.  The donations were used by the Relief Society to provide for the needy.

                    Visiting teachers no longer collect donations when we visit our sisters, but we still have the same responsibility to assess the needs of the sisters - spiritual and physical - and to work to meet those needs.  Eliza R. Snow (1804-87) who served as our second Relief Society general president explained:  "A teacher … should surely have so much of the Spirit of the Lord, as she enters a house to know what spirit she meets in there….  Plead before God and the Holy Ghost to get [the Spirit] so that you will be able to meet that spirit that prevails in that house … and you may feel to talk words of peace and comfort, and if you find a sister feeling cold, take her to your heart as you would a child to your bosom and warm [her] up."

                    President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, taught: "Charity [means] far more than a feeling of benevolence. Charity is born of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and is an effect of His Atonement."  An important way for us to exercise our faith in the Savior is to be charity in action.

                    Visiting teachers provide watchcare by contacting each sister, sharing a gospel message, and seeking to know the needs of the sister and her family.  Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president, explained:  "Visiting teaching becomes the Lord's work when our focus is on people rather than percentages.  In reality, visiting teaching is never finished.  It is more a way of life than a task.  Faithfully serving as a visiting teacher is evidence of our discipleship."

                    We learn how to best minister to and meet the needs of each other and our families as we provide consistent and prayerful watchcare.  This ministering can take many forms.  President Thomas S. Monson taught, "Often small acts of service are all that is required to lift and bless another:  a question concerning a person's family, quick words of encouragement, a sincere compliment, a small note of thanks, a brief telephone call.  If we are observant and aware, and if we act on the promptings which come to us, we can accomplish much good….  Countless are the acts of service provided by the vast army of Relief Society visiting teachers."

                    I know that the visiting teaching program was inspired by God for the benefit of all his daughters.  I always enjoy going into the homes of my sisters to leave a message and get to know them better; and I also enjoy having sisters come into my home to teach me.  I always try to make the visits as convenient as possible for my own teachers.  This program is a wonderful blessing for all the daughters of God and their families!