Visiting Teaching—a Sacred
Assignment
Prayerfully study this
material and, as appropriate, discuss it with the sisters you visit. Use the
questions to help you strengthen your sisters and to make Relief Society an
active part of your own life.
As
visiting teachers, we have an important spiritual mission to fulfill. “The
bishop, who is the ordained shepherd of the ward, cannot possibly watch over
all of the Lord’s sheep at one time. He is dependent on inspired visiting
teachers to help him.”1 Seeking and receiving revelation as to who
should be assigned to watch over each sister is essential.
Inspiration
begins as members of the Relief Society presidency prayerfully discuss the
needs of individuals and families. Then, with the bishop’s approval, the Relief
Society presidency gives the assignment in a way that helps sisters understand
that visiting teaching is an important spiritual responsibility.2
Visiting
teachers sincerely come to know and love each sister, help her strengthen her
faith, and give service when needed. They seek personal inspiration to know how
to respond to the spiritual and temporal needs of each sister they visit.3
“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.”4
From
the Scriptures
From
Our History
Eliza R.
Snow, the second Relief Society general president taught, “I consider the
office of a teacher a high and holy office.” She counseled visiting teachers
“to be filled with the Spirit of God, of wisdom, of humility, of love” before
they visited homes so they would be able to ascertain and meet spiritual needs
as well as temporal ones. She said, “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.”5
As
we go forth in faith as the early Relief Society sisters did, we will have the
Holy Ghost with us and be inspired to know how to help each sister we visit.
“Let [us] seek for wisdom instead of power,” said Sister Snow, “and [we] will
have all the power [we] have wisdom to exercise.”6
For
more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.
What
Can I Do?
1. How can I improve in my ability to fulfill my
important responsibility as a visiting teacher?
2. As a visiting teacher, how can I help other
sisters fulfill their responsibility as visiting teachers?
Notes
1. Julie B. Beck, “Relief Society:
A Sacred Work,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov.
2009, 114.
2. See Handbook 2:
Administering the Church (2010), 9.5; 9.5.2.
3. See Handbook 2, 9.5.1.
4. Julie B. Beck, Liahona and Ensign, Nov.
2009, 114.
5. Eliza R. Snow, in Daughters
in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society (2011), 108.
6. Eliza R. Snow, in Daughters in My Kingdom, 45–46.
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