|
Visiting
teaching is an organized means whereby the women of the Church receive
regular instructional and compassionate service visits-usually by personal
contact in the home-from other female members of the Church. The purpose
is to promote sisterhood, present inspirational messages, and note
instances of need wherein the temporal and spiritual resources of the
Church might be helpful.
In
practice, the ward Relief Society president or those assisting her assign
pairs of visiting teachers to keep in contact with specific families over
a period of several months or even years. More frequent contact is made
with women and families exhibiting special needs, such as those new to the
Church, the less active, single parents, the divorced, the widowed, the
aged, and those faced with illness, death, or other difficulties.
The
need for such visitors was recognized soon after the founding of the
Relief Society in 1842. At the second meeting of the society on March 24,
Emma Smith, wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith, suggested appointing persons
to wait upon the poor. On July 28, 1843, a Necessity Committee of sixteen
was named "to search out the poor and suffering, to call upon the
rich for aid, and thus as far as possible, relieve the wants of all."
The original functions of this committee were twofold: "to ascertain
the condition of the families visited, and to accept contributions for
charitable purposes" (General Board, 1942, pp. 43-44; 1966, p. 68).
In
the early years of the Church in Nauvoo, Illinois, visiting teachers
reported their visits at the regular Relief Society meeting before all
members present, citing specific instances of need. It was also customary
for visiting teachers during this period to apportion and distribute to
needy families the commodities donated to the society.
In
1921 visiting teachers were relieved of the personal responsibility of
both ascertaining and meeting the material needs of families, but since
then they have continued to report confidentially (to the ward Relief
Society president) any instances of illness or need requiring attention.
Upon hearing such reports, the Relief Society president either visits the
family herself or designates the visiting teachers or someone else to give
aid as a representative of the society. In cases of economic need, the
Relief Society president and ward bishop confidentially inquire concerning
the family's condition to arrange for any needed assistance from Church
resources and for means to remedy the situation causing need. This
modification of assignment brought visiting teachers into the more
agreeable role of friendly visitors carrying messages from the society to
the home, yet still fulfilling the original assignment from the Prophet
Joseph Smith to "provoke the brethren to good works in looking after
the wants of the poor-searching after objects of charity, and in
administering to their wants" (General Board, 1966, p. 18).
An
observation of Eliza R. Snow, an early president of the Relief Society
organization, encapsulates the spirit of visiting teaching: "Many
times a kind expression-a few words of counsel, or even a warm or
affectionate shake of the hand-will do more good and be better appreciated
than a purse of gold" (General Board, 1966, p. 40).
The
importance of visiting teaching has been consistently reemphasized by
Church Presidents. Spencer W. Kimball exhorted visiting teachers to do as
the priesthood teachers do: "Watch over the Church always"-not
twenty minutes a month but always-"and be with and strengthen
them"-not a knock at the door, but to be with them, and lift them,
and strengthen them, and empower them, and fortify them-"and see that
there is no iniquity,. neither hardness,. backbiting, nor evil
speaking" (D&C 20:53-54).. How glorious is the privilege of two
sisters going into a home, soft-pedaling anything that could be
detrimental, and instead, building up all the authorities of the Church,
the Church itself, its doctrines, its policies, its practices-"And
see that [they] meet together often, and. do their duty" (D&C
20:55) [Ensign, June 1978, p. 24].
Visiting
teaching allows every sister to serve in the Church. Whether active or
inactive, single or married, newly baptized or a member of long standing,
each can serve effectively as a visiting teacher.
Because
of their sensitivity to the home and family and their consequent ability
to identify needs that might otherwise go unobserved, visiting teachers
give complementary support to the bishop and Relief Society president.
They can also become a readily organized corps in times of emergency,
crisis, or death. Countless recorded stories demonstrate the effectiveness
of the visiting teaching program in extending essential service, love, and
compassion to members, particularly the sisters of the Church.
|
"Choose
you this day
whom ye will
serve
but for me
and my
house we will
serve the Lord "
