Visiting Teaching Conference, February 2, 2014
"Through
this system of Watchcare, each Latter-day Saint woman has the opportunity to be
an instrument in the Lord's hands."
(Daughters in my Kingdom, p. 110)
Sister Julie B. Beck, "What I hope my granddaughters (and grandsons) will Understand about Relief Society, October 2011.
" I hope my granddaughters will understand that visiting teaching is an expression of their discipleship and a significant way to honor their covenants. This element of our discipleship should closely resemble the ministry of our Savior. In the early days of Relief Society, a visiting committee from each ward received an assignment to assess needs and collect donations to be distributed to those in need. Throughout the years, Relief Society sisters and leaders have learned one step at a time and have improved in their ability to watch over others. There have been times when sisters have focused more on completing visits, teaching lessons, and leaving notices when they have stopped by their sisters’ homes. These practices have helped sisters learn patterns of watchcare. Just as people in the time of Moses concentrated on keeping long lists of rules, the sisters of Relief Society have at times imposed many written and unwritten rules upon themselves in their desire to understand how to strengthen one another.
"With so much need for relief and rescue in the lives of sisters and their families today, our Heavenly Father needs us to follow a higher path and demonstrate our discipleship by sincerely caring for His children. With this important purpose in mind, leaders are now taught to ask for reports about the spiritual and temporal well-being of sisters and their families and about service rendered.18 Now visiting teachers have the responsibility to “sincerely come to know and love each sister, help her strengthen her faith, and give service.”19
"As committed disciples of the Savior, we are improving in our ability to do the things He would do if He were here. We know that to Him it is our caring that counts, and so we are trying to concentrate on caring about our sisters rather than completing lists of things to do. True ministry is measured more by the depth of our charity than by the perfection of our statistics. We will know we are successful in our ministry as visiting teachers when our sisters can say, “My visiting teacher helps me grow spiritually” and “I know that my visiting teacher cares deeply about me and my family” and “If I have problems, I know my visiting teacher will take action without waiting to be invited.” Leaders who understand the importance of ministering to others will counsel together to seek and receive revelation about how to edify visiting teachers and how to organize and carry out an inspired ministry.
"Visiting Teaching: a Way of Life", Church News, January 9, 2010.
Sister
Elaine Jack, Church News, March 7, 1992, or Daughters in My Kingdom, p. 119--
"In visiting teaching we reach out to each other. Hands often speak as voices can't. A warm
embrace conveys volumes. A laugh
together unites us. A moment of sharing
refreshes our souls. We cannot always
lift the burden of one who is troubled, but we can lift her so she can bear it
well.
President
Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, Nov. 2009, or Daughters in my Kingdom, p. 112 --
"We are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our
encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness.... We are the Lord's hands here upon the earth,
with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us."
