Visiting Teaching

At Baptism I Covenant with the Lord to:

1. Come into the fold of God.

2. Take upon me the name of Christ.

3. Bear others’ burdens, that they may be light; mourn with those that

mourn; and comfort those in need of comfort.

4. Stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things and in

all places.

5. Serve God.

6. Keep his commandments.

When I Keep My Baptismal Covenants the Lord Covenants to:

1. Forgive my sins.

2. Pour his Spirit more abundantly upon me.

3. Redeem me that I might be numbered with those of the first resurrection

and have eternal life.

 

I have a new calling at church which I am absolutely ecstatic about. I am a visiting teaching supervisor. I have not been able to have a calling at church for over two years. It has frustrated me more than I can express. I love feeling needed and wanted. I had been praying for something to do to help the Savior. About a month ago, visiting teaching was constantly on my mind. I felt the need to work with those to help them understand the importance of visiting teaching.

When the Bishop showed up at my house last week, I was thrilled with the call. When the Relief Society president came to talk to me, I relayed my feelings of visiting teaching and the excitement I felt over this call. As the visiting teaching coordinator stopped by yesterday, we spoke of visiting teaching and the importance of it. 

I have a deep love for visiting teaching and feel it is at the center of the church and all that we do. I was expressing my feelings and thoughts on visiting teaching and all the ways that my life has been blessed by my own visiting teachers. I thoroughly believe that the Lord wants to answer our prayers. He wants to let us know that he is aware of our needs and cares about what we are experiencing. I have learned that he sends these sweet messages and tender mercies to us through others. If visiting teachers are listening and praying for their sisters and asking what they can do, it is easy for the Lord to prompt them to help answer prayers. 

Furthermore, I believe that visiting teaching is at the root of our baptismal covenants. We are called to take upon us the name of Christ. And bear one another's burdens, mourn together and comfort one another. We are to witness of God in all we do. We are to serve him and keep his commandments.

By visiting teaching, we do just that. We go to a sister's home. We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we testify of Christ, we stand in for him to help those in need, we help our sisters, we bear their burdens and share by listening and helping, which lifts the spirits and hearts of those suffering. We relay messages of hope and understanding and of comfort and miracles. We help one another. Essentially, when we visit teach, we are keeping our baptismal covenants. 

As I relayed my feelings on visiting teaching and compared how it relates to our baptismal covenant, I was in awe that it seemed no one else present had thought about the two being so intertwined. To me, visiting teaching and home teaching are at the essential core of the gospel of how we take care of one another. 

I also love the blessings that come when we keep our baptismal covenants and respond as we should to visiting teaching. 

 

We are promised our sins will be forgiven. Huge! I will take the Savior forgiving me of my shortcomings and weaknesses. I love the promise that as I visit teach that his spirit will be poured out more abundantly upon me. I need my Savior. I need the Holy Ghost to prompt me. I need his help. And most importantly, that I will be able to have eternal life. That I will be numbered among those of children of God. 

 

In addition to receiving such incredible blessings, I firmly believe that the visiting teacher is the one that benefits from the visiting teachee. The teacher prepares, puts in the time and effort and by doing so, not only are the blessed with all of the above beautiful promises, but it is usually where we find answers to our own prayers. We are also uplifted and blessed by the message, by the interaction, by mutual sharing of testimonies, struggles, strength and endurance. Each time I have left my sisters' homes, I have been the one uplifted, touched and rejuvenated. 

 

I am so excited for this next phase in my life. I hope that I can encourage and support those that I work with. I hope they will feel the spirit of visiting teaching and the beautiful plan that the Savior prepared for us to take care of one another. Just as the Plan of Salvation is perfect, so is the Visiting teaching program, when we do our part and implement the program how the Savior intended.

 

What's next? I guess a podcast. They want me to talk and share stories, motivate and explain my views on the program. And although I am secretively terrified to do it, I know the Savior will walk with me on this assignment, just as he does whenever he asks me to follow him. I am excited to be apart of sharing my enthusiasm for this inspired and beautiful program.