August 2012 Visiting Teaching Message
Taking Action in Time of Need
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.
Taking Action in Time of Need
As
visiting teachers, one of our purposes is to help strengthen families
and homes. The sisters we visit should be able to say, “If I have
problems, I know my visiting teachers will help without waiting to be
asked.” In order to serve, we have a responsibility to be conscious of
the needs of the sisters we visit. When we seek inspiration, we will
know how to respond to the spiritual and temporal needs of each sister
we are assigned to visit. Then, using our time, skills, talents, prayers
of faith, and spiritual and emotional support, we can help give
compassionate service during times of illness, death, and other special
circumstances.1
Through
the help of reports from visiting teachers, the Relief Society
presidency identifies those who have special needs because of physical
or emotional illness, emergencies, births, deaths, disability,
loneliness, or other challenges. The Relief Society president then
reports her findings to the bishop. Under his direction, she coordinates
assistance.2
As
visiting teachers we can have “great reason … to rejoice” because of
“the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made
instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work” (Alma 26:1, 3).
From the Scriptures
From Our History
In
the early years of the Church, membership was small and centralized.
Members could respond quickly when someone was in need. Today our
membership is over 14 million and is spread throughout the world.
Visiting teaching is part of the Lord’s plan to provide help for all His
children.
“The
only system which could provide succor and comfort across a church so
large in a world so varied would be through individual servants near the
people in need,” said President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency.
“… Every
bishop and every branch president has a Relief Society president to
depend upon,” he continued. “She has visiting teachers, who know the
trials and the needs of every sister. She can, through them, know the
hearts of individuals and families. She can meet needs and help the
bishop in his call to nurture individuals and families.”3
For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.
What Can I Do?
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1.
Am I using my gifts and talents to bless others?
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2.
Do the sisters I watch over know that I am willing to help them when they have a need?
