Visiting Teaching Messages: August 10,2006

“I enjoy reaching out to sisters in my ward through the visiting teaching program. I have
a testimony of the importance of these personal visits and make them a priority.
Throughout the years, some of the sisters I have visited have been less active. As I have
befriended them and helped them grow in the gospel, I have learned several ways to help
activate and retain those I visit:
Fast and Pray – to determine a sister’s needs, consider fasting and praying for her.
Before each visit, pray with your companion to invite the Spirit and to seek guidance.”
(Bunkie Griffith, Ensign, Feb 2004) (6 more topics will be covered)

“I enjoy reaching out to sisters in my ward through the visiting teaching program. I have
a testimony of the importance of these personal visits and make them a priority.
Throughout the years, some of the sisters I have visited have been less active. As I have
befriended them and helped them grow in the gospel, I have learned several ways to help
activate and retain those I visit:
Befriend – Get to know her personally. Ask about her interests, her background, and her
family. If you know how to do family history research, offer to help her start. Another
way to build your friendship is to remember her birthday, anniversary, or children’s
birthdays –information you may be able to obtain in a get-to-know you visit. Celebrating
the birthdays does not have to be expensive. The fact that you remember them is more
important. (Bunkie Griffith, Ensign, Feb 2004) (5 more topics will be covered)

“I enjoy reaching out to sisters in my ward through the visiting teaching program. I have
a testimony of the importance of these personal visits and make them a priority.
Throughout the years, some of the sisters I have visited have been less active. As I have
befriended them and helped them grow in the gospel, I have learned several ways to help
activate and retain those I visit:
Inform and invite – Provide information about your ward and stake. Notifying your
sister of leaders’ phone numbers, meeting schedules, and plans for upcoming activities is
especially helpful. Invite her to Sunday Church meetings, as well as home, family, and
personal enrichment meetings.
(Bunkie Griffith, Ensign, Feb 2004) (4 more topics will be covered)

“I enjoy reaching out to sisters in my ward through the visiting teaching program. I have
a testimony of the importance of these personal visits and make them a priority.
Throughout the years, some of the sisters I have visited have been less active. As I have
befriended them and helped them grow in the gospel, I have learned several ways to help
activate and retain those I visit:
Listen – Sometimes the sister you visit will need a listening ear, not a solution. Try not
to judge, and encourage her to seek help from the Bishop or Relief Society president
when needed. And if your sister wants to recount favorite memories from her vast life
experiences, listen and respond politely. While it is important to share the visiting
teaching message, be careful not to interrupt something your sister needs to say.
(Bunkie Griffith, Ensign, Feb 2004) (3 more topics will be covered)

“I enjoy reaching out to sisters in my ward through the visiting teaching program. I have
a testimony of the importance of these personal visits and make them a priority.
Throughout the years, some of the sisters I have visited have been less active. As I have
befriended them and helped them grow in the gospel, I have learned several ways to help
activate and retain those I visit:
Introduce and Include – When she attends Relief Society, be sure to sit with her.
Introduce her to the presidency, to the sisters sitting nearby, and to those who share her
interests. Also invite her to join your circle of friends for other social occasions. If she
has a spouse or children, introduce them to members of the Elder’s Quorum, Primary, or
Young Men and Young Women organizations.
(Bunkie Griffith, Ensign, Feb 2004) (2 more topics will be covered)

“I enjoy reaching out to sisters in my ward through the visiting teaching program. I have
a testimony of the importance of these personal visits and make them a priority.
Throughout the years, some of the sisters I have visited have been less active. As I have
befriended them and helped them grow in the gospel, I have learned several ways to help
activate and retain those I visit:
Uplift – Be optimistic in your visits. All of us experience challenges and need support
from others. But as visiting teachers we should be careful about discussing our personal
or family problems during visiting teaching. Focus on the sister’s needs, and if she needs
a boost, contact her throughout the month with a short, unexpected phone call or a note of
appreciation. (Bunkie Griffith, Ensign, Feb 2004) (1 more topics will be covered)

“I enjoy reaching out to sisters in my ward through the visiting teaching program. I have
a testimony of the importance of these personal visits and make them a priority.
Throughout the years, some of the sisters I have visited have been less active. As I have
befriended them and helped them grow in the gospel, I have learned several ways to help
activate and retain those I visit:
Serve – Show you care throughout the year by sharing a start from your favorite plant, a
batch of warm cookies, or a Church magazine. Especially meaningful are gifts of time.
Try to help with something she needs to have done. Instead of saying, “Le us know if
there is anything we can do,” offer assistance. If she’s been working in the yard, for
instance, ask, “Could we help you plant your flowers?” Then let her decide if she’d like
the help. (Bunkie Griffith, Ensign, Feb 2004)

At a fireside a priesthood leader asked his audience, “How can you tell if someone is
converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ”? A discussion ensued. At its conclusion, the
leader said, “I believe the most telling indicator of how we feel about Jesus Christ is how
we treat each other. A fundamental sign of conversion is an intense interest in the
welfare of others. After Enos received a remission of his sins, he “began to feel a desire
for the welfare of his brethren, the Nephites; wherefore, he did pour out his whole soul
unto God for them” An identifying quality of the followers of Jesus Christ has always
been their willingness to impart “to one another both temporally and spiritually according
to their needs and their wants” Satan will try to keep us from providing this support; he
attempts to separate us from one another, to make us feel we don’t have time for each
other, and to distract us from gaining our own testimonies-and helping others gain theirs.
Visiting teaching counters the adversary’s efforts.

President Gordon B. Hinckley has admonished: “We have some of our own who cry out
in pain and suffering and loneliness and fear. Ours is a great and solemn duty to reach
out and help them, to lift, them, to feed them if they are hungry, to nurture their spirits if
they thirst for truth and righteousness” Please remember that as followers of Jesus
Christ we have committed to take care of one another. We can make a difference in the
lives of the sisters that we have been assigned.

From the Relief Society Handbook: Responsibilities of Visiting Teachers

Visiting teachers visit and make other contacts with assigned sisters. Where feasible, a
monthly visit in the sister’s home is preferable. When sisters have special needs, visiting
teachers may need to visit and give assistance more frequently. Visiting teachers build
caring relationships by developing friendship and trust with each sister. They also learn
of the spiritual and temporal needs of the sister and her family. They offer appropriate
assistance. Visiting teachers have an especially important responsibility to minister to
new members and less-active members. Before each visit, companions meet together to
pray, review instructions from leaders, review their message, and discuss how to care for
each sister.