I have a testimony of visiting teaching. I believe it is God's way of allowing us to serve each other and fulfill our baptismal covenants to "mourn with those that mourn; yea and comfort those who stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places." (Mosiah 18 :9) It is also such a perfect system for knowing and caring for the needs of all His daughters.
I became a visiting teaching at age seventeen when I entered Relief Society as a freshman at BYU, so I have been visiting teaching for about 35 years. I love visiting teaching! I'll admit that some months are easier than others for actually getting it done. But I don't believe I have missed many months in my 35 years. I consider visiting teaching a stewardship that God has given me to watch over those I have been assigned to visit.
It hasn't always been easy. I remember one sister I visited who acted kind of irritated every time I called to make an appointment. She would say, "Well, I guess we have to jump through the Relief Society hoops for one more month." When we were visiting her, I asked her what she meant by that and if we were doing something that bothered her. She confessed that she didn't really like Relief Society or anything to do with it, because her stepmother had been unkind about forcing her to Relief Society when she was a young adult, and she felt that we, as her visiting teachers just came out of a sense of duty.
I explained to her that indeed we had taken our assignment to visit her in the beginning out of a sense of duty, but in fact, as we had been coming to visit her for a few months now and had gotten to know her, we now came out of friendship and because we liked her and visiting her home. She was softened by that, and we became even better friends. Even though I don't live in the same ward with her now, when we see each other, we are genuinely happy to greet each other as friends.
I once moved into a new ward in early March, with a new baby, my fifth-- and wintry weather all around. I didn't have carpools for my kids or really get to know anyone in my neighborhood because of it being winter. But I was assigned as a visiting teacher, and when I met my partner and we went to visit our sisters, I immediately felt a part of my ward and felt that I had friends. My own visiting teachers came to visit me and again, I felt that I had instant friendships. Some of those sisters are still my dear friends.
As a grandmother, I was assigned a partner and sister to visit who could have been my daughters. On the first visit, I felt "old." They were talking about their kids in elementary school and I was past that stage and felt I had nothing to say. But as we continue to visit month after month, each month became easier, and I felt friendship blossoming in spite of our age differences. Now I consider these two sisters my dear friends-- and that wouldn't have happened without visiting teaching!
I have also been blessed by loving visiting teachers. I haven't always had visiting teachers who visited me every month. But I have had some dear visiting teachers who have been consistent and loving in their visits to me. I specifically remember when I gave birth to my sixth baby and my visiting teachers brought the most delicious meal to my family. There were plenty of leftovers, which I enjoyed for lunch for several days after. I am always touched when my visiting teachers have been consistent in visiting me every month, taking time our of their own busy schedules for me.
Another blessing of visiting teaching is visiting one another in our homes. As a "stay-at-home" mother, I have felt that no one saw my "workplace" or knew of all the effort I put into creating a home. My visiting teachers have often indulged me as I show them some craft I was working on or just commented on something beautiful in my home. It feels good to have friends come into your home and notice the work you have done.
Visiting teaching is like any other gospel principle-- you have to do it to gain a testimony of it. You can't have a testimony of tithing without paying your tithing. You can't have a testimony of the Word of Wisdom without actually obeying it. You have to get out there month after month and GO visiting teaching in order to feel the power of the love and friendship that WILL happen if you just do it.
Visiting teaching has blessed my life, and I hope that my doing of it has blessed the lives of others. I know that it is God's way of allowing us to watch over and serve each other, but we can only know that if we do it.
I reposted this so that the format would be more readable and in the process I lost the three comments which had already been made :(
beautiful fall colors!
