Mormon women have always had a method of helping each other. It used to be called “visiting teaching,” but now it’s called “ministering” — which involves visiting/ministering other women. It’s part of the women’s organization called the Relief Society. We’re supposed to help each other and hopefully no woman slips through the cracks. It’s really about becoming friends.

Visits can include email, in-person visits, phone calls and letters. There used to be a place to mark each one of these on the official records. I know because I was a visiting teaching coordinator. With the new “ministering” program I don’t know about the record keeping.

In the past you had a message to share. But I didn’t do that much, it was way too scripted for me. I  didn’t give the “message of the month” every time. In fact, I felt dumb doing so, since it was the same message that my visiting teachers gave me — and I could read it for myself in the Ensign. In the 2010 church handbook it said, “when appropriate” share a gospel message.

The new LDS Ministering program

You should go by your intuition/inspiration.

I think that’s why President Nelson has changed the name of this program from visiting teaching to “ministering.” Maybe this will help us avoid the checklist mentality of so many of our church programs. It’s easy to fall into the spirit of not wanting to do it or just getting it “done.” (Like the silly video in this post.)

We need to become the contact for the sisters we visit when they need help. If they are in need of more than what we can offer–if they need food from the bishop’s storehouse, then we can let the R.S. Pres. know.

Some sisters may be embarrassed to let you know they need help. And others may ask for more than you can deliver. And all this should be kept confidential–which is sometimes not that easy for the “saints.”

I assume the official church handbook will be updated to reflect these new programs. I don’t see that yet on the LDS.org site.

The Old Visiting Teaching Rules

The Official Church Handbook for 2010 said, we are to
1.  “Sincerely” come to know and love the sister we visit, to strengthen her faith and give service.
2.  “Have regular contact” (monthly if possible) with the sister. If a personal visit is not possible then-
  • ⁃ phone calls
  • ⁃ letters
  • ⁃ emails
  • ⁃ other means
4.  When appropriate share a gospel message.
5.  Service during illness, death, other circumstances
Through this ministering, the Relief Society president helps the bishop identify and resolve short-term and long-term needs of sisters and their families.

Ministering

I can’t help but think of a minister when I hear “ministering” — and I’m not sure what ministering means to me. So I looked it up.

min·is·ter
ˈminəstər/
verb
gerund or present participle: ministering
  1. 1.
    attend to the needs of (someone).
    “her doctor was busy ministering to the injured”
    • archaic
      provide (something necessary or helpful).
      “the story was able to minister true consolation”
  2. 2.
    act as a minister of religion.
    synonyms: tend to, care for, take care of, look after, nurse, treat, attend to, see to, administer to, help, assist

    “doctors were ministering to the injured”
    • administer (a sacrament).
Origin
Middle English (sense 1 of the noun and sense 3 of the noun): from Old French ministre (noun), ministrer (verb), from Latin minister ‘servant,’ from minus ‘less.’
I see that a minister is a servant and comes from the Latin word “minus” meaning “less.”