- Compassion means to feel love and mercy toward another person. It means to have sympathy and desire to relieve the suffering of others. It means to show kindness and tenderness toward another.
A teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood is charged with the responsibility “to watch over the church always, and [to] be with and strengthen them.” A home teacher is expected to prayerfully considering each person they are called to serve.
Sister Julie B. Beck has reminded us, “Because we follow the example and teachings of Jesus Christ, we value this sacred assignment to love, know, serve, understand, teach, and minister in His behalf.”
Long distances, expense, and safety issues make in-person, monthly contacts impossible in some areas of the Church, but through the power of personal revelation, {those} who truly seek to love one another and are watching over and strengthening one another find meaningful ways to accomplish this call from the Lord.
- The beauty of visiting teaching is not to see 100 percent on the monthly report; the beauty of visiting teaching is seeing lives changed, tears wiped away, testimonies growing, people loved, families strengthened, people cheered, the hungry fed, the sick visited, and those who are mourning comforted. Actually, visiting teaching is never done because we watch over and strengthen always.
We could substitute “home teaching” for “visiting teaching” and that statement would still be completely accurate.
Sometimes the message will be the most important thing you share on a particular visit. . . . At times the most important blessing about your visit will be to just listen. Listening brings comfort, understanding, and healing. Still another time you may need to roll up your sleeves and go to work in the home.
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