August 2011 Visiting Teaching Message

You can find the message for this month, at lds.org or just click on the title of this post and you will magically be taken there. The message is titled, "A Society of Holy Women".

Sister Sylvia Alred was quoted when she said, "The work of Relief Society is holy, and doing holy work creates holiness in us." What a profoundly true statement. When we are about doing the Lords work, which is indeed holy, then we become holy. I can certainly testify to the truthfulness of this quote. As an example of this truth, about a month and a half ago, my husband and I were called into the Stake Presidents office, and after interviewing both of us, and asking us some pretty direct and probing questions, my husband was called to be the new bishop of our ward. He was sustained and set apart a few weeks later.

I have been married to him for over 35 years and when hands were laid on his head and the keys were given to him, and he began to serve our ward, I saw a different man. I was seeing him through the very same eyes as I always have, but his countenance changed as he was about giving tireless service to the members of our ward. He looks different to me and I feel such a marvelous spirit surrounding him, and like the quote said... "holy work creates holiness in us."

I testify that as we go about serving others, like Sister Alred said, We become holy. We may not necessarily be transformed and look different as the example I gave , but when we go about doing what the Lord asks of us, we are refined, and our thoughts and actions become holy.

As members of the LDS Church as well as sisters in the Relief Society, we are given plenty of opportunities to become holy as we receive callings and are given opportunities to serve others. Visiting Teaching is one of the greatest opportunities to provide service. Relief Society Presidents can't be everywhere and know everything, so she depends on the Visiting teachers to provide the watch care over the sisters of the ward. We become earthly ministering angels as we act upon the promptings we get on behalf of our sisters. To paraphrase sister Lucy Mack Smith, the Prophet's mother, "We cherish, watch over, and comfort one another".

There is so much more to what we as women in this church, are blessed with the opportunity to do. We serve our families, we serve in our various church callings. We look for needs and then provide service to fulfill those needs. We do our genealogy, and write our family history and go to the temple and do ordinance work for ourselves and our ancestors. This holy work gives us the opportunity to become Saviors on Mount Zion for those who have left this earth without the opportunity to receive these holy ordinances.

The Prophet Joseph Smith said: "Relief Society sister living their covenants command the respect not only of noble people, but "if you live up to your privileges," he promised the sisters, "The angels cannot be restrained from being your associates."

One of my favorite scriptures brought to mind is ..."When we are in the service of our fellowmen (and women) we are only in the service of our God." And one more..."If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."

It is my prayer that we will seek for higher grounds as we serve others. Now with this said... go out and get your visiting teaching done for this month and enjoy and be happy! Katie G.

P.S. I really enjoyed reading all of the scriptures referred to in this lesson. I think you will to, so don't pass them by. One more thing... I have made a door hanger handout for you to print off, so that you can..."GIVE THEM A HAND" in whatever ways you can. For the printable go to http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/