I can’t talk about Relief Society without bringing up Visiting Teaching (now called Ministering). And just as important as visiting teaching is home teaching. This principle of the church has blessed my life in many ways. When I was about 15 months old, I was living in Utah. My mom noticed that I was sick, but not running a fever. She took me to the doctor, who said not to worry about it and to bring me back if I got worse. My mom told me that the only comfortable position she could find for me to lessen my crying was to lay me on the floor on my side and that I naturally arched my head back. That night, the home teachers stopped by and noticed that I was lying on my side on my blanket on the floor. They soon left after a visit and message. Later that night, my mom received a call from the home teacher’s wife. He had told her about me lying on my side with my head arched back. She was a nurse. She told my mom to try to bring my head forward and tell her the result. I cried harder. The wife told my mother to take me into the hospital right away and that I may have meningitis. She was right. After I was admitted into the hospital, I was diagnosed with spinal meningitis. I was there about 12 days. During that time my mother’s visiting teachers brought many meals to feed my family and to help watch and care for my 3 older siblings. Without home and visiting teachers, my life could literally be different. If the home teacher hadn’t come that day, if he hadn’t shown concern to his wife about me, if she hadn’t promptly called, I may not have gotten into the hospital till days later, which would have let me with bad side effects or even worse. Now, I understand that not every home or visiting teaching experience is as dramatic, but I do believe that every visit shows love, concern and service to others. President Kimball has said, “God does notice us and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore it is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom.
