I used to be afraid of sharing the caring, just report if I visited or not. But I have learned that our Visiting Teaching Supervisors, Relief Society Presidents and Bishops want to know you’re caring for your sisters. They want the details! This is not an assignment of secret charity, save those for other peeps. This is our assignment from the Lord, where we can do a lot and brag about all of the service we’ve done to our VT supervisors because they need the info and they want to praise us for caring about our dear sisters. Of course still be humble and always be willing to improve. They want to know HOW sisters you visit are feeling of the Saviors love. So let’s not be afraid and go all out! The Savior loves us and our Supervisors have been called to share His love for us as we report our caring through Visiting Teaching.

I went to my favorite place to download some cute digital products LetteringDelights.com. I used a couple of different digital products. You take the Cupcake for the Cupcakes and DB Hello Cupcake DoodleBat Font for the black and white version, LD Cursive Font for the font, Cup Cake Celebration for the frame and Dress Up Paper Dolls for the gal’s head shot silhouette.

Title: My Super Sweet Supervisor (Font used LD Cursive Font)
To fill in: supervisor’s name, address, phone & cell phone, option if you receive texts, then put your email address. Picture can be glued on top after printing or added using a photo editing software.
Then says: “Reporting our Visiting Teaching is a piece of cake!”

SPECIAL NOTE: If you’re not a Visiting Teaching Supervisor yet, you won’t need to download this free printable. This is for all of the Visiting Teaching Supervisors, Visiting Teaching Coordinators or Relief Society Presidencies who want to help the sisters of their ward know who to call to report their Visiting Teaching. Print it and fill it out with the Supervisors Information and pass out to the sisters in her district maybe even with a cupcake! If you know how to use photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop or Elements then you can add text before you print it and even add your picture in the circle provided. Otherwise there is just a blonde silhouette of a gal in it’s place.

Supervisors, I created 2 different designs for you! 1 in color which you can print at your favorite photo place and a black and white one which you can print from home on cardstock and cut out and pass out with a cupcake!

Color: 4×6 (click to enlarge and save file. Sized for photo printing on matte photo paper. No cutting necessary!)

Black & White: 3-up – 4×6 (8.5×11 size to print at home or your local copy shop on cardstock)

Instructions:
1. Download the 4×6 JPG file or the PDF file. Just click to enlarge and then right click to download.
2. [Optional] You can open the JPG or PDF and edit them using Photoshop if you want to add text or pictures to them before printing. If you are not familiar with that, you can do a search online and learn, sorry this site is to help you with Visiting Teaching only. You can also just print them and then write on them with a fine tip sharpie and pass them out. You can then glue your pic on them too. Works just as good!
3. Upload the JPG to your favorite online photo printing store or print the PDF at home with black ink on cardstock.
4. Cut them out on the dotted lines if you’re printing the Black and White version, each card should be 4×6 or if you downloaded the individual JPG just print it and it’s ready to go.
5. Write your info, glue a pic of yourself if desired and give to the sisters in your Visiting Teaching District! and I’ve already suggested it but seriously how cute to pass this out with a cupcake! Maybe I’m suggesting it because I want one right now.

Print Text from LDS.org | English PDF, Spanish PDF, Portuguese PDF | Listen to MP3

Study this material and, as appropriate, discuss it with the sisters you visit. Use the questions to help you strengthen your sisters and to make Relief Society an active part of your own life.

“You are the guardians of the hearth,” said President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) as he introduced “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” in the general Relief Society meeting in 1995. “You are the bearers of the children. You are they who nurture them and establish within them the habits of their lives. No other work reaches so close to divinity as does the nurturing of the sons and daughters of God.”1

For almost 17 years now this proclamation has reinforced that our most significant responsibilities are centered in strengthening families and homes—no matter our current circumstances. Barbara Thompson, now second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, was in the Salt Lake Tabernacle when President Hinckley first read the proclamation. “That was a great occasion,” she remembers. “I felt the significance of the message. I also found myself thinking, ‘This is a great guide for parents. It is also a big responsibility for parents.’ I thought for a moment that it really didn’t pertain too much to me since I wasn’t married and didn’t have any children. But almost as quickly I thought, ‘But it does pertain to me. I am a member of a family. I am a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a cousin, a niece, and a granddaughter. I do have responsibilities—and blessings—because I am a member of a family. Even if I were the only living member of my family, I am still a member of God’s family, and I have a responsibility to help strengthen other families.’”

Fortunately, we are not left alone in our efforts. “The greatest help,” says Sister Thompson, “we will have in strengthening families is to know and follow the doctrines of Christ and rely on Him to help us.”2

From the Scriptures

Proverbs 22:6; Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

1 Nephi 1:1; I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.

2 Nephi 25:26; And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

Alma 56:46–48;

46 For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.

47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

Doctrine and Covenants 93:40 – But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth.

From Our History

“When Sister Bathsheba W. Smith served as the fourth Relief Society general president [from 1901 to 1910], she saw a need to strengthen families, and so she established mother education lessons for Relief Society sisters. The lessons included counsel on marriage, prenatal care, and child rearing. These lessons supported President Joseph F. Smith’s teachings about the Relief Society helping women in their roles at home:

“‘Wherever there is ignorance or at least a lack of understanding in regard to the family, duties of the family, with regard to obligations that should exist and that do rightfully exist between husband and wife and between parents and children, there this organization exists or is near at hand, and by the natural endowments and inspiration that belongs to the organization they are prepared and ready to impart instruction with reference to those important duties.’”3

What Can I Do?

Notes

1. Gordon B. Hinckley, “Stand Strong against the Wiles of the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 101.
2. Barbara Thompson, “I Will Strengthen Thee; I Will Help Thee,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 117.
3. Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society (2011), 153.

Here’s what she says: “The importance of this month’s visiting teaching message is very real to me. I gave birth to my third son this week and while caring for that little angel, I know of the importance of a woman’s work here on Earth. Even if we do not have children of our own, we still belong to a family, an eternal family, that we can nurture and bring unto Christ.”

Visit Telisa’s blog site, she has way too much energy for a mommy of 3 boys under 3 and she makes some pretty cute and crafty things. Definitely a bunch worth pinning for later!

“You are the bearers of the children. You are they who nurture them and establish within them the habits of their lives. No other work reaches so close to divinity as does the nurturing of the sons and daughters of God.” – President Gordon B. Hinckley

“Even if I were the only living member of my family, I am still a member of God’s family, and I have a responsibility to help strengthen other families. Fortunately, we are not left alone in our efforts. “The greatest help, we will have in strengthening families is to know and follow the doctrines of Christ and rely on Him to help us.” – Sister Barbara Thompson

Here’s what she says about this month’s message: “I really like this months message because it reminds us the importance of womanhood. It is something I need to be reminded of everyday with a crazy busy life that we all have.  It is nice to sit back and take a look and realize I am important and I have a purpose.”

Kassidy used a quote from President Hinckley:

“You are the guardians of the hearth,” said President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) as he introduced “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” in the general Relief Society meeting in 1995. “You are the bearers of the children. You are they who nurture them and establish within them the habits of their lives. No other work reaches so close to divinity as does the nurturing of the sons and daughters of God.”

Download the February’s 2012 Visiting Teaching 4×6 Postcard:
Download this month’s Visiting Teaching Postcard by Sugar Tot Designs and give them to the sisters you Visiting Teach, by clicking either the previous text link or the link images below.

Instructions:
1. Download the 4×6 JPG above or the 2-up PDF.
2. Print the PDF in Color at home or the JPG at your favorite photo printing store. (i.e. costco, walmart, etc..) Make sure they don’t change the size for the image because it’s exactly 4×6, you should not have any white on the sides.
3. Cut them out.
4. Write a message on the back if desired.
5. Gift it to the sisters you Visit Teach and include a copy of the whole message so the sisters can read it too.

Kassidy used a quote from President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency:

“Charity [means] far more than a feeling of benevolence,” taught President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency. “Charity is born of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and is an effect of His Atonement.” For Relief Society sisters, visiting teaching can be charity in action, an important way to exercise our faith in the Savior.

After I saw her printable I totally wanted to throw a CIA or “Charity in Action” party with that cute bunting banner. oooo I think I do like that title, CIA workshop. So many ideas flowing there! Anyways…that’s just me brainstorming. You can ignore my ranting.

Download VT Printable Sheet:
Download this 4.5×6 JPG here or by clicking the image below to download the PDF.

Instructions:
1. Download the 4.5×6 JPG or the 2-up PDF.
2. Print the PDF in Color at home or the JPG at your favorite photo printing store. (i.e. costco, walmart, etc..) Make sure to reduce the image to fit the 4×6, you will have white on the sides.
3. Cut them out.
4. Write a message on the back if desired.
5. Gift it to the sisters you Visit Teach and include a copy of the whole talk so the sisters can read it.

She has one of the most darling Visiting Teaching Kits she is selling on her site if you’d rather let her do all the work for ya. She is even including a free Contact Card which she will edit for you and include you and your companion’s info on it.

Some goals she has set for herself this year 2012 are:

Thanks so much Telisa, and we wish you a great delivery, speedy recovery and lots of snuggling with your new baby boy.

“Visiting teaching becomes the Lord’s work when our focus is on people rather than percentages. In reality, visiting teaching is never finished. It is more a way of life than a task. Faithfully serving as a visiting teacher is evidence of our discipleship.” by Sister Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president.

“Often small acts of service are all that is required to lift and bless another… If we are observant and aware, and if we act on the promptings which come to us, we can accomplish much good… Countless are the acts of service provided by the vast army of Relief Society visiting teachers.” by President Thomas S. Monson.

Seriously visit Telisa’s blog site, she has way too much energy for a prego mommy and she makes some pretty cute and crafty things. I’ve already pinned like a million projects. OK, maybe not a million, but several.

Print Text from LDS.org | English PDF, Spanish PDF, Portuguese PDF | Listen to MP3

Study this material and, as appropriate, discuss it with the sisters you visit. Use the questions to help you strengthen your sisters and to make Relief Society an active part of your own life.

“Charity [means] far more than a feeling of benevolence,” taught President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency. “Charity is born of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and is an effect of His Atonement.”1 For Relief Society sisters, visiting teaching can be charity in action, an important way to exercise our faith in the Savior.

Through visiting teaching, we provide watchcare by contacting each sister, sharing a gospel message, and seeking to know her and her family’s needs. “Visiting teaching becomes the Lord’s work when our focus is on people rather than percentages,” explains Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president. “In reality, visiting teaching is never finished. It is more a way of life than a task. Faithfully serving as a visiting teacher is evidence of our discipleship.”2

As we provide consistent and prayerful watchcare, we learn how to best minister to and meet the needs of each sister and her family. Ministering can take many forms—some large and some not so large. “Often small acts of service are all that is required to lift and bless another: a question concerning a person’s family, quick words of encouragement, a sincere compliment, a small note of thanks, a brief telephone call,” taught President Thomas S. Monson. “If we are observant and aware, and if we act on the promptings which come to us, we can accomplish much good. … Countless are the acts of service provided by the vast army of Relief Society visiting teachers.”3
From the Scriptures

John 13:15, 34–35; 21:15; Mosiah 2:17; Doctrine and Covenants 81:5; Moses 1:39

From Our History

In 1843, Church members in Nauvoo, Illinois, were divided into four wards. In July of that year, Relief Society leaders appointed a visiting committee of four sisters for each ward. The visiting committees’ responsibilities included assessing needs and collecting donations. The Relief Society used these donations to provide for the needy.4

While visiting teachers no longer collect donations, they do retain the responsibility to assess needs—spiritual and temporal—and to work to meet those needs. Eliza R. Snow (1804–87), second Relief Society general president, explained: “A teacher … should surely have so much of the Spirit of the Lord, as she enters a house to know what spirit she meets in there. … Plead before God and the Holy Ghost to get [the Spirit] so that you will be able to meet that spirit that prevails in that house … and you may feel to talk words of peace and comfort, and if you find a sister feeling cold, take her to your heart as you would a child to your bosom and warm [her] up.”5

What Can I Do?

1.What am I doing to help my sisters feel that I am a friend who loves and cares for them?
2.How can I become better at watching over and caring for others?

For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.

Notes

1. Henry B. Eyring, “The Enduring Legacy of Relief Society,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2009, 121.
2. Julie B. Beck, “Relief Society: A Sacred Work,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2009, 114.
3. Thomas S. Monson, “Three Goals to Guide You,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 120–21.
4. See Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society (2011), 105.
5. Eliza R. Snow, in Daughters in My Kingdom, 108.

I asked her to tell me why she designed this particular handout. Here is what she said.

“I used a quote from the Relief Society Meeting. This is something that I really needed and felt inspired to create. With the holidays fast approaching I think it is good to give everyone a little thought on charity and the importance of it.”

Here’s the quote from the General Relief Society Meeting, address given by Silvia H. Allred titled Charity Never Faileth. You can download the whole talk here in PDF.

Quote included in the printable is: President Monson teaches: “Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down. It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others.”

When we have charity, we are willing to serve and help others when it is inconvenient and with no thought of recognition or reciprocation. We don’t wait to be assigned to help, because it becomes our very nature. As we choose to be kind, caring, generous, patient, accepting, forgiving, inclusive, and selfless, we discover we are abounding in charity.”

Download VT Printable Sheet:
Download this 3×4 JPG here or by clicking the image below. Great for Visiting Teachers and Home Teachers too!

Instructions:
1. Download the 4×6 JPG.
2. Print in Color at your favorite photo printing store in 4×6. (i.e. costco, walmart, etc..) Make sure to select same size, and don’t let them re-size it for you.
3. Cut them in half because there are two on one 4×6 picture. Size is 4×3.
4. Write a message on the back if desired.
5. Gift it to the sisters you Visit Teach and include a copy of the whole talk so the sisters can read it.

Pre-made Visiting Teaching November 2011 Gift:

If you like pre-made ready to hand out gifts to the sisters you Visit Teach, Kassidy has designed a darling Gratitude Journal for November. Check it out here. She says, “Around this time each year, we all reflect on our many blessings. Family, friends, jobs, health, the Gospel and so on. For the month of November, I have made one handout that can be used for Visiting Teaching or Home Teaching. I decided to center the handout around Gratitude.” The handout comes with a digitaly designed picture with quotes centered around gratitude.

“Because the November Liahona and Ensign contain a report of the October general conference, there is not a specifically designated First Presidency Message or Visiting Teaching Message for November. Home and visiting teachers are encouraged to prayerfully select their message from the addresses given during general conference.

Visit the general conference website to read, print, watch, or listen to conference addresses.”

They make it really easy for us to find and search the conference talks:

• Conference Table of Contents
• Conference by Story
• Conference Titles and Speakers by Session
• Conference Titles by Speaker
• Conference by Topic
• General Authorities List

So this month our Telisa from Sugar Tot Designs has designed a fun Orange, Black on White printable with the following quote from this month’s Visiting Teaching Message:

“Today we live in a world where we “wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). However, we need not fear. When we know who we are and who God is and we have made covenants with Him, we—like these mothers of warriors—will have great influence for good.”

I’m really glad she didn’t opt for a “flesh and blood” theme for this printable LOL, instead she made it look really classy and of course something we can share with the sisters we Visit Teach, because it’s family friendly. Thanks Telisa!

Download this Visiting Teaching Handout
Click on either image below. One of them is 4×6, which you can print on photo paper. And the other is a PDF with 4 on 1 page.

Instructions:
1. Download the 4×6 JPG or the 4-up PDF file.
2. Print in Color at your favorite photo printing store in 4×6. (i.e. costco, walmart, etc..) or If you choose to download the 4-up PDF you can print it on white cardstock.
3. Cut them into 1/4ths if you printed the 4-up.
4. Write a message on the back if desired.
5. Gift it to the sisters you Visit Teach.

P.S. I love Halloween and I just have to tell you that Telisa has designed some really free family friendly Halloween printables, yes this gal is on fire! Anyways, get the Halloween Printables from her blog HERE! (then just print them the same way you do the rest of your 4×6, 5×7 or 8.5×11 downloads. How she has time to design these fun and free things for us, is beyond my comprehension. The Lord really does bless those who do what he asks. Telisa, tell us your secret routine.