A Lesson Learned

As we try to help establish the church here, it has made me reflect on what makes the church work. What things are essential and what things aren't? Well obviously the Priesthood is essential as everything must be organized under the authority of it. But what makes it all click? I was thinking that the baptismal covenant is our most basic covenant. It is where it all begins for each of us. Individually we pledge to take upon the name of Christ, to always remember Him and to keep His commandments. In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Alma also gives us some insight into what more that covenant includes. He says, "Behold here are the waters of Mormon and now as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in ... and if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord." That is all part of the most basic covenant we make. Then it struck me - what is the most basic calling in the church? It is to be a home teacher for the men and a visiting teacher for the women. In these callings we are assigned a family or a sister to look after. We are to visit them, befriend them and be the first responders in their times of need. Isn't it interesting that the most basic of our callings is designed perfectly to help us keep our most basic of covenants. What better way to remember Christ or to take His name upon us or to keep His commandments, than to be put in a position to act in His behalf to succor the needs of others. If home and visiting teaching is done well it becomes the perfect avenue for us to truly keep our covenant. If not done well, I suspect it is a very accurate indicator of how we are doing in our spiritual lives. If we are struggling with this most basic of covenants then ...
That thought also made me go back to my original question - what things are essential in the church? I see now that about 80% of all the problems we see here could be solved if all engaged in genuine home and visiting teaching. And I am beginning to think that might be true back home as well. Sister Julie Beck once said, "I don't know if I can bear a strong enough testimony about the power of visiting teaching. It isn't a worn-out way of doing things. It is going to be the thing, the one thing that will save us in times to come."
I think I get that now. We not only save others by doing it, we save ourselves.