Ministering is the term for

Christian service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performed ...

given to fellow congregants, known as "

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

members," within

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church). Prior to April 1, 2018, a somewhat similar program within the church was termed "home teaching", "block teaching", and "ward teaching", when performed by male priesthood holders and "visiting teaching," when performed by female members of the church's

Relief Society The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, United States, and has more than 7 million members in over 18 ...

. The previous dual home- and visiting-teaching programs had been designed to allow families to be provided spiritual instruction in their own homes, in addition to weekly church services. The present joint program deemphasizes teaching, replacing it with prayerful consideration given to the needs of one's assigned congregants, finding ways to serve and fellowship them. In areas with few church members, the local units are called

branches A branch, sometimes called a ramus in botany, is a woody structural member connected to the central trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs. The term ''twig'' usually ...

, rather than wards. The ministering program operates within these branches in a like manner to the wards.

History

Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching programs

Home teaching had been introduced to the church by Harold B. Lee, as part of the priesthood correlation effort. The program took effect on January 1, 1964. It replaced the ward teachers, who had previously had similar responsibilities. The mandate of the correlation committee was to simplify the curriculum of the church, but Lee used it to implement wider changes. Just three days before Lee made his general conference address announcing the home teaching program,

Henry D. Moyle Henry Dinwoodey Moyle (April 22, 1889 – September 18, 1963) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Early life Moyle was born in Salt L ...

objected to the change during a

first presidency Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...

meeting on the grounds that the correlation committee was overstepping its bounds and taking responsibility away from the presiding bishop who supervised the ward teaching program. Even though Church President

David O. McKay David Oman McKay (September 8, 1873 – January 18, 1970) was an American religious leader and educator who served as the ninth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1951 until his death in 1970. Ordain ...

probably agreed with Moyle on this issue, he did not intercede to stop Lee. In May 1963, a home teaching committee was formed with the purpose of visiting stakes and promoting the home teaching program. The committee was chaired by Marion G. Romney.

Thomas S. Monson Thomas Spencer Monson (August 21, 1927 – January 2, 2018) was an American religious leader, author, and the 16th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). As president, he was considered by adherents of the re ...

was asked to be a member of the committee five months before his call as an

apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

Ministering program

During the church's April 2018 general conference, church president

Russell M. Nelson Russell Marion Nelson Sr. (born September 9, 1924) is an American religious leader and retired surgeon who is the 17th and current president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Nelson was a member of the LDS Church ...

announced the retirement of home teaching and visiting teaching and its replacement with "a newer, holier approach" called ministering.Ministering
by Russell M. Nelson. April 2018. Accessed January 14, 2022.

Ministering assignments and responsibilities

A ward's elders

quorum A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...

's leadership assigns priesthood-holding companionships to entire household families to be served. Often youth, who are members of the

teachers A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in p ...

quorums, are assigned as a junior companion to a member of the elders quorum. The ward Relief Society leadership also assigns its members to companionships. These companionships, which may include youth from the ward's

Young Women organization The Young Women (often referred to as Young Women's or Young Woman's) is a youth organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The purpose of the Young Women organization is to help each young woman "be worthy to ma ...

as junior companions, serve the needs of women and young women members of a family assigned them. Sometimes the quorum and Relief Society leaders collaborate in order to create a companionship which consists of a Melchizedek priesthood holder and his wife. All assignments are approved by the

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

or the branch president. With the approval of a

mission president Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A mission president presides over a geographic area known as a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission. Depending on ...

, full-time missionaries of the LDS Church may assist church members with these visits.

References

External links

Latter Day Saint practices Latter Day Saint terms Relief Society Young Men (organization) Young people and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints {{LDS-stub