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Ministering is the term forChristian service given to fellow congregants—known asward members—withinthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Before April 1, 2018, a somewhat similar program within the church was termed "home teaching", "block teaching", or "ward teaching" when performed by malepriesthood holders and "visiting teaching," when performed by female members of the church'sRelief Society.[1] The previous dual home- and visiting-teaching programs were designed to allow families to be provided spiritual instruction in their own homes in addition toweekly church services.[2] 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 engage in fellowship with them.[3][4]
In areas with few church members, the local units are calledbranches rather than wards. The ministering program operates within these branches in a like manner to the wards.
Home teaching had been introduced to the church byHarold B. Lee, as part of thepriesthood correlation effort. The program took effect on January 1, 1964. It replaced the ward teachers, who had previously had similar responsibilities.[5]
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 hisgeneral conference address announcing the home teaching program,Henry D. Moyle objected to the change during afirst presidency meeting on the grounds that the correlation committee was overstepping its bounds and taking responsibility away from thepresiding bishop who supervised the ward teaching program. Even though Church PresidentDavid O. McKay probably agreed with Moyle on this issue, he did not intercede to stop Lee.[6]
In May 1963, a home teaching committee was formed with the purpose of visitingstakes and promoting the home teaching program. The committee was chaired byMarion G. Romney.Thomas S. Monson was asked to be a member of the committee five months before his call as anapostle.[7]
During the church's April 2018general conference,church presidentRussell M. Nelson announced the retirement of home teaching and visiting teaching and its replacement with "a newer, holier approach" called ministering.[8]
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A ward'seldersquorum's leadership assigns priesthood-holding companionships to entire household families to be served. Often youth, who are members of theteachers orpriests 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'sYoung Women organization 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 aMelchizedek priesthood holder and his wife. All assignments are approved by thebishop or the branch president.
With the approval of amission president,full-time missionaries of the LDS Church may assist church members with these visits.
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