September 2017 Visiting Teaching Printable Handout

This September Visiting Teaching printable handout is all about Zion. This month’s message is titled, “Of One Heart,” and focuses on unity, love, and harmony with those around us.

My favorite quote from this month’s message is from Sister Carole M. Stephens. She said, “Our opportunity as covenant-keeping daughters of God is not just to learn from our own challenges; it is to unite in empathy and compassion as we support other members of the family of God in their struggles.”

While reading this message, I thought of the song, “As Sisters in Zion.”

As sisters in Zion, we’ll all work together;

The blessings of God on our labors we’ll seek.

We’ll build up his kingdom with earnest endeavor;

We’ll comfort the weary and strengthen the weak.

As I was designing this printable, I became curious about the history of this song. So I did a little online research and learned that this song has an amazing history. (There is even at a book (affiliate link) dedicated to the history of this song! Have you read it?)

The lyrics to this classic hymn were penned by Emily Woodmansee. Emily and her sister, Julia, joined the church as teenagers in England. They came to the United States alone and joined the Willie Handcart Company in 1856. The sisters joined a widow and her five children as they crossed the plains. They suffered together and strengthened each other.

Emily wrote the poem, “As Sisters in Zion,” 13 years after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley. The poem was stored in the church archives until the 1980s. At that time, the church was putting together the new hymnbook and was looking for an anthem for the women of the church. Janice Kapp Perry was then asked to put the poem to music.

(You can read more about the inspiring history of this hymn and these two sisters HERE and HERE.)

I love that this hymn was written by a woman who truly understood was it was like to “comfort the weary and strengthen the weak.”

And I have learned that visiting teaching is a great way to build Zion and show love to our sisters. My life has been greatly blessed by being visiting teaching. As we work, pray, and serve together, the world is truly a better place.

I hope you can use this printable as you visit teach this month. Leave a comment and let me know what you think! I love to hear from you. ♥ And don’t forget to pin this post to save for later.