A Revelatory Experience on the Place of Ministering in the Church

     While performing an endowment in the Manti Temple on September 25, 2025 I had a sudden strong, even overwhelming, spiritual insight.  Over the last few days, I had been agitated by the idea present in the Church that ministering visits to a family’s home might not be essential, if the assigned ministering brother occasionally greets a parent of the family in the hall at Church, if it is known that the family is doing well, and if the family doesn’t care or have any expectation of ministering visits in their home.  
    I had begun to think of a ministering brother as the official representative of the Church and of the Lord to that member family and to be responsible in visits to the family home to communicate to them that they are loved by the ward and the Church and by Heavenly Father, to identify and help supply any physical or spiritual need they might have, and either to respond personally to these needs or to inform and enlist the resources of the ward and Church in their behalf.
    While still puzzling over how to conceptualize and describe the ministering role, Wendy and I made a trip to perform endowments in the Manti Temple.  At the point in the ceremony where the ancient apostles, Peter, James and John, are directed by the Lord to be His messengers to present and administer the Law of the Gospel of Jesus Christ covenant to session patrons, I was struck by a powerful spiritual message that this is the confirmation that I had been seeking with strong words of description  about the ministering assignment. And I understand that in the ancient Hebrew language the word messenger can be translated as angel.  This temple covenant, as I understand it, has to do with what the duties are of those who are Church members or in other words, disciples of Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my ministering role is, as that of Peter, James, and John, to be THE SPECIAL MESSENGER OR ANGEL to my assigned Church families or persons, to assist them in becoming TRUE DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST.  How that is to be fully achieved I am not sure, but I am absolutely certain that saying “Hello” on occasional Sundays in a church hallway is not sufficient.