Visudo isn't the only way to edit but it does check the syntax for errors and locks the file while you edit which is nonimportant on a single user desktop. If you want an easier editor than vim you can do: EDITOR=mcedit visudo , or change the default editor with: update-alternatives --config editor . After that just run visudo and mcedit will be used.
For some examples have a look at: man sudoers