Fulfilling My Duty to God

For Aaronic Priesthood Holders

For an interactive version of this book and other online resources, visit DutytoGod.lds.org.

Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Salt Lake City, Utah

© 2010 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America

English approval: 1/08
06746

This book belongs to:

Deacon

Date I was ordained:

Person who ordained me:

Teacher

Date I was ordained:

Person who ordained me:

Priest

Date I was ordained:

Person who ordained me:

Melchizedek Priesthood

Date I received the Melchizedek Priesthood:

Person who ordained me an elder:

Message from the First Presidency

You live in a day of great opportunities and challenges—a day in which the priesthood has been restored. You have the authority to administer the ordinances of the Aaronic Priesthood. As you prayerfully and worthily exercise that authority, you will greatly bless the lives of those around you.

This book, along with the scriptures and For the Strength of Youth, will help you fulfill your responsibilities.

Heavenly Father has great trust and confidence in you and has an important mission for you to fulfill. He will help you as you turn to Him in prayer, listen for the promptings of the Spirit, obey the commandments, and keep the covenants that you have made. You will feel a great sense of accomplishment as you fulfill your duties, and you will be prepared to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, receive the covenants and ordinances of the temple, worthily serve a full-time mission, and become a righteous husband and father. May the Lord continue to bless you in these efforts.

The First Presidency

Your Duty to God

You are a son of God. He has restored His priesthood in our day, and He has entrusted you with that priesthood. The purpose of this book is to help you:

Strengthen your testimony and your relationship with God.

Learn and fulfill your priesthood duties.

Apply standards from For the Strength of Youth.

The Lord has promised that as you fulfill your priesthood duties, you will be sanctified by the Spirit, you will become the elect of God, and eventually you will receive all that the Father has (see D&C 84:33–38). Your service as a priesthood holder will bring great blessings to those you serve.

Focus on What You Are Becoming

Fulfilling your duty to God is a lifelong experience. Don’t think of this book as a list of tasks that you must hurry through in order to earn an award. Instead, focus on how the activities you choose can help you develop spiritual attributes and become the kind of priesthood holder Heavenly Father wants you to be.

Completing the activities in this book is not a requirement for advancing in the priesthood. The purpose of the activities is to help you prepare for priesthood service.

Learn, Act, Share

The Lord has commanded, “Let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence” (D&C 107:99).

As you diligently complete the activities in this book, you will have opportunities to learn your duties, make your own plans to fulfill them, and share your experiences with your parents and quorum members. Make plans that fit your interests and your needs. Make them challenging but also enjoyable. Focus on ways you can exercise the priesthood to be of service to others. By making and fulfilling your own plans, you will be taking responsibility for your own spiritual growth.

In some of the learning activities, you will be invited to write your thoughts and feelings about what you are studying. Consider writing these things in a notebook or journal.

Receiving Help

The plans that you make in this book are personal, but your parents, quorum members, quorum president, and other Church leaders can help. For example, you can:

Ask for their help as you learn your duties and make your plans. Your quorum president, for example, holds priesthood keys for your quorum, and he has a responsibility to help you learn and fulfill your priesthood duties.

Share your experiences with them during interviews, quorum meetings and activities, and informal conversations. This will help you see the progress you are making and build your confidence in talking about the gospel. The things you share can also strengthen the testimonies of others.

Invite your parents or quorum members to make plans too, and work on your plans together. When you work on your plans with someone else, you support and encourage one another.

How This Book Is Organized

You will learn principles and make plans in the following areas:

Spiritual Strength. Applying what you learn in this section will help you gain the spiritual strength you need to stay on the path of righteousness. You will develop habits of regular prayer and scripture study, which includes studying the words of the living prophets. You will learn and teach the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You will also learn and apply principles that will help you be a worthy priesthood holder.

Priesthood Duties. Applying what you learn in this section will help you draw closer to the Savior as you exercise His priesthood. Your love for others will grow as you represent the Savior in serving them. You will learn how to administer priesthood ordinances, serve others, and invite all to come unto Christ.

For the Strength of Youth. In this section you will learn about and apply some of the standards from For the Strength of Youth, including the sections titled “Physical Health,” “Education,” “Family,” and “Friends.” Applying these standards will make you more effective in your service to the Lord and better prepared for your future.

Preparing to Receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. All of the plans you make in this book will help you prepare to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and be worthy to serve a full-time mission. As a priest, you will have the opportunity to create a project that will give you additional preparation. You will learn about the covenants you make when you receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and the qualities that make missionaries effective.

For an interactive version of this book and other online resources, visit DutytoGod.lds.org.

Duty to God Certificates

After you accomplish your plans as a deacon and teacher, you will receive certificates acknowledging the progress you are making as you fulfill your duty to God. After you accomplish your plans as a priest, including your project to prepare to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, you will receive a certificate acknowledging what you have accomplished throughout your years as an Aaronic Priesthood holder.

Spiritual Strength

The Lord has admonished priesthood holders, “Be ye clean” (D&C 38:42). In this section you will learn how personal worthiness is tied to priesthood power (see D&C 121:34–46). You will also make plans to begin or strengthen a habit of regular prayer and scripture study, which includes studying the words of the living prophets.

This section is organized into the following areas:

Pray and Study the Scriptures

Live Worthily

Understand Doctrine

Pray and Study the Scriptures

Learn

Carefully study Joshua 1:8; 1 Nephi 15:23–24; 2 Nephi 32:3; Alma 17:2–3; and D&C 21:4–6. As you study, make a list of words and phrases that describe:

How you should approach your study of the scriptures and words of the living prophets.

Blessings that will come as you study the scriptures and words of the living prophets.

Share your list with your parents, priesthood leaders, or other quorum members. Discuss specific blessings you have received from following counsel the Lord has given in the scriptures and through living prophets.

On the next page, write your plans to begin or strengthen a habit of regular prayer and scripture study. For example, you could plan to study the Book of Mormon for a specific amount of time each day. Your scripture study could include the words of the living prophets in the conference issues of the Ensign or Liahona.

Act

My plan for developing a habit of regular prayer and scripture study:

Share

Share what you are learning from your scripture study. For example, you could share with your family, with friends, or in quorum meetings. This will strengthen your testimony of what you’re learning and help you learn how to teach the gospel. It will also strengthen the testimony of others.

Live Worthily

Learn

Read the section titled “Repentance” in For the Strength of Youth, and write your answers to the following questions in a notebook or journal:

What do you learn about the Atonement and repentance from this section?

How does repentance help you grow spiritually?

What is the relationship between repentance, the Atonement, and personal worthiness?

Discuss your answers with your parents or quorum members. Discuss how repentance will help you prepare to enter the temple and participate in sacred ordinances.

Choose at least three other sections from For the Strength of Youth that will help you live worthily. Study the standards in these sections, and write what you will do to live these standards and to help others do the same.

Act

Sections from For the Strength of Youth I will study:

Specific things I will do to live these standards and help others do the same:

Share

After studying and applying these standards, share with your parents or quorum members what you are learning, how it is influencing your life, and the kind of person you are becoming.

Understand Doctrine

Learn

Read Doctrine and Covenants 11:21. What promises does the Lord give to those who study His word? You will need a basic understanding and a testimony of gospel truths to fulfill your duties now as a priesthood holder and in the future as a full-time missionary and as a husband and father.

Look at the list of doctrinal topics on page 20, and choose four or more that you would like to learn about. One of these should be “The Priesthood and Priesthood Keys.” You can use the scriptures (including the Topical Guide), True to the Faith, Preach My Gospel, and the words of latter-day prophets to learn about these topics.

For each topic you study, create a simple outline. It could include: (1) a definition of the topic, (2) teachings and examples from the scriptures and your own life, and (3) your thoughts and feelings about why this topic is important. For examples of outlines, see Preach My Gospel (chapters 2 and 3) or visit DutytoGod.lds.org.

Act

Doctrinal topics I will study:

Share

Using the outlines you have prepared, teach others about these doctrinal topics. Counsel with your parents and quorum leaders to determine when you can do this.

When I will teach about these topics:

Doctrinal Topics

The Godhead

The Plan of Salvation

The Atonement of Jesus Christ

Prophets

The Apostasy and the Restoration of the Gospel

The Restoration of the Priesthood

The Priesthood and Priesthood Keys

Service

Covenants and Ordinances

Faith

Repentance

Baptism

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

Prayer and Personal Revelation

Agency

Temples

Eternal Families and Family History Work

The Law of Chastity

The Word of Wisdom

Tithing

Review

Near the end of your years as a deacon, talk with your parents or a priesthood leader about your experiences accomplishing your plans to pray and study the scriptures, live worthily, and understand doctrine. Discuss how doing these things is helping you strengthen your testimony and your relationship with Heavenly Father.

My signature

Date

Signature of a parent or leader

Date

Priesthood Duties

The Lord has said that every priesthood holder should “learn his duty” and “act . . . in all diligence” (D&C 107:99). This section will help you learn and fulfill your duties as a deacon, which are outlined in Doctrine and Covenants 20:57, 59; 84:111. Your duties can be organized into three groups:

Administer Priesthood Ordinances

Deacons pass the sacrament.

Serve Others

Deacons assist the bishop in “administering . . . temporal things” (D&C 107:68). This may include gathering fast offerings, caring for the poor and needy, caring for the meetinghouse and grounds, serving as a messenger for the bishop in Church meetings, and fulfilling other assignments from the quorum president.

Invite All to Come unto Christ

Deacons “watch over the church [and are] standing ministers unto the church” (D&C 84:111). They “warn, expound, exhort, and teach, and invite all to come unto Christ” (D&C 20:59). This includes setting a good example, fellowshipping quorum members and others, notifying members of Church meetings, speaking in meetings, sharing the gospel, and bearing testimony.

Administer Priesthood Ordinances

Learn

Read Doctrine and Covenants 20:76–79. What do the sacramental bread and water represent? Read Luke 22:19–20 and 3 Nephi 18:1–11. Whom do you represent when you pass the sacrament?

Ask your parents or your quorum leaders the following questions, and write their answers:

What does the ordinance of the sacrament mean to you?

What can I do as a deacon to help you have a meaningful experience with the sacrament?

After counseling with your quorum, write on the next page what you will do to pass the sacrament in a way that shows reverence for the Savior and His Atonement and encourages others to show the same reverence. Also write what you will do to have a more meaningful experience when you partake of the sacrament.

Act

Several things I will do to show reverence when I pass the sacrament and to encourage others to show the same reverence:

What I will do to have a more meaningful experience when I partake of the sacrament:

Share

After following through with your plan, discuss with members of your quorum how your experiences with the sacrament have helped you become more reverent.

Serve Others

Learn

Write down what you learn about serving others from the following scriptures: James 1:27, Mosiah 2:17, and Mosiah 18:8–10. Talk with a parent or quorum leader about the relationship between being a priesthood holder and serving others.

Discuss with members of your quorum the opportunities you have to serve others (ask your bishop or quorum leaders for ideas). As an Aaronic Priesthood holder, you serve others by assisting your bishop or branch president in “administering . . . temporal things” (D&C 107:68). This may include caring for the poor and needy, cleaning the meetinghouse and grounds, gathering fast offerings, and fulfilling assignments from your quorum president. It could also include service projects you decide to do on your own.

List some specific things your quorum will do to give service. Also plan several things you will do on your own to give service, including service to members of your family.

Act

My quorum’s plan to give service:

My personal plan to give service:

Share

Share with a parent or quorum members some of your experiences serving others. For example, you could talk about how your service has affected you and the people you have served.

Invite All to Come unto Christ

Learn

Read Doctrine and Covenants 20:59. What does the phrase “come unto Christ” mean to you? Share your thoughts and feelings with a quorum leader or your parents, and ask what the phrase means to them.

Contrast the missionary stories of Ammon (Alma 17–19) and Corianton (Alma 39:1–11). What influence did their actions have on the people they taught? Consider ways you can set a good example that can help people come unto Christ.

Think about family members and friends whom you could invite to come unto Christ. Write down their names and what you will do to help them (such as inviting them to a Church activity or giving them a copy of the Book of Mormon or a Church magazine).

Act

Ways I will set a good example for others:

Names of people and how I will help them come unto Christ:

Share

Write down in a journal or a notebook the experiences you have as you invite others to come unto Christ. Also write down ways you feel you are becoming a better missionary. Consider sharing your experiences with others.

Review

Near the end of your years as a deacon, talk with your parents or a priesthood leader about your experiences accomplishing your plans to administer priesthood ordinances, serve others, and invite all to come unto Christ. Discuss ways you were able to bless others through your priesthood service. Talk about how your experiences are helping you become a faithful priesthood servant.

My signature

Date

Signature of a parent or leader

Date

For the Strength of Youth: Physical Health

After you have begun working on your plans in “Spiritual Strength” and “Priesthood Duties,” create a project based on the standards in the “Physical Health” section of For the Strength of Youth. Use the steps on the following pages as a guide. Your project should be challenging and should include a significant time commitment. It should be based on your own needs and interests. It should establish a pattern that will help you build and maintain physical health throughout your life.

Step 1: Learn

Read “Physical Health” in For the Strength of Youth, and study the following scriptures: Doctrine and Covenants 88:124, Doctrine and Covenants 89, and 1 Corinthians 3:16–17. Identify principles that relate to physical health. Write down your answers to the following questions, and share them with a parent, a priesthood leader, or quorum members:

Why is it important to be physically healthy? How will being physically healthy help you fulfill your priesthood duties (including as a missionary, as a father, and in your service to others)?

What are the spiritual benefits of being physically healthy? What are the spiritual consequences of not caring for our physical bodies properly?

Step 2: Create a Project

Create a project that will help you apply what you have learned about physical health. It should include two parts: (1) regular exercise and (2) nutrition. Have a parent or leader approve your project before you begin working on it. Here are some examples of things you could include in each part of your project:

Examples—Regular Exercise

Create a monthly exercise chart. Include a variety of exercises that help you become more physically fit, such as running, biking, or training for a sport.

Learn and participate in a sport.

Increase your capabilities in a physical activity you are already involved in.

Examples—Nutrition

Make a commitment to live the Word of Wisdom. Include in your commitment: (a) how you will avoid situations in which you may be tempted to violate this commitment and (b) how you will respond to temptations (for example, ways you might explain to others why you obey the Word of Wisdom).

Learn principles of proper nutrition from Doctrine and Covenants 89 and from books, the Internet, or other sources. Teach your family or quorum what you discover. Keep a record of what you eat for a month, and then make changes to your diet based on what you have learned about nutrition.

Learn how to prepare three nutritionally balanced meals. Prepare them for your family.

My Project

Regular Exercise

Nutrition

Approval of a parent or leader

Estimated date of completion

My signature

Date completed

Step 3: Report Your Experiences

In the space below, write what you have learned from carrying out your project and how you will apply it throughout your life. Report on your experiences to your family or quorum members.

Spiritual Strength

The Lord has admonished priesthood holders, “Be ye clean” (D&C 38:42). In this section you will deepen your understanding of the relationship between personal worthiness and priesthood power (see D&C 121:34–46). You will also make plans to strengthen your habit of regular prayer and scripture study, which includes studying the words of the living prophets.

This section is organized into the following areas:

Pray and Study the Scriptures

Live Worthily

Understand Doctrine

Pray and Study the Scriptures

Learn

Think about your personal prayers. How often do you pray? How do you feel when you pray? Study James 1:5–6; Alma 34:17–28; 3 Nephi 18:15–21; and Moroni 10:3–5. Identify principles that can help make your prayers more meaningful and the blessings that will come as you “pray always.”

Carefully study Helaman 3:29–30 and Doctrine and Covenants 18:33–36; 84:85. As you study, look for words and phrases that describe:

How you should approach your study of the scriptures and words of the living prophets.

Blessings that will come as you study the scriptures and words of the living prophets.

On the next page, write your plan to improve your personal prayers and scripture study during your years as a teacher. Your scripture study could include the words of the living prophets in the conference issues of the Ensign or Liahona.

Act

My plan for strengthening my habit of regular prayer and scripture study:

Share

Share what you are learning from your scripture study. For example, you could share with your family, with friends, in seminary, or in quorum meetings. Try to make sharing what you are learning a regular practice. This will strengthen your testimony and help you learn how to teach the gospel. It will also strengthen the testimony of others.

Live Worthily

Learn

Search Doctrine and Covenants 121:41–45, and write down principles that govern the use of the priesthood. Then do the following (ask for help from a parent or priesthood leader if possible):

Look for the definition of any unfamiliar words.

Think of examples of how to apply these principles.

Search verses 45 and 46, and identify the blessings that come from living these principles. Repeat steps 1 and 2 above for each of these blessings.

Study Doctrine and Covenants 63:16 and identify the consequences of having unclean thoughts. Contrast these warnings with the blessings of letting “virtue garnish [your] thoughts unceasingly” (D&C 121:45). Choose at least four sections from For the Strength of Youth to study; consider focusing on the sections that will help you have virtuous thoughts. In particular, ponder what you can do to avoid the dangers described in Doctrine and Covenants 63:16.

Act

Sections from For the Strength of Youth I will study:

Specific things I will do to live these standards and help others do the same:

Share

Share with a parent or quorum leader how living these standards has affected you and influenced those around you. As you share, talk about the kind of person you are becoming.

Understand Doctrine

Learn

Write some questions that people outside the Church might have about Church beliefs. What doctrinal topics could you study to help answer these questions?

Review the list of the doctrinal topics you studied as a deacon (see page 19). Based on your experiences and additional study, update your outline on “The Priesthood and Priesthood Keys.” Choose four or more additional topics you would like to learn about and teach (see page 44), and write your choices on the next page. You can use the scriptures (including the Topical Guide), True to the Faith, Preach My Gospel, and the words of latter-day prophets to learn about these topics.

For each topic you study, create a simple outline. It could include: (1) a definition of the topic, (2) teachings and examples from the scriptures and your own life, and (3) your thoughts and feelings about why this topic is important. For examples of outlines, see Preach My Gospel (chapters 2 and 3) or visit DutytoGod.lds.org.

Act

Doctrinal topics I will study:

Share

Using the outlines you have prepared, teach others about these doctrinal topics. This could be in a formal teaching setting (family home evening, quorum meeting, seminary, sacrament meeting, or Mutual opening exercises), or it could be in a conversation with a friend.

When I will teach about these topics:

Doctrinal Topics

The Godhead

The Plan of Salvation

The Atonement of Jesus Christ

Prophets

The Apostasy and the Restoration of the Gospel

The Restoration of the Priesthood

The Priesthood and Priesthood Keys

Service

Covenants and Ordinances

Faith

Repentance

Baptism

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

Prayer and Personal Revelation

Agency

Temples

Eternal Families and Family History Work

The Law of Chastity

The Word of Wisdom

Tithing

Review

Near the end of your years as a teacher, talk with your parents or a priesthood leader about your experiences accomplishing your plans to pray and study the scriptures, live worthily, and understand doctrine. Discuss how doing these things is helping you strengthen your testimony and your relationship with Heavenly Father.

My signature

Date

Signature of a parent or leader

Date

Priesthood Duties

The Lord has said that every priesthood holder should “learn his duty” and “act . . . in all diligence” (D&C 107:99). This section will help you learn and fulfill your duties as a teacher, which are outlined in Doctrine and Covenants 20:53–59; 84:111 and which include all the duties of a deacon (see page 23). Your duties can be organized into three groups:

Administer Priesthood Ordinances

Teachers prepare and pass the sacrament.

Serve Others

Teachers assist the bishop in “administering . . . temporal things” (D&C 107:68). This may include gathering fast offerings, caring for the poor and needy, caring for the meetinghouse and grounds, serving as a messenger for the bishop in Church meetings, and fulfilling other assignments from the quorum president.

Invite All to Come unto Christ

Teachers are to “watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them” (D&C 20:53). One way to do this is by serving as a home teacher. Teachers also “see that there is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking; and see that the church meet together often” (D&C 20:54–55). This responsibility includes being a peacemaker, being an example of moral integrity and uprightness, and inviting others to attend church.

They continue to “warn, expound, exhort, and teach, and invite all to come unto Christ” (D&C 20:59). This includes setting a good example, fellowshipping quorum members and others, speaking in Church meetings, sharing the gospel, and bearing testimony.

Administer Priesthood Ordinances

Learn

Read Doctrine and Covenants 38:42. The command “Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord” has special meaning as you fulfill your duty to prepare the sacrament. Anciently a group of priests carried vessels—bowls or basins—to be used in the temple (see Ezra 1:5–11). Today you handle vessels that contain the sacramental bread and water in remembrance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Read Matthew 26:26–28. On the next page, write your answers to these questions:

What can you do to prepare the sacrament in a reverent and dignified manner (even though most people will not see you perform this duty)?

How can you set a good example for the deacons when you are asked to pass the sacrament?

Act

My plan to prepare the sacrament in a reverent and dignified manner:

My plan to set a good example for deacons when I am asked to pass the sacrament:

Share

After following through with your plan, discuss with members of your quorum how your experiences have influenced your feelings about the sacrament and the Savior.

Serve Others

Learn

Contrast Nephi’s attitude with that of Laman and Lemuel as they responded to assignments (see 1 Nephi 2:16–18; 3:1–7, 28–31; 4:1–2; 17:7–19, 50–51; 18:1–4). In the space below, write several phrases from your study that represent the attitude we should have when fulfilling responsibilities. Consider sharing your list with members of your quorum.

Example: “Let us be faithful” (1 Nephi 4:1)

With your quorum, discuss opportunities you have to serve others (ask your bishop or quorum leaders for ideas). List some specific things your quorum will do to give service. Also plan several things you will do on your own to give service, including service to members of your family.

Act

My quorum’s plan to give service:

My personal plan to give service:

Share

Share with a parent, leader, or quorum members some of your experiences serving others. For example, you could talk about how your service has affected the people you have served and how your attitude has affected your experiences. You could also talk about how these experiences are helping you serve Jesus Christ (see Matthew 25:35–40) and become more like Him.

Invite All to Come unto Christ

Learn

Read Doctrine and Covenants 20:53. As part of your duty to “watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them,” you will now have the opportunity to serve as a home teacher. Discuss with your quorum president, your parents, or your home teaching companion what you could do to become a good home teacher.

Read Alma 17:2–3, 9, and write what the sons of Mosiah did to prepare themselves for missionary service. Consider ways you can follow their example.

Continue your efforts to share the gospel. Think about family members and friends whom you could invite to come unto Christ. Write their names and what you will do to help them (such as inviting them to a Church activity or giving them a copy of the Book of Mormon or a Church magazine).

Act

My plan to become a good home teacher:

Names of people and how I will help them come unto Christ:

Share

After following through with your plans, share with a parent or quorum leaders the experiences you have had serving as a home teacher and sharing the gospel. Talk about how these experiences are helping you prepare to become a full-time missionary.

Review

Near the end of your years as a teacher, talk with your parents or a priesthood leader about your experiences accomplishing your plans to administer priesthood ordinances, serve others, and invite all to come unto Christ. Discuss ways you were able to bless others through your priesthood service. Talk about how your experiences are helping you become a faithful priesthood servant.

My signature

Date

Signature of a parent or leader

Date

For the Strength of Youth: Education

After you have begun working on your plans in “Spiritual Strength” and “Priesthood Duties,” create a project based on the standards in the “Education” section of For the Strength of Youth. Use the steps on the following pages as a guide. Your project should be challenging and should include a significant time commitment. It should also be based on your own needs and interests. It should help you establish a pattern of lifelong learning.

Step 1: Learn

To learn about the importance of gaining knowledge, study the section titled “Education” in For the Strength of Youth and Doctrine and Covenants 88:77–80, 118. Identify from these verses (a) what the Lord wants you to learn, (b) why He wants you to learn, and (c) how He wants you to approach learning.

Read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” and identify your role as a future husband and father (see page 107 of this book).

Write your answers to the following questions, and discuss them with your parents or quorum members:

What are the benefits of gaining an education?

How will gaining an education help you fulfill your priesthood duties (including as a missionary, as a husband, as a father, and in your service to others)?

Step 2: Create a Project

Create a project that will help you apply what you have learned about gaining an education. It should include two parts: (1) plans to gain an education and (2) plans to explore future occupation options. Have a parent or leader approve your project before you begin working on it. Here are some examples of things you could include in each part of your project:

Examples—Education

Make a list of things you do well in school. Then make a list of things you could do to be more successful in school. Do those things, and note the difference it makes in your performance, your attitude about school, and so on.

Make a plan to gain an education or training. Consider including in your plan what schools you would like to attend or training you’d like to receive. Also include what you have to do to be admitted to your school or training program and what options exist to finance this education.

Pick a topic you’re interested in that you aren’t learning in school, and research that topic independently. Share what you learn in a presentation or a written paper.

Examples—Occupation

Learn about occupations or careers that interest you. This might include touring job sites and interviewing people who work there.

Visit a local LDS employment resource center, and talk to a staff member about some of the future occupations or careers you are considering. Ask him or her what you would need to do to get a job in those fields. Share what you learn in a quorum meeting or Mutual activity.

If you have income, develop and follow a personal savings and spending plan. It should include paying tithing and saving money for a mission. Share your plan with your parents or quorum members.

My Project

Education

Occupation

Approval of a parent or leader

Estimated date of completion

My signature

Date completed

Step 3: Report Your Experiences

In the space below, write what you have learned from carrying out your project and how it has prepared you for your future responsibilities. Report on your experiences to your family or quorum members.

Spiritual Strength

The Lord has admonished priesthood holders, “Be ye clean” (D&C 38:42). In this section you will deepen your understanding of the relationship between personal worthiness and priesthood power (see D&C 121:34–46). You will also make plans to strengthen your habit of regular prayer and scripture study, which includes studying the words of the living prophets.

This section is organized into the following areas:

Pray and Study the Scriptures

Live Worthily

Understand Doctrine

Pray and Study the Scriptures

Learn

Ponder the following questions, and consider writing your answers in a notebook or study journal:

What effect do consistent prayer and studying the scriptures have on (a) your ability to keep the commandments? (b) your relationship with your family? (c) your relationship with God?

What scripture passages are especially meaningful to you? Why?

What specific things did you learn from the living prophets in the most recent general conference? How has following this counsel blessed you?

On the next page, write your plans to have meaningful prayer and scripture study during your years as a priest. Your scripture study could include the words of the living prophets in the conference issues of the Ensign or Liahona.

Act

My plan for strengthening my habit of regular prayer and scripture study:

Share

Share what you are learning from your scripture study. For example, you could share with your family, with friends, in seminary, or in quorum meetings. Make sharing what you learn a regular practice. This will strengthen your testimony and help you learn how to teach the gospel. It will also strengthen the testimony of others.

Live Worthily

Learn

Read Doctrine and Covenants 121:34–40, and identify the effect that sin has on priesthood power. Contrast the examples of Joseph and David as found in Genesis 39, 41 and 2 Samuel 11–12. Ponder how their actions affected their spiritual strength, and share your thoughts with a parent or quorum leader. Discuss what David could have done to avoid the tragedy that occurred in his life.

Prepare a lesson or a talk on how repentance and the Atonement can help us remain worthy as priesthood holders. Consider using Preach My Gospel, pages 51–52; True to the Faith, pages 14–21; or “The Living Christ” (see page 106 of this book). With your parents or a priesthood leader, determine when and where you can give your talk or lesson, and write your plan on the next page.

Choose at least four sections from For the Strength of Youth to study and apply; choose sections that will help you live worthy to enter the temple and participate in sacred ordinances.

Act

My plan to give a talk or lesson about repentance and the Atonement:

Sections from For the Strength of Youth I will study:

Specific things I will do to live these standards and help others do the same:

Share

Share with others how living the standards in For the Strength of Youth has affected you and influenced those around you. You could share this with your family, at church, or in seminary.

Understand Doctrine

Learn

Read Doctrine and Covenants 20:68. Part of your duty as a priest is to “expound all things concerning the church of Christ.” Review the lists of doctrinal topics you studied as a deacon and as a teacher (see pages 19 and 43). Then write on the next page four or more additional topics you will learn about and teach over the next two years (see page 68).

For each of the topics you study, prepare lesson outlines based on the principles and techniques described in Preach My Gospel (see chapters 2 and 3).

Study the scriptures listed on page 19 again. Reflect on your experiences and update your outline on “The Priesthood and Priesthood Keys” (see page 18). Write about how your understanding and appreciation of the priesthood has changed.

In preparation to become a full-time missionary, make a list of questions someone might ask about the topics you have studied, and discuss these questions with a parent or priesthood leader.

Act

Doctrinal topics I will study:

Share

Using the outlines you have prepared, teach others about these doctrinal topics. You could do this in family home evening, in a quorum meeting, in a home teaching visit, in seminary, or in a teaching opportunity with the full-time missionaries.

When I will teach about these topics:

Doctrinal Topics

The Godhead

The Plan of Salvation

The Atonement of Jesus Christ

Prophets

The Apostasy and the Restoration of the Gospel

The Restoration of the Priesthood

The Priesthood and Priesthood Keys

Service

Covenants and Ordinances

Faith

Repentance

Baptism

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

Prayer and Personal Revelation

Agency

Temples

Eternal Families and Family History Work

The Law of Chastity

The Word of Wisdom

Tithing

Review

Near the end of your years as a priest, talk with your parents or a priesthood leader about your experiences accomplishing your plans to pray and study the scriptures, live worthily, and understand doctrine. Discuss how doing these things is helping you strengthen your testimony and your relationship with Heavenly Father.

My signature

Date

Signature of a parent or leader

Date

Priesthood Duties

The Lord has said that every priesthood holder should “learn his duty” and “act . . . in all diligence” (D&C 107:99). This section will help you learn and fulfill your duties as a priest, which are outlined in Doctrine and Covenants 20:46–52, 75–79 and which include all the duties of a deacon and a teacher (see pages 23 and 46–47). Your duties can be organized into three groups:

Administer Priesthood Ordinances

Priests officiate at the sacrament table and offer the sacramental prayers. They can prepare and pass the sacrament. They can also baptize, confer the Aaronic Priesthood, and ordain deacons, teachers, and other priests.

Serve Others

Priests assist the bishop in “administering . . . temporal things” (D&C 107:68). This may include gathering fast offerings, caring for the poor and needy, caring for the meetinghouse and grounds, serving as a messenger for the bishop, and fulfilling other assignments from the bishop.

Invite All to Come unto Christ

Priests “preach, teach, expound, exhort, . . . and visit the house of each member, and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties” (D&C 20:46–47). One way to do this is by serving as a home teacher. Priests also continue to “see that there is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking” (D&C 20:54). This responsibility includes being a peacemaker and being an example of moral integrity and uprightness.

They continue to “warn, expound, exhort, and teach, and invite all to come unto Christ” (D&C 20:59). This includes setting a good example, fellowshipping quorum members and others, speaking in Church meetings, sharing the gospel, and bearing testimony.

Administer Priesthood Ordinances

Learn

Read 3 Nephi 18:1–11 and Matthew 26:26–28. What do you learn from these verses about your duty to administer the sacrament?

Thoughtfully read the sacrament prayers (see D&C 20:77, 79). Write down your thoughts about the meaning of the covenants and sacred words in these prayers.

On the next page, write your answers to these questions:

As you officiate at the sacrament table, what can you do to set a good example for other Aaronic Priesthood holders?

What can you do to help make the sacrament a more meaningful experience for the members of the congregation?

Attend a baptismal service, and share with a parent or quorum leader what you learn about the ordinance of baptism.

Act

My plan to set a good example for other Aaronic Priesthood holders as I bless the sacrament:

My plan to help make the sacrament a more meaningful experience for the members of the congregation:

Share

After following through with your plans, discuss with members of your quorum how your experiences have influenced your feelings about the sacrament and the Savior.

Serve Others

Learn

Think about the service you have performed in your years as a deacon and teacher, and answer the following questions:

How did your attitude affect the service you gave? (Review the phrases you wrote on page 50.)

How does service help you become less self-centered and more aware of others’ needs?

How were the people you served affected by your service?

What can you do as a priest to give more effective service?

Read Matthew 22:36–40, John 13:34–35, and Mosiah 2:17, looking for reasons we serve others. Discuss with your quorum the opportunities you have to serve others (ask your bishop or quorum leaders for ideas). List some specific things your quorum will do to give service. Also plan several things you will do on your own to serve your family and others.

Act

My quorum’s plan to give service:

My personal plan to give service:

Share

Share with a parent or quorum members some of your experiences serving others. For example, you could talk about how your service has affected the people you have served and how your attitude has affected your experiences. Talk about how these experiences are helping you become more Christlike.

Invite All to Come unto Christ

Learn

Review the plan you made to become a good home teacher (see page 53). Looking back on your home teaching efforts, what do you feel you have done well? On the next page, write some ways you want to improve.

Write your answers to the following questions, and discuss them with your parents or quorum members:

How does your example affect your ability to teach the gospel to others?

What can you do as a priest to teach the gospel through your actions as well as your words?

Continue in your efforts to share the gospel. Think about family members and friends whom you could invite to come unto Christ. Write down their names and what you will do to help them. Include names of Aaronic Priesthood holders who aren’t actively participating in the Church.

Act

My plan to improve as a home teacher:

Names of people and how I will help them come unto Christ:

Share

Share with your parents or a priesthood leader the experiences you have as you help others come unto Christ. Discuss how this is helping you prepare for a full-time mission and become a lifelong missionary.

Review

Near the end of your years as a priest, talk with your parents or a priesthood leader about your experiences accomplishing your plans to administer priesthood ordinances, serve others, and invite all to come unto Christ. Discuss ways you were able to bless others through your priesthood service. Talk about how your experiences are helping you become a faithful priesthood servant.

My signature

Date

Signature of a parent or leader

Date

For the Strength of Youth: Family and Friends

After you have begun working on your plans in “Spiritual Strength” and “Priesthood Duties,” create a project based on the standards in the “Family” and “Friends” sections of For the Strength of Youth. Use the steps on the following pages as a guide. Your project should be challenging and should include a significant time commitment. It should also be based on your own needs and interests. It should be focused on choosing friends wisely and learning how to treat others, especially your family members, in a Christlike way.

Step 1: Learn

Study Matthew 5–7 or 3 Nephi 12–14 and make a list of what the Savior taught about how to treat others. Then find examples in the scriptures where Christ or others exemplified some of these principles. Read “Family” and “Friends” in For the Strength of Youth, and find phrases that express these principles.

Write your answers to the following questions, and share them with your parents or quorum members:

How is your priesthood service different when you love those you serve?

What experiences have you had in which someone showed Christlike love for you?

How can you show your love for family members and others?

Step 2: Create a Project

Create a project that will help you apply what you have learned about loving others. It should include two parts: (1) plans to improve your relationship with your family and (2) plans to be a better friend. Have a parent or leader approve your project before you begin working on it. Here are some examples of things you could include in each part of your project:

Examples—Family

Make a list of ways you can help build a happy home. Base your list on the standards in the “Family” section of For the Strength of Youth (for example, be cheerful, helpful, and considerate; be a peacemaker; and honor your parents). Do those things, and record the difference it makes in your home.

Plan an activity with a family member with whom you would like to improve your relationship. For example, you could take an interest in his or her hobbies, find a place to talk, or play games together.

Examples—Friends

Make a list of things you can do to be a better friend. For examples, see the “Friends” section of For the Strength of Youth. Do those things, and record the difference it makes in your relationships. If appropriate, include names of specific people in your list.

Interview a mother, grandmother, sister, or other woman to learn about how to show proper respect to women. Make a plan to apply what you learn. Note how carrying out your plan improves your relationship with women. Here are some questions you might ask:

How can a son show proper respect for his mother?

How can an Aaronic Priesthood holder show proper respect for young women?

How can a young man show proper respect for his future wife before and after they are married?

Invite a new convert, a friend of another faith, or a less-active member to attend a Church activity with you. Help him or her feel welcome and included.

My Project

Family

Friends

Approval of a parent or leader

Estimated date of completion

My signature

Date completed

Step 3: Report Your Experiences

In the space below, write what you have learned from carrying out your project and how it has helped you become a better disciple of Jesus Christ. Report on what you learned to your family or quorum members.

Preparing to Receive the Melchizedek Priesthood

During your years as a priest, use the steps on the following pages to create a project that will help you prepare to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and serve a full-time mission. This project builds on what you have accomplished throughout your years as an Aaronic Priesthood holder. It should be challenging and should include a significant time commitment. It should also be based on your own needs and circumstances.

Step 1: Learn

When you receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, you enter into the oath and covenant of the priesthood. To learn about this oath and covenant, read Doctrine and Covenants 84:33–44 and “Melchizedek Priesthood” in True to the Faith (pages 101–2). Then, with help from your bishop or your parents, plan a time when you can teach others what you have learned (for example, in priests quorum meeting, sacrament meeting, or family home evening).

One important duty of the Melchizedek Priesthood is to preach the gospel (see D&C 53:3). To prepare for this duty, find out what will be required of you when you serve a full-time mission. Consider the following:

Personal worthiness and testimony.

Gospel knowledge.

Christlike attributes.

Work habits and physical health.

To learn about the requirements for missionary service, use the following sources: your parents, your bishop, returned missionaries, the Missionary Handbook, Preach My Gospel, and talks by General Authorities (some of these talks can be found at DutytoGod.lds.org). Write down what you learn.

Step 2: Create a Project

Create a project that will help you apply what you’ve learned. It should include two parts: (1) preparation to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and (2) preparation for a full-time mission. Have a parent or leader approve your project before you begin working on it. Here are some examples of things you could include in each part of your project:

Examples—Melchizedek Priesthood

Read the entire Book of Mormon. In a journal, write what you learn from your study and write specific examples from your life that show how consistent scripture study gives you power to resist temptation.

Interview three Melchizedek Priesthood holders (such as your father or the elders quorum president in your ward). Ask them questions such as the following, and write their answers:

What are the duties of an elder?

What is the difference between having the authority of the priesthood and holding priesthood keys?

What would you recommend I do to understand and prepare to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood?

What experiences have you had in which you were able to serve others by exercising the Melchizedek Priesthood?

How has holding the Melchizedek Priesthood blessed your life?

How do you perform the ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood (such as consecrating oil, administering to the sick, and bestowing the gift of the Holy Ghost)?

Examples—Full-Time Mission

Find examples of missionaries in the scriptures (such as the Savior, Enoch, Ammon, and Samuel the Lamanite). Identify what made them effective, the promises they received, and the effect their work had on the people they served. Make a list of what you find. Share your list with a returned missionary. Ask him or her to share experiences from his or her mission that illustrate these principles and attributes.

Practice teaching some of the lessons in chapter 3 of Preach My Gospel. Schedule regular opportunities to go teaching with the full-time missionaries in your area, and be prepared to help the missionaries teach.

Interview three returned missionaries. Ask them questions such as the following, and write their answers:

What would you recommend I do to prepare for a full-time mission?

What qualities make a missionary effective, and what can I do to develop those qualities?

How is your life different now because you served a mission?

Refer to what you wrote about the requirements for missionary service (see page 85), and make a plan to improve in each area (personal worthiness and testimony, gospel knowledge, Christlike attributes, and work habits and physical health).

My Project

Melchizedek Priesthood

Full-Time Mission

Approval of a parent or leader

Estimated date of completion

My signature

Date completed

Step 3: Report Your Experiences

In the space below, write what you have learned from carrying out your project and how it has helped you prepare for the Melchizedek Priesthood. Present what you have learned to your family or quorum members.

To Quorum Presidents

The Lord has entrusted you with the priesthood keys for your quorum (see D&C 124:142–43). Part of your responsibility, as you direct the work of your quorum, is to “teach [quorum members] their duty” (see D&C 107:85–87).

This book can be an effective tool to help you teach quorum members their priesthood duties and encourage them to strengthen their testimony and their relationship with Heavenly Father. Consider the following as you help them make and carry out their plans:

Soon after a young man joins your quorum, visit him in his home and make sure he has a copy of this book. Use the book to give him an overview of his priesthood duties. Show him some of your plans and tell him about the experiences you are having.

Set a good example by making and carrying out your own plans. Share your experiences with quorum members.

Invite quorum members to share their experiences in quorum meetings, and encourage them to share with their families. For example, during the first few minutes of quorum meeting you could invite them to share what they are learning as they follow their plans to study the scriptures or serve others.

As you plan quorum meetings and activities, look for ways to include the plans your quorum members have made. For example, you could invite a quorum member to teach a lesson in quorum meeting about one of the doctrines he is studying (see pages 19, 43, and 67).

As you exercise your priesthood keys to help quorum members learn and fulfill their duties, your relationship with them will be strengthened. When quorum members work closely together, they help each other stay strong in the gospel and united as a quorum.

To Quorum Advisers and Parents

The Duty to God program is a tool to help Aaronic Priesthood holders:

Strengthen their testimony and their relationship with Heavenly Father.

Learn about and fulfill their priesthood duties.

Apply the standards from For the Strength of Youth.

The instructions in this section outline your role in helping young men fulfill these purposes. You can find additional instructions, along with an interactive version of this book, at DutytoGod.lds.org.

Focus on What They Are Becoming

Fulfilling our duty to God is a lifelong experience. For this reason, the Duty to God book should not be seen as a list of tasks that the young men must hurry through in order to earn an award. Help the young men focus instead on how the plans they make can help them develop spiritual attributes and become the kind of priesthood holders God wants them to be.

Help the Young Men

Learn

The purpose of the “Learn” section. Each part of this book begins with a learning activity that helps the young men learn what Heavenly Father wants them to do and why it is important. When a young man knows the “why” behind his priesthood duties, the Holy Ghost inspires him to act, and his actions can increase his faith and testimony.

When to help young men with the learning activities. Young men should learn their priesthood duties soon after they are ordained to a priesthood office.

Advisers, consider making time for the young men to work on the learning activities together as a quorum. For example, you could do this during quorum meeting or Mutual. You could assign the young men to work on a learning activity on their own and report on it during a quorum meeting. Counseling together as a quorum about priesthood duties, spiritual strength, and the Lord’s standards will build quorum unity.

Parents, consider working on the learning activities with your son soon after he is ordained to a priesthood office. Ask your son to share with you what he is learning about fulfilling his duty to God.

Act

The purpose of the “Act” section. After completing the learning activity, the young men are encouraged to make plans to fulfill their priesthood duties and increase their spiritual strength. Making their own plans allows young men to:

Exercise their agency.

Adapt the activities to their individual circumstances.

Develop spiritual self-reliance.

When to help young men make their plans. Some young men may need guidance in making their plans. Advisers, consider making time for young men to counsel together as a quorum as they write their individual plans. For example, you could do this during quorum meeting or Mutual. Or you could invite the young men to write their plans on their own or with their parents and share their plans during a quorum meeting. Either way, encourage them to share their plans with their parents.

As the young men counsel together as a quorum about their plans, they give each other ideas and support. Likewise, parents can give their sons ideas and support as they make their plans. By sharing their plans with quorum members and parents, young men strengthen their commitment to fulfill those plans. Some plans can be made and carried out as a quorum or as a family.

Share

The purpose of the “Share” section. Once the young men have worked on their plans for a period of time, they are encouraged to talk with others about their experiences. Sharing their experiences will:

Strengthen their testimonies and their understanding of the gospel.

Allow them to see the progress they are making.

Increase their confidence and ability to talk about gospel truths.

Young men may be uncomfortable sharing at first, but the more opportunities they have to do it, the more comfortable they will feel.

When to help young men share their experiences. Advisers, consider making time for young men to share with quorum members the experiences they are having as they fulfill their plans. For example, during the first few minutes of quorum meeting the quorum president could invite the young men to talk about what they are learning as they fulfill their plan to study the scriptures regularly (see pages 15, 39, and 63). Or he could invite them to share an experience they had serving others (see pages 27, 51, and 75). Hearing about the experiences their fellow quorum members are having reminds young men of their own plans and encourages them to have experiences of their own. Encourage the young men to discuss their plans and experiences with their parents also.

Parents, ask your son to discuss with you what he is learning and the experiences he is having. This will help him see the progress he is making.

Conversations along the way. Young men often gain more from gospel conversations than they do from hearing lectures about the gospel. Take advantage of every opportunity to let the young men talk about their experiences. Sharing is not something the young men do once, and it does not represent the completion of their plan. It does not need to be done in a formal setting; it can be most effective in informal conversations during quorum activities, with friends, and with family members.

For the Strength of Youth

After the young men have begun working on their plans in “Spiritual Strength” and “Priesthood Duties,” they have the opportunity to create a project based on some of the standards in For the Strength of Youth. Priests are invited to create an additional project to help them prepare to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and serve a full-time mission. The young men should have a parent or leader approve their project before they begin. You can help them create a project that is challenging but also based on their needs and interests.

Review Their Progress

The best way to help a young man see the progress he is making is to have frequent conversations with him about his plans and his experiences.

At least one of these conversations should happen as the young man approaches the age to be ordained to an office in the priesthood. During this conversation, ask him to review the plans he made as a deacon, teacher, or priest. Talk about how fulfilling those plans has helped him prepare for the additional priesthood duties he is about to receive. This is an opportunity to help the young man reflect on the kind of priesthood holder he is becoming. At the end of each “Spiritual Strength” and “Priesthood Duties” section is a “Review” page. Here you and the young man can indicate with your signatures that you have had this conversation.

Completing the activities in this book is not a requirement for advancing in the priesthood. The purpose of the activities is to help young men prepare for priesthood service.

Duty to God Certificates

After you have completed the “Review” sections, and after the young man has completed his “For the Strength of Youth” project, he is eligible to receive a Duty to God certificate. Three certificates are available: one each for deacons (item number 08686), teachers (08687), and priests (08688). These certificates acknowledge the progress the young man is making toward fulfilling his duty to God. To receive the priest certificate, the young man must also complete his project in the section titled “Preparing to Receive the Melchizedek Priesthood.” It is not necessary that he receive the deacon and teacher certificates in order to receive the priest certificate.

The certificates are awarded under the direction of the bishop. An optional plaque for displaying the priest certificate is also available (08694).

Use the Duty to God Program to Strengthen the Quorum

The Duty to God program strengthens the quorum by:

Helping quorum members understand their duty to God. For example, you can help quorum members understand their duties by having them complete the learning activities in this book as a quorum. Counseling together about priesthood duties and spiritual growth can broaden their understanding and inspire them to act.

Providing opportunities for quorum members to work together in fulfilling priesthood duties. In some cases, quorum members can counsel together to make their plans, and they can carry out their plans together. Doing this allows them to support and encourage each other.

Encouraging quorum members to share ideas and experiences. Some of the younger quorum members may have difficulty thinking of plans; sharing ideas as a quorum can help generate more ideas. Sharing experiences with quorum members can help build faith, testimony, and quorum brotherhood. Consider doing this regularly during quorum meetings and activities.

Providing the quorum president the opportunity to lead by example. When a young man joins the quorum, the quorum president could use the Duty to God book to help the new quorum member understand his duties. The quorum president could also share with the quorum the plans he has made in his own book and tell about his experiences carrying out those plans.

Helping quorum members learn the importance of priesthood keys. The quorum president holds the keys of presidency for his quorum (see D&C 124:142–43). Quorum advisers should allow him the opportunity to exercise those keys. As young men serve together under the direction of the quorum president, they can grow in their understanding of how the Lord works through priesthood leaders. They can see that a quorum is a divinely appointed organization that gives them opportunities to learn their priesthood duties, give priesthood service, and grow spiritually.

Use the Duty to God Program to Strengthen Relationships

When you have a strong relationship with your son or the young men in your quorum, they are more likely to deepen their conversion to the gospel and remain faithful. The activities in the Duty to God book provide an excellent opportunity to strengthen these relationships. For example, making your own plans and working on them with your son or a quorum member could allow you to spend time together engaged in meaningful activities. Sharing experiences with each other gives you the opportunity to bear testimony and strengthen each other spiritually.

Appendix

Aaronic Priesthood Ordinances

Blessing the Sacrament

Priests bless the sacramental bread using these words: “O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen” (D&C 20:77).

They bless the water using these words: “O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this [water] to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen” (D&C 20:79).

Performing a Baptism

Under the direction of the presiding authority, a priest may perform the ordinance of baptism. To do so, he:

Stands in the water with the person to be baptized.

Holds the person’s right wrist with his left hand (for convenience and safety); the person who is being baptized holds the priesthood holder’s left wrist with his or her left hand.

Raises his right arm to the square.

States the person’s full name and says, “Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen” (D&C 20:73).

Has the person hold his or her nose with the right hand (for convenience); then the priesthood holder places his right hand high on the person’s back and immerses the person completely, including the person’s clothing.

Helps the person come up out of the water.

Conferring the Aaronic Priesthood and Ordaining to an Office

When authorized by the presiding authority, a priest may confer the Aaronic Priesthood and ordain a person to an office in the Aaronic Priesthood.

To perform a priesthood ordination, one or more authorized priesthood holders place their hands lightly on the person’s head. Then the person who performs the ordination:

Calls the person by his full name.

States the authority by which the ordination is performed (Aaronic or Melchizedek Priesthood).

Confers the Aaronic Priesthood, unless it has already been conferred.

Ordains the person to an office in the Aaronic Priesthood (deacon, teacher, or priest) and bestows the rights, powers, and authority of that office. (Priesthood keys are not bestowed in conferring the priesthood or ordaining to one of these offices.)

Gives words of blessing as the Spirit directs.

Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.

Notes