Is the Priest Reading It From a Paer or Saying It Live

"Lesson vii: Duties of the Priest," Duties and Blessings of the Priesthood: Basic Transmission for Priesthood Holders, Role A (2000), 48–56

"Lesson 7: Duties of the Priest," Duties and Blessings of the Priesthood: Basic Transmission for Priesthood Holders, Function A, 48–56

The purpose of this lesson is to assist us understand the duties of priests.

Introduction

The Lord commanded every priesthood holder to "stand in his own office, and labor in his ain calling" (D&C 84:109). To do this, we must offset larn and and then fulfill our different responsibilities in the priesthood. As priests, we have all the responsibilities and duties of a deacon and teacher. In add-on, our duties include teaching, baptizing, administering the sacrament, visiting the members, ordaining others to the Aaronic Priesthood, and assisting in missionary work. As we perform these duties, we are not just helping to build the kingdom of God but also preparing ourselves to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. When we receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and are ordained to the role of elderberry, we tin can be called to serve full-time missions. Our effectiveness equally full-time missionaries depends on how well prepared nosotros are to serve. Nosotros can prepare to be good missionaries past magnifying our callings as priests.

The Duties of the Priest

Worthy brethren may be ordained priests when they are at least 16 years one-time. The specific duties of a priest are constitute in the Doctrine and Covenants.

Ask the class members to read and marking Doctrine and Covenants 20:46–48. What are the duties of a priest?
Display a poster of the following duties, or write the information on the chalkboard:
Duties of a Priest
1. Teach the gospel.
2. Baptize.
3. Administer the sacrament.
4. Visit the members.
5. Ordain others to the Aaronic Priesthood.
6. Assist in missionary piece of work.

Teach the Gospel

Ane of our duties every bit priests is to "preach, teach, expound, exhort" (D&C xx:46). This ways that we are to teach others the principles of the gospel. In society to teach the principles of the gospel, we must outset larn what they are. The Lord said, "Seek non to declare my discussion, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; and so, if yous desire, you lot shall take my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the disarming of men" (D&C 11:21).

Nosotros obtain the word of God in several ways. We obtain it in our homes from our parents, in our priesthood quorums from those who instruct u.s.a., in Lord's day School, in sacrament meeting, and in seminary and institute classes.

One of the all-time ways to learn the give-and-take of God is through daily, personal written report of the scriptures. Every priesthood holder should ready aside time to regularly report the scriptures. As we search and ponder the scriptures, the Lord will help us understand them. As we build our knowledge of the gospel, we tin teach it to others.

We may also fulfill our duty to teach others the gospel through our righteous instance. Many times our good case encourages others to live the gospel.

What specific things can we practise to teach the gospel?

Cognominate

Prove visual 7-a, "A priest may baptize when authorized by the bishop or branch president."

Another duty priests have is to baptize (see D&C 20:46). Baptism by the proper authority is i of the most important and sacred ordinances in the Church, for it is the ordinance past which we become members of the Church, are forgiven of our sins, and enter the path to the celestial kingdom. It is a priest's sacred responsibility to administer this saving ordinance when authorized to exercise so by the bishop or branch president.

Administrate the Sacrament

Show visual 7-b, "Priests have the sacred responsibility of administering the sacrament to the members of the Church building."

The honor of administering the sacrament is given mainly to the priests, who offer the sacramental prayers. As priests, we should be familiar with the sacramental prayers, dress appropriately, and wash our hands before performing this ordinance. Above all, we should exist worthy to perform this sacred ordinance as the Savior'due south representatives.

Visit the Members

The Lord has commanded priests to "visit the business firm of each member, and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties" (D&C 20:47). We can achieve this as nosotros home teach our assigned families. During these visits, we can find out the needs of the family members. We tin can pray with them. We tin can teach them the principles of the gospel and encourage them to attend to their family unit duties. Nosotros tin be friendly to the family members at our Church building meetings and in the neighborhood. And we tin can participate with them in Church building, school, and community activities.

Ordain Others to the Aaronic Priesthood

Priests also accept the dominance to ordain other priests, teachers, and deacons (see D&C 20:48), only only when authorized by the bishop or co-operative president. This ability to confer the Aaronic Priesthood is sacred. It was restored to the earth by John the Baptist when he ordained Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to the Aaronic Priesthood (run across D&C 13). John the Baptist himself was given authority by an angel interim in the name of God (see D&C 84:28). The power to ordain others comes to usa, therefore, from God. To perform this important ordinance, nosotros should be worthy and have the Holy Ghost with us. (For farther information see lesson 3, "The Restoration of the Priesthood," in this manual.)

Assist in Missionary Piece of work

Show visual 7-c, "Profitable the total-fourth dimension missionaries is both an obligation and an accolade."

vii-c, Assisting the full-time missionaries is both an obligation and an honor.

The calling of a priest also includes assisting in missionary work. This calling was part of the aboriginal Church. Members of the Aaronic Priesthood today are also to help the elders with their missions. Their specific duty is to make appointments and prepare the way for the elders. (See D&C 84:107–eight.) Nosotros can assist in missionary work by helping the full-time missionaries in our areas find families to teach and by making appointments for them with these families. We tin can likewise assist in missionary work by preparing ourselves to be total-time missionaries.

Magnifying Priesthood Callings

As priests we should report our duties to teach, cognominate, administrate the sacrament, visit the members, ordain others, and assist in missionary work. Equally we acquire and perform these duties, we are entitled to the protection and guidance of the Lord. President Wilford Woodruff, who served on a mission as a priest with an elder as his companion, said this about his mission:

"I went out every bit a Priest, and my companion as an Elder, and nosotros traveled thousands of miles, and had many things manifested to u.s.a.. I want to impress upon you the fact that it does non make whatever divergence whether a man is a Priest or an Apostle, if he magnifies his calling. A Priest holds the keys of the ministering of angels. Never in my life, as an Campaigner, as a Seventy, or equally an Elder, have I ever had more of the protection of the Lord than while holding the office of a Priest. The Lord revealed to me past visions, by revelations, and by the Holy Spirit, many things that lay before me" (Millennial Star, 5 Oct. 1891, 629).

Bishop Victor L. Brown related the post-obit experience about how priests should magnify their callings:

"A young human being … wrote the following: 'At one time I attended a ward which had most no Melchizedek Priesthood holders in it. Only information technology was not in any way dulled in spirituality. On the opposite, many of its members witnessed the greatest display of priesthood power they had e'er known.

"'The power was centered in the priests. For the beginning time in their lives they were called upon to perform all the duties of the priests and administer to the needs of their fellow ward members. They were seriously chosen to home teach—not just to be a yawning bagginess to an elder making a social telephone call merely to anoint their brothers and sisters.

"'Previous to this time I had been with four of these priests in a different state of affairs. At that place I regarded them to be common hoodlums. They drove away every seminary instructor afterward two or iii months. They spread havoc over the countryside on Scouting trips. But when they were needed—when they were trusted with a vital mission—they were amid those who shone the most brilliantly in priesthood service.

"'The secret was that the bishop called upon his Aaronic Priesthood to rise to the stature of men to whom angels might well appear; and they rose to that stature, administering relief to those who might be in desire and strengthening those who needed strengthening. Not just were the other ward members built upwardly but so were the members of the quorum themselves. A great unity spread throughout the ward and every member began to have a taste of what information technology is for a people to be of i heed and ane heart. In that location was zilch inexplicable in all of this; information technology was just the proper exercise of the Aaronic Priesthood'" (in Conference Study, Oct. 1975, 101–2; or Ensign, Nov. 1975, 68).

Ask class members to share rewarding experiences they have had in magnifying their priesthood duties.

Preparing to Exist Effective Missionaries

One of the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood is to ready those who hold information technology to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. Those priests who are worthy and who magnify the Aaronic Priesthood can receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and be ordained to the office of elder.

Much of full-fourth dimension missionary work is accomplished today by elders. Most of united states of america who at present hold the Aaronic Priesthood worthily will be ordained elders at the age of eighteen. This gives us 1 year to learn and practice the duties of an elder and to fix to serve a full-time mission.

If we perform all our duties as priests, nosotros will gain experience in the very things we will be doing as missionaries. We will teach the gospel as missionaries, baptize converts, administer the sacrament on occasion, visit members, and ordain others to the priesthood. As we perform these duties as priests, we will be strengthened spiritually and will be better prepared to serve as total-time missionaries when nosotros are chosen.

Why is it important for priests to prepare and plan for a mission?

Conclusion

Speaking to members of the Aaronic Priesthood, Elderberry David B. Haight said: "The Aaronic Priesthood years are critical years of training. The Lord knew immature men would need these valuable teen years to prepare for life—precious years with meaningful, never-to-exist-forgotten spiritual experiences. You will face some crucial decisions, but hopefully you will take advantage of the seasoned feel and counsel of your loving parents and concerned priesthood leaders" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1991, fifty; or Ensign, Nov. 1991, 36).

Equally priests we should use our years of preparation wisely. We should follow the counsel of our parents and priesthood leaders and diligently perform our priesthood duties. Our duties include instruction the gospel, baptizing, administering the sacrament, visiting the members, ordaining others to the Aaronic Priesthood, and doing missionary work. Past fulfilling these priesthood duties, we tin bless and serve others now and exist better prepared to serve every bit Melchizedek Priesthood bearers and full-time missionaries.

Challenges

Faithfully perform your Aaronic Priesthood duties in lodge to:

Strengthen the members of your quorum and ward or co-operative.
Prepare yourself to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and serve equally a full-time missionary.

Instructor Preparation

Before presenting this lesson:

Read Doctrine and Covenants twenty:46–49.
Prepare the poster suggested in the lesson, or write the data on the chalkboard.
Assign class members to nowadays whatever stories, scriptures, or quotations you lot wish.

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Source: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/duties-and-blessings-of-the-priesthood-basic-manual-for-priesthood-holders-part-a/history-and-organization-of-the-priesthood/lesson-7-duties-of-the-priest?lang=eng