"Fulfilling Our Duty to God"

"And now my beloved brethren, I have said these things unto you that I might awaken you to a sense of your duty to God, that ye may walk blameless before him, that ye may walk after the holy order of God, after which ye have been received." —Alma 7:22

As we travel throughout the Church, we are gratified with the efforts of many to implement the Duty to God program to better prepare their young men of the Aaronic Priesthood to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, to receive the ordinances of the temple, and to serve a full-time mission. We have been particularly thrilled with the efforts of parents who have caught the vision of their role in the Duty to God program and implemented it in their own homes to strengthen their sons. One mother wrote:

"I am so proud of my son and who he is becoming as I gently encourage and assist him in fulfilling the requirements of the Duty to God Award. I watch as this program helps him learn new skills, use his priesthood, serve others, and teach his younger siblings gospel principles. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing him grow into a strong and righteous man. The Duty to God program requires my son at times to move out of his comfort zone. Doing this allows him opportunities for great growth. I love to see my son teach during family home evening and give regular talks in sacrament meeting."

The full name of the program, as approved by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, is "Aaronic Priesthood: Fulfilling Our Duty to God." This describes much more than just an achievement program. Rather, it sets forth one of the primary purposes for the Aaronic Priesthood: to help its members understand and fulfill their duty to God as holders of the Aaronic Priesthood. We have a number of tools to help us in the process, including Scouting, the For the Strength of Youth booklet, home teaching and other priesthood assignments, and the Duty to God program, just to mention a few.

May the Lord bless you richly as you strive to utilize all the tools and resources available to retain the active young men of the Aaronic Priesthood, reclaim the less active, and "grow" the quorums of the Aaronic Priesthood. We love you and pray constantly for your success in this noble work.

—Young Men General Presidency