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“Duty to God Certificate Requirements,” Aaronic Priesthood: Fulfilling Our Duty to God [Teacher], 11

The requirements for earning the Duty to God certificate for teachers are outlined below.

Priesthood Duties and Standards

Remain worthy to represent the Savior by doing all of the following regularly:

• 1. Keep the commandments.

• 2. Live the standards in For the Strength of Youth.

• 3. Have daily personal prayer.

• 4. Read the scriptures.

• 5. Attend seminary, where available; otherwise, enroll in the appropriate seminary home-study course.

• 6. Attend sacrament meeting, priesthood meeting, and other Church meetings.

• 7. Keep the Word of Wisdom.

• 8. Pay a full tithe.

• 9. Prepare the sacrament.

• 10. Serve as a home teacher as assigned by your priesthood leaders.

• 11. Perform other assigned priesthood duties.

Family Activities

Do all of the following. Have a parent initial each goal when you complete it.

• ___ 1. In the Book of Mormon, read Alma through Moroni, and discuss with your family what Alma, Helaman, and Moroni foretold about Christ. Also discuss the brother of Jared and the strength of his faith.

• ___ 2. Study For the Strength of Youth. Discuss each topic with your parents, and explain why each is important to young men and women.

• ___ 3. Read about the following topics in True to the Faith or Gospel Principles, and teach 2 of them to your family: conversion, faith, forgiveness, the Holy Ghost, obedience, the plan of salvation, prayer, prophets, repentance, and revelation.

• ___ 4. Under the direction of your parents, organize and teach at least 4 family home evening lessons each year. You may want to consider using topics from For the Strength of Youth,True to the Faith, or Gospel Principles.

• ___ 5. Memorize the words and learn to conduct at least 3 hymns each year, 1 hymn in 2/4 time, 1 in 3/4 time, and 1 in 4/4 time.

• ___ 6. Learn to prepare and use a simple budget. Keep a budget for at least 2 months.

• ___ 7. Study and briefly describe to your parents your country’s constitution and the events that led to its creation.

• ___ 8. Plan an activity in which you and your family serve a neighbor or relative. Carry out the activity together.

Quorum Activities

Do all of the following. Have a priesthood leader initial each goal when you complete it.

• ___ 1. Read D&C 20:53–57. Also read “Teaching the Gospel” in True to the Faith, or read the Teaching Guidebook. Discuss with a priesthood leader how you can be a good home teacher.

• ___ 2. As assigned by a priesthood leader, give at least one 4- to 5-minute talk each year in priesthood or sacrament meeting.

• ___ 3. Under the direction of a priesthood leader, teach, or help teach 1 or more lessons in the teachers quorum meeting.

• ___ 4. With your quorum, discuss how to prepare for and serve a full-time mission and ways to assist the full-time missionaries in your area.

• ___ 5. Invite and bring to Church meetings a friend, a less-active member, or a new member your age.

• ___ 6. Participate in baptisms for the dead, if possible. If not, talk with a priesthood leader about the temple and what it means to Latter-day Saints.

• ___ 7. Under the direction of a priesthood leader, participate in at least 1 teachers quorum service project each year.

Personal Goals

To earn a Duty to God certificate as a teacher, you must complete 8 or more personal goals under each of the 4 categories that follow. If these suggested goals do not fit your needs or abilities, you can modify the requirements with the approval of your parents and Aaronic Priesthood leaders. Discuss your goals with your parents and a priesthood leader.

Have a parent or priesthood leader initial each goal when you have completed it. Keep a summary of your progress on page 32.

Spiritual Development

Complete 8 or more goals from this category. You can select from the goals listed below or write your own. These goals should help you strengthen your testimony, learn your priesthood duties, and understand the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

• ___ 1. Study the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood found on page 7. Discuss what it means to “become converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and live its teachings.”

• ___ 2. Discuss with your parents or a priesthood leader what it means to keep the Sabbath day holy. Practice appropriate Sabbath observance.

• ___ 3. Prepare and present at least 2 home teaching lessons.

• ___ 4. Recite from memory the Articles of Faith and D&C 13.

• ___ 5. Read and discuss a general conference address that teaches about the evils of immorality and pornography.

• ___ 6. Complete a family group record for each of your grandparents where they are listed as children.

• ___ 7. Write regularly in a personal journal for at least 3 months.

• ___ 8. Regularly add to your mission fund in preparation for and anticipation of receiving a call to serve a full-time mission.

• ___ 9. Collect recipes for a dozen meals that a missionary can prepare quickly. Prepare at least 4 of these meals.

• ___10. Write 3 letters of appreciation to your family or ward members during the year. Thank them for their kindness and support.

• ___11. Develop a list of 10 qualities that you admire in your father or another adult, and discuss them.

• ___12. Read at least 2 stories from a Church magazine. Share them with your family in family home evening or with a priesthood leader.

• ___13. _______________________________________________________________

Physical Development

Complete 8 or more goals from this category. You can select from the goals listed below or write your own. These goals should help you develop good health habits, become more physically fit, learn teamwork, and practice safety.

• ___ 1. Run 5 kilometers or 3 miles in 30 minutes or less.

• ___ 2. Swim 75 meters using 2 different strokes.

• ___ 3. Demonstrate lifesaving skills in the water.

• ___ 4. Hike 15 kilometers or 9 miles with a pack in 1 day.

• ___ 5. Participate in a group cultural arts performance such as a road show, play, folk dance, or other activity in a church, school, or community function.

• ___ 6. Teach a younger brother or sister or ward member how to play an indoor game or sport.

• ___ 7. Participate on a sports team in the quorum, ward, school, or community.

• ___ 8. Learn to play or officiate a sport of your choice.

• ___ 9. If local conditions permit, participate in a 3-day quorum camping trip under the supervision of your leaders and other qualified adults.

• ___10. Explain to your parents or a priesthood leader how to survive for 48 hours if lost in the wilderness in both warm and cold seasons. Identify edible plants and animals, and explain how you would ensure the safety of drinking water.

• ___11. Learn and demonstrate the most important distress signals to use during a crisis or when you are lost.

• ___12. Teach first aid skills to your family or quorum members.

• ___13. _______________________________________________________________

Educational, Personal, and Career Development

Complete 8 or more goals from this category. You can select from the goals listed below or write your own. These goals should help you become more self-reliant, develop talents, and gain leadership qualities.

• ___ 1. Continue your education, and develop additional skills in reading, writing, and mathematics.

• ___ 2. Improve your reading skills by reading at least 6 issues of a Church magazine.

• ___ 3. Choose 3 careers that interest you. Think of several questions you have about each career, and discuss them with your parents, a priesthood leader, or others who can help you learn about these careers. Emphasize the positive aspects of each career as they relate to your personal characteristics and life goals.

• ___ 4. Visit at least 3 places where people perform work you might enjoy. Find out what they like and dislike about their work and how they prepared themselves to do it. Describe to your parents or a priesthood leader how you would feel about working at such a job.

• ___ 5. If a vocational interest test is available, take it, and discuss the results with your parents. If classes are offered at your school that could help you prepare for a potential career, discuss with your parents or a priesthood leader how they could help you do this.

• ___ 6. Discuss how your chosen career would allow you to maintain the moral standards of the Church.

• ___ 7. Learn and explain the entrance requirements for a technical school, college, or university; describe to your parents or a priesthood leader at least 5 classes that interest you.

• ___ 8. Learn to play a musical instrument.

• ___ 9. Attend a “career night” where a guest speaker describes the steps a person should take to apply for a job and what characteristics employers look for in new employees.

• ___10. Collect 3 different job applications, and fill them out as practice.

• ___11. In a language other than your own, learn to bear your testimony, and memorize Articles of Faith 1–6.

• ___12. Use a computer to prepare a Church talk, a school assignment, or another similar task.

• ___13. _______________________________________________________________

Citizenship and Social Development

Complete 8 or more goals from this category. You can select from the goals listed below or write your own. These goals should help you serve others, improve social skills, and become a better member of your family, ward, community, and nation.

• ___ 1. Learn and practice proper personal hygiene and grooming, and explain to your parents or a priesthood leader why these skills are important to your success and well-being.

• ___ 2. Under the direction of a priesthood leader, plan and participate in at least 1 combined activity with your quorum members and the young women in the ward.

• ___ 3. Volunteer for 4 or more afternoons or evenings at a hospital, home for the aged, center for the disabled, welfare center, or homeless shelter.

• ___ 4. Invite your grandparents or other senior citizens to share their childhood memories with you. Take notes of the major highlights in their lives.

• ___ 5. Attend a village, community, or city council meeting, and share your impressions of the experience with your parents or a priesthood leader.

• ___ 6. Visit a legal court, and share your impressions of the experience with your quorum or family.

• ___ 7. Learn and sing, alone or with a group, your national anthem; explain its origin to your parents or a priesthood leader.

• ___ 8. Discuss with your parents or a priesthood leader ways to help prevent crime in your area.

• ___ 9. Develop a list of music, movies, television programs, and printed materials that are in harmony with gospel standards.

• ___10. With your quorum members, plan and participate in an “etiquette dinner.” The guests of honor could be quorum members’ parents.

• ___11. As assigned by a priesthood leader, give at least 1 talk in sacrament meeting, or give a speech at school or in the community.

• ___12. With approval of neighborhood or community leaders, organize a project to clean and repair a public park or gathering place. Help maintain the grounds for 2 months.

• ___13. _______________________________________________________________