Duty to God
The Duty to God award was an honor presented to young men in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The award was created in 1954 to align the activities of Scouting with priesthood responsibilities. The award was modified in 2002, and again in 2010.
In May 2018, the Church of Jesus Christ announced that a new Children and Youth Program would launch in January 2020 and would replace existing activity programs for girls and boys, young women and young men.[1][2][3]
History
The Duty to God program was established for young men ages 12-18 who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to help them fulfill their duties in the priesthood and gain spiritual strength. There are three certificates in the program that a young man needed to earn to get the Duty to God award. The certificates were earned in two-year intervals starting with deacon, followed by teacher and priest, all levels of the Aaronic Priesthood.
The program suggested certain goals to be accomplished in four different areas:
- Spiritual Development
- Physical Development
- Educational, Personal and Career Development
- Citizenship and Social Development
The young men needed to complete at least eight goals in each area. Here are a few of the goals that were suggested:
- If you do not already have one, start a journal, and write in it regularly for 2 months.
- Swim 50 meters, using 2 different strokes.
- Learn to play a musical instrument.
- With your quorum, clean up or repair a part of your neighborhood.
- Recite from memory the Articles of Faith and Doctrine and Covenants 13.
- Hike 15 kilometers or 9 miles with a pack in 1 day.
- Collect 3 different job applications, and fill them out as practice.
- Attend a village, community, or city council meeting, and share your impressions of the experience with your parents or a priesthood leader.
- Continue to add regularly to your mission fund in preparation for receiving your mission call.
- Run for 30 minutes 3 times a week for 3 months.
- Visit the workplace of 3 occupations you are interested in. Write about what you did and did not like about the job and about why you think it does or does not fit your long-term goals.
- Invite a group of newly married couples from the ward or stake to a panel discussion in which they discuss how individuals should treat each other during courtship and what to look for in a future spouse.
In addition to these goals the young men were also asked to complete numerous goals in the areas of family and quorum activities. Finally they are asked to complete a service project to receive their certificate for that level.
The program was encouraged throughout the membership of the Church.
- Young men, take full advantage of the Church programs. Set your goals to attain excellence in the achievement programs of the Church. Earn the Duty to God Award—one of our most significant priesthood awards (Ezra Taft Benson, “To the ‘Youth of the Noble Birthright,” Ensign, May 1986, 43).
- We hope you will earn the Duty to God Award and that it will become a symbol of your preparation to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood (The First Presidency of the Church).
