Preach, Teach, Exhort, and Expound

& Invite All To Come Unto Christ

By Ronnie Bray

Sunday Worship Services in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

have certain specific purposes. One is detailed in Doctrine and Covenants
Section 59.
1 Behold, blessed, saith the Lord, are they who have come up unto this land with an eye single to my glory, according to my
commandments.
2 For those that live shall inherit the earth, and those that die shall rest from all their labors, and their works shall follow them; and
they shall receive a crown in the mansions of my Father, which I have prepared for them.
3 Yea, blessed are they whose feet stand upon the land of Zion, who have obeyed my gospel; for they shall receive for their reward
the good things of the earth, and it shall bring forth in its strength.
4 And they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea, and with commandments not a few, and with revelations in their
time—they that are faithful and diligent before me.
5 Wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, saying thus: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might,
mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.
6 Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Thou shalt not steal; neither commit adultery, nor kill, nor do anything like unto it.
7 Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things.
8 Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

9 And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go
to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;
10 For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High;
11 Nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times;

12 But remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy
sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the
Lord.
13 And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with
singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be
full.
14 Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer.
15 And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is
sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance—
16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fullness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that
which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;
17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for
orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;
18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye
and to gladden the heart;
19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not
to excess, neither by extortion.
21 And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and
obey not his commandments.
22 Behold, this is according to the law and the prophets; wherefore, trouble me no more concerning this matter.
23 But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the
world to come.
24 I, the Lord, have spoken it, and the Spirit beareth record. Amen.
In Section 20 of the Doctrines and Covenants, which is the great revelation
regarding the obligations of ministers in the Holy Priesthood, the Lord
identifies specific duties and responsibilities:
38 The duty of the elders, priests, teachers, deacons, and members of the church of Christ—An apostle is an elder, and it is his calling
to baptize; 39 And to ordain other elders, priests, teachers, and deacons; 40 And to administer bread and wine—the emblems of the
flesh and blood of Christ— 41 And to confirm those who are baptized into the church, by the laying on of hands for the baptism of
fire and the Holy Ghost, according to the scriptures;

42 And to teach, expound, exhort, baptize, and watch over the church;
43 And to confirm the church by the laying on of the hands, and the giving of the Holy Ghost; 44 And to take the lead of all
meetings. 45 The elders are to conduct the meetings as they are led by the Holy Ghost, according to the commandments and
revelations of God.

46 The priest’s duty is to preach, teach, expound, exhort, and baptize, and
administer the sacrament,
47 And visit the house of each member, and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties. 48 And he
may also ordain other priests, teachers, and deacons. 49 And he is to take the lead of meetings when there is no elder present;

50 But when there is an elder present, he is only to preach, teach, expound,

exhort, and baptize,
51 And visit the house of each member, exhorting them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties. 52 In all these
duties the priest is to assist the elder if occasion requires. 53 The teacher’s duty is to watch over the church always, and be with and
strengthen them; 54 And see that there is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying, backbiting, nor
evil speaking; 55 And see that the church meet together often, and also see that all the members do their duty. 56 And he is to take
the lead of meetings in the absence of the elder or priest— 57 And is to be assisted always, in all his duties in the church, by the
deacons, if occasion requires. 58 But neither teachers nor deacons have authority to baptize, administer the sacrament, or lay on
hands;

59 They are, however, to warn, expound, exhort, and teach, and invite all to
come unto Christ.
60 Every elder, priest, teacher, or deacon is to be ordained according to the gifts and callings of God unto him; and he is to be
ordained by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is in the one who ordains him.

Although there are some differences involved in the general instructions of

the duties of the discrete priesthood offices, there are in each certain
similarities bound up in the parts that direct them to “ … teach, expound,
exhort - preach, teach, expound, exhort - warn, expound, exhort, and teach,
and invite all to come unto Christ.” From these parts it is clear that a major
part of the duties of those blessed to hold the Holy Priesthood is:

1. To warn
2. To preach
3. To teach
4. To expound and
5. To exhort

Each of these duties, although having some similarities, are, nonetheless,

discrete functions that we shall look at separately and then connect them as a
totality that we can regard as a single divinely required act that falls on the
shoulders of all that hold the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of
God.
To Warn

Warning is defined as to give notice, advice, or intimation of present or

coming danger, impending evil, possible harm, or anything else
unfavourable that will affect those warned.

In the context of the Gospel of Jesus Christ such warning could be early
notice of impending unrest, disaster, persecution, or the advent of any evil
thing that could overtake them if they do not prepare to repulse it, although
in general terms it refers to threats against the security of their eternal
salvation.

As this duty devolves on each man that receives the Holy Priesthood it
naturally follows that as individuals and as a group or quorum of Priesthood
they are to be ever watchful for signs of the approach of evil, careful to
establish the actuality or otherwise of perceived threats, and to live in a state
of preparation to deliver proper warning of substantial threats, especially
those that have a bearing on their eternal security.

The Priesthood of Israel is the Watchmen that the Lord God has placed on
Israel’s Towers for the safety of Zion and its peoples. As such, Zion’s
Watchmen are to be ever vigilant, ever wakeful, always on guard against the
approach of evil from without and within. Thus, the Priesthood of Israel
watches and obeys and is ever ready, always prepared, tirelessly vigilant,
and does not sleep on duty.

God said, I have made thee a watchman,’ Ezekiel 3: 17-21.

Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth,
and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him
not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man
shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn
not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy
soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a
stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin,
and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine
hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall
surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

Watchmen who raise the warning voice save their own souls.
So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the
word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely
die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but
his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he
do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Therefore, O thou
son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be
upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord
GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye,
turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Therefore, thou son of man, say unto
the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his
transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from
his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit
iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he
shall die for it. Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do
that which is lawful and right; If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the
statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he
hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely
live. Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not
equal. When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die
thereby. But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live
thereby. [Ezekiel 33: 7-19]

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the good-man of
the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have
suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son
of man cometh. Matt. 24: 42-44.

Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the
cock-crowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I
say unto all, Watch. [Mark 13: 35-37]

Yea, let the cry go forth among all people: Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom; behold
and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord.
Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour. Doctrine & Covenants 133: 10-11

Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
[Matthew 26:41]

Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always, lest ye be tempted by the devil, and ye be led
away captive by him. And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto his Disciples, he
turned again unto the multitude and said unto them: Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch
and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.
[3 Nephi 18: 15, 18].

But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and
your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard
concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man,
remember, and perish not. Mosiah 4: 30

And then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven,
clothed with power and great glory; with all the holy angels; and he that watches not for me shall be cut off.
Doctrine & Covenants 45:44.
A certain nobleman had a spot of land, very choice; and he said unto his servants: Go ye unto my
bvineyard, even upon this very choice piece of land, and plant twelve olive-trees; And set watchmen round
about them, and build a tower, that one may overlook the land round about, to be a watchman upon the
tower, that mine olive-trees may not be broken down when the enemy shall come to spoil and take upon
themselves the fruit of my vineyard. Now, the servants of the nobleman went and did as their lord
commanded them, and planted the olive-trees, and built a hedge round about, and set watchmen, and began
to build a tower. And while they were yet laying the foundation thereof, they began to say among
themselves: And what need hath my lord of this tower? And consulted for a long time, saying among
themselves: What need hath my lord of this tower, seeing this is a time of peace? Might not this money be
given to the exchangers? For there is no need of these things.

And while they were at variance one with another they became very slothful, and they hearkened not unto
the commandments of their lord. And the enemy came by night, and broke down the hedge; and the
servants of the nobleman arose and were affrighted, and fled; and the enemy destroyed their works, and
broke down the olive-trees.

Now, behold, the nobleman, the lord of the vineyard, called upon his servants, and said unto them, Why!
what is the cause of this great evil? Ought ye not to have done even as I commanded you, and—after ye
had planted the vineyard, and built the hedge round about, and set watchmen upon the walls thereof—built
the tower also, and set a watchman upon the tower, and watched for my vineyard, and not have fallen
asleep, lest the enemy should come upon you? And behold, the watchman upon the tower would have seen
the enemy while he was yet afar off; and then ye could have made ready and kept the enemy from breaking
down the hedge thereof, and saved my vineyard from the hands of the destroyer. Doctrine & Covenants
101: 44-54

Jacob warned the people of Nephi against every kind of sin, Jacob 3: 12.

The voice of warning is to all people, DOCTRINE & COVENANTS 1: 4.

Let your preaching be the warning voice, DOCTRINE & COVENANTS 38:
41.

This is a day of warning, DOCTRINE & COVENANTS 63: 58.

Every man who has been warned should warn his neighbour, DOCTRINE &
COVENANTS 88: 81.

I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving you this word of wisdom,
DOCTRINE & COVENANTS 89: 4.

Incomplete as of yet.