In His first public discourse — which took place in the synagogue at Nazareth — Jesus exemplified the manner in which His servants are to fulfill their call to preach His gospel.

He announced the purpose of His ministry by quoting Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

"To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19.)

At the October 1983 general conference, Elder Jack H Goaslind said: "The conditions of our discipleship impose on us the identical mission, for He said, 'The works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do.' (3 Ne. 27:21.) We are empowered, as necessary, to do all that the Savior did — except for the Atonement itself — in our labors to save our fellowmen. In fact, we are told that we must be 'the saviors of men' or we will be 'as salt that has lost its savor.' (D&C 103:10.)

"The Lord has not left the accomplishment of this sacred labor to chance. Through sacred covenants He imposes this responsibility on all members of His kingdom, and simultaneously empowers us to fulfill these covenants. Even young children and youth have this sacred duty and also the power to do it.

"Elder John A. Widtsoe taught that in our premortal state 'we agreed . . . to be not only saviors for ourselves but measurably, saviors for the whole human family. . . . The working out of the plan became then not merely the Father's work, and the Savior's work, but also our work.' (Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, Oct. 1934, p. 189.)

"We understood, as President George Albert Smith noted, that 'we cannot receive the beneficent favor of our Heavenly Father that is bestowed upon us, the knowledge of eternal life, and selfishly retain it, thinking that we may be blessed thereby. It is not what we receive that enriches our lives, it is what we give.' (Conference Report, April 1935, p. 46). Therefore, 'those who receive the message are obligated,' said Elder Widtsoe, ' . . . by the ageless agreement made before this world was organized . . . [to] do all in their power to bring it to the attention of others.' " (Priesthood and Church Government, pp. 318-19.)

Elder Goaslind said: "These solemn premortal promises are renewed and confirmed upon us in the ordinances of salvation. In baptism, for example, we covenant to 'stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death.' (Mosiah 18:9.) The promise is that the Lord will 'pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you.' (Mosiah 18:10.) When partaking of the sacrament, we renew this covenant, recalling that Christ, when introducing this sacred ordinance, said, 'Of me ye shall bear record unto all the world.' (Joseph Smith Translation, Mark 14:23).

"Again, the promise for faithfulness is that we 'may always have his Spirit to be with' us." (D&C 20:77.)