Jacob preached the word and recorded the word according to the will of God. The Prophet Joseph Smith did the same, as the following account confirms:
The word is the gospel of Jesus Christ. To preach the word is to bear testimony of Christ, of his atoning sacrifice and all that flows therefrom. It is, therefore, to teach the gospel by the power of the Holy Ghost, testifying of the Father and the Son, of Joseph Smith and the Restoration, of the Book of Mormon and the revelations that have come in this dispensation, and of the apostolic and prophetic ministry of those ordained in this day. To preach the word is to bear testimony that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on earth and that it holds the keys, ordinances, powers, and truths of salvation.
One of the great evidences that people have the spirit of the gospel is that they desire to share with others what they have. Father Smith, even before the Lord began to give revelations commanding men to share the gospel, felt the spirit of what was to come and desired to share what he knew with others. The Prophet Joseph Smith, of course, was the first missionary in this dispensation. The moment he returned from the grove and told his mother (or was it his parents?) that he had learned for himself “that Presbyterianism is not true”—and presumably he would soon relate to her and other family members the experience of his vision—at that moment he was involved in missionary service, first to his family and then to others. Father and Mother Smith were but a step behind him, and our records show that they were soon out speaking of their son’s experiences to their neighbors. This was the pattern that characterized their entire lives: the Prophet Joseph called the cadence, and his humble parents nobly marched the distance. (Mark L. McConkie, The Father of the Prophet: Stories and Insights from the Life of Joseph Smith Sr. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1993], 108)
Each of us should testify of Christ and His atoning sacrifice in all that we do. Our lives should reflect our willingness to take counsel from the Lord. What is the will of the Lord in our lives? We can search our patriarchal blessing and seek to fulfill it. We can search the scriptures and apply them to our lives. We should always remember the counsel: “Wherefore, seek not the things of this world but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (JST Matthew 6:38). (Ed J. Pinegar)