SALT LAKE CITY-Friday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints confirmed updates to 15 chapters of its General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had occurred.
This entails significant updates to five chapters of the text.
These follow adjustments made to the new digital handbook in February and March 2020.
Presently, 16 of the handbook’s 38 chapters have been completely worked. Additionally, minor changes have been made to several other chapters.
This is part of an ongoing revision made under the direction of the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles.
The organizing framework for this handbook is the work of salvation and exaltation.
These chapters are designed to assist leaders serving around the world as they labor in Christlike care in implementing and adapting the Salt Lake City-based faith’s various programs, policies and procedures to their circumstances.
This text is available to the public online in English and in the Gospel Library app. Translations in other languages will soon be underway.
Content published on July 31 includes significant revisions to “The Elders Quorum” and “Relief Society” chapters. They are now organized around the work of salvation and exaltation.
The word count in each chapter has been reduced nearly in half. The same is true in the new “Sunday School” and “Teaching the Gospel” chapters.
Chapter 38: “Church Policies and Guidelines,” includes eight policies that are either updated or new.
These adjustments apply to entries on birth control, donating or selling sperm or eggs, fertility treatments, the occult, sex education, suicide and surrogate motherhood.
Furthermore, the section under 38:7, titled “Medical and Health Policies” features a segment on medical marijuana.
Several of these updates now include doctrinal explanations to help others understand why the Church takes the positions it does on these issues.
Chapter 5: Stake Leadership
-The role of stake presidencies in relationships with civic and community leaders in their area is clarified.
-An Area Seventy chairs a coordinating council (further explanation in Chapter 29) and may invite stake Relief Society presidents and other stake officers to attend these meetings as needed.
Chapter 8: Elders Quorum
-Content is organized around the work of salvation and exaltation
-Elders quorum and Relief Society presidencies are responsible for day-to-day missionary work and temple and family history work in the ward.
-The options to call a service and activity coordinator have been added.
Chapter 9: Relief Society
-Content is organized around the work of salvation and exaltation.
-Relief Society and elders quorum presidencies are responsible for day-to-day missionary work and temple and family history work in the ward.
-The calling “compassionate service leader” has been renamed “service coordinator.” This term was also added to the “Elders Quorum” chapter. Both organizations will have callings with the same title.
-Relief Society meetings have been renamed “Relief Society Activities.”
-The stake president calls the Relief Society president and does not delegate this responsibility to a counselor.
Chapter 12: Primary
-A few minor changes include new sections on singing time and nursery. Primary’s purpose, per the handbook, is to “help children feel their Heavenly Father’s love and learn about His plan of happiness.” Furthermore, primary activities, including day camps, do not include overnight stays.
Chapter 13: Sunday School
-The bishop determines whether there is a need to call counselors for the Sunday School president. The calling of a Sunday School secretary has been included as an option for larger wards.
-The position of Sunday School class president has been removed.
-Teacher council meetings can occur for parents to help them fulfill their responsibility to teach the Gospel in the home. This change is also noted in Chapter 17.
-A Sunday School class can be organized for new members, returning members, those learning about the Church and others as directed by the bishop. The curriculum for these classes is Come Follow Me.
-Information that may not apply to some units, such as instructions about resource centers (previously called meetinghouse libraries) and young single adult classes, is presented as adaptations to the “core” Sunday School program.
-The “meetinghouse library” is now called a “resource center.” The “ward librarian” is now called the “Ward resource center specialist.”
Chapter 15: Seminaries and Institutes of Religion
-Minor updates include a paragraph about class options in section 15.1.2.
Chapter 17: Teaching the Gospel
-Responsibilities of various leaders are consolidated under “Leaders: Responsibilities.”
-To emphasize the importance of teaching and learning the Gospel in the home, a new section, “Home-Centered Gospel Learning and Teaching,” has been added.
-Information about the course on teaching the Gospel has been replaced with a section about teacher council meetings.
-Suggestions have been added giving Primary leaders flexibility in how and when their teachers attend council meetings. This includes the option for teacher council meetings for Primary teachers before and after Church or on a day other than Sunday.
-Teacher council meetings may be conducted for parents to help them fulfill responsibilities to teach the Gospel in the home.
Chapter 18: Priesthood Ordinations and Blessings
-A change in section 18.3 notes that, when necessary, approval for some Church ordinances and blessings may be given by a counselor in a stake presidency, mission presidency, bishopric or branch presidency.
Chapters 24 and 26: Preparing and Recommending Missionaries; Temple Recommends
-Sections 24.5.1, 24.10.3.1 and 26.2.2 clarify mission presidents can authorize their counselors to interview prospective missionaries and release missionaries as needed.
Chapter 29: Meetings in the Church
-A new section at the end of the chapter (29:11), explains the purpose of coordinating council meetings and those attending those meetings.
Chapter 30: Callings in The Church
The Chart of Callings (30:7) has been updated to reflect changes elsewhere in the General Handbook.
Chapter 32: Repentance and Church Membership Councils
-Two new paragraphs in 32:9.7 clarify what a stake president or bishop is to do when unable to participate in a membership council because of unusual circumstances.
Chapter 35: Physical Facilities
-Information added to section 35.4.3 details conditions under which leased buildings may be dedicated for worship.
Chapter 38: Church Policies and Guidelines
-Unwed parents under age 18 (38.1.5):
A policy has been added on unwed parents under age 18. Unwed young men who may become fathers may participate in the Aaronic Priesthood quorum or elders quorum. Unwed young women who will become mothers may participate in Young Women or Relief Society. These decisions are left to the prayerful discretion of the young man or young woman, their parents and the bishop.
Preface to Policies on Moral Issues:
A statement has been added to the beginning of section 38:6: “A few policies in this section are about matters that the Church ‘discourages.’ Church members usually do not experience membership restrictions because of their decisions about these matters. However, all people are ultimately accountable to God for their decisions.”
Birth Control:
The entry on birth control now includes information concerning surgical sterilization, but the policy is otherwise unchanged. (the “Surgical Sterilization” section from previous handbooks has been removed). The Church continues to discourage surgical sterilization as an elective form of birth control. Because bearing children is the privilege of married couples who are able, husbands and wives are encouraged to “counsel together in unity and seek the confirmation of the Spirit” when considering permanent birth control procedures.”
Donating or selling sperm or eggs:
The policy on sperm donation has been revised to include the donation of eggs. The Church discourages donating sperm or eggs but leaves decisions to the judgment and prayerful consideration of the potential donor. The Church also discourages selling sperm or eggs.
Fertility treatments:
A new section on fertility treatment merges previous sections on artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization. The text notes that reproductive technologies such as these can help a husband and wife fulfill their righteous desires to provide bodies for God’s spirit children. The Church continues to discourage the use of such technologies with the sperm from anyone but the husband or the egg from anyone but the wife. However, this is a personal matter that is ultimately left to the judgment and prayerful consideration of a lawfully married man and woman.
The Occult:
The section on the occult says this includes (but is not limited to) Satan worship, fortune-telling, curses and healing practices that are imitations of priesthood power.
Sex Education:
The section on sex education encourages parents to have honest, clear and ongoing conversations with their children concerning righteous sexuality. The section also counsels parents to be aware of and appropriately seek to influence sex education taught in their children’s schools.
Suicide:
The section on suicide encourages greater sensitivity in ministering to those who are considering suicide. Many who have thought about suicide are seeking relief from physical, mental, emotional or spiritual pain. They need help, love and support from family, Church leaders and qualified professionals. Bishops are counseled to provide ecclesiastical support and to help members obtain immediate professional help as needed. The text also notes that while it is not right for a person to take his or her own life, “only God is able to judge the person’s thoughts, actions and level of accountability.”
Surrogate Motherhood:
This section now includes a long-standing policy that children born to a surrogate mother can be sealed to parents in a temple only with First Presidency approval.
Medical Marijuana:
A new section on medical marijuana says, consistent with previous statements, that the Church opposes the use of marijuana for non-medicinal purposes. The policy also provides guidelines for when marijuana may be used for medical purposes.
