Dec. 15, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Wednesday that its General Handbook is now complete in English.
A news release from the LDS Church says: “‘General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ is now complete in English after its first partial release nearly two years ago. The most recent updates were published today online and in the Gospel Library app. This handbook has been prepared under the direction of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.”
The General Handbook is the result of unifying Handbook One, for stake presidents and bishops, and Handbook Two, for all leaders, into one volume. The first chapters were published in February 2020, with subsequent updates in July and December of that year and March and August of 2021. Completion in other languages will come in 2022.
“The purpose behind this… revision is to help every member serve in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a more Christlike way,” said Elder Anthony D. Perkins, executive director of the Church’s Correlation Department. “In a variety of ways, we’ve tried to make this book very accessible to every member of the church, whether they’re a new member or a longtime member, whether they live in the United States or the most far-flung place on the planet.”
Those ways include structuring the content around the core doctrinal concepts of God’s work of salvation and exaltation; creating content that is adaptable to congregations of all sizes; explaining the scriptural “why” of the way things are done; using ministerial language; simplifying the text; reducing word count by 20 to 25%; and providing guidance on policy issues, including medical marijuana, vaccinations and prejudice, the news release said.
The General Handbook will continue to be, in Elder Perkins’ words, “a living, breathing digital document” for the global faith, officials said. The church will release updates three times a year: March, July and November or December. To date, the revisions in other languages have lagged by about six months; future updates will happen simultaneously in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.
For more details on the General Handbook, click here.
