      Handbook 2
Administering the Church
          2010
          Handbook 2
Administering the Church
          2010




                   Published by
   The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
               Salt Lake City, Utah
  © 2010 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
          All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
        English approval: 8/09
Contents

    Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v     12. Sunday School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

 1. Families and the Church in God’s Plan . . 1                          13. Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

 2. Priesthood Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7            14. Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

 3. Leadership in the Church                                             15. Stake Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
    of Jesus Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
                                                                         16. Single Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
 4. The Ward Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
                                                                         17. Uniformity and Adaptation . . . . . . . . . . . 131
 5. The Work of Salvation in the
                                                                         18. Meetings in the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
    Ward and Stake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
                                                                         19. Callings in the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
 6. Welfare Principles and Leadership . . . . . 33
                                                                         20. Priesthood Ordinances and
 7. Melchizedek Priesthood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
                                                                              Blessings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
 8. Aaronic Priesthood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
                                                                         21. Selected Church Policies and
 9. Relief Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63           Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
10. Young Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75                Appendix: List of Items Referenced . . . 199
11. Primary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87        Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Introduction




                                                                                                               Introduction
    The Lord admonished, “Let every man learn        number 1 refers to a section of the chapter, and
his duty, and to act in the ofﬁce in which he is     the number 2 refers to a subsection.
appointed, in all diligence” (D&C 107:99).
                                                     Chapter Section Subsection
    Church leaders seek personal revelation to
help them learn and fulﬁll the duties of their                        Thee bishop
                                                                           b      and his counselors help prospec-
callings.                                                        tivee fu
                                                                       full-time missionaries, including sisters and
                                                                 couples, prepare to serve missions.
                                                                 cou
    Studying the scriptures and the teachings of
latter-day prophets will help leaders understand         5.1.2   Ward Council
and fulﬁll their duties. The Lord has admonished
leaders to treasure up in their minds continually                    Member missionary work is most effec-
the words of God so they will be receptive to the                tive when ward council members are fully en-
inﬂuence of the Spirit (see D&C 84:85).                          gaged in the missionary effort. In quorums and
                                                                 auxiliaries
    Leaders also learn their duties by studying
the instructions in Church handbooks. These          Updates and Supplements
instructions can facilitate revelation if they are   to Instructions
used to provide an understanding of principles,          Occasionally the information in these hand-
policies, and procedures to apply while seeking      books will be updated or supplemented through
the guidance of the Spirit.                          letters, notices, and other communication from
                                                     the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, and
Handbooks for Church Leaders                         Presiding Bishopric. When this occurs, leaders
                                                     should note the changes in their copies of the
    The Church provides two handbooks for lead-      handbooks. Leaders should keep handbooks and
ers:                                                 these supplementary materials together.
    Handbook 1: Stake Presidents and Bishops. This
handbook outlines the general responsibilities
of stake presidents and bishops and provides         Questions about Instructions
detailed information about policies and proce-           Leaders who have questions about informa-
dures.                                               tion in the handbooks or about issues that are not
    Handbook 2: Administering the Church. This       addressed should direct the questions to their
handbook is a guide for members of ward and          immediate presiding authority.
stake councils. The ﬁrst two chapters present the
doctrinal foundation of the work of the Church:
the salvation of individuals and the sealing and
                                                     Application in Branches, Districts,
exaltation of families through the power of the      and Missions
priesthood. The other chapters provide instruc-          For administrative purposes, the terms bishop
tions for administering priesthood quorums           and bishopric in the handbooks refer also to
and auxiliaries. They also present principles and    branch presidents and branch presidencies. The
guidelines that apply to multiple organizations      terms stake president and stake presidency refer also
in the ward.                                         to district presidents and district presidencies.
    The headings and subheadings in these            However, the ofﬁces of bishop and branch presi-
handbooks are numbered to make topics easy to        dent are not equivalent in authority and respon-
locate or reference. Rather than refer to a page     sibility. Nor are the ofﬁces of stake president and
or group of pages, leaders may refer to a topic by   district president. The bishop is an ofﬁce in the
its number. For example, in a discussion about       priesthood, and ordination is authorized only by
member missionary work, a bishop might ask           the First Presidency. Stake presidents are called
ward council members to turn to 5.1.2 in Hand-       by General Authorities and Area Seventies.
book 2. The number 5 refers to the chapter, the          References to wards and stakes usually apply
                                                     also to branches, districts, and missions.




                                                                                                        v
Introduction



                                                             ◼   Stake Young Men, Relief Society, Young Women,
        Contacting Church Headquarters or
                                                                 Primary, and Sunday School presidencies
        the Assigned Administrative Ofﬁce
                                                                 (3 copies each)
            Some chapters in this handbook include           ◼   Bishopric or branch presidency (3 copies)
        instructions to contact Church headquarters or
                                                             ◼   Ward or branch clerk (1 ﬁle copy)
        the assigned administrative ofﬁce. The instruc-
        tion to contact Church headquarters applies          ◼   Ward or branch executive secretary (1 copy)
        to priesthood leaders and clerks in the United       ◼   High priests group leadership (3 copies)
        States and Canada. The instruction to contact the
                                                             ◼   Elders quorum presidency (3 copies)
        assigned administrative ofﬁce applies to priest-
        hood leaders and clerks outside the United States    ◼   Ward Young Men, Relief Society, Young Women,
        and Canada.                                              Primary, and Sunday School presidencies
                                                                 (3 copies each)
                                                             ◼   Ward mission leader (1 copy)
        Distribution
            Handbook 2: Administering the Church should          This handbook has been prepared solely for
         be distributed as follows:                          use by general and local Church ofﬁcers to ad-
                                                             minister the affairs of the Church. It should not
        ◼   General Authorities, Area Seventies, members     be duplicated or given to any other persons. The
            of general auxiliary presidencies, Church de-    distribution list includes a ﬁle copy to be kept in
            partment heads, directors of temporal affairs    a secure place by each stake and ward clerk. He
            (1 copy each)                                    may refer to it for information on ﬁnances and
        ◼   Mission presidency (3 copies)                    records and for information on supporting the
        ◼   Stake or district presidency (3 copies)          stake president or bishop.
        ◼   Stake or district clerk (1 ﬁle copy)                 When Church ofﬁcers who have a copy of
                                                             this handbook are released, they give the copy
        ◼   Stake or district executive secretary (1 copy)   promptly to their successors or to their presid-
        ◼   High council (12 copies)                         ing authority.




vi
1. Families and the Church in God’s Plan

1.1 God the Father’s Plan for His Eternal Family . . .                     2   1.3 Establishing Eternal Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          3
    1.1.1 The Premortal Family of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          2       1.3.1 Husband and Wife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
    1.1.2 The Purpose of Mortality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     2       1.3.2 Parents and Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
    1.1.3 The Atonement of Jesus Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . .          2       1.3.3 Unmarried Members of the Church . . . . . . . . .                4
    1.1.4 The Role of Families in God’s Plan . . . . . . . . . .           2
                                                                               1.4 The Home and the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            4
    1.1.5 The Role of the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
                                                                                   1.4.1 Strengthening the Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       4




                                                                                                                                                              1. Families and the Church
1.2 Returning to the Father . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2            1.4.2 Family Home Evening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      5
    1.2.1 The Gospel of Jesus Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2           1.4.3 Strengthening Individuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      5




                                                                                                                                                                    in God’s Plan
    1.2.2 The Role of Church Leaders and Teachers . . . 3




                                                                                                                                                          1
1. Families and the Church in God’s Plan

                                                               1.1.4   The Role of Families in God’s Plan
1.1     God the Father’s Plan for His
        Eternal Family                                                     As part of our Heavenly Father’s plan, we
                                                                       were born into families. He established families
1.1.1   The Premortal Family of God                                    to bring us happiness, to help us learn correct
            The family is ordained of God. It is the most              principles in a loving atmosphere, and to prepare
        important unit in time and in eternity. Even be-               us for eternal life.
        fore we were born on the earth, we were part of                    Parents have the vital responsibility to help
        a family. Each of us “is a beloved spirit son or               their children prepare to return to Heavenly
        daughter of heavenly parents” with “a divine na-               Father. Parents fulﬁll this responsibility by teach-
        ture and destiny” (“The Family: A Proclamation                 ing their children to follow Jesus Christ and live
        to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102). God is our             His gospel.
        Heavenly Father, and we lived in His presence
        as part of His family in the premortal life. There     1.1.5   The Role of the Church
        we learned our ﬁrst lessons and were prepared
                                                                           The Church provides the organization and
        for mortality (see D&C 138:56).
                                                                       means for teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to
                                                                       all of God’s children. It provides the priesthood
1.1.2   The Purpose of Mortality
                                                                       authority to administer the ordinances of salva-
            Because of God’s love for us, He prepared a                tion and exaltation to all who are worthy and
        plan that included our coming to the earth, where              willing to accept them.
        we would receive bodies and be tested so that
        we could progress and become more like Him.
        This plan is called “the plan of salvation” (Alma      1.2     Returning to the Father
        24:14), “the great plan of happiness” (Alma 42:8),     1.2.1   The Gospel of Jesus Christ
        and “the plan of redemption” (Alma 12:25; see
        also verses 26–33).                                                The plan of salvation is the fulness of the gos-
                                                                       pel. It includes the Creation, the Fall, the Atone-
             The purpose of God’s plan is to lead us to                ment of Jesus Christ, and all the laws, ordinances,
        eternal life. God declared, “This is my work and               and doctrines of the gospel. It provides the way
        my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and                  for us to experience joy in mortality (see 2 Nephi
        eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Eternal life is             2:25) as well as the blessing of eternal life.
        God’s greatest gift to His children (see D&C 14:7).
        It is exaltation in the highest degree of the celes-               Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we
        tial kingdom. Through the plan of salvation, we                can be cleansed and sanctified from sin and
        can receive this blessing of returning to God’s                prepare to enter again into the presence of our
        presence and receiving a fulness of joy.                       Eternal Father. To receive this blessing, we must
                                                                       follow the principles and ordinances of the gos-
1.1.3   The Atonement of Jesus Christ                                  pel (see Articles of Faith 1:3). We must:
             In order to gain exaltation in the kingdom of              1. Exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the
        God, we must overcome two obstacles of mortal-                     Only Begotten Son of God.
        ity: death and sin. Because we cannot overcome                  2. Turn to God through sincere repentance, hav-
        either obstacle by ourselves, Heavenly Father                      ing a change of heart and confessing and for-
        sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior and                   saking sins.
        Redeemer. The Savior’s atoning sacriﬁce made                    3. Receive the saving ordinance of baptism for
        it possible for all of God’s children to overcome                  the remission of sins.
        physical death, be resurrected, and gain im-
        mortality. The Atonement also made it possible                  4. Be conﬁrmed a member of the Church and re-
        for those who repent and follow Him to over-                       ceive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying
        come spiritual death, return to God’s presence                     on of hands.
        to dwell with Him, and obtain eternal life (see                 5. Endure to the end by keeping sacred cov-
        D&C 45:3–5).                                                       enants.




2
                                                                                         1. Families and the Church in God’s Plan



            These principles have been taught since the
                                                              1.3     Establishing Eternal Families
        days of Adam. As we come to understand and
        believe these truths and gain a ﬁrm testimony                     Families are central to God’s plan, which pro-
        of Jesus Christ, we strive to obey His command-               vides a way for family relationships to extend
        ments and want to share our blessings with our                beyond the grave. Sacred temple ordinances
        family and others (see 1 Nephi 8:9–37). With this             and covenants, faithfully kept, help us return to
        secure foundation of testimony, other elements                the presence of God, united eternally with our
        of Church activity follow naturally.                          families.
           Personal spiritual growth takes place as we
                                                              1.3.1   Husband and Wife
        draw close to God through prayer, scripture




                                                                                                                                    1. Families and the Church
        study, pondering, and obedience. Nephi taught:                     Exaltation in the highest degree of the celes-
            “After ye have gotten into this strait and nar-           tial kingdom can be attained only by those who
                                                                      have faithfully lived the gospel of Jesus Christ




                                                                                                                                          in God’s Plan
        row path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I
        say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far              and are sealed as eternal companions.
        save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken                  The sealing of husband and wife for time and
        faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of               eternity by the authority of the priesthood—also
        him who is mighty to save.                                    known as temple marriage—is a sacred privi-
            “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a                  lege and obligation that all should strive to re-
        steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect bright-             ceive. It is the foundation of an eternal family.
        ness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.                   The nature of male and female spirits is such
        Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting                that they complete each other. Men and women
        upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end,               are intended to progress together toward exal-
        behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eter-            tation.
        nal life” (2 Nephi 31:19–20).                                     The Lord has commanded husbands and
            Each of us is accountable before God to learn             wives to cleave to each other (see Genesis 2:24;
        and keep His commandments and to live the                     D&C 42:22). In this commandment, the word
        gospel. We will be judged according to our ac-                cleave means to be completely devoted and faith-
        tions, the desires of our hearts, and the kind of             ful to someone. Married couples cleave to God
        people we have become. As we become true fol-                 and one another by serving and loving each other
        lowers of Jesus Christ, we experience a mighty                and by keeping covenants in complete ﬁdelity
        change of heart and “have no more disposition                 to one another and to God (see D&C 25:13).
        to do evil” (Mosiah 5:2; see also Alma 5:12–15;                   A couple is to become one in establishing
        Moroni 10:32–33). As we live the gospel of Jesus              their family as the basis of a righteous life. Lat-
        Christ, we grow line upon line, becoming more                 ter-day Saint husbands and wives leave behind
        like the Savior in loving and serving others.                 their single life and establish their marriage as
                                                                      the ﬁrst priority in their lives. They allow no
1.2.2   The Role of Church Leaders and Teachers                       other person or interest to have greater priority
            Priesthood and auxiliary leaders and teach-               in their lives than keeping the covenants they
        ers strive to help others become true followers               have made with God and each other. None-
        of Jesus Christ (see Mosiah 18:18–30). To assist              theless, married couples continue to love and
        individuals and families in this effort, they:                support their parents and siblings while focus-
         1. Teach and testify of the pure doctrines of the            ing on their own families. Similarly, wise par-
            gospel of Jesus Christ.                                   ents realize that their family responsibilities
                                                                      continue throughout life in a spirit of love and
         2. Strengthen individuals and families in their              encouragement.
            efforts to keep their sacred covenants.
                                                                          Being one in marriage requires a full part-
         3. Provide counsel, support, and opportunities               nership. For example, Adam and Eve worked
            for service.                                              together, prayed and worshipped together, sac-
            In addition, certain priesthood leaders have              riﬁced together, taught their children the gospel
        the authority to oversee the performance of the               together, and mourned over wayward children
        saving priesthood ordinances.                                 together (see Moses 5:1, 4, 12, 27). They were
                                                                      united with each other and with God.




                                                                                                                               3
1. Families and the Church in God’s Plan



1.3.2   Parents and Children                                           these blessings will not be fulﬁlled until the next
             “The ﬁrst commandment that God gave to                    life, but the ultimate goal is the same for all.
        Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for                      Faithful members whose circumstances do
        parenthood as husband and wife. . . . God’s                    not allow them to receive the blessings of eternal
        commandment for His children to multiply and                   marriage and parenthood in this life will receive
        replenish the earth remains in force” (“The Fam-               all promised blessings in the eternities, provided
        ily: A Proclamation to the World”). By divine de-              they keep the covenants they have made with
        sign, both a man and a woman are essential for                 God.
        bringing children into mortality and providing
        the best setting for the rearing and nurturing of
        children.                                              1.4     The Home and the Church
            Complete sexual abstinence before marriage                     In the teachings and practices of the restored
        and total ﬁdelity within marriage protect the                  gospel, the family and the Church help and
        sanctity of this sacred responsibility. Parents and            strengthen each other. To qualify for the bless-
        priesthood and auxiliary leaders should do all                 ings of eternal life, families need to learn the
        they can to reinforce this teaching.                           doctrines and receive the priesthood ordinances
                                                                       that are available only through the Church. To
            Concerning the roles of fathers and mothers,
                                                                       be a strong and vital organization, the Church
        Church leaders have taught: “Fathers are to pre-
                                                                       needs righteous families.
        side over their families in love and righteousness
        and are responsible to provide the necessities of                  God has revealed a pattern of spiritual prog-
        life and protection for their families. Mothers                ress for individuals and families through ordi-
        are primarily responsible for the nurture of their             nances, teaching, programs, and activities that are
        children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers            home centered and Church supported. Church
        and mothers are obligated to help one another as               organizations and programs exist to bless indi-
        equal partners” (“The Family: A Proclamation to                viduals and families and are not ends in them-
        the World”). When there is no father in the home,              selves. Priesthood and auxiliary leaders and
        the mother presides over the family.                           teachers seek to assist parents, not to supersede
                                                                       or replace them.
            Parents have a divinely appointed respon-
        sibility “to rear their children in love and righ-                  Priesthood and auxiliary leaders must en-
        teousness, to provide for their physical and                   deavor to strengthen the sacredness of the home
        spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and                 by ensuring that all Church activities support
        serve one another, observe the commandments                    the lives of individuals and families. Church
        of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever                   leaders need to be careful not to overwhelm fam-
        they live” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the                 ilies with too many Church responsibilities. Par-
        World”; see also Mosiah 4:14–15).                              ents and Church leaders work together to help
                                                                       individuals and families return to our Father in
            Wise parents teach their children to apply the
                                                                       Heaven by following Jesus Christ.
        healing, reconciling, and strengthening power
        of the Atonement within their family. Just as
                                                               1.4.1   Strengthening the Home
        sin, mortal weaknesses, emotional hurt, and an-
        ger are conditions that separate God’s children                    Followers of Christ are invited to “gather,”
        from Him, these same conditions can separate                   “stand in holy places,” and “be not moved” (D&C
        family members from each other. Each family                    45:32; 87:8; 101:22; see also 2 Chronicles 35:5; Mat-
        member has a responsibility to strive for fam-                 thew 24:15). These holy places include temples,
        ily unity. Children who learn to strive for unity              homes, and chapels. The presence of the Spirit
        at home will ﬁnd it easier to do so outside the                and the behavior of those within these physical
        home.                                                          structures are what make them “holy places.”
                                                                           Wherever Church members live, they should
1.3.3   Unmarried Members of the Church                                establish a home where the Spirit is present. All
            All members, even if they have never mar-                  members of the Church can make efforts to en-
        ried or are without family in the Church, should               sure that their place of residence provides a place
        strive for the ideal of living in an eternal family.           of sanctuary from the world. Every home in the
        This means preparing to become worthy spouses                  Church, large or small, can be a “house of prayer,
        and loving fathers or mothers. In some cases                   a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of
                                                                       learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a


4
                                                                                 1. Families and the Church in God’s Plan



house of God” (D&C 88:119). Church members                    (see D&C 20:47, 51), visiting teaching, and fam-
can invite the Spirit into their homes through                ily home evening. As in all things, Jesus set the
simple means such as wholesome entertainment,                 example of entering homes to minister, teach,
good music, and inspiring artwork (for example,               and bless (see Matthew 8:14–15; 9:10–13; 26:6;
a painting of the Savior or a temple).                        Mark 5:35–43; Luke 10:38–42; 19:1–9).
    A home with loving and loyal parents is the
setting in which the spiritual and physical needs     1.4.2   Family Home Evening
of children are most effectively met. A Christ-                   Latter-day prophets have counseled parents
centered home offers adults and children a place              to hold a weekly family home evening to teach
of defense against sin, refuge from the world,                their children the gospel, bear testimony of its




                                                                                                                            1. Families and the Church
healing from emotional and other pain, and com-               truthfulness, and strengthen family unity. Stake
mitted, genuine love.                                         and ward leaders are to keep Monday evenings
                                                              free from all Church meetings and activities so




                                                                                                                                  in God’s Plan
    Parents have always been commanded to
bring up their children “in the nurture and ad-               family home evenings may be held.
monition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4; Enos 1:1)                   Family home evening may include family
and “in light and truth” (D&C 93:40). The First               prayer, gospel instruction, testimony sharing,
Presidency proclaimed:                                        hymns and Primary songs, and wholesome rec-
    “We call upon parents to devote their best                reational activities. (For information on using
efforts to the teaching and rearing of their chil-            music in the home, see 14.8.) As part of family
dren in gospel principles which will keep them                home evening, or separately, parents may also
close to the Church. The home is the basis of a               call a periodic family council to set goals, resolve
righteous life, and no other instrumentality can              problems, coordinate schedules, and give sup-
take its place or fulﬁll its essential functions in           port and strength to family members.
carrying forward this God-given responsibility.                    Family home evening is sacred, private fam-
    “We counsel parents and children to give                  ily time under the direction of the parents. Priest-
highest priority to family prayer, family home                hood leaders should not give directions as to
evening, gospel study and instruction, and                    what families should do during this time.
wholesome family activities. However worthy
and appropriate other demands or activities may       1.4.3   Strengthening Individuals
be, they must not be permitted to displace the                    Church leaders should give special attention
divinely-appointed duties that only parents and               to individuals who do not presently enjoy the
families can adequately perform” (First Presi-                support of a family of strong Church members.
dency letter, Feb. 11, 1999).                                 These members may include children and youth
    Parents have the primary responsibility for               whose parents are not members of the Church,
helping their children know Heavenly Father and               other individuals in part-member families, and
His Son, Jesus Christ (see John 17:3). Latter-day             single adults of all ages. They are covenant mem-
Saint fathers and mothers have been commanded                 bers of God’s eternal family, deeply loved by Him.
to teach gospel doctrines, ordinances, covenants,             These individuals should be given opportunities
and ways of righteous living to their children                for service in the Church. The Church can pro-
(see D&C 68:25–28). Children who are so reared                vide wholesome sociality and fellowship that
and taught are more likely to be prepared at the              these members can ﬁnd nowhere else.
appropriate age to receive priesthood ordinances                  Every member of the Church is as precious
and to make and keep covenants with God.                      as every other. God’s eternal plan provides for all
    Strengthening families is the focus of in-                of His faithful children to receive every blessing
spired Church programs such as home teaching                  of eternal life, exalted in families forever.




                                                                                                                       5
2. Priesthood Principles

2.1 Priesthood Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              8   2.4 Use of Priesthood Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
    2.1.1 Priesthood Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       8       2.4.1 Receiving Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
    2.1.2 Ordinances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    9       2.4.2 Delegating Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
    2.1.3 Covenants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9       2.4.3 Exercising Priesthood Authority
                                                                                                   Righteously . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2 The Purpose of the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9                           2.4.4 Presiding Councils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.3 The Priesthood and the Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9                             2.4.5 Magnifying Priesthood Callings . . . . . . . . . . 10




                                                                                                                                                                              2. Priesthood Principles




                                                                                                                                                                          7
2. Priesthood Principles

          The priesthood is the power and authority of             Melchizedek was “a great high priest” (D&C
      God. It has always existed and will continue to              107:2) who lived during the time of Abraham.
      exist without end (see Alma 13:7–8; D&C 84:17–                   Through the authority of the Melchizedek
      18). Through the priesthood, God created and                 Priesthood, Church leaders guide the Church,
      governs the heavens and the earth. Through this              direct the preaching of the gospel throughout
      power, He exalts His obedient children, bring-               the world, and administer all the spiritual work
      ing to pass “the immortality and eternal life of             of the Church (see D&C 84:19–22; 107:18). The
      man” (Moses 1:39; see also D&C 84:35–38).                    President of the Church is the presiding high
          In mortality, the priesthood is the power                priest over the Melchizedek Priesthood.
      and authority that God gives to man to act in all                When a man receives the Melchizedek Priest-
      things necessary for the salvation of God’s chil-            hood, he covenants to be faithful, to magnify his
      dren. The blessings of the priesthood are avail-             callings, and to live by every word of God and
      able to all who receive the gospel.                          His servants (see D&C 84:33–44).
         Important scripture passages on the priest-
      hood for leaders to study include Alma 13 and        2.1.1   Priesthood Keys
      Doctrine and Covenants 13, 20, 84, 107, 121, and                 Priesthood keys are the authority God has
      124.                                                         given to priesthood leaders to direct, control,
                                                                   and govern the use of His priesthood on earth.
                                                                   The exercise of priesthood authority is governed
2.1   Priesthood Authority
                                                                   by those who hold its keys (see D&C 65:2; 81:2;
         The priesthood is divided into two parts: the             124:123). Those who hold priesthood keys have
      Aaronic Priesthood and the Melchizedek Priest-               the right to preside over and direct the Church
      hood.                                                        within a jurisdiction.
          The Aaronic Priesthood is the lesser priest-                 Jesus Christ holds all the keys of the priest-
      hood and is “an appendage to . . . the Melchiz-              hood pertaining to His Church. He has conferred
      edek Priesthood” (see D&C 107:13–14). It is called           upon each of His Apostles all the keys that per-
      the Aaronic Priesthood because it was conferred              tain to the kingdom of God on earth. The senior
      upon Moses’s brother Aaron and Aaron’s sons.                 living Apostle, the President of the Church, is the
          The Aaronic Priesthood includes the keys of              only person on earth authorized to exercise all
      the ministering of angels, the gospel of repen-              priesthood keys (see D&C 43:1–4; 81:2; 107:64–
      tance, and baptism by immersion for the remis-               67, 91–92; 132:7).
      sion of sins (see D&C 13:1; 84:26–27; 107:20).                   Seventies act by assignment and by the dele-
      Those who hold the Aaronic Priesthood may                    gation of authority from the First Presidency and
      be authorized to administer the “outward or-                 Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Area Presidents
      dinances” of baptism and the sacrament (see                  are assigned to administer areas under the autho-
      D&C 107:14). The bishop is the president of the              rization of the First Presidency and the Twelve.
      Aaronic Priesthood in the ward. As part of this              The Presidency of the Seventy are set apart and
      responsibility, he administers temporal matters              are given the keys to preside over the Quorums
      such as welfare and ﬁnances in the ward (see                 of Seventy.
      D&C 107:68).
                                                                       The President of the Church delegates priest-
          The Melchizedek Priesthood is the higher or              hood keys to other priesthood leaders so they
      greater priesthood. It is present and functional             can preside in their areas of responsibility. Priest-
      whenever the Church of Jesus Christ is upon the              hood keys are bestowed on presidents of temples,
      earth in its fulness. It was ﬁrst called “the Holy           missions, stakes, and districts; bishops; branch
      Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God. But           presidents; and quorum presidents. This pre-
      out of respect or reverence to the name of the               siding authority is valid only for the designated
      Supreme Being, to avoid the too frequent rep-                responsibilities and within the geographic juris-
      etition of his name, they, the church, in ancient            diction of each leader’s calling. When priesthood
      days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek,              leaders are released from their callings, they no
      or the Melchizedek Priesthood” (D&C 107:3–4).                longer hold the associated keys.


8
                                                                                                 2. Priesthood Principles



            Counselors to priesthood leaders do not re-               As Church members honor and keep their
        ceive keys. They are set apart and function in            covenants, they are greatly blessed in mortality
        their callings by assignment and delegated au-            and become eligible for exaltation (see Exodus
        thority.                                                  19:3–5; Judges 2:1; 3 Nephi 20:25–27; Moroni
            All ward and stake auxiliary organizations            10:33; D&C 42:78; 97:8).
        operate under the direction of the bishop or                  To prepare an individual for participation in
        stake president, who holds the keys to preside.           an ordinance, parents, other family members,
        Auxiliary presidents and their counselors do not          priesthood and auxiliary leaders, and teachers
        receive keys. They receive delegated authority to         ensure that the person understands the cov-
        function in their callings.                               enants he or she will make (see Mosiah 18:8–11).
                                                                  After the ordinance, they help him or her keep
2.1.2   Ordinances                                                those covenants (see Mosiah 18:23–26).
            Priesthood authority is required to perform
        the ordinances of the gospel. An ordinance is a
                                                            2.2   The Purpose of the Church
        sacred physical act with symbolic meaning, such
        as baptism, conﬁrmation, or the sacrament. Each               The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
        ordinance opens the door to rich spiritual bless-         Saints was organized by God to assist in His
        ings. The symbolism helps the participants re-            work to bring to pass the salvation and exaltation
        member the Father’s love, the Son’s Atonement,            of His children. The Church invites all to “come
        and the Holy Ghost’s inﬂuence.                            unto Christ, and be perfected in him” (Moroni
                                                                  10:32; see also D&C 20:59). The invitation to
            Ordinances have always been part of the gos-
                                                                  come unto Christ pertains to all who have lived,
        pel of Jesus Christ. Baptism, for example, was




                                                                                                                            2. Priesthood Principles
                                                                  or will ever live, on the earth.
        established in the days of Adam and Eve and is
        practiced in the Lord’s Church today. Church                  When individuals receive the ordinances of
        members are commanded to gather together                  baptism and conﬁrmation, they become mem-
        often to partake of the sacrament to remember             bers of the Church. The Church supports them
        the Savior always and to renew the covenants              and their families by serving as “a refuge from
        and blessings of baptism (see Moroni 6:6; D&C             the storm” of worldly inﬂuences and wickedness
        59:8–9).                                                  (D&C 115:6). The Church provides opportuni-
                                                                  ties for service, blessing, and personal growth.
            Some ordinances are required for exaltation
                                                                  The programs and activities of the Church sup-
        in the celestial kingdom for all accountable per-
                                                                  port and strengthen individuals and families.
        sons. These ordinances include baptism, con-
        ﬁrmation, Melchizedek Priesthood ordination                   In fulﬁlling its purpose to help individuals
        (for men), the temple endowment, and temple               and families qualify for exaltation, the Church
        sealing. Living members of the Church receive             focuses on divinely appointed responsibilities.
        these saving and exalting ordinances themselves.          These include helping members live the gospel
        Deceased persons may receive them vicariously.            of Jesus Christ, gathering Israel through mission-
        Vicarious ordinances become effective only when           ary work, caring for the poor and needy, and
        the deceased persons for whom the ordinances              enabling the salvation of the dead by building
        were performed accept them in the spirit world            temples and performing vicarious ordinances.
        and honor the related covenants.
            For speciﬁc information on performing or-       2.3   The Priesthood and the Family
        dinances and on obtaining necessary authoriza-
                                                                       Each husband and father in the Church
        tions, see chapter 20.
                                                                  should strive to be worthy to hold the Melchize-
2.1.3
                                                                  dek Priesthood. With his wife as an equal partner,
        Covenants
                                                                  he presides in righteousness and love, serving as
            All the ordinances necessary for salvation            the family’s spiritual leader. He leads the fam-
        and exaltation are accompanied by covenants               ily in regular prayer, scripture study, and family
        with God. A covenant is a sacred and enduring             home evening. He works with his wife to teach
        promise between God and His children. God                 their children and help them prepare to receive
        gives the conditions for the covenant, and His            the ordinances of salvation (see D&C 68:25–28).
        children agree to comply with those conditions.           He gives priesthood blessings for direction, heal-
        God promises blessings that are conditional on            ing, and comfort.
        the person faithfully fulﬁlling the covenant.


                                                                                                                       9
2. Priesthood Principles



             Many members do not have faithful Melchiz-                 use of the priesthood is by persuasion, long-
         edek Priesthood holders in their homes. Church                 suffering, gentleness, meekness, sincere love,
         leaders should give special attention to loving                and kindness (see D&C 121:36, 41–42). If a man
         and supporting these members through inspired,                 tries to abuse priesthood power, “the heavens
         watchful care, including home teaching and vis-                withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is
         iting teaching.                                                grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the
                                                                        priesthood or the authority of that man” (D&C
                                                                        121:37).
2.4      Use of Priesthood Authority
2.4.1    Receiving Authority                                    2.4.4   Presiding Councils
             For information about ordaining brethren                       Councils provide a means for leaders to come
         to priesthood ofﬁces, see 20.7. For information                together in unity and faith to collectively seek
         about the process of calling, sustaining, and set-             the Lord’s will. Councils also provide an oppor-
         ting apart members to serve in Church callings,                tunity to coordinate the work of quorums and
         see chapter 19.                                                auxiliaries. Examples of presiding councils at the
                                                                        local level are stake presidencies, bishoprics, and
2.4.2    Delegating Authority                                           priesthood executive committees. For informa-
                                                                        tion on how councils function, see 4.1.
             Priesthood leaders can delegate authority by
         assigning others to assist them in fulﬁlling a call-   2.4.5   Magnifying Priesthood Callings
         ing. For information on delegating, see 3.3.4.
                                                                            Priesthood holders magnify their callings
2.4.3    Exercising Priesthood Authority Righteously                    as they minister in their own homes and to
                                                                        other Saints and as they conscientiously fulﬁll
             The priesthood should be used to bless the                 assigned responsibilities. The Lord counseled,
         lives of others. Effective priesthood leaders pre-             “Let every man learn his duty, and to act in the
         side in love and kindness. They do not try to                  ofﬁce in which he is appointed, in all diligence”
         force their will upon others. Rather, they coun-               (D&C 107:99). Priesthood holders magnify their
         sel with others and try to come to a consensus                 callings as they serve with diligence, teach with
         through revelation. The Lord has said that the                 faith and testimony, and lift, strengthen, and nur-
         power of the priesthood cannot be used except                  ture convictions of righteousness in the lives of
         in righteousness (see D&C 121:36). The proper                  those for whom they have responsibility.




10
3. Leadership in the Church of Jesus Christ

3.1 The Savior’s Way of Leading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12                       3.3.3 Prepare Others to Be Leaders and
                                                                                               Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.2 Principles of Gospel Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . .                   12       3.3.4 Delegate Responsibility and Ensure
    3.2.1 Prepare Spiritually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   12               Accountability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     13
    3.2.2 Participate in Councils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       12       3.3.5   Warn against Sin but Love the Sinner . . . . . .                       13
    3.2.3 Minister to Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    12       3.3.6   Encourage Reverence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            13
    3.2.4 Teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ . . . . . . . . . . .              12       3.3.7   Prepare Written Agendas for Meetings . . . . .                         14
    3.2.5 Administer the Priesthood or                                                 3.3.8   Plan with Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        14
            Auxiliary Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12              3.3.9   Use Church Resources to Learn Duties . . . . .                         14
3.3 Additional Instructions for Leaders . . . . . . . . . . 13                     3.4 Leadership Purposes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
    3.3.1 Represent the Lord and His Church . . . . . . . 13
    3.3.2 Build Unity and Harmony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13




                                                                                                                                                                             Church of Jesus Christ
                                                                                                                                                                              3. Leadership in the




                                                                                                                                                                       11
3. Leadership in the Church of Jesus Christ

                                                               3.2.3   Minister to Others
3.1     The Savior’s Way of Leading
                                                                           Like the Savior, leaders seek to minister to
            All Church leaders are called to help other                individuals and families, both spiritually and
        people become “true followers of . . . Jesus                   temporally. They care about each person, not just
        Christ” (Moroni 7:48). To do this, leaders ﬁrst                about managing an organization. They reach out
        strive to be the Savior’s faithful disciples, living           to new members, less-active members, and those
        each day so that they can return to live in God’s              who may be lonely or in need of comfort.
        presence. Then they can help others develop
        strong testimonies and draw nearer to Heavenly                     The purpose of ministering is to help others
        Father and Jesus Christ. Church programs and                   become true followers of Jesus Christ. Minister-
        activities help achieve these purposes.                        ing to others includes:
                                                                       ◼   Remembering their names and becoming ac-
            Leaders can best teach others how to be “true
        followers” by their personal example. This pat-                    quainted with them (see Moroni 6:4).
        tern—being a faithful disciple in order to help                ◼   Loving them without judging them (see John
        others become faithful disciples—is the purpose                    13:34–35).
        behind every calling in the Church.                            ◼   Watching over them and strengthening their
            When leaders serve according to this pattern,                  faith “one by one,” as the Savior did (3 Nephi
        they help Church members desire to be worthy                       11:15; 17:21).
        of temple marriage and the blessing of an eternal              ◼   Establishing sincere friendship with them and
        family.                                                            visiting them in their homes and elsewhere (see
                                                                           D&C 20:47).
3.2     Principles of Gospel Leadership
                                                               3.2.4   Teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ
3.2.1   Prepare Spiritually
                                                                           All leaders are teachers. Effective teaching in-
            The Savior commanded Peter, “When thou                     spires people to strengthen their relationship with
        art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke                  God and live according to gospel principles.
        22:32). When leaders are converted and are grow-
                                                                           Leaders’ most powerful teaching comes from
        ing spiritually, they can help others become con-
                                                                       their personal example. Leaders also teach by
        verted and grow spiritually.
                                                                       sharing their testimonies and conducting doc-
            Leaders prepare themselves spiritually as they             trinally based discussions in leadership meet-
        keep the commandments, study the scriptures                    ings, classes, and activities. They teach from the
        and the teachings of latter-day prophets, pray,                scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets.
        fast, and humble themselves before the Lord.                   They know that “the preaching of the word . . .
        With this preparation, they are able to receive                [has] more powerful effect . . . than the sword,
        inspiration to guide them in their personal lives,             or anything else” (Alma 31:5).
        their family responsibilities, and their callings.
                                                                           In addition to teaching the gospel themselves,
                                                                       priesthood and auxiliary leaders are responsible
3.2.2   Participate in Councils
                                                                       for the quality of learning and teaching in their
            In councils, leaders meet under the direction              organizations. They ensure that teaching in their
        of presiding ofﬁcers to discuss ways to help indi-             classes is meaningful, edifying, and doctrinally
        viduals and families. Guided by the Holy Ghost,                sound.
        they work together to determine effective ways
                                                                           For additional guidance on teaching the gos-
        to serve members of their organizations. Some
                                                                       pel and overseeing efforts to improve learning
        examples of councils in the Church are the ward
                                                                       and teaching, see 5.5.
        council, the stake council, bishoprics, and quo-
        rum and auxiliary presidencies. For guidance on
                                                               3.2.5   Administer the Priesthood or Auxiliary
        participating in councils, see chapter 4.
                                                                       Organization
                                                                           Leaders are most effective in their efforts to
                                                                       strengthen others when they follow the Church’s



12
                                                                                       3. Leadership in the Church of Jesus Christ



        established guidelines. Guidelines for adminis-                 For information about recommending mem-
        tering priesthood and auxiliary organizations are           bers to serve in Church callings, see 19.1.1 and
        found in chapters 7–12.                                     19.1.2.

                                                            3.3.4   Delegate Responsibility and Ensure
3.3     Additional Instructions for Leaders                         Accountability
3.3.1   Represent the Lord and His Church                                Individual leaders cannot and should not
            Because Church leaders have been called by              do everything themselves. Leaders who try to
        the Lord through His appointed servants, they               do too much will “surely wear away” (Exodus
        represent Him and His Church. As representa-                18:18), and so will the people they serve. Leaders
        tives of the Savior, leaders look to Him as their           should delegate service opportunities to others,
        example. He said: “What manner of men ought                 such as counselors, clerks, and members of coun-
        ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am”              cils or committees.
        (3 Nephi 27:27).                                               Delegation includes more than giving some-
                                                                    one an assignment. It includes the following ele-
3.3.2   Build Unity and Harmony                                     ments:
            The Lord has said, “Be one; and if ye are not           ◼   Explaining the purposes of the assignment,
        one ye are not mine” (D&C 38:27). Presiding ofﬁ-                suggesting ways it could be done, and explain-
        cers encourage unity by seeking counsel from the                ing when it should be completed. The assigned
        men and women who serve with them. Members                      person should understand and accept account-
        of presidencies and councils help establish unity               ability to perform the assignment and report
        by sharing their honest feelings and ideas, com-                on it.
        municating clearly, and listening to one another.           ◼   Keeping a written record of the assignment and
            When leaders of Church organizations follow                 checking progress from time to time.
        their priesthood leaders and when members of                ◼   Respecting the assigned person’s efforts to de-
        presidencies and councils are uniﬁed, they can                  velop plans and fulﬁll the assignment. Lead-
        receive guidance from the Holy Ghost and lead                   ers provide encouragement and assistance as
        according to the Lord’s will.                                   needed.
                                                                    ◼   Asking the person to report back about the as-
3.3.3   Prepare Others to Be Leaders and Teachers
                                                                        signment. After receiving the report, the leader
           In some wards, leaders rely repeatedly on a                  accepts the person’s best efforts and expresses
        small group of people to give service in priest-                appreciation for the good things the person has
        hood and auxiliary organizations. This can over-                done.




                                                                                                                                     Church of Jesus Christ
        burden the faithful few, and it can also deprive




                                                                                                                                      3. Leadership in the
        others of experiences that could help them learn    3.3.5   Warn against Sin but Love the Sinner
        and grow. Effective leaders give all members op-
        portunities to serve.                                           Leaders need to be ﬁrm and unyielding in
                                                                    their warnings against sinful behavior but mer-
            As presiding ofﬁcers prayerfully consider               ciful and kind to those who sin. They treat others
        members to ﬁll leadership and teaching posi-                as the Savior would treat them. Doing so helps
        tions, they should remember that the Lord will              members feel the Lord’s love for them as they
        qualify those He calls. Members do not need to              apply the Atonement in their lives.
        be highly experienced before serving as teachers
        and leaders. They can learn from experience, by     3.3.6   Encourage Reverence
        exercising faith and working diligently, and by
        receiving instruction and support from leaders.                 Reverence is a calm and peaceful attitude of
                                                                    worship and respect toward God. It leads to gos-
            Presiding ofﬁcers look for ways to give ser-            pel learning and personal revelation. True rever-
        vice opportunities to new members, members                  ence comes from within each individual.
        who are returning to Church activity, and young
        single adults. New and returning members are                   Leaders can help cultivate a reverent atmo-
        excited about the restored gospel, and they are             sphere at Church gatherings. In sacrament meet-
        often ready for opportunities to serve others and           ings, stake conferences, and similar meetings,
        learn about the Church. Young single adults need            leaders set an example of reverence as they sit
        opportunities to contribute to the Lord’s work              on the stand. Leaders also encourage reverence
        and grow spiritually.                                       by arranging for worshipful music and inspir-
                                                                    ing talks. Teachers can encourage reverence in

                                                                                                                              13
3. Leadership in the Church of Jesus Christ



         classrooms by preparing inspiring lessons, ar-                  an orientation about the calling. The leaders
         ranging the rooms in advance, using appropriate                 who give the orientation continue to provide
         pictures and music, and greeting class members                  instruction and support through leadership
         in a peaceful, loving way. Worship services and                 meetings and personal communication.
         Church classes are enhanced when the entire                 ◼   Church training materials. These materials are
         ward makes an effort to be reverent.                            available in the Serving in the Church section
                                                                         of LDS.org or from Church headquarters or the
3.3.7    Prepare Written Agendas for Meetings                            assigned administrative ofﬁce.
             Written agendas can serve as guides for lead-           ◼   Church magazines and other Church publi-
         ers as they discuss ways to serve others. If agen-              cations.
         das are distributed before council or planning
         meetings, leaders will be more prepared for the
         discussions. Guidelines for preparing agendas         3.4   Leadership Purposes
         for different meetings are found in chapter 4 and
                                                                        The First Presidency and Quorum of the
         chapters 7–12.
                                                                     Twelve Apostles have established the following
                                                                     purposes for leaders to keep in mind as they
3.3.8    Plan with Purpose
                                                                     magnify their callings.
             Leaders plan activities, lessons, and other
                                                                         Leaders encourage every member to receive
         efforts to bless the lives of ward members. They
                                                                     all essential priesthood ordinances, keep the as-
         always plan with a purpose in mind so their
                                                                     sociated covenants, and qualify for exaltation
         efforts will beneﬁt those they serve. In planning
                                                                     and eternal life. Church leaders guide the efforts
         activities, leaders follow the principles in 13.1
                                                                     of priesthood quorums, auxiliaries, and stake
         and 13.2. In planning training and gospel teach-
                                                                     and ward councils to help produce the follow-
         ing, they follow the principles in 5.5.
                                                                     ing results:
             Leaders also make long-term plans for their
                                                                         Families: Teach the preeminence of the home
         organizations. This includes keeping an annual
                                                                     and family as the basic organizational unit of
         calendar, setting goals, and periodically evaluat-
                                                                     the Church. Emphasize the place of the higher
         ing progress in reaching those goals.
                                                                     priesthood in helping individuals and families
             With help from secretaries, leaders maintain            qualify for exaltation (see D&C 84:19–22). En-
         a written record of their plans and keep track of           courage each family member—parents and chil-
         progress in completing assignments. After car-              dren—to study the scriptures, pray regularly,
         rying out their plans, they evaluate how well the           and live the gospel of Jesus Christ.
         plans accomplished their purposes. This evalua-
                                                                         Adults: Encourage each adult to be worthy
         tion helps in future planning.
                                                                     to receive the ordinances of the temple. Teach all
                                                                     adults to identify their ancestors and perform
3.3.9    Use Church Resources to Learn Duties
                                                                     vicarious temple ordinances for them.
            Leaders use the following resources to help
                                                                         Youth: Help prepare each young man to
         them learn and fulﬁll their duties:
                                                                     receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, to receive
         ◼   This handbook. Stake presidencies and bish-             the ordinances of the temple, and to be worthy
             oprics should become familiar with this entire          to serve a full-time mission. Help prepare each
             handbook. Other leaders should become famil-            young woman to be worthy to make and keep
             iar with chapters 1–6, the chapters about their         sacred covenants and receive the ordinances of
             organizations, and any other information that           the temple. Strengthen youth through participa-
             relates to their responsibilities. The handbook         tion in meaningful activities.
             teaches principles and practices that can help
                                                                         All Members: Help priesthood and auxiliary
             them serve effectively.
                                                                     leaders, ward councils, ward and full-time mis-
         ◼   Reports. Clerks and secretaries provide lead-           sionaries, and members work cooperatively in a
             ers with reports that show the progress of in-          balanced effort to rescue individuals, strengthen
             dividuals and groups. This information helps            families and Church units, increase priesthood
             leaders understand which people and organi-             activity, and gather Israel through conversion,
             zations need their special attention.                   retention, and activation. Teach members to pro-
         ◼   Instruction from local leaders. Soon after be-          vide for themselves and their families and to as-
             ing sustained, every new leader should receive          sist the poor and needy in the Lord’s way.



14
4. The Ward Council

4.1 Councils in the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16              4.6 Ward Council Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 17
                                                                                       4.6.1 Guiding Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          17
4.2 Bishopric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
                                                                                       4.6.2 Sample Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         18
4.3 Priesthood Executive Committee . . . . . . . . . . . 16                            4.6.3 Undertaking a Course of Action . . . . . . . . . . .                    18
                                                                                       4.6.4 Responsibilities of the Ward Clerk . . . . . . . . .                    18
4.4 Ward Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16            4.6.5 Responsibilities of the Executive
4.5 The Work of the Ward Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16                                Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
    4.5.1 Help Each Individual Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
    4.5.2 Help Strengthen the Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17




                                                                                                                                                                            4. The Ward Council




                                                                                                                                                                      15
4. The Ward Council
                                                                         As needed, the bishop may invite the Relief
4.1   Councils in the Church                                         Society president to attend some ward PEC meet-
                                                                     ings to discuss conﬁdential welfare matters and
          The Lord’s Church is governed through coun-                to coordinate home teaching and visiting teach-
      cils at the general, area, stake, and ward levels.             ing assignments.
      These councils are fundamental to the order of
      the Church.
          Under the keys of priesthood leadership at         4.4     Ward Council
      each level, leaders counsel together for the ben-                  The ward council includes the bishopric,
      eﬁt of individuals and families. Council mem-                  ward clerk, ward executive secretary, high priests
      bers also plan the work of the Church pertaining               group leader, elders quorum president, ward
      to their assignments. Effective councils invite full           mission leader, and presidents of the Relief So-
      expression from council members and unify their                ciety, Young Men, Young Women, Primary, and
      efforts in responding to individual, family, and               Sunday School.
      organizational needs.
                                                                         Members of the ward council strive to help in-
          As the presiding high priest of the ward, the              dividuals build testimonies, receive saving ordi-
      bishop presides over three related councils: the               nances, keep covenants, and become consecrated
      bishopric, the priesthood executive committee,                 followers of Jesus Christ (see Moroni 6:4–5). All
      and the ward council. This chapter provides an                 members of the ward council have a general re-
      explanation of each of these.                                  sponsibility for the well-being of ward members.
                                                                     Priesthood and auxiliary leaders also have a spe-
                                                                     ciﬁc responsibility to watch over and strengthen
4.2   Bishopric                                                      each member in their organization.
          The bishopric has responsibility for all ward                   Typically, the full ward council considers only
      members, organizations, and activities. The bish-              matters that (1) would beneﬁt from coordina-
      opric usually meets at least weekly. The ward                  tion among organizations, (2) would beneﬁt from
      clerk and ward executive secretary attend. For                 the discussion and uniﬁed efforts of the coun-
      suggested agenda items, see 18.2.6.                            cil, or (3) are of general concern for the ward
         The bishop’s decisions are better informed                  as a whole. Most matters that are speciﬁc to a
      and implemented when made after discussions                    priesthood or auxiliary organization should be
      with his counselors and, when appropriate, the                 addressed by leaders in that organization, not
      ward council. In these discussions the bishop                  by the entire ward council. Additionally, individ-
      does not share information that he should keep                 ual ward council members may raise sensitive or
      conﬁdential.                                                   conﬁdential matters privately with the bishop.


4.3   Priesthood Executive Committee                         4.5     The Work of the Ward Council
         The ward priesthood executive committee             4.5.1   Help Each Individual Progress
      (PEC) includes the bishopric, ward clerk, ward
                                                                         Members of the ward council do most of their
      executive secretary, high priests group leader,
                                                                     work outside of ward council meetings. They
      elders quorum president, ward mission leader,
                                                                     work with their counselors and with home teach-
      and Young Men president.
                                                                     ers, visiting teachers, and others in reaching out
          The PEC meets regularly to consider priest-                and ministering to those in their organizations
      hood matters. Generally, the PEC need not con-                 and others who need assistance.
      sider matters that will be discussed by the ward
                                                                         Ward council members strive to stay informed
      council. However, it may be beneﬁcial for the
                                                                     about the needs, well-being, and spiritual prog-
      PEC to preview some matters that will be on
                                                                     ress of members in their organizations. They also
      the ward council’s agenda. For convenience, the
                                                                     stay informed about members who face special
      PEC could meet just before the ward council
                                                                     challenges or changing circumstances. This in-
      meeting.
                                                                     formation allows them to strengthen those who



16
                                                                                                       4. The Ward Council



        most need their help. At the same time, they                 However, major decisions are not made in the
        respect individual and family privacy. Only the              bishop’s absence.
        bishop deals with matters of personal worthi-                    As recommended by the ward mission leader,
        ness.                                                        the bishop may occasionally invite full-time mis-
            The following resources can help ward coun-              sionaries to meet with the ward council.
        cil members be aware of the progress of members
        and investigators:                                   4.6.1   Guiding Principles
         1. Reports on member participation, such as                     Priesthood and auxiliary leaders attend ward
            the ward’s Quarterly Report. These reports               council meetings in two capacities: (1) as ward
            are prepared by the ward clerk. They pro-                council members who help the bishop address
            vide information about Church activity, or-              needs and concerns in the ward and ﬁnd solu-
            dinance status, and trends for individuals,              tions and (2) as representatives of their organi-
            age-groups, and the entire ward. In wards                zations. These leaders seek the guidance of the
            that use Church record-keeping software,                 Holy Ghost as they unite in love and concern for
            the clerk can also provide other reports that            those they serve.
            have helpful information.                                    Ward council meetings should focus on mat-
         2. Reports from home teachers and visiting                  ters that will strengthen individuals and families.
            teachers.                                                The council spends minimal time on calendar-
         3. New and Returning Member Progress form.                  ing, activity planning, and other administrative
            Ward council members use this form to plan               business.
            speciﬁc ways to teach and strengthen new                     During the meeting, the bishop explains each
            members from the time of their baptism and               matter being considered, but he does not nor-
            conﬁrmation until they receive the temple en-            mally decide how to resolve the matter until he
            dowment. Ward council members may also                   has heard the discussion. He encourages discus-
            use this form to plan how to help less-active            sion without dominating it. He asks questions
            members prepare to receive the ordinances                and may ask particular council members for their
            that are appropriate for their age, including            suggestions. He listens carefully before making
            temple ordinances.                                       a decision. These discussions should foster a
         4. Progress Record. Full-time missionaries use              spirit of inspiration.
            this form to record each investigator’s prog-                Council members are encouraged to speak
            ress. Missionaries share this information with           honestly, both from their personal experience
            the ward mission leader, who shares it with              and from their positions as organization leaders.
            the ward council.                                        Both men and women should feel that their com-
                                                                     ments are valued as full participants. The bishop
4.5.2   Help Strengthen the Ward                                     seeks input from Relief Society, Young Women,
            Members of the ward council work together                and Primary leaders in all matters considered
        to build spiritual strength and unity in the                 by the ward council. The viewpoint of women
        ward. The ward council also oversees the plan-               is sometimes different from that of men, and it
        ning of activities for the ward. Activities should           adds essential perspective to understanding and
        be planned to fulﬁll gospel-centered purposes.               responding to members’ needs.
        For more information about activities, see chap-                 After open discussion, the bishop may make
        ter 13.                                                      a decision, or he may wait to discuss the matter
                                                                     further with his counselors. After he makes a de-
                                                                     cision, council members should support it in a
4.6     Ward Council Meetings                                        spirit of unity and harmony.
                                                                                                                             4. The Ward Council



           The ward council meets regularly (at least                    If council members have strongly unsettled
        monthly). The meeting usually lasts 60 to 90 min-            feelings about an important decision, the bishop
        utes.                                                        may wait for another council meeting to con-
            The bishop presides over the meeting. If he              sider the matter further and seek spiritual con-
        is absent, he may assign a counselor to preside.             ﬁrmation and unity.




                                                                                                                       17
4. The Ward Council



            Council members must keep conﬁdential any                    to encourage members to participate more
        private or sensitive information about members,                  fully in temple and family history work. For
        families, and subjects that are discussed.                       more information, see 5.4.2.
                                                                       7. Gospel learning and teaching. Discuss how
4.6.2   Sample Agenda                                                     to improve gospel learning and teaching in
            Under the bishop’s direction, the executive                   Church settings and in the home (see 5.5.2).
        secretary prepares an agenda for ward council                  8. Reports on the work of the elders quorum,
        meeting. The bishop invites council members                       high priests group, and auxiliary organiza-
        to contact the executive secretary to place items                 tions. This part of the meeting should be brief
        on the agenda. The executive secretary may also                   so it does not distract from the council’s main
        suggest agenda items, including those from                        focus on individuals.
        previous meetings that may need additional dis-
        cussion or follow-up. The executive secretary                  9. Calendar and activity planning to help meet
        may also prepare a calendar of upcoming ward                      the spiritual, temporal, and social needs of
        events for council members to review.                             ward members (see chapter 13).

            A list of items that could be included on the             10. Perpetual Education Fund (where the pro-
        agenda is provided below. The bishop should                       gram is approved). Review the progress of
        not try to consider all of these items in every                   participants in the program.
        meeting. Instead, he prioritizes each meeting’s               11. Concluding instruction from the bishopric.
        agenda to address the most important matters
        ﬁrst. Rather than discussing too many subjects        4.6.3   Undertaking a Course of Action
        in a superﬁcial way, it is better to focus on a few               The ward council seeks inspiration in devel-
        that will bless the most individuals and fami-                oping a course of action to bless the lives of mem-
        lies. The bishop relies on inspiration to know                bers. The council’s focus is on helping people,
        which subjects matter most at a particular time.              not administering programs.
         1. Brief reports on assignments from the last                     Priesthood and auxiliary leaders use their
            meeting.                                                  own leadership meetings to review ward council
         2. Spiritual and temporal welfare. Discuss the               decisions and enlist the help of other leaders and
            spiritual and temporal well-being of selected             teachers in their organization to fulﬁll council
            individuals and families. Make plans to help              assignments. Similarly, the ward mission leader
            them meet their needs, including long-term                holds a missionary coordination meeting with
            needs. Discuss how to strengthen families.                the full-time missionaries and ward missionar-
            For more information, see 6.2.2.                          ies to carry out the decisions of the ward council.
         3. Missionary. Develop and review the ward                   This work in the organizations is an extension of
            mission plan (see 5.1.8). Using the Progress              the spirit and purpose of the ward council.
            Record, review baptismal candidates and cur-                  When undertaking a course of action, coun-
            rently progressing investigators. The bishop              cil members should be careful to avoid over-
            may ask the ward mission leader to lead this              burdening individuals and families (see Mosiah
            review. For more information, see 5.1.2.                  4:27; D&C 10:4). Each member’s ﬁrst priority is
         4. Convert retention. Review the progress of                 to his or her family. The ward council ensures
            each new member listed on the New and Re-                 an appropriate balance between the member’s
            turning Member Progress form; plan ways to                family obligations and his or her responsibilities
            help them continue progressing (see 5.2.3).               in the Church.

         5. Activation. Review the progress and fellow-                  Ward council members regularly evaluate
            shipping of less-active members listed on the             each course of action and report on their assign-
            New and Returning Member Progress form;                   ments. In most instances, progress will require
            plan ways to help them continue progress-                 sustained attention and follow-up assignments.
            ing (see 5.3.2).
                                                              4.6.4   Responsibilities of the Ward Clerk
         6. Temple and family history. Review the prog-
            ress of individual members who are prepar-                   The ward clerk keeps a record of assignments
            ing to receive the ordinances of the temple.              and decisions made during ward council meet-
            As the bishop senses the need, discuss how                ings. He makes sure that information used by




18
                                                                                           4. The Ward Council



        the ward council is accurate and timely. He pro-   bishop may also ask him to help follow up with
        vides the most recent copies of the New and Re-    ward council members on their assignments. In
        turning Member Progress form. He also provides     addition, the bishop may ask him to obtain re-
        relevant statistical information from Church       ports from ward council members on the status
        record-keeping software. He takes initiative to    of investigators, new members, members return-
        inform the bishopric and ward council mem-         ing to activity, and other matters.
        bers about information he ﬁnds in these sources        The executive secretary can provide continu-
        rather than waiting for them to ask him.           ity between the ward council and the priesthood
           Other responsibilities of the ward clerk are    executive committee.
        outlined in Handbook 1, 13.4.2.                        Other responsibilities of the ward executive
                                                           secretary are outlined in Handbook 1, 13.4.4.
4.6.5   Responsibilities of the Executive Secretary
           The executive secretary prepares agendas for
        ward council meetings as outlined in 4.6.2. The




                                                                                                                 4. The Ward Council




                                                                                                           19
                                                                                                                                                                              5. The Work of Salvation
                                                                                                                                                                               in the Ward and Stake
5. The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake

5.1 Member Missionary Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 22          5.3.4 Full-Time Missionaries and
    5.1.1 Bishop and His Counselors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              22                 Ward Missionaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
    5.1.2 Ward Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   22          5.3.5 Gospel Principles Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
    5.1.3 Ward Mission Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          22          5.3.6 Stake Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
    5.1.4 Ward Missionaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        23
                                                                                      5.4 Temple and Family History Work . . . . . . . . . . . .                       27
    5.1.5 Missionary Coordination Meeting . . . . . . . . .                    23
    5.1.6 Members and Full-Time Missionaries                                              5.4.1 Bishop and His Counselors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                28
            Working Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23             5.4.2 Ward Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     28
     5.1.7 Baptismal Services and Confirmations . . . . . 23                              5.4.3 High Priests Group Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                28
     5.1.8 Ward Mission Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23               5.4.4 Family History Consultants . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 28
     5.1.9 Stake Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24         5.4.5 Temple and Family History Classes
                                                                                                  and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
5.2 Convert Retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          24          5.4.6 Stake Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
    5.2.1 Needs of New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             24          5.4.7 Temple and Family History Resources
    5.2.2 Bishop and His Counselors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              24                 in the Stake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
    5.2.3 Ward Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   25
                                                                                      5.5 Teaching the Gospel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              30
    5.2.4 Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders . . . . . . . . .                   25
    5.2.5 Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers . . . . . .                      25         5.5.1 Bishop and His Counselors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                30
    5.2.6 Ward Missionaries and Full-Time                                                 5.5.2 Ward Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     30
            Missionaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25       5.5.3 Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders . . . . . . . . .                     30
     5.2.7 Influence of Other Ward Members . . . . . . . . . 25                           5.5.4 Teachers and Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           31
     5.2.8 Gospel Principles Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26                 5.5.5 Ward Sunday School President and
     5.2.9 Stake Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26                 His Counselors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
                                                                                           5.5.6 Printed and Online Resources for
5.3 Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   26                 Learning and Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
    5.3.1 Bishop and His Counselors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              26          5.5.7 Course on Teaching the Gospel . . . . . . . . . . . 31
    5.3.2 Ward Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   27          5.5.8 Stake President and His Counselors . . . . . . . 31
    5.3.3 Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers . . . . . .                      27




                                                                                                                                                                        21
5. The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake

            Members of the Church of Jesus Christ are                they encourage members to participate in mis-
        sent forth “to labor in his vineyard for the sal-            sionary work in the following ways:
        vation of the souls of men” (D&C 138:56). This                1. Find and prepare people to be taught.
        work of salvation includes member missionary
        work, convert retention, activation of less-active            2. Assist the missionaries when they teach (in
        members, temple and family history work, and                     members’ homes, if possible).
        teaching the gospel. The bishopric directs this               3. Fellowship investigators.
        work in the ward, assisted by other members of                4. Prepare themselves and their children to serve
        the ward council.                                                as full-time missionaries.
            Although the bishop retains ultimate respon-                In ward council meetings, members of the
        sibility in these areas, the ward mission leader             council develop and review the ward mission
        coordinates member missionary work, the high                 plan (see 5.1.8). They review baptismal candi-
        priests group leader coordinates temple and fam-             dates, other investigators, and other matters
        ily history work, and the Sunday School presi-               from the Progress Record prepared by the full-
        dent assists other ward leaders in improving                 time missionaries. They make plans to help each
        gospel learning and teaching. The bishop may                 investigator progress. They offer counsel about
        assign one of his counselors to coordinate con-              possible home teachers and visiting teachers for
        vert retention and the other to coordinate activa-           investigators who are preparing to be baptized
        tion. Each priesthood or auxiliary leader assists            and conﬁrmed.
        in furthering the work of salvation in his or her
        organization.                                                    As recommended by the ward mission leader,
                                                                     the bishop may occasionally invite full-time mis-
                                                                     sionaries to meet with the ward council.
5.1     Member Missionary Work
                                                             5.1.3   Ward Mission Leader
5.1.1   Bishop and His Counselors
                                                                         Under the bishop’s direction, the ward mis-
           The bishop directs the ward council in pre-               sion leader has the following responsibilities:
        paring and following a ward mission plan, as
        described in 5.1.8.                                              He coordinates the ward’s efforts to ﬁnd,
                                                                     teach, and baptize investigators. He coordinates
            The bishop calls and sets apart a Melchizedek            this work with the work of the full-time mission-
        Priesthood holder to serve as the ward mission               aries and ward missionaries. In ward council
        leader. The bishop and his counselors may call               meetings, the bishop may ask him to lead dis-
        and set apart other members to serve as ward                 cussions on missionary work.
        missionaries.
                                                                        He conducts missionary coordination meet-
            The bishop and his counselors give prior-                ings and directs the work of ward missionaries.
        ity to member missionary work. They teach the
        doctrines of missionary work regularly. They                     He arranges as many teaching opportunities
        encourage ward members to work with full-                    for the full-time missionaries as possible each
        time missionaries to ﬁnd, teach, and baptize in-             week.
        vestigators. They set an example by ﬁnding and                   He organizes convert baptismal services, as-
        preparing individuals and families for the mis-              sisted by the full-time missionaries (see 20.3.4).
        sionaries to teach.                                            He helps coordinate the conﬁrmations of new
            The bishop and his counselors help prospec-              members in sacrament meetings.
        tive full-time missionaries, including sisters and               He participates with full-time missionaries
        couples, prepare to serve missions.                          in teaching and fellowshipping investigators.
5.1.2   Ward Council                                                     He attends the Gospel Principles class, and
                                                                     he may teach the class when assigned by the
            Member missionary work is most effective                 bishopric.
        when ward council members are fully engaged in
        the missionary effort. In quorums and auxiliaries,               A Melchizedek Priesthood holder may be
                                                                     called as an assistant ward mission leader.


22
                                                                                   5. The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake




                                                                                                                                    5. The Work of Salvation
                                                                                                                                     in the Ward and Stake
5.1.4   Ward Missionaries                                             he does not interview baptismal candidates, he
             The bishopric and the ward mission leader                meets with them personally before they are bap-
        determine how many ward missionaries are                      tized. He also oversees ward members’ efforts to
        needed in the ward. Ward missionaries serve                   fellowship them. Investigators are more likely
        under their direction. Priesthood holders, sisters,           to be baptized and conﬁrmed and remain active
        and married couples may serve as ward mission-                when they have close friendships with Church
        aries. They need not have assigned companions,                members.
        but they should not go alone when visiting in                     Normally, full-time missionary companion-
        homes. A man and a woman do not make vis-                     ships are not separated to work with ward mem-
        its together as ward missionaries unless they are             bers. However, they may be separated to work
        husband and wife.                                             with members when necessary to ﬁll a large num-
            Ward missionaries are called to a speciﬁed                ber of teaching appointments. In such cases, the
        term of service, such as two years. They normally             ward mission leader ensures that those who work
        do not have other Church responsibilities, except             as companions to full-time missionaries under-
        for assignments as home teachers or visiting                  stand and accept mission rules. He instructs them
        teachers, preferably to part-member or less-active            that they must never leave a full-time mission-
        families. They do not wear name tags.                         ary without an authorized companion.
            Ward missionaries ﬁnd and prepare people          5.1.7   Baptismal Services and Conﬁrmations
        for the full-time missionaries to teach. They also
        assist in fellowshipping and teaching investiga-                 Baptismal services should be scheduled as
        tors.                                                         soon as an investigator has committed to be
                                                                      baptized. The services should not normally be
            Ward missionaries visit members’ homes to                 delayed past this date unless a person is not pre-
        encourage members to seek missionary expe-                    pared. Baptisms of family members should not
        riences, identify people the missionaries could               be delayed so the father can receive the priest-
        teach, and prepare people to be taught.                       hood and perform the baptisms himself.
5.1.5   Missionary Coordination Meeting                                   A baptismal service offers the opportunity
                                                                      to ﬁnd and encourage other investigators. Con-
            The ward mission leader conducts a mission-               verts should be encouraged to invite their fam-
        ary coordination meeting with the ward mission-               ily members, other relatives, and friends. Church
        aries and the full-time missionaries. The meeting             leaders and missionaries may also invite other
        is held regularly. If full-time missionaries serve            investigators who are being taught, potential in-
        in several wards, they attend as often as circum-             vestigators, and leaders and members who will
        stances allow.                                                be working with the new members. Other ward
            In this meeting, the ward mission leader co-              members may also attend.
        ordinates the work of the full-time missionaries                  Converts are conﬁrmed in a sacrament meet-
        and the ward members. The ward mission leader                 ing in the ward where they live, preferably on
        may also lead discussions on implementing the                 the Sunday following their baptism.
        ward mission plan, scheduling as many teaching
        appointments for the missionaries as possible,                   Guidelines for baptismal services and conﬁr-
        and arranging to have members present as often                mations, including guidelines for baptisms and
        as possible when investigators are taught.                    conﬁrmations of 8-year-olds, are found in 20.3.

5.1.6   Members and Full-Time Missionaries                    5.1.8   Ward Mission Plan
        Working Together                                                  Under the direction of the bishop, the ward
           The mission president holds the keys for                   council develops a ward mission plan. The plan
        baptizing and conﬁrming converts. Under his                   should be brief and simple. It should include
        direction, full-time missionaries have the pri-               speciﬁc goals and activities to help members of
        mary responsibility for teaching investigators.               ward priesthood and auxiliary organizations par-
        Full-time missionaries also conduct baptism and               ticipate in member missionary work, retention,
        conﬁrmation interviews for each candidate and                 and activation. The ward council coordinates the
        authorize the ordinances to take place.                       ward mission plan with the plans of the full-time
                                                                      missionaries assigned to the ward. The following
           The bishop becomes acquainted with all in-                 steps may be helpful in this planning process:
        vestigators and follows their progress. Although



                                                                                                                              23
5. The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake



          1. Consider the needs and resources of the ward              He also provides ongoing instruction and en-
             in member missionary work, retention, and                 couragement to all ward mission leaders, both
             activation, including the availability of full-           individually and as a group. With the stake pres-
             time missionaries.                                        ident’s approval, he may train ward leaders and
          2. Set speciﬁc goals for member missionary                   ward missionaries.
             work, retention, and activation to be accom-
             plished within the next year.
                                                               5.2     Convert Retention
          3. Determine how to accomplish the goals.
                                                                           New Church members need the support and
             Leaders could plan ways to lift the ward’s
                                                                       friendship of Church leaders, home teachers, vis-
             overall vision and attitude about missionary
                                                                       iting teachers, and other members. This support
             work. They could develop ideas for activities
                                                                       helps new members become ﬁrmly “converted
             to help the full-time missionaries ﬁnd, teach,
                                                                       unto the Lord” (Alma 23:6).
             and baptize more investigators. They could
             also plan ways to befriend and strengthen
                                                               5.2.1   Needs of New Members
             new members and improve the activation
             of less-active members.                                       The transition to Church membership is chal-
                                                                       lenging for most people. It often involves em-
           The ward council reviews the ward mission
                                                                       bracing new religious teachings and a new way
        plan regularly and revises it as needed.
                                                                       of life. All members of the Church, particularly
                                                                       new members, need three things to help them
5.1.9   Stake Leaders
                                                                       stay active in the Church: friendship, opportu-
        Stake President and His Counselors                             nities to mature and serve in the Church, and
            The stake president and his counselors give                nourishing by the word of God (see Moroni 6:4).
        priority to missionary work. They teach the                    Under the bishopric’s direction, priesthood and
        doctrines of missionary work regularly and en-                 auxiliary leaders help new members in these
        courage stake members to work with full-time                   areas.
        missionaries to ﬁnd, teach, and baptize inves-
        tigators. They set an example by ﬁnding and            5.2.2   Bishop and His Counselors
        preparing individuals and families for the mis-                    The bishop has overall responsibility for con-
        sionaries to teach.                                            vert retention. To help new members remain ac-
            In his regular interview with each bishop, the             tive in the Church, the bishop and his counselors
        stake president asks for a report on the progress              have the following responsibilities. The bishop
        of investigators in the bishop’s ward.                         may assign one of his counselors to coordinate
                                                                       these efforts.
             The stake president meets regularly with the
        mission president to coordinate the work of full-                They oversee efforts to ensure that each new
        time missionaries in the stake. Matters to discuss             member receives fellowship.
        include the number and location of missionar-                      They ensure that each new adult member re-
        ies, the role of members in missionary work, the               ceives a calling or other opportunities to serve.
        assistance of missionaries in retention and acti-                  They ensure that brethren ages 12 and older
        vation efforts, the assistance of missionaries in              are ordained to the appropriate Aaronic Priest-
        training local members, and meals, housing, and                hood ofﬁce soon after their conﬁrmation, nor-
        transportation for missionaries.                               mally within a week. They also see that these
                                                                       brethren receive opportunities to exercise the
        High Councilor Assigned to Missionary Work
                                                                       priesthood. Brethren who are worthy to be bap-
            The stake presidency assigns a missionary-                 tized and conﬁrmed are also worthy to receive
        oriented high councilor to assist them in over-                the Aaronic Priesthood.
        seeing the stake’s efforts to ﬁnd, teach, baptize,
                                                                          The bishop and his counselors oversee the
        and conﬁrm investigators. This high councilor
                                                                       work of the high priests group leader and the
        may lead discussions on these topics in stake
                                                                       elders quorum president in helping brethren
        priesthood executive committee meetings, stake
                                                                       ages 18 and older prepare to receive the Mel-
        council meetings, stake priesthood leadership
                                                                       chizedek Priesthood. Recently baptized breth-
        meetings, and other stake meetings.
                                                                       ren ages 18 and older are ordained elders after
           The high councilor assigned to missionary                   they have served as priests, developed sufﬁcient
        work orients newly called ward mission leaders.                understanding of the gospel, and demonstrated


24
                                                                                   5. The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake




                                                                                                                                    5. The Work of Salvation
                                                                                                                                     in the Ward and Stake
        their worthiness. No speciﬁc time as a member                manuals they may need for the Church classes
        is required.                                                 they attend.
                                                                         If new members are eligible for seminary or
5.2.3   Ward Council                                                 institute, priesthood and auxiliary leaders help
            In ward council meetings, members of the                 them enroll.
        council review their goals for convert retention                 When new members become eligible to re-
        as outlined in the ward mission plan (see 5.1.8).            ceive temple ordinances, priesthood and auxil-
        They discuss the progress of each new member                 iary leaders help them prepare, either in a temple
        and identify areas where he or she may need                  preparation seminar or in some other way.
        more support. They may use the New and Re-
        turning Member Progress form as a guide for this                 Priesthood and auxiliary leaders may assign
        discussion. They counsel about ways to help new              experienced members to help fellowship new
        members feel the love of other members, the joy              members. Leaders might consider assigning
        of serving in the Lord’s kingdom, and the peace              members who relate well with the new members
        that comes through living gospel principles.                 because of similar interests or because they have
                                                                     faced similar challenges.
           The ward council may discuss ways the ward
        mission leader can work with other priesthood                    Priesthood and auxiliary leaders (or members
        and auxiliary leaders to strengthen new con-                 they assign) note each week whether recently
        verts. Ward council members may also suggest                 baptized members who belong to their quorum
        possible opportunities for service that could be             or auxiliary are present in sacrament meeting.
        extended to new members, such as temple and                  They make assignments to visit those who are
        family history work.                                         not attending and invite them to attend the fol-
                                                                     lowing week.
5.2.4   Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders
                                                             5.2.5   Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers
            As directed by the bishopric, priesthood and
        auxiliary leaders provide opportunities that help                Home teachers and visiting teachers have
        new members mature spiritually and remain                    important responsibilities to establish friend-
        active in the Church. For example, the Relief                ships with new members. In consultation with
        Society president is responsible to assist adult             the bishop, Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief
        female converts. Because an adult male convert               Society leaders give high priority to assigning
        is a prospective elder, either the elders quorum             dedicated home teachers and visiting teachers
        president or the high priests group leader is re-            to new members.
        sponsible to assist in his progress, as determined               When authorized by the mission president,
        by the bishopric. When more than one family                  full-time missionaries may assist in home teach-
        member joins the Church, priesthood and aux-                 ing or visiting teaching new members.
        iliary leaders coordinate their efforts in ward
        council meetings.                                    5.2.6   Ward Missionaries and Full-Time Missionaries
           Priesthood and auxiliary leaders may help                     While retention is primarily the responsibility
        new members in the following ways:                           of ward priesthood and auxiliary leaders, ward
            They help new members understand and ap-                 missionaries and full-time missionaries assist in
        ply the doctrines and principles in the mission-             this work. Ward missionaries teach the ﬁrst four
        ary lessons.                                                 missionary lessons again to all new members
                                                                     (see Preach My Gospel, chapter 3). They also teach
            They ensure that new members learn basic                 lesson 5. Ward missionaries may be assisted by
        Church practices, such as how to bear testimony,             the full-time missionaries as needed.
        pay tithing and other offerings, live the law of
        the fast, give a talk, perform priesthood ordi-      5.2.7   Inﬂuence of Other Ward Members
        nances, participate in family history work, per-
        form baptisms and conﬁrmations for the dead                      Priesthood and auxiliary leaders encourage
        (where possible), and serve as a home teacher or             ward members to strengthen new members by
        visiting teacher.                                            showing love and establishing friendships. Lead-
                                                                     ers may encourage ward members to invite re-
            They ensure that new members have access                 cent converts to attend family home evenings,
        to the scriptures, the Church magazines, and any             Church meetings, classes, and activities with
                                                                     them, providing transportation if needed.



                                                                                                                              25
5. The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake



5.2.8   Gospel Principles Class                                        High Councilors
            New members ages 18 and older attend the                       High councilors who work with ward Mel-
        Gospel Principles class during Sunday School,                  chizedek Priesthood leaders and high council-
        along with investigators. New members usu-                     ors who work with ward mission leaders may
        ally attend the Gospel Principles class for a few              help teach and fellowship new members. They
        months. When they are ready, they attend the                   may also participate in efforts to help prospec-
        Gospel Doctrine class.                                         tive elders prepare to receive the Melchizedek
            The ward mission leader attends the Gospel                 Priesthood.
        Principles class. He coordinates the class with
                                                                       Stake Auxiliary Presidencies
        other retention efforts in the ward. A member of
        the bishopric may assign him to teach it. Other                    Stake auxiliary presidencies may occasion-
        ward missionaries may also attend.                             ally work with ward auxiliary leaders in teach-
                                                                       ing and fellowshipping new members.
            Home teachers, visiting teachers, and other
        members may attend the class to provide fellow-
        ship. Occasionally the teacher may invite other        5.3     Activation
        ward members to attend and share experiences
        and testimony. For example, the teacher may in-                    Ward priesthood and auxiliary leaders strive
        vite ward members to share their testimonies of                continually to help less-active members return
        the blessings of tithing, their experiences in over-           to Church activity. The Savior said, “Unto such
        coming challenges, or the blessings they have                  shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not
        received as they have served in Church callings.               but what they will return and repent, and come
                                                                       unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall
            The teachers of this course have the follow-               heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing
        ing responsibilities:                                          salvation unto them” (3 Nephi 18:32).
            They select and teach lessons from Gospel                      Less-active members usually still believe in
        Principles. As they teach, they use the scriptures             the gospel, but they may be experiencing dif-
        often, especially the Book of Mormon. They                     ﬁcult trials that make them feel uncomfortable
        adapt lessons to class members’ needs and in-                  attending church. They also tend to have fewer
        vite class members to share their thoughts and                 friendships in the Church, so they are less likely
        experiences.                                                   to feel they are among friends when they go
           They create an atmosphere that invites the                  to ward meetings. Those who return to activ-
        Spirit, frequently bearing testimony.                          ity often do so when they see that something is
            They encourage class members to read the                   missing from their lives. As a result, they real-
        Book of Mormon regularly and to share impres-                  ize that they need to make changes in the way
        sions from their reading.                                      they live. At such times, they need the love and
                                                                       friendship of caring, active Church members
5.2.9   Stake Leaders                                                  who accept them as they are and show genuine
                                                                       personal interest in them.
        Stake President and His Counselors
            Members of the stake presidency oversee            5.3.1   Bishop and His Counselors
        efforts to strengthen new members in the stake.                    The bishop and his counselors have the over-
        They instruct and encourage other leaders in                   all responsibility for activation. They direct the
        these efforts. They meet new members when                      efforts of priesthood quorums and auxiliaries to
        they visit wards. They may occasionally hold a                 help less-active members rekindle faith and to
        meeting for new members in connection with a                   ensure that returning members receive fellow-
        stake conference.                                              ship and support. They help returning brethren
            In his regular interview with each bishop,                 advance in the priesthood, and they help breth-
        the stake president asks for a report on the prog-             ren and sisters receive temple ordinances or be-
        ress of new members in the bishop’s ward.                      come worthy to enter the temple again.
            In his regular meeting with the mission pres-                  The bishop may assign one of his counselors
        ident, the stake president may give a report on                to coordinate activation.
        the progress of new members in the stake.




26
                                                                                    5. The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake




                                                                                                                                     5. The Work of Salvation
                                                                                                                                      in the Ward and Stake
5.3.2   Ward Council                                          5.3.6   Stake Leaders
            Under the bishopric’s direction, members of               Stake President and His Counselors
        the ward council review their goals for activation
                                                                          In his regular interview with each bishop, the
        as outlined in the ward mission plan (see 5.1.8).
                                                                      stake president asks for a report on the progress
        They share recommendations for ministering to
                                                                      of less-active members in the bishop’s ward. The
        less-active members in their organizations. By                stake president and the bishop discuss the plans
        being continually aware of the needs and cir-                 and goals prepared by the ward council for these
        cumstances of less-active members, ward council               members.
        members can discern when families and individ-
        uals might be ready to respond to an invitation                   When the stake president and mission presi-
        to receive Church visitors, attend a Church ac-               dent meet to discuss missionary work, they may
        tivity, or participate in a temple preparation                also discuss the assistance full-time missionaries
        seminar.                                                      can give in working with less-active members.
             The ward council prayerfully identiﬁes the               High Councilors
        less-active members who are the most likely to
        return to activity. They also decide which lead-                  High councilors who work with ward Mel-
        ers and members could best strengthen less-                   chizedek Priesthood leaders may help teach and
        active members and build personal relationships               fellowship less-active members. They may also
        with them. When more than one family member                   participate in efforts to help prospective elders
        is less active, leaders coordinate their efforts in           prepare to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood.
        ward council meetings.
                                                                      Stake Auxiliary Presidencies
            Ward council meetings regularly include re-
                                                                          Stake auxiliary presidencies may occasion-
        ports on the progress of these members. As some
                                                                      ally work with ward auxiliary leaders in teach-
        members return to activity or decline invitations
                                                                      ing and fellowshipping less-active members.
        to return, the ward council identiﬁes others who
        may be receptive. Leaders may use the New and
        Returning Member Progress form to keep track          5.4     Temple and Family History Work
        of these efforts.
                                                                          In temples, Church members receive ordi-
5.3.3   Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers                           nances and make sacred covenants that are es-
                                                                      sential for exaltation. Church members also go
            In consultation with the bishop, Melchizedek              to temples to perform ordinances in behalf of
        Priesthood and Relief Society leaders assign ded-             deceased persons who have not received the
        icated home teachers and visiting teachers to less-           ordinances.
        active members. These leaders focus their efforts
        on the less-active members who are most likely                   Priesthood and auxiliary leaders teach ward
        to respond to invitations to return to activity.              members about basic responsibilities in temple
                                                                      and family history work, as outlined in the fol-
5.3.4   Full-Time Missionaries and Ward Missionaries                  lowing paragraphs:
            The ward mission leader, full-time missionar-                 They encourage members to receive their
        ies, and ward missionaries may assist with acti-              own temple ordinances and help immediate
        vation efforts when appropriate, especially when              family members receive theirs. Leaders teach
        their teaching of less-active members will create             members that the purpose of the endowment is
        opportunities for the missionaries to teach these             to prepare for exaltation, not merely to prepare
        members’ nonmember friends or relatives.                      for marriage or a mission.
                                                                          Leaders encourage each endowed member
5.3.5   Gospel Principles Class                                       to hold a current temple recommend and go to
            Less-active members ages 18 and older may                 the temple as often as circumstances and family
        attend the Gospel Principles class during Sunday              needs allow. Leaders also encourage unendowed
        School (see 5.2.8).                                           adults and youth ages 12 and older, including
                                                                      new members, to have limited-use temple rec-
                                                                      ommends and go to the temple often to be bap-
                                                                      tized and conﬁrmed for the dead. Leaders do not
                                                                      establish quotas or reporting systems for temple




                                                                                                                               27
5. The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake



        attendance. Each member determines his or her         5.4.3   High Priests Group Leader
        own level of participation in temple work.                       The high priests group leader coordinates the
           Priesthood and auxiliary leaders teach mem-                ward council’s efforts to encourage temple and
        bers to participate in family history work by                 family history work in the ward.
        identifying their ancestral family members, re-                   The high priests group leader also coordi-
        questing temple ordinances for them if needed,                nates the work of family history consultants. If
        and providing these ordinances in the temple                  the stake has a family history center, he assigns
        themselves if possible.                                       consultants to serve as staff members there as re-
            Leaders help members understand that they                 quested by the family history center director. If
        should not request that temple ordinances be                  the stake participates in FamilySearch indexing,
        performed for any unrelated person without the                he recommends individuals to serve as Family-
        approval of the person’s closest living relative.             Search indexing workers.
        Leaders also help members understand that they                    If a ward does not have a high priests group
        should not make such requests for famous people               leader, the elders quorum president or another
        who are not related to them or for people whose               assigned Melchizedek Priesthood holder ﬁlls this
        information has been gathered from unapproved                 role.
        indexing projects.
                                                              5.4.4   Family History Consultants
5.4.1   Bishop and His Counselors
                                                                         Under the direction of the high priests group
           The bishop and his counselors oversee temple               leader, family history consultants have the fol-
        and family history work in the ward. They en-                 lowing responsibilities. They use the Member’s
        sure that the doctrines and blessings of temple               Guide to Temple and Family History Work as a re-
        and family history work are taught regularly in               source.
        ward meetings.
                                                                          They help members identify ancestral family
            As the bishop meets with members, he helps                members. They help members prepare informa-
        them prepare to receive the ordinances of the                 tion so that temple ordinances may be performed
        temple and qualify to continue going to the tem-              for their ancestral family members. They help
        ple as often as circumstances allow.                          members who do not have access to comput-
           The bishop and his counselors encourage                    ers or who are uncomfortable using computers.
        members to identify their ancestral family mem-               Where possible, they provide this assistance in
        bers and provide temple ordinances for them.                  members’ homes.
            Other responsibilities of the bishopric related               They serve regularly as staff members in a
        to temple work are outlined in Handbook 1, chap-              local family history center, as assigned. They may
        ter 3.                                                        also be assigned to teach family history classes
                                                                      in the ward.
5.4.2   Ward Council                                                       For additional information on the responsi-
           At least quarterly in a ward council meeting,              bilities of family history consultants, see the Fam-
        leaders consider matters relating to temple and               ily History Consultant’s Guide to Temple and Family
        family history work, as follows:                              History Work, which is available on LDS.org.
            They discuss ways to help individuals and
        families receive the ordinances of the temple         5.4.5   Temple and Family History Classes
        and go to the temple as often as circumstances                and Resources
        allow.                                                        Temple Preparation Seminars
            They prayerfully consider ward members who                    Temple preparation seminars help members
        may be invited to participate in temple prepa-                prepare to receive the ordinances and blessings
        ration seminars or work with family history con-              of the temple. These seminars are planned un-
        sultants.                                                     der the bishop’s direction. They are taught at the
           They discuss ways to help members parti-                   meetinghouse or in a home as often as needed.
        cipate in family history work.                                    Temple preparation seminars are especially
             They may discuss ways to use family history              helpful for new members, less-active members
        work to ﬁnd people for the full-time missionar-               returning to Church activity, and endowed mem-
        ies to teach and to reach out to new members and              bers who have not renewed their recommends
        less-active members.                                          for an extended time. The seminars may also be


28
                                                                                   5. The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake




                                                                                                                                    5. The Work of Salvation
                                                                                                                                     in the Ward and Stake
        helpful for active members who are preparing                 They ensure that the doctrines and blessings of
        to receive the endowment.                                    this work are taught regularly in stake meetings.
           Under the bishop’s direction, ward council                    As the stake president meets with members,
        members prayerfully select members to invite to              he helps them prepare to receive the ordinances
        each seminar.                                                of the temple and qualify to continue going to
            The bishopric calls one or more teachers, who            the temple as often as circumstances allow.
        may be a husband and wife. Lessons and instruc-                  The stake president and his counselors en-
        tions for organizing the course are in Endowed               courage members to identify their ancestral fam-
        from on High: Temple Preparation Seminar Teacher’s           ily members and provide temple ordinances for
        Manual. Participants in the seminar should re-               them.
        ceive their own copies of the booklet Preparing to               Other responsibilities of the stake presidency
        Enter the Holy Temple.                                       related to temple work are outlined in Handbook 1,
                                                                     chapter 3.
        Family History Course
            A family history course may be taught dur-               High Councilor(s) Assigned to Temple and
        ing Sunday School or at another time that is more            Family History Work
        convenient for members. This course is orga-                     The stake presidency may assign one or more
        nized under the direction of the bishopric rather            high councilors to instruct high priests group
        than the Sunday School president. The teacher                and elders quorum leaders in their temple and
        uses the Instructor’s Guide to Temple and Family             family history responsibilities. As needed, these
        History Work to teach the lessons. The teacher is            high councilors also coordinate the stake’s efforts
        usually a family history consultant assigned by              in FamilySearch indexing and at family history
        the bishopric. Lessons are generally conducted               centers.
        as workshops in which members actually com-
        plete family history work.                           5.4.7   Temple and Family History Resources
                                                                     in the Stake
        Access to Online Family History Resources
                                                                     FamilySearch Indexing Program in the Stake
            The Church’s online family history resources
        help members identify their ancestral fam-                       In FamilySearch indexing, participants use
        ily members, organize ancestral information,                 their computers to access images of documents
        and submit requests for temple ordinances to                 such as census records, church registers, and
        be performed for these family members. The                   vital records. From these images, they create
        majority of these resources are available through            automated indexes that are then made accessible
        the Church’s family history Internet site, Family-           through FamilySearch.org.
        Search.org.                                                      Individuals, including those who are not
            Where a stake or ward meetinghouse has                   members of the Church, can do FamilySearch
        computers with Internet access, or where family              indexing on their own. However, the stake presi-
        history programs are installed on stake or ward              dency may determine that it would be beneﬁcial
        computers, the stake presidency and bishopric                for stake members to work together in an index-
        ensure that these computers are available for                ing program. Such an effort can provide service
        members to use at reasonable times. Family his-              opportunities for members who are less active
        tory consultants can help schedule the comput-               or homebound. Youth may also participate.
        ers and teach members how to use them.                          For information on establishing a Family-
           Members who use Church administrative                     Search indexing program, see the Administrative
        computers for family history work should not                 Guide for Family History, which is available on
        have access to membership or ﬁnancial infor-                 LDS.org.
        mation.
                                                                     Family History Centers
5.4.6   Stake Leaders                                                   Some stakes have family history centers,
                                                                     which exist primarily to help Church members
        Stake President and His Counselors
                                                                     identify their ancestral family members and
            The stake president and his counselors over-             provide temple ordinances for them. Community
        see temple and family history work in the stake.             patrons are also welcome to use the resources at
                                                                     family history centers.


                                                                                                                              29
5. The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake



            These centers provide access to the Church’s     principles. In doing so, they follow the principles
        microﬁlmed family history records, to family         in 19.1.1 and 19.1.2.
        history computer and Internet resources such
        as FamilySearch, and to training on how to do        Orienting Newly Called Teachers
        family history work.                                     Priesthood and auxiliary leaders meet indi-
           For more information about family history         vidually with newly called teachers in their or-
        centers, see the Administrative Guide for Family     ganizations, preferably before each teacher’s ﬁrst
        History, which is available on LDS.org.              lesson. In these meetings, leaders orient teach-
                                                             ers as follows:
                                                                 They help teachers begin to become ac-
5.5     Teaching the Gospel                                  quainted with class members, if needed. They
            Effective gospel teaching helps people grow      give teachers a list of the class members and en-
        in their testimonies and their faith in Heavenly     courage teachers to learn class members’ names.
        Father and Jesus Christ. It strengthens members      They also encourage teachers to build caring
        in their efforts to live according to gospel prin-   relationships with class members.
        ciples. When God’s word is taught with spiri-
                                                                 They help teachers understand how to use
        tual power, it has a “more powerful effect upon
                                                             Teaching, No Greater Call. They give each teacher
        the minds of the people than . . . anything else”
                                                             a copy of the book and share a brief overview
        (Alma 31:5). Priesthood and auxiliary leaders
                                                             of its contents.
        encourage effective teaching in their organiza-
        tions. They remember that Church members                 As needed, they help teachers understand
        attend meetings seeking the power, peace, and        how to prepare a lesson. They give teachers the
        inspiration provided by the word of God.             approved curriculum materials for their classes
                                                             and explain how to use them. They also review the
5.5.1   Bishop and His Counselors                            article titled “Preparing Lessons” on pages 98–99
                                                             in Teaching, No Greater Call. (For a list of approved
            The bishop and his counselors teach the gos-
                                                             curriculum materials and instructions on how
        pel by the power of the Spirit and by personal
                                                             to order them, see the current Instructions for Cur-
        example. They direct the ward council’s efforts
                                                             riculum.)
        to ensure that teaching in the ward is edifying
        and doctrinally correct.                             Providing Ongoing Support for Teachers

5.5.2   Ward Council                                             Priesthood and auxiliary leaders develop a
                                                             supportive and caring relationship with teach-
            Under the direction of the bishopric, mem-       ers. After their initial orientation meeting, lead-
        bers of the ward council regularly counsel to-       ers regularly meet with individual teachers to
        gether about how to improve gospel learning          learn of the teachers’ needs, discuss the needs of
        and teaching in the ward. The bishop may invite      those they teach, and review the principles out-
        the Sunday School president to lead these dis-       lined in this section. They encourage teachers to
        cussions and provide instruction.                    set goals according to the article titled “Making a
                                                             Plan to Improve Your Teaching” on pages 24–27
5.5.3   Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders                     in Teaching, No Greater Call.
            Priesthood and auxiliary leaders strive to
        teach the gospel effectively. They are also re-      Ensuring That Teaching Is Edifying and
        sponsible for efforts to improve learning and        Doctrinally Correct
        teaching in their organizations. In these efforts,       Priesthood and auxiliary leaders carefully
        they may counsel with the ward Sunday School         observe the learning and teaching during Sun-
        presidency.                                          day classes and other lessons. Leaders who do
                                                             not regularly attend each class, such as members
        Recommending Members to Serve as Teachers            of the Sunday School and Primary presidencies,
            Priesthood and auxiliary leaders submit rec-     arrange with teachers to attend the classes oc-
        ommendations to the bishopric for ward mem-          casionally. Based on their observations, leaders
        bers to be called to serve as teachers in their      counsel with teachers on how to improve the
        organizations. Leaders should recommend teach-       learning in the classes.
        ers who will strive to prepare lessons that will        Leaders ensure that teachers use the scrip-
        inspire class members to live according to gospel    tures, the teachings of latter-day prophets, and


30
                                                                                   5. The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake




                                                                                                                                    5. The Work of Salvation
                                                                                                                                     in the Ward and Stake
        the approved curriculum materials as outlined                 class instruction. They encourage class members
        in the current Instructions for Curriculum. They              to bring their own copies of the scriptures to
        help teachers understand how to supplement the                class where possible. Teachers and leaders pro-
        curriculum with Church magazines, particularly                vide opportunities for class members to actively
        the general conference issues of the Ensign and               participate in discussions, and they invite class
        Liahona.                                                      members to live the gospel and receive the prom-
                                                                      ised blessings.
5.5.4   Teachers and Leaders
            As teachers and leaders teach the gospel, they    5.5.5   Ward Sunday School President and
        are guided by the following principles.                       His Counselors
                                                                          Members of the ward Sunday School presi-
        Love Those You Teach                                          dency serve as resources to help other leaders
            Teachers and leaders show love and sincere                with efforts to strengthen gospel learning and
        concern for those they teach. They learn class                teaching. They may be invited to assist leaders
        members’ names. They review attendance infor-                 in orienting, instructing, and providing ongoing
        mation so they can be aware of class members                  support for teachers.
        who are not attending regularly. They may con-
        tact these members outside of class to encourage      5.5.6   Printed and Online Resources for Learning
        them in their participation.                                  and Teaching
                                                                          To help members improve in learning and
        Teach by the Spirit                                           teaching the gospel, the Church provides two
            Teachers and leaders seek the guidance of the             publications: Teaching, No Greater Call and the
        Holy Ghost in preparing and teaching lessons.                 Teaching Guidebook. These resources are available
        They seek this guidance by praying and hum-                   in print and on LDS.org. Other resources are also
        bly recognizing their dependence on the Lord.                 available on LDS.org.
        During lessons, they invite the Spirit by bearing
        testimony of the doctrines they teach.                5.5.7   Course on Teaching the Gospel
                                                                          The bishopric and the ward council may pe-
        Teach the Doctrine                                            riodically decide to hold the Teaching the Gos-
            Teachers and leaders use the scriptures, the              pel course in the ward. This course can beneﬁt
        teachings of latter-day prophets, and approved                current teachers and help prepare future teach-
        curriculum materials to teach and testify of the              ers. The course is usually held during Sunday
        doctrines of the gospel. Approved curriculum                  School. The lessons for the course are found on
        materials for each class or quorum are listed in              pages 186–239 of Teaching, No Greater Call. The
        the current Instructions for Curriculum. As needed,           bishopric assigns the Sunday School presidency
        teachers and leaders supplement curriculum                    to teach the course or calls another member to
        materials with Church magazines, particularly                 do so.
        the general conference issues of the Ensign and
        Liahona.                                              5.5.8   Stake President and His Counselors
                                                                          The stake president and his counselors teach
        Invite Diligent Learning                                      the gospel by the power of the Spirit and by per-
            Teachers and leaders encourage class mem-                 sonal example. They direct efforts to ensure that
        bers to be responsible for their own gospel learn-            teaching in the stake is edifying and doctrinally
        ing as individuals, in their families, and during             correct.




                                                                                                                              31
6. Welfare Principles and Leadership

6.1 Purposes of Church Welfare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34                              6.2.4 High Priests Group, Elders Quorum,
    6.1.1 Self-Reliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34                    and Relief Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
    6.1.2 Members’ Efforts to Care for the Poor and                                            6.2.5 Ward Welfare Specialists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
             Needy and Give Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
                                                                                          6.3 Welfare Leadership in the Stake . . . . . . . . . . . .                     37
     6.1.3 The Lord’s Storehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
                                                                                              6.3.1 Stake President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     37
6.2 Welfare Leadership in the Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . .                         35       6.3.2 Stake Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   37
    6.2.1 Bishop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   35       6.3.3 Stake Welfare Specialists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           37




                                                                                                                                                                               6. Welfare Principles
    6.2.2 Ward Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         35
                                                                                          6.4 Confidentiality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38




                                                                                                                                                                                  and Leadership
    6.2.3 Ward Priesthood Executive Committee . . . .                                36




                                                                                                                                                                          33
6. Welfare Principles and Leadership

                                                              strive to cultivate good relationships with family
6.1     Purposes of Church Welfare                            members and others.
           The purposes of Church welfare are to help
        members become self-reliant, to care for the poor     Education
        and needy, and to give service.                           Education provides understanding and skills
            In 1936 the First Presidency outlined a wel-      that can help people develop self-reliance. Church
        fare plan for the Church. They said: “Our pri-        members should study the scriptures and other
        mary purpose was to set up . . . a system under       good books. They should improve in their ability
        which the curse of idleness would be done away        to read, write, and do basic mathematics. They
        with, the evils of a dole abolished, and indepen-     should obtain as much education as they can,
        dence, industry, thrift and self respect be once      including formal or technical schooling where
        more established amongst our people. The aim          possible. This will help them develop their tal-
        of the Church is to help the people to help them-     ents, ﬁnd suitable employment, and make a val-
        selves. Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling      uable contribution to their families, the Church,
        principle of the lives of our Church membership”      and the community.
        (in Conference Report, Oct. 1936, 3).
                                                              Employment
6.1.1   Self-Reliance                                             Work is the foundation upon which self-
            Self-reliance is the ability, commitment, and     reliance and temporal well-being rest. Members
        effort to provide the spiritual and temporal ne-      should prepare for and carefully select a suitable
        cessities of life for self and family. As members     occupation or self-employment that will provide
        become self-reliant, they are also better able to     for their own and their families’ needs. They
        serve and care for others.                            should become skilled at their work, be diligent
                                                              and trustworthy, and give honest work for the
           Church members are responsible for their
                                                              pay and beneﬁts they receive.
        own spiritual and temporal well-being. Blessed
        with the gift of agency, they have the privilege
                                                              Home Storage
        and duty to set their own course, solve their own
        problems, and strive to become self-reliant. Mem-          To help care for themselves and their fami-
        bers do this under the inspiration of the Lord and    lies, members should build a three-month supply
        with the labor of their own hands.                    of food that is part of their normal diet. Where
                                                              local laws and circumstances permit, they should
            When Church members are doing all they can
                                                              gradually build a longer-term supply of basic
        to provide for themselves but cannot meet their
                                                              foods that will sustain life. They should also store
        basic needs, generally they should ﬁrst turn to
                                                              drinking water in case the water supply becomes
        their families for help. When this is not sufﬁcient
                                                              polluted or disrupted. (See All Is Safely Gathered
        or feasible, the Church stands ready to help.
                                                              In: Family Home Storage, 3.)
           Some of the areas in which members should
        become self-reliant are outlined in the following     Finances
        paragraphs.                                               To become ﬁnancially self-reliant, members
                                                              should pay tithes and offerings, avoid unneces-
        Health
                                                              sary debt, use a budget, and live within a plan.
            The Lord has commanded members to take            They should gradually build a ﬁnancial reserve
        care of their minds and bodies. They should           by regularly saving a portion of their income.
        obey the Word of Wisdom, eat nutritious food,         (See All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances, 3.)
        exercise regularly, control their weight, and get
        adequate sleep. They should shun substances or        Spiritual Strength
        practices that abuse their bodies or minds and            Spiritual strength is essential to a person’s
        that could lead to addiction. They should prac-       temporal and eternal well-being. Church mem-
        tice good sanitation and hygiene and obtain ade-      bers grow in spiritual strength as they develop
        quate medical and dental care. They should also       their testimonies, exercise faith in Heavenly Father
                                                              and Jesus Christ, obey God’s commandments,


34
                                                                                            6. Welfare Principles and Leadership



        pray daily, study the scriptures and the teach-               they may go to the bishops’ storehouse to obtain
        ings of latter-day prophets, attend Church                    food and clothing. But the Lord’s storehouse is
        meetings, and serve in Church callings and as-                not limited to a building used to distribute food
        signments.                                                    and clothing to the poor. It also includes Church
                                                                      members’ offerings of time, talents, compassion,
6.1.2   Members’ Efforts to Care for the Poor and                     materials, and ﬁnancial means that are made
        Needy and Give Service                                        available to the bishop to help care for the poor
            Through His Church, the Lord has provided a               and needy. The Lord’s storehouse, then, exists in
        way to care for the poor and needy. He has asked              each ward. These offerings are “to be cast into
        Church members to give generously according                   the Lord’s storehouse, . . . every man seeking
        to what they have received from Him. He has                   the interest of his neighbor, and doing all things




                                                                                                                                   6. Welfare Principles
        also asked His people to “visit the poor and                  with an eye single to the glory of God” (D&C




                                                                                                                                      and Leadership
        the needy and administer to their relief” (D&C                82:18–19). The bishop is the agent of the Lord’s
        44:6). Church members are encouraged to give                  storehouse.
        personal compassionate service to those in need.
        They should be “anxiously engaged in a good
                                                              6.2     Welfare Leadership in the Ward
        cause,” serving without being asked or assigned
        (see D&C 58:26–27).                                   6.2.1   Bishop
            The Lord has established the law of the fast                  The bishop directs welfare work in the ward.
        and fast offerings to bless His people and to pro-            He has a divine mandate to seek out and care
        vide a way for them to serve those in need (see               for the poor (see D&C 84:112). His goal is to
        Isaiah 58:6–12; Malachi 3:8–12). When members                 help members help themselves and become self-
        fast, they are asked to give to the Church a fast             reliant.
        offering at least equal to the value of the food                 The bishop’s counselors, the Relief Society
        they would have eaten. If possible, they should               president, the high priests group leader, the el-
        be generous and give more. Blessings associated               ders quorum president, and other members of
        with the law of the fast include closeness to the             the ward council assist the bishop in fulﬁlling
        Lord, increased spiritual strength, temporal well-            these responsibilities.
        being, greater compassion, and a stronger desire
        to serve.                                                         The bishop maintains conﬁdentiality about
                                                                      the welfare assistance that members receive. He
            Some opportunities to care for those in need              carefully safeguards the privacy and dignity of
        come through Church callings. Other opportu-                  members who receive assistance. When he feels
        nities are present in members’ homes, neighbor-               that other ward leaders can help members in
        hoods, and communities. Members can also help                 need, he may share information according to the
        the poor and needy of all faiths throughout the               guidelines in 6.4.
        world by contributing to the Church’s humani-
        tarian efforts.                                                   More information about the bishop’s welfare
                                                                      responsibilities, including guidelines for admin-
            Providing in the Lord’s way humbles the                   istering assistance from fast-offering funds, is
        rich, exalts the poor, and sanctiﬁes both (see D&C            provided in Handbook 1, 5.2.
        104:15–18). President J. Reuben Clark Jr. taught:
            “The real long term objective of the Welfare      6.2.2   Ward Council
        Plan is the building of character in the mem-                     In ward council meetings, the bishop teaches
        bers of the Church, givers and receivers, rescu-              welfare principles and instructs council mem-
        ing all that is ﬁnest down deep inside of them,               bers in their welfare responsibilities. Council
        and bringing to ﬂower and fruitage the latent                 members consider spiritual and temporal wel-
        richness of the spirit, which after all is the mis-           fare matters as follows:
        sion and purpose and reason for being of this
        Church” (in special meeting of stake presidents,                  They counsel together about ways to help
        Oct. 2, 1936).                                                ward members understand and follow principles
                                                                      of welfare.
6.1.3   The Lord’s Storehouse                                             They report on spiritual and temporal wel-
           In some locations the Church has established               fare needs in the ward, drawing information
        buildings called bishops’ storehouses. When                   from personal visits and from home teaching and
        members receive permission from their bishop,                 visiting teaching reports. When information may



                                                                                                                            35
6. Welfare Principles and Leadership



         be too conﬁdential to share with the entire ward    and suggests to the bishop what assistance to
         council, leaders speak privately with the bishop    provide. The bishop may ask her to prepare a
         or in priesthood executive committee meeting        Bishop’s Order for Commodities form for him to
         (see 6.2.3).                                        approve and sign.
             They plan ways to help speciﬁc ward mem-            The Relief Society president’s role in making
         bers meet their spiritual and temporal needs, in-   these family-needs visits is explained more fully
         cluding long-term needs. They determine how         in 9.6.1. For information on other short-term
         to assist members who have disabilities or other    welfare responsibilities that apply speciﬁcally to
         special needs. They keep these discussions con-     the Relief Society president and her counselors,
         ﬁdential (see 6.4).                                 see 9.6.2 and 9.6.3.
            They coordinate efforts to ensure that mem-
                                                             Long-Term Welfare Needs
         bers who receive Church assistance have oppor-
         tunities to work or give service. They compile          Many short-term problems are caused by
         and maintain a list of meaningful work oppor-       long-term difﬁculties such as poor health, lack
         tunities. If Church welfare operations exist in     of skills, inadequate education or employment,
         the area, these operations may provide work         lifestyle habits, and emotional challenges. Mel-
         opportunities and training for people who need      chizedek Priesthood and Relief Society leaders
         Church assistance.                                  have a special responsibility to help members
                                                             address these concerns. Their goal is to address
            They compile and maintain a list of ward
                                                             long-term concerns in ways that lead to lasting
         members whose skills might be useful in re-
                                                             change.
         sponding to short-term, long-term, or disaster-
         caused needs.                                           As Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society
                                                             leaders become aware of long-term needs, they
            They develop and maintain a simple written
                                                             respond compassionately to help individuals and
         plan for the ward to respond to emergencies (see
                                                             families. They use resources available in their
         Handbook 1, 5.2.11). They coordinate this plan
                                                             organizations and in the ward. They pray for
         with similar plans in the stake and community.
                                                             guidance to know how to provide assistance.
6.2.3    Ward Priesthood Executive Committee                     To gain a better understanding of how to
                                                             help, Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Soci-
             As needed, the ward priesthood executive
                                                             ety leaders normally visit members who have
         committee discusses conﬁdential welfare mat-
                                                             welfare needs. They may use the Needs and
         ters. The bishop may invite the Relief Society
                                                             Resources Analysis form or otherwise follow its
         president to attend for these discussions.
                                                             principles to help members plan ways to respond
6.2.4
                                                             to welfare needs.
         High Priests Group, Elders Quorum, and
         Relief Society                                         As leaders help members respond to long-
             Welfare is central to the work of the high      term needs, they counsel with the bishop. In
                                                             some cases, Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief
         priests group, the elders quorum, and the Relief
                                                             Society leaders work together.
         Society. In meetings of the high priests group
         leadership, the elders quorum presidency, and
                                                             Reporting to the Bishop and Seeking His
         the Relief Society presidency, leaders plan ways    Continued Direction
         to teach principles of self-reliance and service
         and to address welfare needs. Under the direc-          The high priests group leader, the elders quo-
         tion of the bishop, these leaders help members      rum president, and the Relief Society president
         become self-reliant and ﬁnd solutions to short-     regularly report to the bishop on actions they
         term and long-term welfare concerns.                and their organizations are taking to address
                                                             short-term and long-term welfare needs in the
         Short-Term Welfare Needs                            ward. They seek the bishop’s continued direction
                                                             on their welfare efforts.
            As the bishop provides short-term assistance,
         he may give assignments to Melchizedek Priest-          If individuals and families have short-term
         hood or Relief Society leaders.                     problems that they cannot resolve themselves
                                                             and that Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief
             The bishop normally assigns the Relief Soci-
                                                             Society leaders cannot resolve, leaders inform
         ety president to visit members who need short-
                                                             the bishop immediately.
         term assistance. She helps assess their needs



36
                                                                                            6. Welfare Principles and Leadership



            If Melchizedek Priesthood leaders and Relief
                                                              6.3     Welfare Leadership in the Stake
        Society leaders learn of possible concerns with
        worthiness or sensitive family matters, they refer    6.3.1   Stake President
        the members to the bishop.
                                                                          The stake president oversees welfare work in
                                                                      the stake. More information on his welfare re-
        Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers
                                                                      sponsibilities is provided in Handbook 1, 5.1.
            Assistance with spiritual and temporal wel-
        fare often begins with home teachers and visiting     6.3.2   Stake Council
        teachers. In a spirit of kindness and friendship
                                                                         In stake council meetings, leaders consider
        that goes beyond monthly visits, home teachers
                                                                      spiritual and temporal welfare matters as fol-
        and visiting teachers help individuals and fami-
                                                                      lows:




                                                                                                                                   6. Welfare Principles
        lies in need. They report the needs of those they




                                                                                                                                      and Leadership
        serve to their priesthood leaders or Relief Soci-                They identify welfare concerns in the stake
        ety leaders.                                                  and seek ways to address those concerns. How-
                                                                      ever, they do not assume responsibility to resolve
        Seeking Service from Quorum and Relief Society                ward welfare matters.
        Members and Others                                                They plan ways to teach welfare principles to
            Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society                 stake and ward leaders.
        leaders may seek the service of members whose                     They discuss ways to make ward leaders
        skills or experience could help those in need.                aware of people in the stake who can serve as
        Members may provide short-term service such                   resources to help with welfare needs.
        as providing meals or child care or sharing infor-
        mation about available employment. Members                        They develop and maintain a simple writ-
        may also provide guidance to help with long-                  ten plan for the stake to respond to emergencies
        term welfare needs, such as health, sanitation,               (see Handbook 1, 5.1.3). This plan should be co-
        nutrition, preparing for a career, ﬁnding oppor-              ordinated with similar plans of other stakes in
        tunities for education, starting a small business,            the coordinating council and with plans in the
        or managing family ﬁnances.                                   community.
            After leaders ask others to provide assistance,               They plan welfare activities, taking care not
        they remain in contact with the needy individual              to place undue burdens on ward leaders.
        or family to provide encouragement and to help                    They plan ways to respond to stake welfare
        in other ways as necessary.                                   assignments.
            Leaders may assist the bishop when he re-                     When assigned by a member of the Presi-
        fers members to Church welfare operations such                dency of the Seventy or the Area Presidency,
        as bishops’ storehouses, Church employment                    they provide leadership and support for a wel-
        resource centers, Deseret Industries, and LDS                 fare operation.
        Family Services. Leaders may also help mem-                       If a bishop has been assigned to handle re-
        bers receive assistance through community and                 quests for assistance to people who are transient
        government agencies.                                          or homeless, members of the stake council de-
                                                                      termine how to make stake resources available
6.2.5   Ward Welfare Specialists                                      to that bishop.
           Welfare specialists serve as resources to help
        the bishopric and to help Melchizedek Priest-         6.3.3   Stake Welfare Specialists
        hood and Relief Society leaders perform their                     A member of the stake presidency or an as-
        welfare duties.                                               signed high councilor may call a stake employ-
            The bishopric may call an employment spe-                 ment specialist and other welfare specialists.
        cialist to help members prepare for and ﬁnd suit-             These stake specialists serve as resources for
        able employment. The bishopric may also call                  bishops and other ward leaders. The specialists
        other welfare specialists to help members with                may help with welfare needs such as those listed
        needs such as education, training, nutrition, sani-           in 6.2.5.
        tation, home storage, health care, family ﬁnances,
        and the Perpetual Education Fund.




                                                                                                                            37
6. Welfare Principles and Leadership



                                                             of an individual or family. For example, when
6.4      Conﬁdentiality                                      a member is unemployed or looking for a bet-
             As the bishop and other ward leaders learn of   ter job, others may be able to help the member
         members’ welfare needs and assistance that has      ﬁnd a job more quickly. In such cases, the bishop
         been provided, they maintain the conﬁdentiality     and other leaders generally seek the needy mem-
         of that information. They carefully safeguard the   bers’ permission to share information about their
         privacy and dignity of members who receive as-      situations.
         sistance. They are careful not to embarrass mem-       When leaders ask others to help, they share
         bers who need assistance.                           only the information needed to fulﬁll the assign-
             There may be times when it would be helpful     ment. Leaders also instruct them to maintain
         for the entire ward council, and perhaps other      conﬁdentiality.
         ward members, to know about the welfare needs




38
7. Melchizedek Priesthood

7.1   Definition and Purposes of the Melchizedek                                     7.6   Prospective Elders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
      Priesthood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40            7.6.1 Responsibility for Prospective Elders . . . . . 45
      7.1.1 Melchizedek Priesthood Offices                                                 7.6.2 Helping Prospective Elders Prepare to
            and Duties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40                Receive the Melchizedek Priesthood . . . . . 45
      7.1.2 Melchizedek Priesthood Quorums . . . . . . . 40
                                                                                     7.7   Leadership Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .               45
7.2 Stake Melchizedek Priesthood Leadership . . . 40                                       7.7.1 Ward Priesthood Executive Committee
    7.2.1 Stake Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40                      Meeting and Ward Council Meeting . . . . .                            45
    7.2.2 High Councilors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41                 7.7.2 Elders Quorum Presidency Meeting
                                                                                                 and High Priests Group Leadership
7.3 Ward Melchizedek Priesthood Leadership . . . 41
                                                                                                 Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   45
    7.3.1 Bishopric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41           7.7.3 Stake Priesthood Leadership Meeting . . . .                           46
    7.3.2 Elders Quorum Presidency and
            High Priests Group Leadership . . . . . . . . . . 41                     7.8 Quorum and Group Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
      7.3.3 Elders Quorum and High Priests Group                                           7.8.1 Sunday Priesthood Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
            Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries . . . . . 42                             7.8.2 Stake High Priests Quorum Meeting . . . . . 47
      7.3.4 Elders Quorum and High Priests Group
                                                                                     7.9 Teaching How to Perform Ordinances
            Instructors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
                                                                                           and Blessings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
7.4   Home Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       42




                                                                                                                                                                            7. Melchizedek Priesthood
                                                                                     7.10 Additional Guidelines and Policies . . . . . . . . . 47
      7.4.1 Responsibilities of Home Teachers . . . . . . .                   43
                                                                                          7.10.1 Brethren Who Have Special Needs . . . . . . . 47
      7.4.2 Organizing Home Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . .                43
                                                                                          7.10.2 Offering Support at Times of Death . . . . . . 47
      7.4.3 Adapting Home Teaching to
                                                                                          7.10.3 Instructions about Temple Clothing
            Local Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   44
      7.4.4 Reporting Home Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . .               44                    and Garments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
                                                                                           7.10.4 Funding for Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
7.5 Welfare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44




                                                                                                                                                                       39
7. Melchizedek Priesthood

                                                                       others, build unity and brotherhood, and instruct
7.1     Deﬁnition and Purposes of the                                  members in doctrines, principles, and duties.
        Melchizedek Priesthood
                                                                          Each ward has one or more elders quorums.
            The priesthood is the power and authority                  Each quorum has up to 96 elders (see D&C
        of God. It is conferred upon worthy male mem-                  107:89).
        bers of the Church. Those who hold priesthood
        keys direct the administration of the ordinances                   Each stake has one high priests quorum. The
        of the gospel, the preaching of the gospel, and                stake presidency is the presidency of that quo-
        the government of the kingdom of God on the                    rum. In each ward, high priests are organized in
        earth.                                                         a high priests group.

            The Melchizedek Priesthood holds “the keys                    Patriarchs are not organized into quorums.
        of all the spiritual blessings of the church” (D&C             Apostles and Seventies are organized into quo-
        107:18).                                                       rums at the general Church level.

            For more information about the purposes
        of the priesthood and priesthood keys, see chap-       7.2     Stake Melchizedek Priesthood
        ter 2.                                                         Leadership
7.1.1   Melchizedek Priesthood Ofﬁces and Duties               7.2.1   Stake Presidency
            The ofﬁces in the Melchizedek Priesthood are                   The stake president is the presiding high
        elder, high priest, patriarch, Seventy, and Apostle.           priest in the stake. He and his counselors com-
        Each priesthood ofﬁce has rights and responsibil-              prise the stake high priests quorum presidency.
        ities of service, including authority to administer            They give instruction at high priests quorum
        priesthood ordinances. This chapter contains in-               meetings. They may occasionally visit high
        formation for leaders of elders and high priests.              priests group meetings and elders quorum meet-
        For information about ordination to the ofﬁces of              ings to give instruction and counsel.
        elder and high priest, see 20.7.                                   The stake president oversees the conferral
                                                                       of the Melchizedek Priesthood and ordinations
        Elder                                                          to the ofﬁces of elder and high priest (see Hand-
            Worthy brethren may receive the Melchize-                  book 1, 16.7.1).
        dek Priesthood and be ordained elders when they                   The stake president calls an elder in each
        are at least 18 years old. The rights and respon-              ward to be the elders quorum president. In each
        sibilities of elders are revealed in Doctrine and              ward that has a high priests group, the stake pres-
        Covenants 20:38–45; 42:44; 46:2; and 107:11–12.                ident or an assigned counselor in the stake pres-
        Elders also hold the authority of deacons, teach-              idency calls a high priest to be the high priests
        ers, and priests.                                              group leader. Before calling a new elders quorum
                                                                       president or high priests group leader, the stake
        High Priest                                                    president consults with the bishop of the ward.
            Brethren are ordained high priests when they               The bishop may recommend whom to call.
        are called to a stake presidency, high council, or                 The stake president, an assigned counselor,
        bishopric or when otherwise determined by the                  or an assigned high councilor calls counselors
        stake president. The rights and responsibilities               in the elders quorum presidency and assistants
        of high priests are to preside and to hold all the             in the high priests group leadership. The elders
        authority of elders (see D&C 107:10).                          quorum president and high priests group leader,
           Brethren in districts are not ordained to the               in consultation with the bishop, may recommend
        ofﬁce of high priest.                                          counselors and assistants.
                                                                           All recommendations for calling members
7.1.2   Melchizedek Priesthood Quorums                                 of elders quorum presidencies and high priests
            A priesthood quorum is an organized group                  group leaderships are subject to the approval of
        of brethren who hold the same priesthood ofﬁce.                the stake presidency and high council.
        The primary purposes of quorums are to serve


40
                                                                                                      7. Melchizedek Priesthood



            When new quorum or group leaders are                           Although the elders quorum president and
        called, a member of the stake presidency or high               high priests group leader are directly responsible
        council presents them to quorum or group mem-                  to the stake presidency, the bishop meets regu-
        bers for a sustaining vote.                                    larly with each of them. He asks them to report
            If an elder is called to serve in a high priests           on their responsibilities, including home teaching
        group leadership, he must be ordained a high                   in the quorum or group. He also counsels them
        priest before he is set apart.                                 and encourages them to magnify their callings.

            The stake president sets apart a new elders        7.3.2   Elders Quorum Presidency and High Priests
        quorum president and confers the keys of his                   Group Leadership
        calling. A member of the stake presidency sets
        apart a new high priests group leader, who does                    The elders quorum presidency and high
        not receive keys. A member of the stake presi-                 priests group leadership preside over, sit in coun-
        dency or high council sets apart counselors to                 cil with, and teach quorum and group members
        the elders quorum president and assistants to the              (see D&C 107:89). They direct the efforts of quo-
        high priests group leader.                                     rum and group members to advance the work
                                                                       of salvation in the ward (see chapter 5). They
            After new quorum or group leaders are sus-                 receive instruction from the stake presidency,
        tained, a member of the stake presidency or                    assigned members of the high council, and the
        bishopric announces these callings in sacrament                bishop.
        meeting. He does not ask for a sustaining vote in
        sacrament meeting.                                             Elders Quorum President and High Priests
            For information about elders quorum callings               Group Leader




                                                                                                                                  7. Melchizedek Priesthood
        in branches in missions, see the Chart of Callings
                                                                          The elders quorum president and high priests
        in chapter 19.
                                                                       group leader have the following responsibilities:
7.2.2   High Councilors                                                     They serve as members of the ward priest-
                                                                       hood executive committee and ward council.
            Under the direction of the stake presidency,
                                                                       As members of this committee and council, they
        high councilors help oversee the work of the
                                                                       participate in efforts to build faith and strengthen
        Church in the stake. Their responsibilities relat-
                                                                       individuals and families (see chapter 4). The high
        ing to elders quorums and high priests groups
                                                                       priests group leader coordinates the ward coun-
        are described in 15.3.1.
                                                                       cil’s efforts to encourage temple and family his-
                                                                       tory work in the ward (see 5.4.3). Where there
7.3     Ward Melchizedek Priesthood                                    is no high priests group leader, the elders quo-
        Leadership                                                     rum president or another assigned Melchizedek
                                                                       Priesthood holder ﬁlls this role.
            This chapter focuses on administering the
        elders quorum and high priests group in a way                     They teach other leaders and teachers in the
        that strengthens individuals and families. Mel-                quorum and group their duties, using this hand-
        chizedek Priesthood leaders should frequently                  book as a resource.
        review chapter 3, which outlines general prin-                     In consultation with the bishop, they submit
        ciples of leadership. These principles include                 recommendations for brethren to be called to
        preparing spiritually, participating in councils,              serve as counselors in the elders quorum pres-
        ministering to others, and teaching the gospel of              idency or assistants in the high priests group
        Jesus Christ.                                                  leadership. They also submit recommendations
                                                                       to the bishop for brethren to be called to serve
7.3.1   Bishopric                                                      as secretaries and instructors. In making these
            The bishop is the presiding high priest in the             recommendations, they follow the guidelines in
        ward. He and his counselors work closely with                  19.1.1 and 19.1.2.
        the elders quorum president and the high priests                  They oversee the records, reports, budget, and
        group leader in watching over quorum and group                 ﬁnances of the quorum or group. The quorum or
        members and their families, building strength                  group secretary helps with this responsibility.
        in the quorum and group, and ensuring that the
        work of the priesthood is accomplished.




                                                                                                                            41
7. Melchizedek Priesthood



        Elders Quorum President and Counselors and           7.3.3   Elders Quorum and High Priests Group
        High Priests Group Leader and Assistants                     Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries
            The elders quorum presidency and high                        With the bishop’s approval, the elders quo-
        priests group leadership have the following                  rum president or one of his counselors calls and
        responsibilities. The elders quorum president                sets apart an elder to serve as elders quorum sec-
        and high priests group leader assign counselors              retary. Likewise, the high priests group leader or
        and assistants to oversee some of these respon-              one of his assistants calls and sets apart a high
        sibilities.                                                  priest to serve as high priests group secretary.
            They encourage quorum and group mem-                        Quorum and group secretaries have the fol-
        bers to fulﬁll their priesthood duties, especially           lowing responsibilities:
        their duties as husbands and fathers. Quorum                     They consult with quorum or group leaders
        and group leaders fulﬁll this responsibility dur-            to prepare agendas for presidency meetings or
        ing quorum and group meetings and during                     group leadership meetings. They attend these
        interviews and visits with quorum and group                  meetings, take notes, and keep track of assign-
        members.                                                     ments.
             They organize and oversee home teaching.                    Each month, they compile home teaching re-
            They oversee efforts to improve gospel learn-            ports for the elders quorum president and high
        ing and teaching in the elders quorum and high               priests group leader to give to the bishop. At least
        priests group. In these efforts, they follow the             quarterly, they compile attendance information,
        principles in 5.5.3 and 5.5.4.                               review it with the elders quorum president or
                                                                     high priests group leader, and submit it to the
           They hold elders quorum presidency meet-                  ward clerk.
        ings or high priests group leadership meetings.
                                                                         If the quorum or group plans activities that
           Under the direction of the bishop, they plan              will involve expenses, secretaries help lead-
        ways to address welfare needs in the quorum or               ers prepare an annual budget and account for
        group (see 7.5 and chapter 6).                               expenses.
           Where possible, they visit or interview quo-                  With the bishop’s approval, leaders in the
        rum or group members at least once a year.                   elders quorum and high priests group may call
            They may organize committees among quo-                  and set apart assistant secretaries to help with
        rum or group members to carry out the work of                these responsibilities. Prospective elders may be
        the quorum or group and to fulﬁll assignments                called to serve as assistant secretaries.
        given in ward council meeting.
            They help prospective elders prepare to re-      7.3.4   Elders Quorum and High Priests Group
        ceive the Melchizedek Priesthood (see 7.6).                  Instructors
            With approval from the bishop, they may oc-                  With the bishop’s approval, the elders quo-
        casionally plan activities for the members of the            rum president or one of his counselors calls and
        quorum or group. These activities may include                sets apart one or more elders to serve as elders
        the families of quorum or group members and                  quorum instructors. Likewise, the high priests
        the single sisters whom quorum or group mem-                 group leader or one of his assistants calls and
        bers visit as home teachers. Activities should               sets apart one or more high priests to serve as
        comply with the guidelines in chapter 13 and                 high priests group instructors.
        should be coordinated with the ward council.                     Quorum and group leaders assign instruc-
            As assigned by the bishop, they work with                tors to teach lessons during priesthood meet-
        parents and Young Men leaders to help 18-year-               ing. Instructors follow the principles outlined in
        old young men prepare to receive the Melchize-               5.5.4.
        dek Priesthood and make a successful transition
        from the priests quorum to the elders quorum.
                                                             7.4     Home Teaching
            The elders quorum president assigns one of
                                                                         Under the bishop’s direction, quorum and
        his counselors to coordinate the quorum’s efforts
                                                                     group leaders oversee home teaching. They in-
        with the young single adult men in the ward. If
                                                                     struct home teachers in their duties and inspire
        the ward has a young single adult committee,
                                                                     them to perform these duties well.
        this counselor serves on the committee. (See
        16.3.3 and 16.3.4.)


42
                                                                                                   7. Melchizedek Priesthood



            Home teaching is a priesthood responsibility              those they will visit. Based on this discussion
        of teachers, priests, and Melchizedek Priesthood              and the guidance of the Holy Ghost, they share
        holders. Accordingly, home teachers are assigned              a message, usually taken from the scriptures and
        by priesthood leaders. They are not called, sus-              the First Presidency’s message in the Ensign or
        tained, or set apart.                                         Liahona magazine. Other messages may come
                                                                      from the bishop or other leaders. The head of the
7.4.1   Responsibilities of Home Teachers                             household may also request a special message.
             Home teaching is one way Heavenly Father                 Home teaching visits typically include a prayer.
        blesses His children. Home teachers “visit the                    Each month, home teachers report to quorum
        house of each member, exhorting them to pray                  or group leaders on the spiritual and temporal
        vocally and in secret and attend to all family                welfare of the members they visit. If a member’s
        duties” (D&C 20:51). They are assigned to fam-                needs are urgent, home teachers report them
        ilies and individuals to “watch over . . . and be             immediately.
        with and strengthen them” (D&C 20:53). They
        “warn, expound, exhort, and teach, and invite         7.4.2   Organizing Home Teaching
        all to come unto Christ” (D&C 20:59).                             A household that is headed by an elder usu-
            Where possible, home teachers visit members               ally has home teachers from the elders quorum.
        in their homes at least monthly. Home teachers                A household that is headed by a high priest
        may also ﬁnd other meaningful ways to watch                   usually has home teachers from the high priests
        over and strengthen the families they are as-                 group. When a household is not headed by a
        signed. For example, they may render service to               Melchizedek Priesthood holder, the bishop-
        the families or contact family members by mail                ric determines whether that household should




                                                                                                                               7. Melchizedek Priesthood
        or telephone.                                                 have home teachers from the elders quorum
            Home teachers represent the Lord, the bishop,             or the high priests group. In making this deci-
        and quorum or group leaders. They can be an im-               sion, the bishopric may consult with the priest-
        portant source of help to members. They consult               hood executive committee and ward council.
        with the head of the household about the fami-                    In organizing home teaching, quorum and
        ly’s needs and about ways to be most helpful.                 group leaders prayerfully discuss the needs of
            Home teachers become acquainted with fam-                 individuals and families. Leaders discuss ways
        ily members’ interests and needs and recognize                home teachers can watch over and strengthen
        special events in their lives.                                these members, consulting with the priesthood
                                                                      executive committee and ward council as needed.
            As needed, home teachers help parents en-                 Leaders also consider factors such as distance,
        sure that their children are blessed, baptized, and           travel, and safety.
        conﬁrmed. They may also help parents ensure
        that their sons have the Aaronic Priesthood and                   Based on these discussions, leaders assign
        Melchizedek Priesthood conferred upon them                    a companionship of two home teachers to each
        and are ordained to priesthood ofﬁces at the ap-              household where possible. They obtain the bish-
        propriate ages.                                               op’s approval for each companionship and each
                                                                      home teaching assignment.
           Home teachers offer help when members are
        unemployed, ill, lonely, moving, or have other                    Quorum and group leaders assign the most
        needs.                                                        effective home teachers to members who need
                                                                      them most. When assigning home teachers, lead-
            Home teachers help members strengthen                     ers give highest priority to new members, less-
        their faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ               active members who may be the most receptive,
        and encourage them to make and keep sacred                    and others who have the greatest need for home
        covenants. This service is especially important               teachers, such as single parents, widows, and
        to new members and less-active members.                       widowers. It is often helpful to assign a youth
            Home teachers make appointments for their                 leader to a family where a young man or young
        visits at times that are convenient for the indi-             woman is experiencing special challenges. Home
        viduals or families. They remember that they are              teachers should be assigned to converts before
        guests of the members they visit.                             the converts are baptized.
           Each visit should focus on a planned pur-                     After consultation with the elders quorum
        pose. Before visiting a home, companions pray                 president, high priests group leader, and Young
        together. They discuss ways they can strengthen               Men president, a member of the bishopric


                                                                                                                         43
7. Melchizedek Priesthood



        extends home teaching assignments to teachers                 the stake president, who informs bishops. When
        and priests. They are assigned as companions to               such approval is given, full-time missionaries
        Melchizedek Priesthood holders.                               are assigned primarily to visit new members,
            Aaronic Priesthood holders participate with               part-member families, and less-active members.
        their companions in watching over and caring                      Based on needs and priorities, quorum and
        for the members they visit. This may include                  group leaders may make some visits to help ful-
        making appointments, sharing messages, and                    ﬁll the quorum and group’s home teaching re-
        giving service. This experience helps them with               sponsibilities.
        their priesthood training, including mission
        preparation (see D&C 84:106–7).                       7.4.4   Reporting Home Teaching
            Elders quorum leaders in young single adult                   Quorum and group leaders receive monthly
        wards assign home teachers to each member                     home teaching reports from each companion-
        in the ward. Single members who live together                 ship. In addition, they meet with home teachers
        as roommates may be visited at the same time.                 regularly to discuss the spiritual and temporal
        However, home teachers should focus on serv-                  welfare of the members they are assigned and
        ing the individuals and should report on each                 to make plans to help members in need. Con-
        person separately.                                            ﬁdential information should be reported only
            With approval from the bishop in exceptional              to the elders quorum president or high priests
        cases, Melchizedek Priesthood leaders and Relief              group leader, who reports it to the bishop.
        Society leaders may assign a husband and wife                     The elders quorum president and high priests
        as a companionship where visits by a couple                   group leader give the bishop monthly home
        are needed. Couples report these visits as home               teaching reports. Each report includes a list of
        teaching and visiting teaching. Normally, young               those who were not contacted. Reports give
        parents are not given such an assignment be-                  special attention to new members, less-active
        cause it takes them away from their children.                 members, and others who have serious needs.
                                                                      If a family or individual has urgent needs, the
7.4.3   Adapting Home Teaching to Local Needs                         elders quorum president or high priests group
            In some locations, visiting every home each               leader reports this information to the bishop
        month may not be possible for a time because of               immediately.
        insufﬁcient numbers of active priesthood hold-
        ers or other challenges. In these circumstances,
                                                              7.5     Welfare
        leaders give priority to visiting new members,
        less-active members who are most likely to re-                   Welfare is central to the work of the elders
        spond to invitations to return to Church activity,            quorum and high priests group.
        and members with serious needs.                                  Under the bishop’s direction, the elders quo-
            Leaders do their best in using available re-              rum presidency, the high priests group leader-
        sources to watch over and strengthen each mem-                ship, and the ward Relief Society presidency
        ber. Any adaptations they make to home teaching               share the following welfare responsibilities:
        should be considered temporary.                                   They teach principles of temporal and spiri-
            Some suggestions for adapting home teach-                 tual self-reliance.
        ing are outlined in the following paragraphs.                    They care for the poor and needy and encour-
            With approval from the bishop, Melchizedek                age members to give service.
        Priesthood leaders and Relief Society leaders                     They help individuals and families become
        may temporarily assign only home teachers or                  self-reliant and ﬁnd solutions to short-term and
        only visiting teachers to certain families. In some           long-term welfare concerns.
        cases, leaders may assign home teachers to visit
                                                                         For more information on these welfare re-
        a family one month and assign visiting teachers
                                                                      sponsibilities, see chapter 6.
        to visit Relief Society members in that family the
        next month.
            With approval from the mission president,         7.6     Prospective Elders
        leaders may consider asking full-time mission-                    A prospective elder is a male Church mem-
        aries to go home teaching with Melchizedek                    ber age 19 or older who does not hold the Mel-
        Priesthood holders on a limited basis. The mis-               chizedek Priesthood. Married brethren who are
        sion president communicates this approval to

44
                                                                                                    7. Melchizedek Priesthood



        younger than 19 and do not hold the Melchize-                to provide this instruction. They may also offer
        dek Priesthood are also prospective elders.                  the instruction as part of a temple preparation
                                                                     seminar (see 5.4.5). As needed, the stake presi-
7.6.1   Responsibility for Prospective Elders                        dent may assign a member of the high council
            Quorum and group leaders have the respon-                to help quorum and group leaders with this re-
        sibility to help prospective elders prepare to re-           sponsibility.
        ceive the Melchizedek Priesthood. The bishop                     Possible resources for helping prospective
        counsels with quorum and group leaders and                   elders prepare to receive the Melchizedek Priest-
        each prospective elder to determine whether the              hood include Doctrine and Covenants sections
        prospective elder should meet with the elders                20, 84, 107, and 121; the Family Guidebook; Duties
        quorum or the high priests group for instruction             and Blessings of the Priesthood, Part A, lessons 1–4
        and activities. The bishop considers the relation-           and 9; and Duties and Blessings of the Priesthood,
        ships the prospective elder may have with the                Part B, lessons 1–6.
        elders or high priests in the ward and the age                   The bishop counsels with quorum and group
        and needs of the prospective elder.                          leaders and with the ward council to identify
            Quorum and group leaders assign effective                prospective elders who should have the highest
        home teachers to prospective elders. If prospec-             priority for receiving this preparation. Eighteen-
        tive elders have been ordained to the ofﬁce of               year-old Aaronic Priesthood holders who have
        teacher or priest, leaders may give them assign-             not otherwise been prepared may be included.
        ments to serve as home teachers.                                 In helping a prospective elder prepare to
            Quorum and group leaders invite prospec-                 receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, the bishop




                                                                                                                                7. Melchizedek Priesthood
        tive elders to attend quorum or group meetings               follows the instructions in Handbook 1, 16.7.1.
        and activities.

7.6.2   Helping Prospective Elders Prepare to                7.7     Leadership Meetings
        Receive the Melchizedek Priesthood                   7.7.1   Ward Priesthood Executive Committee
            Helping prospective elders prepare to receive            Meeting and Ward Council Meeting
        the Melchizedek Priesthood should be among                        The elders quorum president and high priests
        leaders’ highest priorities because it strengthens           group leader serve as members of the ward priest-
        families and prepares couples for temple mar-                hood executive committee and the ward coun-
        riage. Prospective elders should be ordained as              cil (see chapter 4).
        soon as they are reasonably prepared, without
        unnecessary waiting periods.                         7.7.2   Elders Quorum Presidency Meeting and
            The elders quorum president or high priests              High Priests Group Leadership Meeting
        group leader ensures that prospective elders are                 The elders quorum presidency holds a presi-
        taught the following principles in preparation               dency meeting regularly. The high priests group
        to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood:                       leadership holds a leadership meeting regularly.
         1. The restoration of the priesthood and priest-            The quorum president or group leader presides
            hood keys through the Prophet Joseph Smith               at the meeting and conducts it. The quorum or
         2. The oath and covenant of the priesthood (see             group secretary attends, takes notes, and keeps
            D&C 84:33–44)                                            track of assignments. A high councilor assigned
                                                                     to the ward may attend periodically.
         3. The responsibilities of husbands and fathers
                                                                        The agenda may include the following items:
         4. The duties of an elder and the purposes of
            priesthood quorums                                        1. Plan ways to strengthen quorum or group
                                                                         members and their families, including pro-
         5. The purposes of priesthood ordinances and                    spective elders.
            blessings and how to perform those ordi-
            nances and blessings (see chapter 20 and the              2. Read and discuss scripture passages and in-
            Family Guidebook)                                            structions from Church leaders that relate to
                                                                         the responsibilities of priesthood leaders.
            Leaders may teach these principles one-on-
        one, or they may organize a class for prospective             3. Discuss home teaching assignments and per-
        elders in the ward, in multiple wards, or in the                 formance and plan ways to improve.
        stake. They may assign capable home teachers                  4. Discuss gospel instruction in quorum or
                                                                         group meetings and plan ways to improve.

                                                                                                                          45
7. Melchizedek Priesthood



          5. Report on assignments given in ward council      may also invite an 18-year-old Aaronic Priest-
             meeting.                                         hood holder to meet with the elders quorum.
          6. Plan ways to build quorum or group unity,           Each month, quorum and group leaders plan
             including service and other quorum or group      Sunday instruction according to the following
             activities.                                      pattern.

7.7.3   Stake Priesthood Leadership Meeting                   First Sunday
            The stake presidency convenes a stake priest-         A member of the elders quorum presidency
        hood leadership meeting in connection with each       or high priests group leadership teaches on the
        stake conference (see 18.3.1, item 2). The presi-     ﬁrst Sunday. He uses the scriptures, the teachings
        dency also convenes one other stake priesthood        of latter-day prophets, and approved Church
        leadership meeting during the year, for a total       materials. Melchizedek Priesthood leaders use
        of three such meetings annually. Quorum and           this meeting to teach the doctrines of the gospel
        group leaders and secretaries attend.                 and help brethren become actively engaged in
                                                              their priesthood duties.
                                                                  Quorum and group leaders seek the guidance
7.8     Quorum and Group Meetings                             of the Spirit as they determine subjects to teach.
7.8.1   Sunday Priesthood Meetings                            Subjects may include home teaching, performing
            Sunday priesthood meetings begin with             priesthood ordinances and blessings, strengthen-
        opening exercises for Melchizedek and Aaronic         ing marriages and families, service, missionary
        Priesthood holders, conducted by a member of          work, convert retention, activation, spiritual and
        the bishopric (see 18.2.4).                           temporal welfare, and temple and family history
                                                              work. Quorum and group leaders may also use
            After opening exercises, brethren attend their    this time to plan ways to help others, give assign-
        quorum or group meeting. The purposes of quo-         ments, and ask for reports on past assignments.
        rum and group meetings are to conduct quorum
        business, learn priesthood duties, strengthen         Second and Third Sundays
        families, and study the gospel of Jesus Christ.
                                                                   On the second and third Sundays, the lesson
        Leaders prayerfully plan the meetings to accom-
                                                              is taught by a quorum or group leader or instruc-
        plish these purposes.
                                                              tor. He uses the current Melchizedek Priesthood
            Unless a member of the stake presidency or        manual. Lessons are generally taught in the or-
        bishopric (or another presiding authority) is pres-   der they are presented in the manual and on the
        ent, the elders quorum president presides over        same Sunday they are taught in Relief Society
        the elders quorum meeting and the high priests        meeting.
        group leader presides over the high priests group
                                                                  Quorum and group leaders see that all men
        meeting. A member of the quorum presidency or
                                                              in the ward ages 18 and older receive a copy of
        group leadership conducts.
                                                              the Melchizedek Priesthood manual for their per-
            Elders and high priests normally meet sepa-       sonal study, regardless of whether these brethren
        rately. However, if very few elders or high priests   are able to attend quorum or group meetings.
        in a ward are able to attend priesthood meeting,      Leaders encourage those who attend to bring
        they may meet together. If they meet together, in     their copies of the manual and, where possible,
        no case should a single Melchizedek Priesthood        their personal copies of the scriptures.
        quorum be established. As long as there are or-
        dained elders and high priests in a ward, both an     Fourth Sunday
        elders quorum and a high priests group should
                                                                  On the fourth Sunday, the lesson is taught
        be organized.
                                                              by a quorum or group leader or instructor. He
           Because districts do not have high priests         uses messages from the most recent general con-
        quorums, branches in districts do not have high       ference. The stake president or bishop selects
        priests groups. High priests who attend these         the messages.
        branches meet with the elders quorum.
           The bishop may authorize an elder to meet          Fifth Sunday
        with the high priests group if such an arrange-           On a ﬁfth Sunday, the bishop determines
        ment will be beneﬁcial for the elder. The bishop      the subject to be taught, the instructor (usually
                                                              a member of the ward or stake), and whether


46
                                                                                                  7. Melchizedek Priesthood



        Melchizedek Priesthood holders and the Relief                  For information about helping brethren with
        Society meet separately or combined.                        disabilities, see 21.1.26 and disabilities.lds.org.

7.8.2   Stake High Priests Quorum Meeting                     7.10.2 Offering Support at Times of Death
             The stake presidency convenes a high priests               When a death occurs in the ward, the bishop
        quorum meeting for all high priests in the stake            may ask the high priests group leader or elders
        at least once a year. During this meeting the stake         quorum president to contact the family to give
        presidency conducts quorum business and in-                 comfort, assess needs, and offer assistance. He
        structs quorum members in their duties.                     may request similar assistance from the Relief
                                                                    Society president. Melchizedek Priesthood lead-
                                                                    ers and Relief Society leaders coordinate these
7.9     Teaching How to Perform Ordinances                          efforts.
        and Blessings                                                  The bishop may also ask Melchizedek Priest-
            The following publications provide instruc-             hood leaders to help make preparations for the
        tions on performing ordinances and blessings:               funeral service. For additional information about
         1. Chapter 20 in this handbook                             funerals, see 18.6.
         2. Family Guidebook, pages 18–25                               If possible, deceased members who were
                                                                    endowed should be buried in temple clothing.
         3. Duties and Blessings of the Priesthood, Part B,         In some circumstances, the bishop may ask the
            pages 42–47                                             high priests group leader or elders quorum
            Using these publications, priesthood leaders            president to assign an endowed man to dress




                                                                                                                              7. Melchizedek Priesthood
        teach brethren how to perform ordinances and                or oversee the proper dressing of a deceased
        blessings. Leaders ensure that each priesthood              endowed man. These leaders ensure that the
        holder has the Family Guidebook or Duties and               assignment is given to a person who will not
        Blessings of the Priesthood, Part B, so he can have         ﬁnd it objectionable. Guidelines for dressing
        his own copy of these instructions.                         deceased members are provided in Instructions
            Leaders should not produce or use other pub-            for Clothing the Dead Who Have Received Their
        lications that give instructions for ordinances,            Endowments. Leaders may obtain these instruc-
        blessings, or prayers unless the First Presidency           tions from Church Distribution Services.
        has authorized such publications.                              For additional instructions on dressing de-
                                                                    ceased members in temple clothing, the bishop
                                                                    may refer to Handbook 1, 3.4.9.
7.10    Additional Guidelines and Policies
                                                                        The elders quorum president, high priests
7.10.1 Brethren Who Have Special Needs                              group leader, home teachers, and other brethren
           Brethren who may have special needs include              continue to offer support, comfort, and assistance
        those who are ill, elderly, widowed, divorced,              to the bereaved during the period of adjustment
        homebound, or bereaved and those who care for               following the death.
        chronically ill family members. Members of their
        quorum or group should offer help.                    7.10.3 Instructions about Temple Clothing
                                                                    and Garments
            Brethren who have these and other special
        challenges may come to their elders quorum                      See 21.1.42.
        president or high priests group leader with their
        concerns. These leaders should listen, offer love     7.10.4 Funding for Activities
        and encouragement, and maintain appropriate                     See 13.2.8.
        conﬁdentiality. If they learn of possible concerns
        with worthiness or sensitive family matters, they
        refer the brethren to the bishop.




                                                                                                                        47
8. Aaronic Priesthood

8.1   Definition and Purposes of the                                                          8.9.3 Quorum Presidency Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
      Aaronic Priesthood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            50            8.9.4 Ward Young Men Presidency Meeting . . . 56
      8.1.1 Aaronic Priesthood Offices and Duties . . .                         50            8.9.5 Stake Priesthood Leadership Meeting . . . . 57
      8.1.2 Aaronic Priesthood Quorums . . . . . . . . . . .                    51     8.10 Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
      8.1.3 Purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood . . . . . .                      51
                                                                                       8.11 Sunday Quorum Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
8.2 Roles of Parents and Church Leaders . . . . . . 51
                                                                                       8.12 Duty to God Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
8.3 Ward Aaronic Priesthood Leadership . . . . . . . 51
    8.3.1 Bishopric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51       8.13 Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      58
    8.3.2 Quorum Presidencies and Assistants                                                8.13.1 Mutual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   58
               to the Bishop in the Priests Quorum . . . . . 53                             8.13.2 Bishopric Youth Discussions . . . . . . . . . . . .                    58
      8.3.3 Quorum Secretaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53                     8.13.3 Standards Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           59
      8.3.4 Ward Young Men Presidency (Aaronic                                              8.13.4 Scouting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   59
               Priesthood Quorum Advisers) . . . . . . . . . . . 53                         8.13.5 Stake and Multistake Activities . . . . . . . . . .                    59
      8.3.5 Ward Young Men Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54                           8.13.6 Youth Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           59
      8.3.6 Assistant Aaronic Priesthood Quorum                                             8.13.7 Funding for Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             59
               Advisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
      8.3.7 Sports Coaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54          8.14 Teaching Leadership Skills and Qualities . . . . 60

8.4 Home Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54               8.15 Stake Aaronic Priesthood Leadership . . . . . . . 60
                                                                                            8.15.1 Stake Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
8.5 Gathering Fast Offerings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54                         8.15.2 High Councilor Assigned to the
                                                                                                       Stake Young Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
8.6 Helping 10- and 11-Year-Old Boys Prepare
                                                                                              8.15.3 Stake Young Men Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
      to Receive the Priesthood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
                                                                                              8.15.4 Stake Young Men Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
      8.6.1 Parents and Home Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
                                                                                              8.15.5 Stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young Women
      8.6.2 Primary Leaders and Teachers . . . . . . . . . . 55
                                                                                                       Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
8.7 Helping Quorum Members Prepare
                                                                                       8.16 Adapting the Young Men Organization
      for Full-Time Missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55                       to Local Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
8.8 Conferring the Melchizedek Priesthood
                                                                                       8.17 Additional Guidelines and Policies . . . . . . . . . 60
      on 18-Year-Old Young Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
                                                                                            8.17.1 Youth under Age 14 in Youth




                                                                                                                                                                               8. Aaronic Priesthood
8.9 Leadership Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56                                   Conferences and Dances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
    8.9.1 Ward Priesthood Executive Committee                                                 8.17.2 True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference . . . . . . . 61
               Meeting and Ward Council Meeting . . . . . 56                                  8.17.3 Young Men of Other Faiths . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
      8.9.2 Bishopric Youth Committee Meeting . . . . . 56                                    8.17.4 Young Men Who Have Disabilities . . . . . . . 61




                                                                                                                                                                          49
8. Aaronic Priesthood

                                                              for the poor and needy, caring for the meeting-
8.1     Deﬁnition and Purposes of the                         house and grounds, and serving as a messenger
        Aaronic Priesthood                                    for the bishop in Church meetings.
            The priesthood is the power and authority            He participates in quorum instruction by
        of God. It is conferred upon worthy male mem-         being an active student of the gospel.
        bers of the Church. Those who hold priesthood
        keys direct the administration of the ordinances          He assists the bishopric in other ways consis-
        of the gospel, the preaching of the gospel, and       tent with the ofﬁce of a deacon. He also assists
        the government of the kingdom of God on the           teachers “in all [their] duties in the church . . .
        earth.                                                if occasion requires” (D&C 20:57).

            The Aaronic Priesthood holds “the key of          Teacher
        the ministering of angels and the preparatory
                                                                   Worthy brethren may be ordained teachers
        gospel; which gospel is the gospel of repentance
                                                              when they are at least 14 years old. A teacher has
        and of baptism, and the remission of sins” (D&C
                                                              all the responsibilities of a deacon. He also has
        84:26–27; see also D&C 13:1; 107:20). The Aaronic
                                                              the following responsibilities:
        Priesthood also “has power in administering out-
        ward ordinances” (D&C 107:14).                           He prepares the sacrament (see 20.4.2).
            For more information about the purposes              He is to “watch over the church always, and
        of the priesthood and priesthood keys, see chap-      be with and strengthen them” (D&C 20:53). One
        ter 2.                                                way he does this is by serving as a home teacher.
                                                                  He is to “see that there is no iniquity in the
8.1.1   Aaronic Priesthood Ofﬁces and Duties                  church, neither hardness with each other, nei-
            The ofﬁces in the Aaronic Priesthood are dea-     ther lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking” (D&C
        con, teacher, priest, and bishop. Each priesthood     20:54). This responsibility includes being a peace-
        ofﬁce has rights and responsibilities of service,     maker and being an example of moral integrity
        including authority to administer priesthood or-      and uprightness.
        dinances. For information about ordination to the         He is to “see that the church meet together
        ofﬁces of deacon, teacher, and priest, see 20.7.      often, and also see that all the members do their
                                                              duty” (D&C 20:55).
        Deacon
                                                                  He assists the bishopric in other ways consis-
            Worthy brethren may receive the Aaronic           tent with the ofﬁce of a teacher.
        Priesthood and be ordained deacons when they
        are at least 12 years old. A deacon has the follow-   Priest
        ing responsibilities:
                                                                   Worthy brethren may be ordained priests
           He lives a righteous life and remains wor-         when they are at least 16 years old. A priest has
        thy to exercise the priesthood. He sets a good        all the responsibilities of a deacon and teacher.
        example for fellow quorum members and other           He also has the following responsibilities:
        Church members.
                                                                   He is to “preach, teach, expound, exhort, . . .
           He passes the sacrament (see 20.4.3).              and visit the house of each member, and exhort
            He serves as a standing minister, “appointed      them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to
        to watch over the church” (D&C 84:111). He is         all family duties” (D&C 20:46–47).
        also to “warn, expound, exhort, and teach, and            When authorized by the bishop, he performs
        invite all to come unto Christ” (D&C 20:59). This     baptisms, confers the Aaronic Priesthood, and
        responsibility includes fellowshipping quorum         ordains deacons, teachers, and priests (see D&C
        members and other young men, notifying mem-           20:46, 48).
        bers of Church meetings, speaking in meetings,
                                                                  He may administer the sacrament by ofﬁciat-
        sharing the gospel, and bearing testimony.
                                                              ing at the sacrament table and offering the sacra-
            He assists the bishop in “administering . . .     ment prayers when authorized (see D&C 20:46,
        temporal things” (D&C 107:68). This responsibil-      77, 79; see also 20.4.3 in this handbook).
        ity may include gathering fast offerings, caring

50
                                                                                                         8. Aaronic Priesthood



            He assists the bishopric in other ways consis-
                                                               8.2     Roles of Parents and Church Leaders
        tent with the ofﬁce of a priest.
                                                                           Parents have the ﬁrst responsibility for the
        Bishop                                                         spiritual and physical welfare of their children
           The bishop’s responsibilities regarding the                 (see D&C 68:25–28). The bishopric and other
        Aaronic Priesthood are outlined in 8.3.1.                      Aaronic Priesthood leaders support but do not
                                                                       replace parents in this responsibility. They offer
8.1.2   Aaronic Priesthood Quorums                                     support in the following ways:
            A priesthood quorum is an organized group                     They assist parents in helping their sons pre-
        of brethren who hold the same priesthood ofﬁce.                pare for priesthood ordinations, the temple en-
        The primary purposes of quorums are to serve                   dowment, full-time missionary service, temple
        others, build unity and brotherhood, and instruct              marriage, and fatherhood.
        members in doctrines, principles, and duties.                     They encourage communication between
            The bishop organizes the deacons into a                    young men and their parents.
        quorum of up to 12 members, the teachers into                      They ensure that quorum activities and other
        a quorum of up to 24 members, and the priests                  youth events do not put undue burdens on fami-
        into a quorum of up to 48 members (see D&C                     lies or compete with family activities.
        107:85–87). If quorum membership increases                         Leaders should be especially sensitive to
        beyond these numbers, the bishop may divide                    young men who come from homes that lack
        the quorum. Before doing so, he considers the                  strong support for gospel living.
        eventual size of the quorum, available leader-
        ship, and the effect on quorum members.
            In a ward or branch with few young men,            8.3     Ward Aaronic Priesthood Leadership
        Aaronic Priesthood quorums may meet together                       This chapter focuses on administering
        for instruction and activities.                                Aaronic Priesthood quorums in a way that will
                                                                       strengthen individual young men and their
8.1.3   Purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood                             families. Aaronic Priesthood leaders frequently
           Young men are in a time of preparation and                  review chapter 3, which outlines general prin-
        personal spiritual growth. Accordingly, parents                ciples of leadership. These principles include
        and the bishopric and other Aaronic Priesthood                 preparing spiritually, participating in councils,
        leaders help each young man to:                                ministering to others, and teaching the gospel
                                                                       of Jesus Christ.
         1. Become converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ
            and live by its teachings.                                     In this chapter, the term quorum leaders refers
                                                                       to the deacons quorum presidency, the teachers




                                                                                                                                 8. Aaronic Priesthood
         2. Serve faithfully in priesthood callings and ful-
                                                                       quorum presidency, and the bishop and his as-
            ﬁll the responsibilities of priesthood ofﬁces.
                                                                       sistants in the priests quorum. The members of
         3. Give meaningful service.                                   the Young Men presidency are quorum advisers,
         4. Prepare and live worthily to receive the Mel-              not quorum leaders.
            chizedek Priesthood and temple ordinances.
                                                               8.3.1   Bishopric
         5. Prepare to serve an honorable full-time mis-
            sion.                                                          The bishop oversees the Aaronic Priesthood
                                                                       quorums in the ward. He and his counselors
         6. Obtain as much education as possible.
                                                                       comprise the bishopric and the presidency of
         7. Prepare to become a worthy husband and                     the Aaronic Priesthood in the ward (see D&C
            father.                                                    107:13–15). They watch over and strengthen indi-
         8. Give proper respect to women, girls, and chil-             vidual young men, working closely with parents
            dren.                                                      and with other leaders.
            Parents and leaders help young men accom-                  Bishop
        plish these objectives in family home evenings,
        family scripture study, meetings, activities, and                  The bishop is the presiding high priest in
        interviews and by encouraging them to partici-                 the ward. He is also the president of the priests
        pate in the Duty to God program (see 8.12).                    quorum (see D&C 107:87–88). In a branch, the
                                                                       branch president acts as the president of the
            Young men should not recite these objectives               priests quorum.
        in their meetings or activities.

                                                                                                                           51
8. Aaronic Priesthood



            In the leadership of the priests quorum, the     quorum president, and the priests quorum assis-
        bishop serves with two assistants, both of whom      tants regularly. In these interviews, the bishop-
        are priests. Although the bishop delegates many      ric member and the quorum leader discuss the
        responsibilities to his assistants, he serves per-   progress of individual quorum members and the
        sonally and actively as quorum president. He         progress of the quorum as a whole.
        promotes a spirit of love and unity in the quo-          The bishop and his counselors recognize
        rum. He regularly attends and presides over          each young man in sacrament meeting when he
        quorum presidency meetings and Sunday quo-           advances from Primary to the Aaronic Priest-
        rum meetings. He participates in quorum service      hood, when he is to be ordained to an ofﬁce in
        and activities. In his absence, he designates one    the priesthood, and when he has completed the
        of his assistants to assume quorum leadership        Duty to God program.
        responsibilities. When a bishop is released, his
        assistants are also released.                            The bishop and his counselors oversee Scout-
                                                             ing where it is authorized by the Church (see
           The bishop interviews young men who are           8.13.4).
        preparing to be ordained to the ofﬁce of priest.
                                                                 The bishop calls and sets apart the Young
        Bishop and His Counselors                            Men president. He may assign his counselors to
                                                             call and set apart counselors in the Young Men
            The bishop assigns one of his counselors         presidency, the Young Men secretary, assistant
        to oversee the deacons quorum and the other          quorum advisers, and others who serve with the
        counselor to oversee the teachers quorum. These      young men.
        counselors promote a spirit of love and unity in
        the quorums. They attend quorum presidency               The bishop calls his assistants in the priests
        meetings and Sunday quorum meetings as often         quorum. He or an assigned counselor calls dea-
        as possible. They also participate in quorum ser-    cons and teachers quorum presidencies and quo-
        vice and activities.                                 rum secretaries. Members of the bishopric counsel
                                                             together prayerfully to determine whom to call to
            With assistance from quorum advisers, the        these positions. They do not select leaders merely
        bishop and his counselors teach leadership skills    because of age or seniority in the quorum. The
        to quorum leaders and help them fulﬁll their         bishop and his counselors may consult with
        responsibilities.                                    members of the ward Young Men presidency as
            The bishop assigns one of his counselors to      they seek inspiration about whom to call.
        oversee the ward Young Men organization un-              When a member of the bishopric calls a young
        der his direction. This counselor discusses Young    man to serve as a deacons or teachers quorum
        Men matters regularly with the ward Young Men        president, he asks that young man to recommend
        presidency. He reports on these discussions in       whom to call as counselors and a secretary. The
        bishopric meetings.                                  bishopric member counsels the quorum presi-
            The bishop interviews each young man at          dent to approach this responsibility prayerfully,
        least annually. If possible, he interviews each      seeking guidance from the Lord about whom to
        16- and 17-year-old twice annually. If this is not   recommend. However, the bishopric member
        possible, he assigns a counselor to conduct some     also helps the quorum president understand
        of these interviews. Six months after each young     that ﬁnal responsibility to receive inspiration on
        man between the ages of 12 and 15 has his annual     whom to call rests with the bishopric.
        interview with the bishop, he has an interview           A member of the bishopric seeks permission
        with the counselor in the bishopric who oversees     from a young man’s parents before asking him to
        his quorum. For guidelines on youth interviews,      serve in any of these callings.
        bishops and their counselors may refer to Hand-
        book 1, 7.1.7.                                           After extending these callings, a member of
                                                             the bishopric presents the quorum leaders for a
           The bishop or an assigned counselor inter-        sustaining vote in their quorum meeting. Then
        views young men who are preparing to be or-          the bishop or an assigned counselor sets the
        dained to the ofﬁces of deacon and teacher.          young men apart. The bishop sets apart his as-
            The bishop and his counselors assign teach-      sistants in the priests quorum. He also sets apart
        ers and priests to serve as home teachers.           the deacons quorum president and the teachers
           The bishop or an assigned counselor inter-        quorum president because only he can give them
        views the deacons quorum president, the teachers     the priesthood keys of their callings. He may



52
                                                                                                       8. Aaronic Priesthood



        assign his counselors to set apart counselors in                  They compile and review attendance informa-
        deacons and teachers quorum presidencies and                  tion and submit it to the Young Men secretary.
        quorum secretaries.                                               They consult with quorum leaders to prepare
            A member of the bishopric announces these                 agendas for presidency meetings. They attend
        callings in sacrament meeting but does not ask                these meetings, take notes, and keep track of
        for a sustaining vote.                                        assignments.
                                                                         They may help quorum leaders and advisers
8.3.2   Quorum Presidencies and Assistants to the                     plan activities.
        Bishop in the Priests Quorum
            Aaronic Priesthood quorum leaders “sit in         8.3.4   Ward Young Men Presidency
        council” with quorum members, “teaching them                  (Aaronic Priesthood Quorum Advisers)
        the duties of their ofﬁce” (see D&C 107:85–86).                   The ward Young Men presidency consists of
        They seek inspiration in fulﬁlling their respon-              a president and two counselors. They serve as
        sibilities. They also receive instruction and guid-           advisers to the Aaronic Priesthood quorums.
        ance from the bishopric and quorum advisers.                  They work under the direction of the bishop-
        Aaronic Priesthood quorum presidents hold the                 ric. They also receive orientation and ongoing
        priesthood keys to direct the work of the quo-                support from the stake Young Men presidency.
        rums over which they preside. Counselors in the
        deacons and teachers quorum presidencies and                  Ward Young Men President
        assistants to the bishop in the priests quorum do
                                                                          The Young Men president has the following
        not hold priesthood keys.
                                                                      responsibilities:
            Aaronic Priesthood quorum presidencies and
                                                                          He serves as a member of the ward priesthood
        assistants to the bishop in the priests quorum
                                                                      executive committee and the ward council. As a
        watch over and fellowship quorum members
                                                                      member of this committee and council, he par-
        and other young men of quorum age. They give
                                                                      ticipates in efforts to build faith and strengthen
        special attention to those who are new members
                                                                      individuals and families (see chapter 4). He is
        or less active and those who have disabilities or
                                                                      also a member of the bishopric youth committee
        other special needs. Quorum leaders strive to
                                                                      (see 18.2.9).
        develop love and brotherhood among quorum
        members.                                                         He teaches other Young Men leaders their
                                                                      duties, using this handbook as a resource.
            Aaronic Priesthood quorum leaders provide
        quorum members with opportunities for priest-                     He oversees the records, reports, budget, and
        hood assignments, leadership experiences, and                 ﬁnances of the ward Young Men organization.
        spiritual growth.                                             The Young Men secretary helps with this respon-




                                                                                                                               8. Aaronic Priesthood
                                                                      sibility.
           They hold regular quorum presidency meet-
        ings.
                                                                      Ward Young Men President and His Counselors
           They conduct Sunday quorum meetings.
                                                                          The Young Men president and his counsel-
          They help plan quorum activities, including                 ors serve as Aaronic Priesthood quorum advis-
        Mutual.                                                       ers. The president is the adviser to the priests
            They help quorum members set and accom-                   quorum, the ﬁrst counselor is the adviser to the
        plish goals in the Duty to God program.                       teachers quorum, and the second counselor is
                                                                      the adviser to the deacons quorum. They have
            On occasion, they may give gospel instruc-
                                                                      the following responsibilities:
        tion in Sunday quorum meetings, with help from
        quorum advisers.                                                  They guide Aaronic Priesthood quorums in
                                                                      fulﬁlling their priesthood duties.
           The deacons quorum president, the teachers
        quorum president, and one of the priests quo-                     They get to know each young man and be-
        rum assistants serve on the bishopric youth com-              come familiar with his talents, interests, and
        mittee (see 18.2.9).                                          challenges. They look for ways to strengthen
                                                                      young men individually, help them grow in their
8.3.3   Quorum Secretaries                                            testimonies, and encourage them to participate
                                                                      in their quorums. They give special attention to
           Quorum secretaries have the following re-
                                                                      young men who are new members and young
        sponsibilities:
                                                                      men who are less active.


                                                                                                                         53
8. Aaronic Priesthood



             They support each young man in his family.              men who will soon be eligible to be ordained to
            They help young men work toward the objec-               another ofﬁce in the priesthood.
        tives listed in 8.1.3. This includes helping them               He may be assigned to record the progress of
        set and accomplish goals in the Duty to God                  individual young men as they participate in the
        program.                                                     Duty to God program.
            In response to some assignments given in                    He helps the Young Men presidency prepare
        priesthood executive committee and ward coun-                an annual budget and account for expenses.
        cil meetings, they may work with quorum presi-
        dencies to organize service committees.              8.3.6   Assistant Aaronic Priesthood Quorum
           They may counsel with parents and priest-                 Advisers
        hood leaders about the needs of young men.                       The bishopric may call assistant quorum ad-
            They regularly teach lessons in Sunday quo-              visers to help the Young Men presidency with
        rum meetings, though they may share this re-                 their responsibilities. Assistant quorum advisers
        sponsibility with assistant advisers. They oversee           may teach some of the lessons in Sunday quorum
        efforts to improve gospel learning and teaching              meetings. They may also assist with activities,
        in the quorums. In these efforts, they follow the            including Mutual.
        principles in 5.5.3 and 5.5.4.                                   Where Scouting is authorized by the Church,
           They attend Aaronic Priesthood quorum pres-               assistant quorum advisers are generally called to
        idency meetings and provide guidance as needed.              serve as assistant Scout leaders, but they may be
        They help the bishopric teach leadership skills              called to serve as Scout leaders (see 8.13.4).
        and qualities to quorum presidencies and priests
        quorum assistants (see 8.14).                        8.3.7   Sports Coaches

            They work with quorum leaders to plan and                    The bishopric may call men as coaches for
        carry out quorum activities, including Mutual                Young Men sports teams. The coaches serve un-
        activities.                                                  der the direction of the Young Men presidency.
                                                                     For information about sports programs, see
           They help the bishopric and quorum leaders                13.6.21.
        build quorum unity.
            They hold Young Men presidency meetings.
        They also meet regularly with the counselor          8.4     Home Teaching
        in the bishopric who oversees the Young Men                      Home teaching is a priesthood responsibility
        organization.                                                of teachers, priests, and Melchizedek Priesthood
            Where Scouting is authorized by the Church,              holders. For detailed information about home
        members of the Young Men presidency are gen-                 teaching, including instructions about giving
        erally called to serve as Scout leaders, but they            home teaching assignments to Aaronic Priest-
        may be called to serve as assistant Scout leaders            hood holders, see 7.4.
        (see 8.13.4).
                                                             8.5     Gathering Fast Offerings
8.3.5   Ward Young Men Secretary
                                                                         Where a ward is geographically concentrated
            The Young Men secretary has the following
                                                                     and where safety conditions permit, the bishop
        responsibilities:
                                                                     may direct Aaronic Priesthood holders, espe-
            He consults with the Young Men presidency                cially deacons, to contact member households
        to prepare agendas for presidency meetings. He               each month to give members the opportunity to
        attends these meetings, takes notes, and keeps               contribute fast offerings.
        track of assignments.
                                                                        Priesthood holders should go in pairs when
           He instructs quorum secretaries and over-                 gathering fast offerings. Melchizedek Priesthood
        sees their work in keeping quorum attendance                 holders may accompany Aaronic Priesthood
        records. At least quarterly, he compiles atten-              holders if necessary.
        dance information, reviews it with the Young
                                                                         Members should not give other contribu-
        Men president, and submits it to the ward clerk.
                                                                     tions, such as tithing, to those who collect fast
            He ensures that the bishopric and the Young              offerings.
        Men presidency are aware of young men who
                                                                        Those who gather fast offerings deliver them
        are not attending meetings regularly and young
                                                                     promptly to a member of the bishopric.

54
                                                                                                8. Aaronic Priesthood



                                                                  Bishopric members and quorum advisers
8.6     Helping 10- and 11-Year-Old Boys                      help young men prepare for full-time missions
        Prepare to Receive the Priesthood                     in the following ways:
8.6.1   Parents and Home Teachers                                They provide opportunities in quorum meet-
            The parents of a 10- or 11-year-old boy have      ings and activities for quorum members to feel
        the primary responsibility for helping him pre-       and recognize the inﬂuence of the Holy Ghost.
        pare to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. Other             They teach young men the basic doctrines
        family members and home teachers assist. The          that missionaries teach, such as the Atonement of
        support of home teachers may be especially im-        Jesus Christ, the restoration of the gospel through
        portant in homes where the father is absent or        the Prophet Joseph Smith, the plan of salvation,
        is not an active member of the Church.                baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. They
                                                              may use Preach My Gospel as a resource for teach-
8.6.2   Primary Leaders and Teachers                          ing these doctrines.
            Primary leaders and teachers support fami-            They encourage young men to study the
        lies in helping 10- and 11-year-old boys prepare      scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, on
        to receive the Aaronic Priesthood.                    their own every day. They also encourage young
             Each year, Primary leaders prepare a Priest-     men to study Preach My Gospel.
        hood Preview under the direction of the bishop-           They teach young men and their parents
        ric (see 11.5.5). The deacons quorum presidency       about the expectations for full-time missionaries.
        and Young Men presidency may be invited to            These expectations include gospel knowledge
        participate.                                          and testimony, personal worthiness, physical ﬁt-
                                                              ness, social and emotional maturity, and ﬁnancial
                                                              preparation. Adult leaders guide young men in
8.7     Helping Quorum Members Prepare                        setting goals to reach these expectations.
        for Full-Time Missions
                                                                  They encourage young men to attend sem-
            The Lord expects each able young man to           inary.
        prepare spiritually, physically, mentally, emo-
                                                                 They provide opportunities for service, in-
        tionally, and ﬁnancially for full-time mission-
                                                              cluding home teaching assignments for teachers
        ary service. The earlier a young man decides to
                                                              and priests.
        serve a mission, the more likely it is that he will
        serve.                                                    They give young men opportunities to teach
                                                              the gospel in quorum meetings and other set-
            Each young man should prepare by develop-
                                                              tings.
        ing his own testimony and his own relationship
                                                                  They encourage young men to share the gos-




                                                                                                                        8. Aaronic Priesthood
        with the Lord. He should also prepare by study-
        ing the scriptures, especially the Book of Mor-       pel with friends and family members.
        mon. Many of the goals and activities suggested           They provide opportunities for young men
        in the Duty to God program can help a young           to learn from and interact with exemplary re-
        man prepare for missionary service.                   turned missionaries, in both formal and informal
           Parents have the primary responsibility for        settings.
        helping their sons prepare to serve full-time             As part of this preparation, the bishopric and
        missions. Other family members, bishopric mem-        quorum advisers encourage priest-age young
        bers, Aaronic Priesthood quorum presidencies          men to attend a missionary preparation class.
        and advisers, home teachers, and others support       Depending on the number of these young men,
        parents in this effort.                               this class may be organized by the bishopric at
            Helping quorum members prepare for mis-           the ward level or by the stake presidency at the
        sionary service is a high priority for bishopric      stake level. The main resources for this class
        members and quorum advisers. This prepara-            are the scriptures, the Missionary Handbook, and
        tion begins in the deacons quorum and contin-         Preach My Gospel.
        ues throughout each young man’s years in the             Additional instructions for bishops are pro-
        Aaronic Priesthood. Leaders look for ways to in-      vided in Handbook 1, 4.2.
        clude missionary preparation in quorum meet-
        ings, presidency meetings, quorum activities,
        and other settings.



                                                                                                                  55
8. Aaronic Priesthood



                                                                       2. Read and discuss scripture passages and in-
8.8     Conferring the Melchizedek                                        structions from Church leaders that relate to
        Priesthood on 18-Year-Old Young Men                               the responsibilities of priesthood leaders.
            Worthy brethren may receive the Melchize-                  3. Plan to visit quorum members as needed.
        dek Priesthood and be ordained elders when
        they are 18 years old or older. Based on individ-              4. Discuss ways to help each young man have
        ual circumstances, such as a young man’s testi-                   success in the Duty to God program.
        mony and maturity, school graduation, desire to                5. Plan quorum meetings and activities.
        continue with peers, and college attendance, the               6. Consider items to discuss in bishopric youth
        bishop determines whether a young man should                      committee meeting (see 18.2.9).
        be ordained an elder soon after his 18th birth-
        day or remain with the priests quorum longer.                  7. Receive leadership training from bishopric
        In making this decision, the bishop consults ﬁrst                 members or quorum advisers.
        with the young man and his parents. By age 19,                    Where Scouting is authorized by the Church,
        or prior to leaving home to attend college, serve             quorum presidency meeting may be used to
        in the military, or accept full-time employment,              make plans for the quorum’s Scouting unit after
        all worthy brethren should be ordained elders.                the items above have been discussed. If youth
            Young Men leaders and elders quorum lead-                 and adult Scouting leaders are not already pres-
        ers work together to make the transition into the             ent, they may be invited into the meeting for this
        elders quorum successful for each young man.                  discussion. Young men of other faiths who hold
                                                                      leadership positions in the Scouting unit may be
                                                                      included. The quorum president continues to
8.9     Leadership Meetings                                           preside over this part of the meeting. He may
                                                                      invite a youth Scouting leader to conduct it. Quo-
8.9.1   Ward Priesthood Executive Committee                           rum advisers ensure that each Scouting activity
        Meeting and Ward Council Meeting                              is consistent with the objectives listed in 8.1.3.
            The Young Men president serves as a mem-
        ber of the ward priesthood executive committee        8.9.4   Ward Young Men Presidency Meeting
        and the ward council (see chapter 4).                            The Young Men presidency holds a presidency
                                                                      meeting regularly. The president presides at the
8.9.2   Bishopric Youth Committee Meeting                             meeting and conducts it. The secretary attends,
            The bishop presides over the bishopric youth              takes notes, and keeps track of assignments.
        committee. This committee is composed of the                     The agenda may include the following items:
        bishopric, one of the bishop’s priests quorum as-
        sistants, the deacons and teachers quorum pres-                1. Evaluate how the young men in each quo-
        idents, the Young Women class presidents, and                     rum are accomplishing the objectives listed
        the Young Men and Young Women presidents.                         in 8.1.3. Plan ways to help individual young
        For more information, see 18.2.9.                                 men accomplish those objectives more com-
                                                                          pletely.
8.9.3   Quorum Presidency Meeting                                      2. Read and discuss scripture passages and in-
            Each quorum presidency holds a presidency                     structions from Church leaders that relate to
        meeting regularly. The bishop regularly attends                   the responsibilities of priesthood leaders.
        and presides over the priests quorum presidency                3. Make plans to instruct quorum leaders in
        meeting, and one of his assistants conducts it. The               their duties.
        deacons quorum president and teachers quorum                   4. Discuss the effectiveness of quorum activi-
        president conduct their presidency meetings,                      ties. Discuss ways to include young men in
        and they preside unless a member of the bishop-                   planning meaningful activities.
        ric attends. Quorum advisers and secretaries also
        attend these meetings. Secretaries take notes and              5. Discuss gospel instruction in Sunday quorum
        keep track of assignments.                                        meetings and plan ways to improve.

             The agenda may include the following items:               6. Review attendance records. Plan ways to
                                                                          help new members and less-active young
          1. Plan ways to strengthen quorum members,                      men participate.
             including new members and less-active mem-
             bers. Also plan ways to fellowship young men              7. Review the Young Men budget and expendi-
             of other faiths.                                             tures.


56
                                                                                                     8. Aaronic Priesthood



            The counselor in the bishopric who oversees                  After opening exercises, priesthood holders
        the Young Men organization may occasionally                  attend their quorum meetings. Aaronic Priest-
        attend the Young Men presidency meeting to re-               hood quorums normally meet separately. How-
        ceive reports and give counsel. The Young Men                ever, in a ward or branch with few young men,
        presidency may also invite quorum leaders and                quorums may meet together for instruction. Even
        assistant advisers to attend as needed.                      when quorums meet together, separate quorums
                                                                     should be organized, with leaders called and
8.9.5   Stake Priesthood Leadership Meeting                          sustained for each quorum. When possible, each
            The stake presidency convenes a stake priest-            quorum should begin to meet separately and
        hood leadership meeting in connection with each              should have a full presidency and a secretary.
        stake conference (see 18.3.1, item 2). The presi-                The purposes of quorum meetings are to
        dency also convenes one other stake priesthood               conduct quorum business, learn priesthood du-
        leadership meeting during the year, for a total of           ties, and study the gospel of Jesus Christ. Quo-
        three such meetings annually.                                rum leaders and advisers prayerfully plan the
            Ward Young Men presidencies and secretar-                meetings to accomplish these purposes. They
        ies attend these meetings. Deacons and teachers              encourage quorum members to bring their per-
        quorum presidencies and priests quorum assis-                sonal copies of the scriptures where possible. As
        tants may be invited occasionally, such as when              needed for individual lessons, leaders may also
        the meeting includes subjects that will be espe-             ask young men to bring other Church-approved
        cially helpful for them in their callings.                   resources.
                                                                         Quorum presidents preside at quorum meet-
                                                                     ings unless a higher presiding authority is pres-
8.10    Standards                                                    ent. A member of the quorum presidency or a
            Standards provide sure direction to strengthen           priests quorum assistant conducts. If quorums
        and guide members of the Church. As young                    meet together, the priests quorum assistants,
        men keep gospel standards, they will be of great             teachers quorum president, and deacons quorum
        service in the Church and the world. They will               president take turns conducting.
        also be worthy to receive the ordinances of the                  Lessons in quorum meetings are usually
        temple.                                                      taught by quorum advisers or assistant advisers.
            In the booklet For the Strength of Youth, the            These brethren may divide this responsibility as
        First Presidency outlines gospel standards and               needed. Bishopric members, quorum leaders,
        teaches youth how to apply them. Every young                 and other quorum members may assist in teach-
        man should have a copy of For the Strength of                ing from time to time. When quorum leaders
        Youth. He should review the standards often and              or members give instruction, the adviser helps




                                                                                                                             8. Aaronic Priesthood
        consider how well he is living them.                         them prepare. Those who teach should follow
                                                                     the principles in 5.5.4.
           Quorum advisers and assistant advisers
        should study the standards in the booklet and                    Adults who hold an Aaronic Priesthood ofﬁce
        exemplify them. They should ﬁnd ways to teach                are members of that quorum. However, they
        and reinforce these standards often in lessons               meet with the elders or high priests for Sunday
        and at Mutual activities, camps, youth confer-               instruction. The bishop may also invite 18-year-
        ence, and other activities.                                  old Aaronic Priesthood holders to meet with the
                                                                     elders quorum.
            Bishopric members and quorum advisers can
        encourage parents to study gospel standards, ex-                During the time for quorum meetings, young
        emplify them, and discuss them with their sons.              women and young men may occasionally meet
        They can also encourage young men to use For                 together, as directed by the bishopric.
        the Strength of Youth as a resource for family home
        evening lessons and talks.
                                                              8.12   Duty to God Program
                                                                         All Aaronic Priesthood holders are encour-
8.11    Sunday Quorum Meetings                                       aged to participate in the Duty to God program.
            Sunday priesthood meetings begin with                    This program gives Aaronic Priesthood hold-
        opening exercises for Melchizedek and Aaronic                ers opportunities to develop spiritual strength,
        Priesthood holders, conducted by a member of                 learn and fulﬁll their priesthood duties, prepare
        the bishopric (see 18.2.4).


                                                                                                                       57
8. Aaronic Priesthood



        to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and serve            Opening Exercises
        full-time missions, maintain physical health, and              Mutual usually begins with brief opening
        improve their relationships with others.                   exercises presided over by a member of the bish-
            Parents and leaders encourage young men                opric. The bishop’s priests quorum assistants
        to participate in the program soon after they are          and members of the Laurel class presidency take
        ordained to their ﬁrst priesthood ofﬁce. Young             turns conducting. Adult leaders prepare youth
        men continue to set goals throughout their years           leaders for this responsibility.
        in the Aaronic Priesthood.                                    Opening exercises include a hymn and prayer
                                                                   and may also include musical selections and op-
                                                                   portunities for the youth to share their talents
8.13    Activities                                                 and testimonies.
            Quorum leaders and quorum advisers plan
        activities based on the needs and interests of             Quorum and Class Activities or
        quorum members. They make a special effort                 Combined Activities
        to reach out to all young men, including those                 Following opening exercises, Aaronic Priest-
        who have recently joined the Church and those              hood quorums and Young Women classes gener-
        who are less active. Activities may help young             ally hold separate activities. In a ward or branch
        men accomplish their goals in the Duty to God              with few young men, all the young men may
        program. Quorum leaders should participate as              meet together for activities. Activities may also
        much as possible in planning and carrying out              be planned for any combination of quorums and
        activities.                                                classes.
            Plans for quorum activities should be ap-                  Combined activities for all young men and
        proved by a member of the bishopric and should             young women are normally held once a month.
        follow the guidelines in chapter 13.                       Members of the bishopric youth committee
                                                                   schedule, plan, and review these activities in
8.13.1 Mutual                                                      their meetings. The activities are carried out un-
            Most quorum activities occur during a time             der the direction of the bishopric.
        called Mutual. The term Mutual suggests shared                 Some examples of appropriate activities are
        experiences in which there is mutual respect and           service projects, music, dance, drama, cultural
        support for one another and opportunities to               events, sports or athletic events, career explora-
        learn together. Mutual activities should provide           tion, and outdoor activities.
        youth with a variety of opportunities to serve
        others and to develop spiritually, socially, phys-   8.13.2 Bishopric Youth Discussions
        ically, and intellectually.
                                                                       Bishopric youth discussions are planned and
             Mutual is generally held weekly. If travel or         carried out by the bishopric. These discussions,
        other restrictions make this impractical, Mutual           which are held occasionally, give the bishopric
        may be held less frequently, but it should be held         opportunities to address subjects that are inter-
        at least monthly. Mutual should be 1 to 1½ hours           esting to the youth and that strengthen the youth
        long and should take place on a day or evening             spiritually. Topics in For the Strength of Youth and
        other than Sunday or Monday.                               True to the Faith are especially appropriate. Occa-
            The Young Men presidency, under the direc-             sionally the bishopric may invite guests to par-
        tion of the bishopric, oversees Mutual for young           ticipate. Guests are usually members of the ward
        men.                                                       or stake.
           Young Men and Young Women presidencies                      Bishopric youth discussions may be held
        may use Mutual activities to prepare for stake             with all of the youth together or with the youth
        or multistake activities (see 13.3).                       of a certain age-group. They may be held during
                                                                   Mutual, on Sunday during the time for quorum
        Annual Theme for Mutual                                    meetings and Young Women classes, or at an-
            Each year, the First Presidency announces a            other time that does not put undue burden on
        theme for Mutual. Leaders emphasize this theme             families. The bishopric determines their fre-
        in Mutual opening exercises and in other youth             quency. They are scheduled in bishopric youth
        activities.                                                committee meetings.




58
                                                                                                  8. Aaronic Priesthood



8.13.3 Standards Events                                              The bishopric organizes a ward Scout com-
          Standards events are special programs that             mittee to ensure that Scouting functions properly
      emphasize moral values and eternal goals. They             as a supporting activity for Aaronic Priesthood
      encourage young men to live the standards in               quorums.
      For the Strength of Youth, which will bring them               Where there are few young men, a Scout
      closer to the Savior.                                      troop may be organized to serve multiple wards
          These events are held annually, or more often          and branches or, in some instances, an entire
      as needed, usually during Mutual. They may be              stake or district.
      held on a quorum, ward, multiward, or stake                    For information about ﬁnancing Scouting, see
      level. Depending on how a subject is presented,            8.13.7. For additional information about Scout-
      these events may include any combination of                ing, see the Church’s Scouting Handbook.
      Aaronic Priesthood quorums. They may also
      include mothers, fathers, mothers and fathers        8.13.5 Stake and Multistake Activities
      together, and young women.                                     See 13.3.
8.13.4 Scouting                                            8.13.6 Youth Conference
         Where Scouting is authorized by the Church,                 See 13.4.
      quorums may participate in Scouting activities
      during Mutual. Scouting should help young men        8.13.7 Funding for Activities
      put into practice the gospel principles they learn
      on Sunday.                                                     Funding for Aaronic Priesthood activities,
                                                                 including Scouting activities where they are au-
          Each member of the bishopric oversees the              thorized by the Church, should come from the
      Scouting program for the Aaronic Priesthood                ward budget (see 13.2.8).
      quorum he oversees. Members of the ward Young
      Men presidency generally serve as Scout leaders.           Funding for an Annual Camp or Similar Activity
      Or the bishopric may call assistant quorum ad-
      visers as Scout leaders, with members of the                   If the ward budget does not have sufﬁcient
      Young Men presidency called to serve as assis-             funds to pay for an annual extended Scout camp
      tant Scout leaders.                                        or similar activity for young men, leaders may
                                                                 ask participants to pay for part or all of it. If
          In each quorum, the bishop usually appoints            funds from participants are not sufﬁcient, the
      the quorum president or one of his assistants in           bishop may authorize one group fund-raising
      the priests quorum to serve as the youth leader            activity annually that complies with the guide-
      of the Scouting program. However, he may ap-               lines in 13.6.8.
      point other young men as youth Scout leaders.




                                                                                                                          8. Aaronic Priesthood
                                                                    In no case should the expenses or travel for
           Where Scouting is authorized by the Church,           an annual camp or similar activity be excessive.
      young men ages 12 to 15 should be registered.              Nor should the lack of personal funds prohibit
      Young men ages 16 and 17 should be registered              a member from participating.
      if they are pursuing rank advancements or if the
      stake president or bishop chooses to sponsor               Funding for Equipment and Supplies
      Scouting programs for young men of this age.
                                                                     If possible, equipment and supplies that the
          All adult Scout leaders should register before         ward needs for annual youth camps are pur-
      they begin their service and should receive proper         chased with ward budget funds. If these funds
      training in their responsibilities. In the United          are not sufﬁcient, the bishop may authorize one
      States, registered adult leaders receive liability         group fund-raising activity annually that com-
      protection from the Boy Scouts of America.                 plies with the guidelines in 13.6.8.
          The Church pays all or part of the fees for                Equipment and supplies purchased with
      registering young men and adult leaders in                 Church funds, whether from the ward budget or
      Scouting. The Church also pays for unit char-              a fund-raising activity, are for Church use only.
      tering. Registration and chartering expenses are           They are not for the personal use of individuals
      paid from the stake general checking account.              or families.
      The Church provides these funds in addition to
                                                                    Church funds may not be used to purchase
      the budget allowance.
                                                                 uniforms for individuals.



                                                                                                                    59
8. Aaronic Priesthood



                                                                       Young Men and Young Women organizations,
8.14    Teaching Leadership Skills and                                 the stake Young Men presidency and secretary,
        Qualities                                                      and the stake Young Women presidency and
            Quorum advisers and assistant advisers teach               secretary.
        leadership skills and qualities as they work with                  The stake presidency may invite youth to
        quorum presidencies and the bishopric youth                    attend the committee’s meetings as needed.
        committee, as they help young men plan and                     Youth should be included as much as possible
        carry out activities, and as they help young men               in planning and carrying out activities such as
        give service together. In this effort, advisers and            youth conferences, dances, devotionals, and
        assistant advisers may refer to chapter 3 in this              multistake events. Youth may also participate in
        handbook.                                                      discussions about challenges that the youth in
                                                                       the stake are facing.
8.15    Stake Aaronic Priesthood Leadership
8.15.1 Stake Presidency                                       8.16     Adapting the Young Men Organization
            Members of the stake presidency oversee the
                                                                       to Local Needs
        Aaronic Priesthood in the stake. As part of this                   In a ward or branch with few young men,
        responsibility, they instruct bishops in their duty            Aaronic Priesthood quorums may meet together
        to preside over the Aaronic Priesthood in their                for instruction (see 8.11). They also may meet to-
        wards.                                                         gether for activities.
            The stake president assigns one of his coun-                   If adult leadership is limited in a ward or
        selors to oversee the stake Young Men organi-                  branch, the Young Men presidency may teach
        zation and Scouting in the stake (or other stake               the Sunday lessons and administer the activity
        activities for young men in areas where Scouting               program without assistant advisers. In a very
        is not authorized by the Church). Where Scout-                 small unit, the Young Men president may be the
        ing is authorized by the Church, this counselor                only adult leader in the Young Men organiza-
        should receive proper training in his Scouting                 tion. In this case, he teaches the Sunday lessons
        responsibilities.                                              and oversees activities for all young men. When
                                                                       possible, counselors and a secretary should be
            For more information about the responsibil-
                                                                       called.
        ities of the stake presidency, see 15.1. For more
        information about Scouting, see the Church’s                       Because youth often beneﬁt from socializ-
        Scouting Handbook.                                             ing in larger groups, the young men and young
                                                                       women in two or more small wards or branches
8.15.2 High Councilor Assigned to the                                  may meet occasionally for combined activities.
        Stake Young Men                                                If neighboring wards and branches have few
                                                                       young men, the bishops and branch presidents
            The stake president assigns a member of the
                                                                       may authorize the young men to meet together
        high council to work with the stake Young Men
                                                                       for weekly activities. When considering these
        presidency. This high councilor’s responsibilities
                                                                       options, bishops and branch presidents take into
        are outlined in 15.3.
                                                                       account factors such as distance and travel cost.
8.15.3 Stake Young Men Presidency                                          In a small stake or a district, the Young Men
                                                                       president may be the only stake or district Young
           The responsibilities of the stake Young Men
                                                                       Men leader. When possible, counselors and a sec-
        presidency are outlined in 15.4.1.
                                                                       retary should be called.
8.15.4 Stake Young Men Secretary                                           For general information about adapting to
                                                                       local needs, see chapter 17.
            The responsibilities of the stake Young Men
        secretary are outlined in 15.4.2.
                                                              8.17     Additional Guidelines and Policies
8.15.5 Stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young Women
        Committee                                             8.17.1   Youth under Age 14 in Youth Conferences
                                                                       and Dances
           The stake president assigns a counselor to
        preside over the stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young                   Youth under age 14 do not usually partici-
        Women committee. Other committee members                       pate in youth conferences or in dances that are
        are the high councilors assigned to the stake                  held at times other than the regularly scheduled

60
                                                                                                  8. Aaronic Priesthood



      Mutual night (see 13.6.14). Overnight camps               warmly and encouraged to participate in youth
      and extended Scout camps are exceptions to this           activities. Expenses for their participation should
      guideline.                                                be handled the same as for young men who are
                                                                members of the Church. When these young men
8.17.2 True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference                    participate in Scouting, their parents may give
          The Church has published True to the Faith:           donations to help fund activities.
      A Gospel Reference as a companion to the study
      of the scriptures and the teachings of latter-day   8.17.4 Young Men Who Have Disabilities
      prophets. Members of the bishopric or quorum                 Young men who have disabilities are nor-
      advisers ensure that each young man has a copy            mally included in their regular quorums. Ex-
      of the book. Young men can use the book as a              ceptions may be made with the approval of the
      resource as they study and apply gospel prin-             parents and the bishopric.
      ciples, prepare talks, teach classes, and answer              For information about understanding, in-
      questions about the Church.                               cluding, and teaching young men who have dis-
                                                                abilities, see 21.1.26 and disabilities.lds.org.
8.17.3 Young Men of Other Faiths
         Young men of other faiths who agree to
      abide by Church standards should be welcomed




                                                                                                                          8. Aaronic Priesthood




                                                                                                                    61
9. Relief Society

9.1   Overview of Relief Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                    64   9.7 Strengthening Young Relief Society
      9.1.1 Purposes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      64         Sisters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   71
      9.1.2 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   64         9.7.1 Working with the Young Women
      9.1.3 Motto and Seal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          64               Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    71
      9.1.4 Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          64         9.7.2 Responsibility for Young Single
                                                                                                     Adult Sisters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     71
9.2 Ward Relief Society Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . .                          65         9.7.3 Separate Relief Society Class for
    9.2.1 Bishopric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       65               Young Single Adult Sisters . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                72
    9.2.2 Ward Relief Society Presidency . . . . . . . . . .                        65
    9.2.3 Ward Relief Society Secretary . . . . . . . . . . .                       65   9.8 Stake Relief Society Leadership . . . . . . . . . . .                         72
    9.2.4 Relief Society Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 66       9.8.1 Stake Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          72
    9.2.5 Other Ward Relief Society Callings . . . . . .                            66       9.8.2 Stake Relief Society Presidency . . . . . . . . . .                     72
                                                                                             9.8.3 Stake Relief Society Secretary . . . . . . . . . . .                    72
9.3 Leadership Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
      9.3.1 Ward Council Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67                    9.9 Adapting the Relief Society Organization
      9.3.2 Ward Relief Society Presidency                                                     to Local Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
            Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67             9.9.1 More Than One Relief Society
      9.3.3 Stake Relief Society Leadership                                                          in a Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
            Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67             9.9.2 Relief Society in Small Units . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

9.4 Ward Relief Society Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67                          9.10 Additional Guidelines and Policies . . . . . . . . .                         73
    9.4.1 Sunday Relief Society Meetings . . . . . . . . . 67                                 9.10.1 Sisters Who Have Special Needs . . . . . . . . .                      73
    9.4.2 Additional Relief Society Meetings . . . . . . 68                                   9.10.2 Dress Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         73
                                                                                              9.10.3 Offering Support at Times of Death . . . . . .                        73
9.5 Visiting Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69                      9.10.4 Young Women Who Are Pregnant
    9.5.1 Responsibilities of Visiting Teachers . . . . . 69                                          out of Wedlock or Who Are
    9.5.2 Organizing Visiting Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . 69                                       Unwed Mothers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
    9.5.3 Adapting Visiting Teaching to                                                        9.10.5 Instructions about Temple Clothing
               Local Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70                     and Garments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
      9.5.4 Reporting Visiting Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . 70                             9.10.6 Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
9.6 Welfare and Compassionate Service . . . . . . . .                               70
    9.6.1 Family-Needs Visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 70
    9.6.2 Compassionate Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                   71
    9.6.3 Literacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      71




                                                                                                                                                                                9. Relief Society




                                                                                                                                                                           63
9. Relief Society

           The Relief Society is an auxiliary to the priest-   9.1.3   Motto and Seal
        hood. All auxiliary organizations exist to help                    The Relief Society’s motto is “Charity never
        Church members grow in their testimonies of                    faileth” (1 Corinthians 13:8). This principle is re-
        Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the restored                ﬂected in its seal:
        gospel. Through the work of the auxiliaries,
        members receive instruction, encouragement,
        and support as they strive to live according to
        gospel principles.


9.1     Overview of Relief Society
9.1.1   Purposes
             Relief Society prepares women for the bless-
        ings of eternal life by helping them increase their
        faith and personal righteousness, strengthen           9.1.4   Membership
        families and homes, and help those in need. Re-                    All adult women in the Church are members
        lief Society accomplishes these purposes through               of Relief Society.
        Sunday gospel instruction, other Relief Society                     A young woman normally advances into Re-
        meetings, visiting teaching, and welfare and                   lief Society on her 18th birthday or in the coming
        compassionate service.                                         year. By age 19, each young woman should be
                                                                       fully participating in Relief Society. Because of
9.1.2   History                                                        individual circumstances, such as personal tes-
            The Prophet Joseph Smith organized the                     timony and maturity, school graduation, desire
        Relief Society on March 17, 1842. He taught that               to continue with peers, and college attendance,
        the Relief Society was organized for “the relief               a young woman may advance into Relief Society
        of the poor, the destitute, the widow and the                  earlier than her 18th birthday or remain in Young
        orphan, and for the exercise of all benevolent                 Women longer. Each young woman counsels
        purposes” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church:              with her parents and the bishop to decide what
        Joseph Smith [2007], 452). In addition, he taught              will best help her remain an active participant in
        that the Relief Society was “not only to relieve the           the Church.
        poor, but to save souls” (Teachings: Joseph Smith,                Young Women and Relief Society leaders
        453). The larger part of the work of Relief Society            work together to make the transition into Relief
        today is “to look after the spiritual welfare and              Society successful for each young woman.
        salvation . . . of all the female members of the
        Church” (Joseph F. Smith, in Teachings of Presi-                   Adult sisters who serve in Primary, Young
        dents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], 185).             Women, or other callings that prevent them
                                                                       from attending Sunday Relief Society meetings
            The Relief Society was “divinely made, di-                 continue to participate in Relief Society. Visiting
        vinely authorized, divinely instituted, divinely               teachers are assigned to them, and they are as-
        ordained of God” (Joseph F. Smith, in Teachings:               signed to serve as visiting teachers. They may
        Joseph F. Smith, 184). It operates under the direc-            also be given assignments to provide compas-
        tion of priesthood leaders.                                    sionate service and to teach classes at other Relief
                                                                       Society meetings when such assignments do not
                                                                       impose an undue burden on them.
                                                                           Women under 18 who are married are also
                                                                       members of Relief Society. For other exceptions,
                                                                       see 10.12.4.




64
                                                                                                             9. Relief Society



            Women of other faiths who attend Relief                   may assign a counselor in the Relief Society pres-
        Society are warmly welcomed and encouraged                    idency to respond to an urgent need.
        to participate.                                                    She submits recommendations to the bishop-
                                                                      ric for sisters to be called to serve as leaders and
                                                                      teachers and to fulﬁll other callings in the Relief
9.2     Ward Relief Society Leadership
                                                                      Society. In making these recommendations, she
            This chapter focuses on administering the                 follows the guidelines in 19.1.1 and 19.1.2.
        Relief Society in a way that will strengthen in-
                                                                          She coordinates ward Relief Society welfare
        dividuals, families, and homes. Relief Society
                                                                      efforts during emergencies.
        leaders frequently review chapter 3, which out-
        lines general principles of leadership. These prin-               She teaches other Relief Society leaders and
        ciples include preparing spiritually, participating           teachers their duties, using this handbook as a
        in councils, ministering to others, and teaching              resource.
        the gospel of Jesus Christ.                                      She oversees the records, reports, budget, and
                                                                      ﬁnances of the ward Relief Society. The Relief
9.2.1   Bishopric                                                     Society secretary helps with this responsibility.
           The bishop and his counselors provide priest-
        hood leadership for the Relief Society.                       Ward Relief Society President and Counselors

            The bishop calls and sets apart a sister to                   The Relief Society president and her coun-
        serve as Relief Society president. He oversees                selors work together to fulfill the following
        the calling and setting apart of counselors in                responsibilities. The Relief Society president as-
        the ward Relief Society presidency, the ward                  signs her counselors to oversee some of these
        Relief Society secretary, and other sisters who               responsibilities.
        serve in Relief Society callings. He may assign                  They organize and oversee visiting teaching.
        his counselors to call and set apart these sisters.
                                                                         They oversee compassionate service in the
           The bishop meets with the Relief Society                   ward.
        president regularly to discuss Relief Society and
                                                                          They oversee efforts to improve gospel learn-
        welfare matters.
                                                                      ing and teaching in the Relief Society. In these
                                                                      efforts, they follow the principles in 5.5.3 and
9.2.2   Ward Relief Society Presidency
                                                                      5.5.4.
            The Relief Society presidency consists of a
                                                                          Under the direction of the bishop, they plan
        president and two counselors. They are spiritual
                                                                      ways to address welfare needs (see 9.6 and chap-
        leaders in the effort to strengthen sisters and
                                                                      ter 6).
        their families. They work under the direction of
        the bishopric. They also receive orientation and                 They plan and conduct Relief Society meet-
        ongoing support from the stake Relief Society                 ings.
        presidency.                                                      They hold Relief Society presidency meet-
                                                                      ings.
        Ward Relief Society President
                                                                         As needed, they visit Relief Society sisters.
            The Relief Society president has the follow-
                                                                          The Relief Society president assigns one of
        ing responsibilities:
                                                                      her counselors to coordinate the Relief Society’s
            She serves as a member of the ward council.               efforts to help the young single adult sisters in
        As a member of this council, she participates in              the ward. If the ward has a young single adult
        efforts to build faith and strengthen individuals             committee, this counselor serves on the commit-
        and families (see chapter 4).                                 tee. (See 16.3.3 and 16.3.4.)
           She meets regularly with the bishop to re-
                                                                                                                                 9. Relief Society




        port on and discuss Relief Society and welfare        9.2.3   Ward Relief Society Secretary
        matters.                                                          The Relief Society secretary has the following
           At the bishop’s request, she visits homes of               responsibilities:
        members to evaluate welfare needs and suggest                     She consults with the Relief Society president
        ways to respond to them (see 9.6.1). In the ab-               to prepare agendas for presidency meetings. She
        sence of the Relief Society president, the bishop




                                                                                                                          65
9. Relief Society



         attends these meetings, takes notes, and keeps        Society presidency may request that committee
         track of assignments.                                 members be called to assist the coordinator.
             Each month, she compiles a visiting teaching      Committee members may be given speciﬁc areas
         report for the Relief Society president to give to    of responsibility.
         the bishop unless a visiting teaching coordinator
                                                               Assistant Relief Society Secretary
         has been assigned to do so (see 9.5.4). At least
         quarterly, she compiles attendance information,           An assistant secretary may be called to help
         reviews it with the Relief Society president, and     the secretary with her responsibilities.
         submits it to the ward clerk.
                                                               Advisers to Young Single Adult Sisters
             She ensures that the Relief Society presidency
         is aware of young women who will be entering              Advisers to young single adult sisters work
         Relief Society.                                       under the direction of the Relief Society coun-
                                                               selor assigned to young single adults. They
            She assists the Relief Society presidency in
                                                               watch over and strengthen young single adult
         preparing an annual budget and accounting for
                                                               sisters.
         expenses.
                                                                   An adviser may be given any of the following
9.2.4    Relief Society Teachers                               responsibilities:
             Relief Society teachers teach lessons as              She may serve as a visiting teaching compan-
         assigned by the Relief Society presidency. They       ion to a young single adult sister.
         follow the principles outlined in 5.5.4.                  She may help with young single adult activi-
                                                               ties.
9.2.5    Other Ward Relief Society Callings
                                                                   She may encourage young single adult sis-
             The callings listed in this section are sugges-   ters to participate in institute classes or other
         tions. The bishop and Relief Society president        religious instruction.
         may decide not to ﬁll every position, or they may
                                                                   If the ward has a young single adult commit-
         determine that additional callings are needed.
                                                               tee, she serves on the committee (see 16.3.4).
         Visiting Teaching Coordinator and Supervisors            If the ward has a Relief Society class for young
                                                               single adult sisters, she may attend the class.
             In a ward with a large number of women, a
         sister may be called to help the Relief Society
                                                               Committees
         president coordinate visiting teaching and make
         sure it is done effectively. Additionally, visiting       The Relief Society presidency may form com-
         teaching supervisors may help the visiting teach-     mittees to accomplish ongoing work such as
         ing coordinator gather information and coordi-        strengthening individuals, families, and homes;
         nate the work.                                        watching over young single adult sisters; wel-
                                                               fare; emergency preparedness; temple and family
             The visiting teaching coordinator receives
                                                               history work; missionary work; convert reten-
         monthly reports of visits and other contacts that
                                                               tion; and activation. Leaders of the committees
         visiting teachers have made. She may be as-
                                                               report to the Relief Society president or an as-
         signed to help prepare a monthly visiting teach-
                                                               signed counselor. Committee members may be
         ing report (see 9.5.4).
                                                               given speciﬁc areas of responsibility.
         Compassionate Service Coordinator                         While not required, committees may be
         and Assistants                                        formed if they will help accomplish the work of
             A sister may be called to help the Relief So-     Relief Society and give more sisters opportuni-
         ciety presidency identify needs and coordinate        ties to serve.
         compassionate service. Assistants may also be             Some committees may be temporary to ﬁll a
         called.                                               short-term need. Sisters on such committees do
                                                               not need to be called and set apart. Sisters who
         Relief Society Meeting Coordinator and Committee      lead or serve on long-term committees are called
             A sister may be called to help the Relief Soci-   and set apart by a member of the bishopric.
         ety presidency coordinate the planning of Relief
         Society meetings that are not held on Sunday.         Music Leaders and Pianists
         These meetings may include service, classes,             Appropriate music helps invite the Spirit
         projects, conferences, and workshops. The Relief      in Relief Society meetings. The Relief Society

66
                                                                                                             9. Relief Society



        presidency may recommend sisters to serve as                   attend. Others with Relief Society callings may
        music leaders and pianists for Relief Society                  be invited to attend as needed.
        meetings.

                                                               9.4     Ward Relief Society Meetings
9.3     Leadership Meetings                                    9.4.1   Sunday Relief Society Meetings
9.3.1   Ward Council Meeting                                               In Sunday Relief Society meetings, Latter-day
            The Relief Society president serves as a mem-              Saint women learn doctrines and principles of
        ber of the ward council (see chapter 4).                       the gospel that will help them increase their faith
            As needed, the bishop may invite the Relief                and personal righteousness, strengthen families
        Society president to attend some ward priesthood               and homes, and help those in need.
        executive committee meetings to discuss conﬁ-                     A member of the Relief Society presidency
        dential welfare matters and to coordinate home                 conducts Sunday meetings. Each meeting begins
        teaching and visiting teaching assignments.                    with a welcome by a member of the presidency, a
                                                                       hymn, a prayer, and brief announcements about
9.3.2   Ward Relief Society Presidency Meeting                         opportunities to serve, upcoming events, ill-
            The Relief Society presidency holds a presi-               nesses, and other appropriate information. Max-
        dency meeting regularly. The president presides                imum time is reserved for a gospel lesson. The
        at the meeting and conducts it. The secretary                  meeting closes with a hymn and a prayer.
        attends, takes notes, and keeps track of assign-                   Each month, the Relief Society presidency
        ments.                                                         plans Sunday meetings according to the follow-
           The agenda may include the following items:                 ing pattern.

         1. Discuss ways to organize, teach, and inspire               First Sunday
            sisters in the work of Relief Society.
                                                                           A member of the ward Relief Society presi-
         2. Review counsel and assignments from the                    dency teaches on the ﬁrst Sunday. She uses the
            bishop, including assignments from ward                    scriptures, the teachings of latter-day prophets,
            council meetings, and plan ways to fulﬁll                  and approved Church materials. Relief Society
            them.                                                      leaders use this meeting to teach the doctrines
         3. Discuss ways to help Relief Society sisters                of the gospel and help sisters become actively
            and their families meet welfare needs. This                engaged in the work of Relief Society.
            may include discussions about compassion-                      Members of the Relief Society presidency
            ate service.                                               seek the guidance of the Spirit as they determine
         4. Review visiting teachers’ efforts to watch                 subjects to teach. The Relief Society president
            over and strengthen Relief Society sisters                 may also counsel with the bishop about subjects
            and their families. Give special attention to              he would like the sisters to discuss. Subjects may
            the needs of new members in Relief Society                 include women’s roles and responsibilities in the
            and young single adult sisters.                            gospel, strengthening marriages and families,
                                                                       visiting teaching, service, missionary work, con-
         5. Discuss the effectiveness of teaching in Sun-
                                                                       vert retention, activation, spiritual and temporal
            day Relief Society meetings and other Relief
                                                                       welfare, temple and family history work, and the
            Society meetings and make plans to improve.
                                                                       history and purposes of Relief Society. Time may
         6. Plan Relief Society meetings.                              be given for sisters to share their testimonies.
         7. Consider sisters to be called to serve in Relief
            Society, and prepare recommendations for                   Second and Third Sundays
            the Relief Society president to share with the                 On the second and third Sundays, the les-
                                                                                                                                 9. Relief Society




            bishopric. Also consider sisters to ask to help            son is taught by a member of the Relief Society
            with short-term assignments.                               presidency or a Relief Society teacher. She uses
                                                                       the current Relief Society manual. Lessons are
9.3.3   Stake Relief Society Leadership Meeting                        generally taught in the order they are presented
           Stake Relief Society leadership meeting is                  in the manual and on the same Sunday they are
        generally held once a year, as explained in 18.3.11.           taught in elders quorum and high priests group
        Ward Relief Society presidencies and secretaries               meetings.



                                                                                                                          67
9. Relief Society



             The Relief Society presidency sees that all        Relief Society presidency should be in attendance
         women in the ward ages 18 and older receive a          at every meeting.
         copy of the Relief Society manual for their per-
         sonal study, regardless of whether these mem-          Frequency and Location of the Meetings
         bers are able to attend Sunday Relief Society              The Relief Society presidency prayerfully
         meetings. Leaders encourage those who attend           considers how often they should hold additional
         to bring their copies of the manual and, where         Relief Society meetings and where they should
         possible, their personal copies of the scriptures.     hold them. When they have made a decision, the
                                                                Relief Society president seeks approval from the
         Fourth Sunday                                          bishop.
             On the fourth Sunday, the lesson is taught by         These meetings are usually held at a time
         a member of the Relief Society presidency or a         other than on Sunday or on Monday evening.
         Relief Society teacher. The teacher uses messages      They are generally held monthly, but the Relief
         from the most recent general conference. The           Society presidency may recommend that they
         stake president or bishop selects the messages.        be held more often or less often. Efforts should
                                                                be made to meet at least quarterly.
         Fifth Sunday
                                                                   In determining the frequency, location, and
             On a ﬁfth Sunday, the bishop determines            length of additional meetings, the bishop and
         the subject to be taught, the instructor (usually      Relief Society presidency consider time commit-
         a member of the ward or stake), and whether            ments of sisters, family circumstances, travel dis-
         Relief Society sisters and Melchizedek Priest-         tance and cost, ﬁnancial cost to the ward, safety,
         hood holders meet separately or combined.              and other local circumstances.
9.4.2    Additional Relief Society Meetings                     Planning the Meetings
             To supplement the instruction in Sunday                Relief Society leaders prayerfully counsel to-
         meetings, Relief Society sisters may participate in    gether about the topics that will strengthen sis-
         additional meetings. These may include service,        ters and their families and about the best ways
         classes, projects, conferences, and workshops. In      to teach those topics.
         these meetings, sisters learn and accomplish the
         charitable and practical responsibilities of the           The Relief Society president ensures that
         Relief Society. They learn and practice skills that    plans for all Relief Society meetings are approved
         will help them increase their faith and personal       by the bishop. She also ensures that all plans are
         righteousness, strengthen their families and           in accordance with the guidelines in chapter 13.
         make their homes centers of spiritual strength,            Although the Relief Society president over-
         and help those in need. They learn and apply           sees these meetings, she may ask her ﬁrst or sec-
         principles of provident living and spiritual and       ond counselor to assume the responsibility for
         temporal self-reliance. They also increase in sis-     planning them and carrying them out. She may
         terhood and unity as they teach one another and        also recommend another sister to be called as
         serve together.                                        Relief Society meeting coordinator to fulﬁll this
             All Relief Society sisters, including those who    responsibility (see 9.2.5).
         serve in Young Women and Primary and those                 Meetings may focus on one topic or be di-
         who do not actively participate in the Church,         vided into more than one class or activity. Gen-
         are invited to attend. Sisters may also invite their   erally, teachers should be members of the ward
         friends of other faiths.                               or stake. Each year, one meeting may commemo-
            Sisters should not be made to feel that atten-      rate the founding of the Relief Society and focus
         dance at these meetings is mandatory.                  on its history and purposes.

              The Relief Society president oversees all Re-         In planning these meetings, Relief Society
         lief Society meetings. As part of this responsibil-    leaders give special attention to topics that the
         ity, she counsels regularly with the bishop about      bishop has asked them to address to help meet
         how the meetings can help meet the needs of in-        local needs. Leaders also give priority to the fol-
         dividuals and families in the ward.                    lowing topics:

             Although the Relief Society president over-           Marriage and family: preparing for marriage
         sees the meetings, she does not need to attend         and family, strengthening marriages, mother-
         all of them. However, at least one member of the       hood, early childhood education, preparing


68
                                                                                                      9. Relief Society



youth for future responsibilities, encouraging
                                                        9.5     Visiting Teaching
and preparing for family home evening, and
strengthening extended family relationships.                        Visiting teaching gives women the oppor-
    Homemaking: learning and improving skills                   tunity to watch over, strengthen, and teach one
for the care of the home and family, such as                    another. Through visiting teaching, the Relief
cleaning and organizing, home beautiﬁcation,                    Society president helps the bishop identify and
cooking, and sewing.                                            resolve short-term and long-term needs of sisters
                                                                and their families.
    Self-reliance and provident living: finances
(budgeting, debt relief, and employment qual-                       Members of the Relief Society presidency in-
ifications); education and literacy (studying                   struct visiting teachers on ways to care for, watch
the scriptures and learning the gospel, teach-                  over, remember, and strengthen one another.
ing others to read, tutoring children and youth,                Presidency members can give this instruction in
choosing children’s literature, using computers                 a lesson on the ﬁrst Sunday of the month or in
and other technology, and developing cultural                   another Relief Society meeting.
awareness); health (physical health, ﬁtness, ad-                   Visiting teachers are not sustained or set
diction prevention and recovery, social and emo-                apart.
tional health, and preventing illness); gardening;
food production and storage; and emergency              9.5.1   Responsibilities of Visiting Teachers
preparedness.                                                       Visiting teachers sincerely come to know and
    Compassionate service: care of the sick, elderly,           love each sister, help her strengthen her faith,
homebound, disabled, and poor and needy; sup-                   and give service. They seek personal inspiration
port for new mothers and babies; and humani-                    to know how to respond to the spiritual and tem-
tarian and community aid.                                       poral needs of each sister they are assigned to
    Temple and family history: collecting and pre-              visit.
serving family history information, writing fam-                    Taking into account each sister’s individual
ily histories, preparing for the temple, and doing              needs and circumstances, visiting teachers have
temple work.                                                    regular contact (monthly if possible) with those
    Sharing the gospel: member missionary efforts,              they are assigned. When a personal visit is not
fellowshipping new and less-active members,                     possible, visiting teachers may use phone calls,
neighborhood outreach, activation and reten-                    letters, e-mail, or other means to watch over and
tion, welcoming new sisters into Relief Society,                strengthen sisters.
and preparing for full-time missions.                              When appropriate, visiting teachers share a
                                                                gospel message. These messages may be from the
Children’s Class                                                monthly visiting teaching message printed in the
    A children’s class may be held to allow moth-               Ensign or Liahona magazine and the scriptures.
ers of young children to attend meetings held on                    Visiting teachers give compassionate service
days other than Sunday. With the approval of                    during times of illness, death, and other special
the bishopric, the Relief Society presidency asks               circumstances. They assist the Relief Society
Relief Society sisters or other ward members to                 president in coordinating short-term and long-
supervise and teach this class. If Relief Society               term assistance when invited.
sisters teach the class, the Relief Society presi-
dency rotates this responsibility so all the sisters    9.5.2   Organizing Visiting Teaching
can have the opportunity to attend the meetings.                    The structure of visiting teaching in the ward
If men teach the class, the Relief Society presi-               is determined by the bishop and Relief Society
dency follows the guidelines in 11.8.1.                         presidency after prayerful consideration of lo-
    Teachers for the children’s class plan age-                 cal needs and circumstances. Where possible,
                                                                                                                          9. Relief Society




appropriate activities that teach children about                the presidency assigns sisters into companion-
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They may use                  ships of two. Because visiting teaching focuses
Primary manuals and other Primary materials to                  on individual sisters, Relief Society leaders do
teach the children.                                             not organize women in groups for the purpose
    If food is provided in the children’s class,                of visiting teaching.
leaders ﬁrst consult with the parents of each                       In organizing visiting teaching, members
child about any dietary restrictions due to con-                of the Relief Society presidency prayerfully dis-
ditions such as diabetes or allergies.                          cuss the needs of individuals and families. They

                                                                                                                   69
9. Relief Society



         give special priority to ensuring that the follow-                   The Relief Society president gives the bishop
         ing sisters are cared for: sisters coming into Relief           a monthly visiting teaching report. Each report
         Society from Young Women, single sisters, new                   includes a list of those who were not contacted.
         ward members, recent converts, newly married                    If a sister and her family have urgent needs, the
         sisters, less-active members, and others with                   Relief Society president reports this information
         special needs. They also consider factors such as               to the bishop immediately.
         distance, travel, and safety.
             Based on these discussions, they assign visit-
                                                                 9.6     Welfare and Compassionate Service
         ing teachers to each sister in the ward. They ob-
         tain the bishop’s approval for each assignment.                     Welfare and compassionate service are cen-
                                                                         tral to the work of Relief Society.
             With approval from the bishop in exceptional
         cases, Melchizedek Priesthood leaders and Relief                     Under the bishop’s direction, the ward Re-
         Society leaders may assign a husband and wife                   lief Society presidency, the elders quorum pres-
         as a companionship where visits by a couple                     idency, and the high priests group leadership
         are needed. Couples report these visits as home                 share the following welfare responsibilities:
         teaching and visiting teaching. Normally, young                     They teach principles of temporal and spiri-
         parents are not given such an assignment be-                    tual self-reliance.
         cause it takes them away from their children.
                                                                            They care for the poor and needy and encour-
                                                                         age members to give service.
9.5.3    Adapting Visiting Teaching to Local Needs
                                                                             They help individuals and families become
             In a ward with limited resources, leaders
                                                                         self-reliant and ﬁnd solutions to short-term and
         may adapt visiting teaching to ensure that sisters
                                                                         long-term welfare concerns.
         with the greatest needs always receive a monthly
         visit.                                                             For more information on these welfare re-
                                                                         sponsibilities, see chapter 6.
             With approval from the bishop, Melchizedek
         Priesthood leaders and Relief Society leaders                       The following sections outline responsibili-
         may temporarily assign only home teachers or                    ties that apply speciﬁcally to the Relief Society
         only visiting teachers to certain families. In some             president and her counselors.
         cases, leaders may assign home teachers to visit
         a family one month and assign visiting teachers         9.6.1   Family-Needs Visits
         to visit Relief Society members in that family the                  The bishop normally assigns the Relief Soci-
         next month.                                                     ety president to visit members who need welfare
             With approval from the mission president,                   assistance so she can evaluate their needs and
         leaders may consider asking full-time sister mis-               suggest ways to respond to them. If there is not
         sionaries to help with visiting teaching on a lim-              a woman in a home she visits, she takes one of
         ited basis. The mission president communicates                  her counselors, the Relief Society secretary, or
         this approval to the stake president, who informs               the compassionate service coordinator with her.
         bishops. When such approval is given, full-time                      To prepare for a family-needs visit, the Re-
         missionaries are assigned primarily to visit new                lief Society president considers information the
         members, part-member families, and less-active                  bishop provides about the family and seeks guid-
         members.                                                        ance from the Lord.
                                                                             The Relief Society president evaluates the
9.5.4    Reporting Visiting Teaching
                                                                         family’s resources and prepares an itemized list
              The Relief Society presidency or those who                 of the family’s basic food and clothing needs. She
         are called to assist them receive monthly reports               gives this list to the bishop. She also may pre-
         from visiting teachers. The visiting teachers re-               pare a Bishop’s Order for Commodities form for
         port any special needs of the sisters they visit                the bishop to review and approve. She provides
         and any service rendered. In addition, presi-                   this service with sensitivity and understanding,
         dency members meet with visiting teachers reg-                  helping those who receive assistance to maintain
         ularly to discuss sisters’ spiritual and temporal               their self-respect and dignity.
         welfare and to make plans to help those in need.
                                                                             The Relief Society president reports to the
         Conﬁdential information should be reported
                                                                         bishop on the general condition of the family. She
         only to the Relief Society president, who reports
                                                                         reports any needs in the areas of food (for normal
         it to the bishop.
                                                                         needs but not for food storage), clothing, home


70
                                                                                                             9. Relief Society



        management, health, and social and emotional                   the Ye Shall Have My Words student manual and
        well-being. She also may share her assessment                  teacher’s manual and a DVD for training teach-
        of family members’ work capabilities and the op-               ers. In addition, Relief Society leaders may de-
        portunities family members have for work.                      vote some meetings to literacy skills.
            The bishop helps the family develop a self-
        reliance plan. He also counsels with the Relief
                                                               9.7     Strengthening Young Relief Society
        Society president regarding additional opportu-
        nities to help the family. In some cases, the most             Sisters
        valuable assistance may include (1) helping a sis-     9.7.1   Working with the Young Women Presidency
        ter manage income and resources and (2) teach-                     The transition from youth to womanhood is
        ing homemaking skills such as cleaning, sewing,                a deﬁning time in the life of a young woman. The
        organizing, planning menus, preserving food,                   Relief Society presidency works with the Young
        and promoting good health.                                     Women presidency to determine ways to support
            The Relief Society president and anyone who                parents in their efforts to help young women suc-
        assists her keep strictly conﬁdential any infor-               cessfully make the transition to Relief Society.
        mation they obtain during the visit or from the                    The following suggestions may help in this
        bishop.                                                        effort:
9.6.2   Compassionate Service                                             The Relief Society president may visit Young
                                                                       Women classes and present a preview of Relief
            All Relief Society sisters have a responsibility           Society.
        to be conscious of the needs of others. They use
        their time, skills, talents, spiritual and emotional               Young women and Relief Society sisters may
        support, and prayers of faith to help others.                  occasionally plan a Relief Society meeting or ac-
                                                                       tivity together.
            Through the help of visiting teachers and
        others in the ward, the Relief Society presidency                  When authorized by the stake president and
        identiﬁes those who have special needs because                 when space permits, Young Women and Relief
        of old age, physical or emotional illness, emer-               Society opening exercises may be combined one
        gencies, births, deaths, disability, loneliness, and           Sunday each month. To ensure that the young
        other challenges. The Relief Society president                 women and Relief Society sisters have enough
        reports her ﬁndings to the bishop. Under his di-               time for gospel learning and teaching, the Relief
        rection, she coordinates assistance. She assesses              Society presidency and Young Women presi-
        the skills and circumstances of all sisters as she             dency plan opening exercises that are well orga-
        determines who may be able to help.                            nized and brief. Responsibility for conducting
                                                                       is shared between the Relief Society presidency
            She may ask a counselor, a compassionate                   and the Laurel class presidency.
        service coordinator, or a visiting teacher to help
        coordinate these service efforts. She may also                     Young Relief Society sisters may be asked
        form a committee to help. Sisters can assist by                to assist individual young women who need
        providing meals, providing child care or home                  support in completing Personal Progress and re-
        care, helping individual sisters improve literacy              maining active in the Church.
        skills, providing transportation for needed med-
        ical assistance, and responding to other needs.        9.7.2   Responsibility for Young Single Adult Sisters
                                                                           The Relief Society presidency has a respon-
9.6.3   Literacy                                                       sibility to look after young single adult sisters.
            The ability to read and write helps members                Relief Society leaders teach young single adult
        ﬁnd employment and develop temporal self-                      sisters the purposes of Relief Society and give
        reliance. It also helps them increase in their gos-            them opportunities to participate in the work of
                                                                       Relief Society. They assign young single adult sis-
                                                                                                                                 9. Relief Society




        pel knowledge and spiritual self-reliance. Each
        ward implements literacy efforts according to its              ters to serve as visiting teachers. Relief Society
        needs and resources. When basic literacy skills are            leaders may also give young single adult sisters
        lacking among members, the Relief Society presi-               other meaningful opportunities to serve and may
        dency works with the bishop and ward council to                recommend them to receive callings to serve in
        identify practical ways to help members improve                the Relief Society.
        these skills. Assigned leaders and teachers may                    The Relief Society presidency assigns visit-
        use the Church’s literacy course, which includes               ing teachers to each young single adult sister. If


                                                                                                                          71
9. Relief Society



         a young single adult sister lives with her parents,            understand welfare principles and that they un-
         the Relief Society presidency determines whether               derstand their role to help bishops in welfare
         she should have her own visiting teachers or if                matters.
         her mother’s visiting teachers should visit her                    Members of the stake Relief Society presi-
         as well.                                                       dency assist young single adult sisters in the
                                                                        stake. If the stake has a young single adult com-
9.7.3    Separate Relief Society Class for                              mittee, a member of the presidency serves on the
         Young Single Adult Sisters                                     committee (see 16.3.2).
             If sufﬁcient numbers of young single adult                    The stake Relief Society president supervises
         sisters reside in a ward, the bishop may autho-                stake Relief Society welfare efforts. She also
         rize the organization of a separate Relief Society             coordinates stake Relief Society efforts during
         class for Sunday lessons and occasional activi-                emergencies.
         ties. If a sister in the ward is serving as a young
         single adult leader (see 16.3.3), she may serve        9.8.3   Stake Relief Society Secretary
         as the class leader. Lessons are taught by mem-
         bers of the class, who focus their teaching on the                 The responsibilities of the stake Relief Society
         needs of young sisters. They use the scriptures,               secretary are outlined in 15.4.2.
         the teachings of latter-day prophets, and the
         approved Relief Society manual.
                                                                9.9     Adapting the Relief Society
                                                                        Organization to Local Needs
9.8      Stake Relief Society Leadership                                   The following guidelines are provided to help
9.8.1    Stake Presidency                                               wards and stakes adapt the Relief Society orga-
                                                                        nization to local needs. For general information
             The stake president oversees the Relief So-                about adapting to local needs, see chapter 17.
         ciety in the stake. He meets regularly (usually
         monthly) with the stake Relief Society presi-          9.9.1   More Than One Relief Society in a Ward
         dent or presidency. He provides priesthood di-
         rection as they counsel together about matters                     Under special circumstances, the bishop and
         that pertain to Relief Society sisters and their               stake president may authorize that more than
         families. These matters may include welfare                    one Relief Society be created in a ward. Special
         needs, the progress and needs of sisters in the                circumstances might include wards with nursing
         stake, and Relief Society meetings, instruction,               homes, young single adult wards, wards with a
         and activities.                                                large number of single mothers and widows, and
                                                                        wards that encompass large geographic areas.
            For more information about the stake presi-                 The intent of creating more than one Relief So-
         dency’s responsibilities relating to auxiliary or-             ciety is to facilitate watching over and strength-
         ganizations, see 15.1.                                         ening the sisters and their families.

9.8.2    Stake Relief Society Presidency                                    In a ward with more than one Relief Society,
                                                                        the leaders in each Relief Society presidency ad-
             The responsibilities of stake auxiliary pres-              minister the full Relief Society program for their
         idencies are outlined in 15.4.1. The stake Re-                 membership, including visiting teaching and
         lief Society presidency also has the following                 welfare. Each Relief Society president has an
         responsibilities:                                              equal voice in ward council meetings and works
             Under the direction of the stake presidency,               individually with the bishop concerning welfare
         they may plan and carry out one or two stake                   matters and efforts to strengthen the sisters and
         Relief Society meetings each year for all Relief               their families.
         Society sisters in the stake. These meetings may
         include service, classes, projects, conferences, and   9.9.2   Relief Society in Small Units
         workshops. One of them may be held in conjunc-                     In a small ward or branch, the Relief Society
         tion with the general Relief Society meeting. The              presidency may be the only Relief Society lead-
         stake Relief Society presidency may form com-                  ers and teachers. In a very small unit, the Relief
         mittees to help as needed.                                     Society president may be the only Relief Society
            Members of the stake Relief Society presi-                  leader. Counselors, a secretary, teachers, and oth-
         dency ensure that ward Relief Society presidents               ers listed in this chapter should be called when
                                                                        possible.


72
                                                                                                           9. Relief Society



           In a very small branch that does not have a                the family to give comfort, assess needs, and of-
       Young Women president or Primary president,                    fer assistance. He may request similar assistance
       the Relief Society president may help parents                  from the elders quorum president and the high
       organize instruction for the young women and                   priests group leader. Melchizedek Priesthood
       children until Young Women and Primary presi-                  leaders and Relief Society leaders coordinate
       dents are called.                                              these efforts.
           In a small stake or a district, the Relief Society             In preparing for a funeral, the bishop may
       president may be the only stake or district Relief             also ask Relief Society leaders to give service
       Society leader. When possible, counselors and a                such as helping with ﬂowers, meals, or care of
       secretary should be called.                                    children and providing a simple meal for family
                                                                      members after the funeral service. For additional
                                                                      information about funerals, see 18.6.
9.10   Additional Guidelines and Policies
                                                                          If possible, deceased members who were
9.10.1 Sisters Who Have Special Needs                                 endowed should be buried in temple clothing.
           Sisters who may have special needs include                 In some circumstances, the bishop may ask the
       those who are ill, elderly, widowed, divorced,                 Relief Society president to assign an endowed
       homebound, or bereaved and those who care                      woman to dress or oversee the proper dressing
       for chronically ill family members. Other Relief               of a deceased endowed woman. The bishop and
       Society members should offer help.                             Relief Society president ensure that this assign-
                                                                      ment is given to a person who will not ﬁnd it
           Sisters who have these and other special chal-             objectionable. Guidelines for dressing deceased
       lenges may come to the Relief Society president                members are provided in Instructions for Cloth-
       with their concerns. She should listen, offer love             ing the Dead Who Have Received Their Endowments.
       and encouragement, and maintain appropriate                    Leaders may obtain these instructions from
       conﬁdentiality. If she learns of possible concerns             Church Distribution Services.
       with worthiness or sensitive family matters, she
       refers the sisters to the bishop.                                  For additional instructions on dressing the
                                                                      deceased in temple clothing, the bishop may re-
          For information about helping sisters with                  fer to Handbook 1, 3.4.9.
       disabilities, see 21.1.26 and disabilities.lds.org.
                                                                          The Relief Society president, visiting teach-
9.10.2 Dress Standards                                                ers, and other sisters continue to offer support,
                                                                      comfort, and assistance to the bereaved during
           The Relief Society presidency teaches sisters              the period of adjustment following the death.
       to be well groomed and modest in their attire.
       Presidency members help sisters understand               9.10.4 Young Women Who Are Pregnant out of
       that at Church meetings, their appearance and                  Wedlock or Who Are Unwed Mothers
       clothing should show reverence and respect for
       the Lord. Relief Society leaders also help sis-                   See 10.12.4.
       ters understand that when they go to the temple,
       they should wear clothing that is suitable for en-       9.10.5 Instructions about Temple Clothing
       tering the house of the Lord. On these occasions               and Garments
       they should avoid wearing casual clothes, sports                  See 21.1.42.
       attire, and ostentatious jewelry.
                                                                9.10.6 Finances
9.10.3 Offering Support at Times of Death                                See 13.2.8.
         When a death occurs in the ward, the bishop
       may ask the Relief Society president to contact
                                                                                                                               9. Relief Society




                                                                                                                        73
                                                                                                                                                                                 10. Young Women
10. Young Women

10.1    Overview of the Young Women                                                      10.8 Activities and Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .               83
        Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         76         10.8.1 Mutual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     83
        10.1.1 Purpose and Objectives of the                                                  10.8.2 Bishopric Youth Discussions . . . . . . . . . . .                    84
               Young Women Organization . . . . . . . . . . .                      76         10.8.3 New Beginnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             84
        10.1.2 Young Women Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                   76         10.8.4 Young Women in Excellence . . . . . . . . . . .                      84
        10.1.3 Young Women Motto and Logo . . . . . . . .                          76         10.8.5 Standards Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             84
        10.1.4 Young Women Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                76         10.8.6 Young Women Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                   84
        10.1.5 Young Women Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 77         10.8.7 Stake and Multistake Activities . . . . . . . .                      85
                                                                                              10.8.8 Youth Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             85
10.2 Roles of Parents and Church Leaders . . . . . . 78                                       10.8.9 Funding for Activities and Events . . . . . .                        85
10.3 Ward Young Women Leadership . . . . . . . . . . .                             78    10.9 Teaching Leadership Skills and Qualities . . . 85
     10.3.1 Bishopric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      78
     10.3.2 Ward Young Women Presidency . . . . . . .                              79    10.10 Stake Young Women Leadership . . . . . . . . . . 85
     10.3.3 Ward Young Women Secretary . . . . . . . . .                           79          10.10.1 Stake Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
     10.3.4 Ward Young Women Advisers . . . . . . . . .                            80          10.10.2 High Councilor Assigned to the
     10.3.5 Young Women Class Presidencies . . . . . .                             80                     Stake Young Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
     10.3.6 Young Women Class Secretaries . . . . . . .                            80            10.10.3 Stake Young Women Presidency . . . . . . . 85
     10.3.7 Ward Young Women Activity                                                            10.10.4 Stake Young Women Secretary . . . . . . . . . 85
                  Specialists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80           10.10.5 Stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young
        10.3.8 Young Women Music Director                                                                 Women Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
                  and Pianist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80             10.10.6 Stake Young Women Activity
                                                                                                          Specialists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
10.4 Leadership Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
     10.4.1 Ward Council Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80                      10.11 Adapting the Young Women Organization
     10.4.2 Bishopric Youth Committee Meeting . . . 80                                           to Local Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
     10.4.3 Ward Young Women Presidency
                                                                                         10.12 Additional Guidelines and Policies . . . . . . . . 86
               Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   81
                                                                                               10.12.1 Youth under Age 14 in Youth
        10.4.4 Meeting with a Counselor in
               the Bishopric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       81                     Conferences and Dances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
                                                                                                 10.12.2 Young Women of Other Faiths . . . . . . . . . 86
        10.4.5 Class Presidency Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . .                  81
                                                                                                 10.12.3 Young Women Who Have
        10.4.6 Stake Young Women Leadership
               Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     81                     Disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
                                                                                                 10.12.4 Young Women Who Are Pregnant
10.5 Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81                               out of Wedlock or Who Are
                                                                                                          Unwed Mothers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
10.6 Sunday Gospel Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
     10.6.1 Opening Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
     10.6.2 Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

10.7 Personal Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
     10.7.1 Personal Progress Activities at Mutual . . 82
     10.7.2 Emblems, Certificates, and
                  Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
        10.7.3 Personal Progress Responsibilities
                  of Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82




                                                                                                                                                                           75
10. Young Women

           The Young Women organization is an aux-                   Faith
       iliary to the priesthood. All auxiliaries exist to            Divine Nature
       help Church members grow in their testimonies                 Individual Worth
       of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the restored            Knowledge
       gospel. Through the work of the auxiliaries,                  Choice and Accountability
       members receive instruction, encouragement,                   Good Works
       and support as they strive to live according to               Integrity and
       gospel principles.                                            Virtue.
                                                                     “We believe as we come to accept and act upon
                                                                  these values, we will be prepared to strengthen
10.1   Overview of the Young Women
                                                                  home and family, make and keep sacred cov-
       Organization                                               enants, receive the ordinances of the temple, and
10.1.1 Purpose and Objectives of the Young                        enjoy the blessings of exaltation.”
       Women Organization
                                                             10.1.3 Young Women Motto and Logo
           The purpose of the Young Women organi-
       zation is to help each young woman be worthy                  The Young Women motto is “Stand for Truth
       to make and keep sacred covenants and receive              and Righteousness.”
       the ordinances of the temple. To accomplish                    The Young Women logo is a torch surrounded
       this purpose, Young Women leaders guide each               by the Young Women motto. The torch repre-
       young woman in accomplishing the following                 sents the light of Christ that can shine through
       objectives:                                                each young woman. Young women are invited
        1. Strengthen her faith in and testimony of               to “arise and shine forth, that [their] light may
           Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.                      be a standard for the nations” (D&C 115:5).
        2. Understand her identity as a daughter of
           God.
        3. Be worthy by obeying the commandments
           and living gospel standards.
        4. Receive, recognize, and rely on the prompt-
           ings of the Holy Ghost.
        5. Prepare for her divine roles as a daughter,
           wife, mother, and leader.
        6. Understand and keep her baptismal cov-
           enants.

10.1.2 Young Women Theme
                                                             10.1.4 Young Women Values
           The Young Women theme provides a founda-
                                                                      The Young Women values are Christlike at-
       tion for helping each young woman accomplish
                                                                  tributes. Sunday gospel instruction, Mutual, and
       the objectives listed above.
                                                                  other activities help each young woman apply
           Young women and their adult leaders repeat             these values in her life.
       the theme at the beginning of Sunday meetings
                                                                      The following statements and scripture refer-
       and at other Young Women gatherings. The
                                                                  ences give insight into the meaning of each value.
       theme reads as follows:
                                                                  Leaders should use these statements in lessons.
           “We are daughters of our Heavenly Father,              Leaders encourage young women to apply these
       who loves us, and we love Him. We will ‘stand              truths in their lives and use them as resources for
       as witnesses of God at all times and in all things,        talks and presentations.
       and in all places’ (Mosiah 18:9) as we strive to
                                                                     The colors associated with the values are to
       live the Young Women values, which are:
                                                                  help young women remember the values.



76
                                                                                                   10. Young Women




                                                                                                                     10. Young Women
         Faith (white): I am a daughter of Heavenly          Father and Jesus Christ and learns to work with
     Father, who loves me. I have faith in His eternal       others in harmony and cooperation. This is a
     plan, which centers in Jesus Christ, my Savior          time for her to stand for truth and righteousness
     (see Alma 32:21).                                       and “arise and shine forth” (D&C 115:5).
        Divine Nature (blue): I have inherited divine
                                                             Mia Maids, Ages 14–15
     qualities, which I will strive to develop (see
     2 Peter 1:4–7).                                                    A young woman becomes a member of
                                                                        the Mia Maid class when she reaches
         Individual Worth (red): I am of inﬁnite worth
                                                                        age 14.
     with my own divine mission, which I will strive
     to fulﬁll (see D&C 18:10).                                 The term Mia refers to the Mutual Improve-
                                                             ment Association (MIA), which was once the
         Knowledge (green): I will continually seek op-
                                                             name of the youth program in the Church. The
     portunities for learning and growth (see D&C
                                                             word Maid means young woman. The Mutual
     88:118).
                                                             Improvement Association adopted the rose as an
        Choice and Accountability (orange): I will choose    emblem of their organization, and that emblem
     good over evil and will accept responsibility for       continues with Mia Maids today as a symbol of
     my decisions (see Joshua 24:15).                        love, faith, and purity.
         Good Works (yellow): I will help others and             As a member of a Mia Maid class today, a
     build the kingdom through righteous service             young woman strengthens her testimony of
     (see 3 Nephi 12:16).                                    Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, accepts and
        Integrity (purple): I will have the moral cour-      acts upon the Young Women values, and learns
     age to make my actions consistent with my               about love, faith, and purity.
     knowledge of right and wrong (see Job 27:5).
                                                             Laurels, Ages 16–17
         Virtue (gold): I will prepare to enter the temple
     and remain pure and worthy. My thoughts and                        A young woman becomes a member
     actions will be based on high moral standards                      of the Laurel class when she reaches
     (see Proverbs 31:10).                                              age 16.
                                                                 For centuries, the leaves of the laurel tree have
10.1.5 Young Women Classes                                   symbolized honor and accomplishment, espe-
         The young women in a ward are divided into          cially when woven into a crown.
     three classes according to their ages: Beehives            As a member of a Laurel class today, a young
     (ages 12–13), Mia Maids (ages 14–15), and Lau-          woman prepares to make and keep sacred cov-
     rels (ages 16–17).                                      enants and receive the ordinances of the temple.
        As a young woman advances to a new age-
     group, her new Young Women leaders and class            Eighteen-Year-Old Young Women
     presidency welcome her.                                      A young woman normally advances into Re-
                                                             lief Society on her 18th birthday or in the coming
     Beehives, Ages 12–13                                    year. By age 19, each young woman should be
               When a young woman reaches age 12,            fully participating in Relief Society. Because of
               the bishop interviews her. She ad-            individual circumstances, such as personal tes-
               vances from Primary to Young Women            timony and maturity, school graduation, desire
     and begins attending Young Women meetings               to continue with peers, and college attendance,
     during Primary sharing time (see 11.4.3). She is        a young woman may advance into Relief Society
     a member of the Beehive class.                          earlier than her 18th birthday or remain in Young
                                                             Women longer. Each young woman counsels
         For the early pioneers of the Church, the bee-
                                                             with her parents and the bishop to decide what
     hive was a symbol of harmony, cooperation, and
                                                             will best help her remain an active participant in
     work. When the young women of the Church
                                                             the Church.
     were ﬁrst organized as a group, they were known
     as Beehives.                                               Young Women and Relief Society leaders
                                                             work together to make the transition into Relief
        As a member of a Beehive class today, a
                                                             Society successful for each young woman.
     young woman strengthens her faith in Heavenly




                                                                                                               77
10. Young Women



                                                            work with the Beehives and his counselor who
10.2   Roles of Parents and Church Leaders                  works with the teachers to work with the Mia
           Parents have the ﬁrst responsibility for the     Maids.
       spiritual and physical welfare of their children        The bishop assigns one of his counselors to
       (see D&C 68:25–28). The bishopric and Young          oversee the ward Young Women organization.
       Women leaders support but do not replace par-        This counselor meets regularly with the Young
       ents in this responsibility. They offer support in   Women presidency. He reports on Young Women
       the following ways:                                  matters in bishopric meetings.
           They assist parents in helping their daughters       The bishop interviews each young woman
       prepare to receive the blessings of the temple by    at least annually. If possible, he interviews each
       following the guidelines listed in 10.1.1.           16- and 17-year-old twice annually. If this is not
          They encourage communication between              possible, he assigns a counselor to conduct some
       young women and parents.                             of these interviews. Six months after each young
           They ensure that Young Women activities and      woman between the ages of 12 and 15 has her
       other youth events do not put undue burdens          annual interview with the bishop, she has an in-
       on families or compete with family activities.       terview with the counselor in the bishopric who
                                                            oversees her class.
           Leaders should be especially sensitive to
       young women who come from homes that lack                In these interviews, the bishop and his coun-
       strong support for gospel living.                    selors follow the guidelines in Handbook 1, 7.1.7.
                                                            They may also refer to the Young Women Personal
                                                            Progress Tracking Sheet for Leaders, which they
10.3   Ward Young Women Leadership                          receive from the ward Young Women secretary.
           This chapter focuses on administering the            The bishop and his counselors recognize each
       Young Women organization in a way that will          young woman in sacrament meeting when she
       strengthen individual young women and their          advances from Primary to Young Women, when
       families. Young Women leaders frequently re-         she advances to a new age-group, and when she
       view chapter 3, which outlines general principles    receives the Young Womanhood Recognition.
       of leadership. These principles include prepar-      When a young woman advances to a new age-
       ing spiritually, participating in councils, minis-   group, a member of the bishopric gives her a
       tering to others, and teaching the gospel of Jesus   certiﬁcate.
       Christ.                                                 Members of the bishopric counsel together
                                                            prayerfully to determine whom to call as class
10.3.1 Bishopric                                            presidents. They do not select leaders merely be-
           The bishop and his counselors provide priest-    cause of age or seniority in the class. The Young
       hood leadership for the Young Women organiza-        Women presidency may recommend young
       tion. They watch over and strengthen individual      women to serve as class presidents (see 19.1.1
       young women, working closely with parents and        and 19.1.2).
       Young Women leaders in this effort.                      When a member of the bishopric calls a young
                                                            woman to serve as a class president, he asks her
       Bishop                                               to recommend whom to call as counselors and a
           The bishop calls and sets apart a sister to      secretary. He counsels her to approach this re-
       serve as Young Women president. He also over-        sponsibility prayerfully, seeking guidance from
       sees the calling and setting apart of other Young    the Lord about whom to recommend. However,
       Women leaders. He may assign his counselors to       the bishopric member also helps the class pres-
       call and set apart these leaders.                    ident understand that ﬁnal responsibility to re-
           The bishop interviews each young woman           ceive inspiration on whom to call rests with the
       who completes the Personal Progress program          bishopric.
       (see 10.7.3).                                            A member of the bishopric seeks permission
                                                            from a young woman’s parents before asking her
       Bishop and His Counselors                            to serve in any of these callings.
           The bishop and his counselors regularly par-         After extending these callings, a member of
       ticipate in Young Women meetings, service, and       the bishopric presents the young women to their
       activities. The bishop works with the Laurels. He    class for a sustaining vote. Then the bishop or
       assigns his counselor who works with deacons to      an assigned counselor sets the young women

78
                                                                                                  10. Young Women




                                                                                                                    10. Young Women
     apart. A member of the bishopric announces                   They support each young woman in her
     these callings in sacrament meeting but does not          family.
     ask for a sustaining vote.                                   They help young women work on Personal
        A Young Women leader may communicate                   Progress. They are also encouraged to work on
     with the bishopric regarding any changes that             Personal Progress themselves.
     may be needed in class presidencies.                         They may counsel with parents and priest-
                                                               hood leaders about the needs of young women.
10.3.2 Ward Young Women Presidency
                                                                  They ensure that the ward Young Women
         The ward Young Women presidency consists              program is organized and functioning properly.
     of a president and two counselors. They work              As part of this effort, they oversee and instruct
     under the direction of the bishopric. They also           ward Young Women advisers and specialists.
     receive orientation and ongoing support from
     the stake Young Women presidency.                             They often teach lessons in Sunday classes,
                                                               though they may share this responsibility with
        Each member of the ward Young Women                    Young Women advisers. They oversee efforts
     presidency is responsible for one of the Young            to improve gospel learning and teaching in the
     Women classes, as follows:                                Young Women organization. In these efforts, they
        President: Laurels                                     follow the principles in 5.5.3 and 5.5.4.
        First counselor: Mia Maids                                They attend class presidency meetings and
        Second counselor: Beehives                             provide guidance as needed.
                                                                   They work with class presidencies to plan
     Ward Young Women President                                and carry out activities, including Mutual ac-
         The Young Women president has the follow-             tivities. They help class presidencies build unity
     ing responsibilities:                                     among the young women.
         She serves as a member of the ward council.               They teach leadership skills and qualities to
     As a member of this council, she participates in          class presidencies and other leaders in the Young
     efforts to build faith and strengthen individuals         Women organization (see 10.9).
     and families (see chapter 4). She is also a member            They hold Young Women presidency meet-
     of the bishopric youth committee (see 18.2.9).            ings. They also meet regularly with the counselor
         She submits recommendations to the bishop-            in the bishopric who oversees the Young Women
     ric for sisters to be called to serve in the Young        organization.
     Women organization. In making these recom-
     mendations, she follows the guidelines in 19.1.1     10.3.3 Ward Young Women Secretary
     and 19.1.2.                                                   The Young Women secretary has the follow-
        She teaches other Young Women leaders their            ing responsibilities:
     duties, using this handbook as a resource.                   She consults with the Young Women presi-
         She oversees the records, reports, budget, and        dency to prepare agendas for presidency meet-
     ﬁnances of the ward Young Women organiza-                 ings. She attends these meetings, takes notes, and
     tion. The Young Women secretary helps with this           keeps track of assignments.
     responsibility.                                               She instructs class secretaries and oversees
                                                               their work in keeping attendance records. At
     Ward Young Women President and Her Counselors             least quarterly, she compiles attendance infor-
         The Young Women president and her coun-               mation, reviews it with the Young Women presi-
     selors have the following responsibilities:               dent, and submits it to the ward clerk.
         They get to know each young woman and                    She ensures that the bishopric and the Young
     become familiar with her talents, interests, and          Women presidency are aware of young women
     challenges. They look for ways to strengthen              who are not attending meetings regularly and
     young women individually, help them grow in               young women who will soon advance to another
     their testimonies, and encourage them to partic-          Young Women class.
     ipate in the Young Women organization. They                   She uses the Young Women Personal Progress
     give special attention to young women who are             Tracking Sheet for Leaders to record the progress
     new members and young women who are less                  of individual young women as they participate
     active.                                                   in Personal Progress and other activities and as


                                                                                                              79
10. Young Women



       they fulﬁll leadership callings. When a young                   They conduct the Sunday meetings for their
       woman is scheduled to have an interview with                classes.
       a member of the bishopric, the secretary may                   They help plan activities, including Mutual.
       give him a copy of the young woman’s tracking
       sheet.                                                         The class presidents serve on the bishopric
                                                                   youth committee (see 18.2.9).
          She helps the Young Women presidency
       prepare an annual budget and account for ex-         10.3.6 Young Women Class Secretaries
       penses.
                                                                       Class secretaries have the following respon-
10.3.4 Ward Young Women Advisers                                   sibilities:

           The bishopric may call Young Women advis-                   They compile and review attendance infor-
       ers to help the Young Women presidency with                 mation and submit it to the Young Women sec-
       their responsibilities. Each adviser works with a           retary.
       speciﬁc age-group of young women and works                      They consult with the class presidency to
       under the direction of the presidency member                prepare agendas for presidency meetings. They
       who is assigned to that age-group. Advisers have            attend these meetings, take notes, and keep track
       the following responsibilities:                             of assignments.
           They help the Young Women presidency and                  They may help class presidencies and Young
       class presidencies plan and carry out activities,           Women leaders plan activities.
       including Mutual.
          They may teach Sunday lessons. They also          10.3.7 Ward Young Women Activity Specialists
       may help teach leadership skills to class presi-                The bishopric may call specialists to serve
       dencies.                                                    temporarily in planning and carrying out speciﬁc
          They may help record the progress of indi-               activities. For example, specialists may be called
       vidual young women in the Personal Progress                 to help with activities such as Young Women
       program.                                                    camp, youth conference, and sports. These spe-
                                                                   cialists serve under the direction of the ward
         They attend ward Young Women presidency                   Young Women presidency.
       meetings as invited.
                                                            10.3.8 Young Women Music Director and Pianist
10.3.5 Young Women Class Presidencies
                                                                       The bishopric may call a Young Women mu-
           A class presidency is normally called for               sic director and pianist. They may extend these
       each Young Women class. In a ward or branch                 callings to adult women or to young women.
       with few young women, one presidency may
       be called for the combined age-groups until the                 The music director selects and conducts
       young women are able to be organized into their             hymns for Sunday opening exercises. She may
       respective classes.                                         also help young women learn special musical
                                                                   selections and develop their musical abilities.
           Class presidencies have the following respon-
       sibilities:                                                     The pianist plays prelude and postlude mu-
                                                                   sic and hymn accompaniment in Young Women
           They watch over and fellowship class mem-               meetings.
       bers, especially those who are new members or
       less active and those who have disabilities or
       other special needs. They pray for them, spend       10.4   Leadership Meetings
       time with them, and become genuine friends.
                                                            10.4.1 Ward Council Meeting
           They help class members establish close
       friendships, learn leadership skills, and live the            The Young Women president serves as a
       gospel.                                                     member of the ward council (see chapter 4).

           They help each young woman know that she         10.4.2 Bishopric Youth Committee Meeting
       is welcome when she becomes a member of their
       class.                                                          The bishop presides over the bishopric youth
                                                                   committee. This committee is composed of the
          They support class members’ efforts in the               bishopric, one of the bishop’s priests quorum as-
       Personal Progress program.                                  sistants, the teachers and deacons quorum pres-
           They hold regular class presidency meetings.            idents, the Young Women class presidents, and


80
                                                                                                    10. Young Women




                                                                                                                      10. Young Women
      the Young Men and Young Women presidents.                  the meeting. The secretary attends, takes notes,
      For more information, see 18.2.9.                          and keeps track of assignments. The Young
                                                                 Women presidency member and class adviser
10.4.3 Ward Young Women Presidency Meeting                       who are responsible for the class also attend.
          The Young Women presidency holds a presi-                 The agenda may include the following items:
      dency meeting regularly. The president presides             1. Plan ways to strengthen class members, in-
      at the meeting and conducts it. The secretary                  cluding new members and less-active mem-
      attends, takes notes, and keeps track of assign-               bers. Also plan ways to fellowship young
      ments.                                                         women of other faiths.
         The agenda may include the following items:              2. Read and discuss scripture passages and in-
       1. Evaluate how the young women in each                       structions from Church leaders that relate to
          class are accomplishing the objectives listed              their responsibilities.
          in 10.1.1. Plan ways to help individual young           3. Plan to visit class members as needed.
          women accomplish those objectives more
          completely.                                             4. Discuss ways to help each young woman
                                                                     succeed in Personal Progress.
       2. Read and discuss scripture passages and in-
          structions from Church leaders that relate to           5. Plan class meetings and activities.
          their callings.                                         6. Consider items to discuss in bishopric youth
       3. Make plans to instruct class presidencies in               committee meeting (see 18.2.9).
          their duties.                                           7. Receive leadership training from ward Young
       4. Discuss the effectiveness of Young Women                   Women leaders.
          activities. Discuss ways to include young
          women in planning activities that help them     10.4.6 Stake Young Women Leadership Meeting
          incorporate the Young Women values in their                Stake Young Women leadership meeting
          lives.                                                 is generally held once a year, as explained in
       5. Discuss gospel instruction in Sunday classes           18.3.11. Ward Young Women presidencies and
          and plan ways to improve.                              secretaries attend. Advisers, specialists, and the
                                                                 bishopric member assigned to the Young Women
       6. Review attendance records. Plan ways to help           may be invited to attend as needed.
          new members and less-active young women
          participate.
       7. Review the Young Women budget and expen-        10.5   Standards
          ditures.                                                   Standards provide sure direction to strengthen
          The Young Women presidency may invite                  and guide members of the Church. As young
      advisers and specialists to attend these meetings          women keep gospel standards, they will be of
      as needed.                                                 great service in the Church and the world. They
                                                                 will also be worthy to receive the ordinances of
10.4.4 Meeting with a Counselor in the Bishopric                 the temple.
          The Young Women presidency meets reg-                      In the booklet For the Strength of Youth, the
      ularly with the counselor in the bishopric who             First Presidency outlines gospel standards and
      oversees the Young Women organization. In                  teaches youth how to apply them. Every young
      these meetings they counsel together about the             woman should have a copy of For the Strength
      progress and needs of individual young women.              of Youth. She should review the standards often
      Members of the Young Women presidency give                 and consider how well she is living them.
      reports, make recommendations, and review                      Young Women leaders should study the
      plans for meetings and activities. When appro-             standards in the booklet and exemplify them.
      priate, Young Women advisers and class presi-              They should ﬁnd ways to teach and reinforce
      dencies may be invited to attend this meeting to           these standards often in lessons and at Mutual
      give reports and receive instruction.                      activities, camp, youth conference, and other ac-
                                                                 tivities.
10.4.5 Class Presidency Meeting
                                                                     Members of the bishopric and Young Women
        Each class presidency holds a presidency                 leaders can encourage parents to study gospel
      meeting regularly. The class president conducts            standards, exemplify them, and discuss them with


                                                                                                                81
10. Young Women



       their daughters. They can also encourage young                teach on occasion. Those who teach should fol-
       women to use For the Strength of Youth as a resource          low the principles in 5.5.4.
       for family home evening lessons and talks.                        Leaders encourage each young woman to
                                                                     bring her personal copy of the scriptures where
                                                                     possible. As needed for individual lessons, lead-
10.6   Sunday Gospel Instruction
                                                                     ers may also ask young women to bring other
           Young women gather each Sunday to increase                Church-approved resources.
       their gospel understanding, to recognize how the
                                                                         Young women and young men may occasion-
       gospel answers their daily questions, to have op-
                                                                     ally meet together, as directed by the bishopric.
       portunities to feel the Spirit, and to strengthen
       and share their testimonies.
                                                              10.7   Personal Progress
10.6.1 Opening Exercises
                                                                         Personal Progress is an achievement program
           Where possible, all young women meet to-                  designed to help young women strengthen their
       gether for brief opening exercises before Sunday              testimonies of Jesus Christ, prepare for their fu-
       classes. The ward Young Women presidency                      ture roles, and prepare to be worthy to make and
       oversees this portion of the meeting, and a mem-              keep sacred temple covenants.
       ber of a class presidency conducts.
                                                                         The goals of the program are outlined in
          In opening exercises, leaders establish an                 the Young Women Personal Progress book. Young
       atmosphere that invites the Spirit for the lessons            women work with their parents and Young
       that follow. Opening exercises include a wel-                 Women leaders to set and accomplish goals that
       come, a hymn, a prayer, recitation of the Young               are based on the Young Women values.
       Women theme, and announcements.
                                                                         After careful consideration, parents and
           When authorized by the stake president,                   leaders may modify the program to help young
       Young Women and Relief Society opening ex-                    women with special needs. For example, they
       ercises may be combined one Sunday a month                    may consider the needs of young women with
       (see 9.7.1).                                                  disabilities or educational limitations, young
                                                                     women who join the Church or become active in
10.6.2 Classes                                                       Young Women after age 16, and young women
           After opening exercises, young women meet                 who are not Church members. When making
       for gospel instruction. Young Women classes                   any changes or exceptions for one person, lead-
       usually meet separately by age-group. However,                ers should consider the effect those changes may
       leaders may consider the following alternatives               have on others.
       as needed:
        1. In a ward with a large number of young             10.7.1 Personal Progress Activities at Mutual
           women, more than one class may be orga-                       Young Women leaders and class presiden-
           nized in an age-group, with an adviser and                cies may plan some Personal Progress activities
           class presidency called for each class.                   for Mutual (see 10.8.1). For example, all young
        2. In a ward or branch with few young women,                 women could assist with another young wom-
           age-groups may be combined for Sunday                     an’s value project. Such group activities should
           gospel instruction, and advisers may not be               be planned prayerfully and selectively to ensure
           needed.                                                   that the Personal Progress program remains per-
                                                                     sonal for each young woman.
        3. In any ward, all the young women may
           meet together once a month for a combined          10.7.2 Emblems, Certiﬁcates, and Recognition
           lesson.
                                                                         Ward leaders may obtain Personal Progress
           Lessons are usually taught by members of the              certiﬁcates and awards through Church Distri-
       Young Women presidency or by Young Women                      bution Services. They use ward budget funds to
       advisers. Presidency members and advisers                     purchase these items.
       may divide this responsibility as needed. Young
       women may assist in teaching from time to time.        10.7.3 Personal Progress Responsibilities of Leaders
       When young women give instruction, a member
       of the Young Women presidency or an adviser                   Young Women Leaders
       helps them prepare. Priesthood leaders and other                 When a young woman reaches age 12, the sec-
       faithful ward members may also be invited to                  ond counselor in the Young Women presidency

82
                                                                                                        10. Young Women




                                                                                                                          10. Young Women
       and the class adviser for the Beehives arrange to     10.8.1 Mutual
       meet with her and her parents. A member of the                  Most Young Women activities occur during
       Beehive class presidency may also attend.                   a time called Mutual. The term Mutual suggests
           The leaders give the young woman a Young                shared experiences in which there is mutual re-
       Women Personal Progress book and explain the                spect and support for one another and opportu-
       program to her and her parents. They encourage              nities to learn together. Mutual activities should
       her parents to work with her in selecting and               provide youth with a variety of opportunities to
       completing Personal Progress experiences and                serve others and to develop spiritually, socially,
       projects. They explain that her mother may also             physically, and intellectually.
       work on Personal Progress and earn an award.                     Mutual is generally held weekly. If travel or
       Other women may also help and participate in                other restrictions make this impractical, Mutual
       the program themselves.                                     may be held less frequently, but it should be held
           Young Women leaders give the young woman                at least monthly. Mutual should be 1 to 1½ hours
       copies of For the Strength of Youth and True to the         long and should take place on a day or evening
       Faith (if the bishop has not already given them             other than Sunday or Monday.
       to her). They also give her a pendant with the                  The Young Women presidency, under the
       Young Women logo on it, which can be ordered                direction of the bishopric, oversees Mutual for
       through Church Distribution Services.                       young women.
           Young Women leaders also give this orien-                  Young Men and Young Women presidencies
       tation to young women who enter the organiza-               may occasionally use Mutual activities to pre-
       tion later than age 12.                                     pare for stake or multistake activities (see 13.3).
           Additional instructions for parents and lead-
       ers are included in the Young Women Personal                Annual Theme for Mutual
       Progress book.                                                  Each year, the First Presidency announces a
                                                                   theme for Mutual. Leaders emphasize this theme
       Bishop                                                      in Mutual opening exercises and in other youth
           When a young woman completes the en-                    activities.
       tire Personal Progress program, the bishop in-
       terviews her. This can be part of his annual or             Opening Exercises
       six-month interview with her. He may use the                   Mutual usually begins with brief opening
       standards in For the Strength of Youth as a guide.          exercises presided over by a member of the bish-
       He may also verify her attendance at sacrament              opric. The bishop’s priests quorum assistants
       meeting and in seminary (where available) and               and members of the Laurel class presidency take
       her reading of the Book of Mormon. When he                  turns conducting. Adult leaders prepare youth
       determines that she is ready to receive the Young           leaders for this responsibility.
       Womanhood Recognition, he signs her Personal
                                                                      Opening exercises include a hymn and prayer
       Progress book. He may present the award to her
                                                                   and may also include musical selections and op-
       in a sacrament meeting.
                                                                   portunities for the youth to share their talents
                                                                   and testimonies.
10.8   Activities and Events
                                                                   Quorum and Class Activities or
           Young Women leaders, including class pres-              Combined Activities
       idencies, plan activities based on the needs and
       interests of the young women. They make a spe-                  Following opening exercises, Aaronic Priest-
       cial effort to reach out to all the young women,            hood quorums and Young Women classes gener-
       including those who have recently joined the                ally hold separate activities. In a ward or branch
       Church and those who are less active. Activities            with few young women, all the young women
       may help young women accomplish their goals                 may meet together for activities. Activities may
       in the Personal Progress program. Class presi-              also be planned for any combination of quorums
       dencies should participate as much as possible              and classes.
       in planning and carrying out activities.                       Combined activities for all young men and
          Plans for Young Women activities should                  young women are normally held once a month.
       be approved by a member of the bishopric and                Members of the bishopric youth committee
       should follow the guidelines in chapter 13.                 schedule, plan, and review these activities in their



                                                                                                                    83
10. Young Women



       meetings. The activities are carried out under               presidency invites a member of the bishopric to
       the direction of the bishopric.                              give concluding remarks.
           Some examples of appropriate activities are                  Class presidencies plan the program under
       service projects, music, dance, drama, cultural              the direction of the Young Women presidency.
       events, sports or athletic events, career explora-           The Young Women presidency may ask special-
       tion, and outdoor activities.                                ists to help (for example, to direct a choir or in-
                                                                    strumental group, rehearse speakers, or direct a
10.8.2 Bishopric Youth Discussions                                  skit). A member of the Laurel class presidency
           Bishopric youth discussions are planned and              may conduct.
       carried out by the bishopric. These discussions,
       which are held occasionally, give the bishopric        10.8.4 Young Women in Excellence
       opportunities to address subjects that are inter-                Young Women in Excellence is an event in
       esting to the youth and that strengthen the youth            which young women are recognized for the
       spiritually. Topics in For the Strength of Youth and         good things they are doing. It is a celebration of
       True to the Faith are especially appropriate. Occa-          Personal Progress. Each young woman shares a
       sionally the bishopric may invite guests to par-             value experience or value project she has com-
       ticipate. Guests are usually members of the ward             pleted during the year that exhibits excellence.
       or stake.                                                    Her presentation may include talents and skills
           Bishopric youth discussions may be held                  she has developed through her Personal Prog-
       with all of the youth together or with the youth             ress goals. Young Women leaders invite parents
       of a certain age-group. They may be held dur-                to attend.
       ing Mutual, on Sunday during the time for quo-                   At the beginning of the year, leaders encour-
       rum meetings and Young Women classes, or at                  age each young woman to give serious thought
       another time that does not put undue burden                  to the values she might focus on for this event.
       on families. The bishopric determines their fre-             She may work with a family member, another
       quency. They are scheduled in bishopric youth                young woman, or others on the projects, which
       committee meetings.                                          may take several months to complete.
                                                                        This event is usually held during Mutual at
10.8.3 New Beginnings                                               the ward level, but it may be held at the stake
           New Beginnings is an annual event for young              level. Adult leaders include the young women
       women and their parents, priesthood leaders,                 in planning it. The date and plans for the event
       and Young Women leaders. Young women who                     should be announced early in the year.
       will reach age 12 in the coming year are also in-
       vited to attend with their parents. It may be held     10.8.5 Standards Events
       at the beginning of the school year or the calen-                Standards events are special programs that
       dar year. It may be held during Mutual.                      emphasize moral values and eternal goals. They
           This event helps young women and their par-              encourage young women to live the standards in
       ents learn about the Young Women program. It                 For the Strength of Youth, which will bring them
       includes an explanation of Personal Progress and             closer to the Savior.
       a presentation of the Young Women theme, logo,                   These events are held annually, or more often
       motto, and age-group purpose statements and                  as needed, usually during Mutual. They may be
       symbols (see 10.1). It should help young women               held on a class, ward, multiward, or stake level.
       and their parents plan for events in the coming              Depending on how a subject is presented, these
       year.                                                        events may include any combination of Young
          New Beginnings provides opportunities for                 Women age-groups. They may also include
       leaders to express love for the young women,                 mothers, fathers, mothers and fathers together,
       encourage parents to help their daughters in                 and young men.
       Personal Progress experiences, introduce young
       women who will reach age 12 in the coming year,        10.8.6 Young Women Camp
       and welcome young women who have joined the                      The Church encourages one annual camp or
       Church or moved into the ward. It is a time to               similar activity for young women. In planning
       recognize young women and their accomplish-                  this activity, Young Women leaders use the Young
       ments in Personal Progress. The Young Women                  Women Camp Manual and Young Women Camp:
                                                                    A Guide for Priesthood and Young Women Leaders.


84
                                                                                                          10. Young Women




                                                                                                                            10. Young Women
         Camp may be held on a ward or stake level.
                                                             10.9    Teaching Leadership Skills and
      Under the direction of priesthood leaders, stake
      and ward Young Women presidencies deter-                       Qualities
      mine the extent of the camp program for young                      Young Women leaders teach leadership skills
      women.                                                         and qualities as they work with class presiden-
          Priesthood leaders may call stake and ward                 cies, camp leaders, and other young women in
      Young Women specialists to be camp leaders.                    leadership positions. This teaching occurs as
      Camp leaders organize and conduct the camp                     leaders help young women plan and carry out
      program under the direction of the Young                       activities and participate together in service proj-
      Women presidency. They may work with ward                      ects for Personal Progress. In this effort, leaders
      leaders and the stake activities committee to ar-              may refer to chapter 3 in this handbook.
      range for equipment, transportation, and other
      assistance.
                                                             10.10   Stake Young Women Leadership
          For information about ﬁnancing camp, see
      10.8.9. For information about safety at camp, see      10.10.1 Stake Presidency
      13.6.20 and the Young Women Camp Manual.                           Members of the stake presidency oversee the
                                                                     Young Women organization in the stake. As part
10.8.7 Stake and Multistake Activities                               of this responsibility, they instruct bishops in
         See 13.3.                                                   their responsibilities for young women.
                                                                         The stake president assigns one of his coun-
10.8.8 Youth Conference                                              selors to oversee the stake Young Women orga-
         See 13.4.                                                   nization.
                                                                        For more information about the stake presi-
10.8.9 Funding for Activities and Events                             dency’s responsibilities relating to auxiliary or-
          Funding for Young Women activities and                     ganizations, see 15.1.
      events should come from the ward budget (see
      13.2.8).                                               10.10.2 High Councilor Assigned to the
                                                                     Stake Young Women
      Funding for an Annual Camp or Similar Activity                     The stake president assigns a member of
          If the ward budget does not have sufﬁcient                 the high council to work with the stake Young
      funds to pay for an annual Young Women camp                    Women presidency. This high councilor’s re-
      or similar activity, leaders may ask participants              sponsibilities are outlined in 15.3.
      to pay for part or all of it. If funds from partici-
      pants are not sufﬁcient, the bishop may autho-         10.10.3 Stake Young Women Presidency
      rize one group fund-raising activity each year                    The responsibilities of the stake Young Women
      that complies with the guidelines in 13.6.8.                   presidency are outlined in 15.4.1.
         In no case should the expenses or travel for
      an annual camp or similar activity be excessive.       10.10.4 Stake Young Women Secretary
      Nor should the lack of personal funds prohibit                     The responsibilities of the stake Young Women
      a member from participating.                                   secretary are outlined in 15.4.2.

      Funding for Equipment and Supplies                     10.10.5 Stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young Women
          If possible, equipment and supplies that the               Committee
      ward needs for annual youth camps are pur-                         The stake president assigns a counselor to
      chased with ward budget funds. If these funds                  preside over the stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young
      are not sufﬁcient, the bishop may authorize one                Women committee. Other committee members
      group fund-raising activity annually that com-                 are the high councilors assigned to the stake
      plies with the guidelines in 13.6.8.                           Young Men and Young Women organizations,
          Equipment and supplies purchased with                      the stake Young Men presidency and secretary,
      Church funds, whether from the ward budget or                  and the stake Young Women presidency and
      a fund-raising activity, are for Church use only.              secretary.
      They are not for the personal use of individuals                   The stake presidency may invite youth to
      or families.                                                   attend the committee’s meetings as needed.


                                                                                                                      85
10. Young Women



        Youth should be included as much as possible
                                                                10.12   Additional Guidelines and Policies
        in planning and carrying out activities such as
        youth conferences, dances, devotionals, and             10.12.1 Youth under Age 14 in Youth Conferences
        multistake events. Youth may also participate in                and Dances
        discussions about challenges that the youth in
                                                                           Youth under age 14 do not usually partici-
        the stake are facing.
                                                                        pate in youth conferences or in dances that are
                                                                        held at times other than the regularly scheduled
10.10.6 Stake Young Women Activity Specialists
                                                                        Mutual night (see 13.6.14). An annual Young
            The stake presidency may assign stake mem-                  Women camp is an exception to this guideline.
        bers to serve temporarily as Young Women spe-
        cialists, helping plan and carry out stake activities   10.12.2 Young Women of Other Faiths
        or programs. Specialists may be assigned for such
                                                                            Young women of other faiths who agree to
        activities as Young Women camp, stake and mul-
                                                                        abide by Church standards should be welcomed
        tistake events, and sports. They serve under the
                                                                        warmly and encouraged to participate in youth
        direction of the stake Young Women presidency.
                                                                        activities. They may also participate in the Per-
                                                                        sonal Progress program and earn the recogni-
10.11   Adapting the Young Women                                        tion. Expenses for their participation should be
                                                                        handled the same as for young women who are
        Organization to Local Needs
                                                                        members of the Church.
             In a ward or branch with few young women,
        all the young women may meet together for in-           10.12.3 Young Women Who Have Disabilities
        struction (see 10.3.5 and 10.6.2). They also may
                                                                           Young women who have disabilities are
        meet together for activities.
                                                                        normally included in their regular classes. Ex-
            If adult leadership is limited in a ward or                 ceptions may be made with the approval of the
        branch, the Young Women presidency may teach                    parents and the bishopric.
        the Sunday lessons and administer the activity
                                                                           For information about understanding, in-
        program without advisers. In a very small unit,
                                                                        cluding, and teaching young women who have
        the Young Women president may be the only
                                                                        disabilities, see 21.1.26 and disabilities.lds.org.
        adult leader in the Young Women organization.
        In this case, she teaches the Sunday lessons and
                                                                10.12.4 Young Women Who Are Pregnant out of
        oversees activities for all young women. When
                                                                        Wedlock or Who Are Unwed Mothers
        possible, counselors and a secretary should be
        called.                                                             If a young woman is pregnant out of wed-
                                                                        lock, the decision to participate in Young Women
            In a very small branch that does not have a
                                                                        classes and activities is left to the prayerful dis-
        Young Women president, the Relief Society pres-
                                                                        cretion of the young woman, her parents, and
        ident may help parents organize instruction for
                                                                        the bishop.
        the young women until a Young Women presi-
        dent is called.                                                     If a young woman age 17 or older has a baby
                                                                        out of wedlock and chooses to keep the child, she
            Because youth often beneﬁt from socializ-
                                                                        is welcomed into Relief Society, where she can
        ing in larger groups, the young men and young
                                                                        be taught and helped in her new responsibilities.
        women in two or more small wards or branches
                                                                        She no longer participates in Young Women.
        may meet occasionally for combined activities. If
        neighboring wards and branches have few young                       If a young woman under 17 has a baby out
        women, the bishops and branch presidents may                    of wedlock and chooses to keep the child, the
        authorize the young women to meet together for                  decision to participate in Young Women is left
        weekly activities. When considering these op-                   to the prayerful discretion of the young woman,
        tions, bishops and branch presidents take into                  her parents, and the bishop. If the young woman
        account factors such as distance and travel cost.               participates in these classes and activities, the
                                                                        child should not accompany her.
            In a small stake or a district, the Young Women
        president may be the only stake or district Young                   For information on the Church policy dis-
        Women leader. When possible, counselors and                     couraging single young women from keeping a
        a secretary should be called.                                   child born out of wedlock, see 21.4.12.
            For general information about adapting to
        local needs, see chapter 17.


86
11. Primary

11.1 Theme and Purposes of Primary . . . . . . . . . . . 88                                    11.5.3 Scouting Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
                                                                                               11.5.4 Children’s Sacrament Meeting
11.2 Ward Primary Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                      88                  Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
     11.2.1 Bishopric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     88         11.5.5 Priesthood Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
     11.2.2 Ward Primary Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                   88
     11.2.3 Ward Primary Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                  89   11.6 Stake Primary Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
     11.2.4 Ward Primary Music Leader(s)                                                      11.6.1 Stake Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
                and Pianist(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89         11.6.2 High Councilor Assigned to the
       11.2.5 Primary Teachers and Nursery Leaders . . 89                                               Stake Primary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
       11.2.6 Activity Days Leaders and                                                        11.6.3 Stake Primary Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93




                                                                                                                                                                                  11. Primary
                Scout Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90             11.6.4 Stake Primary Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
                                                                                               11.6.5 Stake Primary Music Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
11.3 Leadership Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
     11.3.1 Ward Council Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90                    11.7 Adapting the Primary Organization to
     11.3.2 Ward Primary Presidency Meeting . . . . . . 90                                     Local Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
     11.3.3 Meeting with a Counselor in
                                                                                         11.8 Additional Guidelines and Policies . . . . . . . . . 94
              the Bishopric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
       11.3.4 Stake Primary Leadership Meeting . . . . . . 90                                 11.8.1 Men Serving in Primary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
                                                                                              11.8.2 Baptismal Services for Eight-Year-Old
11.4 Sunday Primary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .               90                  Children of Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
     11.4.1 Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      90         11.8.3 Testimony Bearing in Primary . . . . . . . . . . . 94
     11.4.2 Sharing Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          91         11.8.4 Encouraging Reverence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
     11.4.3 Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   91         11.8.5 Portrayals of Deity in Role-Playing
                                                                                                        Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
11.5 Primary Programs, Activities, and Events . . . 92                                         11.8.6 Children Who Have Special Needs . . . . . . . 94
     11.5.1 Faith in God Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92                        11.8.7 Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
     11.5.2 Activity Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92




                                                                                                                                                                            87
11. Primary

           The Primary is an auxiliary to the priesthood.           8-year-old children who are members of record
       All auxiliaries exist to help Church members                 and 8-year-old children who are not members
       grow in their testimonies of Heavenly Father,                of record but have at least one parent or guard-
       Jesus Christ, and the restored gospel. Through               ian who is a member. The full-time missionaries
       the work of the auxiliaries, members receive in-             teach and interview 8-year-old children whose
       struction, encouragement, and support as they                parents are not members and children who will
       strive to live according to gospel principles.               be 9 years old or older at the time of baptism.
                                                                       The bishop or an assigned counselor inter-
                                                                    views children before they reach age 12 and ad-
11.1   Theme and Purposes of Primary
                                                                    vance from Primary.
           Primary is for children ages 18 months through
       11 years. The Primary theme is “All thy children             Counselor Assigned to Oversee the Ward Primary
       shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be
                                                                        The bishop assigns one of his counselors to
       the peace of thy children” (3 Nephi 22:13). The
                                                                    oversee the ward Primary. This counselor has the
       purposes of Primary are to help children:
                                                                    following responsibilities:
        1. Feel Heavenly Father’s love for them.
                                                                        He meets regularly with the ward Primary
        2. Learn and understand the gospel of Jesus                 presidency. He reports on Primary matters in
           Christ.                                                  bishopric meetings.
        3. Feel and recognize the inﬂuence of the Holy                 He guides efforts to prepare the annual chil-
           Ghost.                                                   dren’s sacrament meeting presentation.
        4. Prepare to make and keep sacred covenants.                  He directs the planning of the Priesthood Pre-
           Parents have the ﬁrst responsibility for the             view.
       spiritual and physical welfare of their children                 He coordinates efforts to have members of
       (see D&C 68:25–28). The bishopric, Primary lead-             the bishopric give short messages to the children
       ers, and Primary teachers support but do not                 in sharing time.
       replace parents in this responsibility.
                                                                       Where Scouting is authorized by the Church,
                                                                    he oversees Scouting for boys ages 8 through 11.
11.2   Ward Primary Leadership
                                                               11.2.2 Ward Primary Presidency
           This chapter focuses on administering the
       Primary in a way that will strengthen individuals                The ward Primary presidency consists of a
       and families. Primary leaders frequently review              president and two counselors. They work un-
       chapter 3, which outlines general principles of              der the direction of the bishopric. They receive
       leadership. These principles include preparing               orientation and ongoing support from the stake
       spiritually, participating in councils, minister-            Primary presidency.
       ing to others, and teaching the gospel of Jesus
                                                                    Ward Primary President
       Christ.
                                                                       The Primary president has the following re-
11.2.1 Bishopric                                                    sponsibilities:
       Bishop and His Counselors                                        She serves as a member of the ward council.
                                                                    As a member of this council, she participates in
          The bishop and his counselors provide priest-
                                                                    efforts to build faith and strengthen individuals
       hood leadership for the Primary.
                                                                    and families (see chapter 4).
           The bishop calls and sets apart a sister to serve
                                                                        She submits recommendations to the bish-
       as Primary president. He oversees the calling and
                                                                    opric for ward members to be called to serve as
       setting apart of all other Primary workers. He
                                                                    leaders and teachers in the Primary. In making
       may assign his counselors to call and set them
                                                                    these recommendations, she follows the guide-
       apart.
                                                                    lines in 19.1.1 and 19.1.2.
           The bishop or an assigned counselor conducts
       interviews for the baptism and conﬁrmation of


88
                                                                                                         11. Primary



          She teaches other Primary leaders and teachers             She assists children, teachers, and parents as
      their duties, using this handbook as a resource.           requested by the Primary presidency. For exam-
         She oversees the use of the Faith in God guide-         ple, she may help monitor classes and maintain
      books as described in 11.5.1.                              reverence during sharing time. She may also as-
                                                                 sign children to give talks in upcoming sharing
          She oversees the records, reports, budget,             times and inform the children’s parents of the
      and ﬁnances of the ward Primary. The Primary               assignments.
      secretary helps with this responsibility.
                                                           11.2.4 Ward Primary Music Leader(s) and Pianist(s)
      Ward Primary President and Her Counselors
                                                                     Under the direction of the Primary presi-
           Members of the ward Primary presidency                dency, Primary music leaders and pianists have
      work together to fulﬁll the following responsibil-         the following responsibilities:
      ities. The Primary president may assign her coun-
                                                                     They plan, teach, and direct the music for




                                                                                                                       11. Primary
      selors to oversee some of these responsibilities.
                                                                 sharing time, including songs that will be part of
         They learn the children’s names and become              the children’s sacrament meeting presentation.
      familiar with their talents, interests, and chal-
      lenges. They look for ways to strengthen chil-                They help with music for the nursery class
      dren individually and help them participate in             and other Primary classes as requested.
      Primary.                                                      They may organize and direct a children’s
          They orient newly called teachers and over-            choir as requested.
      see efforts to improve gospel learning and teach-              Members of the Primary presidency help the
      ing in Primary. In these efforts, they follow the          ward Primary music leaders and pianists un-
      principles in 5.5.3 and 5.5.4. They also support           derstand how music contributes to Primary. The
      Primary teachers and nursery leaders by (1) vis-           melodies, words, and messages of Primary songs
      iting with them occasionally to address their              can teach children the doctrines of the gospel and
      questions and concerns and to discuss ways to              stay in their hearts throughout their lives.
      serve the children; (2) helping them maintain                  Music in Primary should invite reverence,
      reverence during sharing time, class time, and             teach the gospel, and help children feel the in-
      breaks; and (3) arranging to visit their classes.          ﬂuence of the Holy Ghost and the joy that comes
         They plan sharing time and oversee the pro-             through singing. While the children sing some
      grams, activities, and events listed in 11.5.              songs, music leaders give them opportunities to
          They hold Primary presidency meetings.                 move physically and stretch appropriately.
      They also meet regularly with the counselor in                 The Children’s Songbook and the current shar-
      the bishopric who oversees Primary.                        ing time outline are the basic resources for music
                                                                 in Primary. Hymns from the hymnbook and
11.2.3 Ward Primary Secretary                                    songs from the Friend and Liahona are also ap-
         The ward Primary secretary has the following            propriate. Occasionally children may sing pa-
      responsibilities:                                          triotic or holiday songs that are suitable for
                                                                 Sunday and for the children’s ages. The use of
          She consults with the presidency to prepare            any other music in Primary must be approved
      agendas for presidency meetings. She attends               by the bishopric.
      these meetings, takes notes, and keeps track of
      assignments.                                                   For information about teaching music to chil-
                                                                 dren, see the Children’s Songbook, pages 300–304.
          At least quarterly, she compiles attendance            See also chapter 14 in this handbook, the current
      information, reviews it with the Primary presi-            outline for sharing time, and “Music Callings
      dent, and submits it to the ward clerk.                    and Resources” in the Serving in the Church
          She ensures that the Primary president and             section of LDS.org.
      ward executive secretary are aware of children
      who will soon be eligible for baptism and who        11.2.5 Primary Teachers and Nursery Leaders
      will soon advance from Primary to the Aaronic                  Primary teachers and nursery leaders work
      Priesthood and Young Women.                                with speciﬁc age-groups of children. These teach-
         She helps the Primary presidency prepare an             ers and leaders follow the principles outlined in
      annual budget and account for expenses.                    5.5.4.



                                                                                                                 89
11. Primary



            Primary teachers and nursery leaders remain                Primary organization. In these meetings they
        with the children during the entire Primary time               counsel together about the progress and needs
        on Sunday, including sharing time and breaks.                  of individual children. Members of the Primary
        During sharing time, they sit with their assigned              presidency give reports, make recommendations,
        classes, sing the songs with the children, and help            and review plans for meetings and activities.
        the children participate reverently.                           When appropriate, other Primary workers may
                                                                       be invited to attend this meeting to give reports
11.2.6 Activity Days Leaders and Scout Leaders                         and receive instruction.
            If a ward Primary holds activity days and
        Scouting activities for children ages 8 through         11.3.4 Stake Primary Leadership Meeting
        11, the activities may be planned and conducted                    Stake Primary leadership meeting is gen-
        by the teachers of these children or by other lead-            erally held once a year, as explained in 18.3.11.
        ers the bishopric calls to fulﬁll these responsibili-          Ward Primary presidencies and secretaries at-
        ties (see 11.5.2 and 11.5.3).                                  tend. Other Primary leaders and teachers, as well
                                                                       as the bishopric member assigned to the Primary,
                                                                       may be invited to attend as needed.
11.3    Leadership Meetings
11.3.1 Ward Council Meeting
                                                                11.4   Sunday Primary
            The Primary president serves as a member of
        the ward council (see chapter 4).                       11.4.1 Schedule
                                                                          Sunday Primary is normally held for 1 hour
11.3.2 Ward Primary Presidency Meeting                                 and 40 minutes while adults and youth attend
           The Primary presidency holds a presidency                   priesthood meetings, Relief Society meeting,
        meeting regularly. The president presides at the               Young Women classes, and Sunday School.
        meeting and conducts it. The secretary attends,                    Children in the nursery stay in their nursery
        takes notes, and keeps track of assignments.                   class for the entire time, as outlined in the nurs-
              The agenda may include the following items:              ery manual, Behold Your Little Ones. The other
                                                                       children attend two sessions. In one session,
         1. Plan ways to strengthen individual children                children meet together for 50 minutes for shar-
            and teachers in the Primary.                               ing time. In the other session, they divide into
         2. Read and discuss scripture passages and in-                smaller classes for 40-minute lessons taught by
            structions from Church leaders that relate to              their Primary teachers.
            their callings.                                                The children and teachers who attend sharing
         3. Discuss the effectiveness of Sunday Primary,               time and classes have a 10-minute break between
            including music. Also discuss the effective-               the two sessions. During this break, they prepare
            ness of weekday activities. Plan ways to im-               for the next session. Children may use the rest-
            prove.                                                     room or get a drink of water. Teachers supervise
         4. Make plans to instruct other Primary workers               the children throughout the break.
            in their responsibilities.                                     The following charts show three options for
         5. Review attendance records. Make plans to                   scheduling Sunday Primary. When considering
            help children who have recently entered Pri-               which option to follow, Primary leaders ensure
            mary and children whose families are less                  that the older children attend sharing time at the
            active.                                                    same time as Aaronic Priesthood quorum meet-
                                                                       ings and Young Women classes. This will allow
         6. Review the Primary budget and expendi-                     for a smooth transition for children when they
            tures.                                                     reach age 12.
           The Primary presidency may invite other                         Option 1: The younger children and older
        Primary workers to attend these meetings as                    children meet for sharing time in two different
        needed.                                                        groups. During the ﬁrst 50 minutes, one group
                                                                       meets for sharing time while the other group
11.3.3 Meeting with a Counselor in the Bishopric                       divides into classes for 40 minutes and has a
            The Primary presidency meets regularly with                10-minute break. Then the two groups switch
        the counselor in the bishopric who oversees the



90
                                                                                                        11. Primary



      places, with the ﬁrst group taking a 10-minute                follow the current outline for sharing time as
      break before their classes begin.                             they prepare and teach.
      Sharing Time              Break   Classes                   4. Singing time conducted by a music leader.
      50 minutes                10      40 minutes                   This portion lasts about 20 minutes (see the
                                min-                                 current outline for sharing time).
                                utes
                                                                  5. A closing prayer by one of the children, fol-
      Classes           Break   Sharing Time                         lowed by postlude music.
      40 minutes        10      50 minutes
                        min-
                        utes                               11.4.3 Classes
                                                                    As shown in the following guidelines, chil-
                                                                 dren are normally grouped in Primary classes
          Option 2: All the children meet together for           according to their ages.




                                                                                                                      11. Primary
      sharing time ﬁrst. Then they have a break and go
                                                                     Parents, leaders, and teachers encourage
      to their classes.
                                                                 older children to bring their personal copies of
      Sharing Time              Break   Classes                  the scriptures to church where possible.
      50 minutes                10      40 minutes                   For information about adapting classes to
                                min-
                                utes                             local needs, see 11.7.

                                                                 Nursery Class
          Option 3: All the children go to their classes             Children may begin attending the nursery
      ﬁrst. Then they have a break and meet together             class as soon as they reach the age of 18 months.
      for sharing time.                                          They continue attending nursery until they are
                                                                 eligible to attend the Sunbeam class, as shown
      Classes           Break   Sharing Time                     in the chart under the next heading.
      40 minutes        10      50 minutes
                        min-
                        utes                                     Primary Classes
                                                                     Children begin attending a new Primary
                                                                 class on the ﬁrst Sunday of each calendar year.
                                                                 They are normally divided into classes based
11.4.2 Sharing Time
                                                                 on their age on January 1, as shown in the fol-
          Sharing time provides opportunities for chil-          lowing chart.
      dren to learn the gospel of Jesus Christ and feel
      the inﬂuence of the Holy Ghost. The Primary
                                                                  Age on January 1   Class
      presidency follows the outline for sharing time,
      which is sent to the ward each year. Additional                    3           Sunbeam
      copies are available from Church Distribution
                                                                         4           CTR 4
      Services and under “Primary” in the Serving in
      the Church section of LDS.org.                                     5           CTR 5
         Members of the presidency take turns con-                       6           CTR 6
      ducting sharing time. This time normally in-
                                                                         7           CTR 7
      cludes the following elements:
       1. Prelude music, a reverent song or hymn that                    8           Valiant 8
          the children know, and an opening prayer                       9           Valiant 9
          by one of the children.
                                                                         10          Valiant 10
       2. One or more of the following: a scripture pas-
          sage chosen and read by one of the children,                   11          Valiant 11
          memorization of an article of faith, a brief
          message by a member of the bishopric, one or
          two activity songs, and children’s talks that          Children Age 12
          are related to the month’s theme.
                                                                     Children advance from Primary when they
       3. Gospel instruction by the Primary presidency.          reach age 12. Leaders may give them a certiﬁcate
          This portion lasts about 15 minutes. Mem-              of advancement.
          bers of the presidency use the scriptures and


                                                                                                                91
11. Primary



            During sharing time, new 12-year-olds at-          11.5.3 Scouting Activities
        tend their Aaronic Priesthood quorum meeting                     Where Scouting is authorized by the Church,
        or Young Women class.                                        Scout activities take the place of activity days for
            During Primary class time, new 12-year-olds              boys ages 8 through 11. To maintain a gospel fo-
        normally attend their Valiant 11 Primary class               cus in Scout activities, leaders use the Faith in God
        until the end of the year. However, the bishop               for Boys guidebook as one of their resources. As
        and the presidents of the Primary, Young Men,                boys fulﬁll requirements in the guidebook, they
        Young Women, and Sunday School may coun-                     also qualify for religious awards in Scouting.
        sel together to determine if these 12-year-olds                  The children’s Primary teachers may serve as
        would beneﬁt more from attending the Sunday                  Scout leaders, or the bishopric may call others to
        School class for 12- and 13-year-olds. As these              serve as Scout leaders. Leaders ensure that Scout-
        leaders counsel together, they consider the needs            ing activities follow the guidelines in 11.8.1 and
        of the children and the times of the year when               in chapter 13.
        individual children will reach age 12. Their deci-
        sion applies to all young men and women who                      The Primary presidency ensures that all boys
        reach age 12 that year.                                      ages 8 through 11 are registered in the Scout pro-
                                                                     gram and that all Scout leaders are registered
                                                                     and receive proper training. For more informa-
11.5    Primary Programs, Activities,                                tion about Scouting, including guidelines for
        and Events                                                   planning annual day camps, see the Church’s
                                                                     Scouting Handbook and the Day Camp Guide for
11.5.1 Faith in God Program                                          Eleven-Year-Old Scouts.
            The Faith in God program helps boys and                     The Church has not adopted the Tiger Cub
        girls ages 8 through 11 live gospel principles, de-          program (in the United States) or the Beaver pro-
        velop testimonies, and prepare to be righteous               gram (in Canada) for Primary-age boys.
        Aaronic Priesthood holders and righteous young
        women. This program also encourages children           11.5.4 Children’s Sacrament Meeting Presentation
        to memorize the Articles of Faith.
                                                                        The annual children’s sacrament meeting pre-
            The ward Primary president ensures that                  sentation gives children an opportunity to share
        each child who reaches age 8 receives a copy of              what they have learned in Primary. It is normally
        Faith in God for Girls or Faith in God for Boys. She         presented during the fourth quarter of the year.
        helps parents understand that they can use these
                                                                         The Primary presidency and music leader(s)
        guidebooks as resources for activities with indi-
                                                                     prepare the presentation under the direction of
        vidual children and with the entire family.
                                                                     the bishopric. They follow the guidelines in the
11.5.2 Activity Days
                                                                     current outline for sharing time, adapting it as
                                                                     needed to ﬁt the circumstances of the children.
            Where practical, the Primary may hold ac-
                                                                         In the sacrament meeting, the presentation
        tivity days for boys and girls ages 8 through 11.
                                                                     comes after the administration of the sacrament
        Leaders and teachers use the Faith in God guide-
                                                                     and may take all or part of the remaining time.
        books as resources for activity days, supporting
                                                                     All Primary children ages 3 through 11 sing songs
        the work children and parents do at home to ful-
                                                                     they have learned in sharing time. Children may
        ﬁll Faith in God requirements.
                                                                     also participate by reading or reciting scripture
             Activity days are held no more than twice               passages, giving talks, singing in small groups,
        each month. They may be held at the meeting-                 and sharing their testimonies. An adult leader in
        house or in a home. As leaders determine the                 Primary may also share a brief message.
        frequency and location of activity days, they con-
                                                                        In keeping with the sacredness of sacrament
        sider the time constraints of the children’s fam-
                                                                     meeting, the presentation should not include vi-
        ilies, travel distance and costs, children’s safety,
                                                                     suals, costumes, or media presentations.
        and other local circumstances. Leaders ensure
        that activity days follow the guidelines in 11.8.1
                                                               11.5.5 Priesthood Preview
        and in chapter 13.
                                                                        A meeting called Priesthood Preview is held
            The children’s Primary teachers conduct ac-
                                                                     each year for 11-year-old boys and their parents.
        tivity days unless the bishopric calls separate
                                                                     The purpose of this meeting is to help boys un-
        activity days leaders.
                                                                     derstand the priesthood and strengthen their


92
                                                                                                            11. Primary



       commitment to prepare to receive it. Possible                   Instruction should include demonstrating
       topics for the meeting include priesthood pur-              effective ways to teach the gospel to children
       poses, responsibilities, and blessings (for some            through music. Resources include the Children’s
       ideas, see Faith in God for Boys, pages 12–13).             Songbook, pages 300–304. See also chapter 14 in
           A member of the bishopric conducts the                  this handbook, the current outline for sharing
       Priesthood Preview, and at least one member                 time, and “Music Callings and Resources” in the
       of the Primary presidency attends. Other lead-              Serving in the Church section of LDS.org.
       ers, including members of the deacons quorum
       presidency and Young Men presidency, may also
                                                            11.7   Adapting the Primary Organization to
       attend.
                                                                   Local Needs
           If a ward has very few 11-year-old boys, the
                                                                       In a ward with many children in an age-
       meeting may be held, under the direction of the
                                                                   group, Primary leaders may organize multiple
       stake presidency, with other wards or with the




                                                                                                                          11. Primary
                                                                   classes for those children. This adaptation may
       entire stake. According to local needs, it may be
                                                                   be especially helpful in wards that have many
       held on a Sunday evening, as part of a deacons
                                                                   nursery-age children.
       quorum meeting on Sunday, or at another time.
                                                                       In a ward with few children, Primary leaders
                                                                   may combine two or more age-groups into one
11.6   Stake Primary Leadership                                    class.
11.6.1 Stake Presidency                                                In a small ward or branch, the members of
          The stake presidency’s responsibilities relat-           the Primary presidency may be the only Pri-
       ing to auxiliary organizations in the stake are             mary leaders and teachers. In a very small unit,
       outlined in 15.1.                                           the Primary president may be the only Primary
                                                                   leader and teacher. In this case, she conducts
11.6.2 High Councilor Assigned to the Stake Primary                sharing time and teaches a class for all the chil-
                                                                   dren. When possible, more leaders and teachers
            The stake president assigns a member of the            should be called in the following order:
       high council to work with the stake Primary
       presidency. This high councilor’s responsibil-               1. Counselors in the Primary presidency
       ities are outlined in 15.3. In addition to those             2. Music leaders
       responsibilities, he helps implement the Scout-              3. Primary teachers and nursery leaders
       ing program for boys ages 8 through 11 where
       it is authorized by the Church (see the Church’s             4. Secretary
       Scouting Handbook).                                          5. Activity days leaders and Scout leaders
                                                                       (where applicable)
11.6.3 Stake Primary Presidency                                        In a very small branch that does not have a
          The responsibilities of the stake Primary pres-          Primary president, the Relief Society president
       idency are outlined in 15.4.1.                              can help parents organize instruction for their
                                                                   children until a Primary president is called.
11.6.4 Stake Primary Secretary                                         In a small stake or district, the Primary pres-
           The responsibilities of the stake Primary sec-          ident may be the only stake or district Primary
       retary are outlined in 15.4.2.                              leader. When possible, other leaders should be
                                                                   called in the following order:
11.6.5 Stake Primary Music Leader                                   1. Counselors in the stake or district Primary
           Under the direction of the stake Primary                    presidency
       presidency, a stake Primary music leader may                 2. Music leader
       help give instruction in stake Primary leadership
       meetings. He or she may also give individual in-             3. Secretary
       struction to Primary presidencies, music leaders,               For general information about adapting to
       and pianists. When requested, the stake Primary             local needs, see chapter 17.
       music leader organizes and directs a stake chil-
       dren’s choir.




                                                                                                                    93
11. Primary



                                                               11.8.5 Portrayals of Deity in Role-Playing Activities
11.8    Additional Guidelines and Policies
                                                                         Leaders and teachers carefully maintain rev-
11.8.1 Men Serving in Primary                                        erence when they choose to conduct role-playing
            When considering members who might serve                 activities, especially when people dramatize sa-
        in the Primary, the bishopric and the Primary                cred events. God the Father and the Holy Ghost
        presidency should remember the positive inﬂu-                are not to be portrayed in any way. The Savior
        ence of worthy men in the ward. Children, espe-              should not be portrayed by children except in
        cially those who do not have worthy priesthood               a nativity scene. For additional guidelines, see
        holders in their homes, need to see examples of              13.6.15.
        righteous, caring priesthood holders. Men may
        serve as teachers, music leaders, pianists, activity   11.8.6 Children Who Have Special Needs
        days leaders, and Scout leaders. They may also                   When a child has a prolonged illness, a dis-
        assist in the nursery.                                       ability, or other special needs, Primary leaders
            When men are assigned to teach children, at              consult with priesthood leaders and the child’s
        least two responsible adults should be present               parents to determine ways to help.
        at all times. The two adults could be two men, a                 Children who have disabilities are normally
        husband and wife, or two members of the same                 included in their regular Primary classes. As
        family. In small branches, if it is not practical            needed, and where possible, a special teacher
        to have two teachers in a classroom, a member                may be called to attend class with them or to
        of the Primary presidency frequently visits and              teach them separately. If an illness or disabil-
        monitors each class that a man teaches alone.                ity requires that a child stay at home, Primary
                                                                     teachers may help members of the child’s family
11.8.2 Baptismal Services for Eight-Year-Old                         teach Primary lessons to him or her. The child is
        Children of Record                                           enrolled in Primary with his or her age-group,
              See 20.3.4.                                            and the teacher marks the child present when a
                                                                     lesson is given.
11.8.3 Testimony Bearing in Primary                                     Children with disabilities or other special
           Parents, Primary leaders, and teachers bear               needs normally advance from Primary when they
        simple and direct testimony when they teach,                 reach age 12.
        helping children learn what a testimony is and                   For information about understanding, includ-
        how to express a testimony.                                  ing, and teaching children who have disabilities,
            Testimony meetings are discouraged in Pri-               see 21.1.26 and disabilities.lds.org.
        mary. However, parents, Primary leaders, and
        teachers may provide other opportunities for           11.8.7 Finances
        testimony bearing. For example, children may                     Activities for all aspects of Primary—includ-
        share their testimonies when they give lessons               ing nursery, activity days, and Scouting—are
        in family home evening and when they give talks              funded from the ward budget. Supplies that
        in sharing time. Such opportunities help chil-               are purchased for Primary activities, classes, or
        dren prepare to share their testimonies in fast and          meetings belong to the ward. They are not for the
        testimony meeting when they are old enough to                personal use of Primary workers or their family
        do so without assistance from a parent, sibling,             members.
        or other person.
                                                                         If the ward budget does not have sufﬁcient
                                                                     funds to pay for an annual day camp or similar
11.8.4 Encouraging Reverence
                                                                     activity for children ages 8 through 11, leaders
            Reverence is an expression of love and respect           may ask participants to pay for part or all of it.
        for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Primary                In no case should the expenses or travel for an
        leaders and teachers help children understand                annual day camp or similar activity be excessive.
        what reverence is and how to act reverently. They            Nor should the lack of personal funds prohibit
        encourage reverence by personal example. They                a member from participating.
        also encourage reverence by coming to church
                                                                        Church funds may not be used to purchase
        prepared to teach from the scriptures and to use
                                                                     uniforms for individuals.
        visuals and learning activities that invite the in-
        ﬂuence of the Holy Ghost.                                        For more information about funding for ac-
                                                                     tivities, see 13.2.8.


94
12. Sunday School

12.1 Purposes of Sunday School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96                           12.5 Improving Learning and Teaching
                                                                                                in the Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
12.2 Ward Sunday School Leadership . . . . . . . . . . .                           96
     12.2.1 Bishopric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    96     12.6 Meetinghouse Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
     12.2.2 Ward Sunday School Presidency . . . . . . . . .                        96          12.6.1 Ward Librarian and Assistant
     12.2.3 Sunday School Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 97                   Librarians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
     12.2.4 Ward Sunday School Secretary . . . . . . . . . .                       97           12.6.2 Leadership for a Meetinghouse Library
     12.2.5 Sunday School Class Presidents . . . . . . . . .                       97                   in a Multiward Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
                                                                                                12.6.3 Meetinghouse Library Policies . . . . . . . . . . 98
12.3 Leadership Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
     12.3.1 Ward Council Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97                     12.7 Stake Sunday School Leadership . . . . . . . . . . 98
     12.3.2 Ward Sunday School Presidency                                                      12.7.1 Stake Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
                Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97         12.7.2 High Councilor Assigned to the
       12.3.3 Meeting with a Counselor in the                                                           Stake Sunday School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
              Bishopric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97            12.7.3 Stake Sunday School Presidency . . . . . . . . . 99
       12.3.4 Stake Sunday School Leadership                                                    12.7.4 Stake Sunday School Secretary . . . . . . . . . . 99
              Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
                                                                                          12.8 Adapting the Sunday School Organization
12.4 Sunday School Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97                             to Local Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
     12.4.1 Classes for Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
     12.4.2 Class for Young Single Adults . . . . . . . . . . . 98
     12.4.3 Helping Class Members with




                                                                                                                                                                                12. Sunday School
                Disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98




                                                                                                                                                                          95
12. Sunday School

           The Sunday School is an auxiliary to the          12.2.2 Ward Sunday School Presidency
       priesthood. All auxiliaries exist to help Church               Members of the ward Sunday School pres-
       members grow in their testimonies of Heavenly              idency are priesthood holders. Where possible,
       Father, Jesus Christ, and the restored gospel.             the president holds the Melchizedek Priesthood.
       Through the work of the auxiliaries, members re-           They work under the direction of the bishopric.
       ceive instruction, encouragement, and support as           They receive orientation and ongoing support
       they strive to live according to gospel principles.        from the stake Sunday School presidency.

                                                                  Ward Sunday School President
12.1   Purposes of Sunday School
                                                                      The Sunday School president has the follow-
           All Church members ages 12 and older are
                                                                  ing responsibilities:
       members of Sunday School. Those of other faiths
       are also welcome to attend and participate in Sun-             He serves as a member of the ward council.
       day School classes. The purposes of the Sunday             As a member of this council, he participates in
       School organization are to:                                efforts to build faith and strengthen individuals
                                                                  and families (see chapter 4). He comes to ward
        1. Strengthen individuals’ and families’ faith
                                                                  council meeting prepared to suggest ways mem-
           in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ through
                                                                  bers can improve learning and teaching at church
           teaching, learning, and fellowshipping.
                                                                  and in their homes. As invited by the bishop, he
        2. Help Church members “teach one another                 conducts training in ward council meeting to
           the doctrine of the kingdom” (D&C 88:77) at            help improve gospel learning and teaching in
           church and at home.                                    the ward.
                                                                      He submits recommendations to the bish-
12.2   Ward Sunday School Leadership                              opric for ward members to be called to serve as
                                                                  counselors in the Sunday School presidency, as
           This chapter focuses on administering the              Sunday School teachers, and as ward librarian
       Sunday School in a way that will strengthen indi-          and assistant librarians. If needed, he also recom-
       viduals and families. Sunday School leaders fre-           mends a ward member to serve as Sunday School
       quently review chapter 3, which outlines general           secretary. In making these recommendations, he
       principles of leadership. These principles include         follows the guidelines in 19.1.1 and 19.1.2.
       preparing spiritually, participating in councils,
       ministering to others, and teaching the gospel of             He teaches other Sunday School leaders their
       Jesus Christ.                                              duties, using this handbook as a resource.

                                                                  Ward Sunday School President and His Counselors
12.2.1 Bishopric
                                                                     Members of the ward Sunday School presi-
          The bishop and his counselors provide priest-
                                                                  dency work together to fulﬁll the following re-
       hood leadership for the Sunday School.
                                                                  sponsibilities:
           The bishop calls and sets apart the Sunday
                                                                      They oversee efforts to improve gospel learn-
       School president. He also oversees the calling
                                                                  ing and teaching in Sunday School. In these ef-
       and setting apart of other Sunday School work-
                                                                  forts, they follow the principles in 5.5.3 and 5.5.4.
       ers. He may assign his counselors to call and set
                                                                  They also support Sunday School teachers by
       them apart.
                                                                  (1) visiting with them occasionally to address
           The bishop assigns one of his counselors to            their questions and concerns and to discuss ways
       oversee the ward Sunday School, including the              to serve class members and (2) arranging to visit
       meetinghouse library. This counselor meets reg-            their classes.
       ularly with the ward Sunday School presidency.
                                                                      They serve as specialists in the ward’s efforts
       He reports on Sunday School and meetinghouse
                                                                  to improve gospel learning and teaching (see
       library matters in bishopric meetings.
                                                                  12.5).




96
                                                                                                     12. Sunday School



         They oversee the meetinghouse library. This
                                                         12.3   Leadership Meetings
     includes (1) orienting newly called librarians,
     (2) providing ongoing support and training, and     12.3.1 Ward Council Meeting
     (3) recommending an annual budget for the li-
                                                                  The Sunday School president serves as a
     brary after consulting with the ward librarian.
                                                                member of the ward council (see chapter 4).
        They hold Sunday School presidency meet-
     ings. They also participate in meetings with the    12.3.2 Ward Sunday School Presidency Meeting
     counselor in the bishopric who oversees the Sun-
                                                                    The Sunday School presidency holds a
     day School.
                                                                presidency meeting regularly. The president
          The Sunday School president assigns his               presides at the meeting and conducts it. The sec-
     counselors to oversee some areas of responsibil-           retary may attend, take notes, and keep track of
     ity. For example, he may delegate the responsi-            assignments.
     bilities for organizing Sunday School classes for
                                                                   The agenda may include the following items:
     different age-groups, orienting teachers, super-
     vising the meetinghouse library, and helping                1. Read and discuss scripture passages and in-
     Sunday School teachers arrange for substitute                  structions from Church leaders that relate to
     teachers as needed. The counselors frequently                  their callings.
     report to him on their efforts.                             2. Discuss the effectiveness of Sunday School
                                                                    classes and plan ways to help teachers and
12.2.3 Sunday School Teachers                                       class members improve.
         Sunday School teachers teach classes as as-             3. Plan ways to respond to requests to help im-
     signed by the bishopric and the Sunday School                  prove learning and teaching in other priest-
     presidency. They follow the principles outlined                hood or auxiliary organizations.




                                                                                                                         12. Sunday School
     in 5.5.4.
                                                                 4. Review attendance records. Plan ways to en-
                                                                    courage increased participation in Sunday
12.2.4 Ward Sunday School Secretary
                                                                    School.
         If needed, the bishopric may call a brother
     to serve as ward Sunday School secretary. The       12.3.3 Meeting with a Counselor in the Bishopric
     secretary may be given the following respon-
                                                                    The Sunday School presidency meets reg-
     sibilities:
                                                                ularly with the counselor in the bishopric who
         He consults with the presidency to prepare             oversees the Sunday School. In these meetings
     agendas for presidency meetings. He attends                they counsel together about learning and teach-
     presidency meetings, takes notes, and keeps                ing in Sunday School and the ward. Members
     track of assignments.                                      of the Sunday School presidency give reports,
         He compiles attendance information and                 make recommendations, and review plans for
     reviews it with the Sunday School president to             meetings.
     help determine ways to encourage members to
     participate in Sunday School. Teachers should       12.3.4 Stake Sunday School Leadership Meeting
     receive copies of this information.                            Stake Sunday School leadership meeting
                                                                is generally held once a year, as explained in
12.2.5 Sunday School Class Presidents                           18.3.11. Ward Sunday School presidencies and
         With the approval of the bishopric, the Sun-           secretaries attend. Sunday School teachers and
     day School presidency may invite members to                the bishopric member assigned to the Sunday
     serve as Sunday School class presidents. Class             School may be invited to attend as needed.
     presidents may be male or female. They may be
     asked to extend a brief welcome at the beginning
                                                         12.4   Sunday School Classes
     of class, introduce new class members and visi-
     tors, and invite class members to offer the open-              Sunday School classes are held between
     ing and closing prayers. They may also be asked            sacrament meeting and the time set aside for
     to help with efforts to keep track of attendance           priesthood, Relief Society, and Young Women
     and fellowship class members who do not attend             meetings. Classes last 40 minutes. Opening and
     regularly.                                                 closing prayers are offered in each class. It is not
                                                                necessary to have an opening or closing hymn.



                                                                                                                   97
12. Sunday School



            Sunday School includes adult classes and                    The stake presidency may authorize wards,
        youth classes. Approved courses, including some             institute classes, and family history centers to
        optional courses, are identiﬁed in the current              share the resources in meetinghouse libraries.
        Instructions for Curriculum.
                                                             12.6.1 Ward Librarian and Assistant Librarians
12.4.1 Classes for Youth                                                 The ward librarian helps leaders, teachers,
            The Sunday School presidency generally or-              and other members learn how to access and use
        ganizes youth ages 12 to 18 into classes accord-            the materials, supplies, and equipment that are
        ing to their age on January 1. For example, the             available. He or she prepares a schedule for staff-
        presidency may organize a class for all young               ing the library. This schedule should ensure that
        men and women who are 14 or 15 years old on                 all librarians can attend sacrament meeting each
        January 1. The youth stay in that same class until          Sunday and that each librarian can attend either
        the next year.                                              a Sunday School class or a Melchizedek Priest-
            For information on Sunday School for young              hood or Relief Society meeting each Sunday.
        men and young women when they reach age 12,                     As needed, the ward librarian works with
        see 11.4.3.                                                 other wards and organizations to coordinate the
                                                                    use of the library. He or she organizes and cares
12.4.2 Class for Young Single Adults                                for the materials and equipment in the library
           Each ward that has enough young single                   and uses a simple system to allow members to
        adults may have a separate class for them during            borrow materials.
        Sunday School. Teachers use the scriptures and                  Assistant librarians work under the direction
        approved Sunday School manuals, giving special              of the ward librarian and share many of his or
        emphasis to the needs of young single adults.               her responsibilities.

12.4.3 Helping Class Members with Disabilities               12.6.2 Leadership for a Meetinghouse Library in a
            For information about understanding, in-                Multiward Building
        cluding, and teaching members who have dis-                     In a multiward building, the wards usually
        abilities, see 21.1.26 and disabilities.lds.org.            share the same library. If this is the case, the
                                                                    agent bishop is responsible for the coordination
                                                                    of the library. He may appoint a committee to
12.5    Improving Learning and Teaching                             coordinate the use of the library and manage
        in the Ward                                                 the budget funds allocated to it. The committee
            Members of the ward Sunday School pres-                 should include a member of the Sunday School
        idency serve as specialists in the ward’s efforts           presidency from each ward and the librarian
        to improve learning and teaching. As invited by             from each ward.
        the bishopric or by leaders of priesthood and
        auxiliary organizations, they provide counsel,       12.6.3 Meetinghouse Library Policies
        training, and support. They help leaders orient                 Policies related to the meetinghouse library
        newly called teachers and improve gospel learn-             are found under “Sunday School” in the Serving
        ing and teaching in their organizations.                    in the Church section of LDS.org.


12.6    Meetinghouse Library                                 12.7   Stake Sunday School Leadership
            Each meetinghouse should have a library          12.7.1 Stake Presidency
        with resources to help members learn and teach
                                                                       The stake presidency’s responsibilities relat-
        the gospel. The ward Sunday School presidency
                                                                    ing to auxiliary organizations in the stake are
        oversees the meetinghouse library.
                                                                    outlined in 15.1.
            Meetinghouse libraries vary according to
                                                                       The counselor in the stake presidency who
        available space. They may provide some or all
                                                                    oversees the Sunday School also oversees meet-
        of the following items: scriptures, Church mag-
                                                                    inghouse libraries in the stake.
        azines, Church-produced pictures and audio-
        visual materials, chalk, erasers, pencils, paper,
        television sets, DVD players, and a photocopier.



98
                                                                                                        12. Sunday School



12.7.2 High Councilor Assigned to the Stake                   12.7.4 Stake Sunday School Secretary
      Sunday School                                                      If needed, the stake presidency may call a
          The stake president assigns a member of                    brother to serve as stake Sunday School secretary.
      the high council to work with the stake Sunday                 The responsibilities of the stake Sunday School
      School presidency. This high councilor’s respon-               secretary are outlined in 15.4.2.
      sibilities are outlined in 15.3.

12.7.3 Stake Sunday School Presidency                         12.8   Adapting the Sunday School
          Members of the stake Sunday School presi-                  Organization to Local Needs
      dency are priesthood holders. Where possible,                      In a small ward or branch, members of the
      the president holds the Melchizedek Priesthood.                Sunday School presidency may also serve as
      Their responsibilities as stake auxiliary leaders              teachers. Youth classes may be combined as
      are outlined in 15.4.1. In addition, they have the             needed. In a very small unit, the Sunday School
      following responsibilities:                                    president may be the only Sunday School leader
                                                                     and teacher. In this case, he teaches a Sunday
          They serve as specialists in the stake’s efforts
                                                                     School class for all members ages 12 and older.
      to improve gospel learning and teaching.
                                                                     When possible, more leaders and teachers should
         They coordinate the use of meetinghouse li-                 be called.
      braries in the stake. This includes:
                                                                         In a small stake or a district, the Sunday
       1. Helping orient newly called ward librarians,               School president may be the only stake or dis-
          as invited by ward Sunday School presiden-                 trict Sunday School leader. When possible, coun-
          cies.                                                      selors should be called. A stake Sunday School
       2. Conducting other training meetings for ward                secretary may also be called.




                                                                                                                            12. Sunday School
          librarians and assistant librarians in the stake.              For general information about adapting to
       3. Ensuring that meetinghouse libraries have                  local needs, see chapter 17.
          the materials and equipment they need.
       4. Ensuring that stake leaders have the meeting-
          house library materials and equipment they
          need.




                                                                                                                      99
13. Activities

13.1 Purposes of Church Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . 102                         13.6.5 Curfew Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
                                                                                       13.6.6 Dances and Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
13.2 Planning Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             102   13.6.7 Devotionals for Participants
     13.2.1 Responsibility for Planning Activities . .                           102             in Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      107
     13.2.2 Strengthening Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 102   13.6.8    Fund-Raising Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                  107
     13.2.3 Encouraging Participation . . . . . . . . . . . .                    102   13.6.9    Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      107
     13.2.4 Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        102   13.6.10   Monday Nights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            107
     13.2.5 Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   103   13.6.11   New Year’s Eve Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 108
     13.2.6 Balance and Variety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              103   13.6.12   Overnight Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .               108
     13.2.7 Scheduling Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                103   13.6.13   Parental Permission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              108
     13.2.8 Funding for Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .               103   13.6.14   Participation of Youth under 14
     13.2.9 Funding for Equipment and Supplies . .                               104             Years of Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         108
                                                                                       13.6.15   Portrayal of Deity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           109
13.3 Stake, Multistake, and Area Activities . . . . . . 104
                                                                                       13.6.16   Prayers at Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            109
     13.3.1 General Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
                                                                                       13.6.17   Renting Non-Church Facilities
     13.3.2 Stake Activities Committee . . . . . . . . . . . 105
                                                                                                 for Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       109
13.4 Youth Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105                  13.6.18   Reports of Abuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             109
                                                                                       13.6.19   Sabbath Day Observance . . . . . . . . . . . . .                     109
13.5 Optional Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106               13.6.20   Safety Precautions and Accident
                                                                                                 Response and Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                   109
13.6 Policies and Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 106
                                                                                       13.6.21   Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   110
     13.6.1 Accident Prevention and Response . . . . .                           106   13.6.22   Taxable Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           111
     13.6.2 Adult Supervision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              106   13.6.23   Temple Visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        111
     13.6.3 Commercial or Political Activities . . . . . .                       106   13.6.24   Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   111
     13.6.4 Copyrighted Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                  106   13.6.25   Unapproved Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                  111




                                                                                                                                                                            13. Activities




                                                                                                                                                                      101
13. Activities

                                                                     group in the ward, it is planned under the direc-
13.1   Purposes of Church Activities                                 tion of the priesthood or auxiliary leaders who
           Activities at the ward, stake, and multistake             are responsible for the organization. When an
       levels bring Church members together as “fel-                 activity is for the entire ward, the bishop may
       lowcitizens with the saints” (Ephesians 2:19). In             assign responsibility for it to one or more orga-
       addition to providing fun and entertainment,                  nizations represented on the ward council. He
       activities should build testimonies, strengthen               may also assign responsibility for an activity to
       families, and foster unity and personal growth.               other individuals or to a committee, working un-
           Activities strengthen members by giving                   der the direction of the ward council. Normally
       them a sense of belonging and mutual support.                 these assignments are temporary for a speciﬁc
       Activities should help members feel connected                 activity.
       to others their age, to their leaders, and to their               Under the direction of the stake presidency,
       families. Activities should also help members                 the stake council oversees the planning of stake
       see how living the gospel brings “the joy of the              activities. For more information about stake ac-
       saints” (Enos 1:3).                                           tivities, see 13.3.
           Church activities should be planned to fulﬁll
       gospel-centered purposes. In addition to the gen-       13.2.2 Strengthening Families
       eral purposes mentioned above, these include:                     Leaders ensure that activities strengthen the
        1. Participating in service projects that bless oth-         family rather than compete with it. Some activ-
           ers and build community relationships.                    ities can be family centered, giving families op-
                                                                     portunities to participate together. Activities
        2. Developing talents and appreciation for cul-              should support parents by teaching their chil-
           tural arts.                                               dren to be faithful followers of Christ.
        3. Improving ﬁtness and learning sportsman-                     Leaders also ensure that activities do not be-
           ship.                                                     come so numerous that they put undue burdens
        4. Gaining education and vocational training.                on members.
        5. Celebrating special occasions and commem-
           orating Church or local historical events.          13.2.3 Encouraging Participation

        6. Developing leadership skills.                                 Those who plan activities strive to have par-
                                                                     ticipants be actively involved, since participating
        7. Developing self-reliance.                                 is usually more beneﬁcial than just observing.
        8. Participating in missionary work, retention,              One way to encourage participation is to have
           activation, temple work, and family history               members use their gifts, skills, and talents in the
           work.                                                     activity.
                                                                         Those who plan activities should make a
13.2   Planning Activities                                           special effort to reach out to new members, less-
                                                                     active members, youth, single adults, people with
13.2.1 Responsibility for Planning Activities                        disabilities, and people of other faiths. Leaders
           Before planning an activity, leaders consider             should be sensitive to any special circumstances
       the spiritual and temporal needs of members.                  of participants, such as physical limitations, fam-
       Leaders seek the guidance of the Spirit to de-                ily concerns, and cultural and language differ-
       termine what kind of activity would help meet                 ences.
       those needs. Careful planning is necessary to en-
       sure that activities accomplish gospel-centered         13.2.4 Standards
       purposes and meet the needs of those who par-                     Church activities should follow and teach
       ticipate.                                                     Church standards. They should provide a
          Under the direction of the bishopric, the ward             wholesome environment where participants can
       council oversees the planning of ward activities.             develop friendships with others who have sim-
       When an activity is for a speciﬁc organization or             ilar beliefs and standards. Activities should be



102
                                                                                                            13. Activities



      uplifting and emphasize things that are “virtu-             in dance, music, and drama. They could also in-
      ous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy”             clude the celebration of local or general Church
      (Articles of Faith 1:13). Activities are not to in-         history.
      clude anything that is immoral or suggestive or
      that makes evil appear acceptable and normal.               Sports, Recreation, Health, and Fitness
      Leaders ensure that any entertainment is in keep-               For information about Church sports activi-
      ing with the teachings of the Savior.                       ties, see 13.6.21.
          Dress and grooming should be modest, taste-                 Recreational activities can vary according to
      ful, and appropriate for the activity. The bish-            the resources available in the area. These activ-
      opric or stake presidency determines the dress              ities may include historical commemorations,
      standards for activities. Leaders who plan an ac-           camping, hiking, or pursuit of hobbies. Recre-
      tivity may recommend dress standards that are               ational activities can often be planned so that
      consistent with gospel principles.                          families can participate together.
         Substances that are contrary to the Word of                  As individuals, as families, and as Church
      Wisdom are not permitted at Church activities or            groups, members are encouraged to participate
      on Church premises. Persons who are obviously               in activities that contribute to their health and
      under the inﬂuence of alcohol or other drugs                ﬁtness. These activities may include walking,
      must not be admitted to Church activities.                  jogging, aerobic and other exercise programs,
          For more information on Church standards,               health classes, and ﬁtness training (see 13.6.25,
      see For the Strength of Youth.                              item 2).

13.2.5 Safety                                               13.2.7 Scheduling Activities
         See 13.6.20.                                                Church activities should be planned as far in
                                                                  advance as reasonable. They should be included
13.2.6 Balance and Variety                                        on the stake or ward calendar. Leaders should
                                                                  keep parents informed of activities for children
          Leaders should plan a balanced activities pro-
                                                                  and youth.
      gram that includes a variety of activities. Mem-
      bers should have opportunities to participate in                If an activity will be held at a meetinghouse
      activities that appeal to their interests. Members          or another Church facility, planners reserve the
      should also have opportunities to support oth-              facility in advance to avoid conﬂicts with other
      ers in their interests. Planning a yearly calendar          activities or meetings. Each meetinghouse has an
      helps leaders achieve a balance of service, cul-            agent bishop assigned by the stake presidency.
      tural arts, and physical activities without creat-          He oversees the scheduling of the meetinghouse
      ing excessive demands on members’ time.                     facilities, though he usually appoints another
        The following paragraphs provide some ex-                 person to do the actual scheduling.




                                                                                                                             13. Activities
      amples of worthwhile activities.                               Monday nights are reserved for family home
                                                                  evening (see 13.6.10).
      Service
          Service activities provide opportunities for      13.2.8 Funding for Activities
      members to show love for those in need, whether                 Leaders ensure that expenses for activities
      or not they are members of the Church, and feel             are in accordance with the current budget and
      the joy of helping them. These activities could             ﬁnance policies of the Church. The following
      include visiting the sick or lonely, fulﬁlling wel-         principles apply.
      fare assignments, beautifying Church buildings                   Most activities should be simple and have
      and grounds, and participating in community                 little or no cost. Expenditures must be approved
      projects.                                                   by the stake presidency or bishopric before they
                                                                  are incurred.
      Cultural Arts
                                                                      Stake and ward budget funds should be used
          Cultural arts activities provide opportuni-             to pay for all activities, programs, and supplies.
      ties for members to develop their talents and in-           Members should not pay fees to participate. Nor
      terests. These activities also nurture creativity,          should they provide materials, supplies, rental
      conﬁdence, communication, and cooperation.                  or admission fees, or long-distance transporta-
      They could include talent shows or performances             tion at their own expense. Activities in which


                                                                                                                     103
13. Activities



         members provide food may be held if doing so             Stake and multistake activities are particu-
         does not place undue burdens on them.                larly beneﬁcial for youth and young single adults.
             Possible exceptions to the funding policy in     These activities are especially important in areas
         the preceding paragraph are listed below. If the     where there are few young members or where
         ward budget does not have sufﬁcient funds to         they seldom associate with large groups of mem-
         pay for the following activities, leaders may ask    bers. Well-planned stake and multistake activi-
         participants to pay for part or all of them:         ties can give young members conﬁdence in their
                                                              Church membership, a wider circle of friend-
           1. One annual extended Scout camp or similar       ships, and opportunities to meet future temple
              activity for young men.                         marriage companions.
           2. One annual young women camp or similar              Where young single adults are able to gather
              activity.                                       at reasonable time and expense, they should have
           3. One annual day camp or similar activity for     varied, simple multistake activities of moderate
              Primary children ages 8 through 11.             frequency. Larger events for young single adults
           4. Optional activities as outlined in 13.5.        may also be held periodically.

             If funds from participants are not sufﬁcient,        All stake activities must be approved by the
         the bishop may authorize one group fund-raising      stake presidency and are coordinated in stake
         activity annually that complies with the guide-      council meetings. Stake leaders notify ward lead-
         lines in 13.6.8.                                     ers of stake activities well in advance. They also
                                                              ensure that stake activities supplement ward
            In no case should the expenses or travel for      activities rather than compete with them.
         an annual camp or similar activity be excessive.
         Nor should the lack of personal funds prohibit           If stake presidents feel that a multistake ac-
         a member from participating.                         tivity would beneﬁt the members of their stakes,
                                                              they may request permission from a member of
             For a possible exception in funding large        the Presidency of the Seventy or the Area Presi-
         multistake or area events for young single adults,   dency. Special occasions such as holidays or the
         see 16.3.7.                                          commemoration of a signiﬁcant local event may
            For guidelines about funding travel that is       provide opportunities for such activities. Youth
         associated with activities, see 13.6.24.             conferences (see 13.4), service activities, cultural
                                                              arts activities, and sports or recreational activi-
13.2.9 Funding for Equipment and Supplies                     ties can all be held on a multistake level. Such
             If possible, equipment and supplies that the     activities are often coordinated in coordinating
         ward needs for annual youth camps are pur-           council meetings.
         chased with ward budget funds. If these funds            Before proposing a multistake activity, stake
         are not sufﬁcient, the bishop may authorize one      presidents determine whether it is the best way
         group fund-raising activity annually that com-       to meet the needs they have identiﬁed. The stake
         plies with the guidelines in 13.6.8.                 presidents also consider the cost, time, and travel
             Equipment and supplies purchased with            the activity would require. In addition, the stake
         Church funds, whether from the ward budget or        presidents consider safety factors and the avail-
         a fund-raising activity, are for Church use only.    ability of needed resources.
         They are not for the personal use of individuals         A member of the Presidency of the Seventy
         or families.                                         or the Area Presidency may assign Area Seven-
            Church funds may not be used to purchase          ties or stake presidents to be chairmen of com-
         uniforms for individuals.                            mittees that plan and carry out multistake or area
                                                              activities. Stake presidencies may call members
                                                              of their stakes to serve on these committees. These
13.3     Stake, Multistake, and Area Activities               members report to their stake presidencies.
13.3.1 General Guidelines                                         Funding for most multistake activities comes
                                                              from the budget funds of the participating stakes.
             Most Church activities are held at the ward      Funding for larger activities, such as cultural
         level. However, local leaders are encouraged         celebrations associated with temple dedications,
         to hold periodic stake and multistake activities     may come from area or Church headquarters
         when these activities are better able to accom-      budgets when approved.
         plish the purposes outlined in 13.1.



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                                                                                                             13. Activities



          Stake, multistake, and area activities should             committee under the direction of the committee
      comply with Church standards and with Church                  chairman. Stake activities directors may help
      travel policies (see 13.2.4 and 13.6.24). These ac-           plan and organize service activities, cultural arts
      tivities require effective leadership, careful plan-          activities, sports and ﬁtness activities, and other
      ning, and adequate resources.                                 types of activities.
                                                                        A member of the stake presidency or an as-
13.3.2 Stake Activities Committee                                   signed high councilor may also call stake activi-
          Stake activities are planned according to the             ties committee specialists. These specialists are
      guidelines in 13.2. The stake presidency may or-              not sustained or set apart. They serve under the
      ganize a stake activities committee to help the               direction of the stake activities committee chair-
      stake council and stake auxiliary leaders plan                man.
      stake activities. The stake activities committee
      consists of a chairman (a high councilor), one or
      more stake activities directors, and stake activi-     13.4   Youth Conference
      ties specialists (if needed).                                     Young men and young women ages 14 to 18
          In addition to helping plan stake activities,             are invited to participate together in an activity
      members of the stake activities committee may                 or series of activities called youth conference.
      advise, support, and instruct ward leaders in                 Youth conferences are usually held once each
      their efforts to plan ward activities.                        year on a ward or stake level. They may also be
                                                                    held on a multistake or area level.
         Unlike the temporary committees that plan
      ward activities, the stake activities committee                   The purposes of youth conferences are to
      usually plans more than just one stake activity.              help youth build faith in Jesus Christ, strengthen
                                                                    their testimonies, develop talents, make new
      Stake Activities Committee Chairman                           friends, and have fun with youth who share sim-
                                                                    ilar beliefs and standards. Youth can also learn
          If the stake presidency organizes a stake ac-
                                                                    leadership skills as they assist in planning youth
      tivities committee, they assign a high councilor
                                                                    conferences.
      to be the committee chairman. As determined by
      the stake presidency, the committee chairman                     Ward youth conferences are planned and
      may be given the following responsibilities:                  carried out by the bishopric youth committee,
                                                                    under the direction of the bishopric. The bish-
          He coordinates and maintains a calendar of
                                                                    opric obtains the stake presidency’s approval of
      stake activities that are approved by the stake
                                                                    plans for a ward youth conference.
      presidency.
                                                                        Stake youth conferences are planned and
          He supervises committee members in help-
                                                                    carried out by the stake Aaronic Priesthood–
      ing plan stake activities.
                                                                    Young Women committee, under the direction
          He recommends a detailed stake activities                 of the stake presidency. Youth should be invited




                                                                                                                              13. Activities
      budget to the stake presidency before the begin-              to assist the committee as much as possible in
      ning of each year. This budget does not include               planning stake youth conferences. The stake
      activities that are planned by stake auxiliaries.             presidency may invite youth to attend the com-
          He serves as a resource to stake auxiliary                mittee’s meetings as needed.
      leaders when they plan activities.                                Youth conferences are to be funded from the
          He keeps a current list of talents and interests          stake or ward budget. Members should not be
      of stake members. In creating and maintaining                 asked to pay for youth conferences.
      this list, he may be assisted by the high council-               As leaders and youth plan a youth confer-
      ors assigned to the wards in the stake. He may                ence, they should observe the policies in this
      use the Talent and Interest Survey form for this              chapter and the following guidelines:
      purpose.
                                                                     1. Select a gospel theme, such as a scripture, that
      Stake Activities Directors and Specialists                        will inspire the youth and help them under-
                                                                        stand the expectations of the conference. The
          A member of the stake presidency or an                        annual Mutual theme could be used as the
      assigned high councilor may call stake activi-                    youth conference theme. The bishopric or
      ties directors. They serve on the stake activities                stake presidency should approve the theme.




                                                                                                                      105
13. Activities



           2. Plan activities such as devotionals, group         13.6.2 Adult Supervision
              meetings, learning experiences, and service                  Supervision by an adequate number of re-
              projects that are consistent with the theme.             sponsible adults should be provided for activi-
           3. Obtain approval of the bishopric or stake                ties for children, youth, and young single adults.
              presidency for all speakers and activities.              The number of adults needed is determined by
              Speakers should be Church members who                    the size of the group, the skill level of the group
              teach by the Spirit. Speakers who primarily              (for activities requiring certain skills), anticipated
              entertain, with only casual reference to the             environmental conditions, and the overall degree
              gospel, should not be selected. Nor should               of challenge of the activity. Parents should be
              speakers who would have to travel long dis-              encouraged to help.
              tances be selected. See 21.1.20 for other guide-
              lines concerning speakers.                         13.6.3 Commercial or Political Activities
           4. Avoid scheduling events for Sunday that are                 Activities that would use Church facilities for
              not appropriate for the Sabbath day. Testi-              any commercial or political purpose are not per-
              mony meetings, bishopric youth discussions,              mitted. For policies on using Church buildings
              or similar meetings are permitted. However,              and other property, see 21.2.
              sacrament meetings are not to be held—and
              the sacrament is not to be administered—           13.6.4 Copyrighted Materials
              outside the boundaries of the ward or stake                  See 21.1.12.
              where the priesthood leaders preside. Any
              exceptions must be approved by a member            13.6.5 Curfew Laws
              of the Presidency of the Seventy or the Area
              Presidency. Groups should not travel to or                  Activities should comply with community
              from youth conference on a Sunday.                       curfew laws.

           5. Ensure that adequate adult supervision is          13.6.6 Dances and Music
              present at all times (see 13.6.2).
                                                                           In all dances, the dress, grooming, lighting,
             Members of the bishopric or stake presidency              dancing styles, lyrics, and music should con-
         are invited to attend as much of the conference               tribute to an atmosphere where the Spirit of the
         as possible. Young Men and Young Women presi-                 Lord can be present (see For the Strength of Youth).
         dencies are encouraged to attend the entire con-              Those who oversee dances should carefully fol-
         ference.                                                      low the policies outlined below.
                                                                           Leaders use the Performance Contract form
13.5     Optional Activities                                           when hiring a band, orchestra, or disc jockey.
                                                                       This contract helps ensure that conduct and mu-
             Units may sponsor optional activities that are
                                                                       sic are appropriate for Church dances. Those
         presented by Church-related entities. Such ac-
                                                                       who provide music should not use inappropriate
         tivities include Church university performance
                                                                       lyrics and should not dress or talk immodestly.
         groups, special youth programs, and periodic
                                                                       Leaders hold auditions and make ﬁrm, clear
         major cultural events. As authorized by a mem-
                                                                       agreements in writing that commit the persons
         ber of the Presidency of the Seventy or the Area
                                                                       who provide music to follow Church standards
         Presidency, members may be charged a modest
                                                                       when performing for Church activities.
         fee to defray the costs of such events if (1) the
         program is entirely optional, (2) the cost is not                 The beat of the music, whether instrumen-
         burdensome, and (3) the event is not used to raise            tal or vocal, should not overshadow the melody.
         funds. Budget funds may be used to help those                 The volume should be low enough to allow two
         who want to attend but are unable to pay.                     people who are standing side by side to hear each
                                                                       other as they carry on a normal conversation.
                                                                           Lights should be bright enough for people
13.6     Policies and Guidelines                                       to see across the room. Strobe lighting and psy-
            Leaders ensure that the following policies and             chedelic lighting that pulsate with the beat are
         guidelines are observed in all Church activities.             not acceptable. Lights on the ﬂoor, in the corners
                                                                       of the room, or spotlighting wall and ceiling dec-
13.6.1 Accident Prevention and Response                                orations are appropriate.
                 See 13.6.20.


106
                                                                                                             13. Activities



13.6.7 Devotionals for Participants in Activities             13.6.9 Insurance
          A brief devotional program may be held as                 Automobile Insurance
      part of an activity. Devotionals typically include
                                                                       See 13.6.24.
      a prayer, a hymn or musical selection, remarks
      by a leader, and a spiritual thought, testimony,              Personal Health and Accident Insurance
      or scripture by one or more participants. Such
      programs can help invite the Spirit and keep ac-                  In many parts of the world, health and acci-
      tivities in perspective.                                      dent insurance coverage is available to Church
                                                                    members through employer-sponsored, personal,
13.6.8 Fund-Raising Activities                                      or government programs. Where such coverage
                                                                    is available, members are responsible to access
          Fund-raising activities are not usually ap-               all available beneﬁts provided through it if they
      proved because expenses for stake and ward                    incur an injury during a Church activity.
      activities are paid with budget funds. As an ex-
      ception, a stake president or bishop may autho-               Church Activity Insurance Program
      rize one group fund-raising activity each year.
      Such an activity may be held to raise funds for                  In the United States and Canada, the Church
      the following purposes only:                                  Activity Insurance Program provides secondary
                                                                    medical and dental beneﬁts and speciﬁc death
       1. To help pay the cost of one annual camp or                and dismemberment beneﬁts. This program is
          similar activity as outlined in 13.2.8.                   primarily designed to supplement, not replace,
       2. To help purchase equipment that the unit                  a person’s own health and accident insurance.
          needs for annual camps as outlined in 13.2.9.                  Members who plan, conduct, and supervise
         If a fund-raising activity is held, it should pro-         activities in these countries should be knowl-
      vide a meaningful value or service. It should be              edgeable about the Church Activity Insurance
      a positive experience that builds unity.                      Program, including its restrictions and limita-
          Contributions to fund-raising activities are              tions. The program is outlined in the Church Ac-
      voluntary. Priesthood leaders should take special             tivity Insurance Handbook, which may be obtained
      care to ensure that members do not feel obligated             by contacting:
      to contribute.                                                   Deseret Mutual Beneﬁt Administrators
          Stakes and wards that sponsor fund-raising                   P.O. Box 45530
      activities should not advertise or solicit beyond                Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0530
      their boundaries. Nor should they sell products                  Telephone: 1-801-578-5650 or
      or services door to door.                                          1-800-777-1647
                                                                       E-mail: churchactivity@dmba.com
          Examples of fund-raising activities that are                 Web site: www.dmba.com/churchactivity
      not approved include:




                                                                                                                              13. Activities
       1. Activities that would be taxable.                         Personal Liability Insurance
       2. Activities completed with paid labor, either                 Where possible, those who oversee activities
          by employees or by contract.                              should protect themselves by carrying reason-
                                                                    able amounts of liability insurance. Such insur-
       3. Entertainment for which the stake or ward
                                                                    ance may be available through homeowners
          pays performers for their services, when ad-
                                                                    insurance or other policies.
          mission is charged, and when the intent of the
          activity is to raise funds.
                                                              13.6.10 Monday Nights
       4. The sale of commercial goods or services, in-
                                                                        Monday nights are reserved for family home
          cluding food storage items.
                                                                    evening throughout the Church. No Church ac-
       5. Games of chance, such as rafﬂes, lotteries, and           tivities, meetings, baptismal services, games, or
          bingo.                                                    practices should be held after 6:00 p.m. on Mon-
          Any exceptions to these instructions must                 days. Other interruptions to family home eve-
      be approved by a member of the Presidency of                  ning should be avoided. An exception may be
      the Seventy or the Area Presidency.                           made when New Year’s Eve is on a Monday (see
                                                                    13.6.11).
          The Friends of Scouting fund drive in the
      United States will continue as a separate, volun-                Leaders ensure that Church buildings and
      tary solicitation.                                            other facilities are closed on Monday nights.


                                                                                                                      107
13. Activities



         Receptions and other similar activities may not             have separate sleeping facilities. Married couples
         be held in Church facilities on Monday nights.              may share the same quarters if appropriate facil-
         Members are also discouraged from holding re-               ities are available.
         ceptions in other facilities on Monday nights.                  When staying in tents, youth may not stay
            Where practical, members may want to en-                 in the same tent as an adult unless (1) the adult
         courage community and school leaders to avoid               is his or her parent or guardian or (2) there are
         scheduling activities on Monday evenings that               at least two adults in the tent who are the same
         require children or parents to be away from their           gender as the youth.
         homes.                                                          If adult leaders and youth share other over-
                                                                     night facilities, such as a cabin, there must be at
13.6.11 New Year’s Eve Parties                                       least two adults in the facility, and they must be
            When New Year’s Eve falls on Saturday, Sun-              the same gender as the youth.
         day, or Monday, and when Church activities are                 All overnight activities must include at least
         planned, leaders should observe the following               two adult leaders.
         guidelines.
                                                                         A sufﬁcient number of adult priesthood lead-
             Saturday. The stake president schedules an              ers must be present at all times during overnight
         alternate Sunday for observing fast day. Dancing            activities to provide support and protection. In
         and similar activities are discontinued at mid-             the case of Young Women activities, priesthood
         night, but refreshments or a meal may be served             leaders must stay in facilities separate from the
         afterward. Participants should not be kept past             young women.
         a reasonable hour so they can be available for
         Sunday meetings.                                               Leaders ﬁll out an Activity Plan form for all
                                                                     overnight activities.
             Sunday. (1) Dancing and similar activities may
         be planned for Saturday, December 30, using the                Overnight activities at Church meetinghouses
         guidelines in the previous paragraph. (2) Instead           or meetinghouse grounds are not approved.
         of Church units planning activities, families may               Overnight activities at commercial buildings
         be encouraged to celebrate New Year’s Eve in                such as sports malls or gyms are not approved.
         their homes. Activities should be appropriate for           With approval from priesthood leaders, dances
         the Sabbath day. (3) Special meetings could be              or other activities may be held in commercial
         held at a reasonable hour on Sunday evening.                buildings after closing hours if the activities end
             Monday. All families are encouraged to have             at midnight.
         their family home evenings before participating
         in public gatherings. No Church-sponsored New         13.6.13 Parental Permission
         Year’s Eve activities should be scheduled be-                   Parents or guardians should be informed and
         fore 9:00 p.m. The stake president or bishop may            give consent when youth participate in a Church
         authorize the use of Church buildings on Mon-               activity. Written consent is necessary if an activ-
         day evening in this instance.                               ity involves travel outside the local area (as de-
                                                                     termined by local leaders) or staying overnight.
13.6.12 Overnight Activities                                         Leaders may also request written consent for
            Parental permission is required for all over-            other activities when they feel it is appropriate.
         night activities involving youth (see 13.6.13).                 Parents and guardians give this consent by
             Overnight activities for combined groups of             signing the Parental or Guardian Permission and
         young men and young women or for combined                   Medical Release form. The person who leads the
         groups of male and female single adults are not             activity should have a signed form for each par-
         authorized unless approved by the stake presi-              ticipant for each activity that requires written
         dent and bishop. Such activities are only rarely            consent.
         held, such as for a youth conference or temple
         visit.                                                13.6.14 Participation of Youth under 14 Years of Age

             On overnight activities, leaders arrange sleep-            Youth under age 14 do not usually partici-
         ing accommodations so that male and female                  pate in youth conferences or in dances that are
         participants do not sleep in immediate proxim-              held at times other than the regularly scheduled
         ity to each other. Male and female leaders must             Mutual night.




108
                                                                                                           13. Activities



          Members of the bishopric or stake presidency       13.6.19 Sabbath Day Observance
      determine to what extent youth under age 14                      No Church-sponsored sports events (such as
      may participate in other activities. Leaders con-            games, practices, or travel) or recreational events
      sider such factors as late hours, the subject of             (such as camping or hiking) are to be scheduled
      the discussion, the nature of the activity, and the          on Sunday. Nor should youth groups and oth-
      maturity of the participants.                                ers travel to or from camps or youth conferences
                                                                   on Sunday.
13.6.15 Portrayal of Deity
                                                                       When security risks or travel costs are serious
          God the Father and the Holy Ghost are not to             issues, leaders can schedule some youth activi-
      be portrayed in meetings, dramas, or musicals.               ties on Sunday. Such activities should be sepa-
          If the Savior is portrayed, it must be done with         rate from the Sunday meeting schedule and in
      the utmost reverence and dignity. Only breth-                keeping with the spirit of the Sabbath.
      ren of wholesome personal character should be
      considered for the part. The person who portrays       13.6.20 Safety Precautions and Accident Response
      the Savior should not sing or dance. When speak-             and Reporting
      ing, he should use only direct quotations of scrip-          Safety Precautions
      tures spoken by the Savior.
                                                                       Activities should involve minimal risk of in-
          At the end of the performance, the person                jury or illness to participants. Activities should
      should not wear the costume in the foyer or else-            also involve minimal risk of damage to property.
      where. He should change immediately into street              During activities, leaders make every effort to
      clothes.                                                     ensure safety. By planning effectively and fol-
         The Savior should not be portrayed by chil-               lowing safety precautions, leaders can minimize
      dren in dramatization except in a nativity scene.            the risk of accidents.
                                                                       Activities should include appropriate train-
13.6.16 Prayers at Activities                                      ing and proper supervision. They should also
         All activities should be opened and, when                 be appropriate for the participants’ age and ma-
      appropriate, closed with prayer.                             turity.
                                                                      Leaders should be prepared for emergencies
13.6.17 Renting Non-Church Facilities for Activities               that may occur. They should also know in ad-
          When Church facilities are inadequate for                vance how to contact local law enforcement and
      a stake or multistake activity, facilities may be            emergency services.
      rented with approval from the bishop or stake
      president and from Church physical facilities                Accident Response
      representatives.                                                  If an accident or injury occurs on Church
           Local units may be asked to show evidence               property or during a Church-sponsored activ-




                                                                                                                            13. Activities
      of liability insurance when renting or using fa-             ity, leaders observe the following guidelines, as
      cilities that are not owned by the Church. The               applicable:
      bishop or stake president may obtain a certiﬁcate             1. Render ﬁrst aid. If a person needs medical
      showing evidence of insurance from the Risk                      care beyond simple ﬁrst aid, contact emer-
      Management Division at Church headquarters                       gency medical services, the bishop or stake
      or from the assigned administrative ofﬁce. Re-                   president, and the parent, guardian, or other
      quests should include the name and address of                    next of kin.
      the requester (normally the owner of the facility),
      a description and location of the facility, the lia-          2. In case of a missing person or fatality, imme-
      bility limits required, and other pertinent infor-               diately notify local law enforcement authori-
      mation. Leaders should plan well in advance to                   ties and cooperate fully with them.
      allow time to prepare and mail the certiﬁcates.               3. Provide emotional support.
                                                                    4. Do not encourage or discourage legal action
13.6.18 Reports of Abuse                                               against the Church, and do not make com-
          If a leader becomes aware of physical, sexual,               mitments on behalf of the Church.
      or emotional abuse of someone during a Church                 5. Gather and preserve witness names and in-
      activity, he or she should contact the bishop im-                formation, accounts of what happened, and
      mediately. Instructions for bishops are provided                 photographs.
      in Handbook 1, 17.3.2.

                                                                                                                    109
13. Activities



         Accident Reporting                                      member of the Presidency of the Seventy or the
            The bishop or stake president should be noti-        Area Presidency approves rules for all partici-
         ﬁed promptly if:                                        pating units. Rules used in local school and com-
                                                                 munity sports activities may be consulted.
           1. An accident, injury, or illness occurs on Church
              property or during a Church-sponsored ac-              If multistake sports activities are held, they
              tivity.                                            are administered by sports specialists who are
                                                                 called by agent stake presidents designated by
           2. A person who was participating in a Church-        a member of the Presidency of the Seventy or
              sponsored activity is missing.                     the Area Presidency. Area sports tournaments
           3. Damage to private, public, or Church prop-         are not approved.
              erty occurs during a Church-sponsored ac-              Participants in Church-sponsored sports ac-
              tivity.                                            tivities do not need to be Church members. How-
             If a person has been seriously injured or is        ever, they should live in the stake’s boundaries
         missing, if property has been seriously damaged,        and agree to follow Church standards and poli-
         or if legal action is threatened or anticipated, the    cies.
         stake president (or a bishop under his direction),          The stake presidency establishes guidelines
         promptly takes one of the following actions:            that specify the ages at which players may partic-
           1. In the United States or Canada, he notiﬁes the     ipate in Church sports. These guidelines should
              Risk Management Division at Church head-           take into account the local culture, geographi-
              quarters (1-801-240-4049 or 1-800-453-3860,        cal setting, school system, and rules of govern-
              extension 2-4049; after business hours or on       ing sports organizations. Such decisions should
              weekends, call 1-801-240-1000 or 1-800-453-        be made before the start of a season so everyone
              3860, and the operator will contact someone        who is involved understands the age and eligi-
              immediately).                                      bility rules.
           2. Outside the United States and Canada, he               Schools, states, provinces, and national sports
              notiﬁes the area ofﬁce.                            organizations often establish rules about play-
              Leaders also report injuries and damage in-        ing on school teams and Church teams in the
         volving Church facilities or property to the facil-     same sport season. Church leaders and partici-
         ities manager.                                          pants in Church sports ensure that they follow
                                                                 these rules. Violating them can result in the loss
         Insurance and Questions                                 of eligibility for school teams and individuals.
            Leaders should review the applicability of the           In the United States and Canada, a person
         Church Activity Insurance Program if an injury          who is a member of a school sports team gen-
         occurred during a Church-sponsored activity,            erally is not eligible to participate in the same
         event, or assignment. For information about in-         sport in the same season in the Church sports
         surance, see 13.6.9.                                    program. School teams include those associated
                                                                 with junior high or middle schools, high schools,
             The stake president (or a bishop under his
                                                                 and colleges and universities, including junior
         direction) refers questions about safety issues or
                                                                 colleges. This guideline does not apply to those
         claims against the Church to the Risk Manage-
                                                                 who participate in intramural sports. If two
         ment Division or to the area ofﬁce.
                                                                 schedules of play are either concurrent or over-
                                                                 lapping, they are considered to be in the same
13.6.21 Sports
                                                                 season. Leaders encourage youth who play on
             Church sports activities provide opportuni-         school teams to assist with Church sports pro-
         ties for wholesome physical activity, fellowship,       grams in ways other than as players.
         and sportsmanship. The emphasis in Church
                                                                    Team uniforms should be simple, inexpen-
         sports is on participation, sportsmanship, and
                                                                 sive, modest, and appropriate for the activity.
         skill development, not competition. All team
                                                                 Colored T-shirts or pullover reversible shirts are
         members should have regular opportunities to
                                                                 usually sufﬁcient. Uniforms should be paid for
         play.
                                                                 from the stake or ward budget.
            The stake presidency approves the rules for
                                                                     The presentation of team or individual awards
         sports activities sponsored within their stake. If
                                                                 or trophies is discouraged.
         area or multistake sports activities are held, a



110
                                                                                                              13. Activities



13.6.22 Taxable Activities                                          for their children to participate (see 13.6.13). Re-
           Leaders ensure that activities do not jeopar-            sponsible adult supervision must be provided
       dize the Church’s tax-exempt status. For guide-              (see 13.6.2).
       lines, see 21.2.                                                 When feasible, Church groups should use
                                                                    commercial transportation that is licensed and
13.6.23 Temple Visits                                               is protected by liability insurance.
           Temple visits are organized on the ward or                   When Church groups travel in private pas-
       stake level within the assigned temple district.             senger vehicles, each vehicle should be in safe
       Organized ward or stake visits to temples out-               operating condition, and each person should use
       side the assigned temple district are not encour-            a seat belt. Each driver should be a licensed, re-
       aged. Such visits would require the approval of              sponsible adult. All vehicles and drivers should
       the stake presidency. Overnight temple visits also           be covered with reasonable amounts of auto-
       require the approval of the stake presidency.                mobile liability insurance.
           Temple visits must comply with the travel                   Church organizations may not own or acquire
       policies in 13.6.24. Overnight temple visits must            automobiles or buses for group travel.
       also comply with the policies in 13.6.12.                        A man and a woman should not travel alone
                                                                    together for Church activities, meetings, or as-
13.6.24 Travel                                                      signments unless they are married to each other
           Members who travel in Church-sponsored                   or are both single.
       groups should have the approval of the bishop
       or stake president. Travel for activities should       13.6.25 Unapproved Activities
       not place undue burdens on members.                              Church units may not sponsor the follow-
           Long-distance travel for activities is discour-          ing activities. Leaders, parents, and others who
       aged. If a stake president or bishop feels that such         plan or participate in Church activities should
       travel may be justiﬁed, he prayerfully considers             be aware of these restrictions.
       the potential spiritual beneﬁts of the activity, the          1. Activities that have a high risk of injury or ill-
       cost of the travel, and the effect on families be-               ness or that require unusual expense or travel
       fore approving it.                                               (see 13.6.20 and 13.6.24).
           If long-distance travel for an activity is ap-            2. Exercise programs that have music, lyrics,
       proved, members should not provide it at their                   dress, or other elements that are not in har-
       own expense. Nor should signiﬁcant portions                      mony with Church standards.
       of the stake or ward budget allowance be re-
       tained from one year to the next to cover travel              3. Activities that involve wearing masks, except
       expenses.                                                        in dramatic productions.
           Travel practices and the application of guide-            4. Debutante balls, coming-out parties, or activ-




                                                                                                                               13. Activities
       lines in this section should be consistent among                 ities that include selecting kings and queens.
       units in the same coordinating council. Stake                 5. Any other activities that are not in harmony
       presidents may discuss and agree on general con-                 with the guidelines in this chapter.
       sistency in travel practices during coordinating                 If a bishop has a question about whether an
       council meetings.                                            activity is appropriate, he directs it to the stake
           Leaders ﬁll out an Activity Plan form for ac-            president. Stake presidents may address ques-
       tivities that involve travel outside the local area.         tions to a member of the Presidency of the Sev-
           When a Church activity for youth involves                enty or the Area Presidency.
       travel outside the local vicinity or staying over-
       night, parents should give written permission




                                                                                                                       111
14. Music

14.1    Purpose of Music in the Church . . . . . . . . . . 114                        14.5 Stake Music Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              116
                                                                                           14.5.1 Stake Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     116
14.2 Ward Music Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                  114
                                                                                           14.5.2 Stake Music Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          116
     14.2.1 Bishopric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   114          14.5.3 Stake Music Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             116
     14.2.2 Ward Music Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              114          14.5.4 Stake Music Specialists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          117
     14.2.3 Ward Music Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 114
     14.2.4 Ward Music Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             114     14.6 Music in the Stake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
     14.2.5 Ward Organist or Pianist . . . . . . . . . . . . .                114          14.6.1 Stake Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
     14.2.6 Ward Choir Director and                                                        14.6.2 Stake and Multistake Choirs . . . . . . . . . . 117
                 Choir Accompanist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
        14.2.7 Priesthood Music Director and Pianist                                  14.7 Music Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
                 or Organist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114    14.8 Music in the Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
14.3 Adapting Ward Music to Local Conditions
                                                                                      14.9 Additional Music Policies and Guidelines . . 118
        and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
                                                                                             14.9.1   Other Music in the Chapel . . . . . . . . . . . .          118
14.4 Music in the Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115                       14.9.2   Obtaining and Using Music . . . . . . . . . . .            118
     14.4.1 Planning Music for Church                                                        14.9.3   Pianos, Organs, and Keyboards . . . . . . .                118
                 Worship Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115                14.9.4   Copyright Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       118
        14.4.2 Guidelines for Choosing Appropriate                                           14.9.5   Music for Weddings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       118
                 Music for Church Worship Services . . . . 115                               14.9.6   Music for Funerals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   118
        14.4.3 Standard Musical Elements in Church                                           14.9.7   Music for Baptismal Services . . . . . . . . . .           118
                 Worship Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115         14.10 Online Music Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
        14.4.4 Sacrament Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
        14.4.5 Choirs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
        14.4.6 Using Music in the Classroom . . . . . . . . . 116




                                                                                                                                                                       14. Music




                                                                                                                                                                 113
14. Music

                                                                   music adviser, the ward music chairman has the
14.1   Purpose of Music in the Church                              following responsibilities:
           In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith,               Serve as a resource to the bishopric on music
       the Lord said, “My soul delighteth in the song              matters.
       of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a
       prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with                   Arrange for effective, appropriate music in
       a blessing upon their heads” (D&C 25:12).                   sacrament meetings and other ward meetings.
          The First Presidency said:                                   Serve as a resource to ward auxiliary leaders
                                                                   in providing music training and in meeting other
           “Inspirational music is an essential part of            music needs as requested.
       our church meetings. The hymns invite the Spirit
       of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, unify              Recommend and supervise music training
       us as members, and provide a way for us to offer            programs in the ward (see 14.7).
       praises to the Lord.                                            Recommend and implement ward music ac-
            “Some of the greatest sermons are preached             tivities as requested.
       by the singing of hymns. Hymns move us to re-                  Recommend members to ﬁll ward music call-
       pentance and good works, build testimony and                ings as requested by the ward music adviser. Su-
       faith, comfort the weary, console the mourn-                pervise those who serve in ward music callings.
       ing, and inspire us to endure to the end” (Hymns,              The ward music chairman receives training
       ix).                                                        and support from the stake music chairman as
                                                                   needed.
14.2   Ward Music Leadership
                                                             14.2.4 Ward Music Director
14.2.1 Bishopric
                                                                      Under the direction of the ward music chair-
         The bishop and his counselors oversee ward                man, the music director recommends and con-
       music. They have the following responsibilities:            ducts the congregational hymns for sacrament
           They call and set apart ward members to serve           meetings and for other ward meetings as re-
       in music callings as outlined in this section.              quested. One person may serve as both the ward
                                                                   music chairman and ward music director.
           They consult regularly with the ward music
       chairman to ensure that musical selections and
                                                             14.2.5 Ward Organist or Pianist
       instruments used in Church meetings are appro-
       priate (see guidelines in 14.4.2).                             The ward organist or pianist provides pre-
                                                                   lude and postlude music and accompaniment for
          They support a ward choir by encouraging
                                                                   hymns at sacrament meeting and at other ward
       members to participate and by making available a
                                                                   meetings as requested.
       rehearsal time that is free of other ward conﬂicts.
          They encourage members to participate in           14.2.6 Ward Choir Director and Choir Accompanist
       congregational singing.
                                                                       The ward choir director recommends music
         They encourage members to use uplifting                   to be sung by the choir, directs choir rehearsals,
       music in their homes (see 14.8).                            and conducts choir performances (see 14.4.5).
                                                                      The ward choir accompanist plays for choir
14.2.2 Ward Music Adviser
                                                                   rehearsals and performances.
           A member of the bishopric serves as the ward
       music adviser. He supervises the music program        14.2.7 Priesthood Music Director and
       in the ward, advises the ward music chairman,               Pianist or Organist
       and represents the music program in leadership
                                                                       The priesthood music director recommends
       meetings.
                                                                   and conducts the hymns for the opening exercises
                                                                   of priesthood meetings.
14.2.3 Ward Music Chairman
                                                                      The pianist or organist provides prelude and
           A man or woman may serve as the ward mu-
                                                                   postlude music and accompaniment for hymns.
       sic chairman. Under the direction of the ward

114
                                                                                                            14. Music



                                                                  may be used for prelude and postlude music,
14.3   Adapting Ward Music to Local                               choir music, and special musical presentations.
       Conditions and Resources                                   If musical selections other than the hymns are
           The guidelines in this chapter may be adapted          used, they should be in keeping with the spirit
       according to local needs. For example, in a small          of the hymns. Texts should be doctrinally cor-
       branch, the ward music chairman might also di-             rect. (See “Hymns for Congregations,” Hymns,
       rect the choir and lead the music in sacrament             380–81.)
       meetings and in priesthood or auxiliary meetings.              Secular music should not replace sacred mu-
       A pianist could play for sacrament meetings,               sic in Sunday meetings. Some religiously ori-
       choir, and priesthood or auxiliary meetings.               ented music presented in a popular style is not
           When no one can play the piano, the follow-            appropriate for sacrament meetings. Also, much
       ing resources may be useful:                               sacred music that is suitable for concerts and
        1. CDs of hymns and children’s songs are listed           recitals is not appropriate for a Latter-day Saint
           in the Church Materials Catalog and are avail-         worship service.
           able from Church Distribution Services.                    Music in Church meetings should not draw
        2. Hymns and children’s songs can be down-                attention to itself or be for demonstration. This
           loaded in MP3 format from the Church music             music is for worship, not performance.
           Web site (music.lds.org).                                  Organs and pianos, or their electronic equiv-
        3. Some meetinghouses are equipped with digi-             alents, are the standard instruments used in
           tal pianos that have hymns programmed into             Church meetings. If other instruments are used,
           them.                                                  their use should be in keeping with the spirit of
                                                                  the meeting. Instruments with a prominent or
           Music training and keyboards may be avail-             less worshipful sound, such as most brass and
       able for those who serve in music callings or who          percussion, are not appropriate for sacrament
       may serve in the future (see 14.7).                        meeting.
                                                                      Live accompaniment is normally used in sac-
14.4   Music in the Ward                                          rament and other ward meetings. If a piano, or-
                                                                  gan, or accompanist is not available, appropriate
           Appropriate music is a vital part of Church
                                                                  recordings may be used (see 14.3).
       meetings, particularly sacrament meetings. Mu-
       sic that is carefully selected and properly pre-              Music in Church meetings should usually be
       sented can greatly enhance the spirit of worship.          sung in the language of the congregation.
       Music should be worshipful and ﬁt the spirit of
       the meeting. Priesthood leaders determine what       14.4.3 Standard Musical Elements in Church
       is suitable.                                               Worship Services
                                                                  Prelude and Postlude Music
14.4.1 Planning Music for Church Worship Services
                                                                      Quiet prelude and postlude music creates
           Members who serve in ward music callings               an atmosphere of worship that invites the Spirit
       work together to select appropriate music for              into Church meetings. The organist or pianist
       worship services. When feasible, the bishop and            usually plays hymns or other appropriate music
       his counselors choose meeting topics well in ad-           for ﬁve to ten minutes before and after a meeting.
       vance. This allows the music chairman, music               Playing hymns can help members review gospel
       director, and choir director to plan hymns, spe-           teachings in their minds.
       cial selections, and choir performances that com-
       plement and reinforce the meeting topics. This             Congregational Singing
       also allows time for the bishopric to approve the
                                                                     Most Church meetings are enhanced by the
       musical selections in advance.
                                                                  singing of hymns. Music provides a primary
                                                                  means by which members participate in Church
14.4.2 Guidelines for Choosing Appropriate Music
                                                                                                                        14. Music




                                                                  worship services. Congregational singing has a
       for Church Worship Services
                                                                  unique and often underused power for unifying
           All Church music should be consistent with             members as they worship together.
       the following guidelines.
                                                                      As appropriate, a priesthood leader may ask
           The hymns are the basic music for worship              a congregation to stand for an intermediate hymn
       services and are standard for all congregational           or a national anthem (see “Hymns for Congre-
       singing. In addition, other appropriate selections         gations,” Hymns, 380–81).

                                                                                                                 115
14. Music



        Special Musical Selections                                     hymns teach the truths of the restored gospel.
           Musical selections may be presented by                      Hymn arrangements and other appropriate cho-
        choirs, vocal and instrumental soloists, and small             ral works may also be used (see 14.4.2).
        groups. Hymns and other appropriate selections                     Information about using the hymns for choirs
        may be used (see 14.4.2).                                      is provided in Hymns, pages 381–83. Additional
                                                                       information about conducting choirs is in the
14.4.4 Sacrament Meetings                                              Conducting Course manual, pages 73–83.
            The bishopric approves music for sacrament                    Auditions are not held when organizing ward
        meetings. Music and musical texts are to be sa-                and stake choirs. Rehearsals usually do not ex-
        cred, digniﬁed, and otherwise suitable for sac-                ceed one hour.
        rament meeting. Music in sacrament meeting is                      In addition to the ward choir, Relief Society,
        for worship, not for a performance that draws                  priesthood, youth, children, and family choirs
        attention to itself.                                           may be invited to sing hymns and other appro-
            Opening and closing hymns are usually sung                 priate musical selections in Church meetings.
        by the congregation (see “Selecting the Right
        Hymn,” Hymns, 380). In addition to using hymns          14.4.6 Using Music in the Classroom
        that are already known and loved, members are                      Hymn singing can be an effective way to in-
        encouraged to become acquainted with new or                    troduce or reinforce gospel principles taught in
        less familiar hymns. Music leaders should try to               the classroom. Leaders should encourage teach-
        achieve a good balance between familiar favor-                 ers to use the hymns to enhance classroom in-
        ites and hymns that are not as well known (see                 struction.
        “Hymns for Congregations,” Hymns, 380–81).
            The sacrament hymn is always sung by the
        congregation. It should refer to the sacrament it-      14.5   Stake Music Leadership
        self or to the sacriﬁce of the Savior. Vocal solos or   14.5.1 Stake Presidency
        instrumental music may not replace this hymn.
        No music should be played during the sacrament                     The stake president and his counselors over-
        prayer, while the sacrament is being passed, or                see stake music. They call and set apart stake
        as a postlude after the sacrament is passed.                   members to serve in stake music callings as out-
                                                                       lined in this section.
            Special musical selections or a congregational
        hymn may be scheduled after the sacrament or            14.5.2 Stake Music Adviser
        between speakers (see “Special Musical Selec-
        tions” in 14.4.3).                                                 The stake presidency assigns a high coun-
                                                                       cilor to be the stake music adviser. Under the
            If a musical program is presented, it should               presidency’s direction, he supervises the music
        be simple, reverent, and short enough to allow a               program in the stake, advises the stake music
        spoken message. Sacrament meetings should not                  chairman, and represents the music program in
        be turned over to outside musical groups. Recit-               stake council meetings.
        als, concerts, and pageantry are not appropriate
        in sacrament meeting.                                              With the stake presidency’s approval, the
                                                                       stake music adviser may call and set apart stake
14.4.5 Choirs                                                          members to serve in stake music positions.
            Every ward should make an effort to have an         14.5.3 Stake Music Chairman
        active ward choir that sings in sacrament meet-
        ing at least once a month. Ward members may                        A man or woman may serve as the stake mu-
        participate voluntarily in the choir, or the bishop-           sic chairman. Under the direction of the stake
        ric may invite or call them to participate.                    presidency, the stake music chairman has the
                                                                       following responsibilities:
            In a very small branch, a choir might consist
        of the entire congregation. In a large ward with                 Serve as a resource to the stake presidency on
        many resources, the bishopric may call choir                   music matters.
        ofﬁcers, such as a president, a secretary, a librar-              Arrange for music and musicians for stake
        ian, and section leaders.                                      conference sessions and other stake meetings and
          Church choirs are encouraged to use the                      events as requested.
        hymnbook as their basic resource because the


116
                                                                                                               14. Music



           As needed, provide training and support for               choirs may use Church buildings for rehearsals
       ward music chairmen and serve as a resource to                and performances, provided they follow Church
       stake auxiliary leaders.                                      standards and policies related to activities and
          Recommend and supervise music training                     ﬁnances.
       programs in the stake (see 14.7).
           Recommend and implement stake music ac-            14.7   Music Training
       tivities as requested.
                                                                          Learning basic music skills allows members
                                                                     to use their talents to serve in the Church. With
14.5.4 Stake Music Specialists
                                                                     the approval of priesthood leaders, stake and
           Stake music specialists, including a stake or-            ward music chairmen may arrange for music
       ganist, may be called as needed. These specialists            training courses, seminars, and workshops. Mu-
       may be assigned to provide music for a partic-                sic training programs may be provided for those
       ular stake meeting every time that meeting oc-                who currently serve in music positions and those
       curs. They may also be assigned to provide music              who may serve in the future. Participants could
       training (see 14.7) or to assist with music in stake          include stake and ward music directors, choir
       activities.                                                   directors, pianists, and organists. Other inter-
                                                                     ested adults and youth, including prospective
                                                                     missionaries, could also participate. No fee is
14.6   Music in the Stake                                            charged for Church-sponsored training.
14.6.1 Stake Conferences                                                 An annual pattern of music training could
           Music for stake conference should be planned              include music conducting courses, training for
       with the purpose of strengthening faith and tes-              choir directors, ward keyboard courses, and stake
       timony. The presiding authority at a stake con-               or ward organ training courses. Music chairmen
       ference reviews all proposed musical selections               may consult with priesthood leaders and recom-
       for the conference early in the planning stage.               mend qualiﬁed instructors who could provide
                                                                     this training. If a stake music specialist is not
           Music for the general session of stake con-
                                                                     called to provide training, ward choir directors
       ference normally includes four selections. The
                                                                     could meet together to exchange ideas, or the
       congregation sings the opening and intermedi-
                                                                     stake presidency could request help from out-
       ate hymns. A choir may sing the other two se-
                                                                     side the stake.
       lections, perhaps immediately before the ﬁrst
       speaker and at the close of the meeting. At least                 The Conducting Course Kit and the Keyboard
       one of the choir’s selections should be a Latter-             Course Kit provide instruction in basic music
       day Saint hymn or hymn arrangement. Choirs                    skills. The Conducting Course manual also pro-
       may be composed of ward choirs, or they may                   vides instruction for organizing and conducting
       be special choirs of children, youth, priesthood              choirs. These resources are listed in the Church
       holders, Relief Society sisters, or families.                 Materials Catalog and are available from Church
                                                                     Distribution Services.
            For guidelines on choosing appropriate mu-
       sic, see 14.4.2.                                                  When there is not a reasonable alternative,
                                                                     priesthood leaders may authorize the use of meet-
14.6.2 Stake and Multistake Choirs                                   inghouse pianos and organs for practice, paid
                                                                     private instruction, and recitals involving mem-
          With priesthood leaders’ approval, stake and
                                                                     bers of the units that use the meetinghouse. No
       multistake choirs may be organized for stake
                                                                     admittance fee should be charged for recitals.
       conferences, regional conferences, and other
       occasions, such as community events. After the                    Ward music chairmen help ﬁnd opportuni-
       performance, the choir is disbanded until other               ties for developing musicians to use their talents
       occasions arise. These choirs should not interfere            and encourage them to continue developing their
       with members’ participation in ward choirs.                   skills.
                                                                                                                           14. Music




            Standing community choirs directed by and
       consisting primarily of Church members are not         14.8   Music in the Home
       sponsored by the Church. These choirs should
       not use references to the Church such as “LDS,”                   Priesthood leaders and music leaders encour-
       “Latter-day Saint,” or “Mormon” in their names.               age Church members to use uplifting music in
       If stake priesthood leaders approve, community                their homes, to have a copy of the hymnbook and



                                                                                                                    117
14. Music



        the Children’s Songbook, and to sing this music as   14.9.3 Pianos, Organs, and Keyboards
        families. Concerning music in the home, the First               Where an organ is available, it is normally
        Presidency said:                                             used for prelude and postlude music and hymn
           “The hymns can bring families a spirit of                 accompaniment. A piano may be used for these
        beauty and peace and can inspire love and unity              purposes when an organ or an organist is not
        among family members.                                        available.
            “Teach your children to love the hymns. Sing                 Using the piano and organ at the same time
        them on the Sabbath, in home evening, during                 is not standard for Church meetings. However,
        scripture study, at prayer time. Sing as you work,           these instruments may be used together occa-
        as you play, and as you travel together. Sing                sionally.
        hymns as lullabies to build faith and testimony                 A portable electronic music keyboard may
        in your young ones” (Hymns, x).                              be used when a piano or organ is not available.
            Members may use Church-produced record-
        ings to accompany singing and to help them                   Obtaining Musical Instruments
        learn the hymns and Primary songs. These re-                     Church buildings are usually supplied with
        cordings are listed in the Church Materials Cata-            an organ, pianos, or electronic music keyboards.
        log. Members may also access the Church music                Priesthood leaders may consult the Purchasing
        Web site (music.lds.org) to learn and listen to              Division at Church headquarters or the assigned
        Church music, learn basic music skills, and ﬁnd              administrative ofﬁce for information about ac-
        other helpful music resources.                               quiring new or replacement instruments.
           Parents should encourage their children to
        receive instruction in musical skills, enabling              Maintaining Musical Instruments
        them to use their talents to serve in the Church.                The agent bishop for each meetinghouse and
            The bishopric may occasionally assign sac-               the stake physical facilities representative (a high
        rament meeting speakers to talk about using mu-              councilor) are to see that pianos and organs are
        sic in the home. Occasionally a family may sing              tuned, maintained, and repaired as needed.
        a favorite hymn or Primary song as a musical
        selection in sacrament meeting.                      14.9.4 Copyright Guidelines
                                                                        See 21.1.12.
14.9    Additional Music Policies and                        14.9.5 Music for Weddings
        Guidelines
                                                                          A wedding ceremony that is held in a home
14.9.1 Other Music in the Chapel                                     or Church building might include prelude mu-
            Some cultural and recreational music may be              sic, hymns, special musical selections, and post-
        presented in the chapel on weekdays. However,                lude music. Civil marriage ceremonies should
        the cultural hall is usually a more appropriate              be simple, conservative, and without pomp in
        setting for such music. Local priesthood leaders             the proceedings. When a wedding ceremony is
        resolve questions about what music is appro-                 held in a Church building, a wedding march is
        priate in the chapel. Applause is not usually ap-            not appropriate.
        propriate in the chapel.
                                                             14.9.6 Music for Funerals
14.9.2 Obtaining and Using Music                                        See 18.6.5.
            An initial supply of hymnbooks is provided
        to new meetinghouses. Additional hymnbooks,          14.9.7 Music for Baptismal Services
        choral music, and other music may be purchased                   See “Elements of a Baptismal Service” in
        with stake or ward budget funds. Priesthood                  20.3.4.
        leaders may invite stake and ward music chair-
        men to submit annual budgets for this music.
        Music that is purchased with budget funds is         14.10   Online Music Resources
        usually kept in the meetinghouse library and                     For additional resources, see the Church mu-
        belongs to all units that share the library. The             sic Web site (music.lds.org) and “Music Callings
        stake or ward music chairman may help librari-               and Resources” in the Serving in the Church sec-
        ans create an index of this music.                           tion of LDS.org.


118
                                                                                                                                                                15. Stake Organization
15. Stake Organization

15.1 Stake Presidency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120            15.4 Stake Auxiliaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
     15.1.1 Call and Set Apart Stake Leaders . . . . . . . 120                          15.4.1 Stake Auxiliary Presidencies . . . . . . . . . . . 121
     15.1.2 Oversee the Work of Stake Auxiliaries                                       15.4.2 Stake Auxiliary Secretaries . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
              and Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
                                                                                   15.5 Stake Specialists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
      15.1.3 Preside over Stake Councils
              and Committees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120       15.6 Adapting to Local Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
15.2 Stake Clerk, Assistant Stake Clerks, and
      Stake Executive Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
15.3 High Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
     15.3.1 Represent the Stake Presidency . . . . . . . . . 120
     15.3.2 Serve on Stake Councils and
              Committees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121




                                                                                                                                                         119
15. Stake Organization

           The stake presidency and other stake leaders
                                                             15.2   Stake Clerk, Assistant Stake Clerks,
       work together to teach and support ward leaders.
       This chapter outlines the general organization of            and Stake Executive Secretary
       the stake and explains the relationship between                  The responsibilities of the stake clerk, assis-
       stake auxiliaries and ward auxiliaries. Detailed             tant stake clerks, and stake executive secretary
       instructions for the stake president are found in            are outlined in Handbook 1, 13.3.2 through 13.3.4.
       Handbook 1.

                                                             15.3   High Council
15.1   Stake Presidency                                                 The stake presidency calls 12 high priests to
15.1.1 Call and Set Apart Stake Leaders                             form the stake high council (see D&C 102:1). If
                                                                    an elder is called to serve on the high council,
          The stake president and his counselors call
                                                                    he must be ordained a high priest before he is
       and set apart stake leaders as outlined in the
                                                                    set apart.
       Chart of Callings in chapter 19.
                                                                        Under the direction of the stake presidency,
15.1.2 Oversee the Work of Stake Auxiliaries                        high councilors help oversee the work of the
       and Programs                                                 Church in the stake. They have advisory and ad-
                                                                    ministrative responsibilities as described in the
           The stake president personally oversees the
                                                                    following paragraphs.
       stake Relief Society. He assigns his counselors to
       oversee the other stake auxiliary organizations:
                                                             15.3.1 Represent the Stake Presidency
       Young Men (including Scouting where autho-
       rized), Young Women, Primary, and Sunday                         High councilors counsel about and sustain
       School. These counselors ensure that members                 the stake presidency’s decisions to ordain breth-
       of stake auxiliary presidencies are instructed in            ren to the ofﬁces of elder and high priest. The
       their duties.                                                stake president may authorize high councilors
                                                                    to represent him when men are ordained to the
           The stake president also assigns his counsel-
                                                                    ofﬁces of elder and high priest.
       ors to oversee efforts with stake activities, young
       single adults, single adults (as needed), Church                 High councilors also counsel about and sus-
       magazines, public affairs (as needed), music,                tain the stake presidency’s decisions to issue
       seminary and institute, and physical facilities.             callings to members. For some callings, the stake
                                                                    presidency may authorize high councilors to
           Members of the stake presidency meet reg-
                                                                    represent them in issuing the callings, present-
       ularly with the presidencies of the auxiliary or-
                                                                    ing members to be sustained, and setting mem-
       ganizations to which they are assigned. In these
                                                                    bers apart as indicated in chapter 19.
       meetings, participants counsel together about
       the progress and needs of members in the orga-                   To assist them in overseeing the Melchizedek
       nizations.                                                   Priesthood, the stake presidency assigns a high
                                                                    councilor to represent them in each elders quo-
          Members of the stake presidency also meet
                                                                    rum, high priests group, ward, and branch in the
       regularly with committees and specialists in the
                                                                    stake. In this role, high councilors orient newly
       other programs to which they are assigned.
                                                                    called high priests group leaderships and elders
                                                                    quorum presidencies. They also provide on-
15.1.3 Preside over Stake Councils and Committees
                                                                    going encouragement, support, and instruction
          The stake president presides over the stake               for these leaders, including instruction based on
       priesthood executive committee and the stake                 chapters 1–7 of this handbook. They meet with
       council. He also presides over stake disciplin-              these leaders regularly to learn of their needs,
       ary councils. He assigns his counselors to pre-              teach them their duties, and communicate in-
       side over the stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young                 formation from the stake presidency. They pe-
       Women committee, the stake young single adult                riodically attend meetings of the elders quorum
       committee, and the stake single adult committee              and high priests group, including elders quorum
       (where organized).                                           presidency meetings and high priests group



120
                                                                                                   15. Stake Organization




                                                                                                                            15. Stake Organization
       leadership meetings. They also attend bishop-              the Melchizedek Priesthood. The members of the
       ric, priesthood executive committee, and ward              presidencies of the Relief Society, Young Women,
       council meetings if invited or assigned.                   and Primary are women.
           The stake presidency assigns high councilors               This chapter outlines the responsibilities that
       to work with the stake auxiliaries and programs            stake auxiliary leaders have in common. In addi-
       listed in 15.1.2 (except for Church magazines if           tion, the stake Relief Society and Sunday School
       the stake executive secretary or someone else is           presidencies have some responsibilities that are
       assigned this responsibility). When a member of            unique to their organizations. Those responsibili-
       the stake presidency meets with a stake auxiliary          ties are outlined in 9.8.2 and 12.7.3, respectively.
       presidency, the assigned high councilor attends
       this meeting. High councilors also attend the        15.4.1 Stake Auxiliary Presidencies
       stake auxiliary leadership meetings for the aux-               The principal responsibilities of stake aux-
       iliaries to which they are assigned.                       iliary presidencies are to assist the stake presi-
           The stake presidency assigns high councilors           dency and to instruct and support ward auxiliary
       to help oversee missionary work and temple and             presidencies. They do not fulﬁll assignments that
       family history work in the stake (see 5.1.9 and            should be fulﬁlled on the ward or family level.
       5.4.6).                                                        Stake auxiliary presidencies have the follow-
           The stake presidency may assign high coun-             ing responsibilities:
       cilors to represent them by speaking in sacra-                 They orient newly called ward auxiliary
       ment meetings and other settings. The stake                presidencies. They also provide ongoing en-
       presidency determines the frequency of these               couragement, support, and instruction for ward
       speaking assignments. It is not necessary for              auxiliary presidencies and teachers. They should
       high councilors to speak in sacrament meeting              base some of their instruction on chapters 1–6
       every month.                                               in this handbook and the chapter for their aux-
                                                                  iliary organization. They meet with these lead-
15.3.2 Serve on Stake Councils and Committees                     ers regularly to learn of their needs, discuss the
          All high councilors serve on the stake priest-          needs of the members they serve, and communi-
       hood executive committee and the stake council.            cate information from the stake presidency. Peri-
           As directed by the stake presidency, high              odically they visit ward meetings and classes as
       councilors participate in stake disciplinary coun-         arranged with ward leaders.
       cils (see Handbook 1, chapter 6).                              They instruct ward auxiliary leaders in stake
           The stake presidency may assign high coun-             auxiliary leadership meetings, which are gener-
       cilors to serve on other committees as needed.             ally held once a year. If local circumstances and
       For example, high councilors who are assigned              travel time do not put undue burdens on lead-
       to work with elders quorums and high priests               ers, the stake presidency may authorize a sec-
       groups may meet as a Melchizedek Priesthood                ond leadership meeting each year. (See 18.3.11.)
       committee. High councilors with assignments                Bishops may request additional instruction for
       relating to the Aaronic Priesthood may meet as             ward auxiliary presidencies.
       an Aaronic Priesthood committee.                              Members of auxiliary presidencies counsel
         The high council does not meet unless a                  together regularly in their own presidency meet-
       member of the stake presidency is present.                 ings. They also meet regularly with the mem-
                                                                  ber of the stake presidency who oversees their
                                                                  work and the high councilor assigned to their
15.4   Stake Auxiliaries                                          organization.
           The Young Men, Relief Society, Young                        Auxiliary presidents serve on the stake coun-
       Women, Primary, and Sunday School organi-                  cil. As members of this council, they participate
       zations are auxiliaries to the priesthood. Each            in efforts to build faith and strengthen individ-
       auxiliary has a presidency that serves under the           uals and families in the stake.
       direction of the stake presidency. The members                 Auxiliary presidents submit recommenda-
       of the stake Young Men presidency are Melchi-              tions to the stake presidency about members who
       zedek Priesthood holders. The members of the               may be called to serve in their organizations. In
       stake Sunday School presidency are also priest-            making these recommendations, they follow the
       hood holders; where possible, they should hold             guidelines in 19.1.1 and 19.1.2.



                                                                                                                    121
15. Stake Organization



15.4.2 Stake Auxiliary Secretaries                                         The stake presidency may also call and set
            Under the direction of stake auxiliary presi-              apart public affairs specialists to help increase
        dents, stake auxiliary secretaries have the follow-            positive awareness of the Church and to build
        ing responsibilities:                                          bridges of friendship and understanding in the
                                                                       community. Information for public affairs spe-
           They prepare agendas for presidency meet-                   cialists is available in the Serving in the Church
        ings.                                                          section of LDS.org. These specialists serve under
           They attend presidency meetings, take notes,                the direction of the stake public affairs director.
        and keep track of assignments.
            They keep other records and prepare reports
                                                                15.6   Adapting to Local Needs
        as the presidency requests.
                                                                           If distances, travel costs, communication re-
           They help prepare the annual budget for their
                                                                       sources, or leadership resources make the ad-
        auxiliary and account for expenses.
                                                                       ministration of stake programs challenging, the
            They provide training for ward auxiliary sec-              stake presidency may adapt the guidelines in
        retaries as assigned. This training may include                this chapter. In doing so, they ensure that ward
        instruction on recording and reporting atten-                  leaders receive the training they need.
        dance.
                                                                           General information about adapting Church
                                                                       callings and organizations is provided in chap-
15.5    Stake Specialists                                              ter 17. Instructions that are speciﬁc to priesthood
                                                                       quorums and auxiliary organizations are pro-
            The stake presidency may call and set apart                vided in 8.16, 9.9, 10.11, 11.7, and 12.8.
        specialists to help with activities (see 13.3.2), mu-
        sic (see 14.5.4), welfare (see 6.3.3), and other ini-
        tiatives to help stake members.




122
16. Single Members

16.1 Ministering to Single Adult Members                                            16.4 Young Single Adult Wards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
    (Ages 31 and Older) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             124
                                                                                    16.5 Young Single Adult Stakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
    16.1.1 Stake Single Adult Leadership . . . . . . . . .                    124
    16.1.2 Stake Single Adult Committee . . . . . . . . .                     124   16.6 Guidelines and Policies for Young Single
    16.1.3 Multistake Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            124        Adult Wards and Stakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                     128
    16.1.4 Participation in Single Adult                                                 16.6.1 Church Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .               128
           Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   124        16.6.2 Cooperation When Members Are Called
    16.1.5 Home Evening Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                  124                to Serve in Young Single Adult Units . . .                           128




                                                                                                                                                                            16. Single Members
                                                                                         16.6.3 Home Evening Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                     128
16.2 Ministering to Young Single Adult Members
                                                                                         16.6.4 Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching . .                               128
    (Ages 18 to 30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
                                                                                         16.6.5 Membership Records of Leaders . . . . . . .                           128
16.3 Young Single Adults in Conventional                                                 16.6.6 Membership Records of Young Single
    Stakes and Wards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              125                Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   128
    16.3.1 Stake Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           125        16.6.7 Missionary Recommendations . . . . . . . .                            129
    16.3.2 Stake Young Single Adult Committee . .                             125        16.6.8 Priesthood Ordinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                    129
    16.3.3 Ward Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            125        16.6.9 School Breaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           129
    16.3.4 Ward Young Single Adult Committee . .                              126        16.6.10 Temple Recommends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                    129
    16.3.5 Meetings, Classes, and Activities                                             16.6.11 Tenure of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            129
           (Stake and Ward) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           126        16.6.12 Young Single Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .               129
    16.3.6 Multistake and Area Activities . . . . . . . .                     127
    16.3.7 Funding for Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             127
    16.3.8 Centers for Young Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 127




                                                                                                                                                                      123
16. Single Members

           Men and women who have not married or                    address those needs. The stake presidency may
       who are divorced or widowed make up a signif-                determine that single adults in the stake need op-
       icant portion of Church membership. Priesthood               portunities to come together for service, gospel
       and auxiliary leaders reach out to these members             learning, and sociality beyond what their wards
       and include them in the work of the Church. Wor-             provide.
       thy single members should be given opportuni-
                                                                        The stake president may assign one of his
       ties to hold leadership and teaching positions,
                                                                    counselors to oversee the work with single adults
       including positions in elders quorum presiden-
                                                                    in the stake. The stake president may also assign
       cies, high priests group leaderships, and auxiliary
                                                                    a high councilor to assist in this work. The same
       presidencies.
                                                                    member of the stake presidency and the same
           Leaders support single members by helping                high councilor may be assigned to work with
       them draw near to the Lord, strengthen their tes-            young single adults as well.
       timonies, and take responsibility for their own
       spiritual, social, and temporal well-being.            16.1.2 Stake Single Adult Committee
           In ministering to single members, leaders                    The stake presidency may organize a stake
       seek to strengthen family life, not compete with             single adult committee. A counselor in the stake
       it or detract from it. They teach and testify of the         presidency presides over this committee. The
       importance of marriage and parenthood. Even                  committee also includes a high councilor, a mem-
       when young single adults are not living with                 ber of the stake Relief Society presidency, and
       their parents, Church leaders encourage them to              several single adults. Normally this committee is
       honor and nourish their relationships with their             organized separately from the stake young single
       parents. Leaders also support single parents in              adult committee.
       their efforts to teach and nurture their children.
                                                                        The committee meets as needed. Committee
           Single members are divided into two groups:              members may plan ways to give single adults
       single adults (ages 31 and older) and young single           opportunities to come together for service, gos-
       adults (ages 18–30).                                         pel learning, and sociality beyond their wards.

                                                              16.1.3 Multistake Activities
16.1   Ministering to Single Adult Members
                                                                        When multistake activities can provide single
       (Ages 31 and Older)
                                                                    adults with needed opportunities for service,
           Leaders encourage single members ages 31                 leadership, and social interaction, Area Seventies
       and older to participate in the regular activities           work with stake presidents to establish commit-
       and programs of their conventional stakes and                tees to plan and organize such activities.
       wards. These stakes and wards can provide a full
       range of Church experiences and can offer oppor-       16.1.4 Participation in Single Adult Activities
       tunities to serve, teach, lead, and associate with
                                                                        Participation in single adult activities is lim-
       people of all ages. Conventional wards can also
                                                                    ited to single adult members, assigned Church
       reinforce the important role of the family and the
                                                                    ofﬁcers, and single adult nonmembers who are
       home in the gospel plan.
                                                                    willing to abide by Church standards. A person
           Leaders should make special efforts to un-               who is separated from his or her spouse or is
       derstand and address the needs of single adults.             seeking a divorce may not participate until the
       Leaders should recognize that single adults’ cir-            divorce decree has become ﬁnal according to law.
       cumstances and interests are varied. Leaders
       should also be sensitive that single adults some-      16.1.5 Home Evening Groups
       times feel out of place when they attend family-
                                                                        Bishoprics may organize one or more home
       oriented activities and classes.
                                                                    evening groups for single adults who do not
                                                                    have children in the home and do not live with
16.1.1 Stake Single Adult Leadership
                                                                    their parents. These groups are not referred to
          The stake presidency seeks to understand the              as families.
       needs of single adults and to provide ways to


124
                                                                                                      16. Single Members



                                                                   priesthood leaders may recommend the organi-
16.2   Ministering to Young Single Adult                           zation of a young single adult ward when the
       Members (Ages 18 to 30)                                     circumstances make this desirable (see 16.4).
           Stake and ward leaders work continually
       to identify, locate, and shepherd young single         16.3.2 Stake Young Single Adult Committee
       adults in the following ways:                                   A counselor in the stake presidency presides
           They help young single adults ﬁnd and fel-              over the stake young single adult committee. This
       lowship those in their age-group who are less               committee also includes the high councilor as-
       active in the Church.                                       signed to young single adults, a member of the
           They create opportunities for young single              stake Relief Society presidency, a couple called
       adults to associate together in meaningful ser-             to serve as young single adult advisers, and the




                                                                                                                           16. Single Members
       vice, gospel learning, and social activities. A cen-        young single adult leaders from each ward. If
       tral purpose of these activities is to help young           wards do not have young single adult leaders,
       single adults ﬁnd marriage partners and pre-                other worthy young single adults are called to
       pare to marry in the temple and raise righteous             serve on the committee. Normally the commit-
       families.                                                   tee is organized separately from the stake single
                                                                   adult committee.
          They support young single adults in fulﬁll-
       ing worthy personal goals and in making deci-                   The committee meets as needed. Committee
       sions about marriage, education, careers, and               members may plan ways to give young single
       ﬁnances.                                                    adults opportunities to come together for service,
                                                                   gospel learning, and sociality beyond their wards
           They ensure that each young single adult                (see 16.3.5). As they plan young single adult ac-
       has a copy of True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference.        tivities, they maintain a focus on spiritual growth
       Young single adults are encouraged to use the               and service, not just social experiences.
       book as a resource as they study gospel prin-
       ciples, prepare talks, teach classes, and answer                The committee helps ensure that ward young
       questions about the Church.                                 single adult committees are functioning well in
                                                                   the wards where they are established.

16.3   Young Single Adults in Conventional                    16.3.3 Ward Leadership
       Stakes and Wards                                            Bishopric
16.3.1 Stake Leadership                                                To understand and address the needs of
           The leadership of the stake presidency is               young single adults in the ward, a bishopric
       particularly important in the effort to minister            member interviews each young single adult at
       to young single adults. Young single adults are             least annually. The bishopric works with the
       highly mobile. They may be unevenly distributed             ward council to ﬁnd meaningful callings for all
       across the wards in the stake, and they may be              young single adults. The bishopric may also or-
       difﬁcult to locate. Because of these challenges,            ganize a ward young single adult committee.
       opportunities for social interaction, gospel learn-             A counselor in the bishopric oversees the
       ing, and service are often most effective at the            young single adults in the ward. He receives
       stake or multistake level.                                  regular reports from the counselors in the elders
           In his regular interview with each bishop, the          quorum and Relief Society presidencies who are
       stake president asks for a report on the progress           assigned to work with young single adults in the
       of young single adults in the bishop’s ward.                ward. He may report on speciﬁc young single
                                                                   adults in ward council meeting.
           The stake president assigns one of his coun-
       selors to oversee the work with young single                Elders Quorum and Relief Society Counselors
       adults in the stake. The stake president also as-           Assigned to Young Single Adults
       signs a high councilor to assist in this work.
                                                                       The elders quorum president and Relief So-
           Stake leaders prayerfully consider what pro-            ciety president each assign a counselor to lead
       grams and activities will best serve the needs              out in their organization’s effort to watch over
       of the young single adults in the stake. A variety          young single adults. These counselors periodi-
       of options are listed in 16.3.5.                            cally visit with young single adults to provide
          While most young single adults live in con-              encouragement and help. They provide the
       ventional wards (many with their parents),                  assigned bishopric counselor with information


                                                                                                                   125
16. Single Members



        about young single adults based on home teach-          activities that can take place at the ward, stake,
        ing and visiting teaching contacts and their own        or multistake level. These activities may include
        visits. They also report to the elders quorum pres-     temple visits, priesthood or temple preparation
        ident or Relief Society president. The elders quo-      seminars, missionary work, community service,
        rum president and Relief Society president may          choirs, cultural events, dances, and sports.
        report on these efforts in ward council meeting.            Supported by the stake young single adult
                                                                committee and by ward leaders, the stake pres-
        Young Single Adult Leaders
                                                                idency establishes meetings, classes, and activi-
            In a ward with a sufﬁcient number of young          ties that will best meet the needs of young single
        single adults, the bishopric may call a young           adult members. They also determine whether
        single adult brother and a young single adult sis-      activities should take place at the ward level, the
        ter to serve as young single adult leaders. These       stake level, or some combination of both.
        leaders report to a counselor in the bishopric.             Young single adult activities should comply
        They also serve on the ward young single adult          with the policies and guidelines in chapter 13.
        committee if one is formed. They meet with the          Participation in these activities is limited to young
        elders quorum presidency or Relief Society pres-        single adult members, assigned Church ofﬁcers,
        idency regularly to ensure that home teaching           and young single adult nonmembers who are
        and visiting teaching assignments help address          willing to abide by Church standards. A person
        the needs of young single adults. They may be           who is separated from his or her spouse or is seek-
        assigned to serve on the stake young single adult       ing a divorce may not participate until the divorce
        committee.                                              decree has become ﬁnal according to law.
        Young Single Adult Advisers                                 In planning young single adult activities,
                                                                ward and stake leaders may consider the follow-
            The bishopric may call a worthy married
                                                                ing options.
        couple as ward young single adult advisers.
        These advisers report to a counselor in the bish-       Finding and Inviting
        opric. They serve on the ward young single adult
        committee if one is formed. They may also be                 Because many young single adults change
        assigned to serve on the stake young single adult       residence frequently, the stake may periodically
        committee. They help young single adults have           organize activities designed to ﬁnd and fellow-
        opportunities to gather for friendship, service,        ship young single adults in the stake. These ac-
        and gospel learning.                                    tivities may be done in connection with efforts of
                                                                neighboring stakes. Active young single adults
16.3.4 Ward Young Single Adult Committee                        are the most valuable resource in such efforts,
                                                                guided by ward and stake young single adult
            In a ward with a signiﬁcant number of young         committees. Institute personnel may also assist
        single adults, the stake president and bishop may       at times.
        feel that a ward young single adult committee
        is needed. A counselor in the bishopric presides        Young Single Adult Service Committees
        over the committee. Other committee members
        include the elders quorum and Relief Society                Young single adults should frequently be
        counselors assigned to young single adults, the         called to serve together on service committees.
        young single adult leaders, and the couple called       These committees report to a ward or stake leader
        to serve as young single adult advisers.                assigned by the bishopric or by the ward or stake
                                                                young single adult committee. Local leaders de-
            This committee meets as needed. Commit-             termine the nature of the committees’ service. The
        tee members discuss ways to help young single           service often focuses on Church programs such
        adults participate in service, leadership, gospel       as welfare, family history, public affairs, mission-
        learning, and social activities. They also ﬁnd and      ary work, activation efforts among young single
        fellowship less-active young single adults.             adults, or support for Church facilities or proj-
                                                                ects. This service may also focus on humanitarian
16.3.5 Meetings, Classes, and Activities                        needs locally or elsewhere. Service committees
        (Stake and Ward)                                        provide opportunities to develop friendships and
            Young single adults should be offered a vari-       meet potential marriage partners. They also teach
        ety of gospel learning, service, cultural, and social   leadership and social skills.




126
                                                                                                      16. Single Members



      Home Evening Groups                                           and institutes of religion to achieve an appropri-
          Priesthood leaders may organize one or                    ate balance of activities and to avoid duplication
      more home evening groups for young single                     and scheduling conﬂicts.
      adults who do not live with their parents and                     For additional guidelines on organizing these
      do not have children in their homes. If possible,             activities, see 13.3.1.
      priesthood leaders appoint a young single adult
      priesthood holder to lead each group. In stakes         16.3.7 Funding for Activities
      with few young single adults, stake leaders may                   Normally, funding for young single adult ac-
      organize home evening groups that cross ward                  tivities comes from the stake or ward budget.
      boundaries. Home evening group leaders are ac-                When multistake or area activities are held, the
      countable to assigned priesthood leaders. These               responsible priesthood leader ensures a fair al-




                                                                                                                           16. Single Members
      groups are not referred to as families.                       location of funding among the stakes.
      Sunday School Classes                                             Funding for activities should be consistent
                                                                    with the policies in 13.2.8. As an exception,
          Wards with enough young single adults may
                                                                    when large multistake or area events are held,
      have a separate Sunday School class for young
                                                                    young single adults may occasionally be asked
      single adults (see 12.4.2).
                                                                    to pay some costs themselves. However, lead-
                                                                    ers should ensure that all young single adults
      Weekday Gospel Study Classes
                                                                    have the opportunity to participate without in-
          Young single adults are encouraged to enroll              curring unreasonable personal costs.
      in institute classes. Priesthood leaders work with
      local institute personnel to establish classes that     16.3.8 Centers for Young Adults
      meet institute standards and meet the needs of
                                                                        Centers for young adults are authorized in
      young single adults. Young single adults who
                                                                    some locations to bring together opportunities
      are not attending school may enroll in institute
                                                                    for gospel learning, social activities, missionary
      classes, either in institutes or in classes taught in
                                                                    work, and activation efforts. A center for young
      local meetinghouses by teachers who are called
                                                                    adults requires cooperative efforts among stake
      by priesthood leaders. Arrangements for such
                                                                    presidencies, institute personnel, and the mis-
      classes are coordinated between priesthood lead-
                                                                    sion president, with an agent stake presidency
      ers and institute personnel.
                                                                    providing overall direction. These leaders may
          If institute classes are not available, local             be assisted by an institute of religion student
      leaders may contact the Seminaries and Institutes             council and stake young single adult commit-
      of Religion area ofﬁce for assistance. As needed,             tees. Full-time missionaries may participate in
      local leaders may organize other group opportu-               missionary work at these centers, often assisted
      nities for weekday gospel study.                              by a married couple who may or may not be mis-
                                                                    sionaries.
16.3.6 Multistake and Area Activities
                                                                        Organizations for young single adults, such
          Multistake and area activities can give young             as an institute of religion advisory council (see
      single adults opportunities for social interaction,           Handbook 1, 11.1.3), an institute of religion stu-
      leadership, and service without leaving the ec-               dent council (see Handbook 1, 11.2.2), ward and
      clesiastical care of their bishops.                           stake young single adult committees, and young
          Area Seventies work with stake presidents                 single adult wards and stakes, should avoid du-
      to establish multistake committees to organize                plication and scheduling conﬂicts when they
      such activities. These Area Seventies work under              make plans to use the center. In consultation
      the direction of a member of the Presidency of                with institute personnel and other leaders, stake
      the Seventy or the Area Presidency. Multistake                presidents may wish to have these organizations
      committees should include young single adult                  combine for some functions.
      leaders.                                                          A center for young adults may be housed
          Multistake committees should plan activities              in a meetinghouse, with the agent stake presi-
      that are varied, simple, and inexpensive and that             dent overseeing the use and scheduling of the
      allow for ample social interaction. These commit-             building.
      tees coordinate with young single adult wards                     Where there is an institute building, a mem-
                                                                    ber of the Presidency of the Seventy or the Area



                                                                                                                   127
16. Single Members



        Presidency may request that it be used as a cen-
                                                              16.6   Guidelines and Policies for Young
        ter for young adults. In this case, the institute
        director continues to serve as the building agent.           Single Adult Wards and Stakes
        In counsel with the stake president, the institute    16.6.1 Church Programs
        director is responsible for institute classes and
                                                                         Young single adult wards use the regular pro-
        other uses of the building. Other activities should
                                                                     gram of the Church as much as possible. Stake
        not disrupt institute classes.
                                                                     presidents and bishops of young single adult
            To request authorization to establish a center           stakes and wards follow the principles and in-
        for young adults, priesthood leaders contact a               structions in this handbook and in Handbook 1.
        member of the Presidency of the Seventy or the               This includes instructions for welfare assistance,
        Area Presidency. For more information about                  ﬁnances, and budget.
        centers for young adults, leaders should contact
        the ofﬁce of the administrator for Seminaries and     16.6.2 Cooperation When Members Are Called to
        Institutes of Religion.                                      Serve in Young Single Adult Units
                                                                         Ofﬁcers of conventional stakes and wards
16.4    Young Single Adult Wards                                     should cooperate fully when their members are
                                                                     requested by authorized priesthood leaders to
            Where local circumstances and the number of
                                                                     serve as leaders in young single adult stakes
        young single adult members make it desirable,
                                                                     and wards. However, these stake and ward ofﬁ-
        priesthood leaders may recommend the creation
                                                                     cers should consult with the authorized priest-
        of a young single adult ward according to the
                                                                     hood leaders if they feel that a member’s current
        guidelines in Handbook 1, 9.1.6.
                                                                     Church responsibilities or family circumstances
            Eligible members may, in consultation with               would make such a calling unwise or inappro-
        their parents, choose to be members of the young             priate.
        single adult ward or to remain in their conven-
        tional ward. The stake president may authorize        16.6.3 Home Evening Groups
        the young single adult ward to ﬁnd and fellow-
                                                                         The bishopric of a young single adult ward
        ship other young single adult members of the
                                                                     may organize home evening groups as outlined
        stake who are less active. Those who become
                                                                     in 16.3.5.
        active may then choose to belong to the young
        single adult ward or to their conventional ward.
                                                              16.6.4 Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching
           With approval from the stake president, the
                                                                         Each member of a young single adult ward
        bishop of a young single adult ward may or-
                                                                     or stake is considered a family for the purposes
        ganize a second Relief Society for young single
                                                                     of home teaching and visiting teaching.
        adult women and a second elders quorum for
        young single adult men to provide additional
                                                              16.6.5 Membership Records of Leaders
        opportunities for young single adults to serve
        and associate with each other.                                   The membership records of young single
                                                                     adult ward bishopric members and their families
            Membership in a young single adult ward
                                                                     normally remain in their home wards. The same
        is temporary. Leaders help young single adults
                                                                     is true for those who serve in the stake presi-
        prepare to return to a conventional ward when
                                                                     dency, on the high council, or in the stake Relief
        they marry or reach age 31. This transition should
                                                                     Society presidency of a young single adult stake.
        provide sufﬁcient time and communication to
                                                                     These leaders and their families pay tithing and
        help the bishop of the conventional ward plan
                                                                     offerings through their home wards. They also
        for a calling that helps each transitioning young
                                                                     go to their home ward and stake leaders to be
        single adult feel welcome and needed.
                                                                     interviewed for temple recommends.

16.5    Young Single Adult Stakes                             16.6.6 Membership Records of Young Single Adults

            Priesthood leaders may recommend the cre-                    The membership records of young single
        ation of a young single adult stake according to             adults should be in the wards where they are
        the guidelines in Handbook 1, 9.1.7. That section            members. Leaders and clerks take special care
        also provides guidelines for membership and                  to keep records current. To avoid delays and to
        leadership in these stakes.                                  avoid losing track of records or people, clerks



128
                                                                                                   16. Single Members



      may also keep an unofﬁcial record for young                married in a temple. As an exception, in a young
      single adults who move frequently.                         single adult stake, the stake president may au-
                                                                 thorize his counselors to interview those who
16.6.7 Missionary Recommendations                                are receiving their own endowment or being
          For information about missionary recommen-             married in a temple.
      dations, stake presidents and bishops may refer
      to Handbook 1, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, and 4.7.               16.6.11 Tenure of Service
                                                                     Normally, brethren who are called to serve
16.6.8 Priesthood Ordinations                                    in the stake presidency, on the high council, or
         See 20.7.                                               in the bishopric of a young single adult stake or
                                                                 ward serve no more than three to ﬁve years in




                                                                                                                        16. Single Members
16.6.9 School Breaks                                             callings that keep them away from their home
                                                                 wards. This limitation includes cumulative ser-
          If possible, young single adult wards should           vice in different callings.
      continue to function during school breaks. A
      young single adult ward that has few members         16.6.12 Young Single Parents
      during school breaks may meet with an adjacent
      young single adult ward. In such a circumstance,              Young single parents who have children at
      the wards keep separate records, reports of atten-         home normally remain in their conventional
      dance, and ﬁnances.                                        ward so the children will have the beneﬁt of Pri-
                                                                 mary and youth programs. However, the parents
16.6.10 Temple Recommends                                        may attend the activities of the young single
                                                                 adult ward.
        In most cases, the stake president interviews
      members who are receiving their own endow-
      ment and members who are planning to be




                                                                                                                129
17. Uniformity and Adaptation

17.1 Where Uniformity Is Required . . . . . . . . . . . .                       132   17.2 Circumstances That May Permit Local
     17.1.1 Scriptures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      132       Adaptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      133
     17.1.2 Commandments and Standards . . . . . . .                            132       17.2.1 Family Circumstances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .               133
     17.1.3 Purity of Doctrine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            132       17.2.2 Transportation and Communication . . .                             134
     17.1.4 Sacrament Meetings and the Sunday                                             17.2.3 Small Quorum or Class Size . . . . . . . . . .                     134
                Meeting Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        132       17.2.4 Leadership Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .               135
      17.1.5    Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   133       17.2.5 Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   135
      17.1.6    Temple Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     133
      17.1.7    Disciplinary Councils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           133
      17.1.8    Records and Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           133
      17.1.9    Ordinances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    133
      17.1.10   Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    133




                                                                                                                                                                          17. Uniformity and Adaptation




                                                                                                                                                                    131
17. Uniformity and Adaptation

             Members of the Church live in a wide vari-             the First Presidency. Local leaders should not
         ety of political, social, and economic conditions.         alter these commandments and standards. Nor
         Wards and branches also vary in size and lead-             should local leaders teach their own rules or in-
         ership resources. These conditions may require             terpretations regarding the commandments.
         local leaders to adapt some Church programs.                  The worthiness standards for temple atten-
         Such adaptations typically affect the auxiliaries,         dance are detailed in the interview questions
         leadership meetings, and activity programs. The            found in the temple recommend book. Local
         guidelines in this chapter are intended to help            leaders should not alter these.
         priesthood leaders determine which adaptations
         may be appropriate and which are not.                17.1.3 Purity of Doctrine
             All wards and branches, regardless of their                 The doctrines of the Church are found in the
         size or circumstances, can experience the same             scriptures and the teachings of latter-day proph-
         abundance of the Spirit of the Lord. The Savior            ets and apostles. The Lord instructed, “The el-
         taught, “Where two or three are gathered to-               ders, priests and teachers of this church shall
         gether in my name, there am I in the midst of              teach the principles of my gospel, which are in
         them” (Matthew 18:20).                                     the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which
                                                                    is the fulness of the gospel” (D&C 42:12; see also
                                                                    D&C 52:9, 36).
17.1     Where Uniformity Is Required
                                                                         All leaders should ensure that true doctrine
             To know which adaptations might be ap-
                                                                    is taught in the Church. If a person teaches false
         propriate, leaders must first understand the
                                                                    or speculative doctrine, leaders should correct it
         doctrines, ordinances, and practices that are es-
                                                                    promptly and sensitively. Errors can usually be
         tablished by the scriptures and the teachings of
                                                                    corrected in private, but major or repeated errors
         latter-day prophets and apostles. These are to
                                                                    may require public correction.
         be uniform throughout the Church.
                                                                        If local leaders are unsure what doctrines or
             Stake presidents, bishops, and other local
                                                                    teachings are correct on a given subject, they may
         leaders have a sacred obligation to maintain the
                                                                    seek guidance from their immediate presiding
         uniformity and purity of the Church in all of the
                                                                    authority.
         categories outlined below. This need for unifor-
         mity is based on the scriptural principle of “one
                                                              17.1.4 Sacrament Meetings and the Sunday
         Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5; see
                                                                    Meeting Schedule
         also Mosiah 18:21).
                                                                       Holding sacrament meetings is a scriptural
17.1.1   Scriptures                                                 mandate (see D&C 59:9). Instructions for sacra-
                                                                    ment meetings are provided in 18.2.2. The Sun-
             The standard works of the Church are the
                                                                    day meeting schedule is set forth on page 153.
         Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine
                                                                    The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve
         and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. In
                                                                    have established this schedule. Local leaders
         many languages, the Church has approved one
                                                                    should not alter it.
         edition of the Bible to be used in Church meet-
         ings and classes. Likewise, the latest authorized              In extreme situations, local leaders may can-
         edition of the other three books of Latter-day             cel Sunday meetings. However, doing so should
         Saint scriptures should be used. No other works            be a rare occurrence. Examples of situations that
         are to be promoted or used in the Church as scrip-         may justify canceling meetings include emer-
         ture.                                                      gency security concerns and severe weather. If
                                                                    possible, a bishop should confer with the stake
17.1.2 Commandments and Standards                                   president before canceling meetings.
             The commandments of the Lord and the wor-                  Sometimes an unusual local situation may
         thiness standards of the Church are given in the           make it necessary to alter the Sunday schedule
         scriptures and in ofﬁcial communications from              for a longer period. For example, a change may




132
                                                                                                 17. Uniformity and Adaptation



         be necessary if a meetinghouse has been dam-                   records and reports are accurate and submitted
         aged by ﬁre, ﬂooding, or storm. In such a circum-              on time.
         stance, the stake president seeks guidance from
         the Area Presidency or the Area Seventy who             17.1.9 Ordinances
         presides in his coordinating council.                              Instructions for performing priesthood ordi-
             Leaders of very small branches may adapt                   nances are outlined in chapter 20. These instruc-
         the Sunday schedule as directed by their leaders,              tions should not be altered. The minimum ages
         using the Basic Unit Program Guidebook.                        for receiving ordinances such as baptism and or-
                                                                        dination to Aaronic Priesthood ofﬁces may not
17.1.5 Conferences                                                      be altered for any reason.
             Each stake holds two stake conferences dur-
         ing the year as scheduled by the President of           17.1.10 Curriculum
         the Quorum of the Twelve (see 18.3.1).                             Church-approved curriculum materials are
             The stake presidency schedules, organizes,                 to be used in classes that are held during the
         and presides at one ward or branch conference                  Sunday meeting schedule. These materials in-
         annually for each ward or branch in the stake                  clude Church-produced manuals, magazines,
         (see 18.2.5). The district president does the same             and supplementary teaching resources. New
         for each branch in a district.                                 manuals and courses should not be developed
                                                                        at the local level.
17.1.6 Temple Work                                                          Bishops and branch presidents may occasion-
                                                                        ally teach or authorize a special priesthood or




                                                                                                                                 17. Uniformity and Adaptation
             The sacred work of temples is under the di-
         rect authority of the President of the Church. All             auxiliary lesson when they feel there is a need.
         matters pertaining to temple work should be han-
         dled according to the instructions in Handbook 1,
                                                                 17.2   Circumstances That May Permit Local
         chapter 3. Examples of such matters include
         temple recommends, sealings, sealing clearances,               Adaptation
         and cancellations of sealing. If a stake president                 Stake presidents, bishops, and branch pres-
         encounters a question he cannot resolve, he di-                idents have discretion to make simple adapta-
         rects it to the Ofﬁce of the First Presidency.                 tions to certain Church programs. Where needed,
                                                                        such adaptations may be made as follows:
             Local leaders make sure that temple phrase-
         ology and the sacred ordinances and covenants                   1. In the stafﬁng and programs of the auxili-
         of the temple are not discussed in speciﬁc terms                   aries
         in Church meetings.                                             2. In the format and frequency of leadership
                                                                            meetings
17.1.7   Disciplinary Councils
                                                                         3. In the format and frequency of activities
             Instructions for disciplinary councils are pro-
                                                                             When considering what adaptations may be
         vided in Handbook 1, chapter 6. Leaders should
                                                                        appropriate, the stake presidency, bishopric, or
         not deviate from these instructions, including the
                                                                        branch presidency counsel among themselves
         requirements for submitting reports. If a stake
                                                                        and also with the stake, ward, or branch coun-
         president encounters a question he cannot re-
                                                                        cil. They also counsel with their immediate pre-
         solve, he directs it to the Ofﬁce of the First Presi-
                                                                        siding authority if circumstances may justify a
         dency.
                                                                        major or unusual adaptation. Leaders should al-
17.1.8 Records and Reports
                                                                        ways seek the guidance of the Spirit in making
                                                                        adaptations.
             Keeping Church records is a scriptural man-
                                                                           Leaders may consider the following factors
         date (see D&C 20:81–83). The required records
                                                                        when determining what adaptations may be ap-
         and reports are outlined in Handbook 1, chapter
                                                                        propriate.
         13. The First Presidency may amend these from
         time to time.
                                                                 17.2.1 Family Circumstances
            Church records and reports are prepared
                                                                           When extending callings, scheduling leader-
         using Church computer systems or in written
                                                                        ship meetings, and planning activities, leaders
         form, depending on the area. Leaders ensure that




                                                                                                                         133
17. Uniformity and Adaptation



        consider the family circumstances of members.              not generally available, leaders should make nec-
        Church service and participation always entail             essary adaptations.
        a measure of sacriﬁce. However, strong families                Where travel is difﬁcult or costly and commu-
        are vital to the Church, and members should not            nication resources are inadequate, home teach-
        be asked to make excessive family sacriﬁces to             ing and visiting teaching are more challenging.
        serve or to support programs or activities.                In such cases, leaders may make adjustments as
            One family circumstance to consider is the             outlined in 7.4.3 and 9.5.3.
        Church calling(s) held by a member’s husband
        or wife. Individual families should not be over-     17.2.3 Small Quorum or Class Size
        burdened with Church responsibilities. Another             Elders and High Priests
        circumstance to consider is the overall time de-
        mands that members face in supporting their                    If very few elders or high priests in a ward
        families and taking care of other personal mat-            are able to attend priesthood meeting on Sun-
        ters. In some areas of the world, members of               day, they may meet together. However, in no
        necessity work two or three jobs. These are le-            case should a single Melchizedek Priesthood
        gitimate considerations for leaders to weigh in            quorum be established. As long as there are or-
        extending callings, scheduling leadership meet-            dained elders and high priests in a ward, both
        ings, and planning activities.                             an elders quorum and a high priests group should
                                                                   be organized.
17.2.2 Transportation and Communication                               Because districts do not have high priests
           Some stakes or wards encompass large geo-               quorums, branches in districts do not have high
        graphical areas, requiring members to travel               priests groups. High priests who attend these
        long distances to meetings and activities. When            branches meet with the elders quorum.
        evaluating the need for meetings and activities,
        leaders take into account the time and expense             Young Men and Young Women
        required for members to travel.                                In a ward or branch with few young men,
            In many areas of the world, automobiles are            Aaronic Priesthood quorums may meet together
        not common, and transportation takes place by              for instruction and activities (see 8.11 and 8.13.1).
        foot, bicycle, bus, and streetcar. When distances          However, individual quorums should still be
        are great, these conditions may mean that lead-            organized, with leaders called and sustained
        ers should adjust Church programs and leader-              for each quorum.
        ship meetings to make it easier for members to                 In a ward or branch with few young women,
        participate.                                               they may meet together for instruction and ac-
            Even where automobiles are widely avail-               tivities (see 10.6.2 and 10.8.1). A class presidency
        able, leaders should be sensitive to the cost of           may be called for each age-group, or one pres-
        driving long distances. In some instances, such            idency may be called for the combined age-
        as conducting high council business, leaders may           groups until they are able to be organized into
        use conference calls, e-mail, and the Internet to          their respective classes.
        reduce costly transportation. When using these                 If adult leadership is limited, the Young Men
        resources, leaders should take special care to en-         presidency may teach the Sunday lessons and
        sure conﬁdentiality.                                       administer the activity program without assistant
            Members in different stages of life often vary         advisers. The Young Women presidency may do
        widely in their access to transportation. For ex-          the same for young women. In a very small unit,
        ample, young single adults are often more mobile           the Young Men and Young Women presidents
        than families with children, and sometimes they            may be the only adult leaders in their organi-
        have the resources to travel greater distances.            zations. If this is the case, they teach the Sun-
        Where young single adults are able to gather at            day lessons and oversee activities for all young
        reasonable time and expense, they should have              men or young women. When possible, coun-
        multistake activities of moderate frequency (see           selors and a secretary should be called for each
        13.3.1).                                                   organization.

           In some parts of the world, telephones are                  Because youth often beneﬁt from socializ-
        expensive, and many members do not own one.                ing in larger groups, the young men and young
        Likewise, e-mail and Internet access are rare in           women in two or more small wards or branches
        some areas. If these resources are expensive or            may meet occasionally for combined activities.



134
                                                                                            17. Uniformity and Adaptation



     If neighboring wards and branches have few                  should seek inspiration to ﬁnd other potential
     young men or young women, the bishops and                   leaders among new members, inexperienced
     branch presidents may authorize the youth to                members, and less-active members who could
     meet together for weekly activities. When con-              return to activity. Church members do not need
     sidering these options, leaders take into account           to be experienced or highly qualiﬁed to receive
     factors such as distance and travel cost.                   a calling. Having a calling is an important way
        Periodic stake or multistake activities are es-          for them to serve and to grow spiritually.
     pecially important where wards or branches have                 If there are not enough members to serve in
     small numbers of youth (see 13.3 and 13.4).                 leadership positions, presiding ofﬁcers may or-
         In a small stake or a district, the Young Men           ganize their stake, ward, or branch on a smaller
     president may be the only stake or district Young           scale. Examples might include stafﬁng some or-
     Men leader. The same may be true for the stake              ganizations with only a president and one coun-
     or district Young Women president. When possi-              selor, having a counselor serve also as a secretary,
     ble, counselors and a secretary should be called            and simplifying some programs.
     for each organization.                                          In a very small branch that does not have a
                                                                 Young Women or Primary president, the Relief
     Primary                                                     Society president may help parents organize
         In a ward or branch with few children, the              instruction for the young women and children
     Primary presidency may want to organize fewer               until Young Women and Primary presidents are
     classes, combining age-groups.                              called.
         In a small ward or branch, the Primary presi-              Leaders of very small branches follow the




                                                                                                                            17. Uniformity and Adaptation
     dency may be the only Primary leaders and teach-            guidelines in the Basic Unit Program Guidebook.
     ers. In a very small unit, the Primary president
     may be the only Primary leader. In this case, she     17.2.5 Security
     conducts sharing time and teaches a class for all               In some areas of the world, crime rates are
     the children. When possible, more leaders and               very high or political unrest prevails. If leaders
     teachers should be called as outlined in 11.7.              in these areas believe that it is unwise for mem-
         In a small stake or district, the Primary pres-         bers to travel at night, they may cancel evening
     ident may be the only stake or district Primary             activities. This may mean reducing the number
     leader. When possible, other leaders should be              of Church activities, as well as scheduling some
     called as outlined in 11.7.                                 activities on weekends.
                                                                     When security risks or travel costs are serious
17.2.4 Leadership Resources                                      issues, leaders can schedule some youth activi-
         When there are not enough qualiﬁed mem-                 ties on Sunday. Such activities should be sepa-
     bers to ﬁll all leadership positions, the presiding         rate from the Sunday meeting schedule and in
     ofﬁcers may ﬁll only those that are most essential.         keeping with the spirit of the Sabbath.
     In addition to calling active, experienced mem-
     bers to leadership positions, presiding ofﬁcers




                                                                                                                    135
18. Meetings in the Church

18.1 Guidelines for Planning and Conducting                                           18.3.10 Stake Bishops’ Welfare Council
      Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138                  Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
                                                                                      18.3.11 Stake Auxiliary Leadership Meetings . . 145
18.2 Ward Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    138           18.3.12 Stake Young Single Adult
     18.2.1 Schedule for Sunday Meetings . . . . . . . . .              138                     Committee Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
     18.2.2 Sacrament Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       138           18.3.13 Stake Single Adult Committee
     18.2.3 Fast and Testimony Meeting . . . . . . . . . .              140                     Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
     18.2.4 Priesthood Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      141
     18.2.5 Ward Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     141      18.4 Visual Aids and Audiovisual Materials
     18.2.6 Bishopric Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     141           in Church Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
     18.2.7 Ward Priesthood Executive
                                                                                 18.5 Prayers in Church Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
                Committee Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    142
      18.2.8    Ward Council Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       142     18.6 Funerals and Other Services at a Time
      18.2.9    Bishopric Youth Committee Meeting . . .                  142          of Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     146
      18.2.10   Ward Young Single Adult                                               18.6.1 Death and Mourning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                146
                Committee Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    142          18.6.2 Planning and Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 147
      18.2.11   Missionary Coordination Meeting . . . . .                142          18.6.3 Viewings (Where Customary) . . . . . . . . .                        147
18.3 Stake Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   142           18.6.4 Funeral Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          147
                                                                                      18.6.5 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   148
     18.3.1 Stake Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    142
                                                                                      18.6.6 Burial or Cremation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             148
     18.3.2 Stake General Priesthood Meeting . . . . .                  143
                                                                                      18.6.7 Financial Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          148
     18.3.3 Stake Priesthood Leadership Meeting . .                     143
                                                                                      18.6.8 Funeral Services for Nonmembers . . . . .                           148
     18.3.4 Stake High Priests Quorum Meeting . . .                     144
     18.3.5 Stake Presidency Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . .          144           Chart of Ward Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
     18.3.6 Stake Priesthood Executive Committee
             Meeting (High Council Meeting) . . . . . .                  144          Chart of Stake Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
      18.3.7 Stake Council Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         145          Sunday Meeting Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
      18.3.8 Meeting with Bishoprics . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         145
      18.3.9 Stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young                                           Overlapping Meeting Schedule for Units
             Women Committee Meeting . . . . . . . . . .                 145          with Different Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154




                                                                                                                                                                       18. Meetings in the Church




                                                                                                                                                                 137
18. Meetings in the Church

          This chapter summarizes information about             ward meetings and may preside if he is absent.
       Church meetings. Meetings that are speciﬁc to            Presiding authorities and visiting high coun-
       an organization, such as quorum, Relief Society,         cilors should be invited to sit on the stand. High
       Young Men, Young Women, Primary, and Sun-                councilors do not preside when attending ward
       day School meetings, are described in that orga-         meetings.
       nization’s chapter of this handbook.                         If the bishop and his counselors are all ab-
           In addition to the meetings outlined in the          sent, the stake president designates who presides
       handbooks, presiding authorities occasionally            at sacrament meeting. Normally he designates
       may call other meetings and deﬁne their compo-           the high priests group leader, but he could au-
       sition and purpose.                                      thorize another priesthood holder instead.

                                                           18.2.1 Schedule for Sunday Meetings
18.1   Guidelines for Planning and
                                                                    Sunday meetings provide vitally important
       Conducting Meetings                                      time for members to partake of the sacrament,
           Leaders plan and conduct meetings “as they           worship, learn the gospel, learn their duties, and
       are led by the Holy Ghost, according to the com-         give service. Interested nonmembers may attend
       mandments and revelations of God” (D&C 20:45;            these meetings.
       see also Moroni 6:9; D&C 46:2).                              Wards are to hold the following Sunday meet-
           Leaders prepare an agenda for each meeting           ings in one three-hour period (for meeting sched-
       or assign someone else to prepare it under their         ule options, see the “Sunday Meeting Schedule”
       direction. An agenda helps participants focus on         chart on page 153):
       the meeting’s purposes and use time effectively.          1. Sacrament meeting
       It should be prioritized to ensure that the most
       important matters are discussed ﬁrst.                     2. Priesthood meeting (for all priesthood hold-
                                                                    ers, prospective elders, and unordained young
           Leadership meetings should focus on strength-            men of Aaronic Priesthood age; see 18.2.4)
       ening individuals and families. Time spent on
       calendaring, program planning, and other admin-           3. Relief Society (for women ages 18 and older
       istrative business should be minimal.                        and for younger women who are married)
          For guidelines on counseling together in meet-         4. Young Women (for young women ages 12
       ings, see 4.6.1.                                             to 18)
           The presiding ofﬁcer may conduct a meeting            5. Primary (for children ages 3 through 11; also
       or ask a counselor or someone else to conduct it             for children ages 18 months through 2 years
       under his or her direction.                                  if a nursery is organized and parents want
                                                                    their children to attend)
          Meetings should not be longer than needed.
                                                                 6. Sunday School (for those ages 12 and older;
           Leaders should ensure that Sunday meetings               for information about 12-year-old young men
       are not so numerous that there is little time for            and young women attending Sunday School,
       parents and children to be together on that day.             see 11.4.3)
       Where possible, leaders should avoid scheduling
       Sunday meetings other than those in the stan-       18.2.2 Sacrament Meeting
       dard three-hour schedule, leadership meetings
       in the early mornings, and occasional meetings           Purposes of Sacrament Meeting
       in the evenings.                                             Each sacrament meeting should be a spiri-
                                                                tual experience in which members of the Church
                                                                renew their covenants by partaking of the sac-
18.2   Ward Meetings                                            rament. Other purposes of sacrament meeting
           The bishop oversees ward meetings. He pre-           are to worship, provide gospel instruction, per-
       sides at these meetings unless a member of the           form ordinances, conduct ward business, and
       stake presidency, an Area Seventy, or a General          strengthen faith and testimony.
       Authority attends. His counselors may conduct


138
                                                                                     18. Meetings in the Church



Planning and Conducting Sacrament Meeting               make any clariﬁcation that is needed, being care-
     Members of the bishopric plan sacrament            ful not to cause embarrassment.
meetings and conduct them in a reverent and
digniﬁed manner. They oversee the administra-           Time before Sacrament Meeting
tion of the sacrament, select subjects for talks and        Leaders set an example of reverence during
music, select and orient participants, and invite       the time before sacrament meeting. The bishopric
members to give opening and closing prayers.            and the speakers should be in their seats at least
It is not necessary to hold a prayer meeting be-        ﬁve minutes before the meeting begins. This is
fore sacrament meeting.                                 not a time for conversation or transmitting mes-
   The bishopric ensures that sacrament meet-           sages. Setting an example of reverence encour-
ings begin and end on time. Meetings should not         ages the congregation to be spiritually prepared
be overprogrammed. A sample agenda follows:             for a worshipful experience.

 1. Prelude music (see 14.4.3 for guidelines)               Members should be taught to make the time
                                                        before sacrament meeting a period of prayerful
 2. Greeting and welcome                                meditation as they prepare spiritually for the
 3. Acknowledgment of presiding authorities or          sacrament.
    visiting high councilors who are attending              The bishopric encourages families to arrive
 4. Announcements (if possible, most announce-          on time and to sit together.
    ments should be printed so they do not take
    time in sacrament meeting; the bishopric may        Blessing and Passing the Sacrament
    give essential announcements brieﬂy before              The bishopric ensures that the sacrament is
    the opening hymn)                                   blessed and passed in a reverent and orderly
 5. Opening hymn and prayer                             manner. The sacrament table should be prepared
                                                        before the meeting begins. For instructions on
 6. Ward and stake business, such as:
                                                        preparing, blessing, and passing the sacrament,
    a. Sustaining and releasing ofﬁcers and teach-      see 20.4.
       ers (see 19.3 and 19.5)
    b. Recognizing 8-year-old children who have         Selecting Subjects for Talks and Music
       been baptized and conﬁrmed (see “Intro-             The bishopric selects subjects for talks and
       ducing New Members” on page 140)                 music in sacrament meetings. Talks and music
    c. Presenting names of brethren to receive          should focus on gospel subjects that help mem-
       or advance in the Aaronic Priesthood (see        bers build faith and testimony.
       Handbook 1, 16.7.2)




                                                                                                                  18. Meetings in the Church
                                                        Selecting and Orienting Participants
   d. Recognizing young women as they ad-
      vance in their classes                                Selecting Participants. The bishopric selects
                                                        members to participate in sacrament meetings.
    e. Presenting names of new ward members             Most opportunities to participate are given to
       (see “Introducing New Members” on page           ward members. If the bishopric invites members
       140)                                             from outside the ward to speak, the guidelines
 7. Naming and blessing children (usually in fast       in 21.1.20 should be followed.
    and testimony meeting) and conﬁrming and                Members of the bishopric regularly invite
    bestowing the gift of the Holy Ghost on new         youth ages 12 to 18 to speak in sacrament meet-
    members                                             ing. Youth should speak brieﬂy (about ﬁve min-
 8. Sacrament hymn and administration of the            utes each) on assigned gospel subjects. They
    sacrament                                           should prepare their own talks, though the bish-
 9. Gospel messages, congregational singing,            opric may encourage parents to help.
    and special musical selections                          The bishopric usually invites missionaries to
10. Closing hymn and prayer                             speak in sacrament meeting just before they de-
                                                        part and when they return (see Handbook 1, 4.8.1
11. Postlude music                                      and 4.10.3). The bishopric makes it clear that this
    Occasionally something unexpected may oc-           is a regular sacrament meeting and is not to be
cur during the meeting that the presiding ofﬁcer        a missionary farewell or homecoming. The bish-
feels a need to clarify. In this situation, he should   opric plans and conducts these meetings. Family



                                                                                                          139
18. Meetings in the Church



        members and friends of the missionary are not               conﬁrmed, a member of the bishopric introduces
        invited to speak. However, other departing or               and welcomes the members in the next sacra-
        returning missionaries or other members may                 ment meeting. He reads each person’s name, in-
        be invited to speak.                                        vites the person to stand, and asks members of
            The bishopric schedules high councilors to              the congregation to show by the uplifted hand
        speak as assigned by the stake president. The               that they accept the members in full fellowship
        stake president determines the frequency of such            in the ward. Records of family members are read
        assignments. It is not necessary for high council-          together. If a member knows any reason why a
        ors to speak in sacrament meeting every month.              person may not be entitled to full fellowship,
                                                                    he or she should talk to the bishop privately.
            The bishopric schedules one sacrament meet-
        ing each year for the Primary children to take part             After children who are members of record are
        in a Primary program (see 11.5.4).                          baptized and conﬁrmed, a member of the bish-
                                                                    opric announces each child’s baptism and con-
           Occasionally the bishopric may invite the full-          ﬁrmation in sacrament meeting. These children
        time missionaries who are serving in the area to            are not presented for acceptance into the ward
        speak.                                                      because they are already members.
            The bishopric may not turn sacrament meet-
        ings over to auxiliaries or outside musical groups.         Visual Aids and Audiovisual Materials
        However, auxiliaries may be invited to participate             See 18.4 and 21.1.5.
        in the meeting under the bishopric’s direction.
            Members of the bishopric should extend in-              Sacrament Services in Unusual Situations
        vitations to speak in sacrament meeting well in                 Every member needs the spiritual blessings
        advance of the meeting.                                     that come from partaking of the sacrament. If
            Orienting Participants. Members of the bishop-          members are unable to attend sacrament meet-
        ric orient sacrament meeting participants. They             ing because they are conﬁned to a home, nursing
        review the purposes of sacrament meeting and                home, or hospital, the bishop may assign priest-
        explain that all talks and music should be in har-          hood holders to prepare, bless, and pass the sac-
        mony with the sacred nature of the sacrament.               rament to these members.
            When inviting members to speak, a member                    Occasionally members may be unable to at-
        of the bishopric clearly explains the subject and           tend sacrament meeting because of distance to
        the length of time the person should speak. He              the meetinghouse. Under unusual circumstances,
        counsels speakers to teach the doctrines of the             the bishop may occasionally give authorization
        gospel, relate faith-promoting experiences, bear            for a sacrament service to be held away from the
        witness of divinely revealed truths, and use the            meetinghouse. He may authorize such a service
        scriptures (see D&C 42:12; 52:9). Speakers should           only within his ward boundaries. The person
        teach in a spirit of love after prayerful prepara-          whom the bishop authorizes to conduct the ser-
        tion. They should not speak on subjects that are            vice must hold the Melchizedek Priesthood or be
        speculative, controversial, or out of harmony               a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. He also must
        with Church doctrine.                                       be worthy to bless and pass the sacrament. The
                                                                    priesthood holder who directs the service reports
            To maintain an atmosphere of reverent wor-
                                                                    to the bishop when the service has been held.
        ship in sacrament meetings, when speakers use
        scriptures as part of their talks, they should not              When members are traveling or temporar-
        ask the congregation to open their own books to             ily residing away from their home wards, they
        the scriptural references.                                  should make an earnest effort to attend sacra-
                                                                    ment meeting and other Sunday meetings in a
            Members who participate in sacrament meet-
                                                                    ward or branch of the Church.
        ing should stay until the meeting ends.
                                                                       Sacrament services should not be held in con-
        Music                                                       junction with family reunions or other outings.
             See 14.4.3 and 14.4.4.
                                                              18.2.3 Fast and Testimony Meeting
        Introducing New Members                                         Usually on the ﬁrst Sunday of each month,
           When membership records are received in                  sacrament meeting is a fast and testimony meet-
        a ward and when converts are baptized and                   ing. General conference and stake conference may



140
                                                                                              18. Meetings in the Church



      necessitate holding fast and testimony meeting                 For more information about priesthood quo-
      on a different Sunday.                                      rum and group meetings, see 7.8 and 8.11.
          Under the bishop’s direction, in this meeting
      children may be named and blessed and conﬁr-          18.2.5 Ward Conference
      mations may be performed before the adminis-                    The stake presidency schedules and directs
      tration of the sacrament.                                   a ward conference once a year in each ward.
          After the sacrament, the bishopric member               Members of the stake presidency, high council,
      who is conducting the meeting bears a brief tes-            and stake auxiliaries take part in ward confer-
      timony. He then invites members to bear heart-              ence sessions as the stake president directs. The
      felt testimonies and to relate faith-promoting              purposes of ward conference are to strengthen
      experiences. The bishopric encourages members               faith and testimony, provide gospel instruction,
      to keep their testimonies brief so more people              conduct business, and evaluate activity.
      may have the opportunity to participate.                        The main session of ward conference is held
          It may be best to have young children learn             during sacrament meeting. Normally the agenda
      to share their testimonies in settings such as fam-         is similar to that of other sacrament meetings.
      ily home evening or when giving talks in Pri-               The stake president presides, and the stake pres-
      mary until they are old enough to do so in a fast           idency usually plans the meeting. A member of
      and testimony meeting without assistance from               the bishopric usually conducts. Before the sacra-
      a parent, sibling, or other person.                         ment, a member of the stake presidency or a high
                                                                  councilor uses the Ofﬁcers Sustained form (pre-
18.2.4 Priesthood Meeting                                         pared by a ward clerk) to present the names of
                                                                  general, stake, and ward ofﬁcers to ward mem-
         All priesthood holders meet together for brief           bers for their sustaining vote. After the sacra-
      opening exercises before separating for their quo-          ment, speakers normally include the bishop and
      rum or group meetings. Prospective elders and               stake president.
      unordained young men of Aaronic Priesthood
      age may also attend. A member of the bishopric                  The ward usually holds regular priesthood
      conducts.                                                   and auxiliary meetings as part of ward confer-
                                                                  ence. Stake leaders may give instruction and as-
          Opening exercises include an opening hymn               sistance during these meetings.
      and prayer. They may also include priesthood
      business, instruction, brief announcements, and                 In connection with ward conference, the stake
      the introduction of new members and visitors.               presidency meets with the bishopric to review
      Opening exercises should not be used to give                the progress of individuals and organizations
      lengthy announcements or reports. Maximum                   in the ward. This meeting may be held on ward




                                                                                                                           18. Meetings in the Church
      time should be reserved for gospel lessons in               conference Sunday or at another time.
      quorum meetings.
                                                            18.2.6 Bishopric Meeting
          The bishop may invite the high priests group
      leader, elders quorum president, priests quorum                 The bishopric usually meets at least weekly.
      assistants, teachers quorum president, and dea-             The ward clerk and ward executive secretary at-
      cons quorum president to sit with the bishopric             tend; the clerk keeps a record of assignments and
      during opening exercises.                                   decisions. The bishop may invite others to attend
                                                                  as needed.
          After opening exercises, priesthood holders
      separate into quorum and group meetings to con-                 During this meeting, members of the bishop-
      duct business, learn priesthood duties, and study           ric counsel together about ward matters. They
      the gospel. Bishopric members normally attend               plan ways to strengthen individuals and fami-
      Aaronic Priesthood quorum meetings, though                  lies. They evaluate quorums, auxiliaries, pro-
      occasionally they attend Young Women classes.               grams, and activities. They also make plans to
      Sometimes the bishopric may combine the high                implement instructions from the scriptures,
      priests group and elders quorum, Aaronic Priest-            Church leaders, and handbooks.
      hood quorums, or all priesthood holders for in-                 In this meeting, members of the bishopric
      struction during this time.                                 identify members to call to serve in the ward.
          Other meetings should not be scheduled dur-             They also identify which members are coming
      ing priesthood meeting.                                     of age to be eligible for ordinances, including
                                                                  priesthood ordinations, and which brethren to



                                                                                                                   141
18. Meetings in the Church



        recommend to the stake president to be ordained               should include youth as much as possible in
        elders and high priests and to serve as mission-              planning and carrying out these activities.
        aries.                                                      4. Evaluate past activities to see if the intended
            Other agenda items for this meeting may                    purposes were fulﬁlled.
        include reporting on assignments, planning                    These committee meetings should provide
        meetings, reviewing the ward calendar, and re-             leadership opportunities and instruction for
        viewing the ward budget.                                   youth.
18.2.7 Ward Priesthood Executive Committee                  18.2.10 Ward Young Single Adult Committee Meeting
        Meeting
                                                                      See 16.3.4.
             See 4.3.
                                                            18.2.11 Missionary Coordination Meeting
18.2.8 Ward Council Meeting
                                                                      See 5.1.5.
             See 4.6.

18.2.9 Bishopric Youth Committee Meeting                    18.3   Stake Meetings
            The bishop presides over the bishopric youth               The stake president oversees stake meetings.
        committee. This committee is composed of the               He presides at these meetings unless an Area
        bishopric, one of the bishop’s priests quorum as-          Seventy or General Authority attends. His coun-
        sistants, the teachers and deacons quorum pres-            selors may conduct stake meetings and may pre-
        idents, the Young Women class presidents, and              side if he is absent. Stake meetings should not
        the Young Men and Young Women presidents.                  conﬂict with Sunday ward meetings.
            The bishopric may invite others to attend the
        committee’s meetings as needed. These may in-       18.3.1 Stake Conference
        clude the other priests quorum assistant, coun-                Each stake holds two stake conferences dur-
        selors in quorum and class presidencies, quorum            ing the year as scheduled by the President of
        and class secretaries, counselors in the Young             the Quorum of the Twelve. In most parts of the
        Men and Young Women presidencies, and Young                world, the stake president presides at one stake
        Men and Young Women secretaries.                           conference and an assigned Area Seventy or Gen-
            The committee usually meets monthly. The               eral Authority presides at the other.
        bishop may conduct this meeting, or he may                     In some stake conferences, a satellite broad-
        assign one of his counselors, one of his priests           cast may be incorporated into the Sunday general
        quorum assistants, or the Laurel class president           session. This broadcast will include instruction
        to conduct it. Before each meeting, the bishop             by General Authorities. When a satellite broad-
        reviews and approves the agenda with the per-              cast is used, that conference takes the place of
        son who will be conducting. The agenda may                 the stake conference at which an Area Seventy
        include the following items:                               or General Authority would have presided.
          1. Identify needs and interests of individual               When a new stake president must be called
             youth in the ward. Plan ways to help meet             before a regularly scheduled stake conference, a
             those needs. Plan ways to help youth live             special stake conference may be held.
             and promote Church standards.
                                                                       The primary purpose of stake conference is
          2. Plan ways to encourage individual youth to            to strengthen faith and testimony. All talks and
             participate in Church meetings and activi-            music should be planned with this purpose in
             ties, including seminary. Plan and report on          mind.
             fellowshipping efforts for youth who are
                                                                       Another purpose is to conduct stake business.
             less active, youth who recently have been
                                                                   In one stake conference each year, a member of
             baptized, and youth who are investigating
                                                                   the stake presidency presents general, area, and
             the Church.
                                                                   stake ofﬁcers to be sustained, using the Ofﬁcers
          3. Schedule and plan youth activities that are           Sustained form. He also presents the names of
             consistent with the needs that have been              stake ofﬁcers who have been released so the
             identiﬁed. These activities include combined          congregation can give an expression of thanks
             Aaronic Priesthood–Young Women activities             for their service. This business is normally con-
             and ward youth conferences. Adult leaders             ducted in the ﬁrst stake conference each year


142
                                                                                          18. Meetings in the Church



unless a satellite broadcast is incorporated into               If necessary, conference sessions may be
that conference. In that case, the business is con-          broadcast to other locations in the stake.
ducted in the second stake conference.
                                                             Planning and Conducting Stake Conference
    If stake ofﬁcers are called or released between
stake conferences, they should be presented for                 The presiding ofﬁcer directs all conference
a sustaining vote or an expression of thanks in              planning. He approves all conference partici-
the next stake conference unless this has been               pants and all musical selections well before the
done in a stake general priesthood meeting (for              conference.
callings indicated in the Chart of Callings on                  The stake president conducts the Sunday
pages 159–60) or in ward sacrament meetings                  general session. His counselors may conduct
(as outlined in 19.3).                                       other conference meetings.
    Brethren who have been recommended for                       The stake president speaks in the Sunday
ordination to the ofﬁces of elder and high priest            general session of the conference. His counsel-
are normally presented for a sustaining vote in              ors speak in conference sessions as determined
a stake conference or a stake general priesthood             by the presiding authority.
meeting. Instructions are provided in Handbook 1,
                                                                Planning includes making arrangements for
16.7.1.
                                                             adequate seating, ushering, and parking. Stake
    Each stake conference normally includes the              leaders may assign priesthood quorums and
following meetings:                                          groups, including prospective elders, to provide
 1. A meeting of the Area Seventy or General Au-             these services.
    thority (if assigned), stake presidency, stake
    clerk, and stake executive secretary.                    Music for Stake Conference

 2. A priesthood leadership meeting attended                    See 14.6.1.
    by the Area Seventy or General Authority (if
    assigned) and the brethren listed in 18.3.3.       18.3.2 Stake General Priesthood Meeting
    This meeting may be held on either Saturday                  The stake presidency convenes one stake gen-
    or Sunday as determined by the presiding                 eral priesthood meeting each year. All Aaronic
    authority.                                               and Melchizedek Priesthood holders in the stake
 3. A Saturday evening session for all members               are to attend.
    of the stake who are 18 years of age and older.              The stake presidency uses these meetings to
    Temple presidents, stake patriarchs, and full-           instruct and inspire priesthood holders. The pres-
    time mission presidents or their represen-               idency prayerfully selects the subjects and the




                                                                                                                       18. Meetings in the Church
    tatives who attend should sit on the stand.              speakers for these meetings.
    Depending on local circumstances, this ses-
                                                                In these meetings the stake presidency also
    sion may be held on Sunday if approved by
                                                             conducts stake priesthood business, such as:
    the presiding authority.
                                                              1. Presenting the names of brethren who have
 4. A general session held on Sunday for all mem-
                                                                 been recommended for ordination to the
    bers and interested nonmembers. Temple
                                                                 ofﬁces of elder and high priest and asking for
    presidents, stake patriarchs, and full-time
                                                                 a sustaining vote (see Handbook 1, 16.7.1).
    mission presidents or their representatives
    who attend should sit on the stand. More                  2. Presenting the names of newly called stake
    than one Sunday general session may be held                  ofﬁcers and asking for a sustaining vote (see
    if facilities are not adequate to seat everyone              the Chart of Callings in chapter 19 for guide-
    in the same session. Primary children attend                 lines about who is to be presented for this
    this session with their families, not in a sepa-             vote).
    rate meeting.
                                                       18.3.3 Stake Priesthood Leadership Meeting
     Instruction in all stake conference sessions
is under the direction of the presiding author-                  The stake presidency convenes a stake priest-
ity. When an Area Seventy or General Authority               hood leadership meeting in connection with each
will preside, he may invite the stake president to           stake conference (see 18.3.1, item 2). The presi-
suggest subjects. When the stake president will              dency also convenes one other stake priesthood
preside, he and his counselors select subjects for           leadership meeting during the year, for a total
instruction.                                                 of three such meetings annually. The purposes



                                                                                                               143
18. Meetings in the Church



        of these meetings are to teach priesthood lead-                During this meeting, members of the stake
        ers their duties, increase their abilities, and            presidency counsel together about stake mat-
        strengthen their faith.                                    ters. They plan ways to strengthen individuals
            Brethren who attend this meeting include the           and families. They evaluate wards, high priests
        stake presidency; high council; stake clerk (and           groups, elders quorums, auxiliaries, programs,
        assistant clerks as needed); stake executive secre-        and activities. They also make plans to imple-
        tary; stake Young Men presidency (and secretary            ment instructions from the scriptures, Church
        as needed); bishoprics; ward clerks (and assistant         leaders, and handbooks.
        clerks as needed); ward executive secretaries;                 During this meeting, members of the stake
        high priests group leaders, assistants, and sec-           presidency identify members to call to Church
        retaries; elders quorum presidencies and secre-            positions. They also review bishops’ recommen-
        taries; ward mission leaders; and ward Young               dations of members to serve missions and of
        Men presidencies (and secretaries and assistant            brethren to be ordained elders or high priests.
        advisers as needed). The stake presidency may                  Other agenda items for this meeting may in-
        invite others to attend as needed.                         clude reporting on assignments, planning meet-
            The structure of this meeting is ﬂexible to            ings, reviewing the stake calendar, and reviewing
        provide the most effective instruction possible.           the stake budget.
        All brethren may remain together for the entire
        meeting. Or, after they have met together for         18.3.6 Stake Priesthood Executive Committee
        stake business and general instruction, the stake          Meeting (High Council Meeting)
        presidency may have them separate into groups                   The stake president presides over the stake
        to counsel together and receive speciﬁc instruc-           priesthood executive committee. This committee
        tion in their assignments. For example:                    is composed of the stake presidency, high coun-
            Bishoprics and other Aaronic Priesthood lead-          cil, stake clerk, and stake executive secretary. The
        ers could meet together.                                   stake presidency may invite others to attend as
            High priests group and elders quorum lead-             needed.
        ers could meet together.                                       This committee meets twice monthly, where
           The high councilor assigned to missionary               feasible. The agenda may include the following
        work or a member of the stake presidency could             items:
        meet with ward mission leaders.                             1. Receive instruction from the stake presidency
           The stake executive secretary usually meets                 on doctrine and priesthood duties.
        with ward executive secretaries.                            2. Receive instruction pertaining to assignments
            The stake clerk usually meets with ward                    with the Melchizedek Priesthood, Aaronic
        clerks.                                                        Priesthood, and wards.

            In these groups, the stake presidency may               3. Report on assignments to wards, elders quo-
        provide instruction or invite high councilors,                 rums, and high priests groups. Report on
        the stake Young Men presidency, and others to                  stake auxiliaries as needed.
        assist.                                                     4. Ask high councilors to sustain the stake pres-
                                                                       idency’s decisions to ordain brethren to the
18.3.4 Stake High Priests Quorum Meeting                               ofﬁces of elder and high priest and to issue
             The stake presidency convenes a high priests              callings.
        quorum meeting for all high priests in the stake            5. Counsel together about how to strengthen
        at least once a year. During this meeting the stake            individuals and families, solve problems in
        presidency conducts quorum business and in-                    the stake, and improve in areas such as lead-
        structs quorum members in their duties.                        ership, home teaching, member mission-
                                                                       ary work, retention, activation, temple and
18.3.5 Stake Presidency Meeting                                        family history work, welfare, and gospel in-
            The stake presidency meets regularly. The                  struction.
        stake clerk and stake executive secretary attend;           6. Report on other assignments.
        the clerk keeps a record of assignments and de-              7. Hear reports from returning missionaries.
        cisions. The stake president may invite others
        to attend as needed.                                        8. Plan stake priesthood leadership meetings.



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                                                                                                18. Meetings in the Church



18.3.7 Stake Council Meeting                                      are the high councilors assigned to the stake
          The stake president presides over the stake             Young Men and Young Women organizations,
      council. This council is composed of the stake              the stake Young Men presidency and secretary,
      presidency, high council, stake clerk, stake exec-          and the stake Young Women presidency and sec-
      utive secretary, and stake Relief Society, Young            retary. The stake presidency may invite youth
      Men, Young Women, Primary, and Sunday                       to attend the committee’s meetings as needed.
      School presidents. The stake presidency may in-             The high councilor who serves as the stake ac-
      vite others to attend as needed.                            tivities committee chairman and others may also
                                                                  be invited to attend.
         The stake council meets two to four times a
      year as needed. The agenda may include the fol-                 This committee meets as needed to plan stake-
      lowing items:                                               sponsored combined activities for young men
                                                                  and young women. Youth should be included
       1. Receive instruction from the stake presidency           as much as possible in planning and carrying
          on doctrine and duties.                                 out activities such as youth conferences, dances,
       2. Counsel together about how to strengthen                devotionals, and multistake events. Youth may
          individuals and families, solve problems in             also participate in discussions about challenges
          the stake, and improve in areas such as lead-           that the youth in the stake are facing.
          ership, retention, activation, and gospel in-               Stake activities should supplement ward
          struction.                                              activities, not compete with them. They are co-
       3. Plan and report on the missionary efforts               ordinated in stake council meetings. Ward lead-
          and temple and family history efforts in the            ers should be notiﬁed well in advance of the
          stake.                                                  events.
       4. Counsel together about welfare matters. Plan
          how to encourage members to be self-reliant.      18.3.10 Stake Bishops’ Welfare Council Meeting
          Ensure that welfare resources within the stake             Information on the stake bishops’ welfare
          are made available to the wards as needed.              council is provided in Handbook 1, 5.3.
          Develop and maintain a simple written plan
          for the stake to respond to emergencies. Ad-      18.3.11 Stake Auxiliary Leadership Meetings
          ditional information is provided in “Preside                The stake Relief Society, Young Women, Pri-
          over the Welfare Work of the Stake Council”             mary, and Sunday School presidencies each plan
          in Handbook 1, 5.1.1.                                   and conduct one stake auxiliary leadership meet-
       5. Report on stake auxiliaries and on stake ac-            ing each year. If local circumstances and travel
          tivities and programs as needed.                        time do not place undue burdens on leaders, the




                                                                                                                             18. Meetings in the Church
       6. Coordinate the planning of stake programs               stake presidency may authorize a second meet-
          and activities.                                         ing each year. Each organization schedules its
                                                                  own meeting unless the stake presidency decides
       7. Review the progress of the Perpetual Edu-               to combine all meetings into the same time and
          cation Fund program where it is approved.               place.
18.3.8 Meeting with Bishoprics                                        The high councilor assigned to the organi-
                                                                  zation presides over the meeting unless a mem-
          The stake presidency meets with bishoprics              ber of the stake presidency attends. All ward
      to instruct them in their duties, review Church             auxiliary presidencies and secretaries are invited
      policies, and counsel together. These meetings              to attend. Other ward auxiliary leaders, teachers,
      are held one to four times a year as needed.                and advisers, as well as bishopric members as-
          The stake presidency, all bishoprics, the stake         signed to the auxiliary, may be invited to attend
      clerk, and the stake executive secretary attend             as needed.
      this meeting. If desired, the stake president may               The purposes of these meetings are to teach
      limit the meeting to bishops only.                          auxiliary leaders their duties, instruct them in
                                                                  teaching and leadership skills, and strengthen
18.3.9 Stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young Women                       their faith. These meetings can also be used to
      Committee Meeting                                           correlate activities, give reports, and share ideas.
         The stake president assigns a counselor to                  The structure of these meetings is ﬂexible to
      preside over the stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young             provide the most effective instruction possible.
      Women committee. Other committee members


                                                                                                                     145
18. Meetings in the Church



        Leaders from an auxiliary organization may all                   Members of the bishopric should avoid the
        meet together for instruction and sharing, or                pattern of having a husband and wife pray in
        they may meet in smaller groups to consider                  the same meeting. Such a pattern might convey
        specialized functions within their organization.             an unintentional message of exclusion to those
        If all auxiliary organizations meet at the same              who are single. Members who are not often called
        time, they may come together for general instruc-            upon should be included among those who are
        tion and then meet in separate groups to receive             invited to pray. As needed, a member of the bish-
        instruction from their organization leaders.                 opric may caution those who pray not to sermon-
            The stake Young Men presidency does not                  ize or pray at great length.
        hold a stake auxiliary leadership meeting. In-                  The person who offers a prayer should not
        stead, stake and ward Young Men presidencies                 be asked to read a scripture aloud before the
        attend stake priesthood leadership meetings (see             prayer.
        18.3.3).

18.3.12 Stake Young Single Adult Committee Meeting            18.6   Funerals and Other Services at a
             See 16.3.2.                                             Time of Death
                                                                         Church leaders and members seek to make
18.3.13 Stake Single Adult Committee Meeting                         the services associated with a person’s death a
                                                                     digniﬁed, solemn, and spiritual experience for
             See 16.1.2.
                                                                     all who participate. These services are generally
                                                                     held under the direction of the bishop.
18.4    Visual Aids and Audiovisual Materials                            Services for people who die vary greatly
        in Church Meetings                                           around the world according to religion, culture,
            Members should not use visual aids in sac-               tradition, and legal requirements. Even services
        rament meeting or stake conference. Such teach-              for Church members vary in different areas of
        ing methods are more appropriate in classroom                the world. This section sets forth general prin-
        settings and leadership meetings.                            ciples that leaders should follow in funerals or
                                                                     other services for deceased members, regardless
            For guidelines about using audiovisual ma-               of tradition or culture. It also provides guidelines
        terials in Church meetings, see 21.1.5.                      for determining which local traditions associated
                                                                     with death and mourning are appropriate to
                                                                     participate in and which are not.
18.5    Prayers in Church Meetings
            Men and women may offer both opening and          18.6.1 Death and Mourning
        closing prayers in Church meetings.
                                                                         Death is an essential part of Heavenly Fa-
            Prayers should be brief, simple, and spoken              ther’s plan of salvation (see 2 Nephi 9:6). Each
        as directed by the Spirit. All members are encour-           person must experience death in order to receive
        aged to respond with an audible amen at the end              a perfected, resurrected body. Teaching and tes-
        of a prayer.                                                 tifying about the plan of salvation, particularly
            Members should express respect for Heav-                 the Savior’s Atonement and Resurrection, is an
        enly Father by using the special language of                 essential purpose of the services associated with
        prayer that is appropriate for the language they             a Church member’s death.
        are speaking. The language of prayer has dif-                   Death brings a need to comfort the living.
        ferent forms in different languages. In some lan-            As disciples of Jesus Christ, Church leaders and
        guages, the intimate or familiar words are used              members “mourn with those that mourn . . . and
        only in addressing family and very close friends.            comfort those that stand in need of comfort”
        Other languages have forms of address that ex-               (Mosiah 18:9).
        press great respect. The principle, however, is the
                                                                         In many cultures, mortician services, view-
        same: members should pray in words that speak-
                                                                     ings of the body, and funerals are customary to
        ers of the language associate with love, respect,
                                                                     help comfort the living and pay respectful tribute
        reverence, and closeness. In English, for exam-
                                                                     to the deceased. Where more appropriate cultur-
        ple, members should use the pronouns Thee,
                                                                     ally, most of these purposes could be accom-
        Thy, Thine, and Thou when addressing Heavenly
                                                                     plished in a family gathering, a graveside ser-
        Father.
                                                                     vice, or another digniﬁed and solemn setting.


146
                                                                                               18. Meetings in the Church



          Many religions and cultures have rituals, or-           the funeral, and providing other support (see
      dinances, and customs associated with death and             7.10.2).
      mourning for the dead. The restored gospel of                   The bishop also notiﬁes the Relief Society
      Jesus Christ has no such rituals or ordinances.             president so she and other sisters, including
      Church leaders should not incorporate rituals               visiting teachers, can assist the family. Such as-
      of other religions or groups into Church services           sistance may include dressing the body of a de-
      for deceased members.                                       ceased female for burial, helping with ﬂowers,
           Church members should show respect for                 tending small children, safeguarding the home
      the rituals and practices of other religions. How-          during the funeral, and preparing meals (see
      ever, members are counseled not to join in ritu-            9.10.3).
      als, practices, or traditions that compromise their
      ability to keep the commandments or to live the       18.6.3 Viewings (Where Customary)
      principles of the restored gospel.                              If a viewing of the body of the deceased is
          In connection with mourning and services                held just prior to the funeral, the bishop should
      for people who die, members are counseled to                conclude it at least 20 minutes before the funeral
      avoid practices or traditions that are so expen-            begins. After the viewing, a family prayer may be
      sive or prolonged that they impose a hardship               offered if the family desires. This prayer should
      on the living or impair them from proceeding                conclude before the funeral is scheduled to be-
      with their lives. Such practices include expect-            gin so it does not impose on the time of the con-
      ing excessive travel, wearing special clothing for          gregation assembled in the chapel. The casket
      mourning, making elaborate public announce-                 should be closed before it is moved to the chapel
      ments, paying money to the family, holding                  for the funeral service.
      elaborate and prolonged feasts at the funeral,                 Leaders should open the meetinghouse for
      and holding excessive commemorative or anni-                funeral directors at least one hour before the
      versary celebrations after the funeral.                     scheduled times for the viewing and funeral.
          Most governments have legal requirements
      that regulate what occurs when a person dies.         18.6.4 Funeral Services
      Church leaders and members should be aware                      If a funeral for a member is held in a Church
      of these requirements and follow them.                      building, the bishop conducts it. If a funeral is
                                                                  held in a home, at a mortuary, or at the grave-
18.6.2 Planning and Assistance                                    side, the family may ask the bishop to conduct it.
          When a member dies, the bishop visits the               A bishop’s counselor may conduct if the bishop
      family to comfort them and offer assistance from            is unable to attend.




                                                                                                                            18. Meetings in the Church
      the ward. He may ask his counselors to accom-                   A funeral conducted by the bishop, whether
      pany him. The bishop offers help in notifying               in a Church building or another location, is a
      relatives, friends, and associates of the death.            Church meeting and a religious service. It should
      As appropriate, he also offers help in planning             be a spiritual occasion in addition to a family
      the funeral service, preparing a suitable obitu-            gathering. The bishop urges members to main-
      ary, and notifying newspapers of the death. If              tain a spirit of reverence, dignity, and solemnity
      there will be a viewing of the body before the              during a funeral service and at gatherings con-
      funeral service, the obituary should include the            nected with the service.
      times it will begin and end.
                                                                      When a bishop conducts a funeral, he or one
          The bishop may offer to help make mortu-                of his counselors oversees the planning of the
      ary and cemetery arrangements according to lo-              service. He considers the wishes of the family,
      cal laws and customs. As needed, he may offer               but he ensures that the funeral is simple and
      help from the ward in providing local transpor-             digniﬁed, with music and brief addresses and
      tation for the family.                                      sermons centered on the gospel, including the
          The bishop notiﬁes the Melchizedek Priest-              comfort afforded by the Savior’s Atonement and
      hood leader who is responsible for the family so            Resurrection. Members of the family should not
      he and other brethren, including home teachers,             feel that they are required to speak or otherwise
      can assist the bereaved family. Such assistance             participate in the service.
      may include dressing the body of a deceased                    A member of the stake presidency, an Area
      male for burial, safeguarding the home during               Seventy, or a General Authority presides at fu-
                                                                  neral services he attends. The person who is


                                                                                                                    147
18. Meetings in the Church



        conducting consults him in advance and recog-               make this inappropriate or difﬁcult, the cloth-
        nizes him during the service. The presiding ofﬁ-            ing may be folded and placed next to the body
        cer should be extended the opportunity to offer             in the casket. Additional instructions on temple
        closing remarks if he desires.                              burial clothing and dressing the dead are pro-
            Video recordings and computer or other elec-            vided in 7.10.2, 9.10.3, and Handbook 1, 3.4.9.
        tronic presentations should not be used as part                 If possible, at least one member of the bish-
        of a funeral service. Nor should the service be             opric accompanies the cortege to the cemetery.
        broadcast on the Internet or in any other way.              If the grave will be dedicated, he consults with
            Funerals should start on time. As a matter of           the family and asks a Melchizedek Priesthood
        courtesy to those who attend, services should               holder to do so according to the instructions in
        not be too long. Funerals that last more than one           20.9. If the family prefers, a graveside prayer
        and one-half hours place an undue burden on                 rather than a dedicatory prayer may be offered.
        those attending and participating.                              The Church does not normally encourage
            Funerals provide an important opportunity               cremation. However, if the body of an endowed
        to teach the gospel and testify of the plan of sal-         member is being cremated, it should be dressed
        vation. They also provide an opportunity to pay             in temple clothing if possible. For information
        tribute to the deceased. However, such tributes             about dedicating the place where the ashes are
        should not dominate a funeral service. Having               kept, see 20.9.
        large numbers of people share tributes or mem-
        ories can make a funeral too long and may be          18.6.7 Financial Policies
        inappropriate for a Church service. If family                   Church members who conduct or take part
        members want an extended time to share such                 in funeral services should not accept fees or con-
        memories, they may consider doing so in a spe-              tributions, whether the service is for a member
        cial family gathering, separate from the funeral            or a nonmember.
        service.                                                        In some cases, bishops can arrange with mor-
           Funeral services are not normally held on                ticians to provide respectable burial services at
        Sunday.                                                     cost when expenses are paid from fast-offering
                                                                    funds.
18.6.5 Music
            Music for funerals might include prelude          18.6.8 Funeral Services for Nonmembers
        music, an opening hymn, special musical selec-                  Bishops may offer the use of Church meeting-
        tions, a closing hymn, and postlude music. Sim-             houses for the funeral services of nonmembers.
        ple hymns and other songs with gospel messages              Such services generally may be held in the man-
        are most appropriate for these occasions. Open-             ner prescribed by the deceased person’s church.
        ing and closing hymns are usually sung by the               However, rituals of other churches or of outside
        congregation.                                               organizations may not be performed in a Church
                                                                    meetinghouse. If the family desires, the service
18.6.6 Burial or Cremation                                          may be conducted by a clergyman of the per-
            Where possible, deceased members who                    son’s church, provided it is digniﬁed and appro-
        were endowed should be buried in temple cloth-              priate.
        ing. Where cultural traditions or burial practices




148
                                                                                                     18. Meetings in the Church




Chart of Ward Meetings
Meeting                      Purpose                           Participants                  Frequency
Sacrament meeting            Partake of the sacrament,         All ward members              Each Sunday
                             worship, provide gospel
                             instruction, perform ordi-
                             nances, conduct ward busi-
                             ness, and strengthen faith
                             and testimony.

Fast and testimony meeting   Partake of the sacrament,         All ward members              Usually the first Sunday
                             worship, perform ordi-                                          of each month
                             nances, conduct ward busi-
                             ness, and bear testimonies.

Priesthood meeting           Conduct quorum business,          All priesthood holders,       Each Sunday
                             learn priesthood duties,          prospective elders, and
                             strengthen individuals            unordained young men
                             and families, and teach           of Aaronic Priesthood age
                             the gospel.

Sunday Relief Society        Teach the gospel, increase        Women in the ward ages        Each Sunday
meeting                      in faith and righteousness,       18 and older (and younger
                             and strengthen individuals        women who are married)
                             and families.

Additional Relief Society    Learn and apply principles        Women in the ward ages        Usually monthly at a time
meetings and activities      and skills that will help         18 and older (and younger     other than on Sunday or
                             Relief Society sisters increase   women who are married)        on Monday evening; can
                             in faith and righteousness,                                     also be scheduled quarterly
                             strengthen individuals and
                             families, and seek out and
                             help those in need.

Young Women                  Teach the gospel with an    Young women ages 12 to 18           Each Sunday
                             emphasis on applying gospel and Young Women leaders
                             principles in daily life.




                                                                                                                                  18. Meetings in the Church
Primary                      Teach the gospel and help         Children ages 18 months       Each Sunday
                             children feel Heavenly            through 11 years and Pri-
                             Father’s love for them.           mary leaders and teachers

Sunday School                Strengthen faith and help         Ward members ages 12 and      Each Sunday
                             Church members teach one          older and Sunday School
                             another.                          leaders and teachers

Ward conference              Strengthen faith and testi-       Stake presidency, stake       Once each year
                             mony, provide gospel in-          auxiliary leaders, assigned
                             struction, conduct business,      high councilors, bishopric,
                             and evaluate activity.            and ward members

Bishopric meeting            Plan, review, and consider        Bishopric, ward clerk,        Usually at least weekly
                             matters affecting the ward.       ward executive secretary,
                                                               and others as invited




                                                                                                                          149
18. Meetings in the Church




Chart of Ward Meetings (continued)

 Meeting                     Purpose                         Participants                    Frequency
 Ward priesthood executive   Consider priesthood matters.    Bishopric, ward clerk,          Regularly
 committee meeting           As needed, preview matters      ward executive secretary,
                             that will be on the ward        high priests group leader,
                             council’s agenda, discuss       elders quorum president,
                             confidential welfare matters,   ward mission leader, and
                             and coordinate home teach-      Young Men president; the
                             ing and visiting teaching       Relief Society president
                             assignments.                    may be invited to attend
                                                             as needed to discuss confi-
                                                             dential welfare matters and
                                                             to coordinate home teach-
                                                             ing and visiting teaching
                                                             assignments

 Ward council meeting        Plan ways to strengthen         Bishopric; ward clerk;          Regularly (at least monthly)
                             individuals and families.       ward executive secretary;
                             Coordinate efforts in spiri-    high priests group leader;
                             tual and temporal welfare,      elders quorum president;
                             missionary work, retention,     ward mission leader;
                             activation, temple and family   Relief Society, Young Men,
                             history work, and gospel        Young Women, Primary,
                             teaching and learning.          and Sunday School
                             Review and coordinate           presidents; and others
                             programs and activities.        as invited

 Bishopric youth committee   Identify needs of youth         Bishopric, one of the           Usually monthly
 meeting                     in the ward. Plan ways to       bishop’s priests quorum
                             meet needs, help youth          assistants, teachers and
                             live Church standards, and      deacons quorum presidents,
                             encourage participation in      Young Women class presi-
                             Church meetings and             dents, Young Men and
                             activities. Plan youth          Young Women presidents,
                             activities.                     and others (such as coun-
                                                             selors in quorum and class
                                                             presidencies) as invited

 Ward young single adult     Recommend ways to help          A counselor in the bishopric,   As needed
 committee meeting           young single adults partici-    the Relief Society and elders
                             pate in service and leader-     quorum counselors assigned
                             ship. Locate and befriend       to young single adults,
                             less-active young single        young single adult leaders,
                             adults.                         and the couple called as
                                                             young single adult advisers

 Missionary coordination     Coordinate missionary,          Ward mission leader,            Regularly
 meeting                     retention, and activation       ward missionaries, and
                             efforts of full-time mission-   full-time missionaries
                             aries and ward members.         (where available)




150
                                                                                                      18. Meetings in the Church




Chart of Stake Meetings
Meeting                       Purpose                        Participants                     Frequency
Stake conference              Strengthen faith and testi-    General Authority or Area        Twice each year
                              mony, provide gospel           Seventy (if assigned), stake
                              instruction, and conduct       presidency, and all members
                              stake business.                in the stake

Stake general priesthood      Instruct and inspire priest-   All priesthood holders,          Once each year
meeting                       hood holders and conduct       prospective elders, and
                              stake priesthood business.     unordained young men of
                                                             Aaronic Priesthood age in
                                                             the stake

Stake priesthood leadership   Teach priesthood leaders       Stake presidency; high           Three times a year (twice
meeting                       their duties, increase their   council; stake clerk (and        in connection with stake
                              abilities, and build their     assistant clerks as needed);     conference)
                              faith.                         stake executive secretary;
                                                             stake Young Men presidency
                                                             (and secretary as needed);
                                                             bishoprics; ward clerks (and
                                                             assistant clerks as needed);
                                                             ward executive secretaries;
                                                             high priests group leaders,
                                                             assistants, and secretaries;
                                                             elders quorum presiden-
                                                             cies and secretaries; ward
                                                             mission leaders; ward Young
                                                             Men presidencies (and secre-
                                                             taries and assistant advisers
                                                             as needed); and others as
                                                             invited

Stake high priests quorum     Conduct quorum business        All high priests in the stake    At least once each year
meeting                       and instruct quorum mem-       (not held in districts)
                              bers in their duties.




                                                                                                                                   18. Meetings in the Church
Stake presidency meeting      Review, plan, and consider     Stake presidency, stake clerk,   Regularly
                              matters affecting the stake.   stake executive secretary,
                                                             and others as invited

Stake priesthood executive    Receive instruction, give      Stake presidency, high           Twice monthly, where
committee meeting (high       reports, conduct business,     council, stake clerk, stake      feasible
council meeting)              and counsel together.          executive secretary, and
                                                             others as invited

Stake council meeting         Receive instruction, counsel   Stake presidency; high           Two to four times a year as
                              together, give reports, and    council; stake clerk; stake      needed
                              coordinate planning of stake   executive secretary; stake
                              programs and activities.       Relief Society, Young Men,
                                                             Young Women, Primary, and
                                                             Sunday School presidents;
                                                             and others as invited

Meeting with bishoprics       Instruct bishoprics,           Stake presidency, bishoprics,    One to four times a year as
                              review policies, and           stake clerk, and stake execu-    needed
                              counsel together.              tive secretary




                                                                                                                            151
18. Meetings in the Church




Chart of Stake Meetings (continued)

 Meeting                        Purpose                           Participants                      Frequency
 Stake Aaronic Priesthood–      Plan stake-sponsored              A counselor in the stake          As needed
 Young Women committee          combined activities for           presidency, high councilors
 meeting                        young men and young               assigned to the Young Men
                                women.                            and Young Women, stake
                                                                  Young Men presidency
                                                                  and secretary, stake Young
                                                                  Women presidency and
                                                                  secretary, and youth and
                                                                  others as invited

 Stake bishops’ welfare         Receive instruction in wel-       All bishops and branch            At least quarterly
 council meeting                fare matters. Exchange ideas      presidents in the stake (the
                                and experiences. Review           stake president appoints
                                trends in fast-offering contri-   one bishop to be chairman);
                                butions, welfare needs, and       stake president (occasion-
                                welfare assistance. Identify      ally); welfare specialists as
                                work opportunities for those      needed
                                who receive assistance. Iden-
                                tify welfare resources in the
                                community. Evaluate Church
                                welfare operations. Coordi-
                                nate welfare assignments.

 Stake auxiliary leadership     Teach ward auxiliary leaders      Stake presidency member           Once each year for each
 meeting (for Relief Society,   their duties, instruct them       (if desired); high councilor      organization, or twice
 Young Women, Primary,          in teaching and leadership        assigned to the auxiliary         with the stake president’s
 and Sunday School)             skills, strengthen their faith,   organization; stake auxiliary     approval (see 18.3.11)
                                and share ideas.                  presidency and secretary;
                                                                  ward auxiliary presidencies
                                                                  and secretaries; other ward
                                                                  auxiliary leaders, teachers,
                                                                  and advisers (as needed);
                                                                  bishopric members assigned
                                                                  to the auxiliary (as needed)

 Stake young single adult       Address the needs of young        A counselor in the stake          As needed
 committee meeting              single adults in the stake.       presidency, the high coun-
                                Provide opportunities for         cilor assigned to young
                                young single adults to come       single adults, a member of
                                together for service, gospel      the stake Relief Society presi-
                                learning, and sociality           dency, stake young single
                                beyond their wards. Ensure        adult advisers, and ward
                                that ward young single adult      young single adult leaders
                                committees are functioning        (if they are called) or other
                                well in wards where they are      young single adults in the
                                established.                      stake

 Stake single adult committee   Address the needs of single       A counselor in the stake          As needed
 meeting                        adults in the stake. As           presidency, a high councilor,
                                needed, provide opportuni-        a member of the stake Relief
                                ties for single adults to come    Society presidency, and sev-
                                together for service, gospel      eral single adults
                                learning, and sociality be-
                                yond their wards.




152
                                                                                                    18. Meetings in the Church




Sunday Meeting Schedule
Plan 1




  70                                                 Sacrament meeting
 min.



  10                                                        Break
 min.

  40                                        Sunday School
 min.

  10                                            Break
 min.                                                                                                      Primary
          General ward priesthood meeting                                                            (including nursery)
                                                      Opening exercises       Opening exercises
                 opening exercises                                                                  See 11.4.1 for details.
  50
 min.    Melchizedek
                              Aaronic Priesthood        Relief Society          Young Women
         Priesthood


  3                    The exact timing of breaks between meetings is flexible according to local needs.
hours



Plan 2

          General ward priesthood meeting
                                                      Opening exercises       Opening exercises
                 opening exercises




                                                                                                                                 18. Meetings in the Church
  50
 min.    Melchizedek
                              Aaronic Priesthood        Relief Society          Young Women
         Priesthood                                                                                        Primary
                                                                                                     (including nursery)
  10                                                                                                See 11.4.1 for details.
                                                Break
 min.

  40                                        Sunday School
 min.

  10                                                        Break
 min.



  70                                                 Sacrament meeting
 min.



  3                    The exact timing of breaks between meetings is flexible according to local needs.
hours




                                                                                                                         153
18. Meetings in the Church



                                                                 bishopric and the branch presidency meet with
        Overlapping Meeting Schedule for                         priesthood and auxiliary leaders in their own
        Units with Different Languages                           units to seek their counsel and cooperation in
            When two units whose members speak dif-              implementing the plan.
        ferent languages meet in the same building, it               The bishopric and the branch presidency
        may be desirable for the children and youth to           also meet together to determine which members
        attend classes together. For example, if an En-          from each unit should be called to serve in the
        glish-speaking ward and a Spanish-speaking               organizations. Leaders also discuss the calling of
        branch meet in the same building, the Primary            Aaronic Priesthood quorum and Young Women
        children of the Spanish branch could join with           class leaders. After the plan has been imple-
        the Primary of the English ward. The youth of            mented, priesthood leaders continue to meet
        the Spanish branch could join with the Sunday            regularly to coordinate their efforts and resolve
        School, Aaronic Priesthood, and Young Women              any concerns.
        classes of the English ward.
                                                                    One representative from the bishopric and
            Youth from the Spanish branch could also join        one from the branch presidency attend bishopric
        with the English ward for Mutual. Children could         youth committee meetings.
        join with the English ward for Cub Scouting and
        activity days.                                               To implement this plan, meeting schedules
                                                                 for the two units need to overlap as shown in the
            Using this plan requires the approval of the         chart below. The chart shows the ward beginning
        stake president. After receiving his approval, the       ﬁrst, but the branch could begin ﬁrst instead.



                                   Ward                                              Branch
         Sacrament meeting
                                                                      Branch starts 80 minutes after the ward


         Sunday School                Primary                Sunday School                Primary
                                                             (youth join with             (join with ward Primary)
                                                             ward classes)

         Priesthood                                          Priesthood (young men
                                                             join with ward quorums)
         Relief Society
                                                             Relief Society
         Young Women
                                                             Young Women (join with
                                                             ward young women)

                                                             Sacrament meeting
                   Ward ends 80 minutes before the branch




154
19. Callings in the Church

19.1 Determining Whom to Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156                     Chart of Callings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             159
     19.1.1 General Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156            Stake Callings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      159
     19.1.2 Recommendations and Approvals                                           Melchizedek Priesthood Callings . . . . . . . . . . . .                       161
             for Callings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156   Aaronic Priesthood Callings in Wards . . . . . . . .                          161
     19.1.3 Stake Callings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156      Aaronic Priesthood Callings in Branches
     19.1.4 Ward Callings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157         in Stakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   162
     19.1.5 Elders Quorum and High Priests                                          Ward Callings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       162
             Group Callings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157       Branch Callings in Stakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .               164
                                                                                    Mission Callings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        164
19.2 Extending a Calling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
                                                                                    District Callings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       165
19.3 Sustaining Members in Church Callings . . . . 157                              Elders Quorum Callings in Branches
                                                                                      in Missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     165
19.4 Setting Apart Officers and Teachers . . . . . . . 158                          Aaronic Priesthood Callings in Branches
                                                                                      in Missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     165
19.5 Releasing Members from Church Callings . . 158
                                                                                    Branch Callings in Missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 166
19.6 Calling, Ordaining, and Setting Apart                                          Military Service Member Group Callings . . . . .                              166
     Bishops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158




                                                                                                                                                                        19. Callings in the Church




                                                                                                                                                                  155
19. Callings in the Church

           This chapter provides information about call-                  Leaders may extend a Church calling only
       ing and releasing members to serve in the Church.              after (1) a person’s membership record is on ﬁle
       The Chart of Callings on pages 159–66 lists se-                in the ward and has been carefully reviewed by
       lected callings and speciﬁes who recommends                    the bishop or (2) the bishop has contacted the
       a person, who approves the recommendation,                     member’s previous bishop to determine that
       who sustains the person, and who calls and sets                the member is worthy for the calling and to ver-
       apart the person. Callings on the chart are ﬁlled              ify that his or her membership record does not
       according to need and as members are available.                include an annotation or a comment about un-
                                                                      resolved Church discipline.
                                                                          New converts should be given an appropri-
19.1   Determining Whom to Call
                                                                      ate calling or another responsibility to serve as
19.1.1 General Guidelines                                             soon as possible. Some new members may be
           A person must be called of God to serve in the             ready for callings as soon as they are baptized
       Church (see Articles of Faith 1:5). Leaders seek               and conﬁrmed. Others may need to receive sim-
       the guidance of the Spirit in determining whom                 ple assignments that would help them prepare
       to call. They consider the worthiness that may                 to receive callings. A member of the bishopric
       be required for the calling. They also consider                interviews new converts before calling them to
       the member’s personal or family circumstances.                 teach children or youth.
       Each calling should beneﬁt the people who are                       People who are not members of the Church
       served, the member, and the member’s family.                   may be called to some positions, such as organ-
           Although service in Church callings requires               ist, music director, and assistant Scout leader.
       sacriﬁce, it should not compromise a member’s                  However, they should not be called to teaching
       ability to fulﬁll family and employment respon-                or administrative positions or as Primary music
       sibilities (see 17.2.1). Before calling a married per-         leaders. The allowance to call nonmembers to
       son to an assignment that requires a signiﬁcant                some positions does not apply to excommuni-
       time commitment, Church leaders consider the                   cated members, who may not have any callings.
       effect of the calling on the marriage and family.
                                                                19.1.2 Recommendations and Approvals
           If possible, a member is called to serve in only           for Callings
       one calling, in addition to assignments as a home
       teacher or visiting teacher.                                       The Chart of Callings indicates who may
                                                                      make recommendations for each calling and who
           Leaders keep information about proposed                    gives approval. In some cases, priesthood and
       callings and releases conﬁdential. Only those                  auxiliary leaders are asked to make recommenda-
       who need to know, such as an auxiliary president               tions to their stake presidency or bishopric. They
       who oversees the person, are informed before the               should approach this responsibility prayerfully,
       person is presented for a sustaining vote. A per-              knowing that they can receive guidance from
       son who is being considered for a calling is not               the Lord about whom to recommend. However,
       notiﬁed until the calling is issued.                           they should remember that ﬁnal responsibility
           When a calling will be extended by or under                to receive inspiration on whom to call rests with
       the direction of the stake president, the bishop               the stake presidency or the bishopric.
       should be consulted to determine the member’s                      Stake presidents and bishops should carefully
       worthiness and the family, employment, and                     evaluate each recommendation, recognizing that
       Church service circumstances. The stake presi-                 it has been prayerfully considered. As needed,
       dency then asks the high council to sustain the                they may request another recommendation.
       decision to call the person, if necessary according
       to the Chart of Callings.                                19.1.3 Stake Callings
           When a young man or young woman will                          The stake president oversees the calling of
       be called to a Church position, a member of the                members who serve in most stake positions, as
       bishopric obtains approval from the parents or                 shown in the Chart of Callings.
       guardians before issuing the calling.



156
                                                                                                  19. Callings in the Church



19.1.4 Ward Callings
                                                             19.3   Sustaining Members in Church
           The stake presidency recommends brethren                 Callings
       to be called or released as bishops (see 19.6).
       The stake president also oversees the calling of                 Members who are called to most Church po-
       counselors in the bishopric, ward clerks, assis-             sitions should receive a sustaining vote before
       tant ward clerks, and ward executive secretaries.            they begin serving. The Chart of Callings indi-
       The bishop oversees other callings in the ward,              cates whether a sustaining vote is needed and
       as shown in the Chart of Callings.                           what congregation should give it. The leader
                                                                    who oversaw the calling, or a priesthood ofﬁcer
19.1.5 Elders Quorum and High Priests Group                         he authorizes, presents a person to the congre-
       Callings                                                     gation for a sustaining vote.
           The stake president oversees the calling of                  The person who conducts the sustaining ﬁrst
       elders quorum presidents and their counselors                announces who was released from the position
       and of high priests group leaders and their assis-           and asks members to give an expression of thanks
       tants, as shown in the Chart of Callings.                    for the person’s service (see 19.5 for suggested
                                                                    language).
           The elders quorum president and the high
       priests group leader oversee the calling of quo-                 When presenting a person for a sustaining
       rum or group secretaries and instructors. The                vote, an authorized priesthood ofﬁcer asks him
       bishop’s approval is required before brethren                or her to stand. The ofﬁcer may say:
       may be called to these positions.                                “[Name] has been called as [position], and we
                                                                    propose that he [or she] be sustained. Those in
                                                                    favor may manifest it by the uplifted hand. [Pause
19.2   Extending a Calling                                          brieﬂy for the sustaining vote.] Those opposed,
           The Chart of Callings outlines who may ex-               if any, may manifest it. [Pause brieﬂy to allow for
       tend each calling. After receiving the necessary             a dissenting vote, if any.]”
       approvals, an authorized leader conducts a per-                  The person who is being presented should
       sonal interview to determine the member’s faith-             participate in the sustaining vote. If more than
       fulness and willingness to serve. If the member is           one person is being presented, they may usually
       willing, the leader extends the calling. The leader          be sustained as a group.
       may invite the spouse of a married person to be
       present and give support when the calling is                    If a member in good standing gives a dis-
       extended.                                                    senting vote when someone is presented to be
                                                                    sustained, the presiding ofﬁcer or another as-
           A leader who extends a Church calling ex-                signed priesthood ofﬁcer confers with the dis-
       plains its purpose, importance, and responsibili-            senting member in private after the meeting.
       ties. He encourages the member to seek the Spirit            The ofﬁcer determines whether the dissenting
       of the Lord in fulﬁlling the calling. He tells the           vote was based on knowledge that the person
       member the name of the person to whom he or                  who was presented is guilty of conduct that
       she is directly accountable and emphasizes the               should disqualify him or her from serving in the
       need to support leaders. As needed, he outlines              position. Dissenting votes from nonmembers
       the meetings the person should attend and de-                need not be considered.
       scribes any resource materials that are available.
       He may identify special concerns or challenges                   When, as an exception, new stake ofﬁcers
       of the calling and invite the member to ask ques-            need to begin their service before the next stake
       tions about it.                                              conference or stake general priesthood meeting
                                                                    in which they would normally be sustained, they
          Leaders ensure that the manner in which
                                                                                                                               19. Callings in the Church


                                                                    should be sustained in the sacrament meetings
       they extend a calling is consistent with its sacred          of the wards and branches of the stake. These
       nature. Callings should be extended in a dig-                sustainings should be kept to a minimum. Mem-
       niﬁed, formal manner, not in a casual setting or             bers of the stake presidency or high council pre-
       manner.                                                      sent the sustainings.




                                                                                                                       157
19. Callings in the Church



                                                                       callings. To issue a release, an authorized leader
19.4     Setting Apart Ofﬁcers and Teachers                            meets with the member personally, informs him
             Members who are called to most Church po-                 or her of the release, and expresses appreciation
         sitions should be set apart before they begin                 for the service. The leader also asks the person
         serving. The Chart of Callings indicates who is               to return any current, usable materials so they
         authorized to perform a setting apart. Presidents             can be given to the successor. Only those who
         are set apart before their counselors.                        need to know are informed of a release before it
              Under the direction of the presiding author-             is announced publicly.
         ity, one or more Melchizedek Priesthood hold-                     The same congregation that sustained a per-
         ers may participate in a setting apart, including             son gives a vote of thanks when the person is
         a worthy father or husband (see 20.1.2). These                released. An authorized priesthood ofﬁcer may
         brethren place their hands lightly on the person’s            say:
         head. Then the priesthood holder who acts as                     “[Name] has been released as [position], and
         voice:                                                        we propose that he [or she] be given a vote of
          1. Calls the person by his or her full name.                 thanks for his [or her] service. Those who wish to
          2. States that he is acting by the authority of the          express their appreciation may manifest it by the
             Melchizedek Priesthood.                                   uplifted hand.” No dissenting vote is called for.
          3. Sets the person apart to the appropriate                      When a president, bishop, or high priests
             ofﬁce in the stake, ward, quorum, high priests            group leader is released, the counselors or as-
             group, or class.                                          sistants are released automatically. Others who
                                                                       hold positions in the organization, such as clerks,
          4. Confers keys if the person is entitled to re-             secretaries, and teachers, are not released auto-
             ceive them. (In stakes and wards, only stake              matically.
             presidents, bishops, and quorum presidents
             receive keys of presidency when they are
             set apart. The word keys should not be used        19.6   Calling, Ordaining, and Setting Apart
             when setting apart counselors, high council-              Bishops
             ors, high priests group leaders, presidents of
             auxiliary organizations, the bishop’s priests                 The stake presidency recommends brethren
             quorum assistants, or teachers in an organi-              to be called or released as bishops. Instructions
             zation.)                                                  are on the Recommendation for New Bishop
                                                                       form. This form is available electronically in
          5. Gives words of blessing as the Spirit directs.            units that use Church record-keeping software.
          6. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.                       In other units it is available from the assigned
            A setting apart is an opportunity to give a                administrative ofﬁce.
         blessing. Detailed counsel and instruction are                    When recommending a person to serve as
         normally provided when a person is taught his or              bishop, the stake presidency carefully observes
         her duties rather than during the setting apart.              the principles set forth in 1 Timothy 3:2–7. It is
             A setting apart should not be expanded into               not appropriate to solicit recommendations or
         a formal meeting. It is not necessary to have                 to conduct surveys among ward members with
         prayers, testimonies, or instruction when some-               respect to who might be considered for a call to
         one is set apart.                                             serve as bishop.
                                                                           Before a new bishop may be interviewed,
                                                                       called, ordained, or set apart, his recommenda-
19.5     Releasing Members from Church                                 tion must be approved by the First Presidency.
         Callings                                                      The stake president may extend the calling af-
             Releases from Church callings should come                 ter he receives written approval from the First
         by inspiration, except when a person’s change                 Presidency. With this approval, the stake presi-
         of residence necessitates a release or when a call-           dent may also ordain and set apart a bishop after
         ing is for a speciﬁc time period, such as full-time           ward members have given a sustaining vote. The
         missionary service.                                           approval of the First Presidency is also required
                                                                       before a stake president may release a bishop.
            Releases from Church callings are made by                  The stake president may not assign these respon-
         the same level of authority that extended the                 sibilities to a counselor.



158
                                                                                                          19. Callings in the Church



             If a man who is called as bishop is not a                    3. Ordains the man a bishop (unless he was pre-
         high priest, the stake president ensures that he                    viously ordained).
         is ordained a high priest before ordaining him                   4. Sets him apart to preside over the ward and
         a bishop. If the man was ordained a bishop pre-                     to be the president of the Aaronic Priesthood
         viously, he needs only to be set apart as bishop                    and the priests quorum, emphasizing his re-
         of the ward.                                                        sponsibilities for the Aaronic Priesthood and
            After the First Presidency has approved the                      for young women in the ward.
         recommendation of a man to serve as bishop,                      5. Confers on him all the keys, rights, powers,
         they authorize a stake president, Area Seventy,                     and authority of the ofﬁce of bishop, refer-
         or General Authority to ordain him and set him                      ring speciﬁcally to the bishop’s duties as a
         apart. The authorized priesthood ofﬁcer:                            common judge in Israel and as the presiding
          1. Calls the man by his full name.                                 high priest in the ward.
          2. States that he is acting by the authority of the             6. Gives words of blessing as the Spirit directs.
             Melchizedek Priesthood.                                      7. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.



                                                    Chart of Callings
Stake Callings
   The following chart includes a list of selected stake callings. For other callings and service opportunities,
see individual chapters in this handbook. Callings are ﬁlled according to need and as members are available.

 Ofﬁce                    Recommended By          Approved By             Sustained By1            Called and Set Apart By

 Stake president          An assigned             An assigned             Members in stake         An assigned
                          General Authority       General Authority       conference               General Authority
                          or Area Seventy         or Area Seventy                                  or Area Seventy

 Counselors in the        Stake president         An assigned General     Members in stake         An assigned
 stake presidency                                 Authority or Area       conference or stake      General Authority
                                                  Seventy, or written     general priesthood       or Area Seventy, or the
                                                  notification from the   meeting                  stake president with
                                                  First Presidency                                 written approval from
                                                                                                   the First Presidency

 Stake clerk              Stake presidency        Stake presidency        Members in stake         Stake president
                                                  and high council        conference or stake
                                                                          general priesthood
                                                                          meeting

 Assistant stake clerks   Stake presidency        Stake presidency        Members in stake         Stake president or an
                                                  and high council        conference or stake      assigned counselor
                                                                          general priesthood
                                                                          meeting

 Stake executive          Stake presidency        Stake presidency        Members in stake         Stake president or an
 secretary                                        and high council        conference or stake      assigned counselor
                                                                          general priesthood
                                                                                                                                       19. Callings in the Church



                                                                          meeting

 High councilors          Stake presidency        Stake presidency        Members in stake         Stake president or an
                                                  and high council        conference or stake      assigned counselor
                                                                          general priesthood
                                                                          meeting

1 When, as an exception, new stake officers need to begin their service before the next stake conference or stake general
priesthood meeting in which they would normally be sustained, they should be sustained in the sacrament meetings of
the wards and branches of the stake (see 19.3).


                                                                                                                               159
19. Callings in the Church



Stake Callings (continued)

 Ofﬁce                       Recommended By          Approved By              Sustained By1           Called and Set Apart By

 Stake patriarch             Stake presidency        Quorum of the            Members in stake        A member of the First
                                                     Twelve                   conference or stake     Presidency or Twelve, or
                                                                              general priesthood      the stake president with
                                                                              meeting                 written approval from the
                                                                                                      Quorum of the Twelve

 Stake patriarch who         Presidency of the       Quorum of the            Members in stake        Not ordained or set apart
 is already ordained         stake into which he     Twelve                   conference or stake     to begin service in a new
 but has moved to            has moved                                        general priesthood      stake
 another stake                                                                meeting

 Stake auxiliary presi-      Stake presidency        Stake presidency         Members in stake        Stake president or an
 dents (Young Men,           (in consultation        and high council         conference              assigned counselor
 Relief Society, Young       with the assigned
 Women, Primary, and         high councilor)
 Sunday School)

 Counselors in stake         President of the        Stake presidency         Members in stake        Stake president or
 auxiliary presiden-         stake auxiliary         and high council         conference              an assigned counselor
 cies, secretaries,          (in consultation                                                         or high councilor
 and other auxiliary         with the assigned
 leaders                     high councilor)

 Stake physical facili-      Assigned by the stake presidency; not called, sustained, or set apart.
 ties representative
 (high councilor)

 Stake activities            Assigned by the stake presidency; not called, sustained, or set apart.
 committee chairman
 (high councilor)

 Family history center       Stake presidency        Stake presidency         Members in stake        Stake president or
 director and assistant                              and high council         conference              an assigned counselor
 director                                                                                             or high councilor

 Stake indexing              Stake presidency        Stake presidency         Members in stake        Stake president or
 director and                                        and high council         conference              an assigned counselor
 assistant director                                                                                   or high councilor

 Stake music chairman Stake music adviser            Stake presidency         Members in stake        Stake president or
                      (high councilor)               and high council         conference              an assigned counselor
                                                                                                      or high councilor

 Stake auditors              Chairman of the         Stake presidency         Not sustained           Stake president or an
                             stake audit committee and high council                                   assigned counselor 2
                             (counselor in the stake
                             presidency)

 Stake welfare               Stake presidency        Stake presidency         Not sustained           Stake president or
 specialists (including                              and high council                                 an assigned counselor
 stake employment                                                                                     or high councilor 2
 specialist)

 Stake seminary and          Bishop (may consult     Stake presidency         Members in stake        Stake president or
 institute teachers          with seminary and       and high council         conference              an assigned counselor
                             institute personnel)                                                     or high councilor
1 When, as an exception, new stake officers need to begin their service before the next stake conference or stake general
priesthood meeting in which they would normally be sustained, they should be sustained in the sacrament meetings of
the wards and branches of the stake (see 19.3).
2 The stake president determines whether members who are called to serve in these positions should be set apart.


160
                                                                                                      19. Callings in the Church




Melchizedek Priesthood Callings
Ofﬁce                  Recommended By           Approved By            Sustained By            Called and Set Apart By

Presidency of the      See “Stake Callings,” page 159.
stake high priests
quorum (stake
presidency)

Ward high priests      Stake presidency         Stake presidency       Group members           Stake president or an
group leader           (in consultation with    and high council                               assigned counselor
                       the bishop)

Assistants to the      Group leader             Stake presidency       Group members           Stake president or
ward high priests      (in consultation with    and high council                               an assigned counselor
group leader           the bishop)                                                             or high councilor

Elders quorum          Stake presidency         Stake presidency       Quorum members          Stake president
president              (in consultation with    and high council
                       the bishop)

Counselors in the      Quorum president         Stake presidency       Quorum members          Stake president or
elders quorum          (in consultation with    and high council                               an assigned counselor
presidency             the bishop)                                                             or high councilor

High priests group     Group leader or          Bishop                 Group or quorum         Group leader or an
and elders quorum      quorum president                                members                 assigned assistant;
secretaries and        (in consultation with                                                   quorum president or
instructors            the bishop and the                                                      an assigned counselor
                       assistants to the high
                       priests group leader
                       or the counselors to
                       the elders quorum
                       president)

Home teachers          Home teaching is a priesthood responsibility of elders and high priests. Accordingly, these brethren
                       are assigned as home teachers by quorum and group leaders, under the direction of the bishop.
                       They are not called, sustained, or set apart.




Aaronic Priesthood Callings in Wards
Ofﬁce                  Recommended By           Approved By            Sustained By            Called and Set Apart By

Priests quorum         See “Ward Callings,” page 162.
president (bishop)

Assistants to the      Bishop (priests          Bishopric              Quorum members          Bishop
priests quorum         quorum president)
president
                                                                                                                                   19. Callings in the Church


Teachers and deacons   Bishopric                Bishopric              Quorum members          Called by the bishop or
quorum presidents                                                                              an assigned counselor;
                                                                                               set apart by the bishop

Counselors in the      Quorum presidents        Bishopric              Quorum members          Bishop or an assigned
teachers and deacons                                                                           counselor
quorum presiden-
cies and quorum
secretaries




                                                                                                                           161
19. Callings in the Church



Aaronic Priesthood Callings in Wards (continued)

 Ofﬁce                       Recommended By          Approved By              Sustained By            Called and Set Apart By

 Priests quorum              Bishopric               Bishopric               Ward members             Bishop
 adviser (ward Young
 Men president)

 Teachers and deacons        Bishopric               Bishopric               Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
 quorum advisers                                                                                      counselor
 (counselors in the
 ward Young Men
 presidency), assistant
 advisers, and ward
 Young Men secretary

 Home teachers               Home teaching is a priesthood responsibility of teachers and priests. Accordingly, these brethren
                             are assigned as home teachers by the bishopric. They are not called, sustained, or set apart.




Aaronic Priesthood Callings in Branches in Stakes
 Ofﬁce                       Recommended By          Approved By              Sustained By            Called and Set Apart By

 Priests quorum              Stake presidency        Stake presidency        Branch members           Stake president
 president (branch                                   and high council
 president, who
 acts as the priests
 quorum president)

 Other Aaronic               See “Aaronic Priesthood Callings in Wards,” pages 161–62, substituting branch president for bishop
 Priesthood callings         and branch for ward.




Ward Callings
   The following chart includes a list of selected ward callings. For other callings and service opportunities, see
individual chapters in this handbook. Callings are ﬁlled according to need and as members are available.

 Ofﬁce                       Recommended By          Approved By              Sustained By            Called and Set Apart By

 Bishop                      Stake presidency        First Presidency        Ward members             A General Authority
                                                     and Quorum of                                    or Area Seventy, or the
                                                     the Twelve                                       stake president with
                                                                                                      written approval from
                                                                                                      the First Presidency

 Counselors in the           Bishop                  Stake presidency        Ward members             Stake president or an
 bishopric                                           and high council                                 assigned counselor

 Ward clerk                  Bishopric               Stake presidency        Ward members             Stake president or an
                                                     and high council                                 assigned counselor

 Assistant ward clerks       Bishopric               Stake presidency        Ward members             Stake president or an
                                                     and high council                                 assigned counselor or
                                                                                                      high councilor

 Ward executive              Bishopric               Stake presidency         Ward members            Stake president or an
 secretary                                           and high council                                 assigned counselor or
                                                                                                      high councilor



162
                                                                                                           19. Callings in the Church



Ward Callings (continued)

Ofﬁce                     Recommended By          Approved By              Sustained By             Called and Set Apart By

Ward mission leader       Bishopric               Bishopric                Ward members             Bishop

Ward missionaries         Bishopric               Bishopric                Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
                                                                                                    counselor

Ward auxiliary presi-     Bishopric               Bishopric                Ward members             Bishop
dents (Young Men,
Relief Society, Young
Women, Primary, and
Sunday School)

Counselors in the         Bishopric               Bishopric                Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
ward Young Men                                                                                      counselor
presidency (teachers
and deacons quorum
advisers), assistant
advisers, and ward
Young Men secretary

Counselors and            Auxiliary president     Bishopric                Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
secretaries in ward                                                                                 counselor
auxiliaries (except
Young Men)

Advisers, teachers,       Auxiliary presidency    Bishopric                Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
or instructors; music                                                                               counselor
directors; and other
callings in ward aux-
iliaries (except Young
Men)

Relief Society visiting   Relief Society sisters are assigned as visiting teachers by the Relief Society presidency, under the
teachers                  direction of the bishop. They are not called, sustained, or set apart.

Temple preparation        Bishopric               Bishopric                Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
seminar teacher(s)                                                                                  counselor

Young Women               Bishopric               Bishopric                Class members            Bishop or an assigned
class presidents          (in consultation with                                                     counselor
                          the Young Women
                          presidency)

Counselors in             Class president         Bishopric                Class members            Bishop or an assigned
Young Women class                                                                                   counselor
presidencies and
class secretaries

Ward music                Ward music adviser      Bishopric                Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
chairman                  (member of the                                                            counselor
                                                                                                                                        19. Callings in the Church


                          bishopric)

Ward music director,      Ward music chairman Bishopric                    Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
ward organist or                                                                                    counselor
pianist, ward choir
director and accom-
panist, and ward
choir president

Priesthood music          Ward music adviser      Bishopric                Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
director and pianist      (member of the                                                            counselor
or organist               bishopric)


                                                                                                                                163
19. Callings in the Church



Ward Callings (continued)

 Ofﬁce                       Recommended By          Approved By             Sustained By             Called and Set Apart By

 Ward librarian              Sunday School           Bishopric               Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
                             president                                                                counselor

 Assistant ward              Sunday School           Bishopric               Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
 librarians                  president                                                                counselor

 Family history              Bishopric (in consul-   Bishopric               Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
 consultant                  tation with the high                                                     counselor
                             priests group leader)

 Ward young single           Bishopric               Bishopric               Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
 adult leader(s)                                                                                      counselor

 Ward magazine               Bishopric               Bishopric               Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
 representative                                                                                       counselor 1

 Ward welfare                Bishopric               Bishopric               Ward members             Bishop or an assigned
 specialists (including                                                                               counselor 1
 ward employment
 specialist)
1 The   bishop determines whether members who are called to serve in these positions should be set apart.




Branch Callings in Stakes
 Ofﬁce                       Recommended By          Approved By             Sustained By             Called and Set Apart By

 Branch president            Stake presidency        Stake presidency        Branch members           Stake president
                                                     and high council

 Other branch callings       See “Ward Callings,” pages 162–64, substituting branch president for bishop and branch for ward.




Mission Callings
 Ofﬁce                       Recommended By          Approved By             Sustained By             Called and Set Apart By

 Mission president           General Authority       First Presidency        Not sustained            Member of the First
                             or Area Seventy         and Quorum of                                    Presidency or Quorum
                                                     the Twelve                                       of the Twelve

 Counselors in the           Mission president       Area Presidency         Ratified in district     Member of the Area
 mission presidency                                  or a member of the      conference in all        Presidency or Presidency
                                                     Presidency of the       districts                of the Seventy, or the
                                                     Seventy                                          mission president under
                                                                                                      their direction

 Mission clerk and           Mission president       Mission presidency      Ratified in district     Mission president
 mission executive                                                           conference in all
 secretary                                                                   districts

 Mission auxiliary presidencies are not recommended. If the mission president feels that branch auxiliary leaders need
 training from more experienced auxiliary leaders, he may assign individuals to provide it.




164
                                                                                                            19. Callings in the Church




District Callings
Ofﬁce                     Recommended By           Approved By              Sustained By             Called and Set Apart By

District president        Mission president        Area Presidency or       Members in district      Mission president
                                                   a member of the          conference
                                                   Presidency of the
                                                   Seventy

Counselors in the         District president       Mission presidency       Members in district      Mission president or an
district presidency                                                         conference or district   assigned counselor
                                                                            general priesthood
                                                                            meeting

District councilors       See “Stake Callings,” pages 159–60, substituting district president for stake president and
and district clerk,       district for stake.
assistant clerks, exec-
utive secretary, and
auxiliary leaders




Elders Quorum Callings in Branches in Missions
Ofﬁce                     Recommended By           Approved By              Sustained By             Called and Set Apart By

Elders quorum             Mission presidency       Mission presidency       Quorum members           Mission president or,
president                 or district presidency   or, when authorized                               if assigned, the district
                                                   by the mission presi-                             president
                                                   dent, the district
                                                   presidency

Counselors in the         Quorum president         Mission presidency       Quorum members           Mission president or,
elders quorum             (in consultation with    or, when authorized                               if assigned, the district
presidency                the branch president)    by the mission presi-                             president or another
                                                   dent, the district                                priesthood officer
                                                   presidency

Elders quorum             Quorum president         Branch president         Quorum members           Quorum president or
secretary and             (in consultation with                                                      an assigned counselor
instructor(s)             the branch president
                          and counselors to the
                          quorum president)

Home teachers             Home teaching is a priesthood responsibility of elders. Accordingly, these brethren are assigned
                          as home teachers by the elders quorum presidency, under the direction of the branch president.
                          They are not called, sustained, or set apart.




Aaronic Priesthood Callings in Branches in Missions
                                                                                                                                         19. Callings in the Church



Ofﬁce                     Recommended By           Approved By              Sustained By             Called and Set Apart By

Priests quorum            Mission presidency or Mission presidency          Branch members           Mission president or,
president (branch         district presidency                                                        if assigned, the district
president, who                                                                                       president
acts as the priests
quorum president)

Other Aaronic             See “Aaronic Priesthood Callings in Wards,” pages 161–62, substituting branch president for bishop
Priesthood callings       and branch for ward.


                                                                                                                                 165
19. Callings in the Church




Branch Callings in Missions
    Ofﬁce                    Recommended By          Approved By             Sustained By             Called and Set Apart By

    Branch president         Mission presidency or Mission presidency        Branch members           Mission president or,
                             district presidency                                                      if assigned, the district
                                                                                                      president

    Counselors in the        Branch president        Mission presidency      Branch members           Mission president or,
    branch presidency                                or, when authorized                              if assigned, one of his
                                                     by the mission presi-                            counselors, the district
                                                     dent, the district                               president, or one of
                                                     presidency                                       the district president’s
                                                                                                      counselors

    Branch clerk,            Branch presidency       Mission presidency      Branch members           District president or
    assistant clerk,                                 or, when authorized                              a priesthood officer he
    and executive                                    by the mission presi-                            assigns
    secretary                                        dent, the district
                                                     presidency

    Branch auxiliary         See “Ward Callings,” pages 162–64, substituting branch president for bishop and branch for ward.
    leaders and other
    callings




Military Service Member Group Callings
    Ofﬁce                    Recommended By          Approved By             Sustained By             Called and Set Apart By

    Service member           Stake presidency or     Stake presidency        Group members            Stake president or mission
    group leader             mission president       and high council or                              president, where possible 1
                                                     mission presidency

    Assistants to the        Group leader            Stake presidency        Group members            Stake president or mission
    service member                                   and high council or                              president or a priesthood
    group leader                                     mission presidency                               leader either of them
                                                                                                      assigns 1
1In a war zone or remotely isolated area, it may not be possible for a stake president or mission president to call and set apart
service member group leaders and assistants. Instructions that apply in these circumstances are provided in Handbook 1, 10.5.




166
                                                                                                                                                                              20. Priesthood Ordinances
20. Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings




                                                                                                                                                                                     and Blessings
20.1 General Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168                   20.4 Sacrament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       173
     20.1.1 Participation in Ordinances and                                                  20.4.1 General Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           173
                Blessings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168          20.4.2 Preparing the Sacrament . . . . . . . . . . . . .                173
      20.1.2 Worthiness to Participate in an                                                 20.4.3 Blessing and Passing the Sacrament . . .                         173
                Ordinance or Blessing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168                      20.4.4 Sacrament for Members Who Are
      20.1.3 Performing an Ordinance or Blessing                                                        Unable to Attend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
             in Another Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              169
                                                                                        20.5 Consecrating Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
      20.1.4 Performing Ordinances by and for
             Persons Who Have Disabilities . . . . . . . .                        169   20.6 Administering to the Sick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 174
      20.1.5 Translating Ordinances and Blessings . .                             169        20.6.1 General Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           174
      20.1.6 Instructions on Performing Ordinances                                           20.6.2 Anointing with Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           175
             and Blessings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          169        20.6.3 Sealing the Anointing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              175
20.2 Naming and Blessing Children . . . . . . . . . . . 169                             20.7 Conferring the Priesthood and Ordaining
      20.2.1 General Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169                        to an Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
      20.2.2 Instructions for Naming and                                                       20.7.1 Instructions for Performing
                Blessing a Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169                        an Ordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
      20.2.3 Blessing Record and Certificate . . . . . . . 169                                 20.7.2 Ordination Record and Certificate . . . . . 176
20.3 Baptism and Confirmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170                         20.8 Father’s Blessings and Other Blessings
     20.3.1 Children Who Are Members                                                           of Comfort and Counsel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
                of Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   170
      20.3.2    Converts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    170   20.9 Dedicating Graves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
      20.3.3    Baptism and Confirmation
                                                                                        20.10 Setting Apart Officers and Teachers . . . . . . 176
                Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      170
      20.3.4    Baptismal Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            170   20.11 Dedicating Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
      20.3.5    Baptismal Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         171
      20.3.6    Clothing for Baptism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              171   20.12 Patriarchal Blessings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
      20.3.7    Witnesses of a Baptism . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                171         20.12.1 General Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
      20.3.8    Instructions for Performing                                                   20.12.2 Receiving a Patriarchal Blessing . . . . . . 177
                a Baptism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     172         20.12.3 Obtaining Copies of Patriarchal
      20.3.9    Confirmation and the Gift of the                                                        Blessings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
                Holy Ghost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      172
      20.3.10   Instructions for Performing a
                Confirmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        172
      20.3.11   Baptism and Confirmation Record
                and Certificate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       172




                                                                                                                                                                      167
20. Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings

           This chapter outlines instructions for per-             proper procedures. Leaders also seek to make
       forming priesthood ordinances and blessings.                the ordinance or blessing a reverent and spiri-
       Stake presidents and bishops should also be                 tual experience.
       aware of the ordinance policies that are outlined               When ordinances or blessings are performed
       in Handbook 1, chapter 16.                                  in sacrament meeting, the bishop ensures that
                                                                   they are performed properly. To avoid embar-
                                                                   rassing a priesthood holder, the bishop quietly
20.1   General Instructions
                                                                   corrects errors only if essential elements of the
           An ordinance is a sacred act, such as baptism,          ordinance or blessing are incorrect.
       that is performed by the authority of the priest-
                                                                       Those who give priesthood blessings speak
       hood. The ordinances of baptism, conﬁrmation,
                                                                   words of blessing (“I [or we] bless you that . . .”)
       Melchizedek Priesthood ordination (for men),
                                                                   rather than saying a prayer (“Heavenly Father,
       the temple endowment, and temple sealing are
                                                                   please bless this person that . . .”).
       required for exaltation for all accountable per-
       sons. These are called the saving ordinances.
                                                             20.1.1 Participation in Ordinances and Blessings
       As part of each saving ordinance, the recipient
       makes covenants with God.                                       Only brethren who hold the necessary priest-
                                                                   hood and are worthy may perform an ordinance
           Performance of a saving ordinance requires
                                                                   or blessing or stand in the circle. Those who par-
       authorization from a priesthood leader who holds
                                                                   ticipate are usually limited to a few, including
       the appropriate keys or who functions under
                                                                   priesthood leaders, close family members, and
       the direction of a person who holds those keys.
                                                                   close associates such as home teachers. Inviting
       Such authorization is also required for naming
                                                                   large numbers of family, friends, and leaders
       and blessing a child, dedicating a grave, giving
                                                                   to assist in an ordinance or blessing is discour-
       a patriarchal blessing, and preparing, blessing,
                                                                   aged. When too many participate, it can become
       and passing the sacrament. Melchizedek Priest-
                                                                   cumbersome and detract from the spirit of the
       hood holders may consecrate oil, administer to
                                                                   ordinance. Those who perform an ordinance and
       the sick, give father’s blessings, and give other
                                                                   those who preside are the only ones required.
       blessings of comfort and counsel without ﬁrst
                                                                   Others provide support and sustain the spokes-
       seeking authorization from a priesthood leader.
                                                                   man.
           Brethren who perform ordinances and bless-
                                                                       When several brethren participate in an ordi-
       ings should prepare themselves by living wor-
                                                                   nance or blessing, each one places his right hand
       thily and striving to be guided by the Holy Spirit.
                                                                   lightly on the person’s head (or under the baby
       They should perform each ordinance or blessing
                                                                   being blessed) and his left hand on the shoulder
       in a digniﬁed manner, making sure it meets the
                                                                   of the brother to his left.
       following requirements:
                                                                      Even though only a limited number of breth-
        1. It should be performed in the name of Jesus
                                                                   ren stand in the circle when a person receives
           Christ.
                                                                   an ordinance or blessing, family members are
        2. It should be performed by the authority of the          usually invited to attend.
           priesthood.
                                                                       Leaders encourage worthy brethren who hold
        3. It should be performed with any necessary               the necessary priesthood to perform or partici-
           procedures, such as using speciﬁed words or             pate in ordinances and blessings for their fam-
           using consecrated oil.                                  ily members.
        4. It should be authorized by the presiding au-
           thority who holds the proper keys (normally       20.1.2 Worthiness to Participate in an Ordinance
           the bishop or stake president), if necessary            or Blessing
           according to the instructions in this chapter.              Only a Melchizedek Priesthood holder who
          A priesthood leader who oversees an ordi-                is worthy to hold a temple recommend may act
       nance or blessing ensures that the person who               as voice in conﬁrming a person a member of the
       performs it has the necessary priesthood au-                Church, conferring the Melchizedek Priesthood,
       thority, is worthy, and knows and follows the               ordaining a person to an ofﬁce in that priesthood,


168
                                                                                     20. Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings




                                                                                                                               20. Priesthood Ordinances
      or setting apart a person to serve in a Church              2. Family Guidebook, pages 18–25




                                                                                                                                      and Blessings
      calling.                                                    3. Duties and Blessings of the Priesthood, Part B,
          As guided by the Spirit and the instructions               pages 42–47
      in the next paragraph, bishops and stake presi-                Using these publications, priesthood leaders
      dents have discretion to allow priesthood hold-            teach brethren how to perform ordinances and
      ers who are not fully temple worthy to perform             blessings. Leaders ensure that each priesthood
      or participate in some ordinances and blessings.           holder has the Family Guidebook or Duties and
      However, presiding ofﬁcers should not allow                Blessings of the Priesthood, Part B, so he can have
      such participation if a priesthood holder has un-          his own copy of these instructions.
      resolved serious sins.
                                                                     Leaders should not produce or use other pub-
          A bishop may allow a father who holds the              lications that give instructions for ordinances,
      Melchizedek Priesthood to name and bless his               blessings, or prayers unless the First Presidency
      children even if the father is not fully temple            has authorized such publications.
      worthy. Likewise, a bishop may allow a father
      who is a priest or Melchizedek Priesthood holder
      to baptize his children or to ordain his sons to    20.2   Naming and Blessing Children
      ofﬁces in the Aaronic Priesthood. A Melchize-
      dek Priesthood holder in similar circumstances      20.2.1 General Guidelines
      may be allowed to stand in the circle for the                  “Every member of the church of Christ hav-
      conﬁrmation of his children, for the conferral of          ing children is to bring them unto the elders
      the Melchizedek Priesthood on his sons, or for             before the church, who are to lay their hands
      the setting apart of his wife or children. How-            upon them in the name of Jesus Christ, and bless
      ever, he may not act as voice.                             them in his name” (D&C 20:70). In conformity
                                                                 with this revelation, only Melchizedek Priesthood
20.1.3 Performing an Ordinance or Blessing in                    holders may participate in naming and bless-
      Another Ward                                               ing children. Priesthood leaders should inform
          To act as voice when naming and blessing a             members of this instruction before their children
      child, baptizing or conﬁrming a person, ordain-            are named and blessed. While preserving the
      ing a person to a priesthood ofﬁce, or dedicating          sacred nature of the blessing, leaders should
      a grave, a priesthood holder who is outside his            make every reasonable effort to avoid embarrass-
      own ward should show the presiding ofﬁcer a                ment or offense to individuals or families.
      current temple recommend or a Recommend to                    Children are normally named and blessed
      Perform an Ordinance form that is signed by a              during fast and testimony meeting in the ward
      member of his bishopric.                                   where the parents are members of record.

20.1.4 Performing Ordinances by and for Persons           20.2.2 Instructions for Naming and Blessing a Child
      Who Have Disabilities                                          When blessing a baby, Melchizedek Priest-
          Guidelines for performing ordinances by and            hood holders gather in a circle and place their
      for persons who have disabilities are provided             hands under the baby. When blessing an older
      in Handbook 1, 16.1.8 and 16.1.9.                          child, brethren place their hands lightly on the
          For guidelines on interpreting ordinances              child’s head. The person who gives the blessing:
      for those who are deaf or hearing impaired, see             1. Addresses Heavenly Father.
      21.1.26 in this handbook.                                   2. States that the blessing is performed by the
                                                                     authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
20.1.5 Translating Ordinances and Blessings
                                                                  3. Gives the child a name.
          Guidelines for translating ordinances and
      blessings are provided in Handbook 1, 16.1.2.               4. Gives words of blessing as the Spirit directs.
                                                                  5. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.
20.1.6 Instructions on Performing Ordinances
      and Blessings                                       20.2.3 Blessing Record and Certiﬁcate
          The following publications provide instruc-                Before a child is blessed, the ward clerk pre-
      tions on performing ordinances and blessings:              pares a Child Blessing Record. After the bless-
       1. This chapter of the handbook                           ing, the clerk ensures that this form is complete,



                                                                                                                       169
20. Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings



        and he processes or distributes it according to       20.3.4 Baptismal Services
        instructions with the form. The clerk also pre-                 Baptismal services should be simple, brief,
        pares a blessing certiﬁcate. The bishop signs               and spiritual. Normally, ward or stake leaders
        the certiﬁcate, and he or the clerk gives it to the         conduct monthly baptismal services for all 8-
        child’s parent(s) or guardian(s).                           year-old children of record in the ward or stake.
            If a baby is born out of wedlock, the name on           Members should not request special or individ-
        the membership record and certiﬁcate of bless-              ual times or prescribe the content of baptismal
        ing should match the name on the birth certiﬁ-              services.
        cate or civil birth registry. If a birth certiﬁcate             People who may be invited to a baptismal
        or civil birth registry does not exist, the naming          service include family members, other relatives,
        conventions of the local culture are used.                  friends, priesthood leaders, home teachers, vis-
                                                                    iting teachers, auxiliary ofﬁcers and teachers
                                                                    who will be working with the new member, and
20.3    Baptism and Conﬁrmation
                                                                    investigators who are being taught. Other ward
20.3.1 Children Who Are Members of Record                           members may also attend.
             Under the direction of the presiding author-              Baptismal services should not be scheduled
        ity, children who are members of record should              on Monday evenings.
        be baptized and conﬁrmed on or as soon after
        their 8th birthday as reasonable. These are chil-           Services That Involve Only One Ward
        dren for whom Church membership records al-                     For Eight-Year-Old Children of Record. A mem-
        ready exist.                                                ber of the bishopric presides over baptismal ser-
            Bishops give special attention to 7-year-old            vices for 8-year-old children of record when the
        children in the ward, ensuring that their parents,          services involve only one ward.
        Primary leaders and teachers, and home teachers                 A member of the bishopric oversees the plan-
        help them prepare for baptism and conﬁrmation.              ning of these baptismal services. He may conduct
        Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society lead-             the services or assign the ward mission leader to
        ers also encourage parents to teach and prepare             conduct. Primary leaders may help plan the ser-
        their children for these ordinances. When chil-             vices under the direction of the bishopric.
        dren reach age 8, the bishop makes sure they
        have every opportunity to accept the gospel and                 For Converts. If possible, a member of the
        be baptized and conﬁrmed.                                   bishopric attends each convert baptismal service.
                                                                    When the services involve only one ward, he pre-
20.3.2 Converts
                                                                    sides unless a member of the stake presidency
                                                                    attends.
           Converts should be baptized and conﬁrmed
        when they have met the qualiﬁcations outlined in               Under the direction of the bishopric, the ward
        “Interview Instructions” in Handbook 1, 16.3.3.             mission leader usually works with the full-time
                                                                    missionaries to plan these baptismal services.
            Convert baptisms are deﬁned as baptisms                 A member of the bishopric or the ward mission
        of (1) persons ages 9 and older who have never              leader usually conducts the services. If none of
        been baptized and conﬁrmed and (2) children                 these ward leaders are available, full-time mis-
        age 8 whose parents are not members or are be-              sionary district or zone leaders may plan and
        ing baptized and conﬁrmed at the same time as               conduct the services with the approval of the
        the children.                                               mission president.

20.3.3 Baptism and Conﬁrmation Interviews                           Services That Involve More Than One Ward
            The bishop or an assigned counselor conducts                For Eight-Year-Old Children of Record. A mem-
        interviews for the baptism and conﬁrmation of               ber of the stake presidency usually presides
        8-year-old children who are members of record               over baptismal services for 8-year-old children
        and 8-year-old children who are not members of              of record when the services involve more than
        record but have at least one parent or guardian             one ward. However, the stake presidency may
        who is a member.                                            authorize a high councilor to preside. A member
           Full-time missionaries interview converts (as            of the bishopric from each of the wards involved
        deﬁned in 20.3.2) for baptism and conﬁrmation.              should attend.
            Interview instructions are provided in Hand-
        book 1, 16.3.3.

170
                                                                              20. Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings




                                                                                                                        20. Priesthood Ordinances
    The stake presidency may assign a high coun-              be conﬁrmed in a fast and testimony meet-




                                                                                                                               and Blessings
cilor to oversee the planning of the services and             ing; see 20.3.9 and 20.3.10).
to conduct them. Primary leaders may help plan              9. An opportunity for new converts to bear their
these services under the direction of the presid-              testimonies, if desired.
ing ofﬁcers.
                                                           10. A closing hymn and prayer.
    For Converts. A member of the stake presi-
dency usually presides over baptismal services             11. Postlude music.
for converts when the services involve more than
one ward. However, the stake presidency may          20.3.5 Baptismal Fonts
authorize a high councilor to preside. A member                Missionaries coordinate their use of a baptis-
of the bishopric from each of the wards involved           mal font with the agent bishop or with another
should attend.                                             person designated by the stake presidency. The
    The stake presidency may assign a high coun-           schedule for using a font should permit mission-
cilor or a bishop to oversee planning of the ser-          aries to baptize once a week or more often, if nec-
vices and to conduct them.                                 essary. However, missionaries should not expect
                                                           to use a font at unreasonable times. No charge is
Scheduling Baptismal Services for Converts                 made for using a baptismal font.
   Baptismal services should be scheduled as                   A responsible adult should be present while
soon as an investigator has committed to be                the baptismal font is ﬁlling and remain until it is
baptized. The services should not normally be              empty and secured. The font should be drained
delayed past this date unless a person is not pre-         and cleaned immediately after each baptismal
pared. Baptisms of family members should not               service. Appropriate safety precautions should
be delayed so the father can receive the priest-           be taken whenever water is in the font.
hood and perform the baptisms himself.                        When the font is not in use, all doors to it
    Baptismal services for converts should be              should be closed and locked.
scheduled through the ward mission leader.                     When a baptismal font is not available, any
If a service is scheduled on a Sunday, it should           body of water that is safe may be used for a bap-
be held at a time that minimizes interference              tism if it is large enough to immerse the person
with regular Sunday meetings.                              and to permit the priesthood holder who per-
                                                           forms the baptism to stand in the water with the
Elements of a Baptismal Service                            person. Water is not dedicated for baptisms.
   A baptismal service may include:
                                                     20.3.6 Clothing for Baptism
 1. Prelude music.
                                                              A person who performs a baptism and a per-
 2. A brief welcome by the priesthood leader who
                                                           son who is baptized wear white clothing that
    is conducting the service.
                                                           does not appear transparent when it is wet. An
 3. An opening hymn and prayer.                            endowed person wears the temple garment un-
 4. One or two short talks on gospel subjects,             der this clothing while performing a baptism.
    such as baptism and the Holy Ghost.                        Local units should have baptismal clothing
 5. A musical selection.                                   available and should not charge for its use. This
                                                           clothing is purchased with budget funds. The
 6. Performance of the baptism (see 20.3.8).
                                                           bishop may ask members to clean and mend the
 7. A time of reverence while the people who               clothing.
    participated in the baptism change into dry
    clothes. This could include interlude music      20.3.7 Witnesses of a Baptism
    or singing of well-known hymns and Pri-
                                                                Two priests or Melchizedek Priesthood hold-
    mary songs. It could also include a brief gos-
                                                           ers witness each baptism to make sure it is per-
    pel presentation by the full-time missionaries
                                                           formed properly. The baptism must be repeated
    for nonmembers who may be present.
                                                           if the words are not spoken exactly as given in
 8. Performance of the conﬁrmation (for 8-year-            Doctrine and Covenants 20:73 or if part of the
    old members of record only, if they will not           person’s body or clothing is not immersed com-
                                                           pletely.




                                                                                                                171
20. Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings



20.3.8 Instructions for Performing a Baptism                        on the Sunday following their baptism. Converts
             Under the direction of the presiding author-           are not conﬁrmed at the baptismal service.
        ity, a priest or Melchizedek Priesthood holder                 At least one member of the bishopric partici-
        may perform the ordinance of baptism. To do                 pates in this ordinance. When missionary elders
        so, he:                                                     have taught a convert, the bishop should invite
          1. Stands in the water with the person to be bap-         them to participate.
             tized.                                                     The bishop does not conduct a separate in-
          2. Holds the person’s right wrist with his left           terview for this ordinance.
             hand (for convenience and safety); the per-
             son who is being baptized holds the priest-      20.3.10 Instructions for Performing a Conﬁrmation
             hood holder’s left wrist with his or her left              Under the direction of the bishopric, one or
             hand.                                                  more Melchizedek Priesthood holders may par-
          3. Raises his right arm to the square.                    ticipate in a conﬁrmation. They place their hands
                                                                    lightly on the person’s head. Then the person
          4. States the person’s full name and says, “Hav-          who performs the ordinance:
             ing been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I
             baptize you in the name of the Father, and              1. States the person’s full name.
             of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen”                2. States that the ordinance is performed by the
             (D&C 20:73).                                               authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
          5. Has the person hold his or her nose with the            3. Conﬁrms the person a member of The Church
             right hand (for convenience); then the priest-             of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
             hood holder places his right hand high on               4. Uses the words “Receive the Holy Ghost” (not
             the person’s back and immerses the person                  “receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”).
             completely, including the person’s clothing.
                                                                     5. Gives words of blessing as the Spirit directs.
          6. Helps the person come up out of the water.
                                                                     6. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.
            Convert baptisms are usually performed by
        a priesthood holder in the ward or by one of          20.3.11 Baptism and Conﬁrmation Record
        the missionaries who taught the person. A con-              and Certiﬁcate
        vert may also request that another qualified
        member perform the baptism.                                     When the bishop or an assigned counselor
                                                                    interviews an 8-year-old child, he ﬁlls out the
20.3.9 Conﬁrmation and the Gift of the Holy Ghost                   Baptism and Conﬁrmation Record according to
                                                                    instructions with the form. After the baptism and
            A person is confirmed a member of the                   conﬁrmation, the ward clerk uses the informa-
        Church and receives the gift of the Holy Ghost              tion on the Baptism and Conﬁrmation Record to
        after being baptized (see D&C 20:41). A person              update the child’s membership record.
        becomes a member of the Church only after the
        ordinances of baptism and conﬁrmation are both                  When a full-time missionary interviews a
        completed and properly recorded (see John 3:5;              convert baptismal candidate, he completes all of
        D&C 33:11).                                                 the Baptism and Conﬁrmation Record except the
                                                                    information about conﬁrmation. At the baptis-
            The bishop holds the keys for conﬁrming                 mal service, the missionaries give this form to the
        8-year-old members of record. The mission pres-             bishop or one of his counselors. After the conﬁr-
        ident holds the keys for conﬁrming converts.                mation, the bishop or ward clerk completes the
        However, the bishop oversees the performance                conﬁrmation information. The ward clerk then
        of this ordinance, whether it is for an 8-year-old          returns two copies of the form to the full-time
        member of record or a convert. The bishop en-               missionaries. The missionaries send one copy to
        sures that it is performed soon after baptism.              the mission ofﬁce for the creation of a member-
           Eight-year-old members of record may be                  ship record.
        conﬁrmed at the baptismal service or in a sacra-                Proper completion and distribution of the
        ment meeting in the ward where they live, pref-             Baptism and Conﬁrmation Record are essential
        erably a fast and testimony meeting.                        for updating or creating membership records.
          Converts are conﬁrmed in any sacrament                       After the conﬁrmation, the ward clerk pre-
        meeting in the ward where they live, preferably             pares a baptism and conﬁrmation certiﬁcate. The



172
                                                                                      20. Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings




                                                                                                                                20.20.
                                                                                                                                    Priesthood
                                                                                                                                       Priesthood
       bishop signs the certiﬁcate, and he or the clerk            alike in dress and appearance. Bishops should




                                                                                                                                           and Blessings
       gives it to the new member.                                 use discretion when giving such guidance to




                                                                                                                                              Ordinances
           A person’s legal name, as deﬁned by local law           young men, taking into account their ﬁnancial
       or custom, should be recorded on the Baptism                circumstances and maturity in the Church.




                                                                                                                                                     Ordinances
       and Conﬁrmation Record and on the certiﬁcate.                   The sacred nature of this ordinance justiﬁes




                                                                                                                                                        andBlessings
                                                                   the greatest care and preparation to ensure order
                                                                   and reverence. Assignments to bless and pass
20.4   Sacrament                                                   the sacrament should be made in advance. Those
20.4.1 General Guidelines                                          who participate should be seated reverently be-
                                                                   fore the meeting begins.
           Church members meet on the Sabbath to wor-
       ship God and partake of the sacrament (see D&C                  The passing of the sacrament should be nat-
       20:75; 59:9). During this holy ordinance, they par-         ural and unobtrusive, not rigid or overly formal.
       take of bread and water in remembrance of the               Those who pass the sacrament should not be re-
       Savior’s sacriﬁce of His ﬂesh and blood and to              quired to assume any special posture or action,
       renew their covenants (see Matthew 26:26–28;                such as holding the left hand behind the back.
       Joseph Smith Translation, Mark 14:20–25; Luke               The process of passing the sacrament should not
       22:15–20; 3 Nephi 18; Moroni 6:6).                          call attention to itself or detract from the purpose
                                                                   of the ordinance.
           Under the direction of the bishopric, priest-
       hood holders bless the sacrament and pass it                   Priesthood holders should wash their hands
       to members of the congregation during each                  thoroughly with soap, a disposable towelette, or
       sacrament meeting. Aaronic Priesthood hold-                 another cleanser before preparing, blessing, or
       ers usually perform these duties. Under the di-             passing the sacrament.
       rection of the bishopric, the deacons quorum                    A priesthood holder who has committed a
       president has the privilege and responsibility to           serious transgression should not prepare, bless,
       invite others to help pass the sacrament. When              or pass the sacrament until he has repented and
       there are not enough deacons, he counsels with a            resolved the matter with his bishop.
       member of the bishopric to determine who may                   Although the sacrament is for Church mem-
       be asked to assist.                                         bers, the bishopric should not announce that it
          Generally, teachers and priests in the Aaronic           will be passed to members only, and nothing
       Priesthood should be invited to pass the sac-               should be done to prevent nonmembers from
       rament before Melchizedek Priesthood holders                partaking of it.
       are invited to do so. Where there are enough
       Aaronic Priesthood holders, Melchizedek Priest-       20.4.2 Preparing the Sacrament
       hood holders should not be invited to bless and                 Teachers, priests, and Melchizedek Priesthood
       pass the sacrament on a regular schedule.                   holders may prepare the sacrament. Before the
           Every priesthood holder who participates in             meeting, those who prepare the sacrament en-
       this ordinance should understand that he is act-            sure that bread trays with unbroken bread, wa-
       ing on behalf of the Lord. The bishopric encour-            ter trays with cups ﬁlled with fresh water, and
       ages priesthood holders to ponder the Savior’s              tablecloths are in place. After the meeting, these
       Atonement as they prepare, bless, and pass the              brethren clear away the trays and tablecloths.
       sacrament. The bishopric also ensures that priest-              Sacrament tablecloths should be white, non-
       hood holders have a reverent, digniﬁed manner               transparent, clean, and pressed. Sacrament trays
       as they participate in this ordinance.                      should be kept clean. Sacrament trays and cups
           Those who bless and pass the sacrament                  are available from Church Distribution Services.
       should dress modestly and be well groomed and
       clean. Clothing or jewelry should not call atten-     20.4.3 Blessing and Passing the Sacrament
       tion to itself or distract members during the sac-              Priests and Melchizedek Priesthood hold-
       rament. Ties and white shirts are recommended               ers may bless the sacrament. Deacons, teachers,
       because they add to the dignity of the ordinance.           priests, and Melchizedek Priesthood holders may
       However, they should not be required as a man-              pass the sacrament.
       datory prerequisite for a priesthood holder to
       participate. Nor should it be required that all be             As the congregation sings the sacrament
                                                                   hymn, the priesthood holders who will bless the



                                                                                                                        173
20. Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings



        sacrament reverently stand, remove the cloth                   No music should be played during the prayer,
        that covers the bread trays, and break the bread            while the sacrament is being passed, or as a post-
        into bite-sized pieces. When they ﬁnish breaking            lude after the sacrament is passed.
        the bread, they sit down and join in singing the
        hymn. Vocal solos or instrumental music may          20.4.4 Sacrament for Members Who Are Unable
        not replace this hymn.                                      to Attend
            Following the hymn, the person who blesses                  See “Sacrament Services in Unusual Situa-
        the bread kneels and offers the sacrament prayer            tions” in 18.2.2.
        for the bread. The sacrament prayers were re-
        vealed by the Lord (see D&C 20:77, 79; Moroni
        4–5). The bishop makes sure they are spoken          20.5   Consecrating Oil
        clearly, accurately, and with dignity. If the per-              One or more Melchizedek Priesthood hold-
        son who blesses the sacrament makes an error                ers must consecrate olive oil before it is used to
        in the wording but corrects it himself, no fur-             anoint the sick or afﬂicted. No other oil may be
        ther correction is required. If the person does             used. To consecrate oil, a priesthood holder:
        not correct an error, the bishop indicates that he
                                                                     1. Holds an open container of olive oil.
        should repeat the prayer correctly. In doing so,
        the bishop should be careful to avoid causing                2. Addresses Heavenly Father.
        embarrassment or distracting from the sacred                 3. States that he is acting by the authority of the
        nature of the ordinance.                                        Melchizedek Priesthood.
            After the prayer, deacons or other priesthood            4. Consecrates the oil (not the container) and
        holders pass the bread to the congregation in                   sets it apart for anointing and blessing the
        a reverent and orderly manner. The presiding                    sick and afﬂicted.
        ofﬁcer receives the sacrament ﬁrst. The bishop
                                                                     5. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.
        (or a counselor in his absence) presides at the
        sacrament meeting unless a member of the stake                  Members should not take consecrated oil in-
        presidency, an Area Seventy, or a General Au-               ternally or apply it on afﬂicted parts of the body.
        thority is sitting on the stand. A high councilor
        does not preside and does not receive the sacra-
                                                             20.6   Administering to the Sick
        ment ﬁrst.
            While the presiding ofﬁcer is receiving the      20.6.1 General Guidelines
        sacrament, others who are passing the sacrament                  Only Melchizedek Priesthood holders may
        may walk to their designated places.                        administer to the sick or afﬂicted. Normally two
            After a priesthood holder hands a sacrament             or more priesthood holders administer to the
        tray to a member, others may pass the tray from             sick, but one may perform both the anointing
        one to another for convenience.                             and the sealing alone if necessary. If consecrated
                                                                    oil is not available, a blessing may nevertheless
            When brethren ﬁnish passing the bread, they             be given by the authority of the priesthood with-
        return the trays to the sacrament table. Those              out the anointing.
        ofﬁciating at the sacrament table place the cloth
        over the bread trays and uncover the water trays.              A father who holds the Melchizedek Priest-
        The person who blesses the water then kneels                hood normally should administer to sick mem-
        and offers the sacrament prayer for the water               bers of his family.
        (see D&C 20:79), substituting the word water for                Brethren should administer to the sick at the
        wine.                                                       request of the sick person or of those who are
            After the prayer, deacons or other priesthood           vitally concerned so the blessing will be accord-
        holders pass the water to the congregation. When            ing to their faith (see D&C 24:13–14; 42:43–44,
        they ﬁnish, they return the trays to the sacrament          48–52). Melchizedek Priesthood holders who
        table, wait for the ofﬁciators to cover the trays,          visit hospitals should not solicit opportunities
        then reverently take their seats.                           to administer to the sick.
            Everyone who attends the meeting should                    If a person requests more than one bless-
        be reverent during the entire ordinance of bless-           ing for the same illness, the priesthood holder
        ing and passing the sacrament.                              need not anoint with oil after the ﬁrst blessing.
                                                                    Instead, he gives a blessing by the laying on



174
                                                                                       20. Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings




                                                                                                                                 20.20.
                                                                                                                                     Priesthood
                                                                                                                                        Priesthood
       of hands and the authority of the Melchizedek                   Instructions for interviewing these brethren




                                                                                                                                            and Blessings
       Priesthood.                                                  and presenting them for a sustaining vote are




                                                                                                                                               Ordinances
          Administering to the sick has two parts:                  outlined in Handbook 1, 16.7.2.
       anointing with oil and sealing the anointing.




                                                                                                                                                      Ordinances
                                                              20.7.1 Instructions for Performing an Ordination




                                                                                                                                                         andBlessings
20.6.2 Anointing with Oil                                               When the necessary interviews and approv-
           The anointing is done by one Melchizedek                 als are completed:
       Priesthood holder. He:                                        1. The stake president (or someone under his
        1. Puts a drop of consecrated oil on the person’s               direction) may ordain the person to the ofﬁce
           head.                                                        of elder, or he may authorize another Mel-
                                                                        chizedek Priesthood holder to do so. Only
        2. Places his hands lightly on the person’s head                Melchizedek Priesthood holders may stand
           and calls the person by his or her full name.                in the circle.
        3. States that he is acting by the authority of the          2. The stake president (or someone under his
           Melchizedek Priesthood.                                      direction) may ordain the person to the ofﬁce
        4. States that he is anointing with oil that has                of high priest, or he may authorize another
           been consecrated for anointing and blessing                  high priest to do so. Only high priests may
           the sick and afﬂicted.                                       stand in the circle.
        5. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.                       3. The bishop (or someone under his direction)
                                                                        may ordain the person to the ofﬁce of deacon,
20.6.3 Sealing the Anointing                                            teacher, or priest. Only priests and Melchiz-
           Normally, two or more Melchizedek Priest-                    edek Priesthood holders may act as voice
       hood holders place their hands lightly on the                    or stand in the circle.
       head of the person. The one who seals the anoint-                To participate in an ordination, a person must
       ing:                                                         (1) be a priest or Melchizedek Priesthood holder
        1. Calls the person by his or her full name.                and (2) have equal or higher priesthood author-
                                                                    ity than is to be given in the ordinance. For in-
        2. States that he is sealing the anointing by the           stance, an elder should not stand in the circle
           authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood.                 when a high priest is ordained or when a man
        3. Gives words of blessing as the Spirit directs.           is set apart to an ofﬁce that requires him to be a
        4. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.                      high priest.
                                                                        To perform a priesthood ordination, one or
                                                                    more authorized priesthood holders place their
20.7   Conferring the Priesthood and                                hands lightly on the person’s head. Then the
       Ordaining to an Ofﬁce                                        priesthood holder who performs the ordination:
           The stake president oversees the conferral                1. Calls the person by his full name.
       of the Melchizedek Priesthood and ordinations                 2. States the authority by which the ordina-
       to the ofﬁces of elder and high priest. However,                 tion is performed (Aaronic or Melchizedek
       the bishop usually initiates recommendations                     Priesthood).
       for these ordinations. Instructions for recom-
       mending, interviewing, and presenting these                   3. Confers the Aaronic or Melchizedek Priest-
       brethren for a sustaining vote are outlined in                   hood, unless it has already been conferred.
       Handbook 1, 16.7.1.                                           4. Ordains the person to an ofﬁce in the Aaronic
           The bishop oversees the conferral of the                     or Melchizedek Priesthood and bestows the
       Aaronic Priesthood and ordinations to the ofﬁces                 rights, powers, and authority of that ofﬁce.
       of deacon, teacher, and priest. Worthy brethren                  (Priesthood keys are not bestowed in con-
       should be ordained at the following minimum                      ferring the priesthood or ordaining to one
       ages:                                                            of these ofﬁces.)
          Deacon: age 12                                             5. Gives words of blessing as the Spirit directs.
          Teacher: age 14                                            6. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.
          Priest: age 16




                                                                                                                         175
20. Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings



           An ordination is an opportunity to give a                  lightly on the person’s head. Then the priesthood
        blessing. Detailed counsel and instruction are                holder who gives the blessing:
        normally provided when a person is taught his                  1. Calls the person by his or her full name.
        duties rather than during the ordination.
                                                                       2. States that the blessing is performed by the
            An ordination should not be expanded into                     authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
        a formal meeting. It is not necessary to have
        prayers, testimonies, or instruction when some-                3. Gives words of blessing as the Spirit directs.
        one is ordained.                                               4. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.

20.7.2 Ordination Record and Certiﬁcate
                                                              20.9    Dedicating Graves
            After a Melchizedek Priesthood ordination,
        the stake clerk ensures that the Melchizedek                      A person who dedicates a grave should hold
        Priesthood Ordination Record is complete, and                 the Melchizedek Priesthood and be authorized
        he distributes it according to instructions with              by the priesthood ofﬁcer who conducts the ser-
        the form. The stake or ward clerk also prepares               vice. To dedicate a grave, he:
        an ordination certiﬁcate, which the stake presi-               1. Addresses Heavenly Father.
        dent signs. If another stake priesthood leader,
                                                                       2. States that he is acting by the authority of the
        such as a high councilor, was assigned to rep-
                                                                          Melchizedek Priesthood.
        resent the stake president at the ordination, he
        also signs the certiﬁcate. A priesthood leader or              3. Dedicates and consecrates the burial plot
        clerk gives the signed certiﬁcate to the member.                  as the resting place for the body of the de-
                                                                          ceased.
            After an Aaronic Priesthood ordination, the
        ward clerk ensures that the Aaronic Priesthood                 4. Prays that the place will be hallowed and pro-
        Ordination Record is complete, and he processes                   tected until the Resurrection (where appro-
        or distributes it according to instructions with                  priate).
        the form. The ward clerk also prepares an ordi-                5. Asks the Lord to comfort the family and ex-
        nation certiﬁcate. The bishop signs the certiﬁ-                   presses thoughts as the Spirit directs.
        cate, and he or the clerk gives it to the member.
                                                                       6. Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.
            A person’s legal name, as deﬁned by local
                                                                          If the family prefers, a graveside prayer
        law or custom, should be recorded on the ordi-
                                                                      rather than a dedicatory prayer may be offered.
        nation record and on the certiﬁcate.
                                                                          If a Church member’s body is cremated, the
                                                                      presiding ofﬁcer may use his judgment in de-
20.8    Father’s Blessings and Other                                  termining whether to dedicate the place where
        Blessings of Comfort and Counsel                              the ashes are kept. He takes into account the
                                                                      desires of the family, local customs, and local
            Father’s blessings and other priesthood bless-
                                                                      laws. If the place is dedicated, the priesthood
        ings are given to provide direction and comfort
                                                                      holder may adapt the instructions for dedicat-
        as guided by the Spirit.
                                                                      ing a grave.
            A father who holds the Melchizedek Priest-
        hood may give father’s blessings to his children.
        These blessings may be especially helpful when        20.10   Setting Apart Ofﬁcers and Teachers
        children go to school, go on missions, get mar-                  See 19.4.
        ried, enter military service, or face special chal-
        lenges. A family may record a father’s blessing
        for family records, but these blessings are not       20.11   Dedicating Homes
        preserved in Church records. Parents should
                                                                          Church members may dedicate their homes
        encourage their children to seek father’s bless-
                                                                      as sacred ediﬁces where the Holy Spirit can re-
        ings in times of need.
                                                                      side and where family members can worship,
           Melchizedek Priesthood holders may also                    ﬁnd safety from the world, grow spiritually, and
        give blessings of comfort and counsel to other                prepare for eternal family relationships. Homes
        family members and to others who ask for them.                need not be free of debt to be dedicated. Unlike
           To give a father’s blessing or another bless-              Church buildings, homes are not consecrated to
        ing of comfort and counsel, one or more Mel-                  the Lord.
        chizedek Priesthood holders place their hands

176
                                                                                       20. Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings




                                                                                                                                 20. Priesthood Ordinances
            A Melchizedek Priesthood holder may dedi-                   Each patriarchal blessing is sacred, conﬁden-




                                                                                                                                        and Blessings
        cate a home by the power of the priesthood. If             tial, and personal. Therefore, it is given in private
        there is not a Melchizedek Priesthood holder in            except that a limited number of family members
        the home, a family might invite a close relative,          may be present.
        a home teacher, or another Melchizedek Priest-                Church members should not compare bless-
        hood holder to dedicate the home. Or a family              ings and should not share them except with close
        might gather and offer a prayer that includes the          family members. Patriarchal blessings should
        elements mentioned in the preceding paragraph              not be read in Church meetings or other public
        and other words as the Spirit directs.                     gatherings.
                                                                      If a patriarchal blessing does not include a
20.12   Patriarchal Blessings                                      declaration of lineage, the patriarch may later
                                                                   give an addendum to declare lineage.
20.12.1 General Guidelines
            Every worthy, baptized member is entitled        20.12.3 Obtaining Copies of Patriarchal Blessings
        to and should receive a patriarchal blessing,                  A person who has received a patriarchal
        which provides inspired direction from the Lord.           blessing should carefully safeguard the copy he
        Church leaders and parents encourage mem-                  or she receives. However, if this copy is lost or
        bers to prepare spiritually to obtain their patri-         destroyed, another one may be obtained from
        archal blessings.                                          the patriarch if he still has the original in his
            The bishop or an assigned counselor inter-             binder of blessings. If the original has been sent
        views members who want to receive patriarchal              to Church headquarters, a copy may be obtained
        blessings. If a member is worthy, the interviewer          from:
        issues and signs a Patriarchal Blessing Recom-                Patriarchal Blessings
        mend.                                                         15 East North Temple Street
            Stake presidents and bishops who need ad-                 Salt Lake City, UT 84150-1600
        ditional information about patriarchal blessings              Telephone: 1-801-240-3581
        may see the following sources:                                A person who requests a copy of his or her
        Handbook 1, 16.12                                          patriarchal blessing should supply his or her full
        Information and Suggestions for Patriarchs                 name, membership record number (if available),
                                                                   and birth date. If possible, the person should in-
        Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting:                     clude the name of the patriarch and the approxi-
           The Patriarch                                           mate date of the blessing.
20.12.2 Receiving a Patriarchal Blessing
           Members should go to the patriarch with
        a prayerful attitude and in Sunday attire. They
        may fast, but fasting is not required.




                                                                                                                         177
21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines

21.1 Administrative Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180                        21.2 Policies on Using Church Buildings and
     21.1.1 Accident Prevention and Response . . . . . 180                                        Other Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             191
     21.1.2 Activities Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180                       21.2.1 Artwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       192
     21.1.3 Adopted Children and Their                                                            21.2.2 Decorations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         192
                Biological Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            180         21.2.3 Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           192
      21.1.4    Adoption and Foster Care . . . . . . . . . . . . .                    180         21.2.4 Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      192
      21.1.5    Audiovisual Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 180         21.2.5 Fires and Candles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             192




                                                                                                                                                                                     Policies and Guidelines
      21.1.6    Autographs and Photographs of General                                             21.2.6 Flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   192




                                                                                                                                                                                      21. Selected Church
                Authorities and Area Seventies . . . . . . . .                        180         21.2.7 Monday Nights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             193
      21.1.7    Bible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   180         21.2.8 Overnight Lodging or Camping . . . . . . .                            193
      21.1.8    Book of Mormon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              181         21.2.9 Parking Lots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          193
      21.1.9    Church Magazines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                181         21.2.10 Photographs, Video Recordings, and
      21.1.10   Church Name and Logotype . . . . . . . . . .                          181                 Broadcasts in Chapels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                193
      21.1.11   Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         181         21.2.11 Serving Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          193
      21.1.12   Copyrighted Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 182         21.2.12 Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    193
      21.1.13   Curriculum Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                  183
                                                                                            21.3 Medical and Health Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                       193
      21.1.14   Dating or Get-Acquainted Businesses
                for Single Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                183        21.3.1 Autopsies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        193
      21.1.15   Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       183        21.3.2 Cremation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          193
      21.1.16   Emigration of Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                     183        21.3.3 Euthanasia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         193
      21.1.17   Fast Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      184        21.3.4 HIV Infection and AIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                     193
      21.1.18   Fund-Raising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          184        21.3.5 Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         194
      21.1.19   Gambling and Lotteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                    184        21.3.6 Medical and Health Practices . . . . . . . . .                         194
      21.1.20   Guest Speakers or Instructors . . . . . . . . .                       184        21.3.7 Organ and Tissue Donations
      21.1.21   Income Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            184                    and Transplants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
      21.1.22   Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      184         21.3.8 Prolonging Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
      21.1.23   Laws of the Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              185         21.3.9 Self-Awareness Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
      21.1.24   Members’ Communication with                                                       21.3.10 Stillborn Children (Children Who
                Church Headquarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                   185                    Die before Birth) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
      21.1.25   Members’ Occupations, Professions,                                                21.3.11 Word of Wisdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
                and Affiliations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          186   21.4 Policies on Moral Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                    195
      21.1.26   Members with Disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . .                     186
                                                                                                 21.4.1 Abortion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         195
      21.1.27   Other Faiths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          188
                                                                                                 21.4.2 Abuse and Cruelty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                195
      21.1.28   Overnight Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                189
                                                                                                 21.4.3 Artificial Insemination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                  195
      21.1.29   Political and Civic Activity . . . . . . . . . . . .                  189
                                                                                                 21.4.4 Birth Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          195
      21.1.30   Postal Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              189
                                                                                                 21.4.5 Chastity and Fidelity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                195
      21.1.31   Privacy of Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                189
                                                                                                 21.4.6 Homosexual Behavior and
      21.1.32   Privately Published Writings . . . . . . . . . .                      189
                                                                                                          Same-Gender Attraction . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                   195
      21.1.33   Recording Talks or Addresses of General
                                                                                                  21.4.7  In Vitro Fertilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             196
                Authorities and Area Seventies . . . . . . . .                        189
                                                                                                  21.4.8  Occult Affiliation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           196
      21.1.34   Referring to the Church and
                                                                                                  21.4.9  Pornography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          196
                Its Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         189
                                                                                                  21.4.10 Same-Gender Marriages . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                    196
      21.1.35   Research Studies in the Church . . . . . . . .                        190
                                                                                                  21.4.11 Sex Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          196
      21.1.36   Sales Agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .          190
                                                                                                  21.4.12 Single Expectant Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                 196
      21.1.37   Satellite and Video Equipment . . . . . . . . .                       190
                                                                                                  21.4.13 Sperm Donation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .             197
      21.1.38   Solicitation of Funds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .               190
                                                                                                  21.4.14 Suicide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    197
      21.1.39   Statements Attributed to
                                                                                                  21.4.15 Surgical Sterilization
                Church Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .              190
                                                                                                          (Including Vasectomy) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                197
      21.1.40   Symposia and Similar Gatherings . . . . . .                           190
                                                                                                  21.4.16 Surrogate Motherhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                   197
      21.1.41   Taxable Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .            191
      21.1.42   Temple Clothing and Garments . . . . . . .                            191
      21.1.43   Travel Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         191




                                                                                                                                                                               179
21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines

           Most of the following policies are selected             3. They may not be used if they contain material
       from the “Church Policies” and “Physical Facil-                that is not suitable for Church settings.
       ities” chapters of Handbook 1. Questions about                 Audiovisual materials that meet these crite-
       these and other Church policies should be re-              ria may be used in the chapel during meetings
       ferred to the bishop.                                      other than sacrament meeting or the general ses-
           This chapter consists of four sections. Each           sion of stake conference if they are an important
       section includes subtopics in alphabetical order:          part of the meeting.
        1. Administrative policies
                                                            21.1.6 Autographs and Photographs of General
        2. Policies on using Church buildings and                 Authorities and Area Seventies
           other property
                                                                      Church members should not seek the auto-
        3. Medical and health policies                            graphs of General Authorities or Area Seventies,
        4. Policies on moral issues                               including signing in their scriptures, hymnals, or
                                                                  programs. Doing so detracts from their sacred
                                                                  callings and the spirit of meetings. It also could
21.1   Administrative Policies                                    prevent them from greeting other members.
21.1.1 Accident Prevention and Response                              Members should not take photographs of
          See 13.6.20.                                            General Authorities or Area Seventies in chapels.

21.1.2 Activities Policies                                  21.1.7 Bible

          See 13.6.                                                   English-speaking members should use the
                                                                  Latter-day Saint edition of the King James Ver-
21.1.3 Adopted Children and Their Biological Parents              sion of the Bible. This edition includes the Topical
                                                                  Guide; footnotes; excerpts from the Joseph Smith
           Questions regarding the exchange of informa-           Translation; cross-references to other passages
       tion and contact between adopted children and              in the Bible and to the Book of Mormon, Doctrine
       their biological parents should be handled with            and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price; and
       sensitivity. The legal rights and emotional needs          other study aids. Although other versions of the
       of all relevant parties should be considered.              Bible may be easier to read, in doctrinal matters,
                                                                  latter-day revelation supports the King James Ver-
21.1.4 Adoption and Foster Care                                   sion in preference to other English translations.
           Members who are seeking to adopt children                  Spanish-speaking members should use the
       or provide foster care should strictly observe all         Latter-day Saint edition of the Reina-Valera Bible.
       legal requirements of the countries (and their             This edition includes study aids similar to those
       governmental subdivisions) that are involved.              in the Latter-day Saint edition in English.
       They are encouraged to work through licensed,
       authorized agencies.                                           In many other non-English languages, the
                                                                  Church has approved a non–Latter-day Saint
21.1.5 Audiovisual Materials                                      edition of the Bible for use in Church meetings
                                                                  and classes. Members should use these editions
          Members may use audiovisual materials, such             of the Bible.
       as CDs, DVDs, and computer presentations, in
       Church settings with the following restrictions:              The most reliable way to measure the accu-
                                                                  racy of any biblical translation is not by compar-
        1. They may not be used in sacrament meetings             ing different texts, but by comparison with the
           or in the general session of stake conference          Book of Mormon and modern-day revelations.
           (however, appropriate recorded musical ac-
           companiment may be used if a piano, organ,                 Printed copies of approved editions of the
           or accompanist is not available).                      Bible are available from Church Distribution
                                                                  Services. Electronic text and audio recordings of
        2. They may not be used if such use is restricted         Latter-day Saint editions are also available at
           by copyright (see 21.1.12).                            scriptures.lds.org.



180
                                                                                  21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



21.1.8 Book of Mormon                                             1. The activity or function with which the name
         The Church discourages rewriting the Book                   is associated is ofﬁcially sponsored by the
     of Mormon into familiar or modern English. The                  unit (for example, a sacrament meeting pro-
     First Presidency has said:                                      gram).
         “When a sacred text is translated into another           2. The name of the local unit is used as a prelude
     language or rewritten into more familiar lan-                   to the name of the Church (for example, Can-
     guage, there are substantial risks that this pro-               yon View Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ
     cess may introduce doctrinal errors or obscure                  of Latter-day Saints).
     evidence of its ancient origin. To guard against             3. The typeface does not imitate or resemble the
     these risks, the First Presidency and Council of                official Church logotype.




                                                                                                                                Policies and Guidelines
     the Twelve give close personal supervision to the               The Church’s ofﬁcial logotype (see the front




                                                                                                                                 21. Selected Church
     translation of scriptures from English into other           cover of this handbook) is to be used only for
     languages and have not authorized efforts to                items approved by the Correlation Department
     express the doctrinal content of the Book of Mor-           at Church headquarters. Examples of these items
     mon in familiar or modern English. (These con-              are:
     cerns do not pertain to publications by the Church
     for children.)” (Ensign, Apr. 1993, 74).                     1. Ofﬁcial Church publications and stationery.
                                                                  2. Missionary name tags.
21.1.9 Church Magazines                                           3. Meetinghouse exterior signs.
         The First Presidency has consistently encour-               The logotype may not be used as a decora-
     aged members of the Church to read the Church               tive element or a computer screen saver. Nor may
     magazines. Local Church leaders should encour-              it be used in any personal, commercial, or pro-
     age members to have the Church magazines in                 motional way, such as on family history books,
     their homes. These magazines contain the Lord’s             T-shirts, buttons, or banners. Questions may be
     guidance given through latter-day prophets.                 directed to:
     Church magazines strengthen faith in the Sav-
     ior and provide inspired direction for personal                Intellectual Property Ofﬁce
     challenges.                                                    50 East North Temple Street, Room 1888
                                                                    Salt Lake City, UT 84150-0018
         The stake president and bishop may assign                  Telephone: 1-801-240-3959 or
     their executive secretaries to coordinate Church                 1-800-453-3860, extension 2-3959
     magazine subscription efforts (see Handbook 1,                 Fax: 1-801-240-1187
     13.3.4 and 13.4.4). Bishoprics may also call a                 E-mail:
     ward magazine representative and appoint oth-                  cor-intellectualproperty@ldschurch.org
     ers to assist. If a ward magazine representative is
     called, he helps plan and direct Church magazine      21.1.11 Computers
     campaigns, helps members begin or renew sub-
     scriptions, and teaches members the beneﬁts of                  As authorized by the Church’s presiding
     subscribing to the Church magazines.                        councils, some Church units are provided com-
                                                                 puters for purposes such as record keeping and
         Members can subscribe to the Church mag-                family history. The stake president oversees the
     azines through Church Distribution Services. In             placement and use of computers in the stake.
     some areas, members can subscribe by ﬁlling out             Guidelines for obtaining and managing Church
     the subscription form on the Church magazines’              computers are available from Church headquar-
     Web pages.                                                  ters or the assigned administrative ofﬁce. These
                                                                 guidelines provide information about matters
21.1.10 Church Name and Logotype                                 such as hardware and software, donated com-
         The Church’s name and logotype are key                  puters, Internet connections, repairs, disposal of
     Church identifiers. They are registered as trade-           computers, stolen or damaged computers, secu-
     marks or are otherwise legally protected world-             rity, and use by members.
     wide. They should be used only according to the                 Where necessary, stake presidents arrange
     following guidelines.                                       to make ward and stake computers available for
         Local units may use the written name of the             members to use family history programs. Ward
     Church (not the logotype) when all of the follow-           and stake computers are not authorized for other
     ing conditions are met:                                     personal uses.



                                                                                                                        181
21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



             To protect conﬁdential information on com-          Church materials or programs, including materi-
         puters, leaders and clerks should use the pass-         als that are copyrighted by Intellectual Reserve,
         word features of Church record-keeping systems.         Inc. (IRI). IRI is a separate, nonproﬁt corporation
         Additional instructions about protecting conﬁ-          that owns the intellectual property used by the
         dential information are provided in Handbook 1,         Church. Additional information on requesting
         13.8 and 13.9.                                          the use of Church-owned materials can be found
             Computers should be placed so members of            by following the “Rights and Use Information”
         the bishopric and clerks can process members’           link on LDS.org.
         weekly contributions in privacy.                            The following questions and answers may
            For restrictions on duplicating computer soft-       help members understand and abide by copy-
         ware, see 21.1.12.                                      right laws when using copyrighted materials at
                                                                 church and at home. If members have questions
21.1.12 Copyrighted Materials                                    that are not answered in these guidelines, they
                                                                 may contact:
             The laws governing creative works and their
         permissible use vary from one country to another.          Intellectual Property Ofﬁce
         The Church policies outlined in this section are           50 East North Temple Street, Room 1888
         consistent with international treaties that are            Salt Lake City, UT 84150-0018
         applicable in most countries. For simplicity, this         Telephone: 1-801-240-3959 or
         section refers to a creator’s rights as “copyright.”         1-800-453-3860, extension 2-3959
         However, certain of these rights may be known              Fax: 1-801-240-1187
         by different names in some countries.                      E-mail:
                                                                    cor-intellectualproperty@ldschurch.org
             Copyright is protection given by law to the
         creators of original works of authorship that are           Can I copy pictures from Church magazines?
         expressed in a tangible form, including:                Pictures in Church publications may usually be
                                                                 copied for noncommercial Church, home, and
          1. Literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic      family use. However, they may not be copied for
             works.                                              commercial purposes without speciﬁc written
          2. Works of art, photography, and sculpture.           permission from the IPO. If a picture is restricted
          3. Audio and audiovisual works (such as mov-           from being copied, words such as “may not be
             ies and videos, CDs, and DVDs).                     copied” will appear in the credits for the image.

          4. Computer programs or games.                             Can I copy published Church materials? Church
                                                                 publications may usually be copied for non-
          5. Internet and other databases.                       commercial Church, home, and family use. No
             Church members should strictly observe all          commercial use may be made of Church materi-
         copyright laws. Generally, only copyright owners        als without speciﬁc written permission from the
         may authorize duplication (copying), distribu-          IPO.
         tion, public performance, public display, or de-            Can I copy music? Special copyright laws ap-
         rivatives of their work. Using a work in any of         ply to music. A person may copy music from
         these ways without authorization from the copy-         Hymns, the Children’s Songbook, and Church mag-
         right owner is contrary to Church policy and may        azines for noncommercial Church, home, and
         also subject the Church or the user to legal lia-       family use except where a restriction is expressly
         bility.                                                 noted on the hymn or song. Duplicating printed
             A user of a work should assume that it is pro-      or recorded music without authorization from
         tected by copyright. Published works usually in-        the copyright owner is contrary to Church policy.
         clude a copyright notice, such as “© 1959 by John       Music that has been duplicated contrary to this
         Doe.” (For sound recordings, the symbol is ℗.)          policy must not be used for Church purposes.
         However, a copyright notice is not required for             Can I alter, copy, or segment Church-produced
         legal protection. Similarly, the fact that a publica-   audiovisual materials? Not unless such use is spe-
         tion is out of print does not nullify its copyright     ciﬁcally authorized by the IPO. Church-produced
         or justify duplicating, distributing, performing,       audiovisual materials should be used in accor-
         displaying, or making derivatives of it without         dance with prescribed instructions in the man-
         permission.                                             uals and on the packaging materials.
             The Church’s Intellectual Property Ofﬁce (IPO)         Can I copy materials that are not owned by the
         assists in processing requests to use copyrighted       Church? Generally not. Copyright laws govern


182
                                                                               21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



the use of privately owned materials. Usually           21.1.13 Curriculum Materials
there are restrictions that give the conditions the              The Church makes available scriptures, mag-
public must follow before copying non-Church                  azines, manuals, books, and other materials to
materials. These restrictions are usually listed              help members learn and live the gospel of Jesus
near the beginning of a publication. Members                  Christ.
should strictly observe all copyright laws.
                                                                 Priesthood and auxiliary leaders encourage
    Can I show commercial audiovisual products at             members to obtain copies of the scriptures and
Church functions? Generally not. Church mem-                  other curriculum materials to use in their homes
bers should not violate warnings and restrictions             and at church.
that are placed on commercial audiovisual prod-
ucts. Using commercial audiovisual products                       Leaders ensure that teachers use Church-




                                                                                                                             Policies and Guidelines
                                                              approved materials for quorum and class instruc-




                                                                                                                              21. Selected Church
at Church functions generally requires permis-
sion from the copyright owners.                               tion. The publication Instructions for Curriculum
                                                              provides information about how to organize
   Can I download or duplicate computer software              Sunday classes and which materials to use for
and other programs for Church use? Generally not.             lessons.
Computer programs and other software may not
be duplicated or downloaded unless all licenses         21.1.14 Dating or Get-Acquainted Businesses for
have been appropriately purchased. As an ex-                  Single Members
ception, Church family history programs may
be downloaded at no charge.                                      Dating and get-acquainted businesses often
                                                              promote their services to single members of the
    Can I download or distribute materials that I ﬁnd         Church. Church meetinghouses, classes, or pro-
on Church Web sites? The Church has created sev-              grams may not be used to promote any private
eral Web sites, such as LDS.org, Mormon.org, and              business venture, including dating and get-
FamilySearch.org. Unless otherwise indicated, all             acquainted businesses or services. Lists of Church
material on Church-owned Web sites, including                 groups or other information about members
visuals, text, icons, displays, databases, and gen-           should not be given to such businesses.
eral information, may be viewed, downloaded,
and printed for noncommercial Church, home,             21.1.15 Directories
and family use only. Material from these sites
may not be posted, transcribed, or distributed                   Stake and ward directories may be published
to other Web sites or computer networks with-                 according to the following instructions:
out permission from the IPO.                                      Names, addresses, and phone numbers may
    Church-owned sites and any information on                 be included in a directory only if they are listed
these sites, including the names and addresses                in a commercial telephone directory or, if they are
of those who have submitted information, may                  unlisted, if the member gives permission. E-mail
not be used for selling or promoting products                 addresses may be included only with the mem-
or services, soliciting clients, or any other com-            ber’s permission.
mercial purpose.                                                  Stake or ward budget funds are used to pay
   For additional information, see the rights and             for directories. Directories may not contain ad-
use information associated with the Web sites.                vertising.

    What permission is needed to present musical                  Leaders should not distribute directories out-
and theatrical productions? Productions that are              side the stake or ward boundaries or permit their
owned by the Church or IRI may be performed                   use for commercial or political purposes.
in Church settings without permission from                       The beginning of each directory should in-
Church headquarters. If a copyrighted produc-                 clude a statement that it is to be used only for
tion is not owned by the Church, members must                 Church purposes and should not be copied with-
obtain the copyright owner’s permission to per-               out permission of the bishop or stake president.
form all or part of it in a Church setting. Usually
the copyright owner requires fees or royalties          21.1.16 Emigration of Members
even if no charge is made for the performances.                   Generally, members are encouraged to remain
All presentations should have the approval of                 in their native lands to build up and strengthen
local priesthood leaders.                                     the Church. Opportunities for Church activity
                                                              and for receiving and sharing the blessings of



                                                                                                                     183
21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



         the gospel are increasing greatly throughout the             of their presentations. This may include contact-
         world. As members remain in their homelands                  ing the person’s bishop. The bishop or stake pres-
         and work to build the Church there, great bless-             ident ensures that:
         ings will come to them personally and to the                  1. Presentations are in harmony with Church
         Church. Stakes and wards throughout the world                    doctrine.
         will be strengthened, making it possible to share
         the blessings of the gospel with an even greater              2. Guest speakers or instructors are not paid a
         number of Heavenly Father’s children.                            fee, do not recruit participants, and do not
                                                                          solicit customers or clients.
             Experience has shown that those who emi-
         grate often encounter language, cultural, and eco-            3. The travel expenses of guest speakers or in-
         nomic challenges, resulting in disappointment                    structors are not paid, either with local unit
         and personal and family difﬁculties.                             budget funds or by private contributions.

             Missionaries should not ask their parents, rel-           4. Presentations comply with the guidelines for
         atives, or others to sponsor members who wish                    using Church facilities (see 21.2).
         to emigrate to other countries.
                                                               21.1.21 Income Taxes
            Members who emigrate to any country should
         comply with applicable laws.                                     Church members are obligated by the twelfth
                                                                      article of faith to obey the tax laws of the nation
            When coming to the United States or other                 where they reside (see also D&C 134:5). Members
         countries on student or tourist visas, members               who disapprove of tax laws may try to have them
         should not expect to ﬁnd jobs or obtain perma-               changed by legislation or constitutional amend-
         nent visas after entering that country.                      ment. Members who have well-founded legal
            To be considered for Church employment in                 objections may challenge tax laws in the courts.
         any country, a person must meet all conditions of                Church members who refuse to ﬁle a tax re-
         immigration and naturalization laws. The Church              turn, pay required income taxes, or comply with
         does not sponsor immigration through Church                  a ﬁnal judgment in a tax case are in direct con-
         employment.                                                  ﬂict with the law and with the teachings of the
                                                                      Church. Such members may be ineligible for a
21.1.17 Fast Day                                                      temple recommend and should not be called
             A proper fast day observance typically in-               to positions of principal responsibility in the
         cludes abstaining from food and drink for two                Church. Members who are convicted of willfully
         consecutive meals in a 24-hour period, attending             violating tax laws are subject to Church discipline
         fast and testimony meeting, and giving a gener-              to the extent warranted by the circumstances.
         ous fast offering to help care for those in need.
                                                               21.1.22 Internet
21.1.18 Fund-Raising                                                      When carefully used, the Internet can help
             See 13.6.8.                                              coordinate the work of the Church, strengthen
                                                                      faith, and minister to the needs of others. How-
21.1.19 Gambling and Lotteries                                        ever, where feasible, members should ensure
             The Church opposes gambling in any form,                 that electronic communication does not replace
         including government-sponsored lotteries.                    opportunities for in-person contact.

                                                                      Ofﬁcial Church Internet Resources
21.1.20 Guest Speakers or Instructors
                                                                          The Church provides a number of ofﬁcial Web
             For most Church meetings, speakers and in-
                                                                      sites and other Internet resources for general use.
         structors should belong to the local ward or stake.
                                                                      These sites and resources are clearly identiﬁed
             The bishop’s approval is required before guest           as ofﬁcial either by the use of the Church logo
         speakers or instructors may participate in any               or in some other way. They also comply with
         ward meeting, including auxiliary meetings. The              legal requirements and the Church’s intellec-
         stake president’s approval is required for such              tual property and privacy policies.
         participation in stake meetings.
                                                                         Stake and ward Web sites may be created only
            The bishop or stake president carefully screens           by using the ofﬁcial Church Internet resources.
         guest speakers or instructors and the subjects               Stakes and wards are not authorized to create



184
                                                                             21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



other Web sites or blogs or otherwise have a                   use is clearly authorized by the “Rights and
Church-sponsored presence on the Internet.                     Use Information” page of an ofﬁcial Church
    Stake and ward Web sites can facilitate coordi-            Web site or by the Church’s Intellectual Prop-
nation and communication within local units.                   erty Ofﬁce.
These Web sites can include news and announce-               5. Photographs of other individuals or personal
ments, calendars, leadership and membership                     information about them should not be dis-
directories, and facilities scheduling. If a stake              played without their consent.
or ward site is created, it should be regularly
maintained to fulﬁll its intended purposes.                 Personal Internet Use
    To request approval to use ofﬁcial Church                   Members are encouraged to be examples of




                                                                                                                           Policies and Guidelines
resources to create a stake or ward Web site, the           their faith at all times and in all places, includ-




                                                                                                                            21. Selected Church
stake president contacts the following ofﬁce at             ing on the Internet. If they use blogs, social net-
Church headquarters:                                        works, and other Internet technologies, they are
                                                            encouraged to strengthen others and help them
   Member and Statistical Records Division
                                                            become aware of that which is useful, good, and
   Attn: Local Unit Internet Resources
                                                            praiseworthy. When appropriate, members are
   50 East North Temple Street, Room 1320
                                                            encouraged to mention the Church and to link
   Salt Lake City, UT 84150-0013
                                                            to and share approved Church materials.
   Telephone: 1-801-240-3500 or
     1-800-453-3860, extension 2-3500                          When members use the Internet for purposes
   E-mail: msrmail@ldsmail.net                              other than Church callings, they should under-
                                                            stand that the message they give is personal.
    Additional guidelines for stake and ward Web
                                                            They should not give the impression that they
sites can be found by searching for “LDS Site
                                                            represent or are sponsored by the Church.
Development Guide” on LDS.org.
                                                                Additional helps and guidelines are provided
    On occasion, ofﬁcial Church Web sites may
                                                            by searching for “Internet Usage Helps for Mem-
be approved for other purposes, such as multi-
                                                            bers” on LDS.org.
stake projects, special events, and young single
adult activities and organization. To seek ap-
                                                      21.1.23 Laws of the Land
proval for such a site, the organization’s priest-
hood leader submits a request stating the purpose               Members should obey, honor, and sustain the
and need to a member of the Presidency of the               laws in any country where they reside or travel
Seventy or the Area Presidency.                             (see D&C 58:21–22; Articles of Faith 1:12). This
                                                            includes laws that prohibit proselyting.
   Temples, missions, and visitors’ centers are
not authorized to create Web sites.
                                                      21.1.24 Members’ Communication with Church
Members’ Use of the Internet in Church Callings             Headquarters

    Individual members may create Web sites                     Members of the Church are discouraged from
or blogs or make use of other appropriate Inter-            making telephone calls or writing letters to Gen-
net resources in their Church callings, provided            eral Authorities about doctrinal issues or per-
they include a disclaimer such as “This is not an           sonal matters. With an ever-increasing Church
ofﬁcial Web site of The Church of Jesus Christ              membership, responding personally to these in-
of Latter-day Saints.” Members should also com-             quiries presents an almost insurmountable task
ply with the following guidelines:                          and would make it difﬁcult for General Authori-
                                                            ties to fulﬁll the duties for which they alone are
 1. The Church logo may not be used or imitated.            responsible. The General Authorities love the
 2. The name and contact information of the                 members of the Church and do not want them
    member who is responsible for the Web site              to feel that they are without the support and
    should be included.                                     guidance they need. However, all things need
 3. Members should not state or imply that their            to be done with wisdom and order.
    Web site or activities are sponsored or en-                 The Lord has organized His Church so ev-
    dorsed by the Church.                                   ery member has access to a bishop or branch
 4. Church-owned artwork, music, or other ma-               president and a stake, district, or mission presi-
    terials should not be reposted unless such              dent who serve as spiritual advisers and tempo-
                                                            ral counselors. By reason of their callings, these



                                                                                                                   185
21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



         local leaders are entitled to the spirit of discern-   Increasing Awareness and Understanding
         ment and inspiration to enable them to counsel             Leaders, teachers, and other members should
         members within their jurisdiction.                     seek to understand a person’s disability and any
             Members who need spiritual guidance, have          needs that may be associated with it. They can
         weighty personal problems, or have doctrinal           increase their understanding by talking with
         questions should make a diligent effort, includ-       the person and his or her family members. They
         ing earnest prayer and scripture study, to ﬁnd         can also read talks by Church leaders, articles
         solutions and answers themselves. Church mem-          in Church magazines, and online resources at
         bers are encouraged to seek guidance from the          disabilities.lds.org.
         Holy Ghost to help them in their personal lives
         and in their family and Church responsibilities.       Giving Assistance
             If members still need help, they should coun-          Priesthood and auxiliary leaders assess the
         sel ﬁrst with their bishop. If necessary, he may       needs of those who have disabilities and those
         refer them to the stake president.                     who are caregivers. These leaders determine how
                                                                ward or stake resources could be used to help
             In most cases, correspondence from mem-
                                                                meet the needs as appropriate. Leaders encour-
         bers to General Authorities will be referred back
                                                                age members to give assistance and reach out
         to their local leaders. Stake presidents who need
                                                                in love and friendship. The bishopric or stake
         clarification about doctrinal or other Church
                                                                presidency may call a ward or stake disability
         matters may write in behalf of their members to
                                                                specialist to help individuals and families.
         the First Presidency.
                                                                  Leaders may also identify appropriate com-
21.1.25 Members’ Occupations, Professions,                      munity resources that could help individuals
         and Afﬁliations                                        who have disabilities and their families.
             Baptism into the Church, priesthood ordina-           For additional information on assisting per-
         tions, and the issuing of temple recommends are        sons who have disabilities, leaders and members
         based on the personal worthiness of each indi-         may go to disabilities.lds.org. Leaders may also
         vidual as established by a careful interview by        contact LDS Family Services (where available).
         that person’s local priesthood leaders. Members            Leaders and members should not attempt
         of the Church should endeavor to be involved           to explain why the challenge of a disability has
         in activities and employment upon which they           come to a family. They should never suggest that
         can in good conscience ask the blessings of the        a disability is a punishment from God (see John
         Lord and which are consistent with the principles      9:2–3). Nor should they suggest that it is a bless-
         of the gospel and the teachings of the Savior.         ing to have a child who has a disability.

21.1.26 Members with Disabilities                               Providing Ordinances
             Church members are encouraged to follow                When considering whether to perform ordi-
         the Savior’s example of offering hope, under-          nances for a person who has an intellectual dis-
         standing, and love to those who have disabilities.     ability, priesthood leaders follow the guidelines
         Priesthood and auxiliary leaders should get to         in Handbook 1, 16.1.8.
         know those who have disabilities and show gen-
         uine interest and concern.                             Providing Opportunities to Serve and Participate
             Priesthood and auxiliary leaders also identify         Many members with disabilities can serve in
         members who may need additional care because           nearly any Church assignment. Priesthood and
         a parent, child, or sibling has a disability. Caring   auxiliary leaders prayerfully consider the abili-
         for a family member who has a disability can           ties and desires of each person and then provide
         be a reﬁning process that builds faith. But it can     appropriate opportunities to serve. Leaders also
         also contribute to ﬁnancial, marital, and family       counsel with the person’s family and consider
         challenges.                                            the effects of a Church calling on the person and
             Priesthood and auxiliary leaders also seek         his or her family or caregiver.
         out members with disabilities who are living in            When considering Church assignments or
         group homes or other facilities away from fam-         callings for caregivers of people with disabilities,
         ily members.                                           leaders carefully consider the circumstances of
                                                                the individuals and their families.



186
                                                                       21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



    Leaders and teachers should include mem-           bishop to oversee the initial organization and the
bers with disabilities in meetings, classes, and       continuing operation of a class or program for a
activities as fully as possible. Lessons, talks, and   speciﬁed time.
teaching methods should be adapted to meet                 The agent stake president or bishop consults
each person’s needs. For information about             with other participating stake presidents or bish-
adapting lessons, see disabilities.lds.org.            ops to establish a policy for ﬁnancial support for
    The bishopric may call an assistant teacher        these classes or programs. Parents or caregivers
to help a person in a class. The bishopric may         are responsible for transportation.
also ask someone to help a person in a meeting             If a multistake class or program is organized,
or activity.                                           the president of each participating stake may




                                                                                                                     Policies and Guidelines
    If a person cannot participate in a meeting,       appoint a high councilor to help coordinate ef-




                                                                                                                      21. Selected Church
class, or activity, leaders and teachers may con-      forts to enroll members who want to participate,
sult with the family about how to meet his or          provide leaders and teachers, and administer the
her needs. The stake president or bishop may           ﬁnancial policy established by the agent stake
approve organizing special classes or programs         president.
for members with disabilities (see “Organizing             Members who serve in a special class or pro-
Special Classes, Programs, or Units” below). If        gram are called and set apart by or under the di-
a person is not able to attend Church meetings,        rection of the agent stake president or bishop.
printed materials or recordings of lessons and         These leaders follow normal Church procedures
talks may be provided.                                 for extending callings and releases. Leaders and
    Priesthood leaders encourage males who hold        teachers of a special class or program share in-
the priesthood to participate in ordinances when       formation about members’ activities and accom-
appropriate. Priesthood holders and women              plishments with leaders of home wards, where
ages 12 and older who have been baptized and           permanent records are kept and recognition can
conﬁrmed and who are worthy may be baptized            be given.
and conﬁrmed for the dead in a temple. Guide-              As invited by the agent stake president or
lines about members with disabilities receiving        bishop, leaders of a special class or program may
their own temple ordinances are provided in            attend stake or ward leadership meetings. They
Handbook 1, 3.3.3.                                     may also conduct their own meetings to plan
                                                       the activities of the class or program.
Organizing Special Classes, Programs, or Units
                                                           Leaders may contact Seminaries and Insti-
    Members who have disabilities and special          tutes of Religion administrators to learn about
needs are encouraged to attend Sunday meet-            classes for members with disabilities that can
ings in their home wards unless they live in a care    be established within the Church Educational
facility where Church programs are organized.          System.
    When members who have similar disabilities             Wards or branches may be created for mem-
live in a ward, group of wards, stake, or group        bers who are deaf or hearing impaired. Or a ward
of stakes, leaders may organize special Mutual         may be asked to host a group for those who are
or Primary classes or programs for them. Leaders       deaf or hearing impaired within a speciﬁed geo-
may also organize special Sunday School classes        graphic area. Such wards, branches, or groups
or other classes. These classes or programs sup-       help these members participate fully in service
plement a person’s home ward program.                  and gospel learning. Instructions for organizing
    To organize a special class or program on          these units are provided in Handbook 1, 9.1.4 and
a multistake level, approval is required from a        9.1.10.
member of the Presidency of the Seventy or the              Members who use sign language, and their
Area Presidency. These leaders appoint an agent        families, may choose to have their Church mem-
stake president to oversee the initial organiza-       bership records in one of the following places:
tion and the continuing operation of a class or        (1) their home ward, (2) a ward that is designated
program for a speciﬁed time.                           to host a group for members who are deaf or
     To organize a special class or program on a       hearing impaired, or (3) a ward or branch that is
multiward level, the stake presidency’s approval       organized for members who are deaf or hearing
is required. The stake president assigns an agent      impaired.




                                                                                                             187
21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



         Interpreters for Deaf or Hearing-Impaired Members               During a priesthood ordinance or an inter-
             Members who are deaf or hearing impaired                view, the interpreter should be close to the per-
         face communication obstacles in learning gos-               son who performs the ordinance or conducts the
         pel principles and doctrines. If they use sign              interview.
         language, they need interpreters to help them                   If deaf or hearing-impaired members do not
         participate fully in Church meetings, priesthood            use sign language and need an oral interpreter
         ordinances, temple work, testimony bearing, in-             to help them read lips, leaders use the same pro-
         terviews, and activities.                                   cedures they follow to ﬁnd an interpreter who
             Members who are deaf or hearing impaired                uses sign language.
         are encouraged to be self-reliant and take the ini-
         tiative to work with their priesthood leaders in            Privacy
         coordinating the interpreting services they need.               Leaders should respect the privacy of mem-
         In preparation for sensitive situations such as             bers with disabilities during and after leader-
         personal interviews or Church disciplinary coun-            ship meetings where individual needs may be
         cils, priesthood leaders consult with the mem-              discussed.
         ber to determine whether to use an interpreter.
         In these circumstances, leaders should seek an              Resources
         interpreter who is not a family member (if pos-                 Resources for members with disabilities, for
         sible) and emphasize conﬁdentiality.                        their families and caregivers, and for leaders and
             If sufﬁcient interpreters are not available,            teachers are available at disabilities.lds.org. This
         leaders may organize ward or stake classes to               Web site provides:
         teach the sign language that is used in their area.          1. Information to help increase understanding
         Leaders may call qualiﬁed members to teach                      of the challenges faced by those who have
         these classes. Members who are deaf or hearing                  disabilities.
         impaired and use sign language as their native
                                                                      2. Sections on speciﬁc disabilities and answers
         language should be considered ﬁrst to teach the
                                                                         to frequently asked questions.
         classes. A helpful resource is Dictionary of Sign
         Language Terms for The Church of Jesus Christ of             3. Comfort for members who have disabilities
         Latter-day Saints.                                              and for their families through scriptures,
                                                                         quotations, and links to helpful information.
             Only worthy members should interpret dur-
         ing sacrament meetings, priesthood meetings,                 4. Listings of materials that will help members
         and interviews. If a priesthood holder is not                   with disabilities as they strive to live the gos-
         available to interpret during priesthood meeting,               pel of Jesus Christ and serve in the Church.
         a presiding ofﬁcer may ask a woman to do the                    Church materials for members with disabil-
         interpretation. Nonmember interpreters may be               ities are listed in the Church Materials Catalog and
         used temporarily as volunteers in activities and            at disabilities.lds.org.
         most other meetings until members develop the
                                                                        Questions about materials for members with
         skills to interpret.
                                                                     disabilities may be addressed to:
             A presiding ofﬁcer may ask a priesthood
                                                                         Members with Disabilities
         holder to interpret an ordinance or blessing if the
                                                                         50 East North Temple Street
         recipient is deaf or hearing impaired. If a priest-
                                                                         Salt Lake City, UT 84150-0024
         hood holder is not available, a presiding ofﬁcer
                                                                         Telephone: 1-801-240-2477
         may ask a woman to do the interpretation.
                                                                         E-mail: specialcurriculum@ldschurch.org
             During a class or meeting, interpreters should
         be at the front of the classroom or chapel but not    21.1.27 Other Faiths
         on the stand. They should also be to the side of
                                                                         Much that is inspiring, noble, and worthy of
         the speaker so they do not create a visual dis-
                                                                     the highest respect is found in many other faiths.
         traction. Because understanding is enhanced by
                                                                     Missionaries and other members must be sen-
         seeing the lips and body language of the person
                                                                     sitive and respectful toward the beliefs of oth-
         who is speaking, the deaf or hearing-impaired
                                                                     ers and avoid giving offense. Stake and mission
         members should be able to see the interpreter
                                                                     presidents who have questions about relation-
         and also be able to see the speaker or teacher
                                                                     ships with non-Christian faiths should contact a
         peripherally. If enough interpreters are available,
                                                                     member of the Presidency of the Seventy or the
         leaders ask them to rotate approximately every
                                                                     Area Presidency. Other local leaders who have
         30 minutes to avoid fatigue.

188
                                                                                    21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



       such questions should contact the stake or mis-                 Church records, directories, and similar ma-
       sion president.                                             terials may not be used for political purposes.
                                                                       Church facilities may not be used for politi-
21.1.28 Overnight Activities                                       cal purposes. However, facilities may be used for
          See 13.6.12 and 21.2.8.                                  voter registration or polling where there is not
                                                                   a reasonable alternative (see 21.2).
21.1.29 Political and Civic Activity
           As citizens, Church members are encouraged        21.1.30 Postal Regulations
       to participate in political and governmental af-                 In the United States and some other countries,
       fairs, including involvement in the political party         it is a violation of postal regulations to place any




                                                                                                                                  Policies and Guidelines
       of their choice. Members are also urged to be ac-           material without postage in or on mailboxes. This




                                                                                                                                   21. Selected Church
       tively engaged in worthy causes to improve their            restriction applies to ward or stake newsletters,
       communities and make them wholesome places                  announcements, ﬂyers, and other Church-related
       in which to live and rear families.                         materials. Church leaders should instruct mem-
           In accordance with the laws of their respec-            bers and missionaries not to place such items
       tive governments, members are encouraged to                 in or on mailboxes.
       register to vote, to study issues and candidates
       carefully, and to vote for individuals whom they      21.1.31 Privacy of Members
       believe will act with integrity and sound judg-                 Church leaders are obligated to protect the
       ment. Latter-day Saints have a special obliga-              privacy of members. Church records, directories,
       tion to seek out, vote for, and uphold leaders who          and similar materials may not be used for per-
       are honest, good, and wise (see D&C 98:10).                 sonal, commercial, or political purposes (see also
           While afﬁrming the right of expression on               21.1.15).
       political and social issues, the Church is neutral
       regarding political parties, political platforms,     21.1.32 Privately Published Writings
       and candidates for political ofﬁce. The Church                  Members should not ask General Authori-
       does not endorse any political party or candidate.          ties or Area Seventies to coauthor or endorse
       Nor does it advise members how to vote. How-                Church books or other Church writings.
       ever, in some exceptional instances the Church
       will take a position on speciﬁc legislation, par-     21.1.33 Recording Talks or Addresses of General
       ticularly when it concludes that moral issues are           Authorities and Area Seventies
       involved. Only the First Presidency can speak for               Church members should not record the talks
       the Church or commit the Church to support or               or addresses that General Authorities and Area
       oppose speciﬁc legislation or to seek to intervene          Seventies give at stake conferences, missionary
       in judicial matters. Otherwise, stake presidents            meetings, or other meetings. However, members
       and other local leaders should not organize mem-            may record broadcasts of general conference on
       bers to participate in political matters or attempt         home equipment for personal, noncommercial
       to inﬂuence how they participate.                           use.
           Church members are encouraged to consider
       serving in elected or appointed public ofﬁces in      21.1.34 Referring to the Church and Its Members
       local and national government. Candidates for                   As the Church grows across boundaries,
       public ofﬁce should not imply that their candi-             cultures, and languages, the use of its revealed
       dacy is endorsed by the Church or its leaders.              name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
       Church leaders and members should also avoid                Saints (see D&C 115:4), is increasingly important
       statements or conduct that might be interpreted             in the responsibility of the Church and its mem-
       as Church endorsement of any political party,               bers to proclaim the name of the Savior through-
       platform, policy, or candidate.                             out all the world. Accordingly, references to the
           Members are encouraged to support mea-                  Church should include its full name whenever
       sures that strengthen the moral fabric of soci-             possible. Following an initial reference to the
       ety, particularly those designed to maintain and            full name of the Church, the contractions “the
       strengthen the family as the fundamental unit               Church” or “the Church of Jesus Christ” are ac-
       of society.                                                 ceptable.




                                                                                                                          189
21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



            Referring to the Church as “the Mormon                  antenna from one satellite or transponder to an-
         Church,” “the Latter-day Saints Church,” or “the           other without authorization from Church head-
         LDS Church” is discouraged.                                quarters.
             When referring to Church members, it is pref-              Only people who are trained to operate the
         erable to use the phrase “members of The Church            equipment may do so. Youth may help operate
         of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” As a short-         it only if they are supervised.
         ened reference, “Latter-day Saints” is preferred               All equipment is to be locked securely when
         and “Mormons” is acceptable.                               not in use. It may not be removed from the build-
             The word Mormon will continue to be used               ing for home or personal use.
         in proper names like the Book of Mormon and
         the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It will also con-       21.1.38 Solicitation of Funds
         tinue to be used as an adjective in phrases such               The established programs of the Church pro-
         as “Mormon pioneers.” In addition, it may be               vide ﬁnancial assistance for worthy individuals
         necessary to use the word Mormon to identify               and appropriate causes. Church assistance is ad-
         the Church as it is commonly known in some                 ministered by bishops, who are familiar with the
         countries.                                                 circumstances and can prevent duplicate assis-
                                                                    tance and abuses. Therefore, members should
21.1.35 Research Studies in the Church                              not solicit additional ﬁnancial assistance from
             The only authorized research agency of the             Church headquarters or from local leaders or
         Church is the Research Information Division of             members.
         the Correlation Department. Representatives of                 If members receive such a request for funds,
         this department use questionnaires and inter-              they could respond by saying that they have
         views to obtain information on issues of concern           contributed in their own wards to provide funds
         to General Authorities. When Church-authorized             for assistance according to established princi-
         researchers contact members, they provide the              ples of Church welfare.
         Church’s toll-free number and a contact name
         at headquarters. In addition, they always allow      21.1.39 Statements Attributed to Church Leaders
         the respondent the option of not answering any
         or all of the questions on a survey.                           From time to time, statements are circulated
                                                                    that are inaccurately attributed to leaders of the
             Church meetings may not be used for col-               Church. Many such statements distort current
         lecting information by unauthorized persons                Church teachings and are based on rumors and
         or agencies. Nor should the names of Church                innuendos. They are never transmitted ofﬁcially,
         members be made available to such persons or               but by word of mouth, e-mail, or other informal
         agencies. If local leaders want to verify the au-          means. Church members should not teach or
         thorization of questionnaires or interviews, they          pass on such statements without verifying that
         should contact the Research Information Divi-              they are from approved Church sources, such
         sion (1-801-240-2727 or 1-800-453-3860, extension          as ofﬁcial statements, communications, and pub-
         2-2727).                                                   lications.
21.1.36 Sales Agents                                                    Any notes made when General Authorities,
                                                                    Area Seventies, or other general Church ofﬁcers
             Local leaders should not accept the claims of          speak at stake conferences or other meetings
         sales agents that the Church or a Church leader            should not be distributed without the consent
         has authorized them to call on local leaders or            of the speaker. Personal notes are for individual
         members to sell their products.                            use only.
21.1.37 Satellite and Video Equipment                         21.1.40 Symposia and Similar Gatherings
             Church satellite and video equipment may                   The Church warns its members against sym-
         be used only for noncommercial, Church-related             posia and similar gatherings that include pre-
         purposes as authorized by the stake presidency             sentations that (1) disparage, ridicule, make light
         or bishopric. This equipment may not be used               of, or are otherwise inappropriate in their treat-
         to record television, cable, or satellite programs         ment of sacred matters or (2) could injure the
         that are not sponsored by the Church. Nor may              Church, detract from its mission, or jeopardize
         Church satellite equipment be used to view non-            its members’ well-being. Members should not
         Church programs. Members may not direct the                allow their position or standing in the Church


190
                                                                                      21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



      to be used to promote or imply endorsement of                should they be displayed or exposed to the view
      such gatherings.                                             of people who do not understand their signiﬁ-
                                                                   cance.
21.1.41 Taxable Activities                                            Members who have made covenants in the
          Ward and stake leaders ensure that local                 temple should be guided by the Holy Spirit to
      Church activities do not jeopardize the Church’s             answer for themselves personal questions about
      tax-exempt status. For guidelines, see 21.2.                 wearing the garment.
                                                                       To dispose of worn-out temple garments,
21.1.42 Temple Clothing and Garments                               members should cut out and destroy the marks.
          Endowed members are encouraged to pur-                   Members then cut up the remaining fabric so it




                                                                                                                                    Policies and Guidelines
      chase their own temple clothing for use when per-            cannot be identiﬁed as a garment. Once the marks




                                                                                                                                     21. Selected Church
      forming temple ordinances. This sacred clothing              are removed, the fabric is not considered sacred.
      may be purchased through Church Distribution                     To dispose of worn-out temple ceremonial
      Services. Some temples also have temple cloth-               clothing, members should destroy the clothing
      ing available for rent. If a temple does not have            by cutting it up so the original use cannot be
      rental clothing, members need to bring temple                recognized.
      clothing with them.
                                                                       Members may give garments and temple
          Members may make their own temple aprons                 clothing that are in good condition to other wor-
      only if they use the approved apron embroidery               thy endowed members. The bishop can identify
      and sewing kit that is available through Church              those who might need such clothing. Under no
      Distribution Services. Other temple ceremonial               circumstances should members give garments
      clothing may not be made. Nor may temple gar-                or temple ceremonial clothing to Deseret Indus-
      ments be made.                                               tries, bishops’ storehouses, or charities.
          Church members who have been clothed with                    Information about ordering temple clothing
      the garment in a temple have taken upon them-                or ordering garments for those in special circum-
      selves a covenant obligation to wear it accord-              stances (such as members serving in the military,
      ing to the instructions given in the endowment.              members who are bedfast, or members with dis-
      The garment provides a constant reminder of                  abilities) is provided in Handbook 1, 3.4.
      the covenants made in a temple. When properly
      worn, it provides protection against temptation       21.1.43 Travel Policies
      and evil. Wearing the garment is also an outward
      expression of an inward commitment to follow                    See 13.6.24.
      the Savior.
           Endowed members should wear the temple           21.2   Policies on Using Church Buildings
      garment both day and night. They should not                  and Other Property
      remove it, either entirely or partially, to work in
                                                                        Church buildings and other property are to
      the yard or for other activities that can reason-
                                                                   be used for worship, religious instruction, and
      ably be done with the garment worn properly
                                                                   other Church-related activities. Church property
      beneath the clothing. Nor should they remove
                                                                   should not be used for commercial or political
      it to lounge around the home in swimwear or
                                                                   purposes, which would violate laws that permit
      immodest clothing. When they must remove the
                                                                   its tax exemption. Nor may property be used for
      garment, such as for swimming, they should put
                                                                   other purposes that would violate these laws.
      it back on as soon as possible.
                                                                   The following list provides examples of uses that
         Members should not adjust the garment or                  are not approved:
      wear it contrary to instructions in order to ac-
                                                                    1. Renting or leasing Church facilities for com-
      commodate different styles of clothing. Nor
                                                                       mercial purposes.
      should they alter the garment from its authorized
      design. When two-piece garments are used, both                2. Promoting business ventures or investment
      pieces should always be worn.                                    enterprises, including posting commercial
                                                                       advertising or sponsoring commercial enter-
         The garment is sacred and should be treated
                                                                       tainment.
      with respect at all times. Garments should be
      kept off the ﬂoor. They should also be kept clean             3. Buying, selling, or promoting products, ser-
      and mended. After garments are washed, they                      vices, publications, or creative works or dem-
      should not be hung in public areas to dry. Nor                   onstrating wares.


                                                                                                                            191
21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



          4. Holding unauthorized fund-raising activities       21.2.2 Decorations
             (see 13.6.8).                                                Decorations for Christmas, other holidays,
          5. Hosting speakers or instructors who are paid             and other similar occasions may be placed tem-
             a fee, who recruit participants, or who solicit          porarily in the foyer or cultural hall of a meet-
             customers or clients while giving seminars,              inghouse, as approved under the direction of the
             lessons, aerobics classes, and so on. Exceptions         stake presidency. With the exception of ﬂowers,
             may be made to use meetinghouse pianos                   decorations may not be placed in the chapel area
             and organs for paid private instruction (see             of the meetinghouse. Nor should the exterior of
             14.7).                                                   the meetinghouse or the grounds be decorated.
          6. Holding organized athletic events that are                   Decorations should be modest and inexpen-
             not sponsored by the Church, including prac-             sive and must not be a ﬁre hazard. Hay, straw,
             tices.                                                   palm fronds, other dehydrated materials, and
          7. Holding political meetings or campaigns. As              lighted candles may not be used. If Christmas
             an exception, Church facilities may be used              trees are used, they should be artiﬁcial or prop-
             for voter registration and as polling places             erly ﬁreproofed and displayed without electric
             at the request of voting ofﬁcials if:                    lights or candles. Local ﬁre and safety codes and
                                                                      ordinances should be observed.
              a. There is no reasonable alternative.
              b. The ofﬁcials and voters maintain Church        21.2.3 Emergencies
                 standards in the building.                              During an emergency, the stake presidency
              c. The event will not pose physical danger to           determines whether or not to hold regular ward
                 the building.                                        meetings.
             d. The event will not harm the image of the                  In a community-wide emergency or disaster,
                Church.                                               the stake president may assist legitimate disaster
             The use of Church property should not pose               relief agencies by allowing meetinghouses to be
         a signiﬁcant risk of harm to participants or to              used as emergency shelters. The Church retains
         the property. Nor should it unduly expose the                control. Stake and ward leaders ensure that peo-
         Church to liability or disturb surrounding neigh-            ple who use the buildings observe Church stan-
         bors.                                                        dards of conduct, including the Word of Wisdom,
                                                                      while they are in the buildings.
             For more detailed instructions on using and
         caring for Church buildings and other property,        21.2.4 Firearms
         see Facilities Management Guidelines for Meet-
         inghouses and Other Church Property or contact                   Churches are dedicated for the worship of
         Church headquarters or the assigned adminis-                 God and as havens from the cares and concerns
         trative ofﬁce.                                               of the world. The carrying of lethal weapons,
                                                                      concealed or otherwise, within their walls is
21.2.1 Artwork                                                        inappropriate except as required by ofﬁcers of
                                                                      the law.
             Church-approved artwork for meetinghouses
         is obtained through the facilities manager using       21.2.5 Fires and Candles
         the Church Facilities Artwork catalog. The facili-
         ties manager may also obtain artwork that is                    Open ﬂames and lighted candles may not be
         appropriate for meetinghouses through Church                 used in Church buildings.
         Distribution Services.
                                                                21.2.6 Flags
             Pictures and other artwork may be placed in
         appropriate locations in the meetinghouse. How-                  The national ﬂag may be ﬂown on the grounds
         ever, they may not be placed in the chapel or near           of Church property at any time as long as it con-
         the baptismal font. Statues, murals, and mosaics             forms to local custom and convention. The na-
         are not authorized. This policy may not apply to             tional flag may be displayed inside Church
         works of art that have been on display for many              buildings on special occasions, such as patriotic
         years in the chapels of existing meetinghouses.              programs. Genuine patriotism does not require
                                                                      displaying the national ﬂag continuously at places
             Artwork in meetinghouses should be prop-                 of worship.
         erly framed.



192
                                                                                 21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



21.2.7 Monday Nights                                       21.3.2 Cremation
          See 13.6.10.                                              The Church does not normally encourage
                                                                 cremation. The family of the deceased must de-
21.2.8 Overnight Lodging or Camping                              cide whether the body should be cremated, tak-
           Church meetinghouse properties may not                ing into account any laws governing burial or
       be used for overnight lodging, camping, or slum-          cremation. In some countries, the law requires
       ber parties.                                              cremation.
                                                                     Where possible, the body of a deceased mem-
21.2.9 Parking Lots                                              ber who has been endowed should be dressed in
           Use of Church parking lots should comply              temple clothing when it is cremated. A funeral




                                                                                                                               Policies and Guidelines
       with the guidelines at the beginning of section           service may be held (see 18.6).




                                                                                                                                21. Selected Church
       21.2. In addition, Church parking lots should not
       be used for commuter parking without permis-        21.3.3 Euthanasia
       sion from the director for temporal affairs.                  Euthanasia is deﬁned as deliberately putting
                                                                 to death a person who is suffering from an incur-
21.2.10 Photographs, Video Recordings, and                       able condition or disease. A person who partici-
       Broadcasts in Chapels                                     pates in euthanasia, including assisting someone
          Taking photographs or making video record-             to commit suicide, violates the commandments
       ings in chapels is not permitted. Meetings and            of God. (See also 21.3.8.)
       other events that are held in the chapel may not
       be broadcast over the Internet or by any other      21.3.4 HIV Infection and AIDS
       means (see 18.3.1 for an exception).                          Members who are infected with HIV (Human
                                                                 Immunodeﬁciency Virus) or who have AIDS
21.2.11 Serving Areas                                            (Acquired Immunodeﬁciency Syndrome) should
            The serving area in Church meetinghouses             be treated with dignity and compassion. Some
       is not intended for food preparation or cook-             people with HIV are innocent victims of the acts
       ing unless it is part of a lesson, demonstration,         of others. For example, they may have become
       or other instruction. When food is to be served           infected through a careless blood transfusion or
       in the building or on the grounds, it should be           an infected parent. If infection has resulted from
       prepared elsewhere and brought to the meeting-            transgressing God’s laws, the Church advocates
       house, where it may be kept warm or cold until            the example of the Lord, who condemned the
       it is served.                                             sin yet loved the sinner and encouraged repen-
                                                                 tance. Members should reach out with kindness
21.2.12 Storage                                                  and comfort to the afﬂicted, ministering to their
                                                                 needs and helping them ﬁnd solutions to their
           The only storage allowed in meetinghouses             problems.
       is for maintenance items and other approved
       supplies and equipment. Welfare commodities                   The principal safeguards against HIV and
       and other such items may not be stored in meet-           AIDS are chastity before marriage, total ﬁdelity
       inghouses.                                                in marriage, abstinence from any homosexual
                                                                 relations, avoidance of illegal drugs, and rever-
          Materials such as gasoline, propane, matches,          ence and care for the body.
       and camping gear should be stored in buildings
       that are separate from the meetinghouse.                     Attendance at Church meetings by persons
                                                                 with HIV infection or AIDS does not pose a seri-
          Cars, recreational vehicles, and other per-            ous health problem. Public health authorities
       sonal equipment may not be stored on Church               afﬁrm that HIV has not been transmitted through
       property.                                                 casual contact in homes, schools, churches, or
                                                                 places of work.
21.3   Medical and Health Policies                                   Those who occasionally may need to clean
                                                                 up blood or render ﬁrst aid should learn and
21.3.1 Autopsies                                                 follow the recommendations of local health ofﬁ-
           Autopsies may be performed if the family              cials.
       of the deceased gives consent and if the autopsy             With regard to baptism and conﬁrmation,
       complies with the law.                                    persons with HIV infection or AIDS are treated



                                                                                                                       193
21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



         as anyone else who expresses faith in God, re-                   Some of these groups falsely claim or imply
         pents, and is living the gospel of Jesus Christ.             that the Church or individual General Authori-
                                                                      ties have endorsed their programs. However, the
21.3.5 Hypnosis                                                       Church has not endorsed any such enterprise,
             The use of hypnosis under competent, pro-                and members are warned against believing such
         fessional medical supervision for the treatment              claims. The fact that the Church has not formally
         of diseases or mental disorders is a medical                 challenged such an enterprise should not be per-
         question to be determined by competent medi-                 ceived as a tacit endorsement or approval.
         cal authorities. Members should not participate                  Church members are also warned that some
         in hypnosis for purposes of demonstration or                 of these groups advocate concepts and use
         entertainment.                                               methods that can be harmful. In addition, many
                                                                      such groups charge exorbitant fees and encour-
21.3.6 Medical and Health Practices                                   age long-term commitments. Some intermingle
             Members should not use medical or health                 worldly concepts with gospel principles in ways
         practices that are ethically or legally question-            that can undermine spirituality and faith.
         able. Local leaders should advise members who                    These groups tend to promise quick solu-
         have health problems to consult with competent               tions to problems that normally require time and
         professional practitioners who are licensed in               personal effort to resolve. Although participants
         the countries where they practice.                           may experience temporary emotional relief or
                                                                      exhilaration, old problems often return, leading
21.3.7 Organ and Tissue Donations and                                 to added disappointment and despair.
         Transplants                                                      Church leaders are not to pay for, encourage
             The donation of organs and tissues is a self-            participation in, or promote such groups or prac-
         less act that often results in great beneﬁt to indi-         tices. Also, Church facilities may not be used for
         viduals with medical conditions. The decision to             these activities.
         will or donate one’s own body organs or tissue                   Leaders should counsel members that true
         for medical purposes, or the decision to autho-              self-improvement comes through living gospel
         rize the transplant of organs or tissue from a               principles. Members who have social or emo-
         deceased family member, is made by the indi-                 tional problems may consult with priesthood
         vidual or the deceased member’s family.                      leaders for guidance in identifying sources of
             A decision to receive a donated organ should             help that are in harmony with gospel principles.
         be made after receiving competent medical coun-
         sel and conﬁrmation through prayer.                    21.3.10 Stillborn Children (Children Who Die
                                                                      before Birth)
21.3.8 Prolonging Life                                                     Temple ordinances are not performed for
              When severe illness strikes, members should             stillborn children. However, this does not deny
         exercise faith in the Lord and seek competent                the possibility that a stillborn child may be part
         medical assistance. However, when dying be-                  of the family in the eternities. Parents are encour-
         comes inevitable, it should be seen as a blessing            aged to trust the Lord to resolve such cases in
         and a purposeful part of eternal existence. Mem-             the way He knows is best. The family may re-
         bers should not feel obligated to extend mortal              cord the name of a stillborn child on the family
         life by means that are unreasonable. These judg-             group record, followed by the word stillborn in
         ments are best made by family members after                  parentheses.
         receiving wise and competent medical advice                      Memorial or graveside services may be held
         and seeking divine guidance through fasting and              as determined by the parents.
         prayer.
                                                                          It is a fact that a child has life before birth.
21.3.9 Self-Awareness Groups                                          However, there is no direct revelation on when
                                                                      the spirit enters the body.
             Many private groups and commercial orga-
         nizations have programs that purport to increase       21.3.11 Word of Wisdom
         self-awareness, self-esteem, and spirituality. Some
         groups promise to enhance individual agency                     The only ofﬁcial interpretation of “hot drinks”
         or improve family relationships. Some offer “ex-             (D&C 89:9) in the Word of Wisdom is the state-
         periential” or “empowerment” training.                       ment made by early Church leaders that the term
                                                                      “hot drinks” means tea and coffee.

194
                                                                                    21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



          Members should not use any substance that          21.4.3 Artiﬁcial Insemination
       contains illegal drugs. Nor should members use                  The Church strongly discourages artiﬁcial
       harmful or habit-forming substances except un-              insemination using semen from anyone but the
       der the care of a competent physician.                      husband. However, this is a personal matter that
                                                                   ultimately must be left to the judgment of the
                                                                   husband and wife. Responsibility for the decision
21.4   Policies on Moral Issues
                                                                   rests solely upon them.
21.4.1 Abortion                                                        Artiﬁcial insemination of single sisters is not
            The Lord commanded, “Thou shalt not . . .              approved. Single sisters who deliberately refuse
       kill, nor do anything like unto it” (D&C 59:6). The         to follow the counsel of Church leaders in this




                                                                                                                                  Policies and Guidelines
       Church opposes elective abortion for personal               matter are subject to Church discipline.




                                                                                                                                   21. Selected Church
       or social convenience. Members must not submit
       to, perform, arrange for, pay for, consent to, or     21.4.4 Birth Control
       encourage an abortion. The only possible excep-                 It is the privilege of married couples who are
       tions are when:                                             able to bear children to provide mortal bodies for
        1. Pregnancy resulted from forcible rape or in-            the spirit children of God, whom they are then
           cest.                                                   responsible to nurture and rear. The decision
        2. A competent physician determines that the               as to how many children to have and when to
           life or health of the mother is in serious jeo-         have them is extremely intimate and private and
           pardy.                                                  should be left between the couple and the Lord.
                                                                   Church members should not judge one another
        3. A competent physician determines that the               in this matter.
           fetus has severe defects that will not allow
           the baby to survive beyond birth.                           Married couples should also understand that
                                                                   sexual relations within marriage are divinely ap-
          Even these exceptions do not justify abortion            proved not only for the purpose of procreation,
       automatically. Abortion is a most serious matter            but also as a way of expressing love and strength-
       and should be considered only after the per-                ening emotional and spiritual bonds between
       sons responsible have consulted with their bish-            husband and wife.
       ops and received divine conﬁrmation through
       prayer.                                               21.4.5 Chastity and Fidelity
           Church members who submit to, perform,                      The Lord’s law of chastity is abstinence from
       arrange for, pay for, consent to, or encourage an           sexual relations outside of lawful marriage and
       abortion may be subject to Church discipline.               ﬁdelity within marriage. Sexual relations are
          As far as has been revealed, a person may                proper only between a man and a woman who
       repent and be forgiven for the sin of abortion.             are legally and lawfully wedded as husband
                                                                   and wife. Adultery, fornication, homosexual or
21.4.2 Abuse and Cruelty                                           lesbian relations, and every other unholy, un-
           The Church’s position is that abuse cannot              natural, or impure practice are sinful. Members
       be tolerated in any form. Those who abuse or                who violate the Lord’s law of chastity or who
       are cruel to their spouses, children, other fam-            inﬂuence others to do so are subject to Church
       ily members, or anyone else violate the laws                discipline.
       of God and man. All members, especially par-
       ents and leaders, are encouraged to be alert and      21.4.6 Homosexual Behavior and Same-Gender
       diligent and do all they can to protect children            Attraction
       and others against abuse and neglect. Members                   Homosexual behavior violates the command-
       who have abused others are subject to Church                ments of God, is contrary to the purposes of
       discipline.                                                 human sexuality, and deprives people of the
           If leaders or teachers become aware of in-              blessings that can be found in family life and in
       stances of abuse, they should counsel with the              the saving ordinances of the gospel. Those who
       bishop. Instructions for the bishop are provided            persist in such behavior or who inﬂuence others
       in Handbook 1, 17.3.2.                                      to do so are subject to Church discipline. Homo-
                                                                   sexual behavior can be forgiven through sincere
                                                                   repentance.



                                                                                                                          195
21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



             If members engage in homosexual behav-            21.4.10 Same-Gender Marriages
         ior, Church leaders should help them have a                     As a doctrinal principle, based on the scrip-
         clear understanding of faith in Jesus Christ, the           tures, the Church afﬁrms that marriage between
         process of repentance, and the purpose of life              a man and a woman is essential to the Creator’s
         on earth.                                                   plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
             While opposing homosexual behavior, the                     Sexual relations are proper only between a
         Church reaches out with understanding and re-               man and a woman who are legally and lawfully
         spect to individuals who are attracted to those             wedded as husband and wife. Any other sexual
         of the same gender.                                         relations, including those between persons of
            If members feel same-gender attraction but               the same gender, are sinful and undermine the
         do not engage in any homosexual behavior,                   divinely created institution of the family. The
         leaders should support and encourage them in                Church accordingly afﬁrms deﬁning marriage
         their resolve to live the law of chastity and to            as the legal and lawful union between a man
         control unrighteous thoughts. These members                 and a woman.
         may receive Church callings. If they are worthy
         and qualiﬁed in every other way, they may also        21.4.11 Sex Education
         hold temple recommends and receive temple                       Parents have primary responsibility for the
         ordinances.                                                 sex education of their children. Teaching this
                                                                     subject honestly and plainly in the home will
21.4.7 In Vitro Fertilization                                        help young people avoid serious moral trans-
             The Church strongly discourages in vitro                gressions. To help parents teach this sensitive
         fertilization using semen from anyone but the               and important information, the Church has pub-
         husband or an egg from anyone but the wife.                 lished A Parent’s Guide.
         However, this is a personal matter that ultimately              Where schools have undertaken sex educa-
         must be left to the judgment of the husband and             tion, parents should seek to ensure that the in-
         wife. Responsibility for the decision rests solely          structions given to their children are consistent
         upon them.                                                  with sound moral and ethical values.
21.4.8 Occult Afﬁliation                                       21.4.12 Single Expectant Parents
             Church members should not engage in any                     Church members who are single and preg-
         form of Satan worship or afﬁliate in any way with           nant are encouraged to go to their bishop. By vir-
         the occult. “Such activities are among the works            tue of his priesthood ofﬁce and calling, he can
         of darkness spoken of in the scriptures. They are           counsel with them as they make important de-
         designed to destroy one’s faith in Christ, and will         cisions that affect their own well-being and that
         jeopardize the salvation of those who knowingly             of the child. He can also help them begin the pro-
         promote this wickedness. These things should                cess of repentance, where appropriate. Instruc-
         not be pursued as games, be topics in Church                tions for the bishop are provided in Handbook 1,
         meetings, or be delved into in private, personal            17.3.12.
         conversations” (First Presidency letter, Sept. 18,
         1991).                                                          When a man and woman conceive a child
                                                                     outside of marriage, every effort should be made
21.4.9 Pornography                                                   to encourage them to marry. When the probabil-
                                                                     ity of a successful marriage is unlikely due to age
             The Church opposes pornography in any                   or other circumstances, the unmarried parents
         form. Indulgence in pornography damages in-                 should be counseled to work with LDS Family
         dividual lives, families, and society. Such indul-          Services to place the child for adoption, provid-
         gence drives away the Spirit of the Lord. Church            ing an opportunity for the baby to be sealed to
         members should avoid all forms of pornographic              temple-worthy parents. Adoption is an unselﬁsh,
         material and oppose its production, dissemina-              loving decision that blesses both the birth par-
         tion, and use.                                              ents and the child in this life and in eternity.
            The booklet Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts                  If LDS Family Services is not available in the
         provides counsel on how to avoid and overcome               area, leaders should encourage the placement
         problems with pornography.                                  of the child for adoption with a temple-worthy




196
                                                                              21. Selected Church Policies and Guidelines



couple through a local licensed agency. LDS Fam-             ofﬁce. If leaders do not know the number of the
ily Services may be of assistance in identifying             local ofﬁce, they may call the help line or go to
reputable, licensed adoption agencies. Licensed              itsaboutlove.org. That Web site provides help-
agencies are designed to protect the interest of             ful information for those who are single, preg-
the child, screen adoptive couples before place-             nant, and considering their options.
ment, and provide needed supervision and coun-
seling.                                                21.4.13 Sperm Donation
    Birth parents who do not marry should not                    The Church strongly discourages the dona-
be counseled to keep the infant as a condition of            tion of sperm.
repentance or out of a sense of obligation to care
for one’s own. Additionally, grandparents and          21.4.14 Suicide




                                                                                                                            Policies and Guidelines
                                                                                                                             21. Selected Church
other family members should not feel obligated                   It is wrong to take a life, including one’s own.
to facilitate parenting by unmarried parents,                However, a person who commits suicide may not
since the child would not generally be able to               be responsible for his or her acts. Only God can
receive the blessings of the sealing covenant.               judge such a matter.
Further, unmarried parents are generally unable
to provide the stability and the nurturing envi-                 The family, in consultation with the bishop,
ronment that a married mother and father can                 determines the place and nature of a funeral ser-
provide. Unmarried parents should give prayer-               vice for a person who has died under such cir-
ful consideration to the best interests of the child         cumstances. Church facilities may be used. If the
and the blessings that can come to an infant who             person was endowed, he or she may be buried
is sealed to a mother and father (see First Presi-           in temple clothing.
dency letter, June 26, 2002).
                                                       21.4.15 Surgical Sterilization (Including Vasectomy)
    If an expectant parent decides to parent the
child, Church leaders and other members should                    The Church strongly discourages surgical
treat the parent and child with care and com-                sterilization as an elective form of birth control.
passion and seek to strengthen parenting skills.             Surgical sterilization should be considered only
LDS Family Services may help in these circum-                if (1) medical conditions seriously jeopardize life
stances. Leaders encourage the parent to have                or health or (2) birth defects or serious trauma
the child given a name and a blessing (see 20.2).            have rendered a person mentally incompetent
                                                             and not responsible for his or her actions. Such
   For information about whether a pregnant                  conditions must be determined by competent
young woman should attend Relief Society or                  medical judgment and in accordance with law.
Young Women meetings, see 10.12.4.                           Even then, the persons responsible for this de-
    LDS Family Services has established a toll-              cision should consult with each other and with
free help line for single expectant parents and              their bishop and should receive divine conﬁr-
others to obtain help regarding pregnancies and              mation of their decision through prayer.
related matters (1-800-537-2229). The help line
is available in all areas of the United States and     21.4.16 Surrogate Motherhood
Canada. Members and nonmembers may call                        The Church strongly discourages surrogate
it directly or call the local LDS Family Services            motherhood.




                                                                                                                    197
Appendix: List of Items Referenced

    Handbook 2: Administering the Church refers to         the record and certiﬁcate are printed in local
many other Church-produced materials. An al-               units; in other areas, the item number is
phabetical list of these materials is provided be-         35972)
low. If item numbers have been assigned, they are      Children’s Songbook (35395)
included in this list rather than in the text of the
handbook. Most of these materials are available        Church Facilities Artwork catalog (contact the
through Church Distribution Services. Contact             facilities manager)
information is provided below:                         Conducting Course Kit (33619)
    Distribution Services                              Day Camp Guide for Eleven-Year-Old Scouts (31374)
    1999 West 1700 South                               Dictionary of Sign Language Terms for The Church
    Salt Lake City, Utah 84104-4233                        of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (31121)
    Telephone: 801-240-3800 (Salt Lake City area)
    1-800-537-5971 (U.S. and Canada)                   Duties and Blessings of the Priesthood, Part A (31111)
    1-801-240-1126 (other countries)                   Duties and Blessings of the Priesthood, Part B (31112)
    Internet: www.ldscatalog.com                       Endowed from on High: Temple Preparation Seminar
Aaronic Priesthood Ordination Record and                  Teacher’s Manual (36854)
   Certiﬁcate (in areas that have Church               Facilities Management Guidelines for Meeting-
   record-keeping software, the record and                 houses and Other Church Property (United




                                                                                                                List of Items Referenced
   certiﬁcate are printed in local units; in other         States and Canada, 35860; outside the
   areas, the item number is 35857)                        United States and Canada, 36485)




                                                                                                                         Appendix:
Activity Plan form (available online at                Faith in God for Boys (36812)
    ldscatalog.com and LDS.org; or item
    number 33809)                                      Faith in God for Girls (36813)
Administrative Guide for Family History (04397)        Family Guidebook (31180)
All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances (04007)     Family History Consultant’s Guide to Temple and
                                                          Family History Work (36797; available on
All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage            LDS.org)
     (04008)
                                                       For the Strength of Youth (pamphlet, 36550; card,
A Parent’s Guide (31125)                                   36551)
Baptism and Conﬁrmation Certiﬁcate (in areas           Gospel Principles (2009 printing, 06195)
   that have Church record-keeping software,
   the certiﬁcate is printed in local units; in        Hymns (31243)
   other areas, the item number is 35920)              Information and Suggestions for Patriarchs (31257)
Baptism and Conﬁrmation Record (in areas that          Instructions for Clothing the Dead Who Have
   have Church record-keeping software, the                Received Their Endowments (31461)
   form is printed in local units; for full-time       Instructions for Curriculum (updated annually)
   missionaries and areas that do not have
   record-keeping software, the item number            Instructor’s Guide to Temple and Family History
   is 35971)                                               Work (35804)
Basic Unit Program Guidebook (36717)                   Keyboard Course Kit (33620)
Behold Your Little Ones: Nursery Manual (37108)        Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts (00460)
Bishop’s Order for Commodities forms (item             Melchizedek Priesthood Ordination Record
    numbers vary by area)                                 and Certiﬁcate (in areas that have Church
                                                          record-keeping software, the record and
Branch Guidebook (31179)                                  certiﬁcate are printed in local units; in other
Certiﬁcate of Advancement (33237)                         areas, the item number is 35858)
Child Blessing Record and Certiﬁcate (in areas         Member’s Guide to Temple and Family History Work
   that have Church record-keeping software,             (36795)



                                                                                                         199
Appendix: List of Items Referenced



         Missionary Handbook (35996)                           Recommendation for New Bishop form (in
         Mission President’s Handbook (36203)                     areas that have Church record-keeping soft-
                                                                  ware, the form is printed in local units; in
         Needs and Resources Analysis form (32290)                other areas, the item number is 31747)
         New and Returning Member Progress form                Recommend to Perform an Ordinance form
           (in areas that have Church record-keeping              (32595)
            software, the form is printed in local units;
           in other areas, the item number is 08616)           Scouting Handbook (Canada, 35810; United
                                                                   States, 35814)
         Ofﬁcers Sustained forms (in areas that have
            Church record-keeping software, these              Talent and Interest Survey form (available on-
            forms are printed in local units; in other             line at ldscatalog.com and LDS.org; or item
            areas, the item numbers are as follows: stake,         number 33812)
            32300; district, 32301; ward or branch in          Teaching Guidebook (34595)
            stake, 32302; branch in mission, 32303)            Teaching, No Greater Call: A Resource Guide for
         Outline for sharing time (published annually)             Gospel Teaching (36123)
         Parental or Guardian Permission and Medi-             True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference (36863; the
            cal Release form (available online at                  item number for units to order this publica-
            ldscatalog.com and LDS.org; or item                    tion as a no-charge item is 37054)
             number 33810)                                     Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting: The
         Patriarchal Blessing Recommend (in areas that            Patriarch (booklet, 25240; DVD, 25241 090)
             have Church record-keeping software, the          Ye Shall Have My Words (student manual, 34476;
             form is printed in local units; in other areas,       teacher’s guide, 34477; training DVD, 00548)
             the item number is 32017)
                                                               Young Womanhood Recognition medallion
         Performance Contract form (available online at           (gold, 08602; silver, 08603)
             ldscatalog.com and LDS.org; or item num-
             ber 33811)                                        Young Women age-group certiﬁcates (Beehive,
                                                                  08563; Mia Maid, 08565; Laurel, 08564)
         Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service
             (36617)                                           Young Women Camp Manual (34573)
         Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple (36793)            Young Women Camp: A Guide for Priesthood and
                                                                  Young Women Leaders (04093)
         Progress Record (36985)
                                                               Young Women logo pendant (08601)
         Quarterly Report (in areas that have Church
            record-keeping software, the form is               Young Women Personal Progress: Standing as a
            accessed and submitted electronically; in             Witness of God (36035)
            other areas, the assigned administrative           Young Women Personal Progress Tracking Sheet
            ofﬁce sends the form to units)                        for Leaders (36655)




200
Index

                                                           stake Young Men secretary, 122
A                                                          ward Young Men presidency, 53–54
Aaronic Priesthood, definition and offices of              ward Young Men secretary, 54
  definition and purposes of, 8, 50–51                     See also Stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young Women
  bishop, 51–53, 159                                          committee; Young Men, stake leaders and
  deacon, 50                                                  meetings; Young Men, ward leaders
  priest, 50–51                                          Aaronic Priesthood meetings
  teacher, 50                                              adapting to local needs, 60, 134–35
  quorums of, 51                                           bishopric youth committee meeting, 56, 142, 150
  See also Deacons quorum; Priests quorum;                 quorum meetings, 46–47, 57, 141, 149
     Teachers quorum                                       quorum presidency meeting, 56
Aaronic Priesthood, general                                stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young Women committee
  adapting to local needs, 60, 134–35                         meeting, 60, 145, 152
  ages of ordination to offices, 50, 133, 175              ward Young Men presidency meeting, 56–57
  callings, chart of, 161–62, 165                          See also Bishopric youth committee; Stake
  convert brethren, when they receive, 24–25                  priesthood leadership meeting
  disabilities, young men with, 53, 61, 187              Abortion, Church policies on, 195
  Duty to God program, 52, 55, 57–58                     Abuse
  fast offerings, gathering, 54                            at Church activities, 109
  full-time missions, preparing quorum members             Church’s position on, 195
     for, 55                                             Accidents
  home teaching, responsibilities for, 42–44               at Church activities, reporting, 109–10
  leaders support parents, 51, 55                          insurance for, in Church activities, 107
  Melchizedek Priesthood, when young men receive,        Activation of less-active members
     24–25, 56                                             importance of, 26
  preparing boys to receive, 55                            callings for, 135
  Priesthood Preview, 55, 92–93                            feelings about the gospel, 26
  sacrament responsibilities, 139, 173–74                  Gospel Principles class for, 27
  See also Conferring priesthood and ordaining             home teachers for, 44
     to office                                             preparing to lead and teach, 13
Aaronic Priesthood activities                              temple preparation seminars for, 28–29, 45
  bishopric youth discussions, 58, 84, 106               Activation, leaders’ responsibilities for
  funding for, 59                                          bishopric, 26
  Mutual, 58, 83–84                                        full-time missionaries, 27
  nonmembers’ participation in, 61                         high councilors, 27
  Scouting, overview of, 59                                home teachers, 27




                                                                                                             Index
  standards events, 59                                     Relief Society committee, 66
  youth under 14, participation in, 60–61, 108–9           stake auxiliary presidencies, 27
  See also Mutual; Scouting                                stake presidency, 27
Aaronic Priesthood leaders                                 visiting teachers, 27
  bishopric, 51–53, 159, 175                               ward council, 18, 27
  high councilor, 60, 120–21                               ward missionaries, 23–24, 27
  quorum advisers, 53–54                                   in ward mission plan, 23–24
  quorum advisers, assistant, 54                           young single adult service committee, 126
  quorum presidencies and assistants to bishop, 53, 55   Activities, Church
  quorum presidencies and assistants to bishop,            purposes of, 102
     guidelines for calling, 52–53                         abuse at, 109
  quorum secretaries, 53                                   accidents at, 109–10
  sports coaches, 54                                       adapting to local needs, 60, 86, 134–35
  stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young Women committee,          adult supervision at, 106
     60, 145, 152                                          cultural arts, 103, 106
  stake presidency, 60                                     curfew laws, 106
  stake Young Men presidency, 121                          dances and music, 106




                                                                                                       201
Index



          Deity portrayed in, 94, 109                             stake programs, 122
          devotionals as part of, 107                             Sunday School, 99
          dress standards for, 102–3                              visiting teaching, 70, 134
          equipment and supplies for, 104                         Young Men, 60, 134–35
          families, should strengthen, 4–5, 51, 102               Young Women, 86, 134–35
          family circumstances and planning of, 133–34          Additional Relief Society meetings, guidelines for,
          funding, guidelines for, 103–4                         68–69, 149
          fund-raising, guidelines for, 59, 85, 104, 107        Administering to the sick, guidelines for, 174–75
          insurance for, 107                                    Adoption
          Monday nights, not held on, 5, 68, 103, 107–8           biological parents, contact with, 180
          music for dances, 106                                   encouraged for single expectant parents, 196–97
          New Year’s Eve activities, 107–8                        legal requirements for, 180
          nonmembers’ participation in, 61, 65, 86                See also Single expectant parents
          overnight, 108, 111, 193                              Advisers
          parental permission for, 108, 111                       Aaronic Priesthood quorum, 53–54
          participation, encouraging, 102                         young single adult, 66, 126
          planning, who is responsible, 102                       Young Women, 80
          prayers at, 109                                       Agendas, leaders’ use in meetings, 14, 138
          renting non-Church facilities, 109                    Agent bishop’s responsibilities
          safety precautions at, 109–10, 135                      baptismal font, use of, 171
          scheduling, 103, 107–8                                  classes for members with disabilities, 187
          service, 103                                            library in multiward building, 98
          for single adults, 104–5, 124                           meetinghouse facilities, scheduling, 103
          sports, 54, 103, 110                                    tuning of pianos and organs, 118
          standards for, 102–3                                  AIDS or HIV, Church policies on, 193–94
          on Sunday, 109                                        Anointing, administering to the sick, 174–75
          taxable activities, 111, 191–92                       Aprons, temple, making, 191
          temple visits, 111                                    Area activities. See Activities, stake, multistake, and area
          travel in, 111                                        Area Seventies. See General Authorities
          unapproved activities, 111                            Artificial insemination, Church policies on, 195
          Word of Wisdom at, 103                                Artwork in meetinghouses, 192
          for young single adults, 104–5, 126–28, 134–35        Ashes, dedication of place where, are kept, 176
          youth under 14, participation of, 60–61, 86, 108–9    Assistant Aaronic Priesthood quorum advisers, 54
          See also Aaronic Priesthood activities; Activities,   Assistants to president of priests quorum, 51–53
             stake, multistake, and area; Camp; Young Women,    Assistant ward mission leader, 22
             activities and events; Youth conferences           Audiovisual materials or visual aids
        Activities, stake, multistake, and area                   copyright guidelines for, 183
          guidelines for, 104–5                                   use in Church settings, 146, 180
          renting non-Church facilities for, 109                Auditions, not held for choirs, 116
          for single adults, 124                                Autographs of General Authorities, 180
          sports activities, 110                                Autopsies, 193
          for young single adults, 104–5, 127, 134–35           Auxiliaries, purposes of, 64, 76, 88, 96
          for youth, 135                                          See also names of individual stake and ward
        Activities committee, stake, 105, 145                         auxiliaries
        Activities directors, stake, 105                        Auxiliary leadership meetings, stake, 145–46, 152
        Activities specialists, stake, 105, 122                 Auxiliary presidencies, stake, 26–27, 121, 145–46
        Activity days, 90, 92
        Activity Insurance Program, Church, 107, 110
        Activity specialists, Young Women
                                                                B
          stake, 86                                             Baptism
          ward, 80                                                general instructions for priesthood ordinances,
        Adaptation of Church programs                                168–69
          guidelines for, 132–35                                  guidelines for baptism and confirmation, 170–73
          home teaching, 44, 134                                  age for, 133, 170
          music, ward, 115                                        clothing for, 171
          priesthood meetings, Sunday, 46–47, 60, 134             for converts, 23, 170–73
          Primary, 93, 135                                        father participating when not temple worthy, 169
          Relief Society, 72–73                                   fonts, use of, 171
                                                                  instructions for performing, 172


202
                                                                                                          Index



   interviews for, 23, 88, 170, 172                     Branch
   investigators, invite to services, 23                   callings, 164, 165–66
   members of record, children who are, 88, 140, 170       conference, guidelines for, 133, 141, 149
   sacrament meeting, introducing new members and       Burial, guidelines for, 148
      children in, 140
   services, instructions for, 23, 170–72
   services, scheduling of, 23, 107, 170–71
                                                        C
   witnesses for, 171                                   Callings, general guidelines
   See also Converts; Ordinances and blessings            general guidelines for whom to call, 156–57
Beehives                                                  approvals, who gives, 156, 159–66
   definition of, 77                                      confidentiality with proposed callings, 156
   Personal Progress, introducing Beehives to, 82–83      for converts, 13, 24, 156
   See also Young Women; Young Women, class               dissenting votes, 157
      presidencies                                        extending, 157, 159–66
Bible, which edition to use, 132, 180                     family circumstances, leaders consider,
Birth control, 195                                            18, 133–34, 156
Bishop, calling and ordaining of, 158–59, 162             for less-active members, 135
Bishopric, responsibilities of                            for nonmembers, 156
   Aaronic Priesthood quorums, 51–53, 159, 175            poor and needy, provide opportunities to care for, 35
   activation, 26                                         recommendations, who may give, 156, 159–66
   agent bishop, 98, 103, 118, 171, 187                   releasing members from, 158
   baptism and confirmation, 23, 88, 170, 172             setting apart officers and teachers, 158
   common judge, 159                                      sustaining, 157, 159–66
   convert retention, 24–25                             Callings, guidelines for specific types of
   funerals, 146–48                                       Aaronic Priesthood, 161–62, 165
   meetinghouse library, 96                               bishops, 158–59, 162
   Melchizedek Priesthood quorums, 41                     branch, 164, 165–66
   member missionary work, 22–23                          elders quorum, 157, 161, 165
   music, 114–16                                          high priests group, 157, 161
   patriarchal blessings, 177                             Melchizedek Priesthood, 161
   Personal Progress, 78, 83                              military service member group, 166
   Primary, 88, 90                                        mission, 164–66
   prospective elders, 25                                 stake, 156, 159–61
   Relief Society, 65                                     ward, 157, 161–64
   single adults, 124                                   Camp
   Sunday School, 96–97                                   day camp, 92, 94, 104
   teaching the gospel, 30                                fund-raising activities for, 104
   temple and family history work, 28                     Scout, 59, 60–61, 104
   welfare, 35                                            Young Women, 84–85, 104
   young single adults, 125                               See also Fund-raising activities




                                                                                                                  Index
   Young Women, 78–79, 83                               Canceling sacrament meeting, 132–33, 192
   See also Ward council, responsibilities of           Candles in meetinghouses, 192
Bishopric meeting, guidelines for, 16, 141–42, 149      Centers for young adults, 127–28
Bishopric youth committee                               Chapel, music appropriate in, 118
   guidelines for, 56, 80–81, 142, 150                  Chastity, 4, 193, 195–96
   plans bishopric youth discussions, 58                Children, parents’ responsibility for, 2, 4–5, 9–10
   plans combined activities, 58, 83–84                 Children’s
   plans ward youth conference, 105–6                     class for additional Relief Society meetings, 69
Bishopric youth discussions, 58, 84, 106                  sacrament meeting presentation, 92, 140
Bishoprics, stake presidency’s meeting with, 145, 151   Choirs
Bishops’ storehouse, 35                                   director and accompanist, ward, 114–16
Bishops’ welfare council meeting, stake, 152              obtaining music for, 118
Blessings, priesthood. See Father’s blessings             planning stake choir music, 117
 and other blessings of comfort and counsel;              planning ward choir music, 115–16
 Ordinances and blessings                                 stake and multistake choirs, 117
Block schedule for Sunday meetings, 153–54                training for choir directors, 117
Book of Mormon, not rewritten in modern English, 181      ward choir, 116




                                                                                                           203
Index



        Church                                                     Converts
           family is basic unit of, 9, 14                             baptism and confirmation of, 23, 170–73
           purposes of, 9                                             callings and service opportunities for new, 13, 24, 156
        Church activities. See Activities, Church                     convert baptisms, definition of, 170
        Church Activity Insurance Program, 107                        Gospel Principles class, new members attend, 26
        Church curriculum. See Curriculum, Church                     home teachers assigned to, 25, 43–44
        Church magazines                                              new members’ needs, 24
           copyright guidelines for, 182                              preparing to lead and teach, 13
           executive secretaries help with, 181                       priesthood, brethren should receive, 24–25
           members should read, 181                                   sacrament meeting, introducing in, 140
           subscription efforts for, 181                              visiting teachers assigned to, 25, 69–70
        Church meetinghouses. See Meetinghouses, Church               ward members strengthen, 23–25
        Church name and logotype, 181                              Convert retention, leaders’ responsibilities
        Church welfare. See Welfare                                   bishopric, 24–25
        Class presidencies. See Young Women, class                    full-time missionaries, 25
         presidencies                                                 high councilors, 26
        Class presidents, Sunday School, 97                           home teachers, 25, 43–44
        Clothing for baptism, 171                                     priesthood and auxiliary leaders, 25
        Combined activities, Mutual, 58, 83–84                        stake auxiliary presidencies, 26
        Common judge, bishop, 159                                     stake presidency, 26
        Compassionate service                                         visiting teachers, 25, 69–70
           coordinator, 66                                            ward council, 18, 25
           Relief Society meeting topic, 69                           ward missionaries, 25
           Relief Society’s responsibility for, 71                 Coordinating council meetings
        Computers                                                     emergency plans, 37
           confidentiality of information, 182                        multistake activities, 104–5
           copyright laws for software, 183                           travel in Church activities, 111
           use of, in Church units, 181                            Copyrighted materials, guidelines for using
        Conferring priesthood and ordaining to office                 audiovisual materials, 183
           general instructions for priesthood ordinances,            Church magazines, pictures in, 182
              168–69                                                  computer software, 183
           general instructions for conferring priesthood and         music, 182–83
              ordaining to office, 175–76                             theatrical productions, 183
           Aaronic Priesthood, bishop oversees, 175                Councils, purposes of, 10, 12, 16
           Melchizedek Priesthood, stake president oversees, 175      See also Stake council; Ward council, responsibilities of
           father participating when not temple worthy, 169        Covenants, definition of, 9
           instructions for performing, 175–76                     Cremation, 148, 176, 193
           ordination record and certificate, 176                  Cultural arts activities, 103, 106
        Confidentiality                                            Curfew laws for Church activities, 106
           computer information, 182                               Curriculum, Church
           e-mail and Internet, 134                                   Church materials, use of, 30–31, 133, 183
           home teaching, 44                                          for families’ use at home, 183
           proposed callings and releases, 156                        for members with disabilities, 188
           visiting teaching, 70                                      new teachers, giving materials to, 30
           ward council, 16, 18, 38                                   for priesthood meetings, 46–47
           welfare needs, 38                                          for Relief Society, 67–68
        Confirmation and gift of the Holy Ghost                       for Sunday School, 97–98
           general instructions for priesthood ordinances,
              168–69
           general instructions for confirmation, 170–73
                                                                   D
           for converts, 23, 170–73                                Dances
           father participating when not temple worthy, 169          guidelines for, 106
           instructions for, 172                                     in commercial buildings, 108
           interviews for, 23, 88, 170, 172                          youth plan and carry out, 60, 86, 145
           sacrament meeting, introducing new members and            youth under 14, participation in, 60–61, 86, 108–9
              children in, 140                                     Dating businesses, 183
           See also Baptism                                        Day camp, 92, 94, 104
        Consecrating oil, 174                                        See also Fund-raising activities



204
                                                                                                               Index



Deacons quorum
   overview of deacons’ responsibilities, 50              E
   fast offerings, gathering, 54                          Education, self-reliance in, 34
   sacrament, passing, 173–74                             Elder
   Sunday quorum meetings, 46–47, 57, 141, 149               definition and responsibilities of, 40
   See also Aaronic Priesthood                               ordaining, 175–76
Deacons quorum presidency                                    sustaining, 143
   calling and sustaining of, 52–53                          when young men are ordained, 24–25, 56
   duties of, 53                                          Elders quorum
   full-time missions, preparing young men for, 55           stake presidency’s responsibilities for, 40–41, 175
   leadership meetings of, 56                                bishopric’s responsibilities for, 41, 175
   Scouting responsibilities of, 59                          callings, chart of, 157, 161, 165
Deaf members, interpretation for                             converts, responsibilities for, 25
   of Church meetings, 188                                   death, serving at time of, 47, 147
   of ordinances and blessings, 188                          disabilities, members with, 47
   See also Disabilities, members with                       high priests, when elders meet with, 134
Death                                                        home teaching, 42–44
   autopsies, 193                                            instructors, 30–31, 42
   burial guidelines, 148                                    presidency, calling and sustaining of, 40–41
   on Church property, 109–10                                presidency, leadership meetings of, 45–46
   cremation, 148, 176, 193                                  presidency, overview of duties, 41–42
   dedicating graves, 169, 176                               priesthood meetings, 46–47, 141, 149
   euthanasia, 193                                           prospective elders, 25, 42, 45
   temple clothing for deceased members, 47, 73, 148         secretary, 42
   See also Funerals                                         welfare work, 36–37, 44
Decorations in meetinghouses, 192                         E-mail, use to reduce travel, 134
Dedicating graves, 169, 176                               Emergencies
Dedicating homes, 176–77                                     accidents and injuries, 109–10
Deity, portrayals in Church activities, 94, 109              canceling meetings during, 132–33, 192
Delegation, principles of, 13                                meetinghouse use during, 192
Devotionals in Church activities, 107                        stake plan for, 37, 145
Directories, stake and ward, 183, 189                        ward plan for, 36
Disabilities, members with                                Emigration of members, 183–84
   general guidelines for, 186–88                         Employment
   interpreters for, 188                                     and Church callings, 156
   priesthood ordinances and blessings for, 169, 186–88      consistent with gospel, 186
   in priesthood quorums, 47, 53, 61                         self-reliance in, 34
   Primary children, 94, 187                                 specialist, 37
   in Relief Society, 73                                  Endowment
   resources for, 188                                        purpose of, 27




                                                                                                                       Index
   special classes, programs, or units for, 187              temple preparation seminars for, 28–29, 45
   Sunday School classes for, 98, 187                     Equipment for activities, funds for, 104
   ward council assists, 36                               Eternal life. See Exaltation
   young men, 53, 61, 187                                 Euthanasia, 193
   young women, 80, 82, 86, 187                           Exaltation
Disciplinary councils                                        Church prepares families for, 4–5, 9
   interpreters for deaf during, 188                         ordinances necessary for, 9, 27, 168
   leaders do not deviate from instructions, 133             purpose of God’s plan, 2
Dissenting votes during sustaining, 157                      sealing of husband and wife necessary for, 3
Divorce and single adult activities, 124, 126             Excommunication, no Church callings after, 156
Dress standards                                           Executive secretary
   for Church activities, 102–3                              Church magazines, 181
   for priesthood holders passing the sacrament, 173         ward council responsibilities, 16–19
   for sisters, 73                                        Exercise programs, guidelines for, 103, 111
Duty to God program, 52, 55, 57–58                        Extending Church callings, 157, 159–66




                                                                                                               205
Index



                                                                 Flags in meetinghouses, 192
        F                                                        Fonts, baptismal
        Faith in God program, 89, 92                                no artwork near, 192
        Families                                                    use for baptisms, 171
           Aaronic Priesthood and Young Women support,           Fourth Sunday priesthood and Relief Society meetings,
              51, 55, 78                                          46, 68
           basic unit of Church, 9, 14                           Friends of Scouting, 107
           Church activities strengthen, 4–5, 51, 102            Full-time missionaries
           Church callings, leaders consider circumstances of,      activation, responsibilities for, 27
              18, 133–34, 156                                       baptisms, responsibilities for, 23, 88, 170, 172
           Church curriculum materials in, 183                      at centers for young adults, 127
           dedicating homes, 176–77                                 companions with members, 23
           in God’s plan, 2–5                                       convert retention, assist with, 25
           home teachers’ responsibilities for, 43                  home teaching, assist with, 25, 44
           leaders help members without strong, 5                   missionary coordination meeting, 18, 22–23, 150
           music in, 117–18                                         missionary preparation class, 55
           parents’ responsibilities for, 2, 4–5, 9–10              sacrament meeting talks of, 139–40
           premortal family of God, 2                               visiting teaching, assist with, 25, 70
           single members, eternal promises to, 4                   ward council, meet with, 17, 22
           welfare, members turn to, 34                             young men, preparing to serve as, 55
        Family history centers, 29–30                            Fund-raising activities
        Family history consultant                                   guidelines for, 107
           family history course, may teach, 29                     for annual camps, 59, 85, 104
           responsibilities of, 28                               Funerals
        Family history course, 29                                   general guidelines for, 146–48
        Family history work. See Temple and family                  bishop, responsibilities of, 146–48
         history work                                               cremation and, 193
        Family home evening                                         financial policies for, 148
           importance of, 5                                         home teachers, responsibilities of, 47, 147
           Monday nights reserved for, 5, 103, 107–8                legal requirements for, 147
           for single adults, 124                                   music at, 148
           for young single adults, 127–28                          for nonmembers, 148
        Family-needs visits, 36, 70–71                              practices of other religions, 147
        Family reunions, sacrament services not held at, 140        quorum or group leaders, responsibilities of, 47, 147
        FamilySearch indexing, 29                                   Relief Society, responsibilities of, 71, 73, 147
        Famous people, temple ordinances for, 28                    services, guidelines for, 147–48
        Fast, law of, 184                                           for suicides, 197
        Fast and testimony meetings                                 viewings, 147
           guidelines for, 140–41, 149                              See also Death
           children bearing testimonies in, 94, 141
           naming and blessing children in, 139, 141
        Fast offerings                                           G
           gathering, 54                                         Gambling and lotteries, 184
           guidelines for contributing, 35                       Garments. See Temple clothing and garments
        Fathers                                                  General Authorities
           participation in ordinances when not temple              autographs and photographs of, 180
              worthy, 169                                           at stake conference, 142–43, 151
           responsibilities for children, 2, 4–5, 9–10              talks, recording of, 189
        Father’s blessings and other blessings of comfort           unofficial statements made by, 190
         and counsel, 176                                        General priesthood meeting. See Stake general
        Fellowshipping. See Converts; Convert retention,          priesthood meeting
         leaders’ responsibilities                               General Relief Society meeting, stake meeting
        Fifth Sunday priesthood and Relief Society meetings,      held with, 72
         46–47, 68                                               Gift of the Holy Ghost. See Confirmation and gift of
        Firearms in meetinghouses, 192                            the Holy Ghost
        Fires in meetinghouses, 192                              Gospel Principles class, 26–27
        First Sunday priesthood and Relief Society meetings,     Gospel teaching and learning. See Teaching the gospel
         46, 67                                                  Graves, dedicating, 169, 176
        Fitness activities, 103, 111                             Guest speakers at Church meetings, 184


206
                                                                                                           Index



                                                           prospective elders, 25, 42, 45
H                                                          secretary, 42
Handbooks, use of, v–vi, 14                                temple and family history work, 22, 28, 41
Handicaps. See Disabilities, members with                  welfare work, 36–37, 44
Health, members become self-reliant in, 34              High priests quorum, definition of, 40
Health and medical policies                             High priests quorum meeting, stake, 47, 144, 151
  autopsies, 193                                        HIV or AIDS, Church policies on, 193–94
  cremation, 193                                        Holy Ghost, gift of. See Confirmation and gift of
  ethically questionable practices, 194                  the Holy Ghost
  euthanasia, 193                                       Home evening groups. See Family home evening
  HIV infection and AIDS, 193–94                        Home storage, members become self-reliant in, 34
  hypnosis, 194                                         Home teachers
  organ donations and transplants, 194                     guidelines for, 42–44
  prolonging life, 194                                     Aaronic Priesthood, preparing boys to receive, 55
  self-awareness groups, 194                               activation, responsibilities for, 27
  stillborn children, 194                                  adapting home teaching to local needs, 44, 134
  Word of Wisdom, 194–95                                   confidentiality, 44
Hearing-impaired members, 188                              converts, responsibilities for, 25, 43–44
  See also Disabilities, members with                      death, serving at time of, 47, 147
High council meeting. See Stake priesthood executive       full-time missionaries assist, 25, 44
 committee meeting                                         for less-active members, 44
High councilors, responsibilities                          for members without Melchizedek Priesthood
  overview of responsibilities, 120–21                        in home, 10
  Aaronic Priesthood, 60, 120–21                           prospective elders, responsibilities for, 45
  activation, 27                                           quorum and group leaders’ responsibilities for, 42–44
  baptismal services, 170–71                               reporting, 44
  convert retention, 26                                    welfare, responsibilities for, 37
  e-mail and Internet if travel is costly, 134             in young single adult ward, 44, 128
  Melchizedek Priesthood, 41                            Homes, dedicating, 176–77
  missionary work, 24, 144                                 See also Families
  sacrament meetings, do not preside, 138, 174          Homosexual behavior
  sacrament meeting talks, 121, 140                        Church policies concerning, 195–96
  single adults, 124                                       same-gender marriages, 196
  stake activities committee, 105, 145                  Hymnbooks, purchasing, 118
  stake music adviser, 116–17                           Hymns
  stake Primary presidency, 93, 145                        adaptations when no one can play piano, 115
  stake Sunday School presidency, 99, 145                  choirs, use in, 116
  stake Young Men presidency, 60, 145                      choosing appropriate, 115–16
  stake Young Women presidency, 85, 145                    classroom, use in, 116
  temple and family history work, 29                       copyright laws for, 182




                                                                                                                   Index
  young single adults, 125                                 home, use in, 117–18
High priest                                                sacrament meeting, use in, 116
  definition and responsibilities of, 40                   See also Music
  ordaining, 175–76                                     Hypnosis, 194
  sustaining, 143
High priests group
  stake presidency’s responsibilities for, 40–41, 175   I
  bishopric’s responsibilities for, 41, 175             Inactive members. See Activation of less-active
  callings, chart of, 157, 161                            members
  converts, responsibilities for, 25                    Income taxes, 184
  death, serving at time of, 47, 147                    Indexing, FamilySearch, 29
  disabilities, members with, 47                        Institutes
  elders, when members meet with, 134                      centers for young adults at, 127–28
  home teaching, 42–44                                     disabilities, for members with, 187
  instructors, 30–31, 42                                   young single adults attend, 127
  leadership, calling and sustaining of, 40–41, 161     Instructors, quorum, 30–31, 42
  leadership, meetings of, 45–46                        Instruments, musical, use in Church services, 114–15
  leadership, overview of duties, 41–42                    See also Music
  priesthood meetings, 46–47, 141, 149                  Insurance for Church activities, 107


                                                                                                            207
Index



        Internet                                                 Marriage
           in-person contact, should not replace, 184              central to God’s plan, 3
           members’ use of, in Church callings, 185                raising children in righteousness, 4–5
           official Church resources on, 184–85                    single members, eternal promises to, 4
           personal use of, 185                                  Medical policies. See Health and medical policies
           stake and ward Web sites, 184–85                      Meetinghouses, Church
           use to reduce travel, 134                               accidents in, 109–10
        Interviews                                                 agent bishop for, 98, 103, 118, 171, 187
           for baptism and confirmation, by bishops and            artwork in, 192
              missionaries, 23, 88, 170, 172                       candles in, 192
           of bishops, by stake presidents, 24, 26–27, 125         deacons’ responsibilities for, 50
           for callings, by authorized leaders, 157                decorations in, 192
           for patriarchal blessings, by bishopric, 177            emergency use of, 192
           of quorum and group members, by quorum and              firearms in, 192
              group leaders, 42                                    fires in, 192
           of young men, by bishopric, 52                          flags in, 192
           of young single adults, by bishopric, 125               funerals, use for, 147–48
           of young women, by bishopric, 77–78, 83                 kitchens in, 193
        Investigators. See Member missionary work                  overnight activities, 108, 193
        In vitro fertilization, Church policies on, 196            parking lots, use of, 193
                                                                   photographs and video recordings in, 193
                                                                   political purposes, use for, 106, 191–92
        J                                                          purposes of, 191
        Jobs. See Employment                                       sacrament meeting held away from, 140
                                                                   safety in, 109–10, 192
        K                                                          scheduling activities in, 103
                                                                   security of, 192
        Keyboards, 118
                                                                   serving areas of, 193
        Keys, priesthood. See Priesthood keys
                                                                   signs on, 181
        Kitchens in meetinghouses, 193
                                                                   storage in, 193
                                                                   tax-exempt status of, 111, 191–92
        L                                                          unapproved uses of, 191–92
        Laurels, definition of, 77                                 voter registration, use for, 192
           See also Young Women; Young Women, class                weddings, use for, 118
              presidencies                                       Meetinghouse library
        Laws of the land, obeying, 185                             guidelines for, 98
        Leadership in the Church                                   bishopric, 96
           leadership purposes, 14                                 music in, 118
           preparing young men for, 60                             stake presidency, 98
           preparing young single adults for, 13                   stake Sunday School presidency, 99
           preparing young women for, 85                           ward librarian and assistant librarians, 98
           principles of leadership, 12–14                         ward Sunday School presidency, 96–98
           Savior’s way of leading, 12                           Meetings, general principles
        Learning and teaching the gospel. See Teaching             agendas for, 14, 138
         the gospel                                                canceling during emergencies, 132–33, 192
        Less-active members. See Activation of less-active         planning and conducting, 138
         members; Convert retention, leaders’ responsibilities     prayers at, 146
        Librarian, ward, 98                                        scheduling on Sunday, 138
           See also Meetinghouse library                           visual aids and audiovisual materials at, 146, 180
        Literacy, 71                                             Meetings, stake
        Logotype, Church, 181                                      overview, 142
        Lord’s storehouse, 35                                      stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young Women committee
        Lotteries and gambling, 184                                   meeting, 145, 152
                                                                   stake auxiliary leadership meetings, 145–46, 152
                                                                   stake bishops’ welfare council meeting, 152
        M                                                          stake conference, 142–43, 151
        Magazines. See Church magazines                            stake council meeting, 145, 151
        Mail, items without postage in mailboxes, 189              stake general priesthood meeting, 143, 151
                                                                   stake high priests quorum meeting, 47, 144, 151


208
                                                                                                              Index



  stake presidency meeting, 144, 151                          ward missionaries, 23–25, 27
  stake presidency’s meeting with bishoprics, 145, 151        ward mission leader, 22–27, 170–71
  stake priesthood executive committee meeting,               See also Activation of less-active members;
     144, 151                                                    Convert retention, leaders’ responsibilities
  stake priesthood leadership meeting, 46, 57,             Membership records
     143–44, 151                                              after baptism, 172–73
  stake single adult committee meeting, 124, 152              introducing members, 140
  stake young single adult committee meeting, 125, 152        in young single adult wards and stakes, 128–29
Meetings, ward                                             Members of record, baptism of, 88, 140, 170
  overview, 138                                            Men, serving in Primary, 94
  bishopric meeting, 16, 141–42, 149                       Mia Maids, definition of, 77
  bishopric youth committee meeting, 56, 80–81, 142, 150      See also Young Women; Young Women, class
  fast and testimony meeting, 140–41, 149                        presidencies
  missionary coordination meeting, 18, 22–23, 150          Military service member group callings, 166
  priesthood meeting, 46–47, 57, 141, 149                  Mission callings, 164–66
  sacrament meeting, 132–33, 138–40, 149                   Mission leader, ward, 22–27, 170–71
  Sunday meeting schedule, 138, 153–54                     Mission plan, ward, 18, 22–27
  ward conference, 133, 141, 149                           Mission president, responsibilities of
  ward council meeting, 17–19, 150                            investigators, teaching, 23
  ward priesthood executive committee meeting,                keys for baptizing and confirming converts, 23, 172
     16, 150                                                  non-Christian faiths, relationships with, 188–89
  ward young single adult committee meeting, 126, 150         stake presidency, meets with, 24
  See also names of individual quorums, groups,            Missionaries. See Full-time missionaries; Member
     and auxiliaries, as well as names of individual        missionary work; Ward missionaries
     meetings for more information                         Missionary coordination meeting, 18, 22–23, 150
Melchizedek Priesthood, general                            Missionary preparation class, 55
  definition and purposes of, 8, 40                        Monday nights, no Church activities on, 5, 68,
  elders, 40                                                103, 107–8
  high priests, 40                                         Multistake, stake, and area activities. See Activities,
  quorums of elders and high priests, 40                    stake, multistake, and area
  adapting to local needs, 46–47, 134                      Music
  callings, chart of, 161                                     purposes of, 114–15, 117–18
  fathers strive to magnify, 9–10                             adapting to local conditions, 115
  prospective elders, responsibility for, 44–45               appropriate music, choosing, 115–16
  special needs, helping brethren with, 47                    chapel, music appropriate for, 118
  when brethren receive, 24–25, 56                            choirs, stake and multistake, 117
Melchizedek Priesthood leaders. See Elders quorum;            choirs, ward, 116
 High priests group                                           in classrooms, 116
Melchizedek Priesthood meetings                               congregational singing, 115
  elders quorum presidency meeting, 45–46                     copyright laws for, 182–83




                                                                                                                      Index
  high priests group leadership meeting, 45–46                in homes, 117–18
  priesthood meetings, 46–47, 141, 149                        hymnbooks, purchasing, 118
  stake high priests quorum meeting, 47, 144, 151             keyboards, use of, 118
  stake priesthood leadership meeting, 46, 57,                meetinghouse library, music in, 118
     143–44, 151                                              online music resources, 118
Member missionary work                                        organs, use of, 115, 117–18, 192
  overview of, 22–24                                          pianos, use of, 115, 117–18, 192
  investigators invited to baptismal services, 23             prelude and postlude music, 115
  members work with full-time missionaries, 23                special musical selections, 116
  missionary coordination meeting, 18, 22–23, 150             training in music skills, 117
  ward mission plan, 18, 22–27                                See also Choirs; Hymns
Member missionary work, leaders’ responsibilities for      Music, events and meetings
  bishopric, 22–23                                            dances, 106
  full-time missionaries, 23                                  funerals, 148
  high councilor, 24, 144                                     sacrament meetings, 115–16, 139, 173–74
  mission president, 23–24                                    stake conferences, 117
  stake presidency, 24                                        weddings, 118
  ward council, 17–18, 22–24                                  See also individual auxiliary meetings and quorum
                                                                 and group meetings


                                                                                                               209
Index



        Music adviser                                            non-Christian faiths, relationships with, 188–89
          stake, 116                                             in Personal Progress, 86
          ward, 114                                              in Relief Society, 65
        Music chairman                                           and sacrament, 173
          stake, 116–17                                          in Scouting, 61
          ward, 114–15, 117                                      in single adult activities, 124
        Music director                                           in Sunday meetings, 138, 143
          priesthood, 114                                        in young single adult activities, 126
          Primary, 89, 91                                        in youth activities, 61, 86
          Primary, stake, 93                                   Nursery, Primary, 89–91
          Relief Society, 66–67
          ward, 114–15
          Young Women, 80
                                                               O
        Music leaders, Relief Society, 66–67                   Oil, consecrating, 174
        Music leaders, responsibilities of                     Opening exercises
          stake presidency, 116                                   Mutual, 58, 83
          stake music adviser, 116                                priesthood meetings, 46–47, 57, 141, 153
          stake music chairman, 116–17                            Relief Society, 67, 153
          stake music specialists, 117                            Relief Society and Young Women combine
          bishopric, 114–16                                          once a month, 71
          ward choir director and accompanist, 114–16             Young Women, 82, 153
          ward music adviser, 114                              Ordaining to an office. See Conferring priesthood and
          ward music chairman, 114–15, 117                      ordaining to office
          ward music director, 114–15                          Ordinance, gospel, definition of, 9
          ward organist or pianist, 114                        Ordinances and blessings
          See also Music director; Pianist; and individual        general instructions for, 168–69
             auxiliary organizations and priesthood quorums       disabilities, for persons with, 169, 186–88
             and groups for more music leaders                    minimum ages for receiving ordinances may not
        Musical instruments, use in Church services, 114–15          be altered, 133
        Mutual                                                    temple ordinances and covenants not discussed
          guidelines for, 58, 83–84                                  specifically in Church meetings, 133
          combined activities, 58, 83–84                          who can participate in, 168–69
          disabilities, for members with, 187                     See also individual ordinances and blessings for
          opening exercises, 58, 83                                  further information
          Personal Progress activities, 82                     Organ donations and transplants, 194
          quorum and class activities, 58, 83–84               Organist, ward, 114, 156
          Scouting activities, 59                              Organs
          theme, 58, 83                                           for practice, 117, 192
          for young men, 58                                       purchasing of, 118
          for young women, 83–84                                  tuning and repair of, 118
          youth under 14, participation of, 60–61, 86, 108–9      use in Church services, 115, 118
                                                                  See also Music
                                                               Orienting new teachers, 30
        N                                                      Out-of-wedlock pregnancies. See Single expectant
        Naming and blessing children                            parents
          general instructions for priesthood ordinances,      Out-of-wedlock, baby born, blessing record for, 170
             168–69                                            Overnight activities, 108, 111, 193
          general instructions for naming and blessing
             children, 169–70
          blessing record and certificate for, 169–70
                                                               P
          in fast and testimony meeting, 139, 141              Parents
          father participating when not temple worthy, 169        children, responsibility for, 2, 4–5, 9–10
          record for baby born out of wedlock, 170                leaders support, 51, 55, 78
        New Beginnings, 84                                        permission for Church activities, 108, 111
        New Year’s Eve, activities on, 107–8                   Parking lots of meetinghouses, 193
        Nonmembers                                             Part-member families, leaders strengthen, 5
          Church callings for, 156                                See also Activation of less-active members
          funerals for, 148                                    Patriarchal blessings, guidelines for, 177




210
                                                                                                     Index



Perpetual Education Fund                           Priesthood leadership meeting, stake. See Stake
   specialists for, 37                              priesthood leadership meeting
   in stake council, 145                           Priesthood meetings
   in ward council, 18                                adapting to local needs, 60, 134
Personal Progress                                     guidelines for, 46–47, 57, 141, 149
   bishop’s responsibilities, 78, 83               Priesthood music director and pianist, 114
   certificates and awards, 82                     Priesthood Preview, 55, 92–93
   definition and goals, 82                        Priests quorum
   Mutual, activities at, 82                          overview of priests’ responsibilities, 50–51
   in New Beginnings, 84                              bishop is president of, 51–52, 159
   nonmembers participate in, 86                      home teaching responsibilities of, 43–44
   in Young Women in Excellence, 84                   Melchizedek Priesthood, when priests receive,
   Young Women leaders’ responsibilities, 82–83          24–25, 56
   Young Women leaders work on, 79                    Sunday quorum meetings, 46–47, 57, 141, 149
Photographs in meetinghouses, 193                     See also Aaronic Priesthood
Pianist                                            Priests quorum presidency
   priesthood, 114                                    calling and sustaining of, 52–53
   Primary, 89                                        duties of, 53
   Relief Society, 66–67                              full-time missions, preparing young men for, 55
   ward, 114                                          leadership meetings of, 56
   Young Women, 80                                    Scouting responsibilities of, 59
Pianos                                             Primary
   adaptations when no one can play, 115              Aaronic Priesthood, prepares boys to receive, 55
   for practice, 117, 192                             activity days, 90, 92
   purchasing of, 118                                 adapting to local needs, 93, 135
   tuning and repair of, 118                          children’s sacrament meeting presentation, 92, 140
   use in Church services, 115, 118                   classes, guidelines for, 91–92
   See also Music                                     Deity, portrayals in, 94, 109
Plan of salvation, 2–3                                disabilities, children with, 94, 187
Political and civic activities                        Faith in God program, 89, 92
   Church facilities for, 106, 191–92                 finances for, 94
   Church’s involvement in, 189                       men serving in, 94
Pornography, Church policies on, 196                  music in, 89, 91
Postlude and prelude music, 115                       nursery, 89–91
   See also Music                                     purposes of, 88
Prayers                                               reverence in, 89, 94
   at Church activities, 109                          Scouting in, 90, 92–94
   in Church meetings, guidelines for, 146            sharing time, 89, 91
   sacrament, 174                                     testimony bearing in, 94, 141
Prelude and postlude music, 115                       theme of, 88




                                                                                                             Index
   See also Music                                  Primary, stake leaders and meetings
Presidency meetings. See the names of individual      high councilor, 93, 145
 auxiliaries and priesthood quorums and groups        stake presidency, 93, 120
Presiding authority at Church meetings, 138, 174      stake Primary music leader, 93
Presiding councils, purposes of, 10, 12, 16           stake Primary presidency, 26–27, 93, 121, 145–46
Priesthood, definition of, 8–9                        stake Primary secretary, 122
Priesthood blessings. See Father’s blessings          stake Primary leadership meeting, 90, 145–46, 152
 and other blessings of comfort and counsel;       Primary, ward leaders
 Ordinances and blessings                             activity days leaders, 90
Priesthood executive committee, ward. See Ward        bishopric, 88, 90
 priesthood executive committee                       nursery leaders, 89–90
Priesthood executive committee, stake. See Stake      Primary music leader, 89, 91
 priesthood executive committee                       Primary pianist, 89
Priesthood keys                                       Primary presidency, 88–89
   definition of, 8–9, 40, 50                         Primary secretary, 89
   when to confer, 158, 175                           Primary teachers, 89–90
                                                      Scout leaders, 90




                                                                                                      211
Index



        Primary, ward meetings                                    young single adult sisters, responsibility for,
           meeting with counselor in bishopric, 90                   71–72, 125–26
           Priesthood Preview, 55, 92–93                          young single adult sisters, separate class for, 72
           Primary presidency meeting, 89–90                      See also Visiting teachers
           Sunday Primary meetings, 90–92, 149                 Relief Society, stake leaders and meetings
        Privacy of members, protecting, 189                       stake presidency, 72, 120
        Prolonging life, 194                                      stake Relief Society presidency, 26–27, 72, 121, 145–46
        Prospective elders                                        stake Relief Society secretary, 122
           definition of, 44–45                                   general Relief Society meeting, stake meeting with, 72
           bishopric’s responsibility for, 25                     stake Relief Society leadership meeting, 67, 145–46, 152
           preparing for Melchizedek Priesthood, 45            Relief Society, ward leaders
           priesthood meetings, attendance at, 138, 141           advisers to young single adult sisters, 66
           quorum and group leaders’ responsibility for,          bishopric, 65
              25, 42, 45                                          compassionate service coordinator, 66
        Public affairs specialists, 122                           Relief Society meeting coordinator and committee, 66
                                                                  Relief Society music leaders, 66–67
                                                                  Relief Society pianists, 66–67
        Q                                                         Relief Society presidency, 65, 71–72
        Quorum                                                    Relief Society secretary, 65–66
          Aaronic Priesthood, definition of, 51                   Relief Society teachers, 66
          Melchizedek Priesthood, definition of, 40               visiting teaching coordinator, 66
          See also Deacons quorum; Elders quorum; High            visiting teaching supervisors, 66
            priests group; Priests quorum; Teachers quorum     Relief Society, ward meetings
        Quorum advisers, Aaronic Priesthood, 53–54                additional Relief Society meetings, 68–69, 149
          See also Young Men, ward leaders                        children’s class for additional Relief Society
        Quorum advisers, assistant, Aaronic Priesthood, 54           meetings, 69
          See also Young Men, ward leaders                        Relief Society presidency meeting, 67
        Quorum and group meetings, 46–47, 57, 141, 149            Sunday Relief Society meetings, 67–68, 149
        Quorum presidencies. See Deacons quorum presi-         Research studies, Church, 190
         dency; Elders quorum; High priests group; Priests     Retention. See Convert retention, leaders’ responsibilities
         quorum presidency; Teachers quorum presidency         Reverence
        Quotas, none for temple work, 27–28                       leaders encourage, 13–14, 139
                                                                  in Primary, 89, 94
        R                                                         in sacrament meeting, 13–14, 139–40, 173
        Recordings of music, use in Church services, 115
           See also Music                                      S
        Records and reports, leaders ensure accuracy of, 133   Sacrament
        Releasing from Church callings, guidelines for, 158       general instructions for priesthood ordinances,
           See also Sustaining and releasing                         168–69
        Relief Society                                            Aaronic Priesthood holders’ responsibilities, 173–74
           adapting to local needs, 72–73                         blessing and passing, 139, 173–74
           compassionate service, 71                              dress for priesthood holders, 173
           converts, assisting female, 25                         hymn, 173–74
           disabilities, members with, 73                         nonmembers’ partaking of, 173
           dress standards for sisters, 73                        preparing, 173
           funerals, help with, 71, 73, 147                       See also Ordinances and blessings; Sacrament
           history, 64                                               meeting
           literacy efforts, 71                                Sacrament meeting
           membership, 64, 86                                     general guidelines, 132–33, 138–40, 149
           motto and seal, 64                                     canceling in extreme situations, 132–33, 192
           nonmembers in, 65                                      children’s sacrament meeting presentation, 92, 140
           opening exercises combined with Young Women, 71        converts confirmed in, 23, 172
           purpose, 64                                            high councilors speaking in, 121, 140
           sisters serving in other auxiliaries, 64               members unable to attend, 140
           transition from Young Women to, 64, 71–72, 77          missionaries speaking in, 139–40
           unwed mothers in, 86                                   music for, 115–16, 139, 173–74
           welfare work of, 36–37, 70–71                          new members, introducing, 140



212
                                                                                                            Index



   not held outside unit boundaries, 106, 140             Setting apart
   planning and conducting, 139                              bishops, 158–59
   prayers in, 146                                           officers and teachers, 158
   presides, which priesthood leader, 138, 174            Sex education, 196
   purposes of, 138                                       Sharing time, Primary, 89–93
   reverence in, 13–14, 139–40, 173                       Sick, administering to, 174–75
   in Sunday meeting schedule, 153–54                     Signs on meetinghouses, 181
   talks in, 139–40                                       Single adult committee, stake, 124, 152
   in unusual situations, 140                             Single adults (ages 31 and older)
   visual aids or audiovisual materials in, 146, 180         guidelines for leaders of, 124
   young men and women, recognizing in, 52, 78               activities for, 104–5, 124
   youth speaking in, 139                                    high councilor’s responsibilities for, 124
Sacrament prayer                                             home evening groups for, 124
   errors in offering, 174                                   multistake activities for, 124
   guidelines for, 174                                       nonmembers participate in, 124
Safety at Church activities, 109–10, 135                     overnight activities for, 108
Sales agents, 190                                            stake presidency’s responsibilities for, 124
Same-gender marriages, 196                                   stake single adult committee, 124, 152
Satellite                                                    See also Single expectant parents; Unmarried
   broadcast at stake conference, 142                           members; Young single adults (ages 18 to 30)
   and video equipment, use of Church, 190                Single expectant parents
Scout camp, 59, 60–61, 104                                   general guidelines for, 196–97
   See also Fund-raising activities                          adoption of children encouraged, 196–97
Scouting                                                     membership record for baby born out of wedlock, 170
   overview of, 59                                           single parents in conventional wards, 129
   bishopric oversees, 52, 59, 88                            unwed mothers in Relief Society or Young Women, 86
   Friends of Scouting, 107                                  See also Adoption
   in Mutual, 59                                          Single members. See Single adults (ages 31 and older);
   nonmembers’ participation in, 61                        Unmarried members; Young single adults (ages 18 to 30)
   in Primary, 90, 92–94                                  Special needs. See Disabilities, members with
   in quorum presidency meetings, 56                      Sperm donation, 197
   stake presidency oversees, 60                          Sports
   ward Young Men presidency’s responsibilities, 54, 59      guidelines for, 110
Scriptures, authorized versions of, 132, 180–81              activities, 103
Sealing the anointing, 174–75                                coaches, Young Men sports teams, 54
Second and third Sunday priesthood and Relief Society        uniforms, 104, 110
 meetings, 46, 67–68                                      Stake, multistake, and area activities. See Activities,
Secretary                                                  stake, multistake, and area
   Aaronic Priesthood quorums, 53                         Stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young Women committee
   elders quorums and high priests groups, 42                members and purpose of, 60, 85–86, 145, 152




                                                                                                                    Index
   Primary, 89                                               youth conference, planning of, 105–6
   Relief Society, 65–66                                  Stake activities, Young Men and Young Women, 86, 145
   Sunday School, 97                                      Stake activities committee, 105, 145
   Young Men, 54                                          Stake and multistake choirs, 117
   Young Women, 79–80                                     Stake auxiliary leadership meetings, 145–46, 152
   Young Women classes, 80                                Stake auxiliary presidencies, 26–27, 121, 145–46
Security, 109–10, 135                                     Stake bishops’ welfare council meeting, 152
Self-awareness groups, 194                                Stake callings, 156, 159–61
Self-reliance                                             Stake conference
   definition and importance of, 34–35                       guidelines for, 142–43, 151
   Church activities teach, 102                              music at, 117
   family-needs visits and, 70–71                            satellite broadcast at, 142
   high priests groups, elders quorums, and Relief           when held, 133
      Society leaders’ responsibilities for, 36, 70       Stake council
   Relief Society classes teach, 69                          overview of responsibilities, 12, 145, 151
Service. See Welfare                                         members of, 121, 145
Service member groups, military, callings of, 166            welfare responsibilities, 37, 145
Serving areas in meetinghouses, 193                       Stake general priesthood meeting, 143, 151



                                                                                                             213
Index



        Stake high priests quorum meeting, 47, 144, 151            Sunday School
        Stake music                                                   purposes of, 96
            adviser, 116                                              adapting to local needs, 99
            chairman, 116–17                                          classes and curriculum, 97–98, 149
            specialists, 117                                          disabilities, classes for members with, 98, 187
        Stake presidency, responsibilities of                         family history course, 29
            Aaronic Priesthood quorums, 60                            gospel learning and teaching, 30–31, 96–98
            activation, 27                                            Gospel Principles class, 26–27
            convert retention, 26                                     meetinghouse library, 96–98
            meetinghouse library, 98                                  Teaching the Gospel course, 31
            Melchizedek Priesthood quorums, 40–41, 175                young single adults, classes for, 98, 127
            member missionary work, 24                                youth, classes for, 98
            music, 116                                             Sunday School, stake leaders and meetings
            Primary, 93, 120                                          high councilor, 99, 145
            Relief Society, 72, 120                                   stake presidency, 98, 120
            single adults, 124                                        stake Sunday School presidency, 26–27, 99,
            Sunday School, 98, 120                                       121, 145–46
            teaching the gospel, 31                                   stake Sunday School secretary, 122
            temple and family history work, 29                        stake Sunday School leadership meeting,
            welfare, 37                                                  97, 145–46, 152
            Young Men, 60, 120                                     Sunday School, ward leaders and meetings
            young single adults, 125                                  bishopric, 96–97
            Young Women, 85, 120                                      Sunday School class presidents, 97
            See also Stake council                                    Sunday School presidency, 30–31, 96–98
        Stake presidency meeting, 144, 151                            Sunday School secretary, 97
        Stake presidency’s interviews of bishops, 24, 26–27, 125      Sunday School teachers, 97
        Stake presidency’s meeting with bishoprics, 145, 151          meeting with counselor in bishopric, 97
        Stake priesthood executive committee                          Sunday School presidency meeting, 97
            high councilors serve on, 121                          Surrogate motherhood, 197
            meetings, guidelines for, 144, 151                     Sustaining and releasing
        Stake priesthood leadership meeting, 46, 57, 143–44, 151      guidelines for, 157–58, 159–66
        Stake Primary. See Primary, stake leaders and meetings        in sacrament meeting, 139
        Stake Relief Society. See Relief Society, stake leaders    Symposia, members’ participation in, 190–91
         and meetings
        Stake single adult committee, 124, 152
        Stake specialists, 122
                                                                   T
        Stake Sunday School. See Sunday School, stake leaders      Talks, in sacrament meeting, 139–40
         and meetings                                              Taxes
        Stake welfare specialists, 37                                 and Church activities, 111, 191–92
        Stake Young Men. See Young Men, stake leaders                 income, 184
         and meetings                                                 tax-exempt status, 111, 191–92
        Stake young single adult committee, 125, 152               Teachers, gospel
        Stake Young Women. See Young Women, stake leaders             priesthood and auxiliary leaders’ responsibilities
         and meetings                                                    for, 30–31, 96–98
        Standards                                                     Primary, 89–90
            teaching to young men, 57                                 quorum, 30–31, 42
            teaching to young women, 81–82                            Relief Society, 66
        Standards events, 59, 84                                      Sunday School, 97
        Standard works, authorized versions of, 132, 180–81           teaching the gospel, basic principles, 31
        Sterilization, surgical, 197                                  See also Teaching the gospel
        Stillborn children, 194                                    Teachers quorum
        Suicide, 197                                                  overview of teachers’ responsibilities, 50
        Sunday                                                        home teaching responsibilities of, 43–44
            activities on, 109                                        secretary, duties of, 53
            scheduling meetings on, 138                               Sunday quorum meetings, 46–47, 57, 141, 149
        Sunday meeting schedule                                       See also Aaronic Priesthood
            general guidelines, 138, 153–54                        Teachers quorum presidency
            altered only in extreme situations, 132–33, 192           calling and sustaining of, 52–53
            for units with different languages, 154                   duties of, 53


214
                                                                                                                Index



   full-time missions, preparing young men for, 55          Transition
   leadership meetings of, 56                                  to Church membership, 24–26
   Scouting responsibilities of, 59                            from Young Women to Relief Society, 64, 71–72, 77
Teaching the gospel                                         Travel
   hymns, use in, 116                                          adaptations for difficulty of, 134
   purposes of, 30                                             in Church activities, 111
   teaching principles for teachers and leaders, 31         Tuning, pianos and organs, 118
   ward council, discussed in, 18, 30
Teaching the gospel, leaders’ responsibilities for
   overview of Church leaders’ responsibility, 12
                                                            U
   bishopric, 30                                            Uniformity and adaptation. See Adaptation of
   priesthood and auxiliary leaders, 30–31                   Church programs
   stake presidency, 31                                     Uniforms for sports, 104, 110
   Sunday School presidency, stake, 99                      Unmarried members
   Sunday School presidency, ward, 30–31, 96–97               guidelines for leaders of, 124
   ward council, 18, 30                                       dating businesses for, 183
Teaching the Gospel course, 31                                eternal promises to, 4
Temple and family history work                                leaders strengthen, 5
   overview of members’ responsibilities, 27–28               sisters included in quorum or group activities, 42
   family history centers, 29–30                              See also Single adults (ages 31 and older); Single ex-
   family history course, 29                                     pectant parents; Young single adults (ages 18 to 30)
   FamilySearch indexing, 29                                Unwed mothers. See Single expectant parents
   no quotas or reporting systems for, 27–28
   no temple ordinances for unrelated persons               V
      without approval, 28
                                                            Values, Young Women, 76–77
   online family history resources, 29
                                                            Vasectomy, 197
   temple preparation seminars, 28–29, 45
                                                            Video and satellite equipment, use of Church, 142, 190
Temple and family history work, leaders’ responsibilities
                                                            Video recordings, not made in meetinghouses, 193
   bishopric, 28
                                                            Viewings, guidelines for, 147
   family history consultants, 28–29
                                                            Visiting teachers
   high councilors, 29
                                                               guidelines for, 69–70
   high priests group leader, 22, 28, 41
                                                               activation, responsibilities for, 27
   stake presidency, 29
                                                               adapting visiting teaching to local needs, 70, 134
   ward council, 18, 28–29
                                                               confidentiality, 70
Temple clothing and garments
                                                               converts, responsibilities for, 25, 69–70
   burial in, 47, 73, 148
                                                               full-time sister missionaries and, 25, 70
   disposing of, 191
                                                               for sisters serving in other auxiliaries, 64
   dress for sisters when attending temples, 73
                                                               for sisters without Melchizedek Priesthood
   obtaining and wearing, 191
                                                                  in home, 10
   temple aprons, making, 191




                                                                                                                        Index
                                                               visiting teaching coordinator, 66
Temple ordinances
                                                               visiting teaching supervisors, 66
   for famous people, 28
                                                               welfare, responsibilities for, 37
   leaders encourage members to receive, 27–28
                                                               for young single adult sisters, 71–72
   not discussed specifically in meetings, 133
                                                            Visual aids or audiovisual materials, use in sacrament
Temple preparation seminar, 28–29, 45
                                                             meeting, 146, 180
Temple recommends
                                                            Voter registration in meetinghouses, 192
   endowed members should have, 27
   interview questions not to be altered, 132
   in young single adult stakes, 129                        W
Temple visits, organizing, 111                              Ward callings, 157, 161–64
Testimonies                                                   See also Callings, general guidelines
   in fast and testimony meeting, 94, 141                   Ward clerk, ward council responsibilities, 16–19
   in Primary, 94, 141                                      Ward conference, 133, 141, 149
Theatrical productions, copyright laws for, 183             Ward council, responsibilities of
Theme                                                         overview of responsibilities, 12, 16–19, 22
   Mutual, 58, 83                                             meetings of, guidelines for, 17–19, 150
   Primary, 88                                                members of and purposes, 16, 22, 150
   Young Women, 76                                            activation, 18, 27



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          activities, 17, 102
          confidentiality, 16, 18, 38                   Y
          convert retention, 18, 25                     Young adults. See Young single adults (ages 18 to 30)
          disabilities, members with, 36                Young Men
          literacy, 71                                    adapting to local needs, 60, 134–35
          member missionary work, 17–18, 22–24            disabilities, members with, 53, 61, 187
          Perpetual Education Fund, 18                    interviews of, by bishopric, 52
          teaching the gospel, 18, 30                     leadership skills, teaching to, 60
          temple and family history work, 18, 28–29       Mutual, 58
          welfare, 18, 35–36                              preparing for full-time missions, 55
          work of salvation in the ward, 22               Scout leaders, presidency serves as, 54, 59
        Ward meetings. See Meetings, ward                 stake activities for, 145
        Ward mission leader, 22–27, 170–71                See also Aaronic Priesthood
        Ward mission leader, assistant, 22              Young Men, stake leaders and meetings
        Ward mission plan, 18, 22–27                      high councilor, 60, 146
        Ward missionaries                                 stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young Women committee,
          responsibilities, 23                               60, 145, 152
          activation, responsibilities for, 23–24, 27     stake presidency, 60, 120
          convert retention, responsibilities for, 25     stake Young Men presidency, 26–27, 121, 146
        Ward music                                        stake Young Men secretary, 122
          adviser, 114                                    stake priesthood leadership meeting, 46, 57,
          chairman, 114–15, 117                              143–44, 151
          director, 114–15                              Young Men, ward leaders
          organist or pianist, 114                        assistant Aaronic Priesthood quorum advisers, 54
        Ward priesthood executive committee               sports coaches, 54
          definition of, 16                               Young Men presidency, 53–54, 59
          meetings, guidelines for, 16, 150               Young Men secretary, 54
          welfare responsibilities of, 36               Young Men, ward meetings
        Web sites, stake and ward, 184–85                 bishopric youth committee meeting, 56, 142, 150
        Weddings, music for, 118                          Young Men presidency meeting, 56–57
        Welfare                                         Young single adults (ages 18 to 30)
          overview of, 34–38                              activities, ward and stake, 104–5, 126–28
          assistance to poor and needy, 35–37             activities, multistake and area, 104–5, 127, 134
          confidentiality of welfare needs, 38            adapting to local needs, 134–35
          families, members receive help from, 34         centers for, 127–28
          family-needs visits, 36, 70–71                  home evening groups for, 127–28
          Lord’s storehouse, 35                           home teachers for, 44, 128
          members’ responsibilities for, 35               institute classes for, 127
          purposes of, 34–35                              interviews of, by bishopric, 125
          self-reliance, 34–35                            leadership skills, teaching, 13
        Welfare, leaders’ responsibilities                membership records for, 128–29
          bishopric, 35                                   nonmember participation in, 126
          elders quorum presidency, 36–37, 44             Relief Society, separate class for sisters, 72
          employment specialist, 37                       Sunday School classes for, 98, 127
          high priests group leaders, 36–37, 44           visiting teachers for, 71–72
          home teachers, 37                               young single parents and, 129
          Relief Society, 36–37, 70–71                  Young single adults, leaders’ responsibilities
          stake council, 37, 145                          general guidelines for, 124–25
          stake president, 37                             advisers to young single adult sisters, 66
          visiting teachers, 37                           bishopric, 125
          ward council, 18, 35–36                         elders quorum counselor, 125–26
          ward priesthood executive committee, 36         high councilor, 125
          welfare specialists, stake, 37                  Relief Society counselor, 125–26
          welfare specialists, ward, 37                   Relief Society presidency, 71–72
        Witnesses, of a baptism, 171                      stake presidency, 125
        Word of Wisdom                                    young single adult advisers, 126
          guidelines for, 194–95                          young single adult leaders, 126
          at Church activities, 103                     Young single adult advisers, 126
          obedience to, 34


216
                                                                                                     Index



Young single adult committee                         Young Women, ward leaders
  stake, 125, 152                                      bishopric, 78–79, 83
  ward, 126, 150                                       Young Women activity specialists, 80
Young single adult wards and stakes, 128–29            Young Women advisers, 80
Young Womanhood Recognition, 78, 83                    Young Women music director, 80
Young Women                                            Young Women pianist, 80
  18-year-old young women, 64, 71–72, 77               Young Women presidency, 79
  adapting to local needs, 86, 134–35                  Young Women secretary, 79–80
  Beehives, 77                                       Young Women, ward meetings
  disabilities, young women with, 80, 82, 86, 187      bishopric youth committee meeting, 80–81, 142, 150
  interviews of, by bishopric, 77–78, 83               class presidency meetings, 81
  Laurels, 77                                          meeting with bishopric counselor, 81
  leaders support parents, 78                          Sunday classes, 82
  leadership skills, teaching, 85                      Young Women presidency meeting, 81
  Mia Maids, 77                                      Young Women camp, 84–85, 104
  motto and logo, 76                                 Young Women in Excellence, 84
  nonmembers’ participation in, 86                   Youth conferences
  opening exercises, 71, 82, 153                       ward and stake, 105–6
  purpose, 76                                          youth under 14, participation of, 60–61, 86, 108–9
  Sunday classes, 77, 82, 149                        Youth
  theme, 76                                            interviews by bishopric, 52, 78
  transition to Relief Society, 64, 71–72, 77          leaders’ purposes for, 14
  unwed mothers in, 86                                 speaking in sacrament meeting, 139
  values, 76–77                                        See also Young Men; Young Women
  young women pregnant out of wedlock, 86
  See also Personal Progress
Young Women, activities and events
  bishopric youth discussions, 84, 106
  funding for, 85
  Mutual, 83–84
  New Beginnings, 84
  stake activities, 86, 145
  standards events, 84
  Young Women camp, 84–85, 104
  Young Women in Excellence, 84
  youth under 14, participation of, 86, 108–9
  See also Personal Progress
Young Women, class presidencies
  calling and sustaining, 78–79
  duties of, 80, 82–84




                                                                                                             Index
  presidency meetings, 81
  secretaries, 80
Young Women, stake leaders and meetings
  high councilor, 85, 145
  stake Aaronic Priesthood–Young Women
     committee, 85–86, 145, 152
  stake presidency, 85, 120
  stake Young Women activity specialists, 86
  stake Young Women presidency, 26–27, 121, 145–46
  stake Young Women secretary, 122
  stake Young Women leadership meeting,
     81, 145–46, 152




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