Additional chapters of the General Handbook have been revised. The chapters for the Elders Quorum, Relief Society, Sunday School, and Teaching the Gospel have been rewritten. Other chapters have been updated.
Several updates have been made to Chapter 38, “Church Policies and Guidelines” to provide more information about issues such as the following: unwed parents under age 18, policies on moral issues, birth control, donation of sperm or eggs, fertility treatments, the occult, sex education, suicide, surrogate motherhood, and medical marijuana.
The First Presidency released the new General Handbook on February 19, 2020. At that time, nine chapters were new or updated. Additional updates were published in March.
The new handbook is available in English in the Gospel Library app in the section Handbooks and Callings and online at handbook.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Over time, it will be translated and published in an additional 51 languages.
Also see the Handbooks and Callings page to see the handbook, frequently asked questions, and other related resources.
Handbook Chapters Updated in July
Chapter 5: Stake Leadership updates have been made to these sections:
- 5.1.1.4. Stake Patriarch
- 5.1.1.8. Communication (Public Affairs)
- 5.4.1. Stake Relief Society, Young Women, Primary, and Sunday School Presidencies
- 5.4.2. Stake Young Men Presidency
Chapter 8: Elders Quorum has been revised
- The content is organized around the work of salvation and exaltation.
- Information about working with the Relief Society to lead missionary work and temple and family history work in the ward has been added.
- The options to call a service coordinator and an activity coordinator have been added.
- Information about the stake high priests quorum has been replaced by cross-references to that information in the “Stake Leadership” and “Meetings in the Church” chapters.
Chapter 9: Relief Society has been revised.
- The content is organized around the work of salvation and exaltation.
- Information about working with the elders quorum to lead missionary work and temple and family history work in the ward has been added.
- “Additional Relief Society meetings” have been renamed “Relief Society activities.”
- The calling “compassionate service leader” has been renamed “service coordinator.” If a sister is called to help with activities, her calling is “activity coordinator.”
Chapter 12: Primary updates have been made to these sections:
Chapter 13: Sunday School has been revised
- Bishops determine if there is a need to call counselors for the ward Sunday School president.
- An option has been added to organize, as needed, a Sunday School class for new members, returning members, and those learning about the Church. Other classes may also be organized, as directed by the bishop. The curriculum for these classes is Come, Follow Me.
- The meetinghouse library is now called a “resource center,” and the ward librarian is now the “ward resource center specialist.”
Chapter 15: Seminaries and Institutes updates have been made to this section:
Chapter 17: Teaching the Gospel has been revised
- To emphasize the importance of teaching and learning the gospel in the home, a new section, “Home-Centered Gospel Learning,” has been added.
- Primary leaders have greater flexibility in determining how Primary teachers attend teacher council meetings.
- An option has been added to hold teacher council meetings for parents to help them fulfill their responsibility to teach the gospel in the home.
Chapter 18: Ordinances and Blessings updates have been made to this section:
Chapter 24: Preparing and Recommending Missionaries updates have been made to these sections:
Chapter 26: Temple Recommends updates have been made to this section:
Chapter 29: Meetings in the Church updates have been made to this section:
Chapter 30: Callings in the Church updates have been made to this section:
Chapter 32: Repentance and Church Membership Councils updates have been made to this section:
Chapter 35: Physical Facilities updates have been made to this section:
Chapter 38: Church Policies and Guidelines updates have been made to these sections:
- 38.1.5. Unwed Parents under Age 18
- 38.6. Policies on Moral Issues
- 38.6.4. Birth Control
- 38.6.7. Donation of Sperm or Eggs
- 38.6.9. Fertility Treatments
- 38.6.12. The Occult
- 38.6.16. Sex Education
- 38.6.19. Suicide
- 38.6.21. Surrogate Motherhood
- 38.7.8. Medical Marijuana
Learn more in the article “Significant Updates Made to Five Chapters of the General Handbook.”