I spend a great deal of time studying missionary work and recently asked an apostle, Elder Ballard, who I came in to contact with last week for permission to get a Mission Presidents' Handbook so I could answer questions that come up from time to time. My daughter left a missionary handbook she got from her bishop at BYU-Idaho. From time to time mission presidents slip something out there on their personal blogs. I did a post on my missionary blog a couple of weeks ago about who should a missionary call on Mother's Day when the parents are divorced. I also wrote a post entitled LDS Church Strongly Discourages Parents from Picking Up Their Missionary (Form Letter). I was hoping that by getting a handbook I could make people more aware of things that the Church wants mission presidents to disseminate to parents. I found out in a letter from my daughter's mission president that travel to pick up a missionary is strongly discouraged. I am sure there are other gems in the Mission Presidents' Handbook that other readers would like to know about.
I think LDS bishops do a poor job disseminating information from the handbook. I once had a conversation with a friend who had been a counselor in a bishopric in one of my ward who had a vasectomy in which he had no clue what the church's position was. The man considered himself an ultraconservative Mormon. It came up when he jokingly told me when I mentioned my wife and I were having my sixth child that he wouldn't be worrying about that with his wife ever again since he now shot blanks. I looked at him and said you know that the LDS Church discourages that and it is in the Handbook of Instruction. He said he didn't have a copy and never read it even when he was in the bishopric.
About a year ago my wife and I discovered that Wikileaks got in to trouble for putting up a link to the Handbook of Instruction. The Church's lawyers told them to cease and desist. I think the LDS Church should mount up all their handbooks no matter what the topic including if they have one for general authorities on LDS.Org. It is kind of weird I had to find out a few things on a non-Mormon site. I found out a few interesting things when my wife put up a post last year entitledChurch Handbook of Instructions, Disciplinary Councils, and Prop 8.
Here were a few new factoids I didn't know and I have been a member 35 years:
Members Whose Close Relatives Belong to Apostate Groups
Bishops and their counselors must take exceptional care when issuing recommends to members whose parents or other close relatives belong to or sympathize with apostate groups. Such members must demonstrate clearly that they repudiate these apostate religious teachings before they may be issued a recommend.
Persons Who Are Considering or Have Undergone a Transsexual Operation
Persons who are considering an elective transsexual operation should not be baptized. Persons who have already undergone an elective transsexual operation may be baptized if they are otherwise found worthy in an interview with the mission president or a priesthood leader he assigns. Such persons may not receive the priesthood or a temple recommend.
Surrogate Motherhood
Surrogate motherhood is strongly discouraged.
Surgical Sterilization (Including Vasectomy)
The Church strongly discourages surgical sterilization as an elective form of birth control. It should be considered only if (1) medical conditions seriously jeopardize life or health or (2) birth defects or serious trauma have rendered a person mentally incompetent and not responsible for his or her actions. Such conditions must be determined by competent medical judgment and in accordance with law. Even then, the persons responsible for this decision should consult with each other and with their bishop and should receive divine confirmation of their decision through prayer.
Sperm Donation
The donation of sperm is strongly discouraged.
Hypnosis
The use of hypnosis under competent, professional medical supervision for the treatment of diseases or mental disorders is a medical question to be determined by competent medical authorities. Members should not participate in hypnosis for purposes of demonstration or entertainment.
Name Removal and Church Discipline
If a member requests name removal and a bishop or stake president has evidence of transgression that warrants convening a disciplinary council, he should not act on the request until Church discipline has been imposed or he has concluded that no disciplinary council will be held. Name removal should not be used as a substitute for or alternative to Church discipline. If a member requests name removal and a bishop or stake president suspects transgression but lacks sufficient evidence to convene a disciplinary council, the request for name removal may be approved. Any evidence of unresolved transgressions should be noted on the Report of Administrative Action form so priesthood leaders may resolve such matters if the individual applies for readmission into the Church.
When looking at the LDS.Org site I found the following leadership support material:
- Guidelines for Relief Society Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment Meetings and Activities
- Improving Gospel Teaching: A Leader's Guide
- Information for Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders on Curriculum, 2009 through 2012
- Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders' Guidebook
- Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts
- God Loveth His Children (Text)
- God Loveth His Children (PDF, Original Layout)
- Providing in the Lord's Way: A Leader's Guide
- Church Welfare Resources Guide
- Basic Welfare Lessons
There are no handbooks or guidebooks that give specific instructions. How are we supposed to follow instructions we have no clue they exist? Being an uber-Mormon I would be more orthodox if I really knew the position of the church on sensitive issues and reading a current Handbook of Instruction would make me a more conforming member of the Church. It is hard to be judged later in the next life if I had no clue what the policies are. I don't understand why the Church leaders don't want us as general members to know our own policies and practices. I mean now that I have read the old handbook of Instructions I know that the Church feels cremation is wrong because it makes it more difficult in the morning of the First Resurrection to be resurrected. They must have reasons for not wanting certain handbooks disseminated but so far no one has been able to tell me why other than that isn't my department or stewardship so why worry about it. I guess if they were disseminated it would be used against us since they are guidelines not commandments.
