General Handbook Purpose

What is the purpose of the new handbook, and how is it being achieved? The General Handbook is a support resource for those who serve as volunteer leaders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its primary purpose is to simplify instruction for leading and serving in the Church to further help all of God’s children come unto Christ and receive His promised blessings. The guiding principles of the General Handbook are (1) facilitating global adaptability; (2) using a ministerial voice; (3) providing learner support, such as graphics and tables; (4) giving enhanced accessibility; and (5) supporting a revelatory mindset.

Why did the Church decide to publish a new handbook? The idea to develop a new General Handbook came several years ago. The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles felt that Handbook 1 and Handbook 2 could be improved to better serve the Church’s continued worldwide growth. In 2016, the First Presidency approved the development of a “simplified handbook” for small units. In 2017, the First Presidency directed that global research be conducted on how an updated handbook could better meet the needs of the worldwide Church. In 2018, the First Presidency gave direction to unify and simplify the handbooks into one volume that would serve the entire Church.