Sources

General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Citation Formats

General Reference

Divinity Atlas. "General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://dev-divinity.interactiveatlas.org/sources/general-handbook-serving-in-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints.

APA Style

Divinity Atlas. (n.d.). General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://dev-divinity.interactiveatlas.org/sources/general-handbook-serving-in-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints

BibTeX

@misc{divinityatlas-general-handbook-serving-in-the-church-o,
  author = {Divinity Atlas},
  title = {General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://dev-divinity.interactiveatlas.org/sources/general-handbook-serving-in-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The General Handbook is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' own current administrative text, promulgated by the church as its own governing authority, and this record cites it as a custodian source for exactly that reason. It is authoritative for what the church currently directs on ministering, fast offerings, temple recommend interviews, the calling and release of officers and funeral arrangements, checkable against the handbook itself, published openly online since 2020 after previously being restricted to leaders. It is not independent evidence for how uniformly a given congregation follows it, which the handbook itself does not claim to describe. Use it to establish the church's own current administrative practice; a claim about lived practice in a specific unit needs a separate observational source.

Facts

Assessment

Reliability Tier

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' own current administrative handbook, promulgated by the church as its own governing authority, describing the duties of every office and the conduct of every ordinance and meeting. Like the Code of Canon Law, the Quaker book of discipline and the Nicene Creed, a governing body's own definitional text about its own offices and practice is a custodian source at tier one, not a tier two general reference, so it moves here from tier two with custodian standing recorded. Authoritative for what the church currently directs of itself, not for independent verification of how uniformly a given congregation follows it.

Notes

The church's administrative handbook, describing the duties of every office and the conduct of every ordinance and meeting. Published openly online from 2020, having previously been restricted to leaders. It is the authoritative statement of current practice on ministering, fast offerings, temple recommend interviews, the calling and release of officers, and funeral arrangements. The tradition's own account of what it does.

Citation

Author

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Publisher

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Publication Year

2020

URL

https://handbook.churchofjesuschrist.org/

Source Type

church body

Custodian

Custodian Source

Yes

Custodian Body

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Custodian Basis

The church's own current administrative handbook, promulgated by its own governing authority. Authoritative for what the church directs of its own officers, ordinances and meetings.

Claims Backed By This Source (115 claims)

This source backs 115 claims across the atlas. As facts: 83 well-attested. As cited relationships: 11 holds, 3 held Differently. Plus 18 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.

Disposition By Topic

Religious Roles & Titles, 24 claims: 15 well-attested, 5 holds, 4 general references.
Rituals, 22 claims: 18 well-attested, 4 general references.
Practices, 18 claims: 14 well-attested, 4 general references.
Articles, 17 claims: 17 well-attested.
Sources, 11 claims: 11 well-attested.
Religious Organization & Structure, 9 claims: 5 well-attested, 2 holds, 2 general references.
Denominations, 8 claims: 4 holds, 3 held Differently, 1 general references.
Doctrines, 5 claims: 3 well-attested, 2 general references.
Religious Dress & Vestments, 1 claims: 1 general references.