Church Handbook of Instructions (formerly the General Handbook of Instructions) is a two-volume book of instructions and policies for leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The books are prepared by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the church and are distributed to the LDS Church's worldwide lay leadership. Along with the standard works, the Church Handbook stands as the preeminent guide for the leaders of the LDS Church.[1]
Purpose
In general, the Church Handbook of Instructions contains institutional church policies as opposed to church doctrine.[1] However, brief statements of doctrine are commonly presented at the start of sections in the handbook in order to provide the doctrinal context in which the policies are being set and implemented.[2]
Structure and distribution
The Church Handbook of Instructions is divided into two volumes. The church only distributes copies of the handbook to individuals that fill certain leadership callings within the church hierarchy.
Book 1
Book 1 is subtitled Stake Presidencies and Bishoprics. It contains information that is primarily relevant to the functions and duties of stake presidents, bishops, mission presidents, district presidents, branch presidents, and their counselors. Other individuals who receive a copy of Book 1 are members of a stake high council, temple presidents and their counselors, general authorities, Area Seventies, and church clerks and executive secretaries.[3]
The topics in Book 1 include guidelines involving general, area, and regional administration; stake administration; ward administration; interviewing and counseling; performance of ordinances; callings and releases; church meetings and worship services; temples and marriage; missionary service; church discipline; single adults and students; the Church Educational System; Perpetual Education Fund; military relations; records and reports; church finances; church physical facilities; creating and changing church congregations and other units; and general church policies on administrative, health, and moral issues.[4]
Book 2
Book 2 is subtitled Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders. It contains information that is primarily relevant to the functions and duties of the leaders of priesthood quorums and auxiliary organizations of the church. Every quorum president and auxiliary organization leader at stake, ward, district, and branch levels receive a copy of Book 2, as do most of the individuals who receive Book 1.[5] Counselors to quorum or auxiliary presidencies and other members receive smaller booklets that excerpt only the portions of Book 2 that are relevant to their church position.[6]
The topics in Book 2 include guidelines involving the Melchizedek priesthood; the Aaronic priesthood and Young Men Organization; Relief Society; Young Women Organization; Primary; Sunday School; member missionary work; spiritual and temporal welfare; temple and family history work; church activities; church curriculum; printed church materials; meetinghouse libraries; music; and teaching in the church. Book 2 also contains some of the general church policites on administrative, health, and moral issues that are contained in Book 1.[7]
Supplements
Occasionally the church updates, supplements, or changes material in the Church Handbook of Instructions with written directives from the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, or Presiding Bishopric of the church. Leaders are instructed to write the changes into their copies of the handbook and keep the handbook and the supplemental materials together.[8] New editions of the handbook are published in order to incorporate these issued supplements into the text of the handbook.
Unauthorized distribution
Neither volume of the Church Handbook of Instructions is available for sale to the general public or the general church membership, nor is an official version available on the internet. The church asserts copyright over the contents of the Church Handbook and prohibits its duplication.[9] The handbook emphasizes that "Book 1 has been prepared solely for use by general and local Church officers to administer the affairs of the Church."[10] The copyright to the Church Handbook is owned by Intellectual Reserve, Inc., a corporation owned by the LDS Church which owns the church's intellectual property rights.
After Book 1 was published in 1998, Jerald and Sandra Tanner's Utah Lighthouse Ministry published portions of it on the internet without permission from the church and without including the book's copyright notice. The text was also disseminated to other websites which the ULM's website linked to. In the 1999 lawsuit Intellectual Reserve v. Utah Lighthouse Ministry, a United States district court issued an injunction prohibiting the further duplication of the contents of Book 1 and ordered ULM to remove the offending material from its website.[11]
History
The document that is identified as the first Church Handbook of Instructions was published in 1899 as a small fourteen-page booklet.[1] It primarily contained instructions on how to manage in-kind payments of tithing by church members.[1] The handbook was revised every year until 1910 and approximately every five years thereafter.[1] The book has been variously called the Annual Instructions, the Circular of Instructions, the Handbook of Instructions, the General Handbook of Instructions, and the Church Handbook of Instructions.
In 1998, the book was split into two volumes for the first time and was renamed the Church Handbook of Instructions. A new edition of Book 1 was published in 2006; the church continues to use the 1998 edition of Book 2.
Chronology of the Church Handbook of Instructions
Below is a listing of the publication history taken from an article by Edward L. Kimball.[12]
''Wikinews'' has obtained a copy of volume one of the ''Church Handbook of Instructions'' of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The document, which was obtained via Wikileaks, was previously only made available to leaders of the church.

The scriptures of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
It provides information on a variety of different issues. One of these is receiving organ donations. “The decision to receive a donated organ should be made after receiving competent medical
counsel and confirmation through prayer,” says the handbook.

The handbook also explicitly bans assisted suicide. It claims that “a person who participates in euthanasia, including so-called assisted suicide, violates the commandments of God.”

The guide also mentions cremation. The guide says that “cremation is not encouraged,” although it is permitted.

The finances of the church are also discussed in the handbook. It says that "when tithes and other offerings are given to the Church, they belong to the Lord, to whom they are consecrated. These offerings include all contributions to the ward and general missionary funds." It then says that it is " therefore improper to refund missionary or other contributions to contributors."  As with all other charities, the process of not returning donations complies with tax and legal requirements.