Policies and Procedures

When Church members are away from home for vacation, work, school, or whatever, they often wish to find the address of the nearest ward or branch or its leaders. The following policy may take some months to implement (until new telephone directories come out), but it will be helpful: “Each bishop and branch president (in stakes and missions) is encouraged to have his name, address, and telephone number listed in the classified section of the local telephone directory beneath the address and telephone number of the chapel or meeting place. This should be a regular listing—not boldface nor as a visual display item. … However, the name of the Church itself which heads this entry should appear in boldface type, alphabetized under C: CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, THE.

“For Church members who travel, this will provide an opportunity to obtain information concerning meeting dates, times, and places.”

“The First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve have decided that hereafter worthy priests are to be ordained elders at age nineteen. This change in policy has been adopted as a means of giving equal recognition and opportunity to all of our worthy young men whether or not they are privileged to fill missions.”

“Effective immediately the standard term of service for lady missionaries will be eighteen months. Those who attend one of the language training missions will serve there for two months and then for sixteen months in the field.”

“Some members of the Church, especially widows, divorcees, and unmarried sisters, have been victimized by unscrupulous men selling speculative securities or proposing questionable business ventures. These promoters frequently hold themselves out as active members of the Church as a means of inspiring confidence in them and their schemes. In one case reported, the promoter, representing himself to be an active, converted member of the Church, had actually been excommunicated.” You are urged to “seek the counsel of reliable and competent financial advisers before investing … money with such salesmen.”

“It is the desire of the First Presidency that every serviceman receive the appropriate Church magazines.

“Each unmarried serviceman upon entering the service should be encouraged to subscribe to the New Era; he may also subscribe to the Ensign if he feels the need. If he does not subscribe, the family should be encouraged to enter a subscription to the New Era for him; and if they do not, his priesthood quorum or bishop should, so that every serviceman will be receiving a Church magazine.”

“With increasing frequency the Missionary Executive Committee receives missionary recommendations accompanied by photographs of young men with beards, moustaches, and long hair.”

Young men are advised that “the nature of the missionary calling is such that we must insist that those who are called and who serve in the field shall be clean-shaven and that their hair shall be neatly trimmed. The photographs that are sent in with missionary recommendations are to reflect this appearance; accordingly, the photographs are to be updated if necessary.”