Is Handbook 1 secret?

[Fether]

So I have always been curious about handbook 1 of instruction and wanted to look into, but of course it isn't available to the church general public. I'm possitive if I googled it I could find it in some sort of PDF. But before I decide to do that I want to find out why it is not available to us.

Is there a specific reason beyond it not needing to be read by us? Are there some crazy magical spells in there that allow leaders to pierce the souls of the congregation???

[Just_A_Guy]

I think a big issue is that there are members who would use it as a sort of legal code book in order to bludgeon their bishops into supporting individual members’ pet agendas; at the expense of the Spirit’s dictates and intra-ward harmony.  We saw this with Kate Kelley’s excommunication—one of her lawyer flunkies actually wrote a legal brief about why the Church wasn’t following its own handbook policies, et cerera, ad nauseum. IIRC, John Dehlin also complained of procedural irregularities in his church discipline.  Of course, it was all nit-picky—everyone knew what the Church’s issues with them were—but in a legal milieu, you can buy a lot of time (and do a lot of damage in the interim) by just playing dumb.

I don’t dismiss the importance of due process and so on (being myself a lawyer by profession) but it is the prerogative of the Holy Spirit to inspire a church leader to cut through procedural games and legalistic Baloney Sauce.  The less the CHI resembles some form of canon law; the better—and one of the hallmarks of canon law (or any legal code) is that its content is available to public scrutiny.

[JohnsonJones]

6 hours ago, Fether said:

So I have always been curious about handbook 1 of instruction and wanted to look into, but of course it isn't available to the church general public. I'm possitive if I googled it I could find it in some sort of PDF. But before I decide to do that I want to find out why it is not available to us.

Is there a specific reason beyond it not needing to be read by us? Are there some crazy magical spells in there that allow leaders to pierce the souls of the congregation???

Just_A_Guy covers what I've heard and it makes sense.  In today's age where I've also heard one could simply download it, I personally do not know why it isn't available to the general church public.  They already have handbook 2 out there (which is basically the same idea).

The other thing I've seen, though this is more personal opinion, is that some people when they utilize handbook 2 and would with handbook 1, is to see it more as doctrine or something akin to doctrine rather than guidelines for leaders.  They see the handbooks as something that the church is supposed to follow like the Four Standard works.  Unfortunately, this is something that is ingrained in some individuals as they see it at other places where handbooks of instructions (Such as their workplace) are in use.

It is to avoid this appearance that the handbooks are the doctrine that we follow in the church, and it is in truth, the Scriptures and the guidance of the General Authorities that dictate what we do and how we live our lives.  In my opinion...

[seashmore]

My best guess (sort of in-tandem with that "need to know" reason) is that it gives instructions on how to deal with sensitive issues. I do know that if you have a personal, specific question, a good bishop may show you that related portion of the handbook. Example: the first time I needed to properly dispose of some worn out garments, I was not confident that I remembered the proper way. (Yes, I had looked in Book 2.) In my next interview, I asked my bishop, and instead of just telling me, he showed me the relevant paragraphs in Book 1. 

As others have mentioned, it may lead to some of the same attitudes that NT Jews held towards the law of Moses. 

[mordorbund]

22 hours ago, Just_A_Guy said:

I think a big issue is that there are members who would use it as a sort of legal code book in order to bludgeon their bishops into supporting individual members’ pet agendas; at the expense of the Spirit’s dictates and intra-ward harmony.  We saw this with Kate Kelley’s excommunication—one of her lawyer flunkies actually wrote a legal brief about why the Church wasn’t following its own handbook policies, et cerera, ad nauseum. IIRC, John Dehlin also complained of procedural irregularities in his church discipline.  Of course, it was all nit-picky—everyone knew what the Church’s issues with them were—but in a legal milieu, you can buy a lot of time (and do a lot of damage in the interim) by just playing dumb.

I don’t dismiss the importance of due process and so on (being myself a lawyer by profession) but it is the prerogative of the Holy Spirit to inspire a church leader to cut through procedural games and legalistic Baloney Sauce.  The less the CHI resembles some form of canon law; the better—and one of the hallmarks of canon law (or any legal code) is that its content is available to public scrutiny.

Oh great! As much as JaG charges for using Latin phrases, you got him to mention legalistic Baloney Sauce. Since his standing before the Bar is in jeopardy for revealing it, he's going to charge us up the wazoo (you don't want to hear the lawyer version of that phrase). Time to contact your friends and family and call in some favors.

[NeuroTypical]

Handbook 1 is an interesting mixture of "do it this way" and "seek guidance from the spirit" and "do whatever brings the member closer to the Lord".   

[Grunt]

What's Handbook 1?  

[Fether]

16 minutes ago, Grunt said:

What's Handbook 1?  

So there are two handbooks (generally speaking, there are more).

handbook 1 and 2

2 is for all members of the church and 1 is for the bishop. 

2: explains the order of the church, how meetings are run, explanations of callings, who can call who to what calling etc.

1: is a how-to of sorts for bishops on how to run the congregation. As mentioned above, it’s a mixture of “do it this way”, “follow the spirit”, “do what brings members close to god”. This is not available to the church membership.

Here is handbook 2

https://www.lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church?lang=eng

 

[mordorbund]

5 hours ago, NeuroTypical said:

Handbook 1 is an interesting mixture of "do it this way" and "seek guidance from the spirit" and "do whatever brings the member closer to the Lord".   

spoilers!!! I was going to read it after the movie came out.

[zil]

(Outlines & Title: Akkerman #09 Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indigo in Pilot Vanishing Point find; "mom": De Atramentis Document Fuchsia in Nemosine Singularity 0.6mm stub; "CHI1": Sailor Sei-Boku in Karas Kustoms Fountain K Mini extra-fine.)

Edited October 17, 2017 by zil
Added pen and ink info.

[Grunt]

9 minutes ago, zil said:

(Outlines & Title: Akkerman #09 Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indigo in Pilot Vanishing Point find; "mom": De Atramentis Document Fuchsia in Nemosine Singularity 0.6mm stub; "CHI1": Sailor Sei-Boku in Karas Kustoms Fountain K Mini extra-fine.)

Nowhere.....doin' nuthin.....with a canoe!

[Vort]

On 10/15/2017 at 11:07 AM, Fether said:

Is there a specific reason beyond it not needing to be read by us? Are there some crazy magical spells in there that allow leaders to pierce the souls of the congregation???

We could tell you, but then we'd have to...well, you know.

Edited October 17, 2017 by Vort

[Vort]

My opinion:

Handbook 1 contains instruction on how to administer in the Church. The contents do not apply to the membership in general, just to the leadership. There is not really anything "secret" in it. But as you know, if such policies were made public, there would be no end to busybodies lecturing the bishop or stake president or whoever on how he's not conducting himself or his office duties correctly. No one needs that kind of grief.

[mordorbund]

On 10/15/2017 at 2:07 PM, Fether said:

Are there some crazy magical spells in there that allow leaders to pierce the souls of the congregation???

The answer to this can be found in the publicly available Church Handbook of Instructions vol. 2.

Quote

Guidelines for translating ordinances and blessings are provided in Handbook 1, 16.1.2.

If by "magic spells" you mean "translating ordinances" then yes, yes it has them. Maybe if we would read and learn what we've already been given we would be given more.

[Vort]

If Handbook 1 is provided to me in my calling, I will happily make use of it. If Handbook 1 is not provided to me in my calling, then I will not seek it out through other, unapproved sources,  any more than I would seek out an unauthorized portrayal of the endowment ceremony.

Perhaps that example is a tad extreme, but I believe the underlying thought process is the same in both cases. I will receive the things of God from God's own hand or that of his authorized servant, or I will not receive it. Indeed, there is no other way to receive the things of God.

[Guest]

On 10/16/2017 at 9:22 PM, mordorbund said:

The answer to this can be found in the publicly available Church Handbook of Instructions vol. 2.

If by "magic spells" you mean "translating ordinances" then yes, yes it has them. Maybe if we would read and learn what we've already been given we would be given more.

I didn't know there was an ordinance to become a translated being.  Where can I get one of those?

Edited October 18, 2017 by Guest

[Fether]

1 hour ago, Carborendum said:

I didn't know there was an ordinance to become a translated being.  Where can I get one of those?

In handbook one  

there are probably many other hidden ordinances and unforgivable curses hidden in there.

[anatess2]

43 minutes ago, Fether said:

In handbook one  

there are probably many other hidden ordinances and unforgivable curses hidden in there.

Like Avada Kedavra.