Policies and Announcements

The following policies and announcements appeared in the March 1981 Bulletin:

Exploitation of Church Officers by Vendors of Curriculum Materials. Vendors of books, audiovisual materials, and other products sometimes advertise these products as if they were necessary for teachers in Church organizations. The Church, directly or through meetinghouse libraries, provides all the materials needed by its teachers. No teacher should feel obligated to purchase additional materials. The Church must not be used as a marketing vehicle.

Teaching New Members about Genealogy. Converts to the Church can make the blessings of the gospel available to their deceased family members by submitting the names of these members for temple ordinance work. After a person has been a member of the Church for one year, he may qualify to enter the temple for his own ordinances (see General Handbook of Instructions, no. 21 [1976], p. 55). He then can return to the temple to serve as proxy for his deceased family members.

Home teachers should inform converts of this opportunity. They should encourage convert families to take the basic genealogical course after completing Home Teaching Lessons for New Members and the Gospel Essentials course. The basic genealogical course will teach them how to prepare and submit names for temple ordinances.

Scriptures for Children. The Primary curriculum that begins in January 1982 requires that children use scriptures in the classroom. Primary leaders should advise parents that they (parents) are to provide their children with the appropriate scriptures. The scriptures are excellent birthday and Christmas gifts. Eight- and nine-year-olds will use the Bible (Old Testament), ten-year-olds will use the Bible, and eleven-year-olds will use the Book of Mormon.

Children will keep the scriptures at home and bring them to Primary each Sunday. Children who have Bibles that are kept in the meetinghouse library will take them home and bring them to Primary each week.

The Salt Lake City Distribution Center Catalog lists the scriptures published by the Church.