Policies and Procedures

When You Raise Funds for That Project

This is the time of year when many groups are thinking up fund-raising projects. The Church has a policy on such things: “Stakes, wards, or other organizations [classes or troops] having fund-raising projects should confine solicitations in regard thereto to their own jurisdiction. If it is a stake project [such as the M Men and Gleaner group], it should be confined to the stake. If it is a ward project [such as something the bishop’s youth committee or an MIA class would promote], it should be confined to the ward. If it is a quorum project, it should be confined to the quorum unless approval is given to expand it to the ward or stake by the bishop and the stake president.”

This last sentence holds the key to expanding your market possibilities. If you want to raise funds outside your class or quorum, you must talk to the bishop; if you want to raise funds outside your ward, you must have permission of both the bishop and stake president. If you want to raise funds outside of your stake, after you have permission of your bishop and stake president, your stake president must discuss it with the stake presidents in those areas in which you want to solicit. It’s a fairly simple rule, but it causes problems all the time when fund-raisers don’t follow it. As a general guideline, we only raise funds within the confines of our own group, or—if permission is given—within the jurisdiction the group represents, which would be on either a ward or a branch level or on a stake or district level.

Who Should Perform Your Marriage?

In each of the thirteen completed temples throughout the Church (three more temples are presently being built), the temple presidency has been given, by the President of the Church, the holy priesthood sealing powers in order to perform temple marriages. In case the number of temple marriages at a particular temple is more than the presidency can appropriately handle, additional temple officiators are called and given the power and authority to perform temple marriages. This has always been the policy of the Church.

However, over the years many couples have wanted to be married in the Salt Lake Temple so that they could, hopefully, ask one of the General Authorities (who also have been given the sealing power by the President of the Church) to perform their marriage. Hence, the following new instructions are self-explanatory: “Couples planning to be married in the temple should be encouraged to use the regular temple officiators who have been given the sealing power and are on duty for this very purpose. They should be discouraged from asking General Authorities to perform such marriages.”

If all members of the Church knew of the long hours put in and the extremely heavy load of assignments carried by the General Authorities, they would understand the wisdom of these instructions—and the courtesy of our compliance.

Grooming and Dress Standards for Young Men and Women of the Church

The world of fashion is always in constant flux—primarily because of the predetermined policy of clothes producers and merchandisers to make you feel out-dated so that you will buy something new. They like you to feel that what was in last year—or six months ago—is out now. In our time nothing follows the superficial trends and whims of the day as closely as does fashion. To help you find your way through the tricky morass of fashion—and still give you the freedom to express in good taste your individuality—the following new statement on dress standards and grooming is given by the Church:

“From the beginning the Lord has directed his children to clothe their bodies. Modesty in dress is a quality of mind and heart, born of respect for oneself, one’s fellowmen, and the Creator of us all. Modesty reflects an attitude of humility, decency, and propriety. Consistent with these principles and guided by the Holy Spirit, let parents, teachers, and youth consider the particulars of dress, grooming, and personal appearance, and with free agency accept responsibility and choose the right.”