Church releases second edition of ‘Preach My Gospel’

PROVO, Utah — The second edition of “Preach My Gospel” has been released by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nearly 20 years after its initial publication.

Church President Russell M. Nelson announced the second edition at the Church’s seminar for new mission leaders on Thursday at the Provo Missionary Training Center.

“This second edition comes at a time when the world is rapidly changing,” President Nelson said. “(It) reflects a sensitivity to many of those changes. It contains some of the best instruction I have ever seen to help people accept the Lord’s invitation to come unto Him.”

As we press forward in the work of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, I am pleased to announce the release of the second edition of “Preach My Gospel.” It carries the subtitle “A Guide to Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
 
This new edition comes at a time when the world is… pic.twitter.com/ZP7iXL9nTb

— Russell M. Nelson (@NelsonRussellM) June 22, 2023

Church officials said the chapter order and core teachings of Preach My Gospel remain the same. The updated version aligns with the new “General Handbook” published in 2020 and 2021 and other new policies. It also includes safeguards and guidelines for using technology in sharing the gospel.

The title has been updated to “Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” The previous edition’s subheading was “A guide to missionary service.”

“Preach My Gospel is a key resource for missionaries, but Latter-day Saints should remember that every member of the Church is a missionary, and some of our choicest converts are found within the walls of our own home,” said Sister Amy A. Wright, first counselor in the Primary general presidency and a member of the Missionary Executive Council. “Through this inspired guide, all members can find greater joy and meaning in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that joy is magnified as we help others make lifelong covenants with God through baptism and confirmation.”

The second edition of Preach My Gospel is available in the Gospel Library app in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. Print editions will be available later this year and additional languages will be available beginning in January 2024.

Changes in the second edition of Preach My Gospel

The second edition of Preach My Gospel is based on the teachings, inspiration and emphasis of current Church leaders. It will contain additional scripture references, more recent teachings from prophets and apostles, along with additional art and visuals.

NEW: Second edition of “Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service” announced today by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This is the first update since the guide was published nearly 20 years ago. @KSL5TV @KSLcom @kslnewsradio pic.twitter.com/dv8ZFHK27e

— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) June 22, 2023

“In the world today, individuals, families, communities, and nations face unprecedented needs and challenges. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only enduring solution for addressing these needs and challenges,” read a release from the Church. “The second edition of Preach My Gospel will inspire and help members and missionaries as they serve and invite people to enjoy the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It will help bring the Savior’s healing, sanctifying power into the lives of members, missionaries, and those they teach.”

Early Church missionaries preached with little or no formal training. To help missionaries “seek to obtain the word” of God before they preach, the Church produced several iterations of standardized missionary discussions between the 1950s and 1980s.

Preach My Gospel was published in 2004 to help missionaries teach “a unified curriculum of Christ’s teachings in their own words as guided by the Holy Ghost.” Since President Nelson called for missionaries to serve in April 2022, the number of young teaching and service missionaries has increased from 56,000 (end of 2021) to 68,000 (as of June 2023).

Church officials said the book’s introduction has been significantly simplified and reduced and more emphasis is placed on members (not just missionaries) using Preach My Gospel.

The first chapters have been updated for clarity and added additional scriptural references. Chapter 2 includes a new section outlining safeguards for using technology.

“Chapter 3: Study and Teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ” has been updated with new instruction about preparing to teach and has a new section about inviting people to be baptized “so that they can have the opportunity to start life anew with God’s sustaining power.

“It summarizes the importance of this joyful, hopeful ordinance and covenant. It also includes a new section about inviting people to be baptized and summarizes the importance of this ordinance and covenant.”

A new plan of salvation visual has been added and lesson 4 combines the previous lessons 4 and 5 into a new lesson titled “Becoming Lifelong Disciples of Jesus Christ.” The teachings in this lesson are organized according to specific aspects of the baptismal covenant.

Additional summaries of updates in each of Preach My Gospel’s 13 chapters can be seen here.