The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has updated its General Handbook to include principle guidance on the use of artificial intelligence.
An updated version of the handbook published on December 16, 2025 states that AI “cannot replace the gift of divine inspiration or the personal effort required to receive it.” It also warns that “interaction with AI cannot replace meaningful relationships with God and others.”
This passage encourages Latter-day Saints to follow the example of Jesus Christ in learning, teaching, and building relationships.
“Jesus Christ taught with power and authority. He asked the Father for divine direction. He relied on the scriptures and prayer. Jesus lived and taught only what he learned from the Father,” the handbook says. It adds that Jesus “had a personal and sacred relationship with the Father: He prayed to Him, learned from Him, and accomplished His will. Jesus also had meaningful relationships with other people: He listened to them, talked to them, understood their needs, and served them.”
The handbook also includes four principles for Latter-day Saints to appropriately use AI in the mission of the Church.
- When members use AI, they must do so in a positive, helpful, and uplifting manner that upholds the integrity, standards, and teachings of the Church.
- AI cannot replace the personal work and spiritual direction required to prepare divinely inspired talks, lessons, prayers, and blessings. However, AI can be useful for tasks such as research, editing, and translation.
- Leaders should not rely on AI to provide advice to members on medical, financial, legal, or other sensitive matters. If a member needs assistance beyond spiritual guidance from Church leaders, qualified professionals may be helpful.
- Sensitive information, such as church records, member personal data, and confidential communications, should not be entered into AI tools that are not provided or controlled by the church.
In addition to updating this handbook, church leaders have taught the same principles regarding AI several times over the past two years.
For example, in January 2024, Elder David A. Bednar told Brigham Young University (BYU) students that AI could be good or bad depending on how it is used. He encouraged them to leverage AI in ways that strengthen their moral agency.
“Don't be seduced by the accuracy, speed, and ease of modern technology to avoid or avoid the right work that will bring the blessings you need into your life,” he said. “My dear brothers and sisters, there are no spiritual shortcuts or quick fixes.”
In a follow-up to that speech several months later, Elder Bednar encouraged Latter-day Saints to do two important things. It involves “humbly and prayerfully (1) identifying gospel principles that will guide the use of artificial intelligence, and (2) sincerely striving to obtain the spiritual gifts of communion and revelation with the Holy Spirit.”
This is critical because, as Elder Bednar taught, advances in technology such as AI “are part of the Lord's furtherance of His work in the latter days.”
Fellow apostle Elder Gerrit W. Gong has also given several talks focused on AI. In a March 2024 speech, he introduced guidelines for church officials on the use of AI. Speaking at BYU in August 2025, he taught that seeking God's wisdom and understanding should be our top priority. Like Elder Bednar, he said AI should support rather than replace our connection to God.
“Artificial intelligence is not and cannot be God,” Elder Gong said. “We can consciously choose and use AI intentionally as a tool for good. [and] …invite industry, research, civil society, and government leaders, as well as civic and religious leaders, to align the rapid advances in AI with enduring faith-based principles and moral values. ”
Elder Gong emphasized that God blesses us with wisdom and understanding when we “deliberately desire and earnestly seek it.”
“Artificial intelligence cannot replace revelation or generate truth from God,” he said. “We have a responsibility to ensure that the Holy Spirit certifies in form and content the truth and authenticity of everything we say and share.”
At the Vatican City Summit of Faith, Thought, and Technology Leaders on AI Ethics held in October 2025, Elder Gong reaffirmed the need for AI assessments of faith and ethics for artificial intelligence models.
“Accurate and respectful depiction of faith traditions is not an imposition of religion on AI; rather, it is a public necessity,” Elder Gong said. “This is especially needed as more people are asking AI questions about their faith and faith, and AI has become a primary source of information about faith traditions.”
Latter-day Saints are encouraged to review the teachings of Church leaders on artificial intelligence and General Handbook section 38.8.47, “Appropriate Use of Artificial Intelligence.”
