You Have 72 Hours to Plan a Funeral That Runs on Rules Nobody Explained to You
The bishop controls the program. The Relief Society coordinates the luncheon. The Elders Quorum handles the pallbearers. And somewhere in the middle, someone needs to source ceremonial temple clothing, arrange a body dressing that only specific endowed members can perform, and build a chapel program that will be reviewed and approved before a single copy is printed.
If you grew up in the Church, you may have sat through a dozen LDS funerals — but planning one is entirely different from attending one. If you did not grow up in the Church, you are learning an unfamiliar vocabulary under the worst possible time pressure: ward, stake, endowed, Relief Society, Elders Quorum, priesthood authority, grave dedication.
The General Handbook lays out the policies. But it was written for bishops, not for grieving families. It does not tell you how to navigate a disagreement between active and less-active siblings over cremation. It does not include a script for calling a bishop you have never met. It does not explain what happens when the body cannot be physically dressed in temple clothing, or what to do when Grandma's favorite song does not meet the chapel's reverence standards.
The Ward Coordination System — One Guide That Connects Every Moving Part
The Mormon / LDS Funeral Guide is a structured planning companion that bridges the gap between official Church policy and the practical, emotional reality of the week after someone dies. It translates the General Handbook into plain-language instructions, pairs every policy with a fill-in script or printable worksheet, and walks you through the full sequence — from the first call to the bishop through the graveside dedication and the Relief Society luncheon cleanup.
For , you get a complete planning system built on the same universal handbook policies that govern every Latter-day Saint funeral worldwide — adapted for families who need answers tonight, not administrative guidance written for volunteer clergy.
What's Inside the Guide
- 72-Hour Master Timeline — A chronological checklist mapping exactly what must happen on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3, so you stop making reactive decisions and start working a plan
- Temple Clothing Dressing Guide — The precise three-layer sequence for garments, white clothing, and ceremonial overlay, including robe placement, apron positioning, sash orientation, and head coverings — written clearly enough to hand directly to a funeral director who has never handled LDS clothing
- Bishop Coordination Scripts — Fill-in-the-blank email and phone scripts for scheduling the meetinghouse, proposing your speaker list, submitting music selections, and requesting fast-offering financial assistance — without awkwardness or guesswork
- Chapel Service Program Builder — The complete structure of an LDS funeral service — family prayer, viewing, chapel program, and graveside dedication — with the specific rules about speakers, music, video displays, and open-mic tributes that catch families off guard
- Relief Society Luncheon Planner — A coordination worksheet covering estimated guest count, dietary needs, menu planning, budget responsibilities, and the cultural-hall setup timeline that keeps the transition from cemetery to luncheon seamless
- Cremation Decision Framework — The Church's actual position on cremation with a side-by-side comparison of burial and cremation logistics, costs, and temple clothing rules, so families can make this decision from policy rather than assumption
- Two Worked Cost Breakdowns — Complete budget examples for a traditional burial service and a cremation service, with line items for every fee the family is responsible for and a clear explanation of what the ward provides free of charge
- Non-Member Etiquette Guide — A printable single-page PDF designed to be texted or emailed to traveling non-LDS relatives, answering the questions they are too polite to ask about dress codes, chapel behavior, and viewing protocol
- Interfaith Family Navigation — Strategies for when the executor is not a member, when siblings disagree about temple clothing or cremation, and how to explain sacred items to non-member relatives with respect and clarity
- Sensitive Deaths Section — Dedicated guidance for suicide loss, stillbirth, miscarriage, and children who die before age eight, including the specific Church policies and pastoral approaches that apply to each situation
Who This Guide Is For
- Non-member executors and interfaith spouses — who need to plan a service that honors LDS traditions without being fluent in Church vocabulary or knowing which decisions require the bishop's approval
- Adult children who have drifted from the Church — who want to honor a devout parent's covenants without navigating family pressure from active siblings or feeling judged by ward leadership
- Out-of-state and diaspora families — who are coordinating remotely with an unfamiliar local bishop, managing body transport across state lines, and balancing regional legal rules with Church customs
- Funeral directors and secular celebrants — who coordinate LDS services and need a reliable reference for temple clothing handling, chapel protocols, and the ward volunteer structure that makes these services different from any other
Why Free Resources Fall Short
The General Handbook gives policies but not procedures — it tells bishops what to do, not families how to coordinate with those bishops. Local ward leaders are generous volunteers, but their availability and flexibility vary enormously depending on their own work schedules and pastoral style. A busy bishop may delegate most planning to the family; an orthodox one may strictly enforce rules the family did not know existed.
Funeral home websites focus on selling their own packages and rarely address the ward-level logistics that make LDS funerals structurally different from secular memorials. Reddit threads are emotionally charged, frequently contradictory, and mix outdated information with current policy. Etsy templates give you a beautiful printed program but no guidance on what the bishop will actually approve.
The gap is not information — it is translation. When you are grieving, you do not have the bandwidth to cross-reference a handbook chapter, three Reddit threads, and a funeral home checklist to figure out how a temple cap should be positioned. You need one resource that has already done that synthesis and organized it by the decisions you face, in the order you face them.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
If the guide does not help you plan with more clarity and less stress, email [email protected] for a full refund. No questions, no time limit.
Start Planning with Confidence
Download the free checklist for a quick-start overview of the LDS funeral planning sequence — the essential actions in the order they need to happen. When you are ready for the complete guide with every temple clothing instruction, bishop coordination script, cost breakdown, and family navigation strategy, the full toolkit is waiting.