"Dear first name Mr subeam and first name subeam, This morning I have received your letter requesting removal of your membership from the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. I was surprised by this e-mail as your family is one that I admire and appreciate the service and assistance as members of the Lord's Church. Many have visited your home out of compassion for your family and a desire to help assist where possible.
In accordance with your request I will begin the process of having your names removed from the records of the church. This will cancel the effects of the saving ordinances of baptism, revoke temple blessings and withdraws the priesthood.
Please pursue in your family a life of a personal relationship with the Savior through personal prayer, scripture study, and living a life congruent with the commandments the Savior taught. Theses steps will enable the Holy Spirit to work in you and your family's life to receive guidance from the lord.
Should you want to meet to discuss, or have a change of direction please know we will be available to assists your family.
I just wish they could see how they come across. This is a pretty tame letter and I'm sure he feels like he was as loving as he can be. But I'd sure like to know how, taking your name off the rolls of the congregation, removes the priesthood? Don't they have to do some kind of reverse jujitsu ritual? Nothing? And then to tell you, that at a minimum, you need to be sure to remain a Christian, Second Class! Do you get some kind of a medal issues for that new status?
Sheesh. What a bunch of bollocks!
But I really loved the part about him previously "admiring" your family.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2013 06:35PM by Devoted Exmo.
My husband has worked with the Young Men and was very active for a period of over 5 years nobody went to summer camp and husband got over 10 boys to go 3 years in a row. Hmm and I was at home with sick kids what a blessing it was.
Overall I thought this was a nice letter. He expressed surprise and probably regret, and he agreed to do as you asked.
The part that jumped out at me was when he said, "Many have visited your home out of compassion for your family and a desire to help assist where possible." To me this sounds like he is saying, "The LDS people have visited you and helped you and been compassionate to you" and thus implying that they did all this and you don't appreciate it, or as if because they did all this, you are under some obligation to them.
I immediately noted the specific language: "personal relationship with the Savior" which is a big change from how I was taught!
On the whole,considering the context and reasons, it's a decent letter. It falls in line with what would be expected, coming from a bishop. This one was rather mild.
Of course, it was not necessary. He just needed to send his form to the Stake Pres. and he needed to send his form to Confidential Membership Records and be done with it.
Be sure and let him know Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie does not approve of trying to have a personal relationship with a Saviour. Just saying. Apostle trumps Bishop.
Yes. He is waaaaaay off base with his personal relationship comment. I would send him a link to the assorted talks that warn against seeking a personal relationship with the savior. Bruce R McConkie was first. IIRC some modern apostles have backed him up.
spanner Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Yes. He is waaaaaay off base with his personal > relationship comment. I would send him a link to > the assorted talks that warn against seeking a > personal relationship with the savior. Bruce R > McConkie was first. IIRC some modern apostles have > backed him up.
I looked for those the other day. Didn't find anything really substantial. But I did notice that the current LDS believe in a personal relationship with Jesus, as there is plenty of language that says so. However, as I pointed out, there is no doctrine, or commandment, or covenant that confirms that position. Personal prayer is to Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. I've yet to figure out how that and study, etc, is a personal relationship with ... .well....anyone or anything. But, hey, that's just me!
"Now, it is no secret that many false and vain and foolish things are being taught in the sectarian world and even among us about our need to gain a special relationship with the Lord Jesus."
I got baptized at age 15 and I didn't know a lot about church history. Reading the Book of Mormon and the Bible at the time were comforting. The word of wisdom also at the time made sense to me that a heavenly father would give rules to keep his children safe. But at age 15 I wasn't aware of the benefits that a glass of wine has or that JS was a copy cat. I also didn't know that hot soup wasn't originally allowed either. With new found knowledge I see no other answer then to resign and that letter got me really upset. We are leaving the church not due lack of cookies or banana bread and or visits. We are leaving the church because it is damaging and false. Over 15 years later since my baptism and I don't want our children to only date lds people like I did. There were so many nice people I could have dated and I almost didn't marry my husband because he didn't seem to truly believe in the church. I feel stupid for not leaving sooner and I wished I would have spend the tithing money to the red cross or UNICEF or a soup kitchen to some organisation that really helps the poor. Bishop I don't need to be lectured it is time for me to admit that I followed the teachings of a con man JS. Polygamy and polyandry were for his gain only. Thanks for your responses my hope is that I will soon have our exit letter.
Interesting the differences in the two letters. Here's mine I received on Monday this week...
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Dear Brother Bite Me,
I have received your request for name removal from Bishop M***** and from Church Headquarters. I regret you have made this decision, but in honoring your request, I am writing to inform you that the appropriate paperwork is being forwarded to the Office of the First Presidency.
I agree that he's trying to guilt-trip you with 'how dare you do this since people have actually visited you home and shown compassion for you'?
And he's still playing know-it-all and telling you what to do: "Please pursue in your family a life of a personal relationship with the Savior through personal prayer, scripture study, and living a life congruent with the commandments the Savior taught. Theses steps will enable the Holy Spirit to work in you and your family's life to receive guidance from the lord."
Damn, Ragnar. You read my mind. The same parts of the letter jumped out at me. The "caring" bishop is a colossal jackass. I guess he felt it was his duty to bish-slap them one final time.
Mormons 'know' the (LDS presentation of) Christ's gospel. that is... they 'know' what they're routinely told, time after time, repeated, re-hashed, re-told;
but those things are: The Things of Mormonism, NOT of Christ-Like living.
What Would Jesus Do? I don't think I ever (40 yrs) heard That inside an LDS building....