I have searched the LDS scriptures and cannot find any requirement that sins be confessed to a church authority. I do not think the RLDS ever required it. Why do Mormons fall for this ecclesiastical abuse?

Have you read every scripture?

Maybe it is in the BoM, it contains the fullness of the everlasting Gospel

Most have been doing this from a young age. Mormons do what SLC tells them to do, no thinking allowed.

I'm munching a big Mac in beautiful downtown Littlerock, CA so this won't be very complete... Here's the basic bullshit, courtesy of Marion G. Roooooomney, Oct. 1980 conference:

"As to the nature of repentance, the Lord has said, “By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them” (D&C 58:43).

There doesn’t seem to be much uncertainty about the meaning of forsake. However, the requirement to confess is not so universally understood. As a matter of fact, there is considerable confusion in the world about the confessing of sins, and a lot of false doctrine. By way of an assist in clearing up the confusion, I repeat some comments heretofore made on this subject.

We are to confess all our sins to the Lord. For transgressions which are wholly personal, affecting none but ourselves and the Lord, confession to ourselves and him would seem to be sufficient.

As a matter of fact, no good can come from confessing to anyone else. President Brigham Young once said, “Keep your follies that do not concern others to yourselves, and keep your private wickedness as still as possible; hide it from the eyes of the public gaze as far as you can” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1941, p. 158).

For misconduct which affects another, confession should also be made to the offended one and his forgiveness sought.

Finally, where one’s transgressions are of such a nature as would, unrepented of, put in jeopardy his right to membership or fellowship in the Church of Christ, full and effective confession requires confession by the repentant sinner to his bishop or other proper presiding Church officer—not that the Church officer could forgive him the sin (for this power rests in the Lord himself and those only to whom he specifically delegates the power), but rather that the Church, acting through its duly appointed officers (the power is not in the officer but in the Church), might with full knowledge of the facts take such action with respect to Church discipline as the circumstances require and merit."


It occurred to me while reading this, that masturbation ought to be considered a man's folly, and sould be kept to oneself and not confessed. But obviously your bishop will disagree...

Mosiah 26:36 those that would not confess their sins...were not numbered among the people of the church

Moroni 6:7 ...if they confessed not, their names were blotted out

D&C 58:43 if a man repenteth of his sins-behold he will confess them and forsake them.

Heartless Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mosiah 26:36 those that would not confess their
> sins...were not numbered among the people of the
> church

Seems like that has to do with confession after their iniquity was discovered. It doesn't seem as if people were expected to confess private sins.
>
> Moroni 6:7 ...if they confessed not, their names
> were blotted out

Again this has to do with confession after their sins were discovered by the church. It doesn't seem to me that it is necessary to confess private sins.

>
> D&C 58:43 if a man repenteth of his sins-behold he
> will confess them and forsake them.

It doesn't say who they are to confess them to. A more likely way to interpret this is they are to confess to God unless their sins are discovered by the church and become publicly known.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (ESV)

Now I've never been a Mormon, but if I were, I would go into the bishop's office, and say, "Let's confess our sins--you to me, and me to you. Since you are the man with the higher priesthood authority, I think you should set the example and go first. Then I'll confess my sins to you."

It does, however, seem to be an integral part of most cults. They get you to share your deepest and darkest secrets, and then they hold them over your head, and often blab about them to shame you.

They must think of the cult first and pay a price if they make non-cultish personal decisions.

The church just uses this as a method of control, and uses some contrived scripture verses as a convenient example and reference for why. It's like the person said above: When your 'sins' become a matter of record for bishops, stake presidents, and other church authorities to know of, it gives these people (and, by extension, the church) collateral over you. Once they know, and you know the know, they'll emotionally manipulate you, convince you to confess EVERYTHING, etc. etc.

You'll notice confession in other churches (the catholic church comes most readily to mind) is private (the confessor is anonymous is most situations), unless the parishioner requests a meeting with a priest. I don't even think other churches have a specific method for confessing sins to clergy; it's considered a private thing.

The way the church thinks about sin and requires its members to repent is abusive and wrong. It's a form of shaming. Shaming is almost (perhaps never) a useful tool to improve your life. It's one thing to feel shame for something you've done, but for the shame to be inflicted deliberately by untrained lay-clergy through ritual seems very cultic.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2015 11:19AM by midwestanon.

Why are you searching? Do you have something to confess and are looking to get out of spilling it to the Bishop? Just keep it between you and god?

I only ask because that was my situation long ago in a Stake far away......I ended up talking to the bishop.....and in 20/20 hindsight, that was a stupid thing to do.

Jonny the Smoke Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why are you searching? Do you have something to
> confess and are looking to get out of spilling it
> to the Bishop? Just keep it between you and god?
>
> I only ask because that was my situation long ago
> in a Stake far away......I ended up talking to the
> bishop.....and in 20/20 hindsight, that was a
> stupid thing to do.

I resigned from the church several years ago. My family is still TBM. I'm just curious where they think they get their authority to require confessions.

Remember in my younger days confessing to beating the bishop to the bishop. That didn't go over well.

Laughing and slapping your leg as you confessed was your mistake.

http://puremormonism.blogspot.com/2012/08/lake-wobegon-mormons.html

Seems he can't find justification for confessions to a Bishop either.

my advise is don't confess. i knew a good kid who confessed to feeling a boob over the blouse and it got him put on probation at byu. the kid is now a doctor and doing well, but this almost made it impossible to be admitted to med school. i subscribe to the " all things are possible to those who believe" theory and don't think confession to some lame bishop is a requirement for salvation when faith is the key that unlocks the door..

Mormons fall for this ecclesiastical abuse because they are programed from birth to believe that they are guilty just for being human: guilty, guilty, guilty.

Mormons are programed to be gluttons for punishment.

I've never confessed anything to a bishop. The things they wanted me to talk about were NONE of their business.

I was once excommunicated without ever speaking to anyone at church. No confessions of anything. Nothing to confess.

I was also reinstated into the church without ever confessing anything. Nothing to confess.

This apparently drove my last sp crazy. His goal in life was to get me to confess to some big dark sin in my past. Too bad there was nothing to talk about. His insanity drove me to look up a few things online. That worked out quite well for me. Him, not so much.

Where to confess and who was in charge of various classes of members (females, aaronic priesthood, melchezadek priesthood) for confessions and trials was codified in "Priesthood and Church Government" by John A. Widsoe. I don't believe much changed from those guidelines until the Bishop's Handbook became looseleaf in the 60's.

Engraving it in stone, and worse, on (invisible but) golden plates.