This is also how collection attorneys find you also.

No stone is left unturned: family, other members, court docs, phone co, PO, web sites, and on and on.

https://tech.lds.org/wiki/Locating_members

This makes me nauseous

Uh - isn't this called stalking?

Daphne Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Uh - isn't this called stalking?


No. Does not fit the legal definition.

Not legal stalking, but more like the abusive family tracking you down. They want you back so they can beat you up some more.

Do ward clerks really go to this much effort?

Daphne Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Do ward clerks really go to this much effort?

Yes.

The week after I resigned the family knew [so I wasn't able to brake-share the news personally; now it doesn't get discussed, maybe because they think they know everything/ the truth, etc.]. The wart clerk tattled. LDS tools probably helped. So, yes, they waste their time slaving for the church, trying to harm members/ former members.

I don't know why it's assumed that it doesn't meet the legal definition.

No one can tell me that LDS doesn't do everything in its power to "cause other emotional distress." They will use "third parties" to hound you, split your marriage, remove children - all if you don't do what they tell you to do, which includes giving them your money. They are a complete nightmare of a "date."

This one is for Utah, but the site has links for all of the States:


https://victimsofcrime.org/our-programs/stalking-resource-center/stalking-laws/criminal-stalking-laws-by-state/utah


They DO stalk members. They are so bold as to put the instructions on their site. As a side note, they would have to admit that the afterlife is "not a real threat" as a defense. It doesn't matter, in any case. It's the threat - the attempted emotional distress - that they employ in an attempt to control people -and those persons' family members- who have told them "No."


"No" means "no." I see no exemption for a religious entity, one that is trying to control a person's behavior, right down to his or her sexual behavior and alliances.

That no one has filed a complaint doesn't speak to the legality of their actions, but to the fear of their might. They threaten and cause harm to lives when you try to end the relationship. It's exactly why the law exists. Freedom of choice.

It could also be argued that they use these threats in attempts to deny civil liberties - freedom of association, press, religion. Violation of a person's civil liberties causes "emotional distress."

It applies to people who have told them "no contact."

sorry, correction -

"... do stalk ex-members."

I notice they turn to Facebook quite a bit. To me Facebook has been abuse of power right from the get-go and the TSCC won't find me there. But yeah, the rest of it makes me feel stalked even if that's not the "legal" definition of the word.

Yep, a good reason to dramatically limit information that is posted on FB. I'm always stunned at what people put on there. It's all user-generated info, too. Crazy!

Remember that these methods are used for "skip trace," attorney's looking for people with unpaid debts, collection agencies, dead-beat dads/moms for child support, etc., etc. It's all legal as it is all public records. You can be sure that the LDS Church is not engaging in anything illegal. They have a mountain of attorney's on staff! They get right on the edge, in my view, and maybe cross some lines. However, technically, we can be found by the paper trail we leave. Nobody can escape it, and everything in the paper trail that is public is fair game.

We use the words: stalked and harassed but rarely do they rise to the legal definition that could be prosecuted.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2016 01:48PM by SusieQ#1.

As with so many things that are shady or raise red flags in our subconscious...it's on the margins, where the lines are a little blurry, that the mischief occurs. You can't prove illegality, but it just feels wrong.

Yes, it "feels wrong" also when I get a phone call for someone who used to live where I do (or did) that is being hunted down also for something, probably an unpaid debt. They are getting a hold of cell phone numbers now also! ARGH!!!

All of the "public information" sites have TOS disclaimers which include advising that certain ACTIONS based on information purchased is ILLEGAL.

Anyone can look at the info. To distribute or use that information to harrass or stalk an individual who has stated that he wants no contact is illegal.

What's so hard to understand?

Also referenced were creditors, to whom the "stalked" may owe money. There are definite rules governing that behavior as well, but ex-mos don't owe the church a cent.

I ratted out the Mob.

Testified in open court against a whole bunch of wiseguys.

The FBI put me in the Witness Protection Program. Gave me a new
identity and a new place of residence in a distant state.

Two weeks after I moved in I got a call from the ward clerk
welcoming me to the ward.

baura
-------------------------------------------------------
Are you serious????

;)

In any other church they'd assume that if you wanted to get in
contact with the local congregation you would. Does any other
denomination go to such measures to track down it's own people?

This is another example of treating the members like children
who constantly need to be prodded to "do the right thing."

I've not been to church since late 1997, here in Utah.

I moved to Las Vegas in 1998 and had one phone message from some ward clerk and then got a couple of postcards from my "home teacher", never met him, never got called.

Now I'm back in Utah, no contact at all. My ex- and my sweet daughter are both TBM and I'm sure they won't tell anyone, but I'm kind of surprised I haven't been found here.

I live in an apartment complex and have seen missionaries a couple of times..once on the way to the mailbox, they were about 20 feet away. I said, "Hello, Elders" and waited for a conversation to start. They both said hello, got on their bikes and left. Nobody is trying very hard to find me.

Which is OK

Creepy. Even by LDS standards.

If you walk, they will stalk.