Weird question of the day – I got a certified letter in the mail from the LDS church. It's to either my husband or me, just out last name was listed. I'm supposed to go to the post office and pick it up. I think I'm just going to ignore it. I left the church a couple of years ago without any rancor and am still friends with people from my ward. I've posted on Facebook about a Unitarian church I've been attending, but nothing negative about the church. Neither my husband nor I have any previous marriages, so it's not about someone else getting sealed. Any idea about what it could be?

You've been called to the Quorum of the Twelve as the first female Apostle. Congradulations!

No clue what it could be.

Are they trying to excommunicate you for attending another church? Did you resign?

I'd ignore them too. Their dumb rules or communication are no more important than an advertisement.

Since it's not addressed to any individual, it's prob benign...
But why certified? I'd open it, if only for a laugh!

If you don't pick it up, the church will probably just send the same letter via regular mail.

It's usually not wise to ignore certified mail, until after you know what is inside.

If they were suing you, they might be sending a certified notice or a summons. In which case, if you do not respond, they can happily go to a real court without your presence and get a judgement that you won't even know about until too late. Those things usually come from an attorney or a server, but TSCC does whatever it wants, in some areas.

I have no real idea, but I would also suspect that the idea of a court of abuse, I mean love, could be in the offing.

But, maybe it's not. Maybe they discovered that they owe you money for something, and there's check inside. Or maybe someone else left TSCC something as a secondary beneficiary, and you were the primary beneficiary. So they are trying to establish that you are unreachable or dead, so they can get it all. Or maybe not.

You can't make an informed decision without opening the envelope. And you may find that you will want to make an informed decision.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2017 10:56PM by peculiargifts.

Have U been bad-mouthing the Lard's announced?

Publicizing or publishing anything about tscc?

Spreading unfavorable/ virulent rumors about the Bp. & the RS pres?

If you haven't officially resigned, it could be a call for a church disciplinary council.

Ignore it, to respond or react would suggest they have some type of authority -- which they don't !

As a former member of a bishopric my belief is this is a notice of a church court. That would be routine procedure when exact location or address is questioned. Other times the letter is hand delivered by a member of bishopric or stake leadership. If this is the case whether you respond or not the court will convene.

Gatorman

I called the bishop. He told me the certified letter was indeed about my "membership." He said that because I was attending the Unitarian church, and espoused their beliefs, it was considered apostasy. "It might be easier for us/you if you requested your records be removed from the church." He said that he had had "reports from several people" and had "called around" to ascertain that this was true (that I was attending the Unitarian church). I told him that the handbook stated that someone needed to formally join another church AND advocate its teachings, neither of which did I do. I told him I did believe their teachings, which consist of things like "Each person is important and be kind in all you do..." and that I might at some point sign the book which would make me a member, but that I had not yet done that. He said it is not a disciplinary council, but a review. I asked him if the church is in the process of cleaning house, and he said no, that this was the first time this had happened to him. He said the only people who knew about it were him and the stake president.

I still haven't decided what I'm going to do. I don't think it's appropriate to even call for a review, as the handbook states that "total inactivity or attending another church does not constitute apostasy." I don't really mind if my records are removed, but I want it to be my decision.

Interesting. They are going to X you. They need to prove to the sheep who remain that YOU are at fault. Some members tattled on you so he has to do something.

I suspect "review" is his word for court, and they have no business questioning you about anything. Period.

I'm surprised that he even suggested you try to resign. They already have the "evidence" as stupid as it is, so I would not have thought they would "allow" that.

I would probably send him an email or text (proof of notice) that as of NOW you are not a member. I would not bother with their reindeer games. You are not a member and the rules are not your problem.

lucia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> He said that he had had "reports from
> several people" and had "called around" to
> ascertain that this was true...

> He said the only people who
> knew about it were him and the stake president.

Notice how those two things he said contradict each other?
Aww, bishop, caught in another lie...

> I don't really mind if my
> records are removed, but I want it to be my
> decision.

I would suggest that it's time for you to make that decision, because if you don't, they'll make it for you. :)
Good luck.

Could be that although the Bishop's asked around (not enough gossip in the ward, I'm sure) the fact that Lucia is undergoing a "review," and that a letter has been sent, is -- so far -- just between the SP and him.

Of course, others will jump to their own conclusions, and maybe one or two of them would be correct!

I'm not an ex-mo, but, although I've heard lots about Courts of Love and Excommunication, I never heard about this. Perhaps this is a new, kinder & gentler way TSCC is dealing with things, as they try to mainstream the cult.

Un-f-ing believable. He "calls around" to get dirt on you for the horrible offense of attending another church. There is going to be a "review" of your membership for this heinous crime. Leadership at both the ward and stake levels are involved.

Any lurkers here, please explain how this can be seen as anything other than a strange, scary cult.

Be prepared for them to drag your name through the mud and/or make all kinds of demands on your time (beginning with this unnecessary trip to the post office) or prove your loyalty.

So he was capable of calling "around" but couldn't call you and just ask you if you were attending another church and wanted to be removed?

I don't know of any other church that would do this.

Spanky and Alfalfa want to kick you out of their clubhouse because of *this*?

Treat it the same as you would a letter from Ed McMahan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jENapQxK6bc

Maybe it's your tithing!! Refund!

Go to the next Fist & Testimonkey meeting in that ward, giving hints that you're going to "repent", but when you get to the lectern, tell everyone about what's going on and mention your "friends" in the ward, say what's on your mind, say that you're not intimidated by the court of love threat, and mention how many once-devout Mormons are leaving the church because of these threatening tactics.

As you close out your speech, turn to face the bisho-prick.

Hmmm...this seems extreme for a "church" that's now preaching religious freedom for ALL religions. I wonder what that's all about...

I think you should make the decision on how you want to proceed. Either you decide to resign or you decide to allow the excommunication. For example, sign up with the unitarians and then send your letter of resignation saying you decided to join another church and are resigning. Or you could send a letter to the bishop and tell him you made a decision and "direct" him to proceed with the excommunication in your absence because it doesnt matter to you.

They are going to fire you unless you fire them first. You can fire them in less time than it took you to write your post above

http://www.exmormon.org/remove.htm

You'll be contacted again or as much as necessary until you sign for it and they're assured you will comply.

This is probably going to happen to me too, sooner or later. I have been faithfully attending another church for almost two years. If I still like it by this time next year, I'm planning to join up (I didn't want to rush in because of what happened with Mormonism). A TBM convert in town has a wife who belongs to this church, though she doesn't show up very often. I expect that any time, the word will be out. I don't care! Nobody around here cares if I get ex'ed from the Mormon church, because nobody cares about Mormons except a tiny handful of their members.

Resign, or be excommunicated. It may not mean much to you now, but it would be better to resign than to be viewed negatively by others in the future - such as an employer. Resigning means it was YOUR choice. Being ex'd could be viewed as you having done something really wrong.

It's in your hands to exercise your power over the Church's power. Don't allow them to possibly hurt you in the future by exing you.

I don't need to remind you what happened to the Dursleys when THEY refused that first letter! ('cept TCOJCOLDS uses sweet angels, not owls)

Don't bother with it. Don't take any more calls or mail from the ward and don't get back in touch with them. Simply write a polite resignation letter to the church HQ in SLC and have your membership removed. You don't need to trouble yourself over it.

If you want to stay in, keep doing what you're doing: being yourself*!

If you want to get out, keep doing what you're doing: being yourself! Being happy, following your heart, attending the meetings of you choice. Most people have to tell the truth about lds/ write extensively/ talk about it, join other congregations, murder/ beat off, see someone else naked, etc. You'll be axed!

*Bishop Wrong spies, pries & lies and doesn't know or follow the 'rule book'. It's your choice. You have to write headquarters either way: resign or tell them your bishop is tormenting you for following the articles of faith.