So my hubby and I have both been inactive since the age of 12, 14 years. We finally pulled the plug and submitted our resignation papers in early March. Mid month the bishop stopped by and did his "interview". He was nice and understanding about it and that was it, a 5 minute conversation to freedom....or so I thought.

We are now receiving a near constant stream of vague messages. "I've got questions I'm being told to ask." "There are issues that need to be addressed", "I have several people asking questions, questions that I can't answer without speaking with the two of you first." "I have more questions before I can push this paperwork through." While we haven't been avoiding his calls, we have been super busy and haven't been available when he has called. In the 5 years we've been here we have heard from them less times then I can count on both heads,an it's been wonderful, yet now that we try to escape its constant. There is nothing you guys can do to help, and we will most likely have to adress him soon, but it's nice to vent to people who can understand our frustration!

Just let him know that you are legally resigned as soon as they received your letter. If the calls persist, send a few angry emails to SLC

You can call the Membership Records and ask them to light a fire under the Bishop's butt. Tell them that you already had an interview with him, but he keeps stalling the process.

You're already out.

One meeting was an accommodation to him and more than sufficient. Ignore his calls and go through Membership Records.

I would have a very hard time not returning the call and using very offensive language with him. In fact if it would be cathartic let him have it, just refrain from making any threats. Who cares what the douche thinks of you.

Call him back and tell him that you have stated what you needed to state and that you are not obligated to answer any more questions. Then tell him that the next communication he will receive will be from your attorney on your behalf. that usually gets their attention.

Yeah, call SLC. They don't like angry exmormons.

He is full of it. As soon as you sent your letter, you were legally out. I resigned 5 years ago and got a similar run around. Brief, as I told them "what was what"....

My wife just sent her letter. Bish sent an email a few days ago like your messages. My wife called him on it and forced his hand, got an email back saying he would comply.

Just return the call and state that you KNOW your legal rights and he needs to do what he needs to do, but there will be no further action on YOUR part. You are out.

The very MINUTE they got your letter you were no longer a member of their church and they know it. Would you have put up with Scientologists calling you like this out of the blue? Tell that bishop that you don't care what he does since the MINUTE THEY GOT YOUR LETTER YOU WERE NO LONGER A MEMBER OF THAT CHURCH!!! Be mean!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/2013 09:33PM by starkravingmad.

According to the 2010 CHI book 1...

When the Bishop receives your letter he has to contact you and send/give you a copy of a letter that states are you sure you understand everything and still want to proceed forward?

He sends a copy of that letter, a copy of your letter, a copy of your membership records, and the completed Report of Administrative Action (form) to the Stake President. The SP reviews the completed packet and then forwards it to the COB Membership Dept.

If the BP/SP fail to complete the above action within the 60-day period the COB Membership Dept. will automatically complete the name removal process.

The CHI might be the law of the law of the church, but it ain't the law of the land.

Yep - so their bishop is not acting according to the handbook - the bishop already had the required meeting and is still harassing them. This is why so many recommend always also submitting a resignation directly to church headquarters - they understand the legal ramifications and will always automatically process the resignation after 60 days.

We sent ours to church headquarters, they kicked it over to the local branch.

To me ... It sounds like it's probably the Stake President who is the obstructionist, holding it up and pressuring the bishop to ask the additional questions and such.

When we resigned I met with the bishop because he was also a neighbor and he promised to process it 'locally' before we moved (we submitted it just before moving). Then after we moved we got a letter stating it had been forwarded to some bishop in our new state and of a ward we weren't in even if we'd still been going. I've never confirmed it but suspect the stake president was the one behind that, probably because he didn't want the resignation of a family of five on his 'record'.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2013 02:36AM by Scott.T.

Arg!

I actually do have a recommendation for you. Tell him you are done and that if he continues to harass you, you will contact a lawyer.

Here's why I believe this will work:

1) Bishops are told that if they are ever threatened with any legal action they are to call the SLC legal hotline.

2) The bishop's actions are not in accordance with church policy. The legal department will tell him to knock it off.

I'd call just to find out what it was, and give him an "are you kidding me?" If it is to tell me my temple blessing are suspended, or some such. But that's me.

He should have already covered that in the initial 5 minute conversation. It sounds to me like the bishop is being pressured by the stake president to attempt to reconvert them.

Agreed bc. I do think its pressure from another venue, this more "aggressive" approach doesn't fit his normal characteristics.

As others have states, you're legally already out and don't have to deal with him.

But if you have the stomach for it and a lot of patience, I'm pretty curious to know what kind of lame thing he thinks he needs to find out from you before he can finish the paperwork.

I kept the original letter that we received from headquarters so I have that as documentation that they received our request. While our children were all given "a name and a blessing" none of them have been baptized.

I hope to avoid any confrontation and will probably ignore the calls until he calls at a time that I am available. I am also curious to see what the hold up could possibly be, I still find it hard to understand why they would want to fight us on it. It's not as though a few moths ago we held callings, paid tithing and attended the temple. Neither of us got beyond the "12 year old callings".

At any other time it would be something I would address and deal with, but due to several family struggles, I don't have enough patience or time for all the things already on my plate without adding the LDS religion to it.

I would have a hard time not to call him back and threaten him something awful with legal measures if he doesn't get on with his job and stop stalking!

tell him to talk to your lawyer if he wants anything!.


Don't give him any more time or energy and let him know it. The fact that HE's got questions is not your problem but his.

Don't waste your time, go ABOVE the bishop or stake president. You have the email address of Confidential Record:
msr-confrec@ldschurch.org (http://www.exmormon.org/remove.htm)

Send them an email and push from there. Your case will resolve soon! ;)

I didn't want you to find out, but ever since we broke it off, your husband has been calling me several times a week. I'm afraid he just isn't willing to let me get away and I don't know if I can resist his efforts. I hope you'll understand and try to get him to forget what was between us.


...hmmm, I wonder if she would get that this is about church and not love...

Just simply tell him to FUCK OFF!!!!! :) Thats what I did to my annoying Elders quorum president lol

This is why I don't send in paperwork. I don't get bothered as a member.

Of course, I sent a letter years ago raising all sorts of questions about the church. They must have put a note in my file to avoid this guy who will theaten members' faith.

Might be fun every time your bishop calls to share more faith weakening stories or information with him. That way, he either wants to avoid you, or you lead him out of the church.

I think the simplest (only for the sake of speed) thing to do is call the Church Office Building and ask for Greg Dodge's office. Simply tell them you gave your bishop your resignation, met with him and now he is making your life a hell. All they need is your name and ward and then tell them if LDS, Inc doesn't take care of this loony bishop immediately you will call your lawyer. After you hang up I guarantee they will contact the bishop's Stake President (he may be the problem rather than the bishop) and tell him to get your bishop off his behind and get you resigned.

The other option is to do nothing and wait it out because you are resigned already whether or not the bishop will admit it to himself. It's only a matter of how long they want to take to get the confirmation letter out to you.