My grandparents had an LDS neighbour that killed himself by disembowelment many years ago. I have heard of a few other of these incidences in S Alberta over the years. It never occurred to me till today that there is a strong ritualistic aspect to these. Has anyone heard of this in other locales?

That sounds really hard for a person to do to themselves. I know there have been some violent modern polygamists groups who would punish people who lost favor their group with bloody penalties like these, but suicide? Not really, unless this was a faked suicide.

When committing hari-kari, the person to die has a trusted friend lop off his head once the sword penetrates, thus preventing him from screaming and dishonoring himself.

In the book Hannibal, the good Dr.Lector slices the abdomen of the police officer, and shoves his body out the museum window. When the rope snaps tight the sudden stop causes all of the intestines to fall out. But that isn't what killed him.

Sounds like Seppuku, but I doubt this guy was a samurai who dishonored himself.

That's what I thought as well. It would be just about impossible to do to oneself. Makes it even stranger.

Is the suggestion in the OP that this death matches the old penalties from the endowment ceremony? Rather than do so I would suffer...my life...to be taken?
Sounds a great premiss for RfM film, the fight against the Mormon Mafia. It could be a bit like Walking Dead.

The wording was:

"Suffer my life to be TAKEN."

Not "take my own life."

The Danites handled it for you, as a loving favor, so you could just relax and die, like a Mormon lemming.

Can't believe I didn't run from the Temple right then. Instead, I committed mental seppuku for two years.

Code of honor solo suicides are rare, most ritual suicides are group things or assisted rituals/murders.

Chronic illness and depression are serious catalysts for most solo suicides.