How to Remove Your Name from the LDS Records

[alanmolstad]

http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/...ovalletter.htm


http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/...ovalletter.htm

[alanmolstad]

From time to time I'm told we get "lurkers" here who visit this Walter Martin Forum but are afraid for many reasons to register and become a member here.

In case a visiting Mormon wants to know how to take the next step I felt it might be useful to have some guidance.

I hope the link will provide you with some advice should this be a subject you are thinking about.

[theway]

Originally Posted by alanmolstad

http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/nameremovalletttm


http://www.utlm.org/onlinereces/nameremovalletter.htm

Typical Anti-Mormon nonsense and hypocrical sillness.
Notice how Anti-Mormons are only experts on how to lose you faith, but give no advice on how one is to gain faith.

In fact most of the advice they give you is contradictory, as the following gem from off their link will show you.

"If you do not hear from the Bishop after 30-40 days, write another letter to him insisting he take this action as you instructed, otherwise, you may be forced to seek legal action. You might also threaten that you will start a writing campaign to the newspapers to inform them of the church's control and unfairness in this action."

To start off with a little background I will say that there has NEVER been one case where wrongful termination, excommunication or even nonaction when it comes to disfellowship from a religion has won in a US court. There have been hundreds of attempts and the vast majority have been against nonLDS religions. In fact it is even against the US Cons***ution for the courts to even get involved. The only hope one would have is in proving that harm came when such action against you by the church became puplic. However if you notice from the statement above, they are the ones who tell you that you need to make it puplic, thereby nullifying any hopes you had (no matter how impossiple that is) to winning your case because it was you who made it puplic. It seems they dont even have basic common sense in their wishful thinking over there.

No... if you want to leave, then just leave and depart as friends. Move on with your life and in your walk with God. Take the advice of the Bible and NEVER LOOK BACK. Unless of course when you finnaly come to realize that you have made a mistake, you will then be accepted back with open arms.

[alanmolstad]

also if any person wants addional help and advice on how to deal with loved ones still caught is Mormonism....you can contact the link .

[theway]

Originally Posted by alanmolstad

also if any person wants addional help and advice on how to deal with loved ones still caught is Mormonism....you can contact the link .

Sure.... if you want them to never talk to you again then by all means, use their advice.

Of course an AntiMormon will tell you that it was because of Mormon shunning of exMembers, instead of the real reason, that you will become a heretical selfrigheous obnoxious Faith-aloner that Anti-Mormonism will turn you into.

[James Banta]

Originally Posted by theway

Typical Anti-Mormon nonsense and hypocrical sillness.
Notice how Anti-Mormons are only experts on how to lose you faith, but give no advice on how one is to gain faith.

In fact most of the advice they give you is contradictory, as the following gem from off their link will show you.

"If you do not hear from the Bishop after 30-40 days, write another letter to him insisting he take this action as you instructed, otherwise, you may be forced to seek legal action. You might also threaten that you will start a writing campaign to the newspapers to inform them of the church's control and unfairness in this action."

To start off with a little background I will say that there has NEVER been one case where wrongful termination, excommunication or even nonaction when it comes to disfellowship from a religion has won in a US court. There have been hundreds of attempts and the vast majority have been against nonLDS religions. In fact it is even against the US Cons***ution for the courts to even get involved. The only hope one would have is in proving that harm came when such action against you by the church became puplic. However if you notice from the statement above, they are the ones who tell you that you need to make it puplic, thereby nullifying any hopes you had (no matter how impossiple that is) to winning your case because it was you who made it puplic. It seems they dont even have basic common sense in their wishful thinking over there.

No... if you want to leave, then just leave and depart as friends. Move on with your life and in your walk with God. Take the advice of the Bible and NEVER LOOK BACK. Unless of course when you finnaly come to realize that you have made a mistake, you will then be accepted back with open arms.

Since a Christian sees faith as a gift from God no on gains faith.. It is given or it is not given.. And that only in God's will.. Now, who does God will to receive faith? I turn to His word to establish which one of has the right to receive faith.

1 Tim 2:4
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

All men not some or a few.. It is our own personal will to reject the faith He provides, to reject the grace that is made available through that faith.. There is non-action if joining a different church is grounds for excommunication. there are still many in the Church that are members of record in the LDS church.. No action is taken against their membership as long as there is no public comments made against the church by them.. It was my public comments that brought the wrath of the LDS church down on me even though I had been attending Sandy Baptist church for months. Not until I made noises like a Christian was I brought up on charges by the LDS church.. By quoting a verse of the Bible and asking the if the reader had responded to Jesus inviting Him in to their life Charges of apostasy were brought against me.. I find it strange that holding a trust in Jesus was seen by the LDS church as Apostasy but no matter It was a way to get out of mormonism..

There was action that was successful against mormonism that caused it to offer resignation instead of excommunication. It didn't go to trial but still the LDS church was forced to allow people to leave the church my resignation.. Before that as in the era I left mormonism there was only one way out and that was excommunication. Your false statement that no case against the church was ever successful is a thin cover up and the fact that people can now resign.

Yes I made my acceptance of Jesus public. Is that a reason to be exed from what the LDS see as the Lord Jesus Christ's one true church? That was the public statement. Any negative statements that were made before my excommunication were made in private.. That didn't stop them (thank God).. I tell all those who doubt the truthfulness of Smith and the right of the LDS church to claim to be God's one true church to get free from this man invented anti-bible church. Resign NOW don't wait.. As you leave don't worry about walking away from a lie on friendly terms. Resist their EVIL is the teaching of many Gods. Resist their evil of usurping the priesthood of Jesus calling themselves HIGH PRIESTS in the priesthood order of Melchizedek. Resist their evil in believing that they can become as divine as God is divine. These doctrines are soul destroying. They are built in the works they do not on God grace to bring you to Himself.. Mormonism is a religion based on self-righteous acts not on the righteous acts of Jesus imputed on those that will believe Him.. IHS jim

[alanmolstad]

"The following are suggestions for writing a letter to the LDS Church to terminate your membership.

A letter should be sent to the Bishop of the Ward that has your current membership records.
Be sure to keep a copy of your letter in your files.
The letter should be in your own words but start with something like:

This is to inform you that as of (give date) I have terminated my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

You can then list your reasons for leaving, if you wish.
This is a good opportunity to share with them your faith in God, not man. (Many Bishops have never had a person leave the church on the basis of it not being true.)

View this as a chance to plant some seeds.

However, you are not required to give them any reason for your action.

Keep in mind, they do not have the right to retain your name on their membership list after you have informed them that you have resigned."

[James Banta]

Originally Posted by alanmolstad

"The following are suggestions for writing a letter to the LDS Church to terminate your membership.

A letter should be sent to the Bishop of the Ward that has your current membership records.
Be sure to keep a copy of your letter in your files.
The letter should be in your own words but start with something like:

This is to inform you that as of (give date) I have terminated my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

You can then list your reasons for leaving, if you wish.
This is a good opportunity to share with them your faith in God, not man. (Many Bishops have never had a person leave the church on the basis of it not being true.)

View this as a chance to plant some seeds.

However, you are not required to give them any reason for your action.

Keep in mind, they do not have the right to retain your name on their membership list after you have informed them that you have resigned."

Thanks Allan.. I think this is very helpful info to those wondering how to get out.. IHS jim

[RealFakeHair]

Originally Posted by James Banta

Thanks Allan.. I think this is very helpful info to those wondering how to get out.. IHS jim

now tell me how I get out of the Publishing Clearing House sweep stake mailing list?

[James Banta]

Originally Posted by RealFakeHair

now tell me how I get out of the Publishing Clearing House sweep stake mailing list?

sorry that is like getting away from the IRS.. IHS jim

[theway]

Originally Posted by alanmolstad

"The following are suggestions for writing a letter to the LDS Church to terminathe will membership.

A letter should be sent to the Bishop of the Ward that has your current membership records.
Be sure to keep a copy of your letter in your files.
The letter should be in your own words but start with something like:

This is to inform you that as of (give date) I have terminated my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

You can then list your reasons for leaving, if you wish.
This is a good opportunity to share with them your faith in God, not man. (Many Bishops have never had a person leave the church on the basis of it not being true.)

View this as a chance to plant some seeds.

However, you are not required to give them any reason for your action.

LOL... Ohhhh.... it sounds so ominous, as though there is a chance this would ever see the inside of a courtroom Need I remind you that this is not a legal issue, so quit pretending that they will change the cons***ution just for your anti religious agenda.

Originally Posted by alanmolstad

Keep in mind, they do not have the right to retain your name on their membership list after you have informed them that you have resigned."

Rights??? Since you will now have absolutely no rights to private information of the church as a nonmember, then how in the world would you even know whether they removed your name or what was put in your file? The people who wrote this are so full of hot air and wishful thinking.
What I find silly and laughably ironic is that you are forced to have to rely on the Bishop's promise that he willl abide by the promise he made, because you were the one who failed to abide by the promises which you made.

[alanmolstad]

Originally Posted by theway

so quit pretending ......

If you check you will notice that the post of mine you are very upset with is surrounded by quotation marks.....to indicate that Im quoting something.

What am I quoting?....Im quoting the information found on the link in the Original Post.


As for the advice to "quit pretending"?.....Im going to pretend I didn't see that ....

[alanmolstad]

Originally Posted by theway

.....just for your anti religious agenda.
......

my agenda?

Lets go over that idea a moment.


What do people think?

Jim here on the forum "likely" thinks I have an agenda too.
But he also thinks my agenda is also "beer-fueled" (if you know what I mean)
.....actually good call on that one James.

Neverending clearly thinks I have an agenda.
I got no doubt as to that!

Billy knew for a fact I had an agenda...and...didn't like it one bit.

Sword also felt I had an agenda, and that I kept secret?....(God I much be sneaky)

There have been other posters here over the years on the Walter Martin forum that all felt that I had an agenda.

But Im not so sure.....
Do I have an agenda?.....do I really?.......


Am I up to something?


Perhaps....(is havering fun an agenda?)

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by James Banta

... No action is taken against their membership as long as there is no public comments made against the church by them.. It was my public comments that brought the wrath of the LDS church down on me even though I had been attending Sandy Baptist church for months. Not until I made noises like a Christian was I brought up on charges by the LDS church..

So in a nutshell, it wasn't until you publicly attacked the church, that the church accused you of publicly attacking it. That seems OK to me.

[James Banta]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

So in a nutshell, it wasn't until you publicly attacked the church, that the church accused you of publicly attacking it. That seems OK to me.

No that isn't what I said.. I said it wasn't until I circulated a track that said Jesus is the only way to salvation, that nothing and no one can take His place in bringing salvation to mankind. That got their attention and came and found out that didn't believe that mormonism was the Lord one true Church nor did I believe that Joseph Smith was ever a prophet.. While I will tell anyone that, this forum is my one outlet for showing the evidence for the that statement to the world and to the LDS specifically.. IHS jim

[neverending]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

So in a nutshell, it wasn't until you publicly attacked the church, that the church accused you of publicly attacking it. That seems OK to me.

Since you weren't there and I was, I can tell you the tract we took around our neighborhood had nothing on it that attacked your church. It had a picture of Jesus standing outside a door, and about to knock. It quoted the verse from Rev. 3:20, "'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." So, how was this in any way attacking your church? We got the idea from a song that our kids learned when they went with some neighbor kids to Vacation Bible School. That was a wonderful summer for our kids, they learned so much and we met some very friendly, kind people. We had our phone number on the tract and wanted our neighbors to know that Jesus is there for them if they would open the door. Oh, almost forgot, it also said, I'm on the inside, on which side are you, which were words from the song our kids had learned....."One door and only one and yet it sides are two.....I'm on the inside, on which side are you?"
It was after that that we really began questioning Mormonism and by the end of summer we had decided to leave it and began attending a small Baptist Church. That's all there was to it.
As for Christian churches excommunicating members who leave and go to other churches, nope; that never happens. If someone doesn't show up for many months, it is ***umed that they have gone somewhere else or have stopped attending any church. The Pastor or one of the Elders of the church usually gives that person a call to find out if they are alright and if they are in need of anything. That is how things are done as we've been members of our small church for over 2 decades.

[alanmolstad]

llllllot of kinda personal info there guys......

i think the best way to go is to.just write a letter and be done with it.....

[neverending]

Originally Posted by alanmolstad

llllllot of kinda personal info there guys......

i think the best way to go is to.just write a letter and be done with it.....

You need to remember we left the church a long time ago. We didn't know anyone who had left the LDS Church so had no idea about writing a letter to ask that our names be removed. I don't think what I said to Phoenix was to personal. It explains perfectly what happened to us. It was that very evening after taking that tract around that the Bishop called us and everything snow balled from there.

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by neverending

You need to remember we left the church a long time ago. We didn't know anyone who had left the LDS Church so had no idea about writing a letter to ask that our names be removed. I don't think what I said to Phoenix was to personal. It explains perfectly what happened to us. It was that very evening after taking that tract around that the Bishop called us and everything snow balled from there.

I agree it probably wasn't "TMI" and I am grateful to find out some details. At least one more piece of the puzzle that it would help to know: That evening, what was it that the bishop said? Did you do anything after that phone call that might possibly have been "misunderstood" by church members as being an attack on Mormon teachings?

[neverending]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

I agree it probably wasn't "TMI" and I am grateful to find out some details. At least one more piece of the puzzle that it would help to know: That evening, what was it that the bishop said? Did you do anything after that phone call that might possibly have been "misunderstood" by church members as being an attack on Mormon teachings?

All that was said to the Bishop was that we wouldn't be attending at the Ward anymore but had found a new church, that was it. Within a month we were out, excommunicated for Apostasy. Now you know the full story but even today I laugh because to be accused of apostasy, we would have had to give up our faith in Jesus Christ, and that we have never done. It is only that we denied JS and all Mormon doctrines. It's really no big deal except to my parents who disowned me. I was the youngest and the only girl. Oh well, my only living sibling is an atheist but to my Dad that was ok, he still thought the world of that son because they went deer hunting every year. My other brother who has p***ed away never liked hunting and was gay. A very dysfunctional family wouldn't you say?

[alanmolstad]

Originally Posted by neverending

All that was said to the Bishop was that we wouldn't be attending at the Ward anymore but had found a new church, that was it. Within a month we were out, excommunicated for Apostasy. .

I still worry that a lot of personal information seems to be flowing around here...Still....I cant help but feel for you.

The truth is that while I have never been mixed up in any CULTS,,,,(thank God) I have for some unknown reason, spent most all of my life with close friends that had similar horror stories to yours.

I try to be understanding, but I will never understand.

I try to say the right thing, but what can you say?


I have my own views of such stuff and the use of this "stick of excommunication" that actually turns even a good Christian church into one that acts more like a CULT than a place where sinners find hope.

I simply dont get it....I dont get this use of this ....."weapon" to keep people afraid,,,to keep people in-line "or else".



If I could give the whole world a bit of a suggestion, it would be that if you belong to a religion or a denomination, or heck a club, that makes use of "excommunication" that you find your way to the nearest exit and ....and....run!


Run and don't look back!

[neverending]

Originally Posted by alanmolstad

I still worry that a lot of personal information seems to be flowing around here...Still....I cant help but feel for you.

The truth is that while I have never been mixed up in any CULTS,,,,(thank God) I have for some unknown reason, spent most all of my life with close friends that had similar horror stories to yours.

I try to be understanding, but I will never understand.

I try to say the right thing, but what can you say?


I have my own views of such stuff and the use of this "stick of excommunication" that actually turns even a good Christian church into one that acts more like a CULT than a place where sinners find hope.

I simply dont get it....I dont get this use of this ....."weapon" to keep people afraid,,,to keep people in-line "or else".



If I could give the whole world a bit of a suggestion, it would be that if you belong to a religion or a denomination, or heck a club, that makes use of "excommunication" that you find your way to the nearest exit and ....and....run!


Run and don't look back!

Well thanks alan. All I will say is, it was a terrible time for me since I was disowned by my parents but all that doesn't matter when I look at the big picture. I did still visit my parents even though there were times when the tension could be cut with a knife but they were still my parents and I still loved them. After the p***ing of my Dad, I did all I could to help my mother; she's been gone now since 2001 but I wonder if she appreciated how hard it was for me as I was going through Nursing School and trying to take care of my family and still trying to find time to help her. All water under the bridge but let me say this, when a member of the LDS Church gets ex'd or leaves, you are shunned by your neighbors and friends. I lost a life long friendship when I left the church and everything was my fault. All I could do was wish my friend well and say, goodbye. Sorry if this was TMI but it does let others know that leaving the LDS Church is not easy and many sad things happen.

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by neverending

All that was said to the Bishop was that we wouldn't be attending at the Ward anymore but had found a new church, that was it. Within a month we were out, excommunicated for Apostasy. Now you know the full story but even today I laugh because to be accused of apostasy, we would have had to give up our faith in Jesus Christ, and that we have never done. It is only that we denied JS and all Mormon doctrines. It's really no big deal except to my parents who disowned me. I was the youngest and the only girl. Oh well, my only living sibling is an atheist but to my Dad that was ok, he still thought the world of that son because they went deer hunting every year. My other brother who has p***ed away never liked hunting and was gay. A very dysfunctional family wouldn't you say?

Yes, that does seem pretty dysfunctional, and in my opinion, the decision to excommunicate a member for apostasy based merely on the news that the member had found a new church, seems extremely unusual.
In my ward we are currently contacting people who have stated they no longer want anything to do with the church , and we are asking them what they'd like to do. We give them the option of leaving their membership status as is, or the option of requesting their name be removed, which we will honor if that is their wish. But excommunication never even comes up in these cases. Maybe you just had an aberrant bishop.

[alanmolstad]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Yes, that does seem pretty dysfunctional, and in my opinion, the decision to excommunicate a member for apostasy based merely on the news that the member had found a new church, seems extremely unusual.
In my ward .....

me too....

While a lot of this forum is dominated with "Mormon vs christian' topics,,,,the truth of your statement cuts across lines.

There are many Christian and non-Christian denominations that have really harsh rules as bad as any blood-sucking CULT you have ever heard about as far and excommunication goes.....



I just think the whole concept is wrong.......

No matter the religion......

just wrong.

[alanmolstad]

I just think that if a guy changes his mind....WHO THE HELL CARES?

If i change my mind about a few things as i read the bible, who whose business is that really?


Should not a guy be allowed to be wrong a few times in his life without it being a big deal?
Just allow a guy to change his mind from time to time without the whole **** world stopping and black listing him for it.