DO NOT CONTACT LIST

Discussions around using and interfacing with the Church MLS program.
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santillanji
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Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 6:04 am

DO NOT CONTACT LIST

#1

Post by santillanji »

I would like to know if there's a way to create a DO NOT CONTACT list in MLS.
I'd appreciate any help you can share.
Thanks
jaime
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aebrown
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Location: Draper, Utah

Re: DO NOT CONTACT LIST

#2

Post by aebrown »

santillanji
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Re: DO NOT CONTACT LIST

#3

Post by santillanji »

Thanks. I will.
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gregwanderson
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Location: Huntsville, UT, USA

Re: DO NOT CONTACT LIST

#4

Post by gregwanderson »

Bottom line, your ward leaders may want to create a Do Not Contact list but there isn't an official way to do it and it's not an idea that the church leaders in Salt Lake are happy about. A designation like "do not contact" should never follow someone's record if the record transfers to another ward. So don't try to alter the record in MLS.
santillanji
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Re: DO NOT CONTACT LIST

#5

Post by santillanji »

Ok Thanks. Hmmm, reading you guys explain this makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. I understand the church's position on this issue but, it seams a bit against ones will to do it this way. I'm sure I'm wrong thinking this so.
russellhltn
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Re: DO NOT CONTACT LIST

#6

Post by russellhltn »

santillanji wrote:Ok Thanks. Hmmm, reading you guys explain this makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. I understand the church's position on this issue but, it seams a bit against ones will to do it this way. I'm sure I'm wrong thinking this so.
If the member in question decides to terminate their membership, then that will put a end to everything but missionary tracting. As long as they are members, it's not unreasonable for the church to make contact now and then. I can't think of any group that would have someone as a member but never contact them.
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gregwanderson
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Re: DO NOT CONTACT LIST

#7

Post by gregwanderson »

The topic has been discussed at length in other threads. But I'll add another two cents. It's hard to say why someone would ask to not be contacted. Maybe they were just having a bad day when the home teachers dropped by that one time. Maybe they just didn't like those home teachers. Maybe they had a problem accepting a church historical fact but that was resolved within a few months... and if they were on an official "do not contact" list they might be ignored for many years. If there were a "do not contact" list then maybe someone would actually disobey a spiritual prompting to contact them later.

Maybe a Deacon with a fast offering envelope gets yelled at every couple of years but we'd rather take that risk than to not be there for the "lost sheep" someday when they really need us. ...Or, at least, that's what I think lies behind the instructions from the church leaders. Besides, that Deacon's going to be a full-time missionary someday and will have to get used to having a few doors slammed in his face.
santillanji
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Re: DO NOT CONTACT LIST

#8

Post by santillanji »

Ok. I like that explanation a lot better and I agree with mrrad. I've always known that the church's intentions are good behind all of the persistence.
davesudweeks
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Re: DO NOT CONTACT LIST

#9

Post by davesudweeks »

Here is another reason, common in my area: The member has been inactive for many, many years and they are attending another church. They don't consider themselves a member, though they have been baptized. Since they don't consider themselves a member, and have no current interest in the church, they don't understand why we demand them to write a letter to the bishop to have their name removed (our Stake President instructs our bishops to not act without the request in writing). We have about a dozen members like that in my ward.

That said, this past Sunday, our full time missionaries met with a member who is on the "DNC" list and he indicated he would accept some contact (though he mentioned that his non-member wife was much less favorable of the church and may have been the cause of the original DNC request).
michaelmoosman
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Re: DO NOT CONTACT LIST

#10

Post by michaelmoosman »

In reality, wards that I've attended have often created their own DNC list through various ways, e.g. Google Drive, creating a custom DNC calling, assigning their ministers to a specific person. People on the custom DNC list will find that even if they said that they want no contact by the Church, they will probably get some contact by the Church. Perhaps this will be neighbors assigned as their ministers. Perhaps they will get contact from someone because a member distributing a newsletter or email either doesn't know about the custom DNC list, or doesn't feel it applies.

If the Church would add a "Contact Preferences" section on a persons record, this could eliminate having custom DNC lists, and would be done more inline with Church policies. A member might wants certain types of contact, but not other types.
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