Non Member Spouses
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 1:02 pm
There is a "bug" in MLS that appears apparently randomly and intermittently. I encountered it multiple times since 2002 in two Wards while serving as membership clerk. Each time I took the time to eliminate the error created by MLS.
MLS allows creation of a linking record for a non member spouse. If the procedure is followed than the names of both spouses appear on ward lists. The non member husband appears as the head of family: Brown, John and Mary.
When the "bug" is triggered the non member spouse appears as the head of family and his member wife appears as a member of the household but not as his wife.
It is a time consuming process to correct the problem so that the family appears properly again on ward lists.
I have contacted the membership department multiple times while a clerk in the two wards and since serving as Stake membership Clerk. There have been several updates to the program since 2002 but none of them has resolved this issue. There has been no solution from Salt Lake other than to re-enter all of the information.
I am now an assistant Clerk in the California Menifee Stake. I believe it is important for non members to be identified as part of the family. I believe it is the Church's intent that they be so identified. However, given the continuing existence of the "bug" I am reluctant to continue to encourage our membership clerks to add nonmember spouses to families.
I am not a programmer. I assume that because the “bug” to which I am referring is intermittent and without an obvious trigger it is difficult to resolve the problem. Nevertheless, it is a significant problem at the local level for wards that want to include non member spouses as part of the family on ward lists.
MLS allows creation of a linking record for a non member spouse. If the procedure is followed than the names of both spouses appear on ward lists. The non member husband appears as the head of family: Brown, John and Mary.
When the "bug" is triggered the non member spouse appears as the head of family and his member wife appears as a member of the household but not as his wife.
It is a time consuming process to correct the problem so that the family appears properly again on ward lists.
I have contacted the membership department multiple times while a clerk in the two wards and since serving as Stake membership Clerk. There have been several updates to the program since 2002 but none of them has resolved this issue. There has been no solution from Salt Lake other than to re-enter all of the information.
I am now an assistant Clerk in the California Menifee Stake. I believe it is important for non members to be identified as part of the family. I believe it is the Church's intent that they be so identified. However, given the continuing existence of the "bug" I am reluctant to continue to encourage our membership clerks to add nonmember spouses to families.
I am not a programmer. I assume that because the “bug” to which I am referring is intermittent and without an obvious trigger it is difficult to resolve the problem. Nevertheless, it is a significant problem at the local level for wards that want to include non member spouses as part of the family on ward lists.