Blessing a child who already has a record

Discussions around using and interfacing with the Church MLS program.
geek
Member
Posts: 100
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:27 pm
Location: United States

Blessing a child who already has a record

#1

Post by geek »

It seems like there are two options for handling newborns:

- Create a child record
- Child blessing (which in turns creates a child record)


What's the proper way to handle the blessing of a child who has already been created? Prime examples here is when a child is born to a less-active family, or if for some reason the father is not worthy to perform the blessing until later. In the meantime, the baby has a record created. Then later, the blessing is to be performed.

MLS doesn't allow me to add a blessing to a child of record who already exists.

Now, I recognize that it's not a saving ordinance, and so it doesn't "matter". And I know that I can just print them a certificate and have the bishop sign it. But, it seems to me that MLS really wants the record created with the blessing date (as I'm sure it gets logged somewhere in some database I can't see).



So it looks like my options are:

1. Just print a certificate and not worry about it.

2. Delete the unblessed child record, process the blessing and let MLS create a new one.
a. Do the deletion before I process the blessing?
b. Process the baby blessing and then end up with duplicates, and delete the duplicate?


I want to do this the right way, but there's not much guidance I can find on the proper sequence. We don't want to let a child not exist on the records if his family is going to Church but for some reason hasn't gotten around to blessing the baby (for 6-8 months).

Thanks.
Former membership clerk under 3 bishops, now on 2nd stint as executive secretary. Can I go back to teaching priesthood now?
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34422
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

#2

Post by russellhltn »

I'm not in front of the any MLS computer right now to verify anything - but if the blessing isn't shown in the record anywhere, then option #1 seems to be the best.

There is a option #3 - use "special request" to inform SLC about the action and let them make any necessary entries.
User avatar
ajames
New Member
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:36 pm
Location: Dover, DE

Blessings are Listed as Ordinances

#3

Post by ajames »

If you look at the Individual Record's ordinances, you have the option to add an ordinance, which includes child blessings. From there you can record the blessing as you would any other ordinance, and print the certificate to be signed by the bishop/branch president. This does not create a new record, but simply adds the child blessing ordinance to the individual's membership record.
SmithGW
Member
Posts: 99
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:42 am

Blessing a child who already has a record

#4

Post by SmithGW »

If a child already has a record, then you would not create a new record. A child blessing is not a binding ordinance. Adult converts are never blessed and it does not stand in the way of their salvation at all. Now, if a family has a baby, it is quite natural and proper to have the child blessed. MLS provides two ways to create a new record for the child (New Child of Record or Record Child Blessing) that includes fields to record who did the blessing and what that person's priesthood was. However, if the record already exists, there is no place to record the blessing information.

The blessing information recorded when you use the "New Child of Record" or "Record Child Blessing" option only remains in MLS until the record is moved and then it disappears. It is only there to help the clerk create a certificate. If you bless a child who already has a record, I would create the certificate and call it good.
geek
Member
Posts: 100
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:27 pm
Location: United States

#5

Post by geek »

Following up with ajames: How do you add an ordinance exactly? I was just in MLS and I saved a screenshot of the Ordinance tab for the member in question (I blanked out the name). (I've tried to attach it but not sure if it's working.)

Following up with smithgw, so you're saying that blessing information is saved nowhere in the Church system? I thought I saw a report one time that would generate blessing dates, but maybe I'm mistaken.
Attachments
ordinance-screen.jpg
(50.86 KiB) Downloaded 568 times
Former membership clerk under 3 bishops, now on 2nd stint as executive secretary. Can I go back to teaching priesthood now?
geek
Member
Posts: 100
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:27 pm
Location: United States

#6

Post by geek »

geek wrote:Following up with ajames: How do you add an ordinance exactly? I was just in MLS and I saved a screenshot of the Ordinance tab for the member in question (I blanked out the name). (I've tried to attach it but not sure if it's working.)
I should add - I know how to "add an ordinance"; I guess I interpreted ajames' comment such that there was a way to add a blessing or so. It doesn't look like it.
Former membership clerk under 3 bishops, now on 2nd stint as executive secretary. Can I go back to teaching priesthood now?
russellhltn
Community Administrator
Posts: 34422
Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:53 pm
Location: U.S.

#7

Post by russellhltn »

ajames wrote:If you look at the Individual Record's ordinances, you have the option to add an ordinance, which includes child blessings.
I didn't see that on my test system.
User avatar
kfindlay
New Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu May 17, 2007 9:41 am
Location: Utah Native in Madison Alabama Over 25 Years

Another example of duplicate records

#8

Post by kfindlay »

We have the problem of a teen ager who is from a broken family that attends church every week but has promised the father who is out of the household that he will not be baptized until he is over 18, then when the baptism is completed the mission creates a new record so you end up with two records for the same person in the same household, one has the baptism and confirmation information on it and the other one is just an administrative record.

We were instructed to delete the extra record so that the correct one remains. Once you have dealt with duplicate records, you are always keyed into it.
jfackerson
Member
Posts: 72
Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 9:34 am
Location: Longview, Washington, USA

#9

Post by jfackerson »

Dups won't happen if Baptism Recommend contains existing
Record number for unbaptized 18 year old.

Third line down, right side. Record number (if child of record).
nbs2-p40
New Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:20 am

#10

Post by nbs2-p40 »

RussellHltn wrote:I'm not in front of the any MLS computer right now to verify anything - but if the blessing isn't shown in the record anywhere, then option #1 seems to be the best.

There is a option #3 - use "special request" to inform SLC about the action and let them make any necessary entries.

I've just ended up in the same situation as the OP. Is there any reason option 2 would not be a good idea?
Locked

Return to “MLS Support, Help, and Feedback”