Mark lost/stolen or reissue recommend?

Discussions around using and interfacing with the Church MLS program.
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crislapi
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Mark lost/stolen or reissue recommend?

#1

Post by crislapi »

Today's discussion on recommend permissions, etc. reminded me of a question I've had on the back of my mind for a while. Now that we've been using the barcode system for a year now, someone will have some background to answer this.

The barcode system allows recommends to be flagged as lost/stoled/deactivated. However, because this must be done at the stake level, somehow that info has to get back to the stake. I imagine there are a lot more lost recommends floating around out there than are so flagged at the stake. However, the members I'm sure get new recommends issued to replace the lost one.

Ok, here's the question: Does the old recommend have to be flagged as lost/stolen/etc before we issue them a new recommend, or does the process of issuing them a new recommend automatically deactivate their previous recommend?

Stated another way, is it possible for a person to have 2 active recommends (assuming after getting the new one they find the old one)?

I'm pretty sure the answer to this is the common sense one, but I thought I'd make sure. If not, there's a lot of lost recommends floating around out there that are active.
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mkmurray
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#2

Post by mkmurray »

crislapi wrote:Today's discussion on recommend permissions, etc. reminded me of a question I've had on the back of my mind for a while. Now that we've been using the barcode system for a year now, someone will have some background to answer this.

The barcode system allows recommends to be flagged as lost/stoled/deactivated. However, because this must be done at the stake level, somehow that info has to get back to the stake. I imagine there are a lot more lost recommends floating around out there than are so flagged at the stake. However, the members I'm sure get new recommends issued to replace the lost one.

Ok, here's the question: Does the old recommend have to be flagged as lost/stolen/etc before we issue them a new recommend, or does the process of issuing them a new recommend automatically deactivate their previous recommend?

Stated another way, is it possible for a person to have 2 active recommends (assuming after getting the new one they find the old one)?

I'm pretty sure the answer to this is the common sense one, but I thought I'd make sure. If not, there's a lot of lost recommends floating around out there that are active.
I believe I can answer this with a little experience I had not too long ago...

I renewed my recommend and was issued a new, activated one. As I got in my car, I realized I had forgotten to hand back my old one. I knocked on the Stake Clerk's door and apologized for forgetting to turn it back in, explaining I imagined the old one had to be deactivated. He appeared to be 100% sure that issuing the new one deactived the old one and simply shredded the old one on the spot without hesitation.

Like you, my common sense says the same, but I have no actual experience myself. Perhaps my Stake Clerk did.
lajackson
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#3

Post by lajackson »

crislapi wrote:Does the old recommend have to be flagged as lost/stolen/etc before we issue them a new recommend, or does the process of issuing them a new recommend automatically deactivate their previous recommend?
A recommend number is tied to a specific member by name and membership record number. A member cannot have two active recommends. When the stake activates a new recommend, the previous recommend is automatically deactivated.

The old recommend (if it has not expired) is actually good until the member of the stake presidency signs the new recommend and sees that it is activated. This is why the stake president or his counselor collects the old recommend. If a member sees the bishop before the current recommend expires, the member can still use the old recommend until he or she is able to make an appointment for the stake interview.
jbh001
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#4

Post by jbh001 »

One other tidbit I was told. Only activated recommends need to be reported lost/stolen. If a member loses their recommend before having the interview with the stake presidency, nothing needs to be reported, they just need a new recommend issued by the bishopric. The lost/stolen recommend wouldn't work unless it has been activated, so there is no need to report it lost/stolen to the stake.
crislapi
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#5

Post by crislapi »

jbh001 wrote:One other tidbit I was told. Only activated recommends need to be reported lost/stolen. If a member loses their recommend before having the interview with the stake presidency, nothing needs to be reported, they just need a new recommend issued by the bishopric. The lost/stolen recommend wouldn't work unless it has been activated, so there is no need to report it lost/stolen to the stake.
I've noticed that if we don't get recommends activated quickly enough, the temple activates them for us. Worst case scenario here, I know, but say someone steals a recommend and tries to get in the temple. When the recommend doesn't show up as activated, I could see the temple activating it where as if it is flagged as stolen, the temple will hold onto it and contact temple security (or whatever they do).

However, you can't mark it as lost/stolen unless you can affiliate it with a member record number. Still, it makes me wonder if the temple should be calling the member's bishop before activating the recommend for them. Perhaps that is the policy - we didn't have bar coded recommends when I was a temple worker so I don't know the procedure. Anyone?
lajackson
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#6

Post by lajackson »

crislapi wrote:I've noticed that if we don't get recommends activated quickly enough, the temple activates them for us.

However, you can't mark it as lost/stolen unless you can affiliate it with a member record number.
I cannot find a way to do this in MLS, but a member of the stake presidency can invalidate an unused recommend at the website. We do this regularly if a recommend is lost and will not be used.

When a recommend is lost before the stake interview, we get the number, and a member of the stake presidency invalidates it so it cannot be activated by the temple if found.

I believe the temple is supposed to call the bishop or a member of the stake presidency before activating a recommend. However, I do not know of any temple president that wants to keep a member out of the temple if they think they are otherwise worthy. So some recommends do get activated by the temple. I do not know what the temple president's handbook says, but I suspect the temple presidency only activates a recommend if they believe the member should be there.

Of course, we are supposed to check the temple recommend activation report regularly and would notice if a recommend had been improperly activated.
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