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Child 13, blessed, not active, in our MLS but lives elsewhere

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 8:54 am
by dankrum
I have a 13 year old who I guess was blessed as an infant but has never been to church. Her record is attached to her grandparents here in our ward and who are active. Their son, her father, is a less active member and in jail somewhere else.
Her mother, whom she lives with out of our ward boundaries, is not a member and wants no contact. The grand parents rarely see her. They want her record to remain in our ward. YW cannot understand why she is on their rolls.
I think the record should be sent to her home ward as they are in the correct boundary to reach out to her.
What is the policy on this? I could not find anything.

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 9:18 am
by mlh78
dankrum wrote:I have a 13 year old who I guess was blessed as an infant but has never been to church. Her record is attached to her grandparents here in our ward and who are active. Their son, her father, is a less active member and in jail somewhere else.
Her mother, whom she lives with out of our ward boundaries, is not a member and wants no contact. The grand parents rarely see her. They want her record to remain in our ward. YW cannot understand why she is on their rolls.
I think the record should be sent to her home ward as they are in the correct boundary to reach out to her.
What is the policy on this? I could not find anything.
Take a look at Handbook I section 13.6, second paragraph. The records need to be in the ward she resides in unless your bishop and stake president get First Presidency approval.

Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:30 am
by davesudweeks
We had a similar situation and the Bishop was agreeing in order to keep the Grandparents happy. The difference for us was the Grandparents were mostly less-active as well.

It was finally fixed during our meeting with the Stake Presidency after Ward Conference a couple of years ago when reviewing the membership. The SP asked about them and everyone looked to me as the Ward Clerk, so I gave the situation as I understood it. They asked me why, and my only guess was the Grandparents were afraid the children would slip through the cracks. The SP asked the Bishop if anyone had contacted the children recently. The Bishop admitted that no one even knew where they were. The SP then wisely stated, "well, it looks like they slipped through the cracks. Bishop, send their records to the Address Unknown file - the Church will find them."

Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 12:05 am
by kisaac
mlh78 wrote:Take a look at Handbook I section 13.6, second paragraph.
While we won't quote from handbook 1, as it is for limited distribution.....

Dankrum, your direction will be dependent on your calling, on the policies in handbook 1, section 13.6 (and read all of it....through 13.6.9,) the scriptures, and direction from your bishop and perhaps from conversations with the bishop in the other area, followed by their ponder and prayer, to resolve your matter....
And then to their file leaders, if appropriate or necessary...

After all, the outcome may have eternal consequences!

(if you know the address in any area, you can use lds.maps to find the bishop of the unit that has stewardship of that area...)