Baptizing Excommunicated People From Other Churches?

[Duncan]

if you or someone you know were the ward mission leader would you baptize someone in your ward that had been exed or at least asked to leave from several other churches for undisclosed reasons?

[KevinG]

Trust but verify. I would not be opposed to contacting former clergy or doing a pubic records search to make sure the sins were not of a predatory nature.

[Duncan]

if a newspaper article indicates they have a psychiatric dog and had been facing eviction because they didn't want to get rid of said dog, would that muddy the waters? Evictions happen, I know a great family that made a booboo and they get asked to leave and they landed okay but didn't get written up in a newspaper article though

[KevinG]

Are we talking excommunication or eviction? I'm confused. It is also late so I'll probably be in bed before you respond.

[Duncan]

Are we talking excommunication or eviction? I'm confused. It is also late so I'll probably be in bed before you respond.

both,i'll forgive your confusion, you lost a hockey team-but seriously I don't want to judge this lady or anything and it certaintly isn't up to me to say yay or nay but the concern has been made vocal

[KevinG]

both,i'll forgive your confusion, you lost a hockey team-

Ouch I should have gone to bed. ;-P

but seriously I don't want to judge this lady or anything and it certaintly isn't up to me to say yay or nay but the concern has been made vocal

If a concern about someones worthiness has been made vocal I'd say the sin is with the gossip. Unless the Mission President or Bishop have revealed something from a confidential interview (which I suspect did not happen).

The issue then is how to hush the rumors. Perhaps "this sister has been dragged through the mud enough in the press - let her worthiness be evaluated by the Judge in Israel just as yours are - not by a bunch of gossips".

[Sky]

As long as the person is ready to make a full commitment to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then I don't really care what their status was in their previous church. If they have a sin that needs repenting of, then that is another matter that would be addressed separately. Of course every situation is different, though.

Edited March 15, 2012 by Sky

[Duncan]

Ouch I should have gone to bed. ;-P

If a concern about someones worthiness has been made vocal I'd say the sin is with the gossip. Unless the Mission President or Bishop have revealed something from a confidential interview (which I suspect did not happen).

The issue then is how to hush the rumors. Perhaps "this sister has been dragged through the mud enough in the press - let her worthiness be evaluated by the Judge in Israel just as yours are - not by a bunch of gossips".

that is what isn't known but I don't know, I am not so concerned about the asked to leave the churches part but about the mental health aspect but then again I and none of the missionaries are experts, I guess I am worried that any of these issues could come up again or are manifesting themselves already and teh sisters don't know or whatever

[Duncan]

As long the person is ready to make a full commitment to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then I don't really care what their status was in their previous church. If they have a sin that needs repenting of, then that is another matter that would be addressed separately. Of course every situation is different, though.

that's true and again I am not judging this lady, I don't know what the sisters know or what she has told them or stability and I have been a missionary so I know the terrain on both sides of the field

[KevinG]

that is what isn't known but I don't know, I am not so concerned about the asked to leave the churches part but about the mental health aspect but then again I and none of the missionaries are experts, I guess I am worried that any of these issues could come up again or are manifesting themselves already and teh sisters don't know or whatever

I baptised and confirmed a young man who later ended up in an asylum because of his inability to safely live in society. The first thing he asked for when he got there were his scriptures. Short of this sister being a danger to others or proven unworthy there is no reason to bar her from entering the strait and narrow path.

[KevinG]

that's true and again I am not judging this lady, I don't know what the sisters know or what she has told them or stability and I have been a missionary so I know the terrain on both sides of the field

Sounds like a good time to bring in the Mission President.

[Duncan]

I baptised and confirmed a young man who later ended up in an asylum because of his inability to safely live in society. The first thing he asked for when he got there were his scriptures. Short of this sister being a danger to others or proven unworthy there is no reason to bar her from entering the strait and narrow path.

all very true and I know a lady here who was exed for joining our Church

[Duncan]

As long as the person is ready to make a full commitment to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then I don't really care what their status was in their previous church. If they have a sin that needs repenting of, then that is another matter that would be addressed separately. Of course every situation is different, though.

true