"Why Excommunication"

Simple question Chuck – why excommunication? This was asked to me by a close friend (not a member of the Church) and thought it might be wise to share it with others as the media and apostates usually do not reveal the full story. c/ork (all of what follows are my thoughts and in no way indicate the position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – to wit I’ve no authority to answer for the Church – thus only my reply to the question asked hoping to provide some clarification.)

 

My reply: For those who are not familiar with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – we have what we call excommunication for those members who’ve transgressed either a Commandment, Statute or Law of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This member can come willingly (and most do) or be brought before a Church Council (usually their local Bishop or Branch President or their Stake President) – to reconcile their lives with the teaching to which they’ve testified to and covenanted to live and obey. There can be several outcomes based on severity of the situation – one can be exonerated, dis-fellowshipped or excommunicated. To be dis-fellowshipped will be with the conditions set by the presiding council and the standards of the Church. Excommunication is different in that one is removed from any covenants they’ve made – lose any Priesthood they may have had – and otherwise be as if they were no longer a member. All excommunication is done for the best of the person involved – with love and counsel so that someday they can return if they desire. However, in some cases where one openly opposes the Church and knowingly rejects the Holy Ghost – then their excommunication can be final and they’ll have to rectify their lives after their mortality is over.

In the case of this sister she made her choices willingly – (it’s always amazing those who leave the Church can never leave it alone). Excommunication means she can do what is necessary to be re-baptized – however, this will never be conveyed by the media and maybe not even by her. It is neither final but gives a person the ability to repent for whatever caused their excommunication – mostly it is sexual transgressions – however in this case she acted in direct conflict with what she had testified to as being true. There are many like-minded who leave the Church all of the time for their moment in the media – and then fade away. (A review of the present case: A feminist U.S. Mormon who was excommunicated after advocating for the ordination of women said on Friday her appeal against the ejection from her faith was denied by a panel of male Church leaders. Kate Kelly, founder of the website Ordain Women, was excommunicated in June after Church leaders deemed her actions and public statements to have violated the "laws and order" of the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and amounted to apostasy.) 

Sadly, there are many churches she could join and have her wish but not in Father’s Church. On the other-side we’ve the longest lasting women’s organization – run by the women of the Church than any other church in America called the Relief Society – and we’ve various Women Presidencies in the Church – Young Woman – Primary and the Relief Society. They’re called auxiliaries – and travel throughout the world in their service. The only difference between the Sisters and the Brothers is that the brothers are responsible for the administrative and presiding in regular meetings. Going to the homes of the sick (or hospitals) and giving blessings at any time of day or night. The Sisters are responsible for the inside of the home and family – while the Brothers are responsible for the family and that which is outside of the home.

 

Home Teaching is a Priesthood calling and Visiting Teaching is a Relief Society calling. The Home Teaching is a visit to the whole family – while Visiting Teaching is just to the Sister in the various families.

 

Sisters and Priesthood both can serve missions.

 

So what she was asking for is both unneeded (never has been within the Savior’s Church during any dispensation) and against Revealed doctrines to a Prophet of God.

 

Indeed – the man without the woman – and the woman without the man cannot progress to the highest degree of Glory (spoken by Paul) in the Celestial Kingdom. i.e. the Temple Sealing.

 

Back to the question of excommunication – in her case she most likely demanded it by her refusal to accept the counsel provided to her – and her rebellion against the Savior and his Church. However, without the blessing of excommunication there is no other way when one has transgressed the ‘law’ of the Gospel (Commandments, Statutes, Laws) we’ve all covenanted to obey and sustain. Thus someone in transgression could not gain the full forgiveness (predicated upon their knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ) without excommunication. Therefore it is a blessing rather than a penalty – she just chose to make it a media event (which from what I’ve read was her goal from the beginning).

 

I’ve known many who’ve been excommunicated – and then when having followed the recommendations given to them have been re-baptized with a clean slate between themselves and Father. Thus a great Blessing to them and their families.

 

c/ork

 

“Why Excommunication”

 

cji

11/01/14

 

Having gone astray the path

losing the road to Zion fully

seeking a way to return home

knowing all would be lost

eternity without my family

being left in eternal torment

thus getting up the courage

asking for a Church Council

pleading my indiscretions

before the Lord’s anointed

leaving nothing hidden away

accepting the repentance way

thus you inquire my friends

‘why excommunication?’

there is no other way to go

to become clean from my sins

knowing eventually to come back

being baptized once more

to become clean and pure

forgiven by the Father

therefore is this blessing

excommunication done!

 

Copyright © 2014 – cji

 

 

"Heirs Together Forever"

1Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

 

Preface: This is one of my favorite Scriptures within my life! When I was 18 in the Far East a friend invited me to attend a Bible study group. We hadn’t even settled in when the person conducting looked at me and asked, “What does 1Peter 3:7 mean?” And without hesitation I replied, “It means Husbands and Wife’s are supposed to be married for time and all eternity!” He then threw me out and said I was not invited to come back. This made me think about this Scripture as I knew I was correct in what I’d said as I hadn’t even to think about my reply. When dating my eternal companion I shared with her that marriage was for time and all eternity – that we were to be heirs together – and that meant eternally. The minister she wanted to marry us refused as he wasn’t going to marry anyone who wasn’t going to make it. After years of searching we found the Restored Church with all of the doctrines and covenants which the Savior had established in his Church when he was here in mortality, including marriage for time and all eternity which can only be performed in His Holy House – the Temple by those having authority. Which was the same authority given to the 12 Apostles – most specifically reference to John – in the power to Seal on Earth that which will be Sealed in Heaven. (We’ve now been married going on 46 years.)  c/ork

 

“Heir’s Together Forever”

 

cji

10/30/14

 

What a difference it makes

knowing it can be for eternity

when little problems arise often

or major tests of our mortal being

we know it is forever if worthy

thus never giving up or giving in

staying the course within love

eternal and forever to be known

as Heavenly Father loves us

therefore heir’s together forever

enduring all of mortalities tests

enduring to the end of our time

passing the veil as an eternal unit

our children and their children

our progenitors and theirs

forever and ever thru eternity!

 

Copyright © 2014 – cji

 

"A Leaf Unfallen" (short essay)

Went to the VA this AM and made a comment about Martial Law (to which a Pilipino understood and agreed) while another indicated that all most wanted to do was say the president is trying to destroy the US. She then got called away so there was not time to respond – what follows is what I emailed her.  –

Hi my friend; please don’t think that we believe the President is trying to destroy America – we do view what he’s doing is in accordance with what he believes to be the best for our nation and that is different from what some of us believe. Differences are okay – and in our nation we’ve to have a free expression of speech – but not either in contention or confusion. Sadly – when one says something they should be able to back up what they say – and with what I said this AM his administration has been saying for quite some time. Will it happen I hope not but for some reason he feels if we’re not doing it his way then he’ll do it his way in spite of the Constitution – we’ve never quite had a resident on Pennsylvania Ave. who’s gone about it in quite the way he has. This makes us older historians a tad nervous – is he right then we’re wrong – but in this case I’m not sure. Long ago and far away I was put on report for making a comment about Vietnam when JFK was president. A Marine CPL put us all on report for disagreeing with our nations official policy. It was dismissed – and in the long run what we’d suggested was the policy JFK was perusing and it got him murdered. And then the war got extended at the cost of thousands of lives and billions of dollars including many abuses and corruption in our Federal Government.

There’s much in history which is no longer taught or even in our text books – no longer is it understood what Martin Luther King spoke about and I knew him and spent time with him in Harlem in 1964 (ask those who were alive then about the summer of 1964). There are many in our nation who put the word ‘race’ on everything – which is not a good idea and it presents a basic lie. Two Americans should be able to have a conversation without ‘race’ entering the equation – but it seems that this is no longer politically correct. As you noted while we were waiting to be called several of us had a pretty good conversation – this is the way it was and the way it should be. It’s been this way my whole life.

So please don’t misunderstand – no one is attacking anyone when they state provable facts in conversation. Let me go a bit further – when the last general election was held – and 109% of the voters in multiple districts all voted for just one candidate – or when the voting machines only voted for one candidate on the first three tries – or multiple thugs were around various voting precincts – some voters were belittled and shamed – other officials were not allowed to enter to take their assigned posts – this is the appearance of what martial law looks like. This is not what America was brought into being for. Yes, there’s a lot of evil which has happened in our nation since the time of John Adams’ presidency – much of it at the hands of those who were in power or seeking power. Many of those evils were power moves of one culture against another. Whites and Blacks – Italians and Irish – Jews and Christians – Chinese and Japanese – and the laws were not and maybe in my study of our history ever have been applied equally across all colors, cultures, nationalities and most likely when men/women are in charge they never will. I doubt you or I have ever been slave holders – or have we trafficked in drugs or used physical force to get someone to do something against their will. We get up and work hard/smart each day to make things better for our families and those around us.

In your position you see an endless line of those who’ve put their lives on the line so that you and I can have the freedoms which we have. That this service has not benefitted all equally is the fault of our government and those who utilize power and dominion un-righteously and seek to enslave those around them either as a race or a community. They feed the media to print sensationism in their papers – causing contention and confusion – called evil good and good evil. They’ve no morals and or virtues – only lusts for more and more – power, wealth, and to fulfil all of their appetites. Where does this leave you and I? If you and I do our homework – seriously study on our own what is going on in our nation – study the fundamental documents (not let others interpret them for us) – open the windows in our minds – seek truth and not just rhetoric which makes us feel good, angry, or confused – then we’ll see what is really going on around us and who’s subjecting us to their way of thinking.

In this lifetime we’re all going to have an effect on someone – good or bad – I’ve never cared what effect I’ve had as long as I can be found doing the right thing for the right reason – and this starts and ends for me with full (not partial) obedience to all of Father’s Commandments with a willing heart and contrite spirit. I’m knowing enough to know that anything I know or am capable doing which is good comes from Father – he’s allowed me the opportunity to become all I can become – this is the equality which is spoken of – however, if I (or you) sit back and expect someone else to do it for us – or we go out and rob, use drugs, rape or otherwise abuse this life we’ve been given then in our agency to make choices we’ll have staked our claim to outer darkness. Thus, when one violates the least of the Commandments they are saying they love not the Father or the Son (and his sacrifice for us) – but embraces some other god – whether it be immaterial or worldly – and really cares not who they enslave or abuse for their selfishness.

When one studies on their own – does their own through research – they can learn much more than if one only takes what another offers either for money or gain of some nature. I never took a college class where I didn’t interview my professors first! Meeting them in their offices I could learn a lot about them – and some I knew even if I did A work I’d be lucky to get a C because their beliefs and mine were at opposite ends of the spectrum. In some cases no one else taught the course which I needed to take – thus being President of the Vietnam Veterans Club and taking a course from the professor who was the head of the anti-Vietnam organization at our small college – was a certain recipes for my at best getting a C. I did do A work in the class – on my tests – class participation – group project were all A’s – but when the final grades came out he had given me a C and said tough luck!

When subjective grading is done in the secular world there is nothing which is fair or equal. In our political world today – there is nothing fair or equal! Money is calling the shots and those who’ve the money control those in political office. We stopped being a republican form of government in the 1930’s when the direct election of Senators became law. Now every politician in every office of the Federal Government became a game of who had the most money to run for office. Truth and values went out the window. The lies which so many Americans are led to believe via the media have gotten so bad that they’ve become truth to those telling them. You and I are caught in their game of power.

Sadly, per the Prophets and the Scriptures it’ll continue to get much worse – till if having these power seekers (and power is what it really is all about as one can only spend so much money) you and I will outside of a professional conversation not even want or desire to talk with one another – because of what the media and power-mongers spew with disregard to truth.

Chuck

“The Leaf Unfallen”

cji

10/17/14

Sitting on a park bench

enjoying the solitude

watching children at play

parents hovering over

puppies jumping about

having another sit beside

idle conversation enjoyed

noticing not far away

a leaf clinging to a limb

shoot and twig entwined

life from one to another

allowing togetherness

for a season as one

the leaf unfallen

as our conversation

being a oneness

enjoying the solitude

on a park bench sitting!

Copyright © 2014 – cji