I know understand why the LDS Church is seen as a cult by so many people. It's because cults don't allow their members to leave of their own free will. They have to fight, crawl and push their way through the bullies of the Holy Order of the LDS Church Administrative Bureaucracy™.
Basically, they refused my request, and are instead sending it to my ecclesiastical leader (Bishop Mikolyski). If he calls me, I'm going to be pretty angry.
I called the LDS Church Member Records Division (1-800-453-3860 ext 22053) immediately and this is pretty much exactly what I said, since it was a pretty concise way that I found online to express my feelings:
“As you know, I stopped being a member of your church on the day you received my letter. It is clear that someone in your office thinks I don't know what my rights are.So, we'll see what happens.
I do NOT have to contact anyone else regarding my resignation. As a non-member I am no longer subject to your rules and regulations or policies. I DO have a right to get a letter of confirmation from you that states that my name has been removed from the membership rosters of the church.
Please stop wasting time and effort and handle my resignation appropriately. If you don't handle this appropriately, I may involve a lawyer or the press.”
I should have known better than to think they'd let me leave quietly. Now I'm gonna get nasty.
Yeah, I have heard that this happens a lot. It seems to be a last ditch effort to get you to give up. That way even if you stop going to church they can at least keep you as a number.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the picture though.
It happened to me. But I expected it. I just ignored it and let it take it's course.
ReplyDeleteI had actually sent out two duplicate letters at the same time, one to the church's records department and one to the bishop.
I received the letter from the records office telling me it was a "local effort" as expected.
A few days later I got one from my bishop
asking me to call him but that he would repect my request if I didn't call back in a month. Again, totally expected. He was following the church's policy/procedure.
I ignored everything. I didn't have to talk to anyone regarding this matter. They have no power over me what so ever. If I see him on the street he is not my bishop. He is just a former "co-worker".
Nice hand shot, Ezra. Especially your pinkie! I would love you to post another shot so we can all read the text of the letter, if you're comfortable with that, this is.
ReplyDeleteWhat Ned said. I would love to read the letter you got.
ReplyDeleteRe Grant's comment-- Even if you take your name off the records, you are still counted as being a member.
ReplyDeleteI figured this out once by looking at the official membership numbers in successive years. It's clear from studying them that they add baptisms and subtract deaths but they *don't* subtract name removals and excommunications. Lame!
The official membership numbers are significantly overstated. If you lie about the small things, how can you be expected not to lie about the big things?