Create a new record for a newborn baby

Hello,

How do you create a new record for a newborn baby?

The Member List for my ward does not include records for several babies born over the past few years so I have been attempting to determine how to input them. I looked in each of the menus and tried to find instructions in Help but did not find the answer. It's probably right under my nose but I can't see it.

By the way, I am not referring to the MLS software in the clerk's office but to the online membership interface at LDS.org:

lds.org > login > Leader and Clerk Resources

Thanks

At the moment, you cannot create a new record using Leader and Clerk Resources. You must do it in MLS.

OK, thanks Brother Jackson.

A new membership record is created when the baby is blessed in the ward. If they haven't been blessed I don't know if you create a "record" for them. (That wouldn't happen until they are baptized). When the baby is blessed you print a Blessing Certificate.

I'm not really sure what the churches policy on this is (a baby blessing that was never recorded).
I have the same thing in our ward. Find out a 18 month old didn't have the baby blessing recorded from their previous ward. I'm kind of just trusting the dad that it happen. We are still waiting for the parents to tell us when it actually happen.

tubaloth wrote:I'm not really sure what the churches policy on this is (a baby blessing that was never recorded).
I have the same thing in our ward. Find out a 18 month old didn't have the baby blessing recorded from their previous ward. I'm kind of just trusting the dad that it happen. We are still waiting for the parents to tell us when it actually happen.

I wouldn't worry about it. Blessings are not a saving ordnance and while it is recorded in MLS, it isn't recorded at CHQ and that information will not survive a move-out.

While the usual situation is for the record to be created when the child is blessed, a blessing is not a requirement to create the record. See Handbook 1: 13.6.2, item #4.

A baby does not need to be blessed in order to appear on the ward roster. A record can be created before the blessing occurs.

So, where is it done in MLS?
I have a child that is listed under both parents in the "family" tab, but has no member number and does not show under "household"

What is the history? Convert? New move-in?

gmitch wrote:So, where is it done in MLS?
I have a child that is listed under both parents in the "family" tab, but has no member number and does not show under "household"

That means that the child does not have a 'Child of Record' membership record in your ward.

Since there is no membership number listed that probably means that there is no record for the child. But if the family moved into the ward after the child was born then you should probably try requesting the child's record in LCR just to make sure it didn't get created but is not linked to his or her parents. If you do find their record you'll want to remove the child's entry on their parents record and re-add the child using the membership number found.

However, assuming you don't find their record you'll need to select Membership > Ordinances > Child of Record in MLS to create a record for the child. This will automatically add them to the household. You may have to delete the old entry on the parents' record afterward if he or she shows up twice under Family. You do that by finding each parent's record in MLS, selecting the Children tab and then clicking the Remove link by the entry without an MRN.

eblood66 wrote:Since there is no membership number listed that probably means that there is no record for the child.

A common situation with a family of new converts. It seems the mission creates the records of those who are baptized and notates the children on the records, but does not create a child-of-record for them. If the clerk is not alert, this can create added problems.

What's missing from this discussion is when should a record for a child under age 8 be created (Handbook 1: 13.6.2).

Church leaders are not supposed to just create records for children under age 8. They are created after the child is blessed or after the parents give permission. For a record to be created for a child who is not blessed, at least one of the parents must be a member of the church, and both parents need to give permission (unless only one parent has legal custody). It used to be that the permission from a nonmember parent must be written, but the current handbook does not mention that.

tubaloth wrote:A new membership record is created when the baby is blessed in the ward. If they haven't been blessed I don't know if you create a "record" for them. (That wouldn't happen until they are baptized). When the baby is blessed you print a Blessing Certificate.

I'm not really sure what the churches policy on this is (a baby blessing that was never recorded).
I have the same thing in our ward. Find out a 18 month old didn't have the baby blessing recorded from their previous ward. I'm kind of just trusting the dad that it happen. We are still waiting for the parents to tell us when it actually happen.

Brother, I caution this kind of response of "I don't know if you create a "record" for them." You make it sound like a dubious thing to do.

You create a child of record for many reason, one being so that they can be on Primary rosters to help out that auxiliary to know who they need to facilitate too. Another reason is for Home Teachers and Ward Leaders to know who should/is in the household so that they may be facilitated too also.

https://www.lds.org/help/support/create ... d?lang=eng

1). Those who have been baptized and confirmed.
2). Those under age 9 who have been blessed but not baptized.
3). Those who are not accountable because of intellectual disabilities, regardless of age.
4). Unblessed children under 8 when (a) at least one parent is a member of the Church and (b) both parents give permission for a record to be created. This includes children of converts. (If one parent does not have legal custody of the child, the permission of the parent who has custody is sufficient.)

Here is the MLS procedure, however, when I click on Ordinance I can only record a Baptism or Priesthood Ordination.

On the MLS menu bar, click Membership.
Click Ordinances.
Depending on the situation, click either Record Child Blessing or (if there has been no blessing) New Child of Record.

Any visibility on when LDS.org will allow for this to be documented? We have an 18 month old who was just blessed tonight (Thursday) in his home with the assistance of the Bishop. Noted, the child has no record yet as this was never done at the last unit. Thanks eblood66, I Am glad to see there is a way to create a record without documenting an ordinance.

makereality wrote:Any visibility on when LDS.org will allow for this to be documented?

Creating new records will be supported in LCR 4.0. The release notes indicate that it will be released tomorrow. Of course sometimes things come up and releases don't happen quite on time. But most likely it will be in the next few days.

As of last evening, our stake is on the Beta 4 version and the create record option is there!

It just keeps getting better and better. Thanks ebloodd66 and Biggles.

eblood66 wrote:Creating new records will be supported in LCR 4.0. The release notes indicate that it will be released tomorrow. Of course sometimes things come up and releases don't happen quite on time. But most likely it will be in the next few days.

One of the developers has commented in another thread that due to some problems that have come up, the LCR 4.0 release will not happen for a few weeks still.