Member Record After Baptism After Excommunication

I'm a newly-called Ward Clerk in the US, and a situation has recently been brought to my attention that I cannot figure out. The wife of an active member was excommunicated years ago. She was re-baptized in January 2011, yet no one can find her member record. We have her name, phone number, email, prior ward, even her former record number. After trying to request her records with that information, however, I received a message in MLS that the member number is not valid.

I'm being pressured to create a new record for her, with the baptism and confirmations dates that have been provided for me by the bishop at the time (who also performed the baptism). This seems like the wrong way to go about this, but I'm not sure what the right way is. Reading through old posts here, I'm wondering if perhaps the paperwork was never done when she was rebaptized five years ago.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

Mike

Just creating a new record would be the wrong course of action. It sounds likely that the paperwork for the reconvened disciplinary council was not submitted or recorded. I'd contact the Confidential Records office to ask them what information they have (this will have to be done by the Bishop or Stake President--they won't give that information out to clerks). I can't find a direct number for that office so I'd start by just calling the Global Service Center and they should be able to direct you to the right place.

What eblood66 says is correct. The information the stake should have sent after the reconvened council should have included the baptism and confirmation information. Once Confidential Records reviews the council minutes and finds that all is in order, they will create the membership record and send it to you.

lajackson wrote:The information the stake should have sent after the reconvened council

Since the member in question doesn't hold the Melchizedek Priesthood, would this still be the stake doing the paperwork or is it the ward that dropped the ball?

I agree, creating a new record is the wrong course of action.

mcallaghan, was her blessings restored? (This may not apply if she was never endowed.)

I'll double check on the blessings being restored. The Bishop at the time is now in the stake presidency and knows the whole story. Thanks.

russellhltn wrote:

lajackson wrote:The information the stake should have sent after the reconvened council

Since the member in question doesn't hold the Melchizedek Priesthood, would this still be the stake doing the paperwork or is it the ward that dropped the ball?

The level of court that held the first disciplinary council holds the reconvened council. If a ward disciplinary council excommunicated her, a ward council should have reconvened to grant her membership. If a stake council conducted the original action, then a stake council would reconvene.

Most disciplinary councils for sisters are held at the ward level. That said, every ward disciplinary council requires the review and concurrence of the stake president as the paperwork flows to the First Presidency. So the stake president is always involved.

If this sister was endowed, she will need to have her blessings restored. If you cannot find the membership record, this probably has not happened either. The soonest application may be made is one year after the readmission by baptism.

If this sister was not endowed, she would be readmitted by baptism, and then would be eligible to go to the temple a year after her baptism, assuming worthiness and preparedness.

I have requested "Council Minutes or Name Removal Documents from Headquarters" and asked the Stake President to watch for them. I believe that @eblood66 is correct, and that the appropriate paperwork never got submitted five years ago at her rebaptism, and that it will probably take the current Bishop and Stake President to help straighten this out. I will post the outcome eventually, in the hopes that it helps someone else in the future. Thanks for all the help and input so far.