Cancellation of record

I was looking through the forum looking for something and stumbled across this threadwhich addresses another issue I am experiencing. We have a member of our ward who is 17 years old, however, we cannot figure out why a member record was created for this person. They have not been baptized nor confirmed, has not been blessed, nor are this person's parents members. According to the mother, this person lived with an aunt (who is a member) for a summer and the record was created during this period. The family has requested (verbally) that her name be removed and there be no contact. What would be the process to cancel this record? Thanks

mdcarney wrote:I was looking through the forum looking for something and stumbled across this threadwhich addresses another issue I am experiencing. We have a member of our ward who is 17 years old, however, we cannot figure out why a member record was created for this person. They have not been baptized nor confirmed, has not been blessed, nor are this person's parents members. According to the mother, this person lived with an aunt (who is a member) for a summer and the record was created during this period. The family has requested (verbally) that her name be removed and there be no contact. What would be the process to cancel this record? Thanks

The thread you linked to definitely has some applicable information to your situation. According to Church policies referenced in that thread, it appears you may need to wait until the individual is 18...however, I wouldn't trust my interpretation entirely, especially if the family is requesting immediate removal (which may need to be written to be official). Read some of the MLS help documentation and also the Church Handbook of Instructions (as referenced in that thread) to figure out the correct course of action.

As for how the record got created, it might be one of two things...

One possibility is that someone along the way could have created a "Temporary Record" for this individual, so that they could be tracked and listed in MLS and in the various reports and attendance rolls it produces. Here is some helpful information about Temporary Records, how to tell if you have one, and how to remove them if needed: https://tech.lds.org/wiki/index.php/Dup ... ip_Records

Another possibility is that the member might have undergone a Baby Blessing, which in MLS can create a record for the individual but the actual blessing is not stored as an official ordinance in the Church's computer systems.

I'm wondering if this could have been created in the MIS days by some well meaning individual that didn't understand it shouldn't have been done in the first place. Just because a baby blessing was supposed to have taken place does not mean that it actually did, especially when baby blessings are not recorded (i.e. date and person performing it) are not recorded at church headquarters.

jbh001 wrote:especially when baby blessings are not recorded (i.e. date and person performing it) are not recorded at church headquarters.

I'm quite certain that blessings were recorded at CHQ in the past. It was there on the printed record right next to all the ordinations to the various priesthood offices.

mdcarney wrote: They have not been baptized nor confirmed, has not been blessed, nor are this person's parents members.

It sounds to me as if the well-meaning aunt wanted to get this person's name on the Primary or youth rolls. If all of these things are true (not blessed, not baptized, parents not members), the record should never have been created in the first place. Without baptism, one parent has to be a member and both have to give written permission for a membership record to be created.

If I were the clerk, I would confirm that there was no blessing, baptism, nor member parents. I would then expect the bishop to ask me to cancel the record. The bishop may want to check with the stake president.

lajackson wrote:Without baptism, one parent has to be a member and both have to give written permission for a membership record to be created..

Small clarification...
A record for a child under age 8 may be created without a blessing if the child has at least one member parent who requests you make a record (verbal is OK) and written permission is received from the other parent.

Personally, I would not give a second thought to canceling the record (after verifying the information), since it was obviously a mistake to create it in the first place. However, it might take a call to CHQ or a special request, as MLS only allows two reasons for canceling a record (at least 18 and not baptized or duplicate record).

Since this person is 17, why not just wait until the next birthday and then cancel the record?

JTaber wrote:Since this person is 17, why not just wait until the next birthday and then cancel the record?

Well, it is tough when the "family has requested (verbally) that her name be removed and there be no contact," as quoted from the orignal poster of this thread. There should be some obligation to fulfill the request sooner rather than later.