What Can I Do to Clean Up Our Records?

I've been called as a ward clerk for a little over a year and I was curious if there is anything that I can do to clean up the member records who are longer in the area or who are actively participating in a different religion and has no intentions of coming back to the faith? I was told that I could move those records out but was given no direction as to where to move them to. Any insight on this top would be greatly appreciated. I'm a brand new ward clerk and the clerk previous to me passed away.

Thank you for your help!

I'm sure someone will give you detailed information, as I don't have access to LCR.

First, you can't move the records unless the ward is unable to locate them after a diligent search. For those attending another church, have the bishop read General Handbook 32.6.3.2 to see if that qualifies for a disciplinary council.

Second, this is not all on you. For those who are unknown, they can be moved after a diligent search. The ward council should be assisting with some of the legwork using local knowledge and not put that all on you.

The records can be moved for people whose new address is known.

Thank you for your response!!! This lets me know that I was on the right track!

For the past year, members have been coming up to me and telling me to move people out of the ward, and I would reply that I need their address in order to move them out and can't just move them out if they aren't attending church. The previous Ward Clerk did exactly that and I found out about this when I became ward clerk and I just completed getting those missing records back into the ward. I know that there are a few out there still...

I will touch base with the Bishop regarding those members attending another church!

If you have questions as a new clerk, one of your resources is your stake clerk. For those like me who prefer a compendium of sources there is the General Handbook for information; the Help Center articles will give guidance that sometimes clarify or add to the General Handbook; and you found the practical experience from other clerks and technology users in the Tech Forum.

The Help Center article Move Records Out provides the steps that should be accomplished prior to sending a record to 'address unknown'.