Hello, recently there was a child baptized in our ward that is adopted and has no church records that I can find. How do I go about creating a record for them so I can record the ordinance?
Unless procedures have changed since I was informed, a baptism of a child over 8 years old should be considered a convert baptism. If I understand correctly, the mission creates a pending record with information from the district leader interview or similar. Then, the ward clerk promotes the pending record to a full record. Anyone with corrections or more detail, please feel free to add.
Both the system and the General Handbook permit creating a record for a child 8 years old but not yet 9. If the child was not a child of record then the bishop decides whether the missionaries should teach the convert lessons. If it is just a matter of the child not having been blessed or a record created and the child understands the covenants being made (bishop decision) then proceeding with the baptism as if a child of record can be done.
Note that prior to the baptism the "Blank Create Record Form (eight or older without spouse or children)" should have been printed. The link to the form is found on the Create Record page mentioned below. The title of the printed form is "Baptism and Confirmation Form (Convert). The personal information, baptism information and confirmation information should be filled out as soon as possible after the ordinances. A parent then signs the completed form. The completed form must be scanned for upload when the record is created.
To create the record for an 8 year old but not a member of record (child of record), go to LCR > Membership > Create Record. Begin filling in the personal information. When the question "Has the person been baptized and confirmed?" is posed, then click the "Yes" button. The system enforces the General Handbook and will not allow a record to be created for anyone over the age of 8 before the baptism and confirmation. Then continue filling in the data as presented and upload the scanned consent form. If there are problems printing the baptism certificate from the create record page after the record is created, then go to LCR > Reports > Member Reports/Print Certificates to print the certificate.
JD Lessley Have you tried finding your answer on the ChurchofJesusChrist.org Help Center or Tech Wiki?