Protection training, unbaptized children of record and membership audit

I am an assistant area auditor. In reviewing a financial audit, a bishop says that he is unable to complete the membership audit because some members have not completed the children and youth training. He says these people are no longer serving in the stake callings that require the training but have the stake has not updated LCR to reflect that they have been released.

Is this right? The ward is not able to 'finish' the membership audit if a member has a calling that requires protection training and they have not done that training?

I have another bishop who says he has some youth age 18+ who are children of record but have never been baptized. He says he is unable to finish the membership audit until those members are removed from Church membership. Is that right?

It seems these would certainly be exceptions that would be action items to work on. But it does seem strange that the membership audit itself cannot be closed out (signed off on).

I don't have access to the membership audit process and I can't seem to find any detailed guidance in the Help Center or elsewhere. Can anyone answer these questions? Or can you direct me to detailed guidance?

I'd think failure to turn in a audit would attract more unwanted attention then completing an audit with exceptions. If anyone has stories about that, it would help waltbristow.

But you CAN complete the membership audit even if these exceptions exist? On the financial audit you sign and submit. You can do that no matter what exceptions exist. I would think the same applies to the membership audit. Right?

waltbristow wrote: Wed Feb 18, 2026 7:35 pmIn reviewing a financial audit, a bishop says that he is unable to complete the membership audit because some members have not completed the children and youth training. He says these people are no longer serving in the stake callings that require the training but have the stake has not updated LCR to reflect that they have been released.

Is this right? The ward is not able to 'finish' the membership audit if a member has a calling that requires protection training and they have not done that training?

The audit has been completed. I think what the bishop is seeing is the membership audit review page. The review page is created some time after the audit is completed. The date the audit was completed will be displayed on the review page just below the 'Membership Audit' title in a banner that reads; "Membership audit submitted on [audit completion date]. Please correct the following exception tasks within 30 days."

Church headquarters adds two additional sections to the audit review page that were not part of the clerk's self-audit. The first is the status line of the Church 'Protecting Children and Youth' training, state mandated, or other area specific mandated child protection training titled "Records Training" and includes the number of members not completing mandated training in a red box followed by a hyperlink, Child Protection Training.

The second section added just after the audit exceptions "Exception Task" section is the "Potential Errors" section. These are not exceptions identified by the clerk going through the self-audit but are membership record 'deficiencies' identified by a program run at headquarters for missing membership data or other record deficiencies not covered in the membership audit.

A unit membership audit can be completed with no exceptions but still have tasks identified in the "Records Training" section and the "Potential Errors" section.

waltbristow wrote: Wed Feb 18, 2026 7:35 pmI have another bishop who says he has some youth age 18+ who are children of record but have never been baptized. He says he is unable to finish the membership audit until those members are removed from Church membership. Is that right?

Our ward has some unbaptized over 18 children of record and we completed the audit. There is nothing showing on the audit review page for those records and that did not prevent us from completing the audit.

waltbristow wrote: Wed Feb 18, 2026 7:35 pm But you CAN complete the membership audit even if these exceptions exist?

Yes.

waltbristow wrote: Wed Feb 18, 2026 7:35 pmOn the financial audit you sign and submit. You can do that no matter what exceptions exist. I would think the same applies to the membership audit. Right?

Correct.