Researching Expired Temple Recommends

Hello,

My Bishop interviewed someone for a temple recommend interview (in July) but the name is still showing up on The Temple Recommend Status report with an expired status.

What would be the proper way to investigate and find out why it still shows expired? Can I go into MLS on the church computer and get more information?

Do I just call the stake?

Thanks~!

You can double-check what's in MLS. You might want to compare the MRN of the member with what is written in the recommend book.

After that, you need to talk to the stake to see why that recommend hasn't been scanned.

I would start with the individual. Did they actually get to the Stake for their interview? If they did, I would check with the Stake Clerk to make sure they have activated the recommend. If the Stake has not activated the individual's Temple Recommend, there is nothing further you can do from a ward level.

(forgive me, Stake Clerks - I have never held that calling so some of my terminology may be slightly inaccurate).

davesudweeks wrote:(forgive me, Stake Clerks - I have never held that calling so some of my terminology may be slightly inaccurate).

Your terminology was just fine.

It is not unusual for a member to visit with the bishop and then not see a member of the stake presidency for a few weeks. Often, the timing of the stake interview has to do with when the member actually intends to attend the temple.

The stake presidency is usually very good about activating a recommend as soon as it is signed. They are instructed to do so within 24 hours. The stake clerk will know if he has activated a particular recommend. But don't forget that the president or one of his counselors can also activate a recommend online and the clerk might not know that has happened.

And hopefully, but to cover all bases, this is not a case where the visit with a member of the stake presidency did not turn out well.

lajackson wrote:
And hopefully, but to cover all bases, this is not a case where the visit with a member of the stake presidency did not turn out well.

And if the visit with the stake presidency didn't turn out well, then he should report back to the bishop for further follow up with said party. Also, that would be a good opportunity to interview the person, at the ward level, on conducting a temple recommend interview to see about his worthiness and if he is just going through the motions of the calling.

lajackson wrote:The stake presidency is usually very good about activating a recommend as soon as it is signed. They are instructed to do so within 24 hours. The stake clerk will know if he has activated a particular recommend. But don't forget that the president or one of his counselors can also activate a recommend online and the clerk might not know that has happened.

I was not aware that the Stake Presidency could activate online - that is good information to know. Our Stake is very good to activate promptly - I cannot remember any case since the new barcoded recommends where an activation took more than 1 day to show up. However, there have been some cases where the member took several weeks to get down to the Stake for their interview (they do Temple Recommend interviews every week except under extenuating circumstances).

davesudweeks wrote:I was not aware that the Stake Presidency could activate online - that is good information to know.

You can find some helpful details in the wiki at Temple Entry System (TES).

As a ward exec sec who sets the appointments for recommend interviews with the Bishop it would be helpful if there was some way to track the interview progress. Like others have said there can be considerable time between the Bishop interview and Stake interview and the report does not changes until the final stake interview is complete. I sometime loose track of what has been done. Perhaps a "check-off" box after the Bishops interview to let me know we're waiting for the stake interview to be complete?

RussellHltn wrote:You can double-check what's in MLS. You might want to compare the MRN of the member with what is written in the recommend book.

After that, you need to talk to the stake to see why that recommend hasn't been scanned.

I found out some more information. The member DID meet with the stake presidency and has already gone to the temple (2 weeks ago) with their new temple recommend.

Yet they still show up in the report as not have an active recommend. I sent the MRN and the barcode number on the temple recommend up to the stake to see if they knew why it still showed up in the report as not active.

The stake executive secretary said it could take another 2 weeks before the system is updated.

Anyhow, I'll just watch the report and see what happens.

Thanks~!

nathangg wrote:I found out some more information. The member DID meet with the stake presidency and has already gone to the temple (2 weeks ago) with their new temple recommend.

Yet they still show up in the report as not have an active recommend.

Another data refresh opportunity. [grin]