One Response to “What determines excommunication?”
Luciano Prado
2012-10-27 11:46:36
Jesus Christ is central to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which bears His name.
Hi friend. Thanks for your interesting question. In the LDS Church, excommunication is sometimes a required step in the repentance process. Through excommunication, a person who has committed a serious sin can make his life right with God, making later rebaptism in the church possible. The main purpose of excommunication, then, is to save the soul of the sinner. Other reasons include protecting the innocent and preserving the purity, integrity, and good name of the church.
Excommunication is only used in the case of serious sins like murder, child abuse, incest, adultery, polygamy, apostasy, abortion, intentionally teaching false doctrines or attitudes in an attempt to destroy the church from within, etc. Less serious sins can be best resolved by counseling with the bishop; though some temporary limitations may be imposed depending on the seriousness of the sin, excommunication is not required in the vast majority of cases.
Other factors that are taken into account when trying to determine whether someone should be excommunicated for a serious sin include:
1. Did the sinner violate marriage, temple, or priesthood covenants? For example, someone who has participated in the sacred ordinances of the temple and made the covenants associated with those ordinances will likely be held to a higher standard than someone who has not yet been through the temple.
2. Was the sinner in a position of trust or authority at the time he sinned? A bishop, for example, would be held to a higher standard.
3. Is the sinner a first-time offender, or has he repeatedly committed the same sin, suggesting previous repentance has been inadequate?
4. How often has the sin been committed? How many other peoples' lives have been impacted by the sin?
5. How much experience or maturity does the sinner have in the church? Is the sinner someone who has been a member of the church for 20 years and is mature in the gospel, or are they a 15-year-old recent convert who may not yet fully understand what it means to be a Mormon?
6. Will an excommunication do great harm to innocent people? For example, how will the excommunication impact the lives of the innocent family members of the sinner?
7. Did the sinner confess to church authorities voluntarily, suggesting real repentance, or did he only confess because he was caught in the act?
8. What evidence is there for real repentance? Has the sinner demonstrated remorse and a commitment to repent? Does the sinner have faith and hope in Christ's atonement?
I hope this answer helps! If you are facing excommunication, know that God still loves you. Excommunication can be a blessing for the sinner because it gives him an opportunity to put his life in order and to return to the Church once the repentance process is complete.
Excommunication is only used in the case of serious sins like murder, child abuse, incest, adultery, polygamy, apostasy, abortion, intentionally teaching false doctrines or attitudes in an attempt to destroy the church from within, etc. Less serious sins can be best resolved by counseling with the bishop; though some temporary limitations may be imposed depending on the seriousness of the sin, excommunication is not required in the vast majority of cases.
Other factors that are taken into account when trying to determine whether someone should be excommunicated for a serious sin include:
1. Did the sinner violate marriage, temple, or priesthood covenants? For example, someone who has participated in the sacred ordinances of the temple and made the covenants associated with those ordinances will likely be held to a higher standard than someone who has not yet been through the temple.
2. Was the sinner in a position of trust or authority at the time he sinned? A bishop, for example, would be held to a higher standard.
3. Is the sinner a first-time offender, or has he repeatedly committed the same sin, suggesting previous repentance has been inadequate?
4. How often has the sin been committed? How many other peoples' lives have been impacted by the sin?
5. How much experience or maturity does the sinner have in the church? Is the sinner someone who has been a member of the church for 20 years and is mature in the gospel, or are they a 15-year-old recent convert who may not yet fully understand what it means to be a Mormon?
6. Will an excommunication do great harm to innocent people? For example, how will the excommunication impact the lives of the innocent family members of the sinner?
7. Did the sinner confess to church authorities voluntarily, suggesting real repentance, or did he only confess because he was caught in the act?
8. What evidence is there for real repentance? Has the sinner demonstrated remorse and a commitment to repent? Does the sinner have faith and hope in Christ's atonement?
I hope this answer helps! If you are facing excommunication, know that God still loves you. Excommunication can be a blessing for the sinner because it gives him an opportunity to put his life in order and to return to the Church once the repentance process is complete.