My first post. Confession/chastity/reprocussion and consequences


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Hello everyone,

My name is Airrick I have snooped around the forum a couple of time but this is my first time to post. A little about myself so you guys can understand my situation. I'm 17. A convert to the church for about a year. I'm the only member of the church in my family.

Now... I have a problem. I'm not making excuses, im just stating kinda how it happened. Being a convert to the church my morals have not allways been as high as they should. Pornography is a struggle for me that i break more often then i would like to admit. but continuing on... I was baptized conferred and ordained as a priest. Everything was going good.

Well me and my girlfriend broke up and I started "dating" this other girl. Needless to say, she is active sexually and due to my emotional distress and lack of willpower at the time. We did have some sexual relations.

We did not have regular sex however we stopped before then. Mostly she performed oral. I realize now.... I was weak and it was wrong. I have decided to abstain from all sexual relations and follow the laws of chastity to the Y not just to the T. I'm not working hard on quitting use of all pornographic material also.

Another major problem is I performed a baptism of a friend after these sexual sins. During my interview with my branch president I said everything was fine because at that point I had realized it was wrong and had all ready made a decision to stop.

Recently however I read an article from the Liahona about Confession.

Confession - Liahona Aug. 1981

It talks about some sins, "such as adultery, fornication, and sexual transgressions" are required to be confessed.

My questions are. This being stated in the Liahona.

Do I have to go admit my sins to the branch president?

Was I considered worthy to perform the baptism?

Is the baptism I preformed valid?

How should I go about talking with my branch president if I need too.

What are the possible repercussions and punishments that may follow?

How does this affect my worthiness in the priesthood and my keys and ordinances.

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Do I have to go admit my sins to the branch president?

I would say oral sex qualifies as needing to talk to your priesthood authority.

Was I considered worthy to perform the baptism?

I doubt your Branch President would have approved you to perform the ordinance if he'd known.

Is the baptism I preformed valid?

Yes.

How should I go about talking with my branch president if I need too.

He should have an executive secretary you can schedule and appointment through, if not you can contact him directly. Either call him up or talk to him in person. A simple, "I need to talk to you/the Branch President." would get the ball rolling.

How should I go about talking with my branch president if I need too.

What you've said here should be a good start.

What are the possible repercussions and punishments that may follow?

Does your need or conviction to talk to him change based on the answer? Honestly I hate answering questions like the above quoted one because it almost feels like a pre-emptive second guessing of the Bishop/Branch President. He'll do what he feels is appropriate. One of the larger factors in what happens is how repentant you are.

How does this affect my worthiness in the priesthood and my keys and ordinances.

A very good question to ask your Bishop. Generally speaking we can be unworthy to exercise our priesthood even if we we can physically perform the ordinance and say the words.

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Okay. As for the worthiness and baptism. Even if I was considered unworthy, The person who I baptized everything is fine?

I'm mostly concerned with that is because it was a very close friend of mind.. It would ruin her for her to find out her baptism wasnt good enough because "I"- the guy who taught her about the church and told her how the words of wisdom and everything are good messed it up.

And I plan on talking to the branch president either way. I know you stated you dont like talking about it, but, just in broad look what can happen? More.. So I'm not going to trial without knowing what I may face. I know the seriousness of my actions, I want to know the seriousness of the punishments.

excommunication? Priesthood revoked? unable to preform ordinances?

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First, his baptism is fine. God is more compassionate than that.

Second, we don't know the level of punishment because we don't know the level of sin. Even if we did, we are not your Judge in Israel. You need to talk to your Bishop/Branch President and get this worked out. The longer you leave it to fester, the more you're going to beat up on yourself.

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Okay. As for the worthiness and baptism. Even if I was considered unworthy, The person who I baptized everything is fine?

My understanding is the ordinance is valid. That you weren't worthy to exercise your authority doesn't negate the fact that you do have that authority.

I want to know the seriousness of the punishments.

excommunication? Priesthood revoked? unable to preform ordinances?

I would imagine informal probation, things like no public prayers, performing ordinances, partaking of the sacrament and the like. As it's informal it'll very per the Branch President's discretion. Excommunication is probably not likely, particularly as you aren't endowed and you are repentant (as far as such can be told from over the internet).

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Do I have to go admit my sins to the branch president?

Yes. Sexual sins are required to be confessed to the proper priesthood authority, not just the Lord in prayer.

Was I considered worthy to perform the baptism?

No.

Is the baptism I preformed valid?

Not sure. I would ask. I am curious about that one...

How should I go about talking with my branch president if I need too.

Make an appointment and do it.

What are the possible repercussions and punishments that may follow?

Probation, disfellowship (not likely in your case, but that is for your branch pres to judge)

How does this affect my worthiness in the priesthood and my keys and ordinances.

You still have the priesthood it's just on "hold" right now. Once worthy again it will be in full effect.

...

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Just forward your post to whoever is in charge IMO. As a semi-outsider I can say.. keep your head up and don't look back.. it's nothing worth beating yourself up over. You had a good time.. you gave into natural urges.. next time, be stronger.

Not good advice at all. In it's entirety.

Thank heavens Heavenly Father hasn't become a God that works through posts and emails. You need to openly confess to the Bishop. He needs to see and feel your remorse and to work with you on getting back on the right track. The Bishop also has a stewardship to make sure the right consequences meet the transgression.

Edited by pam
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Not good advice at all. In it's entirety.

Thank heavens Heavenly Father hasn't become a God that works through posts and emails. You need to openly confess to the Bishop. He needs to see and feel your remorse and to work with you on getting back on the right track. The Bishop also has a stewardship to make sure the right consequences meet the transgression.

I should point out that if you are having trouble discussing something writing a letter and giving it to the Bishop, while you are sitting there in his office with him, isn't a bad idea. I've done it myself, the letter allowed me to be thorough (I'd talk about one thing and get so relieved that I finally discussed it that I'd blank the other topics) and succinct, but being there allows the Bishop to ask any questions and provides accountability.

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I would agree that having the Bishop read what you wrote while you are there isn't a bad idea. The fact was, I was responding to someone who just said forward it to whom ever may be in charge. It came across someone who would just be forwarding an email and providing a link to a post in a thread. Not a good idea.

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I would agree that having the Bishop read what you wrote while you are there isn't a bad idea. The fact was, I was responding to someone who just said forward it to whom ever may be in charge. It came across someone who would just be forwarding an email and providing a link to a post in a thread. Not a good idea.

Oh I agree that just emailing a link isn't good. Nor would just mailing my letter and thinking it's all resolved. I was using you as a springboard rather than disagreeing with you.

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