Lost membership records...

[Bananianiown]

Okay, so like the title says, my membership records are lost. Lost, as in my current ward has no records of my baptism or confirmation, not even my baby blessing. Nothing. And apparently neither did the the ward before this, though they were kind enough not to let me know (). That ward said they hadn't received them from the ward in Phoenix, where we moved from. (So that's three wards: one in Phoenix, two in my current town.)

I asked if they had a copies somewhere, like maybe in Salt Lake or something and they said they didn't. And, as luck would have it, when I asked my parents if they had copies, they said that they did but don't know where they are. I couldn't believe that all records of my membership in the church are lost and that there aren't copies of these vital documents anywhere. And then I asked what I could do to fix the issue and they told me that I had to either find all these documents myself or get RE-BAPTIZED. As a CONVERT.

So now I am no longer considered an "official" member of the church I was born and raised in and it's really bothering me. I'm only thankful that I have an understanding Bishop who still allows me to partake of the sacrament, but I'm not allowed any more than that, and I feel so left out.

If any of you have any ideas on what else I can do, please tell me.

[FunkyTown]

Okay, so like the title says, my membership records are lost. Lost, as in my current ward has no records of my baptism or confirmation, not even my baby blessing. Nothing. And apparently neither did the the ward before this, though they were kind enough not to let me know (). That ward said they hadn't received them from the ward in Phoenix, where we moved from. (So that's three wards: one in Phoenix, two in my current town.)

I asked if they had a copies somewhere, like maybe in Salt Lake or something and they said they didn't. And, as luck would have it, when I asked my parents if they had copies, they said that they did but don't know where they are. I couldn't believe that all records of my membership in the church are lost and that there aren't copies of these vital documents anywhere. And then I asked what I could do to fix the issue and they told me that I had to either find all these documents myself or get RE-BAPTIZED. As a CONVERT.

So now I am no longer considered an "official" member of the church I was born and raised in and it's really bothering me. I'm only thankful that I have an understanding Bishop who still allows me to partake of the sacrament, but I'm not allowed any more than that, and I feel so left out.

If any of you have any ideas on what else I can do, please tell me.

The most obvious answer is:

Be humble. Be of good humour. Being a convert isn't that terrible, since we're all converts.

Heck - You get to be re-baptized. How amazing is that?

[MarginOfError]

Okay, so like the title says, my membership records are lost. Lost, as in my current ward has no records of my baptism or confirmation, not even my baby blessing. Nothing. And apparently neither did the the ward before this, though they were kind enough not to let me know (). That ward said they hadn't received them from the ward in Phoenix, where we moved from. (So that's three wards: one in Phoenix, two in my current town.)

I asked if they had a copies somewhere, like maybe in Salt Lake or something and they said they didn't. And, as luck would have it, when I asked my parents if they had copies, they said that they did but don't know where they are. I couldn't believe that all records of my membership in the church are lost and that there aren't copies of these vital documents anywhere. And then I asked what I could do to fix the issue and they told me that I had to either find all these documents myself or get RE-BAPTIZED. As a CONVERT.

So now I am no longer considered an "official" member of the church I was born and raised in and it's really bothering me. I'm only thankful that I have an understanding Bishop who still allows me to partake of the sacrament, but I'm not allowed any more than that, and I feel so left out.

If any of you have any ideas on what else I can do, please tell me.

I'm going to run down a list of things to try starting from the most obvious solution. Some of these your ward clerk may have tried already, but it's a starting point.

1. Give your full name and birth date to the ward clerk. Also, give him the name of the ward and stake in which you think your records reside. Have him submit a records request.

2. Using your full name and birth date, send a special request to Local Unit Support looking for your records. They may have ended up in an ADDRESS UNKNOWN file somehow. It can also be helpful to provide the city and state in which you were born.

3. If you can find certificates for the ordinances, your record can be recreated.

4. If you can find two adults that can independently and in writing testify to the ordinance according to the guidelines in Handbook 1, Section 16.1.10

5. Perform the ordinances again.

While all of this is happening, I would have your parents obtain a copy of their Individual Ordinance Summary. The IOS should list the names, birthdates, and membership record numbers of all of their children. Get the record number for your name, go to ldsaccount.lds.org, and enter the record number and your birthdate. If you are able to register for an LDS Account with that record number, then you have a membership record. If it won't let you register, then you don't have a membership record.

Another advantage of registering for an LDS Account is that if you do successfully create an account, you can go to the Directory in the Tools menu at lds.org and it will tell you where your records are.

So, it isn't required that you be baptized again if you can create sufficient documentation of the ordinances being performed. I understand it's an inconvenience, and one for which I extend my sympathies. I hope you can get it sorted out.

[Guest saintish]

If you can find certificates for the ordinances, your record can be recreated.

If you can find two adults that can independently and in writing testify to the ordinance according to the guidelines in Handbook 1, Section 16.1.10

MOE beat me to it but this is what i was going to point out, the two adults could be your parents i presume.

[MarginOfError]

MOE beat me to it but this is what i was going to point out, the two adults could be your parents i presume.

Yes, they can. However, I do want to stress that before going this route, you should confirm with Salt Lake that no record exists. Otherwise there will be two of you floating through the system.

[pam]

MOE in your experience in your calling, does it happen often that membership records can't be found?

[MarginOfError]

MOE in your experience in your calling, does it happen often that membership records can't be found?

I've never been able to not find a record. But if I don't know the prior ward, I go straight to the special request from Salt Lake. If your clerk isn't familiar with that little feature, or doesn't know how to request a search, it can be difficult.

[Vort]

If any of you have any ideas on what else I can do, please tell me.

For a Church that has obsessed about record-keeping since the very beginning, this is indeed an unusual situation. If you were baptized, it is highly unlikely that those records don't exist. If they don't, it is almost certainly because the local leaders never submitted them.

If the records really, truly don't exist, then you're in the situation that some of the early Saints found themselves in when there was no record of their baptism or other ordinances. They simply redid the ordinances. So you might get to be rebaptized, a situation that some Saints rather wish they could be in. If that's the case, try to handle it with grace and good humor. Invite all your friends. Make it a missionary opportunity. Or, if all that's just too much, then just redo the ordinance with gratitude that God cares enough about you to offer the ordinances and your fellow Saints care enough to get it right.

[pam]

Those are more thoughts exactly Vort. This Church is all about record keeping. That's why I've always thought..just request from Salt Lake.

[Uhura]

Is it at all possible that your name was spelled wrong, sort of like in family history where you have to check alternative spellings? Have you ever had used a diffferent name? Or maybe they can try checking a middle name, checking your parents records and seeing if if a child is listed.

I do know someone that this happened to. I only know it one of the RS teachers, if I find out who I will see if she has any advice. No promises though that I will figure out who it is ( I only remember an RS teacher mentioning it happening to her) or that she will be able to advice on what she did.

Either way, try to hang in there and know that Heavenly Father knows you are a member.

[applepansy]

Your membership records are somewhere. Don't despair.

Have your parent request a copy of their membership records from their ward clerk. On their membership record it will list their children. Both those BIC or those sealed (if applicable). Ask them for a copy.

Call the Church membership office. Tell them the problem. They are very good at locating membership records. With the information from your parents membership record they will be able to find yours.

Your records aren't really lost. They are just misplaced. Usually its the member that gets lost. Years ago I got a call from the membership records department asking if I knew "so&so". Yes, I did... he is my husband's inactive brother...(well inactive at the time). He didn't mind that his records were lost, or rather he was lost.

All records should be sent back to church headquarters eventually. Now that everything is done electronically its even easier than ever. The hold up comes when a busy ward clerk or sometimes a ward clerk who doesn't understand what he's suppose to be doing, doesn't send the records on.

[MarginOfError]

For a Church that has obsessed about record-keeping since the very beginning, this is indeed an unusual situation. If you were baptized, it is highly unlikely that those records don't exist. If they don't, it is almost certainly because the local leaders never submitted them.

If the records really, truly don't exist, then you're in the situation that some of the early Saints found themselves in when there was no record of their baptism or other ordinances. They simply redid the ordinances. So you might get to be rebaptized, a situation that some Saints rather wish they could be in. If that's the case, try to handle it with grace and good humor. Invite all your friends. Make it a missionary opportunity. Or, if all that's just too much, then just redo the ordinance with gratitude that God cares enough about you to offer the ordinances and your fellow Saints care enough to get it right.

Back in the dark ages before MLS, many units recorded ordinances by completing a form by hand (if they were uber-dilligent, they might type it on a type writer) and mailing it (yes, snail mail) to Salt Lake. Each month or quarter, the unit would get a print out of changes made in Salt Lake. The clerk was supposed to review the print out against local records to make sure everything was recorded properly in Salt Lake. Everything was done by mail and by paper. If Banana-fana-mo-mana was baptized in those days, it's very possible that the record was never created because somewhere along the line the information didn't get recorded properly.

These days, record keeping is much easier to manage (at least in units with MLS).

But yes, it is possible that the record simply doesn't exist. It actually isn't too uncommon a problem for members who lived during the snail mail record keeping days.

[NeuroTypical]

Applepansy nailed it. Your records are somewhere. Human frailty is preventing folks from finding it.

And then I asked what I could do to fix the issue and they told me that I had to either find all these documents myself or get RE-BAPTIZED. As a CONVERT.

Wait - who is 'they'? Your parents? The bishop? The membership clerk? Whoever said it, they are not correct. Do what Applepansy says.

[rameumptom]

Actually, this is NOT an unusual situation for the Church, especially in the past. If records are not properly sent to Salt Lake City, then they wouldn't have a copy. And in the years prior to computers, it is possible that some, but not all records were sent.

As mentioned above, check with SLC first. If they don't have it, then 2 witnesses can vouch in writing for you. If your father baptized/confirmed you, then there is one of your witnesses right there.

[Daybreak79]

On my mission we had to re-baptize a member because their records were lost for over a year...about a week later Salt Lake City sent a copy of his records. However, it was good that his records were lost because we were able to teach him some basic principles he had been struggling with and help him gain a stronger testimony.

[pam]

I wish they would lose my records. :)

[MarginOfError]

I wish they would lose my records. :)

Were your original records on papyrus or stone tablets?

[pam]

Were your original records on papyrus or stone tablets?

Brat

[Guest saintish]

Were your original records on papyrus or stone tablets?

Hey Pam, when is there going to be a LOL button added to the advice board threads

[Bananianiown]

Hey guys, I just wanted to say that I am very appreciative of your comments and advice. Thank you for the help.

@MarginOfError- I’ve done the first suggestion and they say that they don’t have them. They said that they were frankly surprised that I would be contacting them about it, since they apparently sent them in over two years ago. Suggestion three is bust since my dear parents can’t seem to find even that. The rest I will have to try and hope for the best.

I did get my parents to get a copy of the IOS, and I am on it, but it doesn’t include a record number for any of the children. Just an original Confirmation date, of which mine is blank. So there goes that.

@Uhura- No, I’ve never used another name other than the one I have and as far as I know, it’s spelled correctly. Thanks for the suggestion though. :)

I was baptized in the 90’s, so is that considered the dark ages?

Anyways, after I had posted this, I sat down and prayed about it (wouldn’t Brother Joseph be proud?) and it really gave me a better outlook on the situation. I was unhappy about it at first, seeing as I would have to redo everything and wait a year to get back into the Temple, but now it seems like such a great opportunity to start over fresh, especially coming from about a year of inactiveness. I’m glad to see that many of you have the same idea. In fact, I might just stop searching and just go for re-baptism.

Once again, thank you all for your time and advice, it was really helpful.

Edited June 2, 2011 by Bananianiown

[MarginOfError]

@MarginOfError- I’ve done the first suggestion and they say that they don’t have them. They said that they were frankly surprised that I would be contacting them about it, since they apparently sent them in over two years ago. Suggestion three is bust since my dear parents can’t seem to find even that. The rest I will have to try and hope for the best.

I did get my parents to get a copy of the IOS, and I am on it, but it doesn’t include a record number for any of the children. Just an original Confirmation date, of which mine is blank. So there goes that.

You're right. The membership numbers appear on the Membership Record, which isn't distributed to members (because it has unique identifiers of other people on it). But if a confirmation date doesn't appear on your parents' IOS, it's almost a sure thing that you don't have a record.

I'm happy to hear your attitude about the situation is changing. While it's unfortunate that such a mistake has happened, I hope this turns into another situation where our human nature helps us bring the best out of a non-ideal occurrence. Good luck!

[mordorbund]

Were your original records on papyrus or stone tablets?

Didn't you get the memo? No more old jokes on Pam. The following are still fair game:

• Her cookie-ness You just want a free pass to get baked.
• Her behavior at get-togethers Didn't you ask that young waiter about your records? Oh, that's right, you asked if he wanted to set some records.
• Her crush on that Criminal Minds guy As long as you're getting your records updated, why not promote Shemar Moore to "husband".
• Non-geriatric humor Why don't you like your Church records? The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is classic!!