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# Persist in teaching as Church doctrine information that is not Church doctrine after they have been corrected by their bishop or a higher authority. | # Persist in teaching as Church doctrine information that is not Church doctrine after they have been corrected by their bishop or a higher authority. | ||
# Continue to follow the teachings of apostate sects (such as those that advocate plural marriage) after being corrected by their bishop or a higher authority. | # Continue to follow the teachings of apostate sects (such as those that advocate plural marriage) after being corrected by their bishop or a higher authority. | ||
− | # Formally join another church and advocate its teachings.<ref>''Handbook 1'', 6.7.3</ref> | + | # Formally join another church and advocate its teachings.<ref>Discussed in {{Ensign|author=James E. Faust|article=[https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1993/10/keeping-covenants-and-honoring-the-priesthood.p17 Keeping Covenants and Honoring the Priesthood]|date=November 1993}} Also in ''Handbook 1'', 6.7.3</ref> |
− | Any member charged with apostasy would already have been given clear warning that their behavior would put them at risk. Bishops and other leaders would have cautioned the member prior to instigating a disciplinary council, unless the member had refused to meet with them. | + | Any member charged with apostasy would already have been given clear warning that their behavior would put them at risk. Bishops and other leaders would have cautioned the member prior to instigating a disciplinary council, unless the member had refused to meet with them, or asked that they not have contact with the Church. |
|quote=:We could conceive of a man honestly differing in opinion from the Authorities of the Church and yet not be an apostate; but we could not conceive of a man publishing these differences of opinion and seeking by arguments, sophistry and special pleading to enforce them upon the people to produce division and strife and to place the acts and counsels of the Authorities of the Church, if possible, in a wrong light, and not be an apostate, for such conduct was apostasy as we understood the term.<br><br> | |quote=:We could conceive of a man honestly differing in opinion from the Authorities of the Church and yet not be an apostate; but we could not conceive of a man publishing these differences of opinion and seeking by arguments, sophistry and special pleading to enforce them upon the people to produce division and strife and to place the acts and counsels of the Authorities of the Church, if possible, in a wrong light, and not be an apostate, for such conduct was apostasy as we understood the term.<br><br> |
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If you have a question about the whys, hows, or wherefores of Church Discipline in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, our FAQ has the answer.
In rare instances, we may commit serious transgressions that jeopardize our progress. Church discipline — restrictions and conditions of repentance that prompt a person to reevaluate their situation and return to full fellowship and activity — is a process designed to help us overcome sin in these instances.For all sins, large and small, it is the sacrifice and suffering, mercy and grace — or Atonement — of Jesus Christ that makes repentance possible. Church discipline is designed to help an individual more fully apply the Atonement of Jesus Christ, be cleansed of their sins and move forward in their eternal progression.
The term “discipline” is an important one, especially in this religious context. It shares the same Latin root as the word “disciple,” meaning a true follower. Learning to discipline ourselves is what makes us better people. Any athlete, artist, scholar or musician would acknowledge that discipline is the key to improvement. And so it is with our spiritual progression as well. Christ Himself taught repeatedly that we need to be disciplined in our thoughts, words and deeds. Becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ requires self-discipline.
The purpose of any counseling or discipline in the Church is to help the individual to obtain the peace and hope provided by Christ’s Atonement. It should not be confused with punishment.
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"A person who is guilty of a serious transgression cannot progress, and he is not happy while the guilt is upon him. Until he has confessed and repented he is in bondage. The transgressor who is dealt with as he should be, with love and with proper discipline, will later express his appreciation for your concern, your interest, and your leadership. As he is properly dealt with, he is in a position to repent and come back to full activity."
The Church has zero tolerance for abuse of any kind, including child abuse, spousal abuse, sexual abuse or child pornography, and anyone engaged in these practices would rightly face both criminal prosecution and Church discipline.
[Church discipline] is also used to address apostasy — the repeated, clear and open public opposition to the Church, its leaders and its doctrine. If someone seeks to teach as doctrine something that is contrary to the Church’s beliefs, attempts to persuade other Church members to their point of view or publicly insists the Church change its doctrine to align with their personal views, they would be counseled by a local Church leader and asked to cease that practice. If they fail to do so, Church discipline may follow. This also applies to an individual who subscribes to the teachings of apostate groups that engage in practices contrary to Church doctrine, such as polygamy.
Church disciplinary councils are not legal proceedings and are not held to legally try civil or criminal cases, nor are they meant to address things such as failure to attend church regularly, to obey the Church’s code of health or to fulfill Church responsibilities or to settle disputes among members. Disciplinary councils are not used for members who want their names removed from Church records or who have joined another church. Those issues are handled through a simple administrative process.
Church discipline is administered at a local level by those who know the circumstances and the individual best and who can be at his or her side throughout the repentance process.
Whenever this [stake high] council convenes to act upon any case, the twelve councilors shall consider whether it is a difficult one or not; if it is not, two only of the councilors shall speak upon it....But if it is thought to be difficult, four shall be appointed; and if more difficult, six; but in no case shall more than six be appointed to speak. The accused, in all cases, has a right to one–half of the council, to prevent insult or injustice. And the councilors appointed to speak before the council are to present the case, after the evidence is examined, in its true light before the council; and every man is to speak according to equity and justice. Those councilors who draw even numbers, that is, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, are the individuals who are to stand up in behalf of the accused, and prevent insult and injustice.
All Church discipline is carried out in complete confidence. Church leaders have a solemn responsibility to keep confidential all information they receive in confessions and interviews. To protect that confidence, the Church will not discuss the proceedings of a disciplinary council. A confidential record of the proceedings is kept by a clerk, but even if an individual decides to publicly share information about the process and seeks to position that process in their own light, the Church will be circumspect in any public statement. In rare cases, the decision of a disciplinary council may be shared publicly to prevent others from being harmed through misinformation.
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Church discipline is not designed to be the end of the process, but the beginning of the road back to full fellowship. Depending on the severity of the sin and the resulting decision of the disciplinary council, the discipline may last from a few weeks or months to a period of years. The length is determined by the progress of the individual.When someone has received Church discipline, their local Church leaders meet with them frequently and in confidence to provide encouragement and counsel on their repentance process. During that time, the leader will help them avoid repeating their offense and encourage them to seek personal forgiveness through the Atonement, make restitution for their mistakes and focus on completing any steps outlined for them at the time of the disciplinary council.
Church discipline is ended when another council is convened and concludes that the progress of the individual warrants a return to full fellowship.
For most disciplinary actions, no record of the discipline is retained once the person has been restored to full fellowship. Following restoration after loss of membership, a new membership record is created with the original dates of baptism and other ordinances, with no record of the loss of membership. In some cases, including domestic abuse, incest, sexual or physical abuse of a child, plural marriage, predatory activities or embezzlement of Church funds, a permanent annotation remains on the record of the individual to ensure they are never again in a position to harm another.
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FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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