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PRIESTHOOD, 1980.
1980: Jan.: Recommendation for MP ordination: questions.
“A member of the stake presidency should discuss the following questions with the brother being recommended.
1. Do you sustain the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, recognizing no other person on the earth as authorized to exercise all priesthood keys?
2. Do you sustain the other General Authorities and local authorities of the Church?
3. Do you earnestly strive to live in accordance with the accepted rules and doctrines of the Church?
4. Is there anything in your conduct relating to members of your family which is not in harmony with the teachings of the Church?
5. Do you have any affiliation with or sympathy for any groups or individuals who teach or practice doctrines not officially approved by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
6. Are you a full tithe payer?
7. Are you totally honest in your dealings with your fellowmen?
8. Do you keep the Word of Wisdom?
9. Will you earnestly strive to do your duty in the Church; to attend your sacrament, priesthood, and other meetings; and to obey the rules, laws, and commandments of the Church?
10. Have you ever had a divorce tht has not been cleared by appropriate priesthood authorities where required?
11. Is there anything amiss in your life that has not been fully resolved with appropriate authorities that should be cleared up at this time?
12. If you have been through the temple, do you wear the authorized garments both night and day, and do you keep all the covenants that you made in the temple?
13. Do you consider yourself worthy in every way to be ordained to an office in the Melchizedek Priesthood?”
(“Recommendation for Melchizedek Priesthood Ordination,” PFCT040A, 1/80)
ca. Jan.: Annual Guidelines, 1980-1981.
[Under “Basic Priesthood Duties” are sections on Missionary work, Genealogy and Temple, and Welfare. No mention is made of 70s in relationship to Missionary work; none of High Priests in relationship to Genealogy and Temple; and none of Elders in relationship to Welfare.]
Single Adults
“The Melchizedek Priesthood quorums [not just Elders quorum any longer] have the principal responsibility for serving the interests and needs of the single men of the Church. Single men should be able to find fellowship, recreation, and spiritual growth within the regular programs of their priesthood quorums. When the interests and needs of single adult members can best be served by having men and women meet together for combined activities, such activities should be sponsored on the ward level by the ward committee for single adults and on the stake level by the appropriate stake single adult council or committee. However, these single adult committees should not assume the responsibility of the quorums for their single members.”
(“Annual Guidelines, 1980-81: The Melchizedek Priesthood”)
5 Apr.: Consolidated schedule.
“You will recall, also, our saying last year in general conference and in seminars for the Regional Representatives that some further program adjustments were coming. We said at that time:
We see ourselves as positioning our people so that the Latter-day Saints can give greater attention to family life, can focus more on certain simple and basic things, can render more Christian service, and can have greater effectiveness in all these things–through the process of simplification, scheduling, proper priorities, and by honoring the priesthood line. (Regional Representatives’ seminar, 5 Oct., 1979; see also Ensign, Nov., 1979, p. 100)
Those adjustments, as you have recently learned, now have been made. We are confident that as a result we will indeed see an upsurge in quality family life, in Christian service, and in attendance at Church meetings.” (Spencer W. Kimball, 5 Apr., 1980; CR Apr., 1980, pp. 4-5)
Oct.: Church courts don’t follow civil court rules.
“When a Church court is convened it should be remembered that it is an ecclesiastical proceeding only and that the rules or procedures applicable to the courts of the land do not necessarily apply.” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 1)
Oct.: Only object of Church court is member’s standing.
“The convening of a Church court should be for the consideration of a member’s standing in the Church only. All other considerations are to be left to the courts of the land.” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 1)
Oct.: Changes in criteria for holding courts.
The following changes were made since the Church Judicial System supplement of November, 1979; all deal with offenses for which courts MUST be held:
1. Expansion of positions considered “prominent”: “general Church auxiliary officer or board member, Regional Representative, mission president, temple president, patriarch, stake president, stake president’s counselor, district president, district president’s counselor, high councilor, stake auxiliary president or counselor, bishop, bishop’s counselor, branch president, branch president’s counselor, or full-time missionary. (Should there be any questions about full-time Church employees, including seminary and institute personnel, presiding officers should write to the Office of the First Presidency for clarification.)”
2. “The transgressor is guilty of incest.” This used to be grounds for possible, not mandatory, court action.
3. “A transsexual operation has taken place.” This is a new category.
(General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 1)
Oct.: Questions concerning definition of murder.
“Any question about what constitutes murder should be directed by presiding officers to the Office of the First Presidency.” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 2)
Oct.: Revised guidance on incest.
“Incest is an extremely serious transgression because it violates the sacred family relationship. The term incest referes to sexual relations between a parent and a natural, adopted, foster, or step child. A grandparent is considered the same as a parent.
A parent who commits this sin must be brought before a Church court. The penalty for incest is mandatory excommunication. If local priesthood leaders are confronted with unusual circumstances concerning incest, they may write to the Office of the First Presidency for further counsel.” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 2)
Oct.: Doctors performing abortions liable to court action
List of those liable to court action expanded to include “Church members who are doctors who perform abortions.” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 2)
Oct.: Guidelines on transsexual surgery.
“The Church counsels against transsexual operations, and members who undergo such procedures require disciplinary action. Church members who are doctors who perform such operations may also require disciplinary action. Investigators who are considering transsexual operations should not be baptized. Investigators who have already undergone transsexual operations may be baptized if otherwise worthy on condition that an appropriate notation be made on the membership record so as to preclude such individuals from either receiving the priesthood or temple recommends. Members contemplating transsexual operations should be informed that the Church counsels against such procedures, but any disciplinary action is deferred until the individual has made a decision whether to undergo the operation. Members who have undergone transsexual operations must be excommunicated. After excommunication such a person is not eligible again for baptism. Questions on difficult cases can be forwarded by local priesthood leaders to the Office of the First Presidency.” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 2)
Oct.: Voluntary confession can be used against member.
“It is possible to use information obtained through a member’s voluntary confession as the basis for Church discipline. Every effort should be made to preserve the confidentiality of the confession. If a court is convened, how the confession may be used in a court proceeding rests with the presiding officer of the court.” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 3)
Oct.: Substitutions for vacancies in high council court.
“If for any reason a counselor to the stake president is absent, the stake president may ask a member of the high council to fill the vacancy during the court proceedings. An alternate high councilor should fill the resulting vacancy on the high council. An alternate high councilor also may serve in the absence of a high councilor. If twelve high councilors or alternates cannot be seated, other qualified Melchizedek Priesthood holders may be called to serve in the vacancies for the duration of the court.” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; pp. 3-4)
Oct.: Revised guidelines regarding probation.
“When a member has been placed on probation, only the completed Report of Church Court Action form need be sent to Church headquarters. All other materials pertaining to the court action are retained during the period of probation in the confidential files of the ward or stake in which the court was conducted.
When the decision of a Church court is probation, the presiding officer should specify to the individual the terms and conditions under which the probation can subsequently be terminated. During the period of probation the presiding officer should maintain regular contact with the individual to help assure progres toward termination of the probation. No notation is made on the individual’s membership record of the probation.” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 7)
Oct.: Payment of tithes by excommunicants.
“Excommunicated individuals may, if they so desire, make such payments through a member of their immediate family who is in full standing in the Church, provided that all receipts are written in the name of the family member.” [Earlier ruling was that such funds must be kept in private account until rebaptism.] (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 8)
Oct.: No readmission following murder, transsexual.
“An excommunicated person should be encouraged to repent and live the gospel standards to prepare himself for baptism. In cases of murder or transsexual operations, either received or performed, however, no readmission to the Church is possible.” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 8)
Oct.: Decisions of probation not announced.
“Decisions for probation are not announced.” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 8)
Oct.: Termination of probation.
[New material] “Probation imposed in a Church court can be terminated upon recommendation of the presiding officer of the court once the individual has met the terms and conditions imposed. When the court has approved the termination, the Report of Church Court Action form noting the action is forwarded to Church headquarters and all other documents and materials relating to the case are destroyed either by shredding or burning, as soon as the court is informed that the Office of the First Presidency has received its copies.
If the individual on probation moved during the probationary period, or if the ward or stake has been divided, the current presiding officer should refer the matter back to the court of original jurisdiction.
If, in the judgment of the presiding officer of the court which imposed probation, the individual is not living up to the terms and conditions specified, the court can be reconvened to hear the matter and determine whether further action is warranted.” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; pp. 9-10)
Oct.: Revised guidelines for reinstating disfellowshipped
“If the disfellowshipped member has moved from the geographical area of the court that imposed the penalty, or if the ward or stake has been divided, his current bishop [changed from previous policy] should interview the applicant and, if he is found sufficiently repentant and worthy, recommend approval of reinstatement to full fellowship to his stake president. After satisfying himself as to the member’s repentance and worthiness, the stake president should send his written approval to the president of the stake or mission of the disfellowshipment with a request for the original court to be convened to consider approval for reinstatement.
When these preliminary steps have been completed, the presiding officer of the original court should reconvene the court, review the prior Report of Church Court Action form, if available, consider any new evidence, receive additional written or oral testimony of the disfellowshipped member, if deemed necessary, and prepare a new Report of Church Court Action form reflecting the decision.
If the member was disfellowshipped for one of the following reasons, written approval from the First Presidency must first be received before the disfellowshipped member can be reinstated:
1. Advocating or teaching the doctrines of apostate sects that practice plural marriage, or affiliating with such groups.
2. Commission of a serious transgression while serving in a prominent Church position . . .
3. Embezzlement of Church funds.”
(General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 10)
Oct.: Readmitted men should not receive AP.
“Readmitted male members who were previously endowed should not be ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood since they receive the priesthood only by restoration of priesthood and temple blessings.” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 11)
Oct.: Revised guidelines on restoration of blessings.
“Restoration of blessings is always conducted under the direction of the President of the Church, who is the final judge of the accountability, repentance, and worthiness of the applicant. If the President decides to proceed with the restoration of blessings, arrangements will be made for the applicant to be interviewed by a General Authority assigned by the President of the Council of the Twelve. If the assigned General Authority finds the individual to be worthy, he is authorized to act on the matter and may restore all blessings held at the time of excommunication which have been authorized for restoration.” (General Handbook of Instructions, 1976, #21, Supplement, “The Church Judicial System,” Oct., 1980; p. 12)