[BenRaines]

Quoted from earlier post

"He stopped me and read straight out of the Big Book of Bishops (or whatever their handbook is...) the conditions when confession is required. Things to be considered included how much time had lapsed; service and activity level; whether in a prominent position or not; and a few other things I am not remembering. Then he asked if what I had done met the conditions, and I had to conclude that I didn't need to tell him."

If I understand what your understanding of what the Bishop said you could have done some serious immoral sin, met with a prostitute a few times, carried on an affair with a coworker, etc. and as long as enough time has elapsed and no one else knows about it and you continued to do your home teaching and serve in the church, etc that you wouldn't need to confess it to the Bishop? Personally I don't think so.

Having sat in that chair before, any transgression that involves breaking the law of chastity should be taken up with the Bishop. What is done about it afterwords is between you, the Bishop and The Lord.

It reminds me of a talk once given to Bishops. In the the general authority giving the talk said "Bishops, do you ask young men who come before you to interview before their missions, are you morally clean?, and when they say yes you go Phew. You need to find out what their understanding of morally clean is and work from a common understanding". That is how I remember what he said.

As I have said in other threads. To stop doing a sin is not repentance. The first step is to recognize you have sinned and the second is to feel remorse. To feel bad for having sinned against God. Stopping just because I know it is wrong is not repentance.

Ben Raines