Coming Back to the Church

[aclaire11]

Hi,

I left the Church in late March. Ever since I left I've felt the urge to return, and now I've decided to act on it. I'm studying in Germany at the moment, so I don't really know what will happen. My baptismal/membership records got mixed up somehow so I just yesterday sent my old Bishop the information he needed to complete them. I will no longer be a member of that ward because I was at boarding school and I've graduated. I can't go to Church at home because my parents are very controlling and won't let me go because they are against the Church. Thankfully I leave for my university a week after I return to the States.

I'm going to Church this Sunday. What do I do? Do I need to do anything? Is my patriarchal blessing still valid? Do I have to wait for a while before getting a Temple Rec? (My old one expired last week). Is there anything else I should know?

Thank you,
A.Claire11

[john doe]

What do you mean by 'left the church'? Did you send a letter of resignation? Did anyone make it official? Are you still on the church records as being a member? The answers to these questions will make it easier to figure out how to make a return.

[aclaire11]

I didn't send a letter of resignation. I just stopped going. I talked to my bishop through email about sending in a letter, but my membership records were incomplete (I was baptised out of the country and it made everything really complicated) so I just didn't do anything. The bishop said he needed my address to proceed, but my family was moving so I couldn't send him anything. I emailed him my new address yesterday and told him I wanted to come back. It's possible he used my school address to make my leaving official, but I doubt it. Just in case he did, what happens then? What happens if he just left my records incomplete?

[john doe]

It would take a little more than telling your bishop to make leaving official. If they can track down your records and you are listed as a member in good standing, then coming back will be fairly easy and painless. Just decide to start going, and do it. You won't be able to get a new temple recommend until your records become found and transferred to your new ward, which I assume will be in the university area. Was it a 'baptisms for the dead only' recommend or have you recieved the endowment?

[aclaire11]

It was a baptisms for the dead recommend. I know members have to wait at least a year to receive the endowment after being baptised. Do I have to wait for another year?

Thank you so much for your help!

[john doe]

You would need to wait a year after baptism for an endowment recommend. The one year rules extends to the last valid baptism. Talk to your new bishop and he will guide you through what you need to do to be in good standing.

[Vort]

And welcome home!

[Misshalfway]

Your patriarchal blessing will always be valid.

[aclaire11]

Thanks for the help, guys! My Bishop sent me a message saying that all I need to do is start going back to Church and everything will be fine. He also said he will look into fixing my Patriarchal Blessing, which had some spelling errors in it. So it looks like everything is going to work out.

[talisyn]

If I had a nickel for every person who stopped going to church and then came back...I'd have a lot of nickels

Welcome back.