Okay...somewhat along these lines, I've got one for you. A friend of mine was married in the temple about 13 years ago. They didn't have a smooth road (whoever does?), and they were in and out of counseling (LDS Soc. Serv.) but while she was pregnant with their 6th child, she realized that he was drinking to excess (he'd been inactive for a while) and they separated before that baby was born. Their divorce proceedings took a long time because they'd had a business in their names and that complicated things. During the divorce, she was very careful to not even appear as if she were dating. He, however, decided that it would be alright to not only find a girlfriend, but to use money that was to have gone for court-ordered child support to buy this floozy a ring and then shack up with her. And this was before the divorce was final! And while the bishop was aware of the situation, no disciplinary action was taken. It seems to me that he was not only an unrepentant fornicator but an unrepentant adulterer, as well. So, the divorce was final about a year ago and he continued to live with this floozy until February, when they finally got married. Before they married, he decided to go back to church and he was welcomed back with open arms (and at that point, he was shacking up still) and then after they were married, he was allowed to baptize the new wife. He still is not very faithful about paying child support, and she's having to work two jobs to make ends meet. It just blows my mind that no church discipline was undertaken in this case! The ex-wife, my friend, is understandably having a very difficult time with this and her faith in her priesthood leaders has been seriously shaken. I'm trying to help her see that this may be a test for her to see how she will react, but at the same time, I can understand why she's having such a hard time with this. Any suggestions as to how to help her?
Heidi the fair > [Original Message] > From: John W. Redelfs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 9/8/2003 11:49:10 AM > Subject: Re: [ZION] Confusion in Gospel Doctrine Class > > Rick Mathis wrote: > >What did Jesus do? Did he refuse to associate with sinners? According to > >what we have in the New Testament, Paul definitely had his own set of > >issues, including bragging about correcting the President of the Church at > >that time. He was a product of his culture and training. > > Paul was specifically speaking of Church members or "a man that is called a > brother." Jesus Christ did not associate with fornicators in the Church, > nor did he ever suggest that unrepentant fornicators should be brought into > the Church. Obviously a missionary has to associate with sinners in order > to do missionary work. But only those who have faith unto repentance are > invited into the Church through baptism. That does not mean that we are to > fellowship unrepentant fornicators in the Church. In fact, unrepentant > fornicators in the Church are to be excommunicated, and generally they are. > > Our prophets teach that sexual sin is second only to murder. Do faithful > Church members associate with drug pushers or cocaine addicts? Do we hang > out in bars? I don't think so. Then why should we associate with > unrepentant fornicators in the Church? > > > John W. Redelfs [EMAIL PROTECTED] > =========================================== > "There is no place in this work for those who believe only > in the gospel of doom and gloom. The gospel is good > news. It is a message of triumph." --Gordon B. Hinckley > =========================================== > All my opinions are tentative pending further data. --JWR > > //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // > /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// / > ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html --^----------------------------------------------------------------
